Getting Even Pt. 01

The game was tied at the end of regulation. Kira was getting ready to go. I explained to her that there was a mandatory overtime period.

- "Oh. What happens then? First team to score wins? What if neither of them score?"

I explained the shootout rules. Kira was intrigued.

- "Like in soccer? So we should stay then. This could be exciting."

- "If you're up for it."

- "Sure." she said. "I mean - you want to stay, right?"

Neither team could score in overtime, and it went to a shootout. Kira didn't know anything about hockey, but she could feel the tension and the drama. A win for the home team made it all the better.

- "Buy you a drink?" I offered.

- "That would be nice."

- "I can't believe you let me talk your ear off about hockey for hours."

- "It was very interesting. I learned a lot."

- "Do you follow sports at all?" I asked. "You mentioned soccer, earlier."

- "I watch the World Cup, when it comes around. And the Olympics, I guess. That's about it."

I asked Kira about her university experience, and her hobbies. She got a bit shyer with me - it seemed like she didn't think her pursuits and pastimes were interesting enough to talk about. She was just a down-to-earth, good-natured girl.

I dropped her off at home, and thanked her for coming out with me, even though I knew it wasn't her 'thing'.

- "I enjoyed it, Ben. Thanks for inviting me."

I waited, to make sure she got inside safely. Kira was easy to be with.

But as I drove home, I found myself still thinking of Anita.

***

"You came. I'm so glad." Millie looked as good as she had on the first night I met her.

- "Happy birthday, beautiful." I said. "You look spectacular."

- "Aren't you sweet." She offered her cheek for me to kiss, then led me to the far end of the table. "I put you down here, with some people you know."

I was seated beside Kira, and across from Anita. Marco was beside her, and across from Kira. Luke, on the other hand, was further up the table, closer to Millie. He looked confused. I was, too.

It was an upscale restaurant. Millie had gone all out, and looked like she belonged at the Oscars, or at the Cannes Film Festival. Kira had a nice dress on, but Anita ... Holy cow. Her dress covered only one shoulder. Her hair was piled up, and her makeup was perfect.

The lights were dim, and we had candlelight for our fine dining, but I think that Anita would have looked awesome even if they'd put a spotlight on her.

- "They won again - the Marlies." said Kira. "That's three in a row, for them."

I actually turned in my seat, to look at Kira.

- "You're a Marlies' fan now?"

- "A bit. I mean, now that I know who they are, I've been seeing their name all over - and I pay more attention."

- "That's so cool."

- "It's like learning a new word." she said. "One day, you have no idea what it means. Then you learn the definition, and suddenly you start to notice it all over the place."

- "That's so true." said Anita. "So ... you went to a Marlies' game with Ben? I thought you didn't like hockey? Or sports?"

- "It was a lot of fun, actually." said Kira. She turned to me. "I really enjoyed it."

- "Good game?" asked Anita.

- "Overtime shootout." I said.

- "Wow." said Anita. "You should let me know next time you're going. I'd love to see a game with you."

What? That sounded like an invitation. I didn't get it. There was something weird going on, but I had no idea what it was.

The waitress arrived to take our orders. I tried to send a drink to Millie, but she already had two in front of her, and a third on deck.

The food was really good, even if they concentrated on presentation more than portion size. The conversation was interesting enough; Anita stopped directing remarks to me alone, and made an effort to include Kira and Marco.

After the main course, and before coffee and dessert, I had to visit the little boy's room. As I was returning to our table, I ran into Anita in the narrow hallway.

- "Oh - 'scuse me."

I stepped aside to let her pass.

"Hey ... Ben. I'm really sorry I missed that game. You know, I thought that we - you and me - I thought we had the hockey connection. I wish you'd asked me to the game. I would've gone in a flash."

- "Uhm ..." What?

- "Maybe next time?" she said, with a smile.

- "Yeah. Could be." I said. What the hell was she talking about?

Anita returned to the table a few minutes later.

The candle in front of us sputtered, and failed. It was done. The waitress was taking orders for coffee and dessert. She reached into her apron, and pulled out a fresh candle, and then a long lighter.

As the waitress re-lit our candle, I heard Anita mutter something.

- "Pardon?"

- "Oh - it's just something I remembered. 'When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow'."

I spoke without thinking.

- "Ursula LeGuin?"

Anita's face lit up. "You know her?"

I couldn't help myself. Anita had just quoted one of my favourite authors. We started discussing Left Hand of Darkness, and then moved on to the Dispossessed.

- "I grew up on the Earthsea Chronicles." she said. "It was like ... Harry Potter, but 30 years before Rowling ever thought of it."

- "I have mixed feelings about Harry Potter." I admitted.

- "Oh my God - finally!" said Anita. "A guy I can talk to about Harry Potter."

We veered from The Goblet of Fire to the Lathe of Heaven. I interrupted her a couple of times, to explain - or try to explain - what we were talking about to Kira and Marco.

As we were talking, I saw Anita's face change. She'd been animated, smiling - all of a sudden, the smile vanished, her eyebrows rose, and her lip curled. She was looking past me. I turned my head to see what had set her off. Marco was already looking that way.

There was a shockingly attractive woman standing next to Millie, at the head of the table. I did a double take.

She could've been Millie's cousin. Same height, same body shape. Same long hair, except that this girl was a brunette, and her skin was a little darker. She was like the brunette version of Millie. Same perfect makeup, same dazzling eyes and sensuous lips ...

She gave Millie a Hollywood hug - you know the one: totally fake, with little to no actual physical contact, and air kisses a few inches away from the other person's cheek.

- "I hate that bitch!" whispered Anita. There was considerable venom in her tone.

I did the gentlemanly thing, and stopped ogling the brunette version of Millie. I didn't even ask who she was. Probably well out of my league, anyway.

- "Who's that?" asked Marco.

- "Carla." said Anita. Her lip was still curled.

Carla left. Millie waved to Anita, from the head of the table. Anita excused herself, and went to her friend's side.

I realized that we'd been ignoring Marco and Kira.

- "Sorry, man." I said.

- "No problem, buddy."

I turned to Kira. "Sorry about that. We got carried away."

- "That's alright." she said. "You were pretty involved in that discussion."

- "Too involved."

- "No. It was very interesting." Kira granted me a lovely smile. I was suddenly reminded of our first date, and how nice she'd been. Nor had I forgotten how Anita had chosen Luke before me.

Anita and I had so much in common. Except that I didn't understand why she would want to fuck Luke - and then immediately turn him down when he asked for a date. She hadn't said a word to him or even looked his way all night.

I felt an impulse - and I went with it.

- "Kira - would you go out with me again?"

Her smile blossomed.

- "Of course I would."

- "How about we do something you like, this time? Where would you like to go?"

- "Oh - we could do ... anything."

- "But it should be something you like. I dragged you to a hockey game, against your will -"

Kira lightly punched my arm. "It wasn't like that. I enjoyed it."

She was evading my question. Was it just that she had trouble deciding?

- "Dinner?" I suggested. "Theatre? Dinner theatre?"

- "Dinner would be nice."

- "Where would you like to go?"

- "You choose, Ben."

- "Next Saturday?"

- "That sounds perfect."

*****