Part One
Jen was amazed at how easy it had been to persuade Dorf to accompany her to Poncho's. This was definitely not his "scene," but he had shrugged his acceptance almost as soon as she had offered her plea, "Dorf, please come with me to this thing."
Even though she didn't have a car, Jen could have easily made it to Mike's event on her on. Poncho's was only about twenty blocks away from her apartment, well within walking distance. However, Dorf was her best friend, and tonight seemed like it was going to be an important night. She wanted Dorf to be there, and she wanted Dorf to meet Mike. That would bring Mike more tangibly into her world. It would make him more real to her.
Jen was still fretting with her hair when she heard the Mustang's horn. She took a deep breath, another quick glance in the mirror, grabbed her lucky panda purse and her keys, and practically skipped out of the door and down the stairs to where Dorf was smoking and holding the passenger door open for her.
"Wow. You're quite the gentleman tonight, huh?"
"Not so much. You know I don't smoke in my baby. It was a good excuse. Get in."
Jen watched as Dorf looked around for a trash can in the parking lot. He spotted it quickly in spite of the shades that he insisted upon wearing even in the dark, and limped over to toss in what was left of his cigarette. That was another funny thing about Dorf. He never littered. One time, she had asked him about it, and he had given her a long and strange look over his glasses before saying, "I may limp around like a three-legged dog, and think and talk like a pig, but I am not an animal."
As he made his way back to the car, Jen noticed that Dorf looked pretty handsome tonight--Skinny Puppy shirt, tweed jacket, faded jeans, black boots, ponytail neatly arranged. He had a nice look that he pulled off well, and she told him as much.
Dorf grunted, looked her up and down, and pronounced, "You look almost normal. What gives?" He started the engine, took off the brake, and backed out of the parking lot.
Jen stopped playing with her purse straps, reaced for the visor that might be hiding a mirror, then remembered that Dorf didn't have visors.
"I . . . Well, you know . . . Wanted to play it casual tonight." It was true. She had really dressed down tonight. She didn't know what sort of people whould be at Poncho's tonight. She had never been to Poncho's, so she didn't know what to expect, and she had no desire to stand out in a potentially bad way. She was wearing plain jeans, a fitted red t-shirt with a large, abstract black flower printed on the front, and her red velvet Docs. Normal. Yes . . . Pretty close.
"Hey, whatever blows your hair back. Speaking of which . . . " Dorf hit the button that lowered the top of the convertable.
"Dorf! Come on! I'm gonna looke like utter shit!"
Dorf just turned up the heavy guitar sludge that was pouring out of the speakers anbd mumbled something that might have been, "Chicks."
Jen sighed and resigned herself to leaving her appearance to fate . . . Right along with everything else.
More tomorrow . . . Tired, now.
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