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Post by alexei on Dec 28, 2008 21:49:51 GMT -5
Alexei liked how blunt Eevee was. It was rare to come across someone that was this blunt, and even if there was another person this blunt, it was really easy for them to say something insulting. Alexei found Eevee just refreshingly blunt, not offensively so.
Even when the next question came, which he knew was bound to come eventually. What happened? Well, he figured, she told me that she was pregnant, she deserved to know why I can't walk. He reached up and set his drink down.
He decided not to tell the whole story just yet, maybe just basically what happened. "It was almost ten years ago. I got trapped in a burning building, part of the ceiling fell onto me, crushed my spinal cord." He put his arm across his stomach at about his belly button. "I'm completely numb from here down. Nothing at all."
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Post by eevee on Dec 28, 2008 22:48:04 GMT -5
Eevee really wasn’t thinking about how she’d told Alexei that she had been pregnant earlier. In fact, she wasn’t really sure if now was the time to get all in depth with ‘she told me something, so I must tell her something.’ Bars weren’t even good places to have conversations like this. Anyone could be eavesdropping. Speaking of ‘anyone…’
“Barkeep, can you get me some water?” Eevee said, knowing barkeep was listening to conversations. He was almost the king of rumors here at this bar, the queen of rumors being Lily and the king being the head manager. She said that to barkeep to tell him that she knew he was listening, and that he’d better not. If barkeep knew anything about her, and he probably did, then he knew she’d exact revenge on him later on.
Eevee turned back to Alexei just as he began to explain what happened to him. She thought that was horrible, and wanted to know how he had gotten trapped in the burning building in the first place, but that was not a conversation for starting friend-people. When he got to the point of telling her that he was numb from the belly button down, Eevee frowned. Before she could stop herself from being too blunt, she had asked the question. “How do you pee?”
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Post by alexei on Dec 28, 2008 23:17:58 GMT -5
Alexei grinned again when Eevee asked the next blunt question--how did he pee? He was almost positive that this was the earliest that someone had asked that after meeting him. Not that he really minded all that much. He was mostly just happy that someone was just talking to him normally. Well, at this point it wasn't so normal, now that they were getting into this topic, but you know.
"You don't really want to know," Alexei answered, laughing slightly. "Let's just say it's easier being a man than a woman with regard to this kind of thing."
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Post by eevee on Dec 30, 2008 19:38:19 GMT -5
Eevee laughed again, “You’re right, I don’t want to know. I was just being blunt and asking the wrong questions.”
Then she sat back from the chair and picked up the water that barkeep gave her. “Thanks.” She nodded to the man. She didn’t need to put it on the tab, she worked here. She sipped some, and felt her head lighten from the intake of liquid other than alcohol. And suddenly Eevee didn’t know what else to talk about. It was these times when a conversation fell apart. Thinking fast, Eevee looked around the semi-smoky room, and frowned.
“Not such a nice place to be when midnight rolls around, I’ll tell you.” Eevee commented, and watched as a new group of thugs entered the bar. “I don’t know about you, but it’s getting too crowded for me in here. Want to go out and get some fresh air?”
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Post by alexei on Dec 30, 2008 22:56:51 GMT -5
Alexei grinned. "I don't have a problem with you asking that question, it's just that you don't really want to know...believe me." There was a pause and Alexei realized that he had run out of things to say, and he tried to come up with something to fill the space--he really didn't want this conversation to fall apart.
Fortunately, Eevee broke the silence between them by suggesting that they go out and get some fresh air. Alexei glanced around, noticing that it had gotten even more crowded since he had gotten there, and it was starting to feel somewhat claustrophobic and uncomfortable. "Yeah, that sounds like a great idea." He leaned forward and paid for his drink, then swiveled his wheelchair around, looking for a path to the door.
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Post by eevee on Dec 31, 2008 0:46:53 GMT -5
Eevee grinned when Alexei said it was a great idea to get out of the bar. At least someone didn’t like the crowds. She threw a last look at barkeep, and then turned to see where Lily was. Still with the shady man, who suited her, Eevee thought.
Then Eevee turned to Alexei and winked at him, “Come with me. I’m not sure you’d fit through the crowds now. Lucky me, there’s a back door to this place that only staff are allowed to know.” She stood up, pushed the chair away, and watched with some humor as a pole dancer almost backed into it. Eevee wasn’t mean most of the time, but this pole dancer was Wildcat, and Eevee hated her. Come to think of it, Eevee hated most of the pole dancers, the stuck-up bitches.
Eevee walked to the other end of the bar making a clear path that Alexei could easily follow as she went. When she got to the door, she held it open for him as he wheeled past. Then she squeezed through the semi-small space and walked through a hallway that was easily big enough for a wheelchair. The next door she opened was the one to the outside, and she opened it with a sigh, “Ah, it’s nice to smell fresh air. No more smoke for me until at least tomorrow night.” She waited patiently for Alexei with the door open.
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Post by alexei on Dec 31, 2008 1:41:29 GMT -5
Alexei frowned as he realized how much of a pain in the ass it would be to try and get through the crowded bar now, until Eevee spoke again, saying that there was a back door they could use. Alexei swiveled his wheelchair around again, keeping close behind Eevee in the path she cleared.
"Thanks," he said automatically when she held the door open for him. It had become somewhat of a reflex, just tossing out a "thanks" whenever someone held a door or something for Alexei, just as natural as breathing.
When they got outside, Alexei took in a deep breath of fresh air. It had been getting pretty smokey inside the bar, and the cool air was refreshing. He glanced up at Eevee. "So, do you want to go for a walk or something?"
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Post by eevee on Dec 31, 2008 2:12:26 GMT -5
Eevee had thought nothing of the automatic thanks that Alexei gave her. She had smiled at him, but that was all. She was sure his mouth was on auto because of all the times people’d had to hold the doors open for him.
And she just had to look at him funny when he asked if she wanted to go for a walk. “Excuse me, but I thought you knew your condition. I can walk just fine, but you might find it a little hard to.” She laughed, “But if you insist, we shall walk.” She shut the door behind them, and started down the alleyway. Then she stopped short.
“Do your arms ever get tired?” She asked, turning back to Alexei, partly to check and see if he was coming and partly to ask him the next question. “Do you want me to… you know… push you or something?”
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Post by alexei on Jan 1, 2009 18:01:48 GMT -5
Alexei had to laugh when Eevee gave him a puzzled look after he suggested they go for a walk, and said he might have some trouble walking. “It’s just a phrase,” he said, laughing. “It’s just like how a deaf person could hear about something happening or a blind person could be happy to see you. Even though I can't walk, I can still go for a walk.” He could hardly believe that one person could be so blunt—and he loved it. There were so many people who just didn’t tell you what they were thinking, and Eevee obviously wasn’t one of them.
He wheeled himself forward as Eevee started to walk, then stopped again as she stopped short to ask him another question. He shrugged, leaving his hands resting on the wheels of his chair. “Sometimes, I guess. If I’m going up a big hill, or on uneven ground, I suppose.” He held up one of his fingerless-gloved hands, clenching it into a fist to tense his arm muscles. “But when your arms are your only way of getting around, you build up muscle pretty easily.” And in response to her second question, “I’m fine right now, but thanks for asking.” Better than just grabbing the handles and pushing me without asking, he added silently to himself. And yes, that had happened before.
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Post by eevee on Jan 1, 2009 20:18:01 GMT -5
Eevee shrugged, “Okay then, no pushing now.” She said, and smiled. She really did like Alexei. He was just the man she needed to forget the other, less liked men in her life. She walked ahead of him, but only when they were in the alleyway because, though it was wide enough for a wheelchair-ridden man and a fairly skinny woman to walk, or wheel, side by side, Eevee would rather just wait until the more open side walk. Actually, the sidewalk wasn’t that far away.
When the two reached the side walk she waited patiently for him. She really did feel awkward, having to look down to talk to a man—usually they towered over her. But, though it felt awkward, she felt like she was supposed to do it, like something had been missing from her before she had met this man. Had something been missing? She had to ask herself that question, and noted with some warmth that, yes, something had, in fact, been missing.
“Do you have an idea of where we’re going to go?” She asked, and gestured around her, “I’m yours tonight.”
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Post by alexei on Jan 4, 2009 16:01:54 GMT -5
The alley that the door had opened out onto wasn’t really wide enough for a wheelchair and a walking person to be side by side, so Alexei followed behind Eevee until they got out to the sidewalk where they could, well, walk side by side. This was always the most awkward part of talking with people, Alexei reflected. The whole talking-while-walking thing, because there really was no remedy to the craning-the-neck-awkwardly-sideways-and-up business.
Alexei thought for a minute when Eevee asked where they should go. Then he had a thought. There was a park that overlooked the Hudson River not far from his apartment, and it was a good place to sit and just…talk. He looked up at Eevee. “I have an idea. Come on.” He started wheeling himself towards his car.
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Post by eevee on Jan 5, 2009 17:21:40 GMT -5
Eevee wondered if Alexei would answer her. She wondered where a geek would go, not that Alexei was the type of geek that Eevee would classify as a true geek. Sure he worked on rockets and whatnot, but he went to a bar. How many geeks went to a bar? Not a lot, and Eevee knew that much, if anything at all.
As Alexei started to wheel away, Eevee wondered where he was going. Curious, she followed him. “So, what’s your idea?” She asked as she followed a couple paces behind him. She didn’t want to be next to him in case he made any sharp turns. She felt like she was blindfolded, and she didn’t like it very much… but at the same time she did. She liked not knowing where Alexei was taking her.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” She asked. But secretly, she didn’t want Alexei to tell her.
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Post by alexei on Jan 5, 2009 21:34:51 GMT -5
It had really been just a spur-of-the-moment thing, Alexei thought, taking Eevee to this park. He had met her less than an hour ago, in a bar, no less, but here he was, a rocket scientist, taking this woman, a SWAT officer (and, well, a...dancer) to one of his favorite places in the whole state of New Jersey!
When Eevee asked where they were going, Alexei glanced back with a smile. "Well, I guess I could tell you if you really wanted to know." They had reached his car by now--naturally, parked close to the building, in the handicapped parking space--and he paused. "Or do you want to be surprised?"
Alexei unlocked his car and opened the driver's side door. Transferring himself from his car to his wheelchair had been really awkward and difficult for the first few years, but he had finally gotten used to it and now it didn't take long anymore. Once he got himself into the car, he leaned out, folding up his wheelchair and stowing it in the backseat.
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Post by eevee on Jan 6, 2009 17:19:53 GMT -5
Eevee blinked when she noticed where Alexei was taking her—to his car. This made Eevee consider her choices. She could smile politely and say, “I’m sorry, I don’t go to people’s houses on first dates,” but that wasn’t true. She could say, “I’m not comfortable with this,” but that wasn’t true, either. Or she could climb into the passenger seat, smile (as if she hadn’t done enough of that today), and say, “surprise me.”
Eevee did just that. After watching, nearly enthralled, Alexei maneuver himself into the driver’s seat for only a moment, Eevee shook herself. She realized people must do that to him all the time, and by doing that she would just stoop herself to a lower level. Instead, she opened the passenger door—which was, thankfully, unlocked—and smiled at the man sitting in the passenger seat. She had smiled a lot today.
“Surprise me.” Eevee said, buckling her seatbelt. “Like I said, I’m all yours.”
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Post by alexei on Jan 6, 2009 19:35:42 GMT -5
Alexei glanced back, seeing that Eevee was still walking after him, and he realized too late that she might think it was kind of weird that he was just taking her off to some unknown location. It's not like she really has anything to worry about, Alexei reasoned with himself. She could kick my ass any day. But Eevee didn't seem fazed and just got into the passenger seat of his car, saying she wanted him to surprise her. He had noticed when Eevee had stared for a moment, watching him maneuver himself into the driver's seat, but he understood--it did look pretty weird, Alexei knew, how he had to use his hands to literally lift his useless legs into the car. He shot her a grin.
"It shouldn't take too long to get there," he said, buckling his seatbelt and backing the car out of the parking lot. He glanced over at Eevee as they headed down the dark road, hoping this car ride--even though it wouldn't be too long--wouldn't be filled with an awkward silence.
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