The Mouse

Lani smiled. "Min. I like that too."

----

Minerva took a deep breath, and pushed open the door to the cafe. It was cozy inside, not many tables. Landon was already set up at one booth in the back, with a laptop open in front of him.

Minerva approached the table. "Hi."

"Hi. Welcome. Umm, sit here, please." He shifted over to let Minerva sit next to him.

"Okay." Minerva sat, but was careful not to touch Landon. She hadn't anticipated sitting beside him, so close. But that was to help them see the laptop, right? He wanted to show her his work.

Over a light lunch, and over a good hour, Landon showed his formulas and calculations. To his delight, Minerva understood each step. It really did come naturally to her.

"What's this piece?" she asked, pointing at the screen.

"Oh! This is a really interesting part. I call it the intangible factor. My friend Casey helped me come up with that."

"What's an intangible?" Minerva asked curiously.

Landon explained, "There's some things in sports that can't be properly quantified. They're not really stats. But we came up with a way to attempt to quantify them anyway."

"Like what?"

"Like a player's determination, or leadership, or confidence. We basically made it so the player gets a small bonus for those types of things. Or, they get penalized if they aren't."

"Oh. How do you measure that?"

"The best way we've found is to gauge interactions with their own teammates," Landon said. "That, and talking to their coaches. We wanted to find out what the player is like outside of their statistical production."

Minerva nodded. "I guess that makes sense. It's a bit subjective."

"It is that. It's not as perfect as the rest of the math," Landon conceded, "but it helps make the overall results more accurate. Or, at least it has so far."

Minerva had been enthralled with the whole conversation. Not once had she wanted to run or cower. Not once did she feel like Landon was being false, or being a jerk. She realized this was already the best date she'd ever had.

So, when Landon proposed they take a walk in the nice weather after lunch, she wholeheartedly agreed, not wanting the date to end so quickly.

----

What started as a friendly lunch easily turned into a whole day. Landon and Minerva perused several small art galleries, enjoyed the sunshine in the park, and bought a few trinkets in local stores. She also gave Landon permission to call her Min, just like Lani.

Somewhere in the meandering down the streets, Minerva realized Landon was holding her hand. She wasn't sure when it started, but she didn't really want him to stop, so she squeezed his hand in hers and, when he looked her way, she just smiled.

At about 5:30, they both were getting hungry again. "Would you like to go to dinner?" Landon asked.

"Yes," Minerva replied. "I could really go for some Chinese, actually."

"Really? I love Chinese food."

"Me too. I've always wanted to go to Asia."

Landon smiled. "I've been, but it was when I was young. I'd like to go back, now that I'm old enough to remember things."

The two settled into a small Chinese restaurant that Minerva liked. She didn't usually eat in; she usually just got takeout, since she was by herself. But this was special, and the food was great as usual, and the company was amazing.

Landon cleared his throat. "Umm, you may think this a little forward, but I was wondering if you'd be my date next Saturday night."

Minerva eagerly nodded. "Yes, I'd like that."

"Wonderful. There's a big charity dinner. My parents are co-sponsors, so they'll be there too. Do you have a dress?"

Min's eyes got wide, and she looked down at her noodles. "Your parents?"

"Oh. Sorry. Yes, my parents will be there. Please don't be intimidated by that. They're really not that scary." Landon could see the hesitation in her lowered eyes. "Please? I've enjoyed this day so much. And, if it helps, Lani will be there too. She's coming with her boyfriend Wallace. Think of it as a double date."

"I don't know." Minerva fidgeted with her chopsticks. "I don't know if I have a dress nice enough for that, anyway."

"That's okay, it's my treat," Landon said, then added, "I'll have Lani take you to find one. She owes me, and I know she has no problem with going clothes shopping."

Minerva took a deep breath. "Okay," she finally said.

"Okay, you'll be my date?"

Minerva nodded, then smiled prettily. "Yes. I'd love to be your date to the dinner. I can do this."

----

"I can't do this."

Lani rolled her eyes. Minerva had taken a few dresses into the changing room, but was now refusing to come out.

"Just let me see."

"Umm, no."

"If you don't come out, I'm coming in."

"No. The door is locked."

Lani frowned. Of course it was. "Please, Min. I'm sure it looks good on you."

"I'm not... I'm really not used to this sort of thing."

"That's okay. Is it too revealing? Showing too much skin?"

"Well, no. But it's... umm... I don't know how to describe it."

"If you come out, I can help you describe it."

There was a long pause, then the door clicked and slowly swung open. Lani thought her eyes would bug out of her sockets. "Min..." she said, stunned.

"It looks awful, doesn't it?" Minerva was near tears.

"No, it's... wow. You're... wow." The pink dress wasn't showing inappropriate skin, but it hugged Minerva's curves tightly. Lani hadn't realized that, under the sweaters and long skirts, Minerva had a nice body. Petite, but fit. "Min, sweetie, you're kinda sexy."

Minerva frowned. "That's not funny."

"I'm not joking!" insisted Lani. "You have a body, girl."

"I don't like the pink."

Lani agreed, the pink wasn't flattering with Minerva's red hair. "That's okay. Pink isn't really your color, is it? Let's find you something else.

Forty minutes and seven dresses later, Lani was stunned again. "That's it. That's the dress."

"You think so?" Minerva turned in front of the mirror.

"I know so. Landon's going to flip when he sees you. It's comfortable, right?"

"Yes, but..." Minerva sighed, "I'm still really, really nervous. I mean, this is overwhelming."

"Dressing up, or meeting his parents?" asked Lani.

"Both!" Minerva looked like she was going to hyperventilate.

"Haven't you ever had a relationship where you've met the guy's parents?"

Minerva only shook her head.

"A relationship... at all?"

"No... not really. I went on a few dates. And I've kissed boys before. But... no."

"Oh, sweetie," Lani lamented, "it's okay. This is your first boyfriend."

"Umm. Umm, we've only been on one date. And we haven't, umm, kissed."

"A really long date. Wait, he didn't kiss you? Not even at the end of the date?"

"No, but that's okay." Minerva blushed and smiled. "The whole day was really nice."

Lani put her hands on Minerva's shoulders and looked at the girl face to face. "Trust me. Landon likes you just as much. You may not have used the words boyfriend-girlfriend yet, but this is a relationship. A very new relationship, but also very promising. Okay?"

Minerva nodded. "Okay." She turned and looked at herself in the mirror again. "Okay. What kind of shoes do I wear with this dress?"

"Yes. Good question. Fortunately, you're asking the right person. You may be a math whiz, but I'm gifted at fashion."

----

The texts between the two friends were flying back and forth that night.

"You didn't kiss her?"

"I wanted to. I chickened out."

"I couldn't believe it when she told me."

"Was she mad I didn't?"

"Surprisingly no. She still said it was the best date she'd ever been on."

"That's great."

"If it were me, I'd want to be kissed. I think you should try soon."

"You mean Saturday, at the dinner."

"Yes of course. But not in front of everyone. Take a walk away from the party, then do it when you're alone."

"Got it. Any other advice?"

"Don't faint when you see how good she looks in her dress."

----

That Thursday, Lani found herself in another lunch with Tiffany. When she and Tiffany had first started spending time together, they were a lot alike. But over time, Lani had realized he didn't want to be like that. And Tiffany seemed to get worse. She seemed to thrive on trashy gossip and superficial things.

"So I found my own date to the charity dinner, no thanks to you," Tiffany said. "I'm going with Pete from the Finance office, who, unlike your friend," she motioned to her trim body, "he likes what he sees."

"Uh huh," Lani responded, only half listening.

Tiffany was too self-absorbed to notice the lack of attention. "I just feel bad that your Landon will be there alone. He'll just have to eat his heart out."

"Landon has a date," Lani interjected.

"Oh? Did he manage to find one on his own, or did you set him up with someone else?"

"I set him up, but he did the asking."

"With who? Do I know her?"

It was pure coincidence that Minerva stopped in. "Tiffany, Mr. Mason needs to move your 2:00 meeting to 3:00."

"Thanks Minnie," Tiffany responded without even looking at the girl. Minerva frowned and walked off.

"She doesn't like that nickname, Tiffany," Lani pointed out.

Tiffany shrugged. "Whatever."

"Not whatever. You shouldn't call her that."

"You're being really defensive for her," said Tiffany. "Is she your new best friend?"

"She's a friend. We've been spending time together. She's really nice."

Tiffany put it together. "Wait. That's Landon's date, isn't it? You set up Landon Carter with the mouse?"

"Don't call her that. And yes, I did. And they're hitting it off."

"What the hell, Lani? I thought we were friends. You were supposed to set me up with Landon."

Lani's voice rose in irritation. "I tried that, remember? And despite my advice, you acted like a slut and turned him off."

"Oh, I'm a slut now?" Tiffany said.

"Yeah. You're only interested in Landon for his money, and you're willing to use your body to get it. What else would you call that? Maybe a gold digger?" Lani picked up the remains of her lunch and stood up. "You're actually kind of a terrible person."

"Get out of my office, bitch." Tiffany snarled.

"With pleasure." Lani stormed out.

----

Landon's driver pulled up outside of Minerva's apartment building. Landon hopped out on his own. He didn't mind being driven, especially for fancy events like tonight, but he really disliked having a driver open the door for him.

As he approached her door, he recalled what Lani had said. "Don't faint when you see how good she looks in her dress." He took a deep breath. He was already pretty taken by the petite girl, and he was sure Lani had found an amazing outfit for her. He knocked on the door.

It opened and Landon was flabbergasted. "Wow," was all he could say.

Minerva was wearing a fantastic, deep-green dress. It covered her knees and her shoulders, but offered just the slightest hint of cleavage. It for her perfectly, showing curves that were normally hidden. She wore green shoes too, with one inch of heel, and a gold locket necklace.

Her curly red hair was pulled back, but still cascaded down her neck. Her green eyes, still behind her glasses, popped along with the color of the dress.

But the most gorgeous thing about Minerva, at least to Landon, was her wide smile, as she looked up at him. "Hi," she said, and just that one word was like angel song.

"Hi," Landon said. "You look fantastic."

"Thank you." Her smile only got wider. "I like your tuxedo."

"This old thing?" Landon said, making Minerva giggle. "I look like a slob compared to you." He offered his arm. "Shall we?"

Minerva took his arm and replied, "Yes. Let's go."

----

Minerva's confidence faded a little as the car arrived at the banquet hall. There were lots of people outside, and hundreds more inside, and she wasn't a fan of crowds. Still, Landon was beside her, and she was able to grasp his arm tightly.

"Nervous?" he asked, and she nodded. "Don't worry, it's just a dinner." His voice was calming. Then he hooked his finger under her chin and tilted her face to meet his. "I'll be there the whole time."

Then he kissed her, so gently, almost apprehensively. Minerva melted. That tender moment made all her fear slide away too. What was there to be afraid of?

When they broke the kiss, Landon smiled. "I didn't get a chance to do that the other day. I didn't want to wait anymore."

Minerva smiled back. "It was perfect." Her grip on his arm had relaxed. The driver opened the car door, and the two of them exited the vehicle. Then, arm in arm, Landon and Minerva entered the hall.

They found Lani and Wallace already at their assigned table. Lani looked beautiful as usual, in a black sleeveless gown and with her brown hair done up. Minerva had never met Wallace, but he shook her hand kindly. He was muscular and handsome, and as he spoke, he seemed outgoing and warm. A good match for Lani, Minerva surmised.

Landon was going to say something when a large man came up from behind and grabbed him into a hug. Landon was shocked at first, Minerva could see on his face, but then smiled. "Hey little bro."

"Hey big bro," answered the larger man. Minerva was confused. Clearly Landon was the smaller of the two, why was he being called big?

Landon gestured to Minerva. "Min, this is my younger brother, Lincoln Carter. Link, this is my date, Minerva Perry."

Minerva looked up at Lincoln. Way up. He was taller than Landon by a few inches, was more muscular too, and sported a trimmed beard around his big smile. A big teddy bear of a man, Minerva thought. "Nice to meet you," she said.

"Nice to meet you as well." He smiled more, and gestured to a woman just behind him. "And this is my wife, Kelly." Kelly was beautiful and visibly pregnant. Behind her was another man, an older version of Lincoln, and what looked like that man's wife.

"Minerva, meet my parents, Landon and June Carter." Landon introduced everyone. "Everyone, this is Minerva."

"She's beautiful, Junior," Landon Sr. beamed. "Where have you been hiding this one?"

Minerva blushed. Landon responded with a kind smile, "She's a friend of Lani's."

The eight of them got seated all around the table. Landon was on Minerva's right, and Lani and her boyfriend on her left. Landon's family filled in the rest of the circular table. "Don't look behind you," whispered Lani.

"Why?"

"Tiffany just showed up. She's pissed at me for setting you up with Landon. She's a gold digging bitch."

Minerva just nodded. She was safe, she decided, as long as she was sandwiched between Lani and Landon.

Landon's father and brother, while both physically large and somewhat intimidating, were actually both very warm. Landon was the older brother in the family, but his height or body type didn't resemble those of his father. And both of Landon's parents were tickled that they were going to be first time grandparents in a couple of months, when Kelly was due. "You'd better hope he doesn't take after his daddy," warned Landon's mother, "he was a big baby, almost 9 and a half pounds when he came around." That brought out grins and snickers from most of the table, even Minerva.

Minerva found Lincoln to be amusing. He had great stories about himself and Landon and boys. "Do you have any siblings?" asked Landon at one point. "I'd like to meet them too, someday."

"Umm, yes, I have two young brothers. But they're, well, it's complicated." Minerva looked uncomfortable, so Landon didn't push for more information.

The food and the company were both good, and Minerva felt herself relax. There was dancing too, and though she didn't know how, Landon encouraged her to try. It wasn't hard, just to stand in Landon's arms and slowly sway to the music. After all, music had some math in it, right?

"Hi Landon," came Tiffany's voice, interrupting Minerva's concentration. "Nice to see you again."

"Hello," Landon responded.

Tiffany danced beside them with Peter Crandall, a man Minerva recognized from the finance office. He wasn't nearly as good looking as Landon, she thought. And Minerva knew he was at least ten years older than her.

Landon knew it was bothering Minerva, and deftly steered them away from that couple. But as they moved away, she could hear Peter saying, "Don't worry about Mason's little mouse. By Monday, that place will be a dumpster fire."

"Just ignore them," Landon said. "They're trying to get under your skin. But you're here with me, and I'm having a good time. Are you?"

Minerva looked into Landon's eyes, and saw his smile, and couldn't help but smile back. "I am. Thank you."

"Thanks for being my date."

"Can I cut in?" asked Landon's father, suddenly at their side. At a nod from Landon, she switched to dancing with the larger man. She remembered her impressions of him at the table, and let herself relax. She was in good hands, and Landon was nearby, dancing with his mother.

"I heard Lani say you work for Matt Mason," Landon Sr. said. "You happy there?"

"Oh yes. He keeps me busy. I just wish I could do more in the finance office."

"Well, if you ever get tired of him, give me a call. Lani said you're a whiz with numbers. I can always use more people like you," he said with a polite smile. "And don't worry about Matt, he's a friend of mine. He won't be mad about you jumping ship."

"Thank you," she said. "But I'll be okay."

He looked over to his son, and, seeing they were out of hearing range, said in a low voice, "Junior doesn't know, does he? About you and Matt?"

Minerva's eyes suddenly went wide open. She shook her head. "No. No one does. How do you know?"

"Like I said, Matt's a friend," said Landon Senior. "I've known him for years. It's easy to spot, if you know what you're looking for."

"Please don't say anything. Please."

"Don't worry, I won't. It's not mine to tell. But for the record, you make my son happy. I think your secret would be safe with him."

----

"This has been such a great night," said Minerva. Landon's driver was heading back to her apartment building. She'd eaten, danced, talked, and laughed, before finally leaving with Landon's jacket wrapped around her shoulders. Landon's family, who she'd initially been hesitant to meet, turned out to be wonderful people. She'd pictured them as stuck up due to their wealth, but they were wonderfully down to Earth.

"I know. I'm so glad you like my parents. Sometimes they're over the top." Landon replied, holding her hand.

"They're so nice. And they raised a good son." Minerva reached up and brought Landon's face to hers, and kissed him. This was a first for Minerva, a long kiss like this, with a man she'd quickly fallen for. Before they knew it, the car had parked and the driver had opened the door.

Landon walked Minerva to her door, again hand in hand. When they got to that outer door, she realized in that moment that the night was ending. Landon would leave, and she'd be alone, hoping for when they'd be together again. She didn't want things to end like that. She didn't want Landon to leave.

"Umm, I, I've never done this, but... would you like to come up?" She asked, tentatively, hoping for a particular answer.

Landon smiled. "Of course. I'd like that." He turned back to the driver. "Go ahead," he told the man, "I'll call when I need a ride." The driver simply nodded and left.

Minerva led him inside and into her apartment. It was small, but cozy. One bedroom, one bathroom, a small kitchen and a sitting area. "Is that your mother?" Landon asked, pointing at a picture on a shelf.

"Yes," she answered, as she hung his jacket on a nearby hook. The picture showed Minerva as a teen, wearing high school graduation robes, standing with her mother. Both had bright red hair, glasses, and big smiles. "She died about a year ago. Her name was Gretta."

"I'm sorry." Landon looked around. "You said you had brothers. I don't see pictures of them."