ONE: Vanilla on My Hands

7: It All Started with Pink Pineapple Socks

This was it, and even though Frank had fully prepared himself, nothing could have prepared him for how he currently felt. He definitely expected something else. A much more formal meeting place than a cozy breakfast café. So out in the open and on display. Neutral ground, he surmised. It made Frank feel so much more frazzled about it all. He didn't want to admit that there was even a small amount of a stage-fright-esque fear that remained unquelled in his gut. Frank didn't think that he would ever be scared about doing something like this. It was his job, it was what he was being paid to do, but fear was residing in him and he couldn't shake it. Frank was the small child coming face to face with the monster that lurked in his closet. He was well aware that he was blowing things way out of proportion. Although, with the way that his own personal nervous butterflies were swarming and attacking his stomach lining, it was safe to say that he had all right to blow things out of proportion. But it wasn't just a person, it was a politician, a Congressman.

He had seen this restaurant a million times. He had driven past it in the car and seen the cheery-yellow umbrellas outside that would cast enough comfortable shade for the patrons who were enjoying the warmth of a sunny day without risking melanoma.

Frank watched the restaurant for a second longer, trying to ignore Ryan in the driver's seat beside him. And it wasn't like he was suddenly having second thoughts about all of this. He knew that he couldn't get out of this now, what with ten minutes remaining until he was supposed to be meeting this Congressman. An important man who probably had better things to do with his time than sit in a restaurant and talk to some wannabe-writer for a small town newspaper. He knew that he had to prove himself and also prove to himself that he could do this.

Frank had so many thoughts running through his head that it was beginning to get crowded. There were many possibilities that ended well in his head where Frank would talk to this guy who would enlighten him completely. This guy would definitely be years above Frank with far more experience. He would be wiser, of course. And that was exactly what scared the living shit and eggs out of Frank in the first place. He also knew that he could easily fuck up the golden opportunity that he had been given. He was trying to be confident but everything was going against him today. Including the location, the time and the fact that his stomach was churning not just because he was nervous, but because he had been so nervous this morning that even the very idea of breakfast was enough to make him green.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Ryan asked softly, his voice snapping Frank out of his worrisome reverie. Frank blinked hard, vision refocused. Ryan's question seemed to register only a fraction in Frank's head and his eyes flickered away from the restaurant. He turned to look at his partner, seeing the smile that Ryan was giving him. As much as the nerves were trying to knock Frank down a peg or two, he still tried to smile back. Frank tried to show confidence even though he was so sure that Ryan could see through it; the weak expression on his face was a dead give-away.

"Yeah," Frank nodded quickly, turning his attention back to the eatery, "I'm good, dude."

"Y'know," Ryan said to him idly, watching Frank case the place like a robber spying for exits. Frank's hand was white around the door handle, knuckles a pure ivory. He was so sure something was going to break under the tensile strength of his grip, "It's okay to be nervous."

"I'm not nervous." Frank lied, not looking at Ryan as the words fell from his lips. Frank knew that if he looked at Ryan, his cover would be blown and he'd be seen as utter chickenshit. He chewed on his lip as he tried will himself the courage to get out of the car.

The Congressman could have been in the restaurant already and Frank had no idea. He could have been waiting patiently for Frank, not realizing that Frank was having a small crisis in the car that was parked opposite where they were supposed to meet and talk.