If you want to get to know somebody you talk with them, chat back and forth about things that interest the two of you, share ideas, a dialogue. I believe this some rule applies to story telling, the best way to get to know a character is by listening them talk to another and see how they react. This is the story about Nathan and Natalie, brother and sister catching up with one another over coffee. It's a tame story: no police investigations, no story of survival, just a brother and sister talking to one another and occasionally antagonizing the other. Enjoy!
“Samantha, the barista with highlights? Oh her, yeah she's an not anybody you want to mess with,” Natalie said taking a sip from her black coffee, a red mark formed where her lips kissed the cup. She was halfway through her drink and a crimson half halo outlined the top of her cup. “Very odd, why do you ask?”
“Why's that?” Nathan asked. He was sitting across from his sister with his back straight up against the booth, he did it because it made him feel confident but it looked more like his torso was pinned directly to it, “she seems pretty cute.”
“Listen,” Natalie said staring directly into his eyes as if she wanted him to take in what she as about to say both verbally and visually, “looks are one thing, but have you actually talked to her? Her personality is as crazy as she is cute.”
“There's no way somebody as cute as her is crazy,” he said looking towards the counter of the shop using only his eyes. The baristra with the name-tag 'Samantha' scurried around mixing drinks. He casually took a sip from his sugar free hazelnut-mocha latte, with extra cream.
“I worked with her for a year at JP's, alright. I think I know what I'm talking about, like first of all her name isn't Samantha,” she held out five fingers as if she already planned out a five-point speech over the the girl called Samantha.
“Then what is it?”
“I have no fucking idea. When she first began she introduced herself to me and the others as Lilith, then several months later she asks us to call her Rebecca, now it's Samantha. She changes her name more than your ex changes boyfriends.” Natalie put her thumb down.
“Hey!”
“You know it's true, whose she with now? Steven something.”
“Steven Callahan,” Nathan said taking a sip, his muscles tensed ever so slightly.
“And before that?”
“Gus, and... uhh, Ethan.”
“Oh god it ashames me that we share similar DNA. Nobody should know that much about their ex, especially that many boyfriends removed. How the hell do you know any of this?” She asked with her whole body, four fingers were still up.
“Facebook.”
“You Facebook stalk your ex and now you're into some hipster chick at a coffee shop that every man in the whole city is in love with too? How fucking typical.” She felt the weight of eyes look at her, suggesting that perhaps she was getting a tad loud. She made she to say the next part as a whisper “Which brings me to point two: She's only fucks older men.” She took a sip from her coffee, adding more cherry colored lipstick to the halo.
“Like how old are we talking?”
“Like silver-fox old, your best bet if you want to get with her is to double your age and get a raise ten times more than what you're currently making. Now that I think about it that's probably why she changes her name, to hide in plain sight. You know how rich older men like to hangout with rich older men playing golf or smoking cigars or whatever old rich men do, if they say they have a new young girlfriend she can get away with it easier as long as if they don't see her face. What I'm saying is that she's a gold digger.” She retracted her index finger leaving three digits.
“You accuse me of stalking and yet you know all of this about your ex-coworker?” He looked away from his sister too take a quick glimpse as Samantha. She stood at the counter now, attending to a teenaged couple.
“She was fucking JP alright. I'm not sure if you've seen any pictures of JP but that man's hair is so gray he puts Larry King to shame. no words were necessary to figure it out either, it was written all of their faces. After she changed her name to Rebecca her and JP would give each other the smile that just says 'Yep I fucked you, lets do it again,' you know what I'm talking about.”
“Do you have any proof on this?” His eyes made contact with the girl now known as Samantha, their eyes locked for a slip second. He shot her a smile, she evaded it with a roll of her eyes.
“Have you ever heard of lawsuits? She filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him after he fired her. Taking the entire company with her as JP payed out the ass to save himself.”
“Well, well, looks like you two have something in common then.”
“Don't bring that up,” she said shooting her finger at her brother across the table like a barrel of a revolver, the jolt shook the table causing her coffee to rise and fall like the waves of a sea in a storm.
“Hey I'm just saying you two have a thing for your bosses and then betray them after they fire you.”
“First off,” she swapped out the digits that attacked 'Samantha' with two others defending herself, “I quit because mom and dad made me.” Finger down. “Second, I was young and stupid. I didn't wish him any harm, I was just doing what I thought was right at the time. The lawsuit and charges were all because of mom and dad.” She put her index finger down, leaving a fist.
“Hey I didn't mean to offend you,” Nathan said reaching across to his sister's fist, he cupped her hand with his hands. “I just wanted to make us even for you pissing me off about my ex.”
“You're such an asshole,” she said using her other hand to take a drink. The halo was only a quarter to completion.
“And you are too,” he let out a little chuckle, “we would be terrible siblings if we didn't try to kill each other every time we saw one another. Listen, obviously this 'Samantha', 'Rebecca', 'Lilith', or whatever her real name is getting to us. Lets change the subject,” he looked at the counter, Samantha was still standing there as cute as ever, “and the scenery. Want to go to the patio?”
“Sure,” Natalie stood up grabbing her stuff. “So how's work going?”
“It's alright,” Nathan said picking up his phone, the two walked side-by-side to door, “nothing exciting, well except for the other day we had this crazy customer....”
