{"id":2211,"date":"2021-02-13T17:04:45","date_gmt":"2021-02-14T00:04:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/?p=2211"},"modified":"2021-02-13T17:04:45","modified_gmt":"2021-02-14T00:04:45","slug":"second-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.evardsson.com\/blog\/2021\/02\/13\/second-best\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Best"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

prompt:\u00a0Write about a first date that surprises both people, but in different ways….<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

available at Reedsy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What may have rated as an average first date for most was a turn into uncharted waters for Kailin. She took another sip of wine, her eyes darting between the dark, rich brown of Amandi\u2019s eyes and the near-black red of her wine. A small frown played at the corner of her lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amandi reached across the table and took her slender, pale hand in his own; his deep brown skin contrasting starkly with her pink-tinged fingers. \u201cYou\u2019re thinking something. Just say it. I wasn\u2019t lying when I said I wanted to get to know you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI have a history with dating,\u201d she said, \u201cand it\u2019s not a good one. I have this thing for bad boys and girls, outlaws and rebels. It never works out, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you think that I…?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin shook her head. \u201cNo. I get the feeling that you could<\/em> be dangerous if you chose, but you\u2019re honestly the sweetest person I\u2019ve ever gone out with. It makes it hard to figure out if I\u2019m interested because you\u2019re sweet, or because you push that button.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe dangerous button?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They walked through the rooftop garden, a hundred stories above the world below. The last rays of the sunset made the tall glassteel safety walls glow orange along their tops. Their fingers interwoven, they watched the sunset as the first of the moons rose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a pretty good judge of character,\u201d Amandi said. \u201cI try to be a good person, but I\u2019ve done some things in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd now you tell me you\u2019re a fugitive and you\u2019re going to use me as a hostage to escape, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Amandi turned Kailin to face him. \u201cIs that something that actually happened, or do you have a dark imagination?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told you that it never works out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTell me who did that and I\u2019ll make him pay for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo worry, she\u2019s<\/em> already in prison.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pulled her into a warm embrace. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t do that to anyone, you don\u2019t have to worry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin sighed, and Amandi stepped back. \u201cI\u2014I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, \u201cthat was probably a bit too much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t.\u201d Kailin stepped closer to him and put her arms around his waist. \u201cI liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their meandering took them through the ornamental gardens into the vegetable patch. The square kilometer footprint of the block building made the rooftop garden into a veritable park. It was still early in the season, so the only things ready to pick were the lettuce greens and spring peas. Crickets chirped from their hiding spots, seeking companionship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is probably the nicest date I\u2019ve ever been on,\u201d Kailin said, leaning her head against his shoulder as they walked. \u201cThe second nicest was short. Halfway through dinner she said she really wasn\u2019t that interested in me. At least it remained cordial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI know what you mean,\u201d he said. \u201cNone of that trivial talk about what kind of work you do or what music you like. Just conversation like two adults.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks. But I\u2019d be okay with a little trivia, as long as it\u2019s not the same old tired shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amandi pulled her closer. \u201cDo you know what my name means? In the original Igbo?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt means, \u2018trust no one.\u2019 Hell of a name to give your kid, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDid your mother know that when she named you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe didn\u2019t,\u201d he said, \u201cbut when she found out she used that to lecture me over and over on being too trusting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin chuckled. \u201cMy name doesn\u2019t mean anything, or at least I don\u2019t think it does. It was just something my mother heard and liked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s where you\u2019re mistaken. I got into researching name meanings when I was still in primary school. The whole thing with my name meaning something so odd set me into a wormhole of discovery. Kailin comes from Kayla, which means \u2018keeper of the keys.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWait, you just know every name off the top of your head?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo, just the names my classmates had. Kailin from primary school was a terror, though. Always in trouble, always picking fights. Nothing like you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeems like the name has a type. I got into some trouble in primary and secondary school. Well, at least I know it wasn\u2019t me. You\u2019re the first Amandi I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know. You might be her. I was always too scared of her to introduce myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin laughed. \u201cI don\u2019t think I was that much<\/em> trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shoulder to shoulder they sat on the edge of the fountain, watching the bustle of the ground-floor mall around them. Their sweet pastries, half-eaten, sat on a plate beside them. Pink noise from the fountain lulled them into a quiet serenity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin took a deep breath and sat up straight. \u201cLet\u2019s go for a ride.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHave you ever been to a forest?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNope. Four planets, two moons, half a dozen stations, but always in the city.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d She stood and tugged at his hand. \u201cI\u2019ve got a gate jumper; we can go sub-orbital and make it in twenty minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you don\u2019t like it, we can come right back.\u201d She was vibrating with nervous energy. \u201cCome on, let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAh, why the hell not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her small ship was closest to the entrance of the port. A six-passenger capable of breaking orbit, re-entry, and using gates to achieve faster-than-light travel. Although well-worn it was also well maintained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin had just finished disconnecting from ground power and clearing the docking clamps when a voice echoed through the hangar. \u201cPolice! Don\u2019t move!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAgain?\u201d Kailin asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean by that?\u201d Amandi stood, scanning the hangar for movement. \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s not us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin bent over and the voice boomed. \u201cKailin Marker! Don\u2019t move!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, you are<\/em> the Kailin I remember from primary school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She stood, holding the pistol she\u2019d taken from her ankle. She stepped behind Amandi and held the pistol to his neck. \u201cLet me go, or I kill him!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Police officers emerged from their hiding places behind the other ships. \u201cDon\u2019t do this, Kailin. Come with us peacefully and it\u2019ll go better for you at trial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ignoring their pleas, she backed into the ship, pulling Amandi along with her. As the door closed, he said, \u201cYou won\u2019t make it off-planet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to. We\u2019re going to the forest, just like I said.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSatellites will track the flight. They\u2019ll know exactly where and when you land. And how long do you think you can hide out there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as it takes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou have all the power here. I\u2019ll just sit down and let you do your thing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin started the ship and began to lift off. Needing both hands to fly she stuck the pistol behind the small of her back. As she entered instructions into the console, Amandi grabbed her in a chokehold from behind and grabbed the pistol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKailin, set the ship down and give up.\u201d He flipped the safety off, and the pistol whined. \u201cMaybe we should<\/em> have started with the standard trivia. Police Sergeant Amandi Duru. You\u2019re under arrest for kidnapping, threatening with a lethal weapon, and probably a weapons violation. Plus, whatever those guys want you for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kailin landed and shut off the ship. \u201cShit. This date just dropped to second place.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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