The Modern Queen

not a date

Talitha drummed her fingers on the table as florescent lights flickered overhead. A fake plant swayed, a few of it's tendrils dropping within touching distance. The diner was small, cozy feeling. Nothing like the places she'd spent her childhood in—which only made her love it more, if she was being honest. She hated those stuffy, pretentious restaurants that charged a fortune for a portion that wouldn't even fit in your hand.

These diners were much better—even if the menus were a bit sticky.

Her phone buzzed. She unlocked it, and swiped over to her messages. It was Lyr, of course.

hey, loser. me an' ava are doin' that cliché thing where we ditch on u guys so u get ~alone time~. grow a pair and ask her on a fuckin' date, loser. or im gonna take ur phone and do it for you

Talitha scowled. She typed back.

you are such a fucking asshole. why are we friends again?

The bell over the door chimed. Talitha glanced up. It was Alinora, looking like she'd rolled out of a model's closet. As fucking always. The skinny jeans she wore molded to her body in a way that ought to have been declared indecent. Her fitted shirt, too, accentuated the dip of her waist and her chest. And then there was that fucking leather jacket.

Talitha had borrowed it once. It smelled like leather, of course, but also traces of spice and pine—scents Alinora carried everywhere. Talitha hadn't wanted to give it back, though of course she'd had to.

Alinora swept her gaze over the diner. Her face was passive, which meant she mostly just looked uninterested. She found Talitha, and made her way over. She dropped her purse in first, then slid into the booth. "I would have thought Lyr and Ava would be here by now. The three of you usually arrive together."

Talitha shrugged. "They canceled on me," she said, sending a baleful glare towards her phone. "Just now, actually. Didn't even give me a reason why." She rolled her eyes.

Alinora snorted. "One of Lyr's attempts at a joke, I'm sure," she said dryly.

"Something like that." Talitha scowled.

Alinora shook her head. She reached for one of the menus. Talitha hadn't bothered. She'd been craving blueberry pancakes something awful, and while she hadn't finished working her way through all the items on the menu, she'd decided to indulge the craving.

Alinora winkled her nose a bit at the stickiness—an expression having no right to be even half as adorable as it was—but flipped open the menu anyway. She scanned through the items, and Talitha held her tongue. Her leg bounced beneath the table. Some part of her always had to be moving, getting that pent-up, restless energy out.

It didn't take long for Alinora to decide what she wanted, though it seemed like an eternity to Talitha. She glanced up, and whatever she saw in Talitha's expression made her smile. "You didn't have to stay silent the whole time," she said. "I'm used to filtering things out."

Talitha shrugged. "Just thought I'd be courteous, is all."

Alinora hummed. "I appreciate the thought." She tapped her fingers on the table, much in the same way Talitha had done earlier—though she tapped a different rhythm. "I need to use the bathroom. If someone comes to take our order, I just want a water and French toast. With peaches, please. No eggs or bacon, or anything else."

Talitha nodded, once.

Alinora left, leaving her purse and phone behind.

Talitha sighed softly, leaning back against the seat. They'd barely been together for ten minutes and already things were... awkward without the others around. Would they be less so, if she hadn't asked Alinora to pretend to be her girlfriend at her parents party, weeks ago?