Let's Go Out!

[lanie]

After spending some time with Mesuni over the last two months, Jamie found himself liking her more and more. There was that one pesky problem of him being nearly ten years older. Oh, yeah, and having a kid, though Charlotte liked Mesuni a lot and would have given Jamie the seal of approval because they had fun doing girly things together. He just didn't think it was fair or right for Mesuni to be in a relationship with him because he was a divorced single father. It wasn't that he cared what other people thought, he just thought Mesuni probably should have been with someone her age and not him. It didn't help he liked her. A lot.

For the month of July, Charlotte was in England with his mother and father, probably also to be spoiled by Jamie's brothers and sisters-in-law. His ex-wife wasn't involved at all, which made Jamie sad even though he quite frankly hated her guts (as much as he could have hated anyone, anyway), and now that Charlotte was gone he was still spending time with Mesuni. Why does life have to be so confusing sometimes? They'd gone on little dates, but four year old Charlotte had always been with them.

"At least your triple flip is working out for you," Jamie said casually to Mesuni while the two of them were skating around.

[marsha]

Mesuni laughed, "It's because my coach is a very sick man and he makes me actually work on it, imagine that!"

Mesuni enjoyed spending times with the Abbotts. Charlotte was a great little girl, but Mesuni also found herself liking Jamie more and more. He was obviously cute, but more than that he was funny and sweet and easy to talk to. Mesuni had a crush and she was just happy that she wasn't acting dorkier than usual once she realized she like liked him.

"The solo triple flip is doing well, but adding a double toe on the back of it is silly, and he expects me to add a triple toe, not for competition, just because... What's wrong with that man?" She asked Jamie, smiling at him.

[lanie]

"Triple flip/triple toe isn't so bad," said Jamie who at least could still do those, even if he couldn't do a triple Axel anymore to save his life. He'd still been trying, usually in front of Mesuni, and usually he fell on his ass. It hurt his butt and his pride. It used to be one of his best jumps! "What's wrong with him? He's your coach. He's supposed to push you. I wish mine pushed me more but I just never cared as much."

[marsha]

"You are very laid back." Mesuni said as she turned to face Jamie. "If you didn't want to be pushed I don't think there is anything your coach could do about it. Parker knows that if he challenges me I won't rest until I prove him wrong. I'm a brat like that. So here I am falling on my butt all day doing a jump combination I won't ever use in competition, just because." Mesuni threw her hands in the air dramatically.

[lanie]

"Why won't you use it? Girls are doing triple/triples and if you want to beat them, then you should learn it. Now, if you're like me who never cared a whit about winning or medals, then you can just be lazy and not bother with it."

[marsha]

"I have a triple triple, smart ass," Mesuni scowled. "I have a triple lutz triple toe and a triple toe triple loop and a triple salcow triple loop, I'll be using the lutz and salcow combinations. See, I don't need to do a flip, really. I'm not lazy, if I were lazy would I even be working on it at all? What's lazy is your take off for your axel," she replied and promptly stuck out her tongue, she was joking, she hoped he knew that. "I miss Charlotte already, is that weird?"

[lanie]

Listening to her rant made him chuckle. "Which is why I can never land it anymore. Double Axels are my new friend," Jamie said. When she mentioned his daughter he smiled. "I miss her too. Funny you say that."

[marsha]

"I glad we share the same view on you axel. Your double axels are huge, it totally looks like you can do a triple. You're a tease." Mesuni sighed. "Why is it funny that I miss her? I'm her bestest friend, she told me. Are you bored out of your mind without her?" Mesuni really did miss the little girl. She had gotten used to seeing her pretty regularly over the past couple of months.

[lanie]

"Yes, you are her bestest friend. She talks about you all the time. It's gotten to be rather annoying," said Jamie with a little smile that meant he was teasing Mesuni. He was glad Charlotte had a friend, even though Mesuni was nearly twenty to Charlotte's four years. She was a funny little kid, mature for her age, and running around with Mesuni was more fun to her than playing with little kids from preschool. "It's awfully lonely, actually. I'm so used to having her with me, but it's good for her to be with other family. She's spoiled by my parents. She likes going to be with them because she's the youngest grandchild and the only granddaughter, so..."

[marsha]

"She talks about me, that is so cute. This might sound weird, but I have as much fun with her as I do with Ana or Kai. And hanging out with you is okay too," Mesuni said with a shrug. "It's good that she gets to spend time with her family... Do you ever think about moving back to England?" Mesuni asked, then added. "I sometimes think about moving back to Korea, but I think I like living away from my family a little."

[lanie]

"Oh, good, I'm glad I'm just okay. At least you like my kid." Jamie was too good-natured to get annoyed at a little teasing. "We'll probably move back. I came here for skating, then I quit, so it probably wasn't the best thing I've done. Not a lot of thinking went into those decisions, I have to admit."

[marsha]

Mesuni frowned a little when he mentioned moving back. "You could stay here. You could continue to coach the kids..." Mesuni stopped because it was weird for her to tell another adult what to do.

[lanie]

Jamie shrugged. "Coaching wouldn't get me much money," he pointed out. "I moved here more for a job than for skating, simply because I knew once I was done in March I'd do something...not important, but useful, with my life. Doesn't matter if it's here or back in London."

[marsha]

"That seems fair enough," Mesuni said with a nod. "Did you know last season would be your last season?" Mesuni asked laughing because she sounded like a reported. "I would miss you guys if you moved back to London."

[lanie]

"I thought I would have retired earlier, actually. I'm pretty bloody old," Jamie said, laughing. "I'm lucky I got a medal in Vancouver and at Worlds. Pretty excited about it. Really strange." When Mesuni said she'd miss him and Charlotte, he smiled. "I'd miss you too. Charlotte would really miss you."

[marsha]

"Stop saying you're old, you aren't. You only feel old because you spend everyday with a lovely four year old. Trust me you aren't old. You skated great at the Olympics, you earned your medal, same for the World Championships." Mesuni smiled when he said he'd miss her. "We should go get something to eat, I'm hungry," Mesuni said out of nowhere.

[lanie]

If Jamie had the ability to smirk, he would have. Instead the smile he gave Mesuni was teasing, lopsided, and considerably adorkable. "I am old when you consider I spend my days either with a four year old or yourself," he said lightly. Raising an eyebrow at the randomness of her next comment, he wasn't exactly sure. They'd only gone out with Charlotte, who was always all over her bestest friend ever. "Should we?" If Mesuni was a bit older he probably would have said something else, but he was always inept at flirting just because he was too damn polite, the stereotypical English gentleman who probably never sad a bad word in his life and always held doors open for women.

[marsha]

"If I make you feel old, that is entirely your own fault." Mesuni pointed out. "Why not, you've seen me eat before? And I've seen you pick at your food like a girl... So yeah, we should..." Mesuni wasn't flirting, she was just used to being around him. She liked being around him. "Where do you want to go?"

[lanie]

"Like a girl?" Jamie asked her, frowning, trying to sound serious and slighted and all that, but there was a glimmer of humor in his eyes that killed it. "Wherever you'd like to go, but because I am a gentleman, I'm the one who should be asking you about this sort of thing, aren't I? You make the decisions and all, but only after I ask you." At least she didn't run away screaming at how anal he could be about things like that. Being polite was his modus operandi.

[marsha]

"Okay, then ask me," Mesuni paused to think of a place to go eat. Her first thought went to her favorite place, which was a great place, but it seemed like a date place... So she thought of something else. "How about Steak n shake?" It was casual.

[lanie]

"What and what?" Jamie had no clue what Mesuni was talking about, but it wasn't like he ate out a lot anyway...

[marsha]

"You've never been to Steak and Shake? Poor you. Really good food and awesome Milk Shakes. Not that I go there often, but it's fun. You'll like it, I promise." Mesuni smiled. Take out was an obvious choice, because she was sure he would freak out if she offered to cook for him. "Give me ten minutes to change and try to appear human and I'll meet you out front?"

[lanie]

Jamie was not impressed. "It doesn't sound very healthy." Yeah, he knew it sounded boring, but he wasn't all that keen on raising his cholesterol or something after years of being a psuedo-athlete who spent time in the gym and never ate crappy food like the majority of people. "I could cook something? Shockingly enough my mother prepared me well for living on my own," he joked.

[marsha]

"True, it's not the best and I don't eat there a lot..." Mesuni trailed off, feeling like she had just been scolded. "You want to cook for me? That could be interesting... What do you have to cook, or do we need to go shopping? Are you a fast cook, because I am hungry now..." Mesuni smiled. "Next time, I'll cook for you, deal?"

[lanie]

Wait, had he actually said, 'Hey, come over to my place, I'll cook something!'? He wanted to slap his forehead. It sounded more like something he'd say in regards to a date, and this wasn't going to be a date. Was it? He really hated feeling unsure of himself, but he always did in regards to women. That was one reason Jamie was divorced. Now he was going to be cautious! But now he was asking a nineteen year old girl to come to his place and have dinner with him. Somehow it would have been fine and dandy if Charlotte was around.

Oh, hey. He had to say something.

"Fast? It depends," he said with a little chuckle. "If I'm dodging objects like forks thrown by a four year old... So, em, what would you like me to make you? I can think about it on our way back to my flat."

[marsha]

"Hmm, what do I want to eat?" Mesuni thought about it. He seemed nervous now, but she wasn't about to let him back out of this... "I usually eat mostly Korean food, so really whatever you want is fine with me... I can help you cook, I wouldn't want to overwork you at your advanced age and all."

[lanie]

"Korean food? I have actually never eaten Korean food despite going to Seoul last year for the Grand Prix Final." Jamie considered this. "I could introduce you to English food but everyone thinks that's just fish and chips, which is nasty, by the by. And most of it takes ages to make. My mum's French, and that stuff takes even longer..."

[marsha]

Mesuni laughed. "Korean food can take a long time to cook too. So what you're saying is that you actually can't cook for me... Tease." Mesuni crossed her arms and shook her head at him. "I don't like fish and chips... What a pickle we are in, because I am seriously hungry."

[lanie]

"We'll figure something out," Jamie said. "Come on, I'll take you back to my place and I'll think on how to impress you with my fantastic cooking skills," he joked. He wasn't serious about the whole impressing part. Really! Honest!

[marsha]

"Sounds like a good plan... Fyi I am not easily impressed." Mesuni was happy he hadn't changed his mind about dinner. If he had Mesuni would have kicked him. "I need to go change, so you can wait for me?" Mesuni wasn't going anywhere in her practice clothes.