Michael hung up. He looked at his phone and grimaced. (It was rather adorable when he managed a grimace; he never had a hint of malice, only jumbled frustration.)
"Sorry," Michael sighed. Of course he was. Victoria was busy biting back a furious roar. She imagined herself in a past life: an absurdly colorful bird puffing out its chest to prove once for all "I'm better than that OTHER stupid bird mate with ME god dammit". That's how she felt every time Rachel was seen or mentioned. Rachel! What a typical name. Of course her name was Rachel.
Victoria took a moment to compose herself. Anger was unnecessary and weak and she had the ability to recognize it and restrain it. It took a good deal of energy, but she could do it. She turned back to Michael; that calmed her.
"Don't be sorry. That's exactly what you should say to your girlfriend," Victoria told him. She sat up, and pulled the lever so the seat followed her. "Should I get you home? Or, uh, I guess you could just walk."
"We have some time," he replied, sitting himself and his seat up as well. "We can talk about, well, everything. What we can do."
"I don't think we can discuss much in thirty minutes," said Victoria, feeling weak. "I mean, do you have any specific questions?"
This is one of those (many) times Victoria felt like a total dork. Any specific questions? She wasn't tutoring him for goodness sakes. That was another fantasy entirely.
Michael's expression shifted. He looked down in thought, and then turned to Victoria staring straight through her eyes.
"I do need to ask you something," Michael said solemnly. His eyes were smoldering. Victoria took a sharp intake of breath. "I'm with Rachel now, and the way things are I might not be able to change that for... a while. So," he swallowed, "will you wait for me?"
Victoria let it sink in, and then a short burst escaped from her gut and through her mouth before she decomposed in full-fledged guffawing. Michael found himself dumb.
"For you, I'd wait for years!," Victoria exclaimed between giggles. "Obviously. Oh, you were so serious."
"Sorry," Michael sighed. Of course he was. Victoria was busy biting back a furious roar. She imagined herself in a past life: an absurdly colorful bird puffing out its chest to prove once for all "I'm better than that OTHER stupid bird mate with ME god dammit". That's how she felt every time Rachel was seen or mentioned. Rachel! What a typical name. Of course her name was Rachel.
Victoria took a moment to compose herself. Anger was unnecessary and weak and she had the ability to recognize it and restrain it. It took a good deal of energy, but she could do it. She turned back to Michael; that calmed her.
"Don't be sorry. That's exactly what you should say to your girlfriend," Victoria told him. She sat up, and pulled the lever so the seat followed her. "Should I get you home? Or, uh, I guess you could just walk."
"We have some time," he replied, sitting himself and his seat up as well. "We can talk about, well, everything. What we can do."
"I don't think we can discuss much in thirty minutes," said Victoria, feeling weak. "I mean, do you have any specific questions?"
This is one of those (many) times Victoria felt like a total dork. Any specific questions? She wasn't tutoring him for goodness sakes. That was another fantasy entirely.
Michael's expression shifted. He looked down in thought, and then turned to Victoria staring straight through her eyes.
"I do need to ask you something," Michael said solemnly. His eyes were smoldering. Victoria took a sharp intake of breath. "I'm with Rachel now, and the way things are I might not be able to change that for... a while. So," he swallowed, "will you wait for me?"
Victoria let it sink in, and then a short burst escaped from her gut and through her mouth before she decomposed in full-fledged guffawing. Michael found himself dumb.
"For you, I'd wait for years!," Victoria exclaimed between giggles. "Obviously. Oh, you were so serious."
