For my friends from the READING CIRCLE "A Novel Idea"
CHRISTMAS DATES
PART I
Virtualee & Terry Mitchel
CHRISTMAS DATES
PART I
Virtualee & Terry Mitchel
In Newcrest Lee was know for being Beryl's Heffner trusted friend and her literary agent. But today her body was inhabited by another entity, none other than Virtualee who arrived to have some fun in the simworld. For now Virtualee was a mere passenger in Lee's body. She only arranged things so that Lee became aware of the charity event and that she had a date with one of the Newcrest's finest - detective Terry Mitchel - and didn't feel a whit weird because of it.
Terry texted her that he would pick her up in half an hour.
If it was Tony Corleonesi coming to pick her up, he would become quite distracted for a while by the fine set of knives in her kitchen... Luckily for Lee, Terry wasn't such man.
"Listen, " he said when he arrived. "Would you mind if we stop by my sister's? I promised to bring some stuff for her husband to read. It won't take much time, I promise."
Lee didn't mind, of course.
Terry's sister Rebecca was excited to meet Lee. "How long have you two been seeing each other?" she asked. "He doesn't tell me anything these days!"
"Oh. We are not seeing each other. This is a blind date, sort of. For charity, you know," Lee explained.
"He most certainly is a charity case," Rebecca nodded her head. "I'm really grateful you're taking him out, even as a charity."
Lee wanted to clarify things, to tell Rebecca that Terry wasn't the one in need of a noble deed, that he actually was participating in one. But the man caught her eye and shook his head behind Rebecca's back. So she just shrugged her shoulders and dropped the subject.
"I gather you don't date much," Lee said when they were alone again in the car.
"It's the work, you know," Terry explained. "I tend to bury myself in it and lose track of time. Dating doesn't go well together with workaholism."
Lee had a feeling it was just an excuse. "Still, you must feel lonely sometimes, no?"
"Sometimes. Yes." he admitted reluctantly.
Lee could tell it was more than just "sometimes" by his tensed jaw muscles. She didn't prod him anymore though. That was not why she was here. She was supposed to have a great time and enjoy the company of a handsome man. And handsome he is, Lee thought when she took a good look at him while he was picking meal for them. But he's not Tony, said another voice in her head. She frowned. Who is Tony? She shook her head. Nevermind. Terry may have been a bit rusty in this dating thing, but it only made him cuter.
As the evening was progressing and the nectar loosened their tied tongues they found a common interest to Lee's surprise. Both of them were equally interested in the fate of the Heffner siblings. Of course, Lee couldn't know that Terry's interest in them, especially in Kellie, results from something else than just a guilt born out of professional failure years ago. But the other entity in her - Virtualee - knew and started feeling bored by Terry's endless praise of Chris and Kellie. Her eyes wandered.
She noticed Spotty who was apparently having a great time with her own date at the table next to theirs. Spotty noticed Lee too and they waved at each other.
It seemed that this restaurant was going to be the center of all their dates.
She looked past Spotty and that's when she saw them at the top of the stairs and she had to pick her jaw from the floor. They looked... there just wasn't a single word to describe it. Something of Tony's sim celebrity statut must have rubbed off on Marialein because she looked like one too. She was walking like she owned the place, with Tony on her arm (or was it the other way round? who cares, anyway), they looked stunning together and Virtualee couldn't take her eyes off them. Darn, it could have been me! she thought with a sting of jealousy. She was about to raise her hand to wave at Marialein, but then she realized two things at once.
First, Marialein probably wouldn't even notice her (and who could blame her with the company she had tonight?) Second, Virtualee's own company was a cop! If he notices Tony, things will go downhill pretty fast for everyone in the restaurant.
I have to warn them. Not them, him, she thought. But how to do it without drawing Terry's attention to Tony? Luckily for Tony, Terry was sitting with his back to him and Marialein. She had to keep Terry occupied until an opportunity to warn Tony presents itself. So far it didn't seem like a difficult task. Terry has downed another glass of nectar and become quite talkative. Right now he was telling her he had to do some yoga exercise before he went to pick her up, to calm himself. "I was really nervous. I haven't been on a date for... uhm... years. I'm a bit rusty, you know." Yes, Virtualee knew and her vessel Lee must have noticed too because she was fidgeting with her tear-shaped pendant.
Virtualee watched with the corner of Lee's eye as Tony flirted with Marialein making her clearly uncomfortable as she most likely didn't know how to handle such man. Oh, I would know what to do with him, if he smiled at me like that.
Yes, Marialein was hypnotized by those blue eyes. Her lips weren't moving. She couldn't speak! All she was capable of in those moments was only to absorb the power of Tony's presence.
After some time Tony excused himself and headed for the bathroom. When passing by Spotty's table Tony gave the perplexed girl a wink.
What was that about?
Virtualee waited until he was out of Terry's field of vision and assumed full control of Lee's body. She excused herself and headed for the bathroom too. It was now or never. Tony can't come back to the table, Terry would most certainly see him now. And why don't you go to Marialein? a little voice in the back of her head asked. She could warn him. Virtualee quickly silenced the insignificant voice.
What was that about?
Virtualee waited until he was out of Terry's field of vision and assumed full control of Lee's body. She excused herself and headed for the bathroom too. It was now or never. Tony can't come back to the table, Terry would most certainly see him now. And why don't you go to Marialein? a little voice in the back of her head asked. She could warn him. Virtualee quickly silenced the insignificant voice.
Virtualee knew she might witness unexpected things when she went after Tony in the men's room. But she didn't expect to catch him "working" there. He was on a date with her friend after all. He was supposed to flirt with Marialein and make her even more uncomfortable, not choking some man in the restrooms, for Watcher's sake! How am I supposed to talk to him now? What a predicament!
Lee in her head wanted to scream at the top of her lungs at sight of the violence, but unfortunatelly for her, Virtualee was now in full control of her body.
She cleared her throat. "Excuse me. Can I have a minute of your time, Tony?"
He shot her a look. "I'm in the middle of something here, madam. Porca vacca! How do you know my name?"
Virtualee hesitated for a moment before she replied. "We may have exchanged some correspondence in the past. You sent me a picture of you." He didn't seem to remember. "In a shower," she added hoping to refresh his memory.
His face lightened up. "Ah! I remember!" He looked around. "So what brings you here?" he asked.
Before Virtualee could answer his question, the choked man whose colour had turned dark purple from the lack of oxygen and who lost all hope that Virtualee had come here to help him, chose this moment to cooperate. "I tell you everything, Mr. Corleonesi, just let me go, please!"
"Silenzio! I'm talking to the lady now. You'll talk when I say you can talk!" He then stuck the man in one of the cubicles and paid Virtualee his fullest attention.
"I have come to give you a heads up," she said. "I'm on a date here tonight with a man who happens to be a cop."
Tony's face fell. "A cop you say? I'm disappointed, madam. You could do so much better. Why don't you ditch him and go on a date with me?"
"Because... you're here with my friend Marialein?"
"You're friends with Maria? Perfetto! That's even better. Why don't we three go to my place and have some fun? When I finish my work here, naturalmente."
For a moment Virtualee's brain was overloaded with naughty images of the three of them, that Tony had just planted there with his proposal.
Then she gave out a loud sad sigh. "Alas," she said. "I can not take you up on your offer. The cop is a good man and doesn't deserve to get ditched. Maybe next time?" she added hopefully.
Tony smiled. "Maybe."
Virtualee turned away to go back to the restaurant, but before she could do so, Tony's voice stopped her. "Could you do me one last favour, madam?" he asked. "Can you tell Maria to meet me outside in ten minutes?"
Then she gave out a loud sad sigh. "Alas," she said. "I can not take you up on your offer. The cop is a good man and doesn't deserve to get ditched. Maybe next time?" she added hopefully.
Tony smiled. "Maybe."
Virtualee turned away to go back to the restaurant, but before she could do so, Tony's voice stopped her. "Could you do me one last favour, madam?" he asked. "Can you tell Maria to meet me outside in ten minutes?"
Marialein was unhappy that she's being neglected by Tony. Virtualee hurried to inform her of the new development.
She did not expect to be met with Marialein's angry glare. "I know what you did. You tried to steal him from me!" she accused her. "The moment we entered this restaurant every woman turned her head toward us and practically drooled all over the place at the sight of Tony. Except for Spotty maybe. I earned this date! I picked his number! He's MINE tonight! I didn't know it would be like this. I'm so tired of watching out for all those women who want to lure him away and steal him from me! And the worst part is that he doesn't mind. He flashes his smiles at all of them! I wish I could be alone with him somewhere for tonight. Tomorrow they can all have him if they want."
Virtualee smiled and felt sorry for her friend. "You know what he's like, Mary. We all do. You even write about his many adventures with women in your amazon story. He belongs to all of us and to none of us at the same time. Try to make the most of tonight and stop watching out for those women. You're lucky, he wants to meet you outside. He had to sneak away because of Terry. Go somewhere more private with him. And for Watcher's sake, Mary, have fun!"
Marialein hurried to catch up with Tony and Virtualee returned to her table.
"Here you are," Terry welcomed her. "I thought I had bored you to death and you ditched me. I know I'm not the first prize when it comes to dating," he said. "Is there anything you'd like to do tonight? Any place you'd like to see? I'd be happy to take you there."
"Actually, there is a place I always wanted to see and only you can take me to," Virtualee said feeling a bit adventurous suddenly after meeting Tony.
"Yes?" Terry said all curious.
"A shooting range."
END OF PART ONE OF THE DATES