001 [warning: sexytimes]

[seeagreatergood]

Happy Hour at Allen's is, as usual, loud with competing voices and scents, all of which are less important to Auggie than Annie and Jai's laughter and the second beer in front of him.

Well. Almost all. Occasionally Auggie cocks his head at the sound of heels or the floral scent of shampoo and listens to Jai and Annie's reactions. Jai has one chuckle for redheads and another for brunettes, while Annie has a groan for blondes that Auggie is told is rather hypocritical of her.

"Did the last three girls all have tequila, or was it just one carrying enough shots for her whole party?" he wonders.

"The last four," Jai corrects, audibly smirking. "Your nose must be getting tired."

"I don't get it. Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow -- you'd think people could hold off on the faux-Mexican debauchery until Saturday."

He hears Annie sit bolt upright.

"Oh crap, it's Friday, I have a thing with my--"

"Sister," Auggie and Jai chorus with her. Auggie grins, in spite of the dirty look he's sure she's giving him, and adds, "Jai, you owe me ten bucks."

Jai sighs and digs in his pockets. "Which ought to just about cover your cab ride." He slaps the money onto the table at Auggie's ten o'clock. "Annie, I'll walk you to your car, I'm headed that way."

"Now there's a Pyrrhic victory," Auggie says, with a sigh of his own. "Annie, did he really give me a ten?"

"Yes!" Annie says, laughing, and squeezes his shoulder as she stands. "You're so paranoid."

"I'm wounded that you don't trust me," Jai agrees, also standing.

"You'll heal, I'm sure. Have a good weekend, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Same to you, Auggie," Jai says, with an eyeroll crystal-clear in his voice.

"That'll be a boring weekend, then," Auggie calls after Jai's cologne and Annie's heels, then turns back to his beer. Now where is he going to find a ride with all these tequila-soaked early birds?

Comments

[seeagreatergood]

"A PhD. Very nice. Where are you studying?"

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

With cheerful pride: "The Courant Institute."

[seeagreatergood]

His eyebrows go up.

"I see." He waves a hand. "Not literally. You on spring break or what?"

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

She chuckles, shaking her head.

"Not exactly. Whenever I save the money, I go to a city I've never seen before and rent an apartment for a month. My advisor calls them Lizzie's Little Baby Sabbaticals. As long as I keep working, and I always do, nobody says boo about it."

[seeagreatergood]

". . . Wow." He leans back in his chair, grinning.

"I had no idea anything with the word Institute in its name could be that cool. Where else have you been?"

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"Boston. Seattle. I'm planning on Montreal next, just for a change of pace, but I might change my mind by the time the opportunity rolls around again."

[seeagreatergood]

"You ought to check out Chicago. Great city. Good jazz."

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"I'll put it on the list," she promises.

[seeagreatergood]

"So how are you liking DC?"

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

Brightly, "Can't fault the company."

[seeagreatergood]

"We do pride ourselves on being warm and welcoming."

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"I feel very welcomed."

[seeagreatergood]

"Can I buy you a drink to make you feel more welcomed?"

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"You can if it's tea. I prefer to avoid mixing alcohol and motorcycles."

[seeagreatergood]

". . . You," he says, pointing at her, "are not only a wise woman, but just gained several cool points. Well played. What do you ride?"

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"2011 Victory Vision. Gorgeous, gorgeous bike."

[seeagreatergood]

"To go with a gorgeous rider, I'm sure. Wish I could see it."

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"I can't help you there, but it does have a passenger seat."

You know. If he wants to experience her ride.

Ahem.

[seeagreatergood]

"You give rides?"

Ahem.

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"Well, not to just anyone..."

[seeagreatergood]

"Well, of course not. We already established that you're smart."

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"And I have excellent taste in passengers."

[seeagreatergood]

He tsks.

"There went my chances."

[prima-sequentem.livejournal.com]

"Ooh, I did bruise your ego. If I bring you out to meet the bike, will that make you feel better?"

[seeagreatergood]

Auggie grins in her direction.

"That would be something of a balm."