The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 16 : Some Social Life

Dusk and Piggon looked through the options and finally selected a large and less popular eatery called "Thesaurusia". Piggon wanted to go to one of the popular outlets, with loads of guys, but Dusk was very clear that she did not want to go to an expensive place irrespective of who was paying.

"But ... But ... That is where the boys with money are!! And the cutest ones too." Piggon whined. But Dusk put her foot down. They had to choose one where she would not feel guilty for spending Piggon's money.

Thesaurusia was an off-beat themed restaurant. Had metal mesh tables, with mis-shaped chairs. The table they were on had a poster saying "Don't laugh at your partner's choices. You are one of them."

The table next to them said "The chicken is so fresh, it can discuss the latest politics with you" and the one on the other side said "Eat well, don't fret, either way you are not getting out of this life, alive"

Dusk liked the place. But surprisingly it had no tech at all. No digital screens, no robo-servers, no systems pinging your communicator with advts. Instead it had some young children serving the food and 4 cooks (men and women, actual humans) doing the cooking. Dusk suspected the food was mostly pre-cooked and just heated, or there were robo-chefs beneath the counter in the kitchen.

Dusk looked around and figured she had been 'taken'. She gave Piggon a dirty look. There is no way this place would be cheap. Who can afford human cooks in the city today?

One of the pre-teen kids came and gave them a 'Menu Card'. Dusk didn't know how the laws allowed the restaurant to have children working. An actual physical paper that had a list of what was available for food. Dusk had never seen one before. The prices ... were ... sort of reasonable, considering that they had human servers and cooks. Unless of course, the prices were in code.

Around the restaurant, there were quite a few couples, but lots of boys who looked they were from Uni-Viva. So Piggon got her wish. All of them kept turning and looking back at them. While they were looking at the menu, one of the kids came to them and said that one of the guys had asked him to give them a drink. Did they want to accept it?

Piggon looked at what was offered and shook her head. "Too cheap", she told Dusk who shook her head speechless.

In the next 15 minutes, they got lots of offers for drinks. Each time, Piggon looked at the table and refused. She wanted better! Dusk could only shake her head at her friend's behaviour.

Finally, a couple of very handsome guys came over to them and introduced themselves. Piggon allowed them to sit down and she introduced herself. Dusk just gave her name and nothing else. The guys bought them a drink each. Dusk refused and opted for a sour beverage instead. The boys were from government studies.

After almost an hour of chatting, they offered to take the girls to a night club close by for a dance. Piggon figured that Dusk would be uncomfortable and refused, so they left.

"See, it's not bad. You didn't have to do any favour to anyone right?" Piggon stuck her tongue out.

The server kid came and placed a huge pizza before them.

"Hey! we didn't order this!" Piggon said.

"The men who were with you ordered it when they were leaving. They paid for it and went. You want me to take it back? I will have to throw it away"

The guys had taken Piggon's contact details and intended to catch up with her again. So they bought the girls a pizza to earn brownie points. Dusk decided they were smart. She didn't mind a pizza. And as the kid said, if they sent it away, it would be thrown away.

As the girls sat there happily talking in the music and finishing their drinks before starting on the food, Dusk suddenly saw one table with a single man sitting, in a light pink shirt and dark pants that stood out in the crowd. And also, the fact that he was the only one in the entire eatery who was alone. The only table in the whole place that had no companion.