The rest of Thursday and then all of Friday seemed to drag on, Lauren thought, like time had been slowed down by some awful, Lauren-date-hating super villain. She thought all Friday about what she would wear and, when she decided that nothing suited, left the shop in Notmani's hands while she went to the Vintage shop down the block. She found a great, 60's style black cocktail dress that Lauren thought made her boobs really pop and left straight from shopping to get home and get ready. She kept pacing and angrily looking at the clock as it finally got to a point where she could leave her place. She only lived a few minutes from the shop so the walk to the restaurant was only a few minutes further. She got there at 7:45, 15 minutes before their agreed upon time, and smiled to see that Camila had already gotten there ahead of her. The restaurant was a very casual place, catering to students mainly, and Camila had dressed for that. A green sweater pulled down over a high collared white dress shirt and jeans. Lauren felt somewhat out of place in her dress and heels. She found a great deal of relief when she saw Camila see her and the smile that grew on her face.
"God, I think I may have overdressed." Lauren said sheepishly as she approached the small booth that Camila had gotten. Camila shook her head.
"Stop. I wouldn't change you for anything. You are just absolutely lovely." She said genuinely, her accent still having that musical lilt to it. Camila couldn't take her eyes off the beautiful, busty girl in front of her.
Lauren felt herself blush.
"You look great too."
"You're dear for saying it." Camila shrugged "I only barely had time to get home from work to change."
"Where do you work?" Lauren asked, realizing she knew next to nothing about Camila.
"The university. The publishers. Legal department." Camila said casually "Bunch of slave-drivers."
"You're a lawyer, but you're so young." Lauren said, smiling.
"I think I used that line on you already." Camila chuckled as she looked at her menu "But I graduated school a bit early."
"I have to ask, it's been bugging me the last two days, where are you from? Lauren asked
"The accent you mean?" Camila smiled "I'm from Scotland originally. Edinburgh."
Lauren smiled, although still somewhat confused. She'd seen Scottish comedians and Scottish movies and Camila's accent was far softer.
"You don't sound it." Lauren smiled.
"Ach, well, I kin git a wee bit coarser if ye like lass." Camila said, now adopting a harsher tone that Lauren did recognize a bit "But I'm afraid the Duncans of Edinburgh have always had a bit more o' the posh in us than most."
Lauren laughed. So did Camila.
"But I have something to ask you, that's also kept me wondering for days." Camila said, returning to her normal accent, "What in the world is the difference between a Feminist Comic book shop and a regular one."
"Oh it's stupid and geeky." Lauren shook her head
"Wouldn't ask if I didn't want to know."
"Well, I wanted to stress that it's a female friendly environment. Where I'm not going to sell anything I feel is exploitative and skeezy. Like any comic book with a woman's dead body stuffed in a refrigerator."
"Ugh. They had one?" Camila asked. Lauren shook her head with similar disgust.
"Don't get me started. So, anyways, my shop and my rules." Lauren said simply.
"Not that I disagree with your decision but isn't that pale lad behind the counter just the type to accuse you of censorship or some such?"
Lauren smiled. Norma had, in fact, first made that argument. Lauren laid down the law though.
"She is. But two problems there. One, she's wrong. It's not censorship for a private individual to decide what she will or won't sell in her privately owned store. I'm not limiting anyone's access to it. There are other shops. Two, I told her if she didn't like it she was more than free to go get another job where she was paid to do nothing all day."
Camila just smiled.
"Well, like I said, I respect both your conviction and your cause." Camila nodded. At this point waitress came and the two of them worked it out. Aloo Gobi, Chana Masala and Spinach Paneer were favourites for both of them and so they'd ordered the three of them to share along with rice and naan. Lauren had ordered a glass of Riesling and Camila, expressing her thanks to Lauren for ordering alcohol first, ordered a lager. The food came quickly and their meal were both tremendous. Lauren hadn't eaten much the last few days because of the butterflies in her stomach and Camila had apparently skipped lunch and so they were both famished.
Their conversation, or as much of one as they could manage between mouthfuls, went equally well. Lauren was an only child to two parents who had reacted largely well to her coming out at 15 whereas Camila and her older brother had split time between their divorced parent's places. When Camila had come out to them at 19 her Father had reacted well while her mother, apparently somewhat religious, had been disapproving at first but had eventually come around. Lauren loved science-fiction, stand-up comedy and punk rock whereas Camila loved the classics, pop music and football. They then argued for a bit about whether it should be called football or soccer. It was declared a friendly draw.
Lauren was positively sinking into her date and began to slow her eating, both from feeling full and knowing that when the food was gone the date would be coming to a close. Camila apparently felt every bit as into it, or full, and began slowing down herself. Eventually they ran out of food completely and the bill had come. Lauren reached for it but Camila playfully slapped her hand away.
"Not on your life. This was my thanks for your help." Camila said as she put her credit card down on the table. Lauren agreed but it felt wrong. The idea that she was on a date with this beautiful, engaging, smart and funny woman and didn't have to pay for the privilege? It felt wrong.
"Then you're going to have to let me pay you back with a drink." Lauren insisted, reaching across the table to let her fingers dance over Camila's. Lauren's smiled.
"Well, if I must." She said with a cheeky grin. "Maybe catch your boy at the pub you were talking about?"
Lauren frowned. She'd been thinking of something slightly more intimate than Normani and his yapping about which previously cool movie director was now a monster on the scale of Stalin but she agreed.
"Can I go home and get on more comfortable shoes?" Lauren asked, feeling her heels digging slightly into her ankles. "It's on the way."
"Of course." Camila nodded. "I saw an ice cream shop next door so why don't be terrible and have some on our way?"
Lauren nodded. She knew Dave's Gourmet Ice Creams well and a cone of his famous blueberry ripple sounded like the near perfect cap to the delicious, engaging meal. Camila extended her hand to Lauren's as they left the restaurant. Paige didn't even think for a second before taking it and hers and walking from the restaurant hand in hand.
