(Untitled)

[rhymingdevil]

As far as birthdays went, this had turned out to be an eventful one. I wasn't really used to doing much for my birthday, close to Christmas as it was, and here on the island I wasn't even sure if anyone knew it was my birthday. I hadn't told Savannah, who probably would have at least given me a card for the big 1-9 (2-1? Was I counting physical

Comments

[dinnerfor1_girl]

Sally shivered at the word upon the first hearing of it and stared at the offending party who even dared to say it. "Don't..." She held up a hand to try and calm herself. "Don't go saying words like that where people can hear you!" she hissed. "You're going to cause a panic attack!"

[rhymingdevil]

"Happy Birthday?" I asked, a little confused as to why something like that was going to cause mass panic. Then again, there were some weird people on the island and maybe she was from a place where they didn't celebrate birthdays.

"They're not going to come and take me to the Sleepshop, are they?"

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"No, but you may be beaten by ageing women who have decided to declare holy war against birthdays," Sally replied, not saying whether or not she had decided to join that cult.

The truth was, she just wasn't sure she wanted to exert the potential wrinkles that went along with it. "...the sleepshop?"

[rhymingdevil]

"...Logan's Run?" I offered, trying to see if she'd get the reference. "Sci fi flick? Basically, the world is overpopulated so they kill everyone when they turn 21 in these giant factories?"

It had seemed like a cool reference at the time.

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"Really, what we really need is Logan's Immortal Run," she countered knowingly and calmly. "Everyone stops ageing at twenty-one," she remarked blissfully, lifting her chin to eliminate unsightly wrinkles, "and we all stay young and slim and moist forever."

[rhymingdevil]

I snickered a little at that, thinking it might be a little ridiculous. "You know, you're pretty hot. What are you, like twenty nine?"

I was pegging her for thirties, but apparently she needed the pick me up. I personally didn't have anything against an older woman.

[dinnerfor1_girl]

Sally officially had a new favourite person on the island. She could even feel her chest choking up with pride and happiness and she looked him over happily. "Whoever you are, you're automatically on my good list. And it's your birthday. How do you feel about mud facials, birthday boy?"

[rhymingdevil]

"I've never had one," I said warily, "But I guess I'm willing to try anything once. Do you give them, or something?"

Sounded vaguely girly, but when in Rome...

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"I run the spa here." And then Sally realized how batty that made her sound. "Well, I run a stall at the market that offers spa services. Mudbaths, facials, pedicures, manicures, hair treatments. The sort of thing that make people fight off wrinkles," she added helpfully.

[rhymingdevil]

"Oh, so you sell the stuff but you don't need it?" I teased, grinning wide. "How do you even know if it works, then?"

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"And now you're pushing that luck," Sally warned, because she liked her compliments at least vaguely realistic. They were easier to accept and immortalize in her mind if they were. "If it weren't for moisturizer, my face would probably be named a new desert, at the rate the sun pounds down here."

[rhymingdevil]

"I think you look fine," I said, and meant it. I didn't have a Mrs. Robinson complex, or anything, but she was a good looking woman and being red-blooded and straight, I noticed.

"And you have great skin."

[dinnerfor1_girl]

Sally preened just slightly at that and it was just realistic enough that she didn't have much trouble believing him. "Well, you're not half bad yourself. ...I don't even know your name, actually. Not that this should dissuade compliments, but I'd like to leave here with a name, at the very least."

[rhymingdevil]

"Peter," I offered, extending a hand for her to shake. "I probably should have gave you that before I started talking about how gorgeous you are, right?"

[dinnerfor1_girl]

"I'm Sally. And I hardly hate to hear that I'm gorgeous," she did have to admit with a slight flush of her cheeks. "Usually it's just blokes who want me in bed, but now that I have a boyfriend, I hear less of that."

[rhymingdevil]

"Lucky guy," I said, grinning wide at her. "Did you meet him here or was this someone you knew from back home?"