8: Airheaded
Posted By Alexander Hollins on January 27, 2009
Tom smiled blankly at Katarina, pretending interest in the unending stream of gossip. He gazed around at the restaurant as Katarina droned about who was dating who, who was breaking up with who, and other things of no importance to him.
Decorated in an old style, the restaurant was furnished in wooden chairs, tables, and bar. This expensive furnishing seemed real solid wood to Tom, his gaze wandering over it, not just veneer over plastic. Spinning stools were mounted to the floor by the bar, and bottles filled shelves behind the bar. Rather than a door, the entire front of the restaurant was open to the street, other than a few support columns, and the living wall behind the synth band out front. Jutting out slightly from the roof, Tom noticed panels rolled back up into the ceiling that would drop down and seal the wall, for closing, and probably in case of bad weather.
“So, Studebaker said that I could take a long lunch, but only if I kept away long enough to miss his wife. Of course, he also wanted a chance to speak to the mothership, and let them know that the invasion plans are going fine. Isn’t that interesting? TOM?”
Tom wrested his eyes and attention back to Katarina. “Hunh? Yeah.”
Katarina put her left hand to her hip, and pouted, the effect ruined by raising her glass to her lips and taking a large gulp. “You aren’t listening to a thing I said!”
“I’m sorry, just, taking everything in. It.. it’s still weird for me. I’ve only been back in town for a couple days, and everything is just, more different than I remember. But this place”, At this, Tom motioned around the room, “Looks just like a resteraunt my family used to go out too. Had the best chicken enchiladas. Got lost in thought I guess.” He grinned sheepishly at Katarina. “Sorry.”
Katarina laughed brightly, and stepped closer to Tom, putting a hand on his shoulder, her arm laying across his chest. At the contact, Tom again felt the same light airy feeling he’d felt before, as if he were in a storm, hair whipping in the wind, although no wind blew across the street. “No worries, I know how it is being new in town. I just moved here a half year ago myself.” She cocked her head sideways and looked up at him. “Back in town? You lived here before?”
“Yeah, I was born in Mesa. After the quake, I was moved to Washington with a lot of other wards of the state.”
“Ward of the state, moved here from Washington? You must be the new computer tech.”
Tom blinked, surprised by her knowledge, and still flustered by the hand and arm across his chest, but not knowing quite what to do about it.
“Yes. How is it everyone on this island seems to know about me already?”
“Ohh, Felicity has been just raving about the new tech she was getting. She and I talk a lot, what with Senator Thomas and his huge interest in construction and reconstruction. “ Katrina drew her fingers down along Tom’s chest, and the sensation that ran through him was like falling from a skyscraper, standing in a hurricane, and floating away from the ground, all at the same time. ” I bet we’ll be seeing more of each other. You’d like that, I hope?” The expression on her face warred between sad puppy eyes, and a butcher measuring a piece of meat. Tom hemmed and hawed, unable to formulate a response.
Thankfully, Rocky and Deborah chose that moment to arrive with food.
Deborah eyed the pair, noting Tom’s red face. “So, Katrina keep you good company Tom?”
Before Tom could answer, Katrina put her arm on Deborah’s shoulder, and starting walking out of the building with her, Tom and Rocky close behind. “Of course I did. And Deb, wait till you hear what Janice in the governor’s office is up to!”
Miss Katrina could definitely get on the nerves I’d say. Although that last combination of sensations could have been fun to experience.
Typo: resteraunt= restaurant