Vivienne

Denise sat quietly for a couple minutes and looked at the menu.  Scanning the page until her stomach did a flip, Denise politely ordered a cheeseburger and a small plate of fries. “Thank you.” Denise looked up at the older woman that waited on her.

Turning to get a small sketchbook from her bag, Denise became aware of a sweet and woody smell from her right. “I love the smell of lavender.”  She muttered and turned and came face to face with a set of earth shattering blue eyes. “Oh…”  Blood raced to Denise’s cheeks when she realized her model was standing gracefully over the table.

“Is this seat taken?”  Her model asked politely.

Caught unaware, Denise felt the heavy energy resume its place directly between her legs.  “I…um..”  She crossed her legs in vain in the effort to appear proper. “Yes…I, please do.”

“My thanks.” The black haired model scooted into the booth across from Denise. “What are you having?”

Still unsure that her beauty was sitting across from her, Denise closed her eyes and rubbed her eyes like she was a little tired. “I..I.. a cheeseburger and french fries.”  When the scent of lavender didn’t leave the table, Denise reopened her dreamy hazel eyes and smiled. “You’re still here.”

Laughing lightly, her model smiled and nodded. “Why would you think I would leave when I have just sat down with you?”

Denise caught herself staring into the gleaming blue eyes across from her. “It’s surreal is all.”  Denise pointed to her model and nibbled on her injured lip. “I just finished looking at your bare form all night, now here you are.”  Denise shrugged and saw the waitress look at her then resume her duties. “See, everyone is looking at you.”  Denise blushed. “You are beautiful..I..understand why you are a model.”

“Marion.  My name is Marion.” Her model stated and slipped off her light blue sweater. “Surreal, is it?”  Marion leaned over on the table, “I have it!”  Marion laughed and winked one playful blue eye. “Surrealism.  The art movement.”  She shrugged, “I don’t know much about it.”  She pointed playfully while smiling at Denise, “Perhaps you can give me a lesson.”

“Okay…um, thank you..Marion.”  Denise fluttered her eyelashes, “What a beautiful name you have.”

Marion tipped her head to one side, “You think it is?  I wasn’t quite sure I’d like it..”

“If you’d like it?” Denise raised one of her eyebrows, looking slightly confused.

Waving her hand playfully, Marion laughed once more, “Freudian slip.  I meant I wasn’t sure you’d like it.”

“Oh.  I guess I’m nervous.  I shouldn’t have said anything.”  Denise glanced over to the waitress once more. “You must be used to people looking at you like this.”  Denise fiddled with the curls in her dusty-blonde hair. “It is a little strange to me, I don’t get many glances.”

Marion winked at Denise. “I don’t know why.  You are a lovely little morsel.”  Marion laughed, “I could just eat you up!”  She reached over and lightly pinched Denise’s cheek.

Subconsciously rubbing her cheek after Marion’s tiny outburst, Denise closed her eyes and relived the moment in her head a couple times. “Thank you…”  She offered meekly.

“You’re welcome dearie.  Can I get you anything else?”  The waitress offered and refilled Denise’s soda. “I will be right over by the register if you need me.”

“A cherry-coke for my..”  Denise opened her eyes and no longer saw Marion across from her, yet her handbag was innocently still on the seat. “...my friend.  I am sure she will be right back.”

“I will make it two.”  The waitress winked, “Just don’t tell on me, it will be our little secret.”

Unable to fathom her good fortune, Denise managed to shake her head and smile wide. “You are so ki..kind, thank you.”  

The waitress patted Denise on the shoulder and then calmly walked back to her station and began making the twin cherry-cokes.

Denise looked around and between the booths in the effort to find Marion shrugged. “Bathroom.”  Adding a little squirt of ketchup to her cheeseburger Denise spread the contents over the patty when her waitress came over with two very large cherry cokes.

 “I muddled the cherries at the bottom like I do for my kids so you have to drink it to get to the fun part.”  The waitress set the two sodas on the table and scribbled something on the check before handing it to Denise. “I’ll take that when you are ready, dear.”

Moments after Denise watched the kind woman return to the register, Marion slipped back into the conversation. “Oh, you got me something to drink?”  She reached for the bubbly soda. “That was very kind, thanks!”  Marion wrapped her ruby red lips over the candy-striped straw and slowly sipped. “Yummy.”  She pointed at Denise, “Have some.”

Denise had chills run across her arms when Marion slid the glass she was using to her. “You..you want me to drink..”  Denise saw the print where Marion’s lipstick had covered the straw and felt herself blush once again. “Only a little bit, I don’t want to take it all.”

Marion waited until Denise had started to drink before giggling, “It’s like you just kissed me.”  Marion winked and sat back in the booth.

Denise quickly fanned herself with her napkin in the effort to hide the heat that seemed to erupt in her body. “I …Oh…I don’t know if that would be a good thing at all.”  Denise pushed the drink from her and touched her lips thinking about the deep red lipstick that could be stuck to her lips. “You..you don’t even know who I am…amon..among other things.”

“Yes I do, silly.”  Marion cleared her throat. “Your little friend called You Denise a few times.  The professor called you Miss Crow.”  She held up two long thin fingers. “Denise..Crow.”  Marion swirled her tongue over the straw once and then sipped lightly on the sugary beverage. “You were going to tell me why this was so surreal.”

Hastily taking a bite of her food, Denise delayed her response as long as possible in order to try and calm her heightened hormones. “Surreal.  Yes, I was.” Setting the sandwich on the plate, Denise found her confidence and daintily wiped her lips, “I never expected to see you here, let alone be able to speak to you.”  She put down her napkin and sipped again from the same drink as Marion. “So it is unexpected, unusual.”  Denise pointed at the sparking blue eyes that seemed to penetrate her mind. “Dreaming.  So yes, surreal.”

Marion reached over and touched Denise’s hands. “Not a dream, Denise.  I am sitting right here.”  Marion smiled and ate one of Denise’s fries. “Naturally I noticed everyone looking at me, they had to..right?”  Chuckling lightly, Marion poked Denise’s nose cutely. “You were the only one that ran out, so you got my attention.”  Flipping her long shiny hair over her shoulder, Marion’s eyes intently studied Denise. “So, Why did you run out on me for a few minutes?”

Sitting quietly for a few uncomfortable minutes, Denise frantically weighed the different answers she could come up with.  No answer except the truth seemed to fit for Denise as the inquisitive blue orbs peered into her soul.  Denise leaned closer to Marion so she could whisper, “My first thought was the word amour.”  Denise worriedly looked at the woman across from her and sucked on her lip for a couple seconds. “It’s a French word for love that my dad uses all the time…with my mom.  He was in France in the war.”

Stealing another french fry, Marion popped the little potato into her mouth and then wiggled her eyebrows. “Seems like a very unusual thing to say about a model, so I agree.  Surreal.”  Marion winked and then pointed to the door. “Your friend Tatum and her beau are about to walk through the door.  Perhaps we can discuss this later?  A little more discrete though.”  Marion held her finger over her lip and kissed it one time before tapping Denise’s lip with it. “Leave it to me, I will find you.”  Marion finished off the cherry-coke, took Denise’s beret and slipped out of the booth with a wink.