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rainbowfic2016-02-06 01:12 pm
kay_brooke) wrote in rainbowfic2016-02-06 01:12 pm
Antique Brass #7, Nacre #16, Plant Party #7
Name: kay_brooke
Story: The Prime
Colors: Antique Brass #7 (Oh, I'm sorry my burglary skills are a little rusty.), Nacre #16 (Hid it so well I forgot where it was), Plant Party #7 (Hammer Orchid)
Styles/Supplies: Canvas
Word Count: 1,129
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply.
Summary: Tabitha stresses over her first date with David.
Note: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
"Hypothetical question," said Tabitha, striding into her living room and startling Josie, who was laying half-prone on the couch and idly flicking through her phone, "if you were going on a date, what would you wear?"
Josie blinked at her. "A date? Is that part of one of those social life things?"
"Yeah," said Tabitha. "So I need help." She dropped two tops across the back of the armchair. One was a knitted red turtleneck, which she thought looked good with her complexion and fit her really well. The other was a less modest lavendar halter top that she was pretty sure she'd last worn in college and she wasn't sure even still fit. And she would need to buy a cardigan or something to go over it. But she thought maybe it looked more date-like than the turtleneck.
Josie looked between the two shirts. "Am I supposed to choose?"
"That's the idea."
Josie sat up, crossed her arms, and took several moments to peer closely at both options. Finally she said, "Neither."
Tabitha sighed. "That's not an option."
"What else do you have?"
"Nothing," said Tabitha. "Ratty sweaters. Bleach-stained t-shirts. Unraveling blouses. One good button up in the event I have to dress business casual, but this is a date, not a business meeting."
Josie's eyes went wide. "You have a date?"
Tabitha groaned and grabbed back her clothes.
"In my defense, you did say it was a hypothetical question," Josie called after her retreating back. "I thought you were just, like, practicing or something."
Tabitha jammed the halter top back onto its hanger and laid the red turtleneck over her bed. It was a nice shirt, she thought, if maybe a bit too casual. She might not have cared--she'd worn something similar on her first date with Evan, but David was not Evan, and even though she felt silly for thinking it, she really wanted to make a good impression. Thinking it over for a second, she went back out into the living room. "Okay, this is an actual hypothetical. Should you tailor your clothes to the social level of the person you're going on a date with?"
Josie blinked. "Wha?"
"Like a car mechanic wouldn't care so much if you showed up in a dress bought from WalMart, but the CEO of a company definitely would."
"I guess," Josie said slowly. "But would a CEO be dating someone who can only afford dresses from WalMart?"
Tabitha sighed and slumped into the armchair. "Maybe that's the problem," she muttered.
"Tabitha, what is it?" Now Josie looked concerned, leaning over to put a hand on Tabitha's knee. "What's going on?"
She paused, uncertain she wanted to give Josie all the details. "I don't know. Nothing. I'm just being silly."
Josie bit her lip. "Maybe you're just not ready to get back out there and date? I don't remember you ever being this nervous with Evan."
"Because he was the car mechanic."
Josie frowned. "I thought he was a bank teller."
"He is!" Tabitha shook her head. "I was just extending the earlier metaphor."
"Oh, I get it," said Josie. She cocked her head at Tabitha. "Wait, so you're saying your date is the CEO? Is he actually a CEO?"
"He's a lawyer," said Tabitha. She didn't like the skeptical tone Josie had in her voice.
Josie visibly relaxed. "Oh, that's not so bad. I mean, lawyers outrank bank tellers definitely, but they're below CEOs. I think you'll be fine."
Tabitha decided to just get it over with. If all went well, she would find out eventually. And if it didn't, Josie would be there to commiserate. "He's not just any lawyer, though. He's David Ellingsworth's son."
There followed a full second where nothing happened. Then Josie's jaw actually dropped and she sputtered, "What?"
Tabitha shrugged. "It's true."
"How did that happen!" Josie was shrieking, and Tabitha quickly shushed her, afraid the neighbors would overhear.
"You remember that Arts Council costume party?" she said. When Josie nodded, she continued. "He was there. We got to talking and had some drinks--"
"Oh my god," Josie interrupted.
"--then he asked me if I wanted to get together again." Tabitha shrugged again, as nonchalant as possible, but she could feel the heat spreading up her neck. She wasn't sure if it was from the memory of that night and how blue David's eyes had been, or if it was the way Josie was looking at her like she was a complete stranger.
"You offered me your ticket," said Josie, sounding woeful. "But I turned you down. All because of that stupid review that I had to revise anyway."
Tabitha said nothing, because in hindsight she was very, very glad that Josie had prioritized academics over a Halloween party.
"Okay," said Josie, standing up. Tabitha blinked, startled. "We need to take you out for some decent date clothes. Not WalMart. I'm not proposing anything super high end, but maybe like Nordstrom's or something?"
"That's super high end for me," said Tabitha with a grimace.
"Come on, splurge a little bit. It's an investment." Josie's eyes shone. "Impress this guy and you won't ever have to worry about money again, so what's this going to hurt?"
"Whoa, no," said Tabitha. "I am not about landing some rich guy so I don't ever have to work again. That's not me, at all." She was a little hurt that Josie might think she was that kind of person.
"I know it's not," said Josie, "but when something like this drops into your lap, you have to take the opportunity. I mean, think about not having to work a job while you're in school. You could start going full-time and graduate sooner. Find the career of your dreams."
"This is a first date, not marriage," Tabitha argued, and Josie's words filled her with horror anyway. She would never dream of asking anyone to support her while she stopped working, not even a serious significant other. Not even a rich one. She didn't even like borrowing money from her parents and she could count on one finger the number of times things had gotten dire enough that she'd had to break down and ask them for money. And that was still too many times.
"Fine," said Josie. "But you still need decent clothing. Come on, you can pick the store, but you have to take my advice."
"Since when were you a fashionista?" Tabitha grumbled,
"I'm not, but clearly I'm less hopeless than you," said Josie. She grabbed her coat from where it hung by the door and made shooing motions. "Let's go let's go let's go!"
"Okay," Tabitha said with a sigh. She made a mental note to re-balance her finances later that night.
kay_brookeStory: The Prime
Colors: Antique Brass #7 (Oh, I'm sorry my burglary skills are a little rusty.), Nacre #16 (Hid it so well I forgot where it was), Plant Party #7 (Hammer Orchid)
Styles/Supplies: Canvas
Word Count: 1,129
Rating/Warnings: PG-13; no standard warnings apply.
Summary: Tabitha stresses over her first date with David.
Note: Constructive criticism is welcome, either through comments or PM.
"Hypothetical question," said Tabitha, striding into her living room and startling Josie, who was laying half-prone on the couch and idly flicking through her phone, "if you were going on a date, what would you wear?"
Josie blinked at her. "A date? Is that part of one of those social life things?"
"Yeah," said Tabitha. "So I need help." She dropped two tops across the back of the armchair. One was a knitted red turtleneck, which she thought looked good with her complexion and fit her really well. The other was a less modest lavendar halter top that she was pretty sure she'd last worn in college and she wasn't sure even still fit. And she would need to buy a cardigan or something to go over it. But she thought maybe it looked more date-like than the turtleneck.
Josie looked between the two shirts. "Am I supposed to choose?"
"That's the idea."
Josie sat up, crossed her arms, and took several moments to peer closely at both options. Finally she said, "Neither."
Tabitha sighed. "That's not an option."
"What else do you have?"
"Nothing," said Tabitha. "Ratty sweaters. Bleach-stained t-shirts. Unraveling blouses. One good button up in the event I have to dress business casual, but this is a date, not a business meeting."
Josie's eyes went wide. "You have a date?"
Tabitha groaned and grabbed back her clothes.
"In my defense, you did say it was a hypothetical question," Josie called after her retreating back. "I thought you were just, like, practicing or something."
Tabitha jammed the halter top back onto its hanger and laid the red turtleneck over her bed. It was a nice shirt, she thought, if maybe a bit too casual. She might not have cared--she'd worn something similar on her first date with Evan, but David was not Evan, and even though she felt silly for thinking it, she really wanted to make a good impression. Thinking it over for a second, she went back out into the living room. "Okay, this is an actual hypothetical. Should you tailor your clothes to the social level of the person you're going on a date with?"
Josie blinked. "Wha?"
"Like a car mechanic wouldn't care so much if you showed up in a dress bought from WalMart, but the CEO of a company definitely would."
"I guess," Josie said slowly. "But would a CEO be dating someone who can only afford dresses from WalMart?"
Tabitha sighed and slumped into the armchair. "Maybe that's the problem," she muttered.
"Tabitha, what is it?" Now Josie looked concerned, leaning over to put a hand on Tabitha's knee. "What's going on?"
She paused, uncertain she wanted to give Josie all the details. "I don't know. Nothing. I'm just being silly."
Josie bit her lip. "Maybe you're just not ready to get back out there and date? I don't remember you ever being this nervous with Evan."
"Because he was the car mechanic."
Josie frowned. "I thought he was a bank teller."
"He is!" Tabitha shook her head. "I was just extending the earlier metaphor."
"Oh, I get it," said Josie. She cocked her head at Tabitha. "Wait, so you're saying your date is the CEO? Is he actually a CEO?"
"He's a lawyer," said Tabitha. She didn't like the skeptical tone Josie had in her voice.
Josie visibly relaxed. "Oh, that's not so bad. I mean, lawyers outrank bank tellers definitely, but they're below CEOs. I think you'll be fine."
Tabitha decided to just get it over with. If all went well, she would find out eventually. And if it didn't, Josie would be there to commiserate. "He's not just any lawyer, though. He's David Ellingsworth's son."
There followed a full second where nothing happened. Then Josie's jaw actually dropped and she sputtered, "What?"
Tabitha shrugged. "It's true."
"How did that happen!" Josie was shrieking, and Tabitha quickly shushed her, afraid the neighbors would overhear.
"You remember that Arts Council costume party?" she said. When Josie nodded, she continued. "He was there. We got to talking and had some drinks--"
"Oh my god," Josie interrupted.
"--then he asked me if I wanted to get together again." Tabitha shrugged again, as nonchalant as possible, but she could feel the heat spreading up her neck. She wasn't sure if it was from the memory of that night and how blue David's eyes had been, or if it was the way Josie was looking at her like she was a complete stranger.
"You offered me your ticket," said Josie, sounding woeful. "But I turned you down. All because of that stupid review that I had to revise anyway."
Tabitha said nothing, because in hindsight she was very, very glad that Josie had prioritized academics over a Halloween party.
"Okay," said Josie, standing up. Tabitha blinked, startled. "We need to take you out for some decent date clothes. Not WalMart. I'm not proposing anything super high end, but maybe like Nordstrom's or something?"
"That's super high end for me," said Tabitha with a grimace.
"Come on, splurge a little bit. It's an investment." Josie's eyes shone. "Impress this guy and you won't ever have to worry about money again, so what's this going to hurt?"
"Whoa, no," said Tabitha. "I am not about landing some rich guy so I don't ever have to work again. That's not me, at all." She was a little hurt that Josie might think she was that kind of person.
"I know it's not," said Josie, "but when something like this drops into your lap, you have to take the opportunity. I mean, think about not having to work a job while you're in school. You could start going full-time and graduate sooner. Find the career of your dreams."
"This is a first date, not marriage," Tabitha argued, and Josie's words filled her with horror anyway. She would never dream of asking anyone to support her while she stopped working, not even a serious significant other. Not even a rich one. She didn't even like borrowing money from her parents and she could count on one finger the number of times things had gotten dire enough that she'd had to break down and ask them for money. And that was still too many times.
"Fine," said Josie. "But you still need decent clothing. Come on, you can pick the store, but you have to take my advice."
"Since when were you a fashionista?" Tabitha grumbled,
"I'm not, but clearly I'm less hopeless than you," said Josie. She grabbed her coat from where it hung by the door and made shooing motions. "Let's go let's go let's go!"
"Okay," Tabitha said with a sigh. She made a mental note to re-balance her finances later that night.
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And yeah... I know all about re-balancing finances after an unexpected expense lately... I love that Tabitha is just that practical.
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