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estiroseA short fic featuring Angie and Ben (and Maria) from the story "The Dreamt-of Call".
"Angie," Ben asked, "Are you sure we should be doing this?" He adjusted his t-shirt as if he found it itchy.
Angie sighed, looking at her husband. "One must endure some things." She wasn't looking forward to it either, but if they only spent a short time at it, then she and Ben could retreat and people would still be happy.
She herself was in a graceful shirt and decent pants. It's what they could afford after everything that had happened.
Maria, her coworker, rushed forward to greet them. "Angie! And this must be your husband."
"Ben," Angie said, summoning a smile. "Ah, where is your husband - Liam, isn't it?"
"Grilling," Maria said. "And being so broody because it reminds him of Rosemary - his first wife, she didn't make it."
Maria's tone said that she didn't mind that at all. But Maria wasn't exactly a role model, just like Maria's friend Ziggy - one of Summer's teammates - was scum that Angie had to put up with because she didn't want to upset Summer. Or Maria.
It was something that had to be done, and Angie had plenty of experience faking being pleasant. "I should go and see Naoko." The Japanese immigrant - mostly because she had been in the right place at the right time - was pleasant enough company, though Angie found her father a little uncouth. Naoko had poise, though, having been a model or something of the sort. At least she had pleasant manners.
"She's over on one of the benches, talking to Aya - you know, the new girl." Maria jerked a thumb in some random direction.
"Then we'll be going. I want to meet her - and some of your other coworkers." Ben gave Maria a smile, a fake one, though Maria didn't seem to notice.
"Sure! If you see Rob, tell him that someone went and got the carrots - he doesn't have to worry about forgetting them."
"All right," Angie said, and taking Ben's arm, she was happy to escape.
"Angie," Ben asked, "Are you sure we should be doing this?" He adjusted his t-shirt as if he found it itchy.
Angie sighed, looking at her husband. "One must endure some things." She wasn't looking forward to it either, but if they only spent a short time at it, then she and Ben could retreat and people would still be happy.
She herself was in a graceful shirt and decent pants. It's what they could afford after everything that had happened.
Maria, her coworker, rushed forward to greet them. "Angie! And this must be your husband."
"Ben," Angie said, summoning a smile. "Ah, where is your husband - Liam, isn't it?"
"Grilling," Maria said. "And being so broody because it reminds him of Rosemary - his first wife, she didn't make it."
Maria's tone said that she didn't mind that at all. But Maria wasn't exactly a role model, just like Maria's friend Ziggy - one of Summer's teammates - was scum that Angie had to put up with because she didn't want to upset Summer. Or Maria.
It was something that had to be done, and Angie had plenty of experience faking being pleasant. "I should go and see Naoko." The Japanese immigrant - mostly because she had been in the right place at the right time - was pleasant enough company, though Angie found her father a little uncouth. Naoko had poise, though, having been a model or something of the sort. At least she had pleasant manners.
"She's over on one of the benches, talking to Aya - you know, the new girl." Maria jerked a thumb in some random direction.
"Then we'll be going. I want to meet her - and some of your other coworkers." Ben gave Maria a smile, a fake one, though Maria didn't seem to notice.
"Sure! If you see Rob, tell him that someone went and got the carrots - he doesn't have to worry about forgetting them."
"All right," Angie said, and taking Ben's arm, she was happy to escape.
