OOM: Dinner

[latino_menace]

Ramon is so glad to get out of the museum because there's only so much culture a man can take, especially when you can't draw attention by exhibiting 'inappropriate' behaviour. Dinner's booked at an upmarket resturant a couple of miles away and he's quiet for most of the ride over. Just takes Random's hand in the back of the darkened limo and watches the city go by.

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[latino_menace]

He's not hiding it that well. Ramon looks at him, then looks at the wine the waiter poured, then looks back at him.

'You alright?'

He knows he's not. And he doesn't want to be mean, but Random pointed out the woman to him - he's not considering doing a thing with her, even if she were to come over. But that Random would think he might, after the conversation they just had in the museum - it annoys him.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I will be."

He takes a sip of wine, rather larger than he usually would.

"I'm just getting lost in my own head. Tell me something nice?"

[latino_menace]

Ramon sits back, frustrated. He hates it when Random won't just spill what's bothering him and because he's annoyed now, he's rather less inclined to draw it out of him.

'I don't know,' he says, rather sullenly. 'Why don't you tell me something nice?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Okay."

He sips the wine.

"Don't know how much I can say, not with a crowd" and his voice is light, casual enough, that it's obvious he's trying to make it an answer to more than the obvious question.

"But, well... I've talked to Gustava. The girl outside our room. Drove her over to rehab."

[latino_menace]

'Right.'

So?

He toys with his glass, then sets it down.

'Good, I guess. How'd you convince her to do that?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I'm paying it."

That was a big help, obviously.

"We talked for a long time, a couple of days in a row. She works that street most days. I stopped her one day, and we got talking. I'm good at that."

[latino_menace]

'Yeah, I guess you are.'

He lights a cigarette and goes with the conversation, for the sake of convenience.

'You talked her into wanting to change her life? That's good of you. Are you paying it or am I?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"I am, I guess."

The question sort of hurts, just a little, and he has to look away.

"Whatever you're paying me for drumming. I've never thought of you as my employer before. What do I make?"

[latino_menace]

Ramon frowns, the question annoying him even further as well as the connotations of it.

'I'm not your employer. You own half the club, remember?'

I gave it to you.

'For that matter, there's $20 million dollars in your name in a bank in Colombia. Didn't you read the note I left you when I gave you my favourite house?'

He hadn't meant to lash out. It was just there suddenly, and he couldn't stop it.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Then I'll pay for it."

He can barely put any breath behind the words, just mouthing them faintly and taking a shaking sip of wine.

[latino_menace]

'Pay for what? Half the club? The girls' rehab? What are you talking about?'

He's getting wound up now, confused and just...hating this.

'I didn't say you had to pay for anything. What the fuck is this about?'

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Please don't do this here."

Half the glass of wine is gone now.

"The rehab. Just. Please, Ramon."

[latino_menace]

He glowers but doesn't say anything else for a few moments. He does finish his wine and pour another though.

'I don't care if I'm paying for it. It's not important. Forget it.'

This isn't about money. Which isn't to say that it isn't pissing him off as well.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Later."

He has to put the wineglass down before he drops it.

[latino_menace]

'Alright.'

If he were feeling more casual, he'd say 'whatever'. Possibly it's a good thing he isn't.

The first course arrives and he just starts to eat in silence, hardly tasting it.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

He manages a few bites. It's dry.

He says so, politely. But the wine is good, he adds.


Random will always know how to be polite. Disconnected.

[latino_menace]

It's noticed, of course. Ramon just doesn't know how to make it different. Or maybe isn't inclined to make the effort right now.

He finishes, puts his cutlery down, arranges it neatly and picks up his drink again. And just waits.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

Random's finished as soon as Ramon is. Maybe the food isn't gone, but he's finished anyways.

"And now?"

[latino_menace]

'The entree.'

Of course.

'Unless they bring sorbet for between courses.'

They will, it's that sort of place. Ramon briefly muses on the fact that he prefers sorbet to ice cream, then goes back to waiting for something else to occur.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Okay."

The silence reigns.



But Random decides, quickly, that this is stupid, and to the shock of one or two onlookers and the disappointment of another few, his hand reaches for Ramon's across the table, catching his fingers and gripping them tight.

Get through this.

[latino_menace]

It takes Ramon rather by surprise and for a moment, his hand is unresponsive. It just lies in Random's and he doesn't move.

But then he does and it squeezes back. He can never not respond to the man's touch, unless he forcibly pushes it away. And this would be a bad time to do that, he thinks.

Can't make it stop.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

He thought, for a crushing moment, that he would. But he doesn't, so Random smiles and reaches for his wine with the other hand, and only lets go when the sorbet comes.

"Christ on a Cracker. What's this?"

[latino_menace]

He pulls back too, not giving the waiter a glance and picking up the spoon.

'Sorbet. You've never had sorbet? It cleans your palette between courses so you can get the full flavour of the food, without it being mixed up with the previous course.'

It always seems pointless to him. But whatever. It's what you do in places like this, so he does it.

[underwater-owl.livejournal.com]

"Oh yeah."

He tries a bite, then another.

"Doesn't make much sense, but there you go. I thought that was supposed to be the entree."

[latino_menace]

He laughs. Tries to stifle it and that just makes him laugh harder.

'If this was the entree, I don't think I'd be coming back here again.'

Not that he will anyway. He's already decided he hates the plce.