Dinner Uptown [RP for pate_a_choux]

[a_georgia_peach]

It was twenty after four when Savannah left her apartment and took the elevator downstairs after spending the morning running a few errands and ridding up the box she called an apartment. Mrs. Andujar from across the hall got on at the first floor, just returning from her weekly trip to the beauty salon a few blocks up and over, and Savannah

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[pate_a_choux]

Pat arrived on time, as he said he would, and wearing the pink he also warned her he'd be sporting. The white and pink plaid shirt was rolled up to his elbows and left unbuttoned over a thin cotton t-shirt and pair with jeans that had likely seen better days judging by the worn and faded knees and frayed hem around the cuffs. In short, he looked quite comfortable and with a relaxed smile on his face that told of a very good mood.

So the pink wasn't a usual mainstay of his wardrobe, wearing it was usually a sign that Pat needed to do his laundry, but he wasn't embarrassed or ashamed to wear the the color in any shade from bright and bold to soft pastel. If Savannah was bothered by it, so much more for his amusement and as he looked around the restaurant, he was sure he'd spotted her slight brunette form at the bar.

"Getting your drink on without me? For shame." Pat leaned down and rested one elbow on the bar just beside her, smirking. "What's your poison this time so I can catch up."

[a_georgia_peach]

Savannah turned at the sound of his voice and her eyes widened as she took in the shirt. She hadn't really doubted he'd wear the pink, she just hadn't figured it'd be quite so... plaid. Fortunately, she managed to catch herself before she said anything that might've completely embarrassed her. Like asking whose bedspread he'd used to make that shirt.

"I was early," she said with a shrug as he rested his elbow on the bar and she offered a smirk of her own. "Mojito. The regular one, not that berry stuff."

[pate_a_choux]

Her eyes going wide had him chuckling again as he turned his head and raised his other arm to get the bartenders attention. Wordlessly, he indicated that he'd have what she was having and then settled himself on a bar stool, placing one foot on the rungs of her seat. "How are you? Monday being nice to you this week?"

He knew it had been very good to him, both early that morning and at work. He really hadn't stopped smiling all day. And now he had fun company for dinner too. You want to eat at the bar or see about getting a table once Paco there brings me my drink?"

[a_georgia_peach]

She rolled her eyes at his chuckling and played with the stirrer in her drink. "Me? Not bad. An' it's been okay, I guess. Ran some errands, ordered Mama some flowers for Mother's Day..." She grinned. "Y'know, borin' stuff."

She left out the part about cleaning her apartment. Because that sounded like such a great way to spend a Monday, and he probably already thought she was duller than dirt.

Savannah waited until the bartender brought his drink to answer his other question, which she prefaced with another shrug and a sip of her own drink. "Don't really matter to me, I'm good with either one."

[pate_a_choux]

He snorted and shook his head, "Not as much as you might think. Being the baby and getting away with the ol' boys will be boys thing, they were pretty indulgent, really." Even if the bra incident had been the one and only time Gina had ever reddened Pat's cheek with the back of her hand. It only took the chubby-cheeked boy's blue eyes filling with unshed tears to get her to apologize and cover that face in kisses while showing him in promises to never hurt him again. Now his smile was warm at the memory, not the mischief. He'd been about ten at the time, Gina eighteen and as much of a mother-figure as she was big sister. "I got away with a lot of things."

Pat crunched on the ice of his otherwise empty drink, "So Jenna doesn't channel her ambitions towards anything...noteworthy?" He was trying to be diplomatic about things.

[a_georgia_peach]

"Works about as well as the 'innocent li'l baby girl' thing does on older brothers, I reckon." And her smirk as she drained the last of her drink made it obvious that it had worked for her on more than a few occasions.

Pat's... observation... about Jenna made Savannah laugh. Loudly. Jenna's number was easy enough to get, both figuratively and literally. "If by noteworthy ya mean decidin' which bouncer to date with this week to get into the club with the best VIP party this weekend, then yeah," she finally answered, rolling her eyes and toying with the edges of the cocktail napkin that peeked out past the bottom of her mojito glass. "But no, really. She's all about the partyin'."

[pate_a_choux]

He knew variations on that theme, generally didn't spend much time with women like Jenna--unless he was looking to scratch a particular itch without wanting to invest any real part of himself in the process. Something he rarely did these days but he wasn't a saint or a monk. "If she's happy with that..."

A shrug. He wouldn't judge but he also wouldn't be surprised to find out the answer was 'decidedly not'. There was something decidedly hollow about that life style that could wear on a person after a while. Superficial happiness wasn't all that fulfilling.

"The best parties don't have bouncers."

[a_georgia_peach]

More playing with her cocktail napkin and another shrug. "I ain't even sure she knows what happy is, half the time."

Some days, she wasn't sure she knew what it was, either. Oh, she had once - but all of that was gone now, and sometimes she wondered if it had ever really been happiness at all. Or if maybe it had just seemed like it to a stupidly naive young woman who didn't know anything else. But he didn't need to know that. It would only put a damper on the evening and this was supposed to be fun - bright and sunny.

"And thank you. They don't. They're loud, noisy 'n smelly, and that ain't my idea of a good party at all."

[pate_a_choux]

So she caught that, did she? Pat ducked his head and looked a bit chastised, but only a for a moment. More for the graceless way he'd made the comment than for the actual words themselves. No point in apologizing for his tastes. "I like things a little more action driven, I guess."

Out of idle curiosity more than hunger, Pat was studying the dessert menu, his meal done and plates stacked and pushed to the side for the bartender to clear at his convenience. It didn't bother him that there was a slightly different protocol to dining barside than at a table. As he skimmed the listening, he wasn't impressed, there was nothing out of the ordinary on the menu. Typical Mexican stand-bys like fried ice cream and flan--and, oh...now that had him chuckling.

Whoever proofed the menu didn't do a very good job. He slid the laminated list towards Savannah and tapped a finger against the item he was laughing about. "I dare you to order that with a side of squirrel." Yes, someone listed 'chocolate moose' on the menu.

[a_georgia_peach]

She waved a hand in dismissal. "Ain't nothin' wrong with that. Variety, spice o'life, all that stuff."

Savannah finished up the last of her own meal and was pushing her plate aside to be cleared when he slid the menu over, laughing as he pointed to something. She looked down and read it, then laughed out loud herself, quirking a brow at Pat as she pretended to consider his dare.

"That the best ya can do?" she teased. "Hmm, I dunno - I don't normally go for anythin' less than a double dog dare." A slow smirk spread across her face. "A girl's gotta have standards, y'know."

[pate_a_choux]

"Fine, I double-dog dare you to order it." His own eyes lit up as he changed the challenge a bit. He also affected a rather thick, and entirely artificial, cartoon-slavic accent, "But do it like Boris. And Natasha. You vant the moose and squirrel."

Old immigrants for neighbors when growing up had to be good for something, right? And mimicry was always fun. Besides, he'd loved those Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons as a kid.

[a_georgia_peach]

One day, Savannah's smart mouth was going to get her in serious trouble. She narrowed her eyes and pretended to think about it, even though her mind was already made up. Now that he'd gone and made it a double dog dare there was no backing down. And she had two mojitos' worth of courage in her system.

So when the bartender came back to clear their plates way and ask about dessert, Savannah took a deep breath to steel herself, then pointed to the chocolate 'moose' and with a straight face and in her best cartoon-Slavic accent (not an easy feat when you tended to sound like Ellie May Clampett) told him Boris and Natasha wanted the moose. And squirrel.

[pate_a_choux]

"Aww...boohoo, you're breaking my heart." There was nothing snide about his remark, he was laughing as he said it, reaching for his drink. "Eat your moose."

[a_georgia_peach]

"Yeah, well. I'm sure you'll live," she teased, deadpan, "big strong moose like you." She offered a salute, which even in her less-than-sober state wasn't as sloppy as one might have expected - and chuckling, did as she was told. "Yessir."

[pate_a_choux]

Pat lifted his glass in more of a toast than a salute. He also flexed his other arm, showing off just how big and string he was, bicep rippling with well-toned muscle. "Pillsbury Dough Boy, I'm not."

Between lucky genetics, his work ethic and the time he liked to spend lifting free weights and his basketball Sundays, Pat was in near excellent shape despite his love of Twinkies and other food atrocities.

[a_georgia_peach]

Savannah reached for her own glass and raised it in answer. Not a Pillsbury Dough Boy, indeed. She'd noticed, not that she was going to make it obvious - that was Jenna's style, not hers.

"Hmm. 'Zat mean ya ain't ticklish if somebody pokes ya?"