"Well, right now it'd be great if you disappeared from my sight."
"Come on, babe, don't you think you're overreacting?"
She slammed her drink down — not enough for it to spill, just enough to send across her point. "You basically stood me up, Ren. I waited outside that diner for over an hour. In the cold. I had to hug my own shoulders, for God's sake! That's how low I sank."
"Honestly, that's kind of hot."
She threw a used napkin at him. "You could've texted, you idiot!"
"I told you — my phone died."
"Oh please," she scoffed. "What century do you think we live in? You couldn't call from someone's phone? Send a pigeon? Light a goddamn signal fire? I don't know — something!"
He grinned, undeterred. "I'll have you know that it's not that easy to catch a pigeon, let alone send one. Unless they're like, hexed, I think."
Vi huffed, her eyes narrowed at her boyfriend. She stuffed another fry in her mouth and chewed like she wanted the potato to suffer. All around them, the college cafeteria buzzed with the usual mid-afternoon chaos of trays clattering, shoes squeaking on cheap tile, and someone blasting drill music from a backpack speaker. There was also a heated debate two tables down over whether an alligator or a crocodile will win in a fight. Christ!
Ren watched her chew, a smile twitching on his lips. He needed to handle this smoothly because smooth always worked on her. But he also needed to tread carefully. He couldn't afford to have Vi mad at him and risk her breaking up with him before he got what he wanted. He'd held out for four months, and he's wasn't going to botch the whole thing just because of a stupid date.
He grabbed Vi's drink, took a sip, all the while watching her. "You know, you sound mad and cranky, but your face says otherwise."
Vi twirled a finger around her face. "This face? It's saying try me."
"Nope," he replied, casually unwrapping his burger. "It says you're going to forgive me because you still love me."
She grabbed the cup back, took a dramatic sip and muttered through the straw, "Can you take me seriously for once. I told you I almost froze to my death, and you're joking around."
Ren shrugged, unbothered. "Because you're being dramatic, Vi. Exaggerating everything as always. Also, didn't that place have air conditioning?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you seriously asking me that right now?"
"Yes. Because it's deeply concerning that a restaurant in this day and age would not have proper heating. And that is clearly a facilities issue, not a Ren issue. I should give them a 1-star review."
Vi blinked at him like he'd grown a second head. "Wow, Ren. Wow."
She harrumphed, crossing her arms. Her baggy top slipped off one bare shoulder, revealing part of her chest area and small cleavage.
Ren's gaze flicked to it — not subtly.
She noticed. "Eyes up, you creep."
"My eyes are up, babe. Yours just happen to be a little lower today."
She rolled the said eyes. "You're not charming your way out of this. I swear, half of my love for you got frostbite and died last night."
Ren bit into his burger, chewed, and said through a smug mouthful, "Good thing I only need the other half."
She leaned in, narrowing her eyes. "You're very confident for a guy who doesn't even know how to text."
"Yeah, well, I make up for it in other ways," he said, eyes dragging lazily down her neckline before meeting hers again. He licked his lips.
Vi's stomach fluttered. Annoyingly. She cooled down a bit.
"You're so lucky I'm not throwing this drink in your lap."
"Ah, please do," he said, spreading his arms, smiling wickedly. "I've been told I look good wet."
Just then, Kaya, Vi's best friend, swooped in like chaos on stilettos, plopping herself down beside Vi and hanging an arm around her shoulder. Her braids bounced. She placed her handbag on the table.
"Hey, lovebirds," she sang in greeting, eating from Vi's plate without asking.
"Hey, Kaya," Ren said flatly, not even trying to sound enthusiastic.
Vi sighed, motioning at the plate. "Help yourself, why don't you?"
Kaya, mouth already full, ignored the sarcasm. "So... did you two fight?"
The couple turned to her with similar blank stares.
"What?" Kaya said, shrugging. "You only sit this far apart when you've fought. Usually, you're all heart-eyes and handsy. Honestly, sometimes I worry you'll just go for it here on the lunch table. Forks flying. Crying out in moans. You know, the whole shebang."
Vi slapped a hand over her face.
Kaya smirked. "Just saying. You're always two eye-rolls from foreplay."
Ren leaned back, unbothered. "You act like that's a bad thing. I, personally, won't mind jumping her with an audience."
"Oh my god," Vi groaned. "Can you two stop?"
Kaya popped another fry in her mouth. "Says the girl blushing like she's remembering something filthy."
"Oh, I'm remembering how I nearly died of hypothermia, actually."
Ren's eyes sparkled. "Yet here you are... still hot."
Vi stared. "Ren?"
"Yeah?"
"Shut up. Before I do something reckless in front of witnesses."
"If you indeed do something reckless, make sure you make it count, babe," he murmured.
Vi took a deep breath, then slowly let it out, trying to rein in her frustration. And annoyance.
"Uh-oh, what did you do this time, Renaissance?" Kaya asked.
Ren stared hard at her, but chose not to dignify her question with an answer. The two had never gotten along well with each other. And for no reason at all. Which is why Vi often said that they were enemies in their past lives.