Market Day
Who: Maureen Deas
When: Saturday, May 11
Where: The Market
Invited: Ami, All
Status: Incomplete
The market was a lot like the mall back in the old school days. Maureen remembered days of dressing in her tightest shirts and jeans, make up done, push up bra and sipping diet colas while batting eyelashes and flirting with the boys. In middle school, they were high school boys. In high school, they were high school boys until the days of licenses, driving and discovering that the right clothes, attitude and makeup could get a pretty girl - or a girl with a great body - into college parties.
The market on Gamma Site served the same purpose as the mall had in those days. It wasn't just a place to pick up the vegetables needed for a pot of soup or as a much needed dietary supplement, or to indulge in things like homemade soaps and jewelry; it was also a place to socialize and interact, meet and greet. As many men as women came to the market, and Maureen discovered early on it was just as easy to flirt over a discussion of tubers as it was over a beer in a bar.
Though it was open every day, the market, like the mall sprang to life on the weekends, and Maureen always looked forward to it. Not just because of all the pleasing eye-candy and opportunities to meet, greet and learn a few new names and faces, but also because it presented her with a fine opportunity to drag her roommate out in the social sunshine.
Ami was a lot of fun, when she relaxed and didn't bury herself in work, and though it could be argued that the two women were as different as night and day, Maureen genuinely enjoyed the Brit's company. Despite Ami's attitude the contrary, Maureen knew the feeling was mutual; if it weren't Ami would have told Maureen to "bugger off" long ago. While she could be polite and reserved, one thing Ami Jackson, Ph.D. was not was timid. When pushed she could bare her teeth and growl, and sometimes the woman got bitchy enough to bite.
Now that it was just the two of them - the twins, having found two brothers that they hit it off with had moved out on Thursday - Maureen planned on having more of these excursions and making extra special efforts to keep Ami in the land of the social. Plus, Maureen liked having a girlfriend to hang around with.
"Soap?" Maureen asked, peering over Ami's shoulder, which required a feat of tip-toes and leaning given that the woman was not short. "You're buying soap?"
Ami ducked her head, dark complexion darkening even further under her not-very-well hidden blush. She returned the soap to the basket. "It smells good. And I was just looking."
"So, the soap doesn't have anything to do with your disappearing act last night?"
"I didn't disappear. I came home."
"After I was asleep," Maureen pointed out. Truthfully, she hadn't really been asleep. It wasn't like Ami to stay out late, unless she was off in the labs. Last night, she hadn't been; worried, Maureen had gone looking for her and been a little worried when her roommate was nowhere to be found. Next, she'd gone to Moe's and finally caught the whisper of Ami left early on with a guy that no one - at least no one in Maureen's circle or in Ami's circle of doctorates - could identify or remembered seeing around before.
Maureen lay awake and worried. She knew that she had a carefree attitude, but she wasn't stupid. Maureen did what she did because she knew how to handle herself; Ami, she wasn't so sure about. That was why she'd been lying in the dark in the hammock when Ami arrived, and that was where Maureen heard the soft whisper of voices through the tent flap. She couldn't make out words, but Maureen had been there often enough; she knew the sentiments well enough that she hadn't had to hear the words.
The moonlight falling in the flap as Ami entered briefly illuminated Ami's beaming face, before Maureen faked sleep. All intentions of scolding Ami for being reckless vanished when she saw how happy the other woman was. (It's about damn time,) Maureen thought, eyes squeezed shut in the hammock, (If anyone needed to get laid, it was Ami.)
This morning, Maureen looked forward to girl-take and bonding, particularly when she stumbled across the usually meticulous Ami sprawled out in bed in the clothes she'd worn the night before - covered with a good deal of dirt and grass. Ami was mostly mum on the subject, waking eventually for her usual morning run, and returning with a smile of all things.
Ami never smiled after running.
That was in addition to the humming which occasionally turned into full renditions of "Like a Virgin," "Fever," and a few other eighties songs that Maureen hadn't heard in years. It didn't require a doctorate to figure out that whoever the Mystery Man was, he seriously rang Ami's bell.
So far though, no amount of wheedling, teasing, "whinging on," or bribery had garnered Maureen any real information. For a woman who must have added a bit of lead to her sneakers to keep her feet on the ground, Ami was being impressively tight-lipped.
All Maureen was able to learn was that Ami had been "star-gazing," and "snogging." Mystery Man didn't have a name (yet), but he was a cute and a gentleman to boot. But the day was young, Maureen was always one for vicarious living, and knew that she'd wear the archaeologist down eventually.
"But I did come home," Ami pointed out smugly.
"And fell right into bed wearing your clothes. Your grass stained and dirty clothes," Maureen gave Ami a sly smile and bumped her hip. "Too exhausted to change out of them?"
Ami's Mona Lisa smile revealed absolutely nothing.
Maureen groaned in frustration and mock pouted, complete with foot stamp. "C'mon Ami, you're killing me here. You have to give me something!"
Ami kept walking, shopping basket dangling from her arm, a few bars of "Crush on You," drifting over the wind to Maureen's ears before the Brit turned back with a far too smug smile. "He's a bloody fantastic kisser."
When: Saturday, May 11
Where: The Market
Invited: Ami, All
Status: Incomplete
The market was a lot like the mall back in the old school days. Maureen remembered days of dressing in her tightest shirts and jeans, make up done, push up bra and sipping diet colas while batting eyelashes and flirting with the boys. In middle school, they were high school boys. In high school, they were high school boys until the days of licenses, driving and discovering that the right clothes, attitude and makeup could get a pretty girl - or a girl with a great body - into college parties.
The market on Gamma Site served the same purpose as the mall had in those days. It wasn't just a place to pick up the vegetables needed for a pot of soup or as a much needed dietary supplement, or to indulge in things like homemade soaps and jewelry; it was also a place to socialize and interact, meet and greet. As many men as women came to the market, and Maureen discovered early on it was just as easy to flirt over a discussion of tubers as it was over a beer in a bar.
Though it was open every day, the market, like the mall sprang to life on the weekends, and Maureen always looked forward to it. Not just because of all the pleasing eye-candy and opportunities to meet, greet and learn a few new names and faces, but also because it presented her with a fine opportunity to drag her roommate out in the social sunshine.
Ami was a lot of fun, when she relaxed and didn't bury herself in work, and though it could be argued that the two women were as different as night and day, Maureen genuinely enjoyed the Brit's company. Despite Ami's attitude the contrary, Maureen knew the feeling was mutual; if it weren't Ami would have told Maureen to "bugger off" long ago. While she could be polite and reserved, one thing Ami Jackson, Ph.D. was not was timid. When pushed she could bare her teeth and growl, and sometimes the woman got bitchy enough to bite.
Now that it was just the two of them - the twins, having found two brothers that they hit it off with had moved out on Thursday - Maureen planned on having more of these excursions and making extra special efforts to keep Ami in the land of the social. Plus, Maureen liked having a girlfriend to hang around with.
"Soap?" Maureen asked, peering over Ami's shoulder, which required a feat of tip-toes and leaning given that the woman was not short. "You're buying soap?"
Ami ducked her head, dark complexion darkening even further under her not-very-well hidden blush. She returned the soap to the basket. "It smells good. And I was just looking."
"So, the soap doesn't have anything to do with your disappearing act last night?"
"I didn't disappear. I came home."
"After I was asleep," Maureen pointed out. Truthfully, she hadn't really been asleep. It wasn't like Ami to stay out late, unless she was off in the labs. Last night, she hadn't been; worried, Maureen had gone looking for her and been a little worried when her roommate was nowhere to be found. Next, she'd gone to Moe's and finally caught the whisper of Ami left early on with a guy that no one - at least no one in Maureen's circle or in Ami's circle of doctorates - could identify or remembered seeing around before.
Maureen lay awake and worried. She knew that she had a carefree attitude, but she wasn't stupid. Maureen did what she did because she knew how to handle herself; Ami, she wasn't so sure about. That was why she'd been lying in the dark in the hammock when Ami arrived, and that was where Maureen heard the soft whisper of voices through the tent flap. She couldn't make out words, but Maureen had been there often enough; she knew the sentiments well enough that she hadn't had to hear the words.
The moonlight falling in the flap as Ami entered briefly illuminated Ami's beaming face, before Maureen faked sleep. All intentions of scolding Ami for being reckless vanished when she saw how happy the other woman was. (It's about damn time,) Maureen thought, eyes squeezed shut in the hammock, (If anyone needed to get laid, it was Ami.)
This morning, Maureen looked forward to girl-take and bonding, particularly when she stumbled across the usually meticulous Ami sprawled out in bed in the clothes she'd worn the night before - covered with a good deal of dirt and grass. Ami was mostly mum on the subject, waking eventually for her usual morning run, and returning with a smile of all things.
Ami never smiled after running.
That was in addition to the humming which occasionally turned into full renditions of "Like a Virgin," "Fever," and a few other eighties songs that Maureen hadn't heard in years. It didn't require a doctorate to figure out that whoever the Mystery Man was, he seriously rang Ami's bell.
So far though, no amount of wheedling, teasing, "whinging on," or bribery had garnered Maureen any real information. For a woman who must have added a bit of lead to her sneakers to keep her feet on the ground, Ami was being impressively tight-lipped.
All Maureen was able to learn was that Ami had been "star-gazing," and "snogging." Mystery Man didn't have a name (yet), but he was a cute and a gentleman to boot. But the day was young, Maureen was always one for vicarious living, and knew that she'd wear the archaeologist down eventually.
"But I did come home," Ami pointed out smugly.
"And fell right into bed wearing your clothes. Your grass stained and dirty clothes," Maureen gave Ami a sly smile and bumped her hip. "Too exhausted to change out of them?"
Ami's Mona Lisa smile revealed absolutely nothing.
Maureen groaned in frustration and mock pouted, complete with foot stamp. "C'mon Ami, you're killing me here. You have to give me something!"
Ami kept walking, shopping basket dangling from her arm, a few bars of "Crush on You," drifting over the wind to Maureen's ears before the Brit turned back with a far too smug smile. "He's a bloody fantastic kisser."