The ‘net was back, sort of. Af couldn’t arrange an intimate date with Ko yet, but they could at least meet for a meal in a virtual restaurant serving antique food wedged atop a crane, with a spectacular, if vertiginous view of ancient skyscrapers. Everyone got a free olfactory boost as compensation for the downtime.
Af and Ko found seats at a four-top with Chad and Jordan, a couple whose male-presenting, bleach-haired, surf-ready, avatars looked as alike as twins.
“Dare you to order the goat,” Chad teased.
“Mm, no,” Jordan said. “I’ll have the turkey, though.”
“What do you suppose orange roughy is?” Ko wondered. “I’m going to get that just to find out.” It turned out to be a kind of fish. They scraped scales from it with a knife, and squirted it with lemon.
Af took a swallow of their kiwi-flavored beverage, and leaned close to whisper to Ko. “Last time, when I said it wasn’t – “
Ko laid a hand on theirs. “I know. It’s OK.”
With those words the tension Af had been carrying crumbled and collapsed in on itself. “Thank you,” they whispered.
Then, dessert. Chad got a “jay,” which was dried leaves wrapped in crinkly paper, a mild intoxicant consumed by lighting it on fire and inhaling the smoke. “Ancient people were weird,” he said, trying it out. And then, as his olfactory boost worked overtime, “Whoooah.”
Af and Ko ordered Georgia peach pie. “Can I get that togo?” they teased the server. “Just kidding. Two forks, please.”
“And extra whipped cream please,” Af added.
phrases: chad, scales, kiwi, jay, turkey, togo, crane, goat, date, orange, georgia, fish, lemon, jordan, swallow, twins