Challenge for a good male writer!

[Sweet_Seraph]

Here's my challenge...
Our characters will be two people who have been matched by a dating service. They will know nothing about each other except what they have read in a five sentence paragraph provided by the service. They meet at a coffee house in Greenwich Village.

MEMO from DateElite Dating Service:
My name is Catherine Stuart and I am 26 years old. My friends tell me I remind them of Minnie Driver without the English accent. Although my career is in advertising, I've been trying to start a novel for two years. I adore dogs, travel, impressionism, and cooking Italian food. You will know me by the red rose I will wear in my hair.

After you post your MEMO, we'll start.

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

*bump

 

[Guest]

I saw this a while ago, and thought it would be a great challenge, although at the time I wasn't up for it. I thought someone else might take it up, but since no one has I am going to.
No interior monologue, this is going to be a challenge.

Memo:
My name is Johnny Burnam. I am 28 years old and work in acounting. Although I am not overly gorgeous, I do considered myself fairly attractive. I love to sing in the shower, be outside as much as I can, and give foot massages. You will know me by a huge onix ring on my finger.


I would prefer if you got the ball rolling on this one, I just want to make sure I know exactly what your talking about with all this, besides, I am a bit nervous on how to proceed.

 

[Kind_Rebel]

That would be my post up there.

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

Catherine Stuart walked into the coffeehouse at ten minutes to five. She was tall, 5'9" and she wore what a fashion magazine would call a "little black dress." She stood in the doorway for a moment while her eyes moved around the intimate room with quick darts. Her lips curved into a slight smile and she walked to the table nearest the back of the room. Its location provided an unobstructed view of the shop's front door. Catherine turned so that her back was facing the door. She snapped it open and looked at her reflection in the tiny mirror. Her hand caused the image to shake slightly. She tilted the mirror slightly and turned her head. Catherine lifted her other hand to adjust the rose that was tucked in her coiled, upswept hair.

"Action!" she says under her breath.

OOC: Check your private messages

 

[Kind_Rebel]

Ooc: I got your message, but I don't know how to reply though. Must be a glitch in my computer. Thanks for the message though, I loved it.


Johnny sighed as he sat at one of the small tables by the window. A cold cup of coffee was set down next to him. He shifted uncomfortably looking repitively from the window to the front door. Every time it opened he jumped, slightly.
The door opened again. Johnny was motionless as he saw her walk through the door. His eyes remained wide, although no part of him moved.
"Hun, you want some more coffee?"
He blinked twice, and glanced at the waitress looking at him. He smiled.
"Yes, yes of course."
She scurried away. Johnny grabbed the onix ring on his finger, and twiddled it back and forth. He took in a deep breath.
"Action," he said under his breath. He reached his hand with the onix up, calling her attention.

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

Catherine snapped the compact shut and put it away in her purse. Her eyes scanned the room again. They widened slightly as she saw the gentleman by the window raise his hand. He was wearing an onyx ring.

Their eyes met and held each other for a moment. "Hello, Johnny!" Catherine whispered to herself.

She collected her belongings and got up in a graceful movement. Catherine navigated across the crowded room, approaching his table with a practiced sway to her hips and an uncertain smile on her face. Just as she neared his table, a woman slid out her chair, knocking into Catherine. She stumbled on her unfamiliarly high heels and tripped straight into Johnny's arms.

She looked up into his surprised face as she tried to disentangle herself. The rose fluttered to the ground. A blush tinged the white of her cheeks.

"I don't know whether to hope you're Johnny or not?" she blurted out.

 

[pokey4001]

Memo from DATElite:

My name is Georgio Fisk. My friends describe me as a man of the world who has never left the city. I am a talented chef although I currently work as a drummer in a country band. I am very tall and slender with dark hair and eyes. You will know me by my very poor Italian accent...

 

[Kind_Rebel]

Johnny tried to untangle pieces of hair from him. He looked at her nervously, she had just fallen into his lap. When she was away from him, he helped her into the seat next to him.
"Yeah, it's me. It's a pleasure to meet you."
He laughed nevously, glancing outside the window.
"I have never done this before... a dating service I mean. And I am normally a really shy guy," he laughed nervously again, "That's probably why I decided to join up with this service."
He stopped talking, biting his lower lip. He let a hand run through his short curly brown hair tensively.
The woman came back with a new cup of coffee. She looked from him to the woman.
"You want something too hun?"
Johnny wiped his brow with a napkin.

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

Catherine

"Yes, I'd love a double espresso," Catherine said to the waitress. She watched Johnny for a moment out of the corner of her eye. The sight brought a smile to her lush red lips.

"I can see that you are as nervous as I am. Don't be! I'm the one who threw myself at you, however unintentional." Catherine's laugh was effusive and pretty. While she talked, she hastily tried to repair the damage done to her upswept do. Giving up, she pulled out the two hair pins and the long black curtain feel past her shoulders. Catherine gave her mane a shake.

"I like your ring. It is quite unusual. Where did you get it?" she asked, her eyes falling on the black onyx.

 

[Guest]

Ansering the ad

I would like to have a chance to take this hot chick out. Let me know when I can like come aboard.
I'll be a big body builder named Arnould Hartsal.

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

OOC: This thread is limited to two characters. Should have mentioned it sooner. Sorry...

 

[Guest]

Johnny laughed loudly at her joke of throwing herself at him. After taking a deep breath, he slumped back in his chair slightly. He watched her shake the air from her head. It was done up beautifully, but when she put it down...
Johnny bit his finger as her hair was swept back and forth. It seemed to go in slow motion for him. He felt something stir in his back, and run up his spine. He shivered, his teeth still clamped on his finger.
She asked about the ring.
"Oh,"he took the finger from his mouth, trying to get back into conversation again, "Yes, the ring. It was a present, from my family, when I graudated from college. My mother got it from a vendor in Greece on one of those open markets."
He laughed, lowering his head again.
"It says you are in advertising," he tried to change the subject, "When did you decide you wanted to do that?"

 

[Kind_Rebel]

It's this double name, it confuses me sometimes. That was mine though.

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

"Advertising, yes. I work for the flesh peddlers over on Madison," Catherine said, her voice dripping with scorn.

"What am I saying, our copy objectifies women as much as anyone else's does. A lot of those big glossy perfume spreads you see in the fashion sheets are ours, such as they are." Catherine appears embarrassed as she stops abruptly and softens her words with a giggle.

"I'm going to climb down now off my soapbox. I think it's a little early to subject you to rampant feminist rhetoric." Her smile would surely have not been approved by Ms. Steinem, so flirtatous was it. "I really write to write."

 

[Kind_Rebel]

Johnny played with his spoon in the coffe that was fast becoming cold.
"No, it's good that your passionate about something, even if it is part of your job."
Johnny raised his head for the first time since she arrived, "I would rather have a date that had an opinion about something, than some dumb blonde who wants to go to a movie?"
He stopped talking, letting the awkward silence drone out even more.
"I'm sorry, this isn't how I wanted this to start out at all."

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

Catherine took a deep breath and appeared to visiably relax.

"Oh, I don't know... I don't think this is starting out badly. Already I've ended up in your arms and you've just insulted dumb blondes. What more could a girl ask for?" Catherine said with a smile that spread to her eyes.

"Let's be brutally honest," she said with a coy smile and a flutter of lashes. "Well, as honest as a meeting like this will allow. What did you think of me when you first saw me? Horrified? Pleasantly surprised? Horny? What?" She took in the slight flush in Johnny's cheeks and the way he quickly looked down.

"All right, I'll go first. As soon as I saw that ring on your finger, I was thrilled. I had noticed you when I first walked in. I thought you were adorable. By the way, Kudos on being even earlier than I was. Shall I go on? You run your fingers through your sexy curls when you're nervous. It makes me want to do the same. You've got incredibly strong arms that made me feel delicate when you helped me up. No, Johnny, I do not think this is starting out badly at all," Catherine finished with a flip of her ebony hair.

 

[Kind_Rebel]

Johnny couldn't help himself from smiling embarassingly.
"You certainly do know how to flatter a man," he spoke, after a minute's pause, "All right, if we're being brutally honest, then I will have to give my share too. I first thought you were lovely, honestly when I decided to go out on this blind date, I didn't expect to get anyone pretty, just scrape the bottom of the barrel..."
His hands started to shake, "But then you came in the door, with this rose in your hair, "he picked up the rose from the ground, "You looked so pretty and so sexy, absolutely nothig how I pictured. I liked you, as soon as I saw you, I really liked you. But now, that I know your not only beautiful but inteligent and honest, I like you even more."
He breathed in deeply. His eyes hadn't looked at her face since she had sat down. Johnny took a sip of his coffee, realizing how cold it had become.
"Are you hungry, would you like to order lunch?" he said suddenly.

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

Catherine smiled as Johnny began to speak. She tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn't look at her.

"Yes, I'm starving!" she said to answer his question. Catherine waved the waitress over. She glanced at the big chaulkboard over the counter and squinted. Flushing slightly, she fished a pair of small wirerim frames from her purse. She put them on as she said somewhat sheepishly, "Can't read that far without these."

The waitress came over. Catherine looked over the tops of her glasses and said to the woman, "We'd like to order some lunch and I think you forgot my double espresso. I'll have a bowl of minestrone and a hard roll." Catherine looked over at Johnny expectantly.

 

[Kind_Rebel]

Johnny looked up, suddenly, "You like Minestrone too? I love it, I'll have the same."
The waittress apologized and went on her way. An awkward silence followed again.
"You know," he said, breathing in as he did, "I've never actually been on a blind date before. I've only have two girlfriends, and they were both good friends before I started dating them. I have never just gone up to someone and asked them out. I said before I was shy..." he leaned in closer to her, "You have no idea."
Johnny played with the ring again, wiggling it back and forth.
"Hve you had a lot of experience in the dating field?"

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

"That's a good question, deserving a good answer. I have just ended a long term relationship. Well, not just... it's been about six months. My friends finally convinced me to start dating and signed me up for the service. And... Here I am!" Catherine stopped speaking as the waitress arrived with their lunch.

"Finally!" Catherine said referring to the espresso. She picked up a sugar cube, dipped it into the espresso, and placed it on her tongue. The tiny cup was steaming when she picked it up and took several long sips. She set down the near empty cup. "I just love the way scalding hot espresso melts the sugar on my tongue," she said with a slow smile.

She picked up the spoon and tried the soup. "Not bad. So, you like minestrone too. Did I mention that I love to cook Italian food?"

 

[Kind_Rebel]

Johnny sipped the soup, "No kidding? I am not much of a cook, but I love italian food. Actually, I do make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich," he laughed, althought weakly.
"I am sorry about your break. I know how relatives are. My mother kept pestering me about getting married, it got to the point where I couldn't handle the stress anymore. I had to break up the relationship. It wasn't just my family though, we really weren't in love."
He sipped the soup again, dipping the roll into it. He took a single bite, watching her from the tops of his eyes.
"You ever done any traveling?"

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

Catherine appeared distracted for a moment, then answered with enthusiam. "I love to travel. It's one of the few things in life I do not feel guilty spending money on. I've never been anywhere that I haven't fallen in love with. Every place has its own beauty just waiting to be discovered. Kind of like people when I think about it. A quiet and unassuming town in Iowa reveals itself to be the essence of all that is quaint and romantic about this country. Of course, that's not to say the exotic has an allure as well, but a feast for the senses... sensuality can be found anywhere." Catherine seemed to be speaking about something other than travel destinations.

She had finished his soup and noticed that Johnny had done so as well.

"Will you allow me to show you what I mean?" she asked with a light in her eyes.

 

[Kind_Rebel]

"I... uhhh..." Johnny seemed a little puzzled, "Yeah, sure."
He motioned for the waitress one last time.
"Don't worry, I've got this," he took out his wallet. Unintentionally a comdom fell onto the table. A small sound uttered from his throat. Johnny quickly grabbed it, shobing it into his pocket.
"Umm, sorry."
He left the money, and a small tip. He then followed her outside. The bright day beamed down upon them, making it look like such a beautiful day. Clouds on the horizon, however, provedo therwise.
"So, where are we going exactly?"

 

[Sweet_Seraph]

"I hope that rain holds off," she said, neatly sidestepping the question. She took him by the hand, smiling at him when he looked at her. "I want to take you somewhere. It's just a short walk really. Trust me and I won't mention that condom," she teased.

The day was indeed beautiful and the rain clouds looked very far away. She inhaled deeply and said, "I just love this time of year." As they walked, she began to hum, "Summer in the City," by the Lovin' Spoonful. They walked almost eight blocks in companionable silence, still holding hands despite the heat.

"This is it!" Catherine announced. They had stopped in front of a very old apartment building, a very shabby building with an ancient doorman who rushed to open the door.

"Cathy, Cathy, come inside!" The old gentleman said. The interior of the building wasn't much cooler.

"Hello, Uncle Jimmy!" Catherine kissed the old man's cheek. "Johnny, this is James Reynolds and he has been the doorman at the Parkland for longer than I've been alive," she said to Johnny.

"Longer than your mother's been alive too. Both of them as good as gold," the old man chirped. Catherine blushed.

"Uncle Jimmy, this is Johnny Burnam. He's a friend. I'd like to show him upstairs." Catherine glanced at the confused expression on Johnny's face.

"Go right up, young lady. Nice to meet you, sir." The gentile old doorman shook Johnny's hand and gave him a very unsubtle wink. He handed Catherine a large ring of keys.

As the walked into the elevator, Catherine said, "My grandfather used to own this building." She pressed the top floor. The door closed and the creaking elevator began its ascent.

When the doors opened, they walked out onto a nondescript hallway. At the far end was a doorway marked 'EXIT'. They walked through it and then up the stairs on the other side. She fitted a key into the door at the top.

"Remember what I said about quiet and unassuming appearances? You just have to find what's special...,” she said as she opened the door. They walked out onto the roof and the scent of roses invited them forward. The roof of the apartment building had been made into a beautiful rose garden. Potted roses of all color blossomed around them. A small gazebo covered in climbing peach and white roses stood near the door from which they had just come.

"This is my grandmother's rose garden. It was my grandfather's gift to her when they married. My mother tended it for her after she died and now I'm starting to take over. OH NO!" Just then the clouds burst and rain spilled down upon them without warning. Catherine grabbed Johnny's hand and pulled him under the gazebo.