Slice of Italy, Slice of Life

[Professor Tony]

Tony gulped.

It wasn't his first date with his boss. They'd been on several outings where they were each other's partners. They were usually together in any event, be it a formal event or just something fun. Tonight just felt different somehow.

It was a fairly new place. The restraunt was Italian, and had just opened last week. As such, Tony hadn't had an easy time getting reservations, especially since the food here was proclaimed by Ashburn's very tought food critics as "the most amazing slice of Italy you'll ever have pleasure of putting a fork through, let alone eating it."

Tony had decided to get here early, making sure that the reservations would go through.

In truth, Tony had been actually planning on dragging Charlotte here tonight anyway. It just so happened that she had made it almost plainly simple to convince her to go.

He pulled out his YPhone to check the time.

Tony sat at the table, just waiting for Charlotte to enter before he started ordering anything. At least, he'd hope she'd show. He did get one of the best seats in the house.

[Headmistress Charlotte Burke]

Charlotte was excited and nervous. It had been ages since she and Tony had been on a "date." Well, it wasn't really a date. Or was it? She wasn't going to put too much thought into it. She always over analyzed things. She had spent too long getting ready, and she was running a bit late, which sent her into a slight frenzy. But she had to look good. Her cheeks flushed slightly. She was trying to impress Tony. It had been a while since she had wanted to look extra good, for anyone. She had decided on a sleek black silky dress, and her bright red heels. She was wearing a red bracelet. Her make up remained neutral, and she felt better than she had in ages. Tonight was going to be a wonderful night, she could feel it.

She easily found the new Italian restaurant. It wasn't like the island was a very big place. And everyone had been into eat at the new place. It had to be the fanciest restaurant on the island. Charlotte found a close parking spot and walked into the new place. It looked very nice, and it got the highest reviews. She walked up to the hostess and said she had reservations. The girl led her to where Tony was sitting. She grinned shyly. "Hey." Charlotte said, sitting down, blushing slightly.

"Sorry I'm late." She said softly. Charlotte was never late...for anything ever. Then she realized where they were sitting, it was perfect. "Wow, you got the best table. How did you manage it? Well, I'm not really surprised." She grinned. Tony always got the best of everything. "I don't even know what to order." Charlotte said, staring at the menu, looking at everything. She peeked shyly over her menu at Tony for a split second before staring back at the list of food.

[Professor Tony]

"Hey boss. You look good!"

He smiled when she came to the table. He couldn't help it. He had been getting bored by himself.

The gravity manipulator looked her over. The black dress brought out Charlotte's curves and fit nicely on her tiny frame. The red heels were a nice touch, and the bracelet was simple but made her look altogether classy.

Tony was impressed.

He waved his hand, dismissing her apology. She was never late. He could tell that she put in an obvious effort in looking amazing, and he wasn't going to criticize.

"Don't worry about it boss. It is a nice table, no? I mean, look out the windows and you can see the mountain. And the moon looks great! And..."

He pointed towards the kitchen.

"We're not too far from the kitchen. And I always get the best. Even my boss is the best," the professor said flirtatiously, throwing in a wink. Thinking about what to order, he listened to Charlotte talk about how she had no idea what she wanted to eat.

"Haha. Me either. You know me, I just like pasta and pizza. I have simple tastes, ya know?"

Simple tastes. Right. He was sitting in an expensive Italian suit, in a fancy eatery.

A waiter showed up, holding out a lighter and lighting three candles in front of them in the middle of the table.

"Would you like to try some of our wine before you dine?"

Tony shrugged, and nodded.

"Yes, bring us a bottle of.... hmm, I'm feeling a bit classical, today. We'll have a bottle of Chianti Superiore, if you have it, and whatever the lady wants, should she desire something different."

[Headmistress Charlotte Burke]

-- She grinned as he waved away her appology. It wasn't like he ever got mad at her anyway. Maybe once in a while, but it certainly wasn't often. "Amazing? It's spectacular." Charlotte said. Anywhere they went, it was always the best, and if it wasn't, well, there would be hell to pay from Tony. "Aw...I'm just the best that the school could afford." She stuck her tongue out. "Who knows, you could've been stuck with someone else, someone...halfway normal." Char chuckled. Of course she had been the only one that had applied. She hadn't even been that old, but she somehow made a masterpiece of the school. The old man had just...stopped caring after a while. That was what bothered her. There was no way in hell she would stop caring about the kids and the school.

-- "Simple tastes, psh." Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Maybe when it comes to food, but that's about it." She said playfully. Then she watched as the waiter lit the candles. This is exactly how she pictured a dream date, only instead of her soul mate, her best friend sat across from her. "That sounds really good. I'll take the same." She said smiling. "And do I even want to know how you got the best spot in the whole restaurant? I hope it didn't involve seducing any young maidens." Charlotte joked, grinning mischievously.

[Professor Tony]

"Charlotte, you're the mutant principal of a mutant high school. You're perfect for the job. Granted, it'd probably be easier if you could clone yourself or something, but you're a very good Headmistress. The school's flourished under your guidance. Lord knows, the day you actually decide to leave the school in my hands while you take a vacation is the day the school will get blown up or something. Yeah, you're weird, but it's cute. So shut up."

As the conversation drifted towards his tastes, Tony faked looking hurt.

"I can be simple! I promise!"

Charlotte was being sarcastic. It almost hurt his man feelings. She had the right to be though. The wine he had just ordered was one of the best wine Italy had to offer. He couldn't for the life of him remember if it was red or white, though. Tony liked wine either way.

"Nah. I don't seduce. I merely flatter, manipulate, and charm. Or something like that, my friend. That, and I called in a favor that I was owed."

Or like... seven or eight. But, hey, who's counting? Besides, with both his family's business and his job as a professor and a headmaster of a school, he had a good bit more money than his best friend.

[Headmistress Charlotte Burke]

-- Charlotte listened to Tony, smiling. "That has to be one of the nicest things you've ever said to me." She chuckled. "I'm sure you could handle it." She said honestly. Tony didn't give himself enough credit sometimes. But Charlotte would never leave unless she aboslutely had to. She loved the school. And she wanted it to be a safe place for those who have special gifts. She knew most students weren't quite as lucky as she was. Her parents didn't disown her, or think she was a freak, they sent her here for her own good and safety.

-- "You, simple?" She grinned. "Whatever you say." Charlotte said rolling her eyes playfully. Ever since she had known him, he had the best of everything, but he wasn't cocky or arrogant like most people with that kind of money. She had never been rich, but she had more than enough to get by. But it would be nice to have someone to share that with, having money and living by yourself wasn't quite as fun. It wasn't like she could spoil herself on the island but going to a spa, or shopping, or anything. Maybe she would have to go visit her parents sometimes, take a trip, get away from the island for a bit.

-- "You make it sound okay. You are quit the ladies man of the island." Charlotte said grinning. He had never really tried to 'seduce' her in any way. They had always just been friends and colleagues from the very beginning. She sighed softly, finally picking something from the menu, a simple pasta dish. Charlotte wasn't in a very...fancy mood tonight. She needed to get happy again, after all, she did look good tonight. And she hadn't felt this pretty in quite a long time.

[Professor Tony]

"I could handle it. Kinda like BP handles oil spills, ya know?" Tony replied with a large amount of sarcasm. He sat back in his chair.

"I think you give me too much credit, love"

Tony sighed. Leadership wasn't his thing. Too much paperwork for him to enjoy it. The English Professor grinned at Charlotte's playful tone.

"I can be simple. As soon as my family cuts me off and the job stops paying well. Hahaha."

The man frowned though. Ladies man? Was his reputation that...extreme? What they called a lady's man, he saw himself as a man unwilling, maybe unable to commit to anything longer than a month long relationship that was purely nothing but lust. Well, he could commit to being a friend. But he relied on Charlotte more than she relied on him. She was the one major constant in his life.

The old man had made it clear that he wasn't supposed to date his coworkers. It had been her first week, and he'd been tempted. But the old man in all of his wisdom, had stopped him one day and smacked him in the back of the head, making him focus and think about the consequences.

Absentmindedly, he rubbed the spot where his former boss had often struck when he screwed up.

"You know... I'm just waiting on the right person. I guess I'm just doing it wrong, huh?

[Headmistress Charlotte Burke]

-- "It wouldn't be that big of a disaster." Charlotte joked back. She could never imagine Tony doing her job. But if he ever had to do her job, for whatever reason, Charlotte knew he could do it. She just shrugged. Sometimes she wondered if she didn't give him enough credit. And she almost laughed as she pictured Tony doing her job, he would never do paperwork. Or he would hire someone to do it for him. She hated paperwork, but she did it anyway. Then she pushed work to the back of her mind, and promised herself she wouldn't think one more thought about it the rest of the night.

-- Charlotte laughed. "I've been simple all my life. Guess I've just gotten used to it." She shrugged. Her parents had never been rich, always middle class. It never bothered Charlotte, but she wished just once, that she could experience being able to buy whatever she wanted, and the nicest of everything. She was happy with her life though, well, halfway happy. There was so much more she wanted out of her life; children, husband, nice family, to be able to see her own family. But she wouldn't want her children to have a gift like hers, and her husband wouldn't understand, or if she did meet someone and told them about her super strength, they'd probably think she was a freak. So she had lost all hope of finding someone.

-- "Same here. Maybe we're just doomed." She said, trying to joke, trying to make her voice light, but it came out heavy with grief. "At least you're out there looking. I'm stuck, well, not stuck, I'm always busy with work, I always have so much paperwork..." Charlotte paused, then pasted a smile on her face and continued. "Well, that's enough complaining from me tonight." She shook her head. This was no time to feel overwhelmed. She knew what she was getting herself into when she took the job. Then her mind flicked to Tony. No, she couldn't think like that. They were best friends, and co workers. That was the number one rule to any job, never date a co worker.