My Kind of Girl

"I was hoping I'd run into you again"

"So how long have you been waiting at a non-functioning bus stop for me?"

"Oh please, you're not that irresistible" you tease Michelle back.

She laughs. A genuine, happy laugh that raises her cheeks and wrinkles her nose.

"I feel like we got off on the wrong foot last time we met, Chuck. I don't want you to think me unfriendly, I had my guard up because you have a certain reputation around here. I didn't want you thinking I was just going to fall into your arms and be another one of your girls."

In a strange way, it's almost a relief that Michelle isn't throwing herself at you like all of the other women in town. It gives you some sense of normalcy. And you've always loved a challenge.

"I'd like us to be friends" you tell her "I feel like, as the only two out of towners here, we ought to stick together. The locals tend to act a little differently, don't they?"

"Tell me about it" Michelle raises her eyebrows in agreement "Although you don't have much to complain about. They've certainly taken to you a lot more than they have me."

You decide it's probably best not to get into that.

"So where are you from originally? I heard St Louis"

"Close enough. A small village near there that nobody has heard of. So St. Louis is an easier point of reference."

"And what brought you to this crazy little town?"

"I literally have no idea. I woke up in doctor Jensen's surgery a while back with no memory of how I got there. It wasn't like with you, I still knew who I was and where I was from. But I didn't have any recent recollection of what I'd been doing. I can't think what business I would have had in Greenvale, though."

All sorts of alarm bells are ringing for you now. The most obvious one being what was she still doing here?

"So why don't you leave? If you know where home is and you don't come from that far away?"

"Let's just say I've been strongly encouraged to stay, and there isn't much left for me back home anyway."

This is starting to sound eerily familiar.

"Who is stopping you? The Marshal?"

"No, more like doctors orders" she tells you "Apparently I got real sick before I blacked out. By all accounts I owe my life to Larry Jensen. He wants to keep me here to monitor my wellbeing, and even arranged a nice little cottage for me to live in rent free until he thinks I'm fully recovered. So although I've always had the travel bug, for now it would feel very ungrateful of me to try and leave town, not to mention potentially dangerous."

Instinctively, it seems like Michelle is being lied to. You figure she is also being detained, just in a different way to you. But why?

"Are you on the yellow pills?" you enquire.

"Yes. I try not to overdo any medication, but I find I need them quite often. I tried to come off them at one point but started having very dark and troubling thoughts."

"Dark and troubling in what way?"

"I'd really rather talk about something else if you don't mind, Chuck."

You decide this is probably a good point to stop probing Michelle for information and end the conversation on a more positive note.

"So, now that we're officially pals, when do I get to see you next? Do I just have to keep waiting here on this bench?"

"Not at all" she giggles "I work in the library and, honestly, it's usually pretty empty there. So I certainly wouldn't object to your company from time to time."

"Okay then"

You stand and, for some reason, decide it would be cute to imitate tipping an imaginary hat to her. She smiles politely but looks a little baffled. Perhaps Michelle is being kept in Greenvale to remind you that you really don't have a way with women.

---

You arrive at the diner and realise it is starting to wind down already, despite it not yet being seven PM. It seems Marie is as good as her word and has made arrangements for the place to close early. She approaches you having just settled her last customers' bill. Of course, nobody minds being ejected early for your benefit. As the couple walk past the man tips his hat to you while his partner smiles almost dotingly and wishes you a wonderful evening.

Marie then approaches, looking as if your arrival has somehow made her evening.

"Perfect timing, Chuck" she compliments you with an inviting smile "I'm about done with work now. We could start the shoot if you're in a hurry but, unless you've already eaten, I thought it might be nice for us to have dinner together first. We can still have our proper date later, but perhaps somewhere more private?

Damn, Marie is well on her way to being the third girl you've become smitten with today, and you haven't even got your camera out yet.

"Well, I have worked up quite an appetite over the past few hours, and you know how much I love your cooking Marie"

"Charmer!" she winks at you "Wait right here, I promise I won't be long."

She walks back to the kitchen and, true to her word, emerges minutes later with a large rib eye steak and fries for you, accompanied with a tall glass of beer. It shouldn't surprise you by this point how incredible it all tastes, but this might be your most delicious meal yet.

Rather than have any food of her own, Marie simply keeps you company while you eat yours, twirling her hair and seemingly taking pleasure from just how much you are obviously enjoying what she has prepared for you.

"I must confess I've been quite distracted today, thinking of all the ways you might want to have me pose for you."

She isn't the only one.

"I can't picture it at all, but I'm afraid my skills are mostly domestic. Perhaps that's why I've always been so drawn to a man with genuine artistic talent. You floored me with your vision when you set out to me so vividly last time we spoke."

You can only remember saying you thought the diner would make a cute setting for a soft porn shoot, in only slightly more flowery language than that. You'd fear Marie will be disappointed when she sees the eventual fruits of your labour, but that doesn't seem to be an emotion that exists around you here.

You finish up every last crumb of food you've been given and it takes some effort to stop yourself from licking the plate clean when you are done. That causes your waitress and model to giggle with delight.

"Okay, wait right here where you are, I'll go and fetch you your dessert. I really hope you enjoy it, especially the presentation"

You are already excited enough for what you are about to receive even before Marie reemerges from the kitchen holding a large chocolate sundae and having apparently left not only her work clothes but everything she was wearing underneath them in there.

Oh man. That looks delicious.