[https://i.imgur.com/yEQYowO.jpg]

Part 9 - Finite (cont.)

I promised her that and I noted, "It's lunchtime. Would you like to go on a lunch date together?"

She clasped her hands at her lean stomach, looked down at them, and asked with a smirk, "What about all the complications of going out with the sexiest girl you can imagine?"

"There's a tiny Chinese takeout place at the end of the strip. No bathroom. No water servers. Fresh veggie choices. Like three tables. Great food. It'll be fun."

She giggled and brushed the unpinned parts of her hair back. "Alright. Let me get ready first." She walked around the side to the office restroom. Long breath out. This would be fine. Surely...

In one of the many bags Lina brought with her, she had a few changes of clothes. She explained without prompting, "Babs and I attended a full-on video game competition at The Salty Lemon not far from here. But we got back late and I didn't have any work clothes, so I made sure to be prepared today."

My heart thundered at a glimpse of the swimsuit from yesterday, but she was going for the windbreaker. The fog had cleared but it was still a cool day with the warm grasp from yesterday fading to the first touches of winter. My sleep clothes were enough for me.

I locked up the office. Lina waited for me near the sidewalk and kicked pine cones across the little dips in the pavement.

As I stood beside her, she reached out a hand. Had she and Babs held hands like this? No, not like this. Her fingers felt warm and long, despite her dainty hands. She had a flexible, firm grip. Her bracelets tickled my wrist. Looking me in the eye, she pointed out, "Since it's a date, this is okay, right?"

No complaints from me about holding hands. Her touch sent a shiver down the small of my back. Thankfully, the important bits were docile at the moment. Walking along, I reminded myself to take smaller strides for her, especially since she was in no hurry. Her hand rocked with mine as we maneuvered across the old pavement.

I lingered slightly to appreciate the swing of her hips as she walked. I imagined her in a snug pair of jeans but stopped there. Restraint. Which was easy to tell myself. Funny thing though, I'd seen her in less (even naked) but that was Babs. It didn't translate the same for me.

Easing ahead, Lina held the door for me. The place was quiet. Aside from the young lady at the cash register in a red, long-sleeved cheongsam and a cook in the back, there was just a stout, balding man reading a small section of a newspaper.

We took the table with two chairs along the near wall. The chairs were glossy, very polished wood. Lina had to anchor herself to the wall to keep from sliding off due to her scrubs. We shared the menu as she asked, "Anything you'd recommend here?" I only ever ordered cashew chicken when I was hungry and egg drop soup when I was sick.

I told her what I knew and she smiled. After sifting through the menu for a bit, she decided upon the "Eggplant Delicious Long Precious Veggie Tofu". I went with the usual. As part of the lunch special, we were both served the egg drop in fancy little bowls with a side of white rice. No water but Lina got a can of carbonated fruit juice for later.

As we ate, I revisited the familiar topic of video games. She elaborated to me on The Salty Lemon, describing the whole setup, mentioning the nice people, and glossing over some "jerks". I played my part, expressing smiles, raising eyebrows, and asking obvious questions. 

Lina curled up with her legs perched on the little bar around the bottom of her chair. "It's why I'm a little irked Greg got to go to California for a full convention but not as much as I expected because I had my own special night. And I had a whole week full of special experiences, including this one." I just clung to what smiles I had left inside me.

She rested her head against the wall, even though it was a hard, rough stucco, as she finished her soup. "I'd rather have the rest of my life like this than an adventurous week off somewhere exciting. Although, I do hope Greg wasn't too adventurous with my finances. Babs let me dip into the OWL's emergency cash as a temp because Greg had my accounts and cards."

I assured her I could do the same for her work today. In total, she would only use up a third of that cash. Nothing to worry about. She looked across the table and wobbled a smile on her face. 

We talked a little about conventions before our food arrived on ornate-looking plates. I'd never seen them before because I only ever ordered takeout but they presented the food a lot nicer than those unfolding boxes. 

"Ever consider cosplay?" Lina pressed her fork into an eggplant slice covered with heavy, brown sauce.

I could easily say I had not. Not seriously. Back in college, Greg wanted a wig that reminded him of a character from Soul Calibur 2. Lina giggled as she knew exactly which one. But no, I never got far with it and I admitted as much to her. 

"I have always wanted to dress up as Rosalina. Style my hair. Get my nails done, for the first time in forever, with little stars. Have a homemade, plush Lum to cradle. Twirl a lot. I've even gotten so far as searching online for patterns and places that sell materials. But I would get scared because I'd be the center of attention in a crowd and something might get messed up. So I just put it off. But I'm gonna do it. The next Great Lakes gaming convention, I'm going all in!" She gave a little swirl, like her fork was the character's wand, before spearing a piece of tofu.

Outwardly, I showed a half-cracked grin and a prompt nod of encouragement. Inwardly, I felt a clawing, nauseating panic. I pushed it away with the last shot of my soup and a large piece of chicken. 

Lina continued, "We could both go. I've been to several conventions alone and, while you feel a sense of community, it can be so daunting. I wanna share the experience with a friend. Oh! And, while it would be a long-shot, I have been introducing Babs to gaming this week. We could definitely find a fun character she could do who suits her. For you, I dunno if you know the Ys series and Adol Christin..."

I'd heard of it and the character she meant. She thought aloud about everything I'd need to pull it off. 

In my head, I could see Lina day after day in the OWL, ironing out the loaner system. I could see Greg surprising her as she hugged him so vigorously he fell over. I could see Babs apologizing for upsetting her. I could see Lina showered with compliments for her cosplay. I could see her kicking so much butt in a larger competition and winning a free console as she trembled with glee. I could see us together as man and woman in the most intimate ways while she laughed at little thoughts Babs had seeded within her. Further, I could see her pregnant and content, planning and dreaming. Her children. Her life. Her future. Denied...

Not her. Not this Lina. Not possible. Forever a dream. A happy thought about to slip away but I held it for as long as it had left.

After lunch, we took our time walking back, still holding hands. The air was crisp but humid, barely jostled by the sun at its slanted apex. Fallen waves of orange and yellow leaves curled and crunched past our feet. I asked old questions Babs already had answers to. 

Lina was consistent, about the agonies of family and the joys of pets. 

Right before the door, she paused and looked up with her eyes scrunched shut to the sun. She rocked her arm in mine and pronounced, "Just a little solar recharge. I used to stand in the sun all the time as a kid with my head up like this. Just feeling the hot red of the back of my eyelids. The little swirls of light and dark. I was wrapped up and comforted, even on the coldest day."

I took the moment to just look at her, not lingering on any particular aspect. I witnessed the whole of her with her hair and scrubs beaming against her brilliant skin. She put her free hand up, smiled, and added, "Of course, I burned a lot too. So, I could only do it for a little while."

Back inside, she lingered beside me till our tasks drew us apart. But, once she was done, she returned to check on me. I didn't remember anyone who came in. I didn't remember how many times I had to ask the same blasted questions about documentation. I didn't even remember all the people who asked for Babs or Greg over the phone. I remembered Lina making every guest feel welcome with a little piece of gaming, a few minutes of care, or a call to confirm to those worried and waiting that everything was alright. 

She was the absolute sexiest then and I had to spend a few times in the restroom trying not to piss up the walls.

And it was over. The last paperwork was written up. The last records were transcribed and corrected. The last calls were responded to. The last bills were filed. For the week.

Lina eased back in her chair, massaging her left shoulder as she asked, "Do you put up spooky decorations for Halloween? The library has an ancient papercraft witch that they put up after Labor Day. It must be decades old and it hasn't been dusted once. There are some cauldrons around the kids' area, along with lots of bats and a howling wolf. The tower has all the jack-o-lanterns. It's a fun place to go up alone with the Wi-Fi signal. Although, it could be fun with someone else too..." She smiled and gave me a quick look.

Not lately but, apparently, Archie had always been big on Halloween. Babs told me tales of an animatronic spider the size of a dog hanging from the ceiling. It fell and took some ceiling tiles down with it, wrecking the motor. So, Archie added it to his lawn decorations, placing it upside-down with an oversized bug-swatter looming over it. 

Lina giggled and nodded, adding. "And, a couple years ago, someone planted one of those bird-frightening plastic owls above the spider, as though it had slain it. Archie thought it was perfect. Owl and swatter. He also tells the best version of how our family name came to be. Or at least the funniest version."

Lina darted around the office and pointed out places where we could put stuff up. "It's a little late but it would be nice to have a few things to get into the season. Gosh, it's been so long since I had a proper Halloween. Dad sometimes took me around the neighborhood. I went a few times as a farmer with my outfit from square dancing in elementary. But I really remember this one year right before college..."

She settled back in her seat and took a deep breath. "I was walking home and this long willow branch fell off in front of me. I picked it up. Near the very bottom was rotted, probably why it dropped. It looked so cool. It was taller than me and straight with a little curve to it. I had no idea what I was doing but I carefully polished it for several days while leaving some parts natural because they were creepier like that. And so, I had a sorcery stick. To go with it, I used one of my gray jackets and some makeup and eyeliner. I was a creepy witch or something and I gave away candy like that. No one above five was intimidated but it was fun."

Her smile waned as she continued, "The next day, I was gonna finish it completely and maybe do something else fun with it but I couldn't find it anywhere. It was a trash day. Mom said she thought it was garbage, so she cut it up and threw it away..."

She swallowed and shook her head. "Eh. Doesn't matter what happened the next day. I had fun that night. Heh."

Heading to the restroom after that (steady...), Lina took her bag of clothes and one of her handhelds. I rubbed my eyes. The front door of the office unlocked and swung open. 

I sat up and watched as Barbara Finnacker made her way down the hall and over to me. "Hey. Just got back and checking in. Any other survivors? Is Greg alright?"

I slipped on my easy smile for Babs and remarked, "It was a crazy week. I just...you have my deepest admiration for everything you do..." She smirked from that and glanced around. 

Crap. Couldn't look to check on Lina in the bathroom. Instead, I focused on my table and said somberly, "About Greg though..."

She turned all her attention to me and set her hands on the desk. "What happened? Where is he?"

Deep sigh. "It's like he's a completely-different person since you left. Existential fears. Crying. Lost confidence. Not as strong. I stuck with him the whole week and through at least one hangover. I saw so much uncertainty and some begging. But I think Greg finished the week better than he started it. You just really should wait till Monday to see him as he would want to be seen."

Babs leaned back and declared, "God, I never knew me being gone would have that sort of effect on him. Fuck. Well, thanks for taking care of him. Sorry I didn't call to check in. I got really pissed-off at my old-ass phone and...accidentally drop-kicked it through a thirty-story window around the time of the rehearsal. Mom got so mad I didn't have a phone. It was great." She chuckled and folded her arms. Some part of me was very satisfied to hear that and a little jealous.