Tripping and falling... in love

11 Well That was Awkward!

Vani had never been to a pub before, it wasn't something they had in her small town and she hadn't been one to explore off campus much in the first semester. RC held her hand as they found a circular booth with a high back and the opening facing the stage.

"I'll grab us some drinks from the bar. What would you like?" He asked moving to get out of the booth. She wanted to sound sophisticated and order something cool or adult, but the only things she could think of were shots with dirty names and the one from the party that tasted like trees.

"Not trees." She found her mouth saying before she could form a cohesive thought.

"Pardon?" He asked leaning closer.

"Surprise me!" She raised her voice a little so he could hear.

"You got it!" He grinned and left her in the large booth alone. The pub was loud but not unbearably so. She wondered how many of the people from school came to this place. It seemed like a neat place to hang out because it was more relaxed than the clubs and a little less pretensions than the high end coffee shops and book stores.

She looked around at the simple dark décor the rich navy leather booths and Heavy wood paneling. The walls had a few pictures or posters but were fairly bare and the lighting was dim but not so much so that you couldn't see the people around you. It seemed like a cool hang out and she felt very mature for the first time in her life. She also felt like an imposter and expected someone to call her out any second.

RC didn't take long to return and he brought her a strawberry something or other. She was thankful he hadn't brought her something weird or strong, she had a nervous stomach and she worried that if if he had brought her something gross she would have been sick.

"Thank-you." She smiled and sipped the sweet fruity drink through the straw.

"You're welcome. I figured you would like something sweet." He nodded sipping his drink.

"What are you having?" She asked eyeing the dark liquid in his glass.

"Oh this? It's Bernie's specialty. It can be pretty strong though." He said taking another big sip.

"Oh." She nodded knowingly like he had answered her question.

"I'm going to have to switch to coke after this, I drove remember?" She sipped at the pink drink again.

"Yeah cool." He said looking out across the room where a band was setting up on the stage.

"Do you come here a lot?" She asked trying to get him to open up a little.

"Yeah, sometimes." He was very proficient in non-answers she was noticing.

"Seems like a cool place." She tried again.

"I guess." He nodded still looking across the room at a tall slim blonde woman dressed in a billowing blue and white dress with white lace trim. Vani thought she looked like a hippie. RC seemed to be watching her quite intently and Vani was beginning to feel extremely awkward. She lapsed into silence and leaned back against the booth. She looked at her purse and wondered if he would even notice if she pulled her phone out to text Briar. Instead she excused herself to the washroom. RC nodded but that was it.

Vani went into a stall in the tiny ladies room and dialed Briar begging her telepathically to pick up.

"You have been gone like an hour, what's going on?" She answered with out bothering with polite societal greetings.

"I don't know! He brought me, well I brought him, brought us? ... We came to this little pub bar place with live music, cute right? He got us drinks but now we are just sitting with out anything to say and he is staring at the band... who are not even playing yet. it is super awkward!" Vani rambled and whined to her best friend.