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bloodsong1The meal passed without any embarrassment from me, thank goodness. My ravoli came in a lemon cream sauce that had me near swooning, but that was acceptable because Sher was swooning over her lasagna. We all laughed and talked and enjoyed ourselves and most of both bottles of wine. When the waiter appeared to take our dessert orders, I vowed to watch him. Brandon and Michael ordered espresso, Sher asked for regular coffee and Rae decided on chocolate torte with his espresso.
“Oh, that is so unfair. Now I’ll have to steal from you,” Sher moaned, leaning on Rae’s shoulder and pouting.
“Pauvre petite,” He said, smirking. Sher mock-glared.
“I am NOT little!” The waiter looked at Ken-chan and I.
“I’ll have an espresso and tiramasu, please,” I said, barely refraining from licking my lips.
“A latte with a shot of cinnamon. Thank you.”
“Is that the only coffee you drink?” I asked, watching the waiter as he left. Sure enough, two tables away he disappeared. Amazing.
“Hai.”
“I’m going to have to introduce you to my favorite barrista back home. She makes a toffee-honey latte that you wouldn’t believe.”
“It’s a date, then,” Ken-chan said, making my head snap to face him.
“When are you going back to the States, Kenji-san?” Rae asked, playing with Sher’s hair.
“August 18th.”
“That’s barely two weeks before classes start! Will you need any help?” I asked.
“Possibly. I’m not sure.”
“Well, if you do, just give me a call. We’re going back a week from Friday and are planning on being in our dorm by August 10th. I’d prefer to be sooner, but they won’t let us in.”
“I still think we should get an apartment, Candy. Imagine, a bathroom that you’d only have to share with me!”
“Gah, Sher! I can’t afford an apartment.”
“What about that cute Victorian a few blocks from campus? They rent to students cheaply.”
“Could we please talk about this later?” I hissed. Sher blinked at me and backed down. I think the arrival of dessert helped with that. She and Rae got into one of their infamous fork battles over the torte. I made it a point to share nicely with Ken-chan when he asked to taste my tiramasu.
Walking into the Rose and Sword was a study in contrasts. Most of the pub was filled with 20 and 30 somethings, dress ranging from jeans to, well, us. Our group was the most dressed up, but some of the other guys came close. Sadly, all the girls that were dressed up were dressed out, if you know what I mean. I think Brandon did something, because we found a table to sit all six of us easily. Rae had paid the cover, so Sher took the drinks. She and I got sodas, Ken-chan got water, Rae asked for Guinness and the flatmates ordered mimosas. I wondered who would be driving, considering both Michael and Brandon had had two glasses of wine with dinner. We got our papers to fill out and I tapped my pencil against my teeth.
“Pity you didn’t bring your guitar again, Kenji-san,” Brandon said, handing in his paper. Ken-chan shrugged.
“It would have been awkward,” He said calmly, handing in his. I finally decided on mine and turned it in, the last one. After several minutes of wheedling Sher to tell me what she was going to do, the bouncer announced the first act. Poetry. Not bad, but a bit gloomy. Two more poetry readings, two girls sang a duet, then Michael and Brandon were called. They strolled up on stage and grabbed the microphones.
“Evening, blokes and birds! How about a number to get the blood pumping, eh?” Michael said, his accent suddenly becoming rather thick and…Irish? He was Irish? Brandon slung an arm over Michael’s shoulders and they began singing Walk Away Me Boys, complete with stomping. A chunk of the audience insisted on singing along, waving pilzner glasses in the air. Sher and I exchanged glances and burst into giggles.
“What is so funny?” Rae demanded, glaring at us. We waved our hands, unable to talk. The flatmates finished to deafening applause and whistles. They wandered back over, huge grins on their faces.
“’The hardest part was learning how to talk,’” Sher quipped, sending me into giggles. Michael blinked at her.
“Should I know that?” He asked. Brandon, Rae and Ken-chan traded confused looks, then Rae snapped his fingers.
“Brosnan,” He guessed.
“Correct,” I said, reaching for my soda. I took a quick drink, as the look on Michael’s face was priceless. He squirmed and blushed.
“You caught me, which is totally unfair because you’re already taken!” He protested, waving a finger at Sher. She shrugged. I pounced on Michael, asking as many questions about Ireland as I could think of. We talked through the next three acts and only shut up when we saw Sher and Rae get up and walk to the stage.
“Oh, that is so unfair. Now I’ll have to steal from you,” Sher moaned, leaning on Rae’s shoulder and pouting.
“Pauvre petite,” He said, smirking. Sher mock-glared.
“I am NOT little!” The waiter looked at Ken-chan and I.
“I’ll have an espresso and tiramasu, please,” I said, barely refraining from licking my lips.
“A latte with a shot of cinnamon. Thank you.”
“Is that the only coffee you drink?” I asked, watching the waiter as he left. Sure enough, two tables away he disappeared. Amazing.
“Hai.”
“I’m going to have to introduce you to my favorite barrista back home. She makes a toffee-honey latte that you wouldn’t believe.”
“It’s a date, then,” Ken-chan said, making my head snap to face him.
“When are you going back to the States, Kenji-san?” Rae asked, playing with Sher’s hair.
“August 18th.”
“That’s barely two weeks before classes start! Will you need any help?” I asked.
“Possibly. I’m not sure.”
“Well, if you do, just give me a call. We’re going back a week from Friday and are planning on being in our dorm by August 10th. I’d prefer to be sooner, but they won’t let us in.”
“I still think we should get an apartment, Candy. Imagine, a bathroom that you’d only have to share with me!”
“Gah, Sher! I can’t afford an apartment.”
“What about that cute Victorian a few blocks from campus? They rent to students cheaply.”
“Could we please talk about this later?” I hissed. Sher blinked at me and backed down. I think the arrival of dessert helped with that. She and Rae got into one of their infamous fork battles over the torte. I made it a point to share nicely with Ken-chan when he asked to taste my tiramasu.
Walking into the Rose and Sword was a study in contrasts. Most of the pub was filled with 20 and 30 somethings, dress ranging from jeans to, well, us. Our group was the most dressed up, but some of the other guys came close. Sadly, all the girls that were dressed up were dressed out, if you know what I mean. I think Brandon did something, because we found a table to sit all six of us easily. Rae had paid the cover, so Sher took the drinks. She and I got sodas, Ken-chan got water, Rae asked for Guinness and the flatmates ordered mimosas. I wondered who would be driving, considering both Michael and Brandon had had two glasses of wine with dinner. We got our papers to fill out and I tapped my pencil against my teeth.
“Pity you didn’t bring your guitar again, Kenji-san,” Brandon said, handing in his paper. Ken-chan shrugged.
“It would have been awkward,” He said calmly, handing in his. I finally decided on mine and turned it in, the last one. After several minutes of wheedling Sher to tell me what she was going to do, the bouncer announced the first act. Poetry. Not bad, but a bit gloomy. Two more poetry readings, two girls sang a duet, then Michael and Brandon were called. They strolled up on stage and grabbed the microphones.
“Evening, blokes and birds! How about a number to get the blood pumping, eh?” Michael said, his accent suddenly becoming rather thick and…Irish? He was Irish? Brandon slung an arm over Michael’s shoulders and they began singing Walk Away Me Boys, complete with stomping. A chunk of the audience insisted on singing along, waving pilzner glasses in the air. Sher and I exchanged glances and burst into giggles.
“What is so funny?” Rae demanded, glaring at us. We waved our hands, unable to talk. The flatmates finished to deafening applause and whistles. They wandered back over, huge grins on their faces.
“’The hardest part was learning how to talk,’” Sher quipped, sending me into giggles. Michael blinked at her.
“Should I know that?” He asked. Brandon, Rae and Ken-chan traded confused looks, then Rae snapped his fingers.
“Brosnan,” He guessed.
“Correct,” I said, reaching for my soda. I took a quick drink, as the look on Michael’s face was priceless. He squirmed and blushed.
“You caught me, which is totally unfair because you’re already taken!” He protested, waving a finger at Sher. She shrugged. I pounced on Michael, asking as many questions about Ireland as I could think of. We talked through the next three acts and only shut up when we saw Sher and Rae get up and walk to the stage.
