Resident Evil: Take It or leave It

Chapter 2

The waitress at the diner looked slightly wary of them when they seated themselves at the counter. Claire couldn't determine if the reaction was to Elliott's unkempt appearance or to the biker-esque outfit that Claire herself was wearing. Nevertheless, the twosome had their orders in within seconds.

After the waitress moved away towards the coffeemaker, Elliott pivoted slightly on his barstool so he was facing Claire. "So, rather than starting off with banal chitchat, let me try to guess three things about you to see how accurately I have you pegged so far." He leaned to the side, planting his elbow on the counter, resting his chin against his fist, and silently studying her for a moment. "Again, I wasn't trying to intrude on your call, but your brother is in pursuit of someone dangerous, which would suggest he is either in law enforcement or military... You are not quick to trust people, but you are nevertheless open-minded."

Elliott seemed to stretch for a third factoid before hesitantly saying, "And, you don't have any children of your own yet, but it is an option that you would like to explore someday."

It took her a moment to find her voice, she was so stunned. For only having spent a few minutes with her, he'd deduced quite a bit. The waitress returned with their coffees - decaf with milk and honey for Elliott, black caffeinated for Claire. With a smile, Claire stated, "You're good."

He returned her smile, opening up the small sealed packet of honey next to his own cup and stirring it in with a spoon. "Glad to know I haven't lost my touch."

She raised an eyebrow. "This is a common practice for you on a first date?" she asked in a surprisingly calm voice, though she soon silently berated herself for using the word, 'date'.

Elliott shook his head. "Forgive me, Claire. I did not mean to imply that." He raised his cup to his lips, taking a quick sip and wincing slightly as though he'd burned himself. "Reading people has always been something I've been quite good at. That last one, however, was a bit of a lucky guess on my part."

Claire gave a small, entertained laugh. "Well, seeing as I don't have that ability, I'd say it's your turn to tell me about you," she responded, blowing into her cup.

Elliott chuckled slightly. "Well, let's see... My family and I are originally from England, as you may have guessed. We moved to the States when my siblings and I were still very young. I have four sisters - three older, one younger - and two older brothers. And, against my father's wishes, I have a degree in Journalism."

Claire set her cup back on the counter. "How is it that you still have an accent then?"

"Partially because my parents never lost theirs, and partly because an old, er, acquaintance of mine said she found it attractive," Elliott answered. "That aside, I would be someone who has no wish to forget where I came from."

Claire chose not to question if the old 'acquaintance' was an ex-girlfriend. She didn't want to come across as too forward. She politely declined when their waitress came back around to ask if they'd like anything else, then noted, "I would think you'd prefer tea over coffee in that case."

He shrugged. "Now there's a stereotype if I ever heard one."

"Touché," Claire answered. "What field did your father want you to pursue?"

Elliott cleared his throat. "Same as my brothers. Either business or law, or both. You could say that my father is stuck in his ways and can't imagine wanting any other career. As a result, he'll barely say a word to me at family gatherings."

Claire lowered her gaze, wondering what her own father may say of her and Chris' career choices if he were still around. "Don't get me wrong, Claire," Elliott said quickly, clearly misinterpreting her look of melancholy. "In spite of what he thinks, I'm content with my decision. I don't need his approval in order to be happy."