Post by Jen on Apr 26, 2009 21:35:50 GMT -5
May 1997
“I can’t believe you don’t watch Seinfield! The finale was great. I mean, I know it’s morbid to find someone who died from licking envelopes funny, but hey, that’s me,” Gus shrugged.
“Well, I have class Thursday nights, so I don’t have much of a choice,” Harley replied as she finished off her coffee. “I’m gonna get more coffee, you want?” she asked and Gus nodded, so she took their cups over to the counter.
Gus had been coming in for lunch a couple times a week for about a month and every time Harley was there, he joined her in her booth to eat while she worked on paperwork. Sometimes they talked about current events or Gus would ramble on about a case he was working on, but a lot of the time they just sat in silence, Gus reading case notes and Harley filling out order forms or signing paychecks. But today, Gus was talkative.
“Class? What kind of class?” he asked when Harley sat back down and pushed his coffee over to him.
“Uh business class.”
“Did you major in criminal justice?” Gus asked.
“No, I didn’t go to college. Actually, I dropped out of high school. Got my GED, enrolled in the Academy. And since I know pretty much nothing about running a business, I started classes when we moved here,” Harley explained.
“They going well?”
“Yeah, they are,” she nodded.
“When will you be done with them?”
“December, hopefully. I’ve been loading up my schedule so I get done as soon as possible,” she answered.
“Well, that’s great. Is it hard?” he asked.
“It took a while to get used to being in school again, but I’m doing pretty well and I’ve gotten the hang of it.”
“Good. Good for you,” he smiled.
“Thanks,” Harley smiled, shyly.
“Mind if I ask why you quit school?” he asked cautiously.
“Long story,” Harley smiled.
“You have a lot of long stories, you know.”
“I know,” she smirked. “It’s part of my mystique. You don’t have any long stories in your past?”
“Yeah, I suppose I do,” he nodded.
“Then we’re even,” she replied as Shannon came up to them.
“Hey Harley, did you put that order in for cinnamon?” Shannon asked.
“Yep. Yesterday,” Harley answered and Shannon looked over at Gus.
“Hi, I’m Shannon, Harley’s business partner,” she introduced herself and practically batted her eyelashes at him.
“Oh sorry, Shannon, this is Gus, frequent customer and turkey sandwich lover,” Harley teased.
“Nice to meet you,” Gus said, smiling politely at Shannon then turning his attention back to Harley. “How many nights a week do you have class?”
“Uh, three,” Harley answered and looked at Shannon who looked at Gus in shock. “And Saturday mornings,” she added as Shannon glared at her.
“Well, I guess I should get back to the kitchen. Nice to meet you, Gus. Let me know personally when you’re here next time and I’ll make that sandwich taste even better,” she flirted. Badly.
“Oh, yeah thanks,” Gus replied and she turned on her heel and rushed back to the kitchen.
“Um, she was hitting on you,” Harley told him.
“Who? Shannon?” he asked.
“Yes, Shannon. Embarrassingly hitting on you,” Harley laughed.
“I know she was.”
“Oh. Oh, are you married?” she asked.
“No,” he shook his head.
“Engaged, dating, celibate?” she asked, running out of logical reasons why Gus would hardly notice Shannon’s presence.
“No, no and no,” he answered. “She’s just…not my type.”
“Oh. Why didn’t you just tell me you were gay?” Harley asked, looking him over again.
“Because I’m not? I’m not gay. She’s just not my type,” he shrugged and looked her in the eye until she was forced to look away.
“So what about you?” he finally asked. “Married, engaged, gay?” he teased.
“Um…no, none of the above. I was…married I mean. I’m not anymore,” she answered vaguely.
“Oh. Sorry,” he apologized. “So, does she hit on every guy that comes in here, or do you two have a bet or what?”
“No, she just thinks you’re cute,” Harley shrugged.
“Well, I am cute…” he trailed off.
“And oh so modest,” she rolled her eyes.
“Definitely. I have to run,” Gus said as he stuffed his papers into his briefcase. “Look, tell your friend that it’s nothing personal, okay?”
“Okay,” Harley nodded.
“See you next week,” he said with a wave then he was gone.
“So did he say anything about me?” Shannon asked when she appeared in the booth across from Harley about two seconds after Gus left the building.
“Um. He said he was sorry and that it’s nothing personal, you’re just not his type,” Harley shrugged.
“Huh. I’ve never not been someone’s type before. This is strange and I have to say, a little unsettling,” Shannon replied.
Harley rolled her eyes, “You two are a match made in self-centered heaven.”
“I can’t believe you don’t watch Seinfield! The finale was great. I mean, I know it’s morbid to find someone who died from licking envelopes funny, but hey, that’s me,” Gus shrugged.
“Well, I have class Thursday nights, so I don’t have much of a choice,” Harley replied as she finished off her coffee. “I’m gonna get more coffee, you want?” she asked and Gus nodded, so she took their cups over to the counter.
Gus had been coming in for lunch a couple times a week for about a month and every time Harley was there, he joined her in her booth to eat while she worked on paperwork. Sometimes they talked about current events or Gus would ramble on about a case he was working on, but a lot of the time they just sat in silence, Gus reading case notes and Harley filling out order forms or signing paychecks. But today, Gus was talkative.
“Class? What kind of class?” he asked when Harley sat back down and pushed his coffee over to him.
“Uh business class.”
“Did you major in criminal justice?” Gus asked.
“No, I didn’t go to college. Actually, I dropped out of high school. Got my GED, enrolled in the Academy. And since I know pretty much nothing about running a business, I started classes when we moved here,” Harley explained.
“They going well?”
“Yeah, they are,” she nodded.
“When will you be done with them?”
“December, hopefully. I’ve been loading up my schedule so I get done as soon as possible,” she answered.
“Well, that’s great. Is it hard?” he asked.
“It took a while to get used to being in school again, but I’m doing pretty well and I’ve gotten the hang of it.”
“Good. Good for you,” he smiled.
“Thanks,” Harley smiled, shyly.
“Mind if I ask why you quit school?” he asked cautiously.
“Long story,” Harley smiled.
“You have a lot of long stories, you know.”
“I know,” she smirked. “It’s part of my mystique. You don’t have any long stories in your past?”
“Yeah, I suppose I do,” he nodded.
“Then we’re even,” she replied as Shannon came up to them.
“Hey Harley, did you put that order in for cinnamon?” Shannon asked.
“Yep. Yesterday,” Harley answered and Shannon looked over at Gus.
“Hi, I’m Shannon, Harley’s business partner,” she introduced herself and practically batted her eyelashes at him.
“Oh sorry, Shannon, this is Gus, frequent customer and turkey sandwich lover,” Harley teased.
“Nice to meet you,” Gus said, smiling politely at Shannon then turning his attention back to Harley. “How many nights a week do you have class?”
“Uh, three,” Harley answered and looked at Shannon who looked at Gus in shock. “And Saturday mornings,” she added as Shannon glared at her.
“Well, I guess I should get back to the kitchen. Nice to meet you, Gus. Let me know personally when you’re here next time and I’ll make that sandwich taste even better,” she flirted. Badly.
“Oh, yeah thanks,” Gus replied and she turned on her heel and rushed back to the kitchen.
“Um, she was hitting on you,” Harley told him.
“Who? Shannon?” he asked.
“Yes, Shannon. Embarrassingly hitting on you,” Harley laughed.
“I know she was.”
“Oh. Oh, are you married?” she asked.
“No,” he shook his head.
“Engaged, dating, celibate?” she asked, running out of logical reasons why Gus would hardly notice Shannon’s presence.
“No, no and no,” he answered. “She’s just…not my type.”
“Oh. Why didn’t you just tell me you were gay?” Harley asked, looking him over again.
“Because I’m not? I’m not gay. She’s just not my type,” he shrugged and looked her in the eye until she was forced to look away.
“So what about you?” he finally asked. “Married, engaged, gay?” he teased.
“Um…no, none of the above. I was…married I mean. I’m not anymore,” she answered vaguely.
“Oh. Sorry,” he apologized. “So, does she hit on every guy that comes in here, or do you two have a bet or what?”
“No, she just thinks you’re cute,” Harley shrugged.
“Well, I am cute…” he trailed off.
“And oh so modest,” she rolled her eyes.
“Definitely. I have to run,” Gus said as he stuffed his papers into his briefcase. “Look, tell your friend that it’s nothing personal, okay?”
“Okay,” Harley nodded.
“See you next week,” he said with a wave then he was gone.
“So did he say anything about me?” Shannon asked when she appeared in the booth across from Harley about two seconds after Gus left the building.
“Um. He said he was sorry and that it’s nothing personal, you’re just not his type,” Harley shrugged.
“Huh. I’ve never not been someone’s type before. This is strange and I have to say, a little unsettling,” Shannon replied.
Harley rolled her eyes, “You two are a match made in self-centered heaven.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~