After Hours

the flirty game

"I think I've been making all the wrong choices lately."

DANA FURROWED HER brows in slight confusion before lowering her menu. "What? Does that mean you don't think the chicken Alfredo is a good choice?" she asked, flipping through the menu in a panic.

The two girls had made plans that day to go out for dinner at an establishment besides their beloved Joe's Diner, and at Dana's suggestion they'd made plans to go to a small and fancy Italian and French blended restaurant.

"No, not that," Althea said in dismissal.

Dana lowered her menu and fixed her confused gaze onto the curly haired girl. "Oh, well...then what? What choices are you second guessing?"

"It's just—I mean—ugh—" she murmured, mind unable to truly describe what she meant. In her frustration, she bunched up the fabric of her dress until she could feel it creasing due to her actions.

"Hm," Dana said in reply. And it seemed that she knew eventually Althea would blurt our what was troubling her, for she immediately began to scan the menu anyway as they waited for Charlie to arrive.

In the fancy restaurant, Althea felt incredibly out of place in the casualness of her bright orange summer dress and jean jacket. She felt like everyone around her was either dressed in a suit or a cocktail dress, of which Dana was no exception.

She took comfort in knowing that the soon to be arriving Charlie would also be dressed just as casually as her. Especially considering that he would be arriving from another exceptionally tiresome shift at the ice cream shop that remained open on campus.

Charlie had only been able to keep the job on campus through signing up for a summer course, but he was luckily able to find a loophole through choosing an online English course.

"Do you want to tell me what's bothering you yet?" Dana asked casually, jarring Althea out of her thoughts.

Althea took a deep breath.

"I don't think I've done any good with Malcolm. And I need—I need to get him to fall in love with me!"

Dana rolled her eyes before raising her menu, but Althea forcibly pulled it down so that she could force her friend to look directly at her.

"I'm not gonna fuck around anymore. All this flirty game bullshit is—""

"A waste of time?" Dana interjected, before sighing.

Althea nodded her head so vigorously that a few of her bouncy curls flapped on and off from her forehead so forcefully that it looked as if she were on a rollercoaster ride.

"Why don't you just ask him out?"

Althea rolled her eyes at that. "Oh, Dana, my dear simple minded friend. We have evolved past that simple formality. I'm going to show up everywhere he is so that I'll be his only available option."

Dana blinked twice before she nodded slowly. "I think what you just described is a crime. I don't know how, but I think so."

"Think about it," she placed her hands onto the table. "Why did he seek out that Bethany girl?" Althea didn't wait for any reply before she continued on with admirable gusto. "Because he thought he could do no better!"

"Who could do no better?"

They both glanced up to see Charlie with his plain black t-shirt and reliable blue jeans. He was smiling down at the two of them, his glasses falling down his nose as he did, before he leaned over to flick his finger at Althea's temple. Charlie ignored her blazing glare as he turned completely towards Dana.