Love Me, Harm Me

Lunch (Dates)

"The decade ahead of my loud, possessive yell was the best one, eh?" - Before you were mine, Carol Ann Duffy

.☀.🌑.☀.🌑.

"Now isn't this great!" Diane beamed, stretching her long arms around Elizabeth and Mael's shoulders. "Three friends having lunch and enjoying each other's company! God, how long has it been since we've been in a trio, Els?"

Nothing left Elizabeth's mouth, not when she pursed her lips so tensely. Profuse red covered every inch of her face, the tips of her ears turning red-hot from embarrassment, as she sat huddled in a booth with Diane and Mael, Diane acting as the only roadblock between herself and the office newbie. In front of them was the menu of the Boar Hat - a proud crown jewel for the establishment's three best offers: food, booze and top of the line city gossip.

Like most reckless choices, Diane was the one who chose the Boar Hat for today's lunch location. Eagerly, she had pushed Elizabeth and Mael onto the bus, herded them down the street and shoved them into the bar. Not once did she give them room for protest; not once did Diane even consider how Elizabeth felt, dangerously melding her personal life with her work life. Instead Diane had grinned all the way, boasting about how good the food was going to be.

That led to where they were now, crammed in a booth seat and awkwardly making small talk.

Usually, Elizabeth wouldn't dare to take a colleague here. Usually, she wouldn't be so comfortable and forward in what was meant to be a professional setting. Work lunches were to do with work and so Elizabeth always remained professional and uptight. That was the rule. The code. Yet Diane always made her break the simple rules.

"Around two years now," Elizabeth answered quietly, keeping her gaze trained to the table. Faintly she spotted a faded engraving, sharp at the edges and with illegible letters written within it. "Our last trio was with Gowther before he became published."

"Oh yeah!" Diane nodded vigourously, remembering their now distantly-located friend. At the moment Gowther was travelling, promoting the fantasy series he had written as a love letter to his late fiancee, Nadja. When Elizabeth and Diane had been closer with him, he had always spoken about how much Nadja loved fantasy novels - especially ones about knights.

"It must be great to be friends with you guys," Mael piped up from his corner, smiling a little. "It sounds like all your friends become successful writers."

"Well, they do learn from the best," Diane grinned, not at all one to hide her more boastful side. She even struck a pose, holding her head up high as she basked in the glowing success of her friend - the resident employee of the month for six concurrent months. "And by best, I mean Elizabeth."

"I'm not the best..." Elizabeth shook her head, biting her lip. Hot embarrassment was back again, heating her skin.

"Are too," Diane argued in a sing-song tone. That coy grin refused to leave her lips as she placed a hand on Mael's arm. "Would you believe that on her first day Elizabeth here managed to outdo Ludociel? God, you should have seen the look on his face when Hendrickson gave her the double-page spread!"

Ah yes, her biggest splash as a rookie reporter - snatching a double-page spread on the first day. How could anyone forget about that achievement? The same one that Diane always dangled in front of the new office workers like a carrot dangled in front of a mule. Elizabeth's achievements often served as an embellishment to being her friend; Diane loved to show how being friends with Elizabeth translated into almost instantaneous success.

"I can actually imagine it," Mael answered, nodding as a nervous laugh escaped his system. Sheepishly, he scratched at the back of his neck. "My brother had a habit of complaining about Elizabeth and her achievements."