Non-challenge: A Policeman's Tale (Day 31)
Title: A Policeman's Tale (Day 31)
Author: ytak
Word count: 1002
Rating (chapter): K+ (PG)
Rating (whole story): T (PG-13)
Comments: Not as happy with this chapter. Seems like kind of a letdown after the last one. But there are a few in the not too distant future that I will be happy to release.
Other chapters can be read through here or here.
Day 31
Takagi hopped out of bed with a light step and a smile on his face. A date with Miwako-san! What could beat that?
The only problem is that I need to find a place she'll like, he thought as he shaved and brushed his teeth. As tempted as he was to take her to a fancy restaurant, he knew that she did not like them (she had told him as much for her reason for turning down Shiratori before). But he did not want to go and be cheap on her.
The restaurant had to be someplace special. Someplace that would not make her uncomfortable but would still be nice.
This is going to be a lot harder than I thought, he thought to himself, spitting into the sink after brushing his teeth. She sure trusts me to pick out the right place. He began to sweat at the thought of picking a place she did not like and her turning to Shiratori for his more refined (supposedly) taste.
He plodded from the bathroom to the kitchen. Absentmindedly, he grabbed a box of cereal from the pantry and poured himself a bowl. The lack of milk irked him but his mind was more focused on choosing the right place for a date rather than something that he could easily fix.
A quick glance at the clock reminded him that he did not have all day to pick out a place. Would a late supper be better or would she prefer someplace right after work?
I don't want to call her and ask, he thought, absentmindedly eating his cereal. And I'm not that good of a cook so I just can't prepare a meal here for her... That isn't a bad idea. Only, hmmm. He sat back in the chair and stared off into space as he considered the idea. I could go out to that place. The one that does very nice bentos. He frowned, No, that'll be a good place once spring gets here. Ah! Better write it down before I forget. He hopped up from the table and began to to rummage around for a piece of paper and a pen. It took him a few minutes but he did write the idea down.
But that still left him with the problem of finding a good place to eat tonight.
I know she likes French food but not fancy restaurants. Are there any places around that serve French food but aren't too fancy? He sighed forlornly. It was a lot harder than he thought it would be. I wish she had given me a little direction!
A beeping came from his cell phone and Takagi leaped up to grab it off the counter. He fiddled with it a moment before realizing that it was not ringing but signaling that he received a text message.
The sender read Sato Miwako. A bad feeling grew in the pit of his stomach as he opened the message. All it said was 'call me.'
Nervously, he selected her name and called her. It rang until he knew it would go to voicemail on the next ring when it was answered by a rather hoarse sounding voice. “Hello, Takagi-kun,” it said (he thought it was Sato but it was kind of hard to tell).
“Sato-san?”
She seemed to croak an affirmative. “I'm going to have to give you a raincheck on that date. I've spent half the night up on an unwelcome date with a porcelain bowl.”
There was silence on both ends for a minute. “If it isn't one thing, it's another,” Sato said. Quickly, she added, almost sounding green as she said, “Got to go. Thanks for calling back!” He thought he heard her 'urp' just before hanging up.
His grimaced. She was right. If it was not one thing, it was another thing that kept them apart. I'm probably going to be the one to get sick on the next day we plan a date. His wandered a little, It sounds like she has a stomach bug. It's going to be days before she'll be ready to eat anything besides food that is easy on the stomach. Oh, well, that'll give me a little more time to find the right place.
A slight smile crossed his face, “I guess that makes every moment even more precious.”
He spent a few minutes staring off into space, playing absently with his cereal. Abruptly, he snapped out of it and stood. “Phone book, phone book,” he said, rummaging around the cabinets and going out through his small bookcase (which happened to be overflowing).
Frowning from frustration, he looked around the room before his eyes fell on the book in question. It was sitting in plain sight, right next to his phone.
Resisting the urge to bang his head on the wall (or on the book itself), he began to flip through it until he found the restaurants. “I might as well look through. Maybe I'll find a good restaurant to take her to,” he muttered to himself as he scanned down the list. “Ah! This place looks like it might be a good one!” He looked around for the pen and paper he used earlier and found them on the table where he left them.
How do I manage to misplace so many things? My apartment isn't that big. Quickly, he scribbled down a short list of promising restaurants. That'll be enough looking for today.
Absently, he pinned it to the fridge with a magnet. His mind wandered slightly along all his thoughts that related to Sato. I guess I need to return that handkerchief. Wait! What if she left it on purpose? He thought about that a moment before laughing at the idea. She's not one to do anything that subtle. But I really do need to return it and the photo that fell off her desk. I still need to get it copied, despite how embarrassing the whole situation was.