I realized that buying a computer is never easy. Before leaving home, I thought a budget of a hundred thousand was more than enough, but I had to make a lot of compromises to stay within that budget.
But with Sadie along, I managed to get the best possible combination of parts for my needs. My main priorities were to be able to store a lot of memory-piece footage, smooth operation of that editing software, and, if possible, good internet.
Processors here were really powerful and cheap, but storage was expensive for some reason. Sadie recommended I get some used storage later if needed. It took well over an hour for us to finish buying everything. Then, a moving company employee delivered everything to the home.
The movie theater was not far, so we decided to walk there. Even on weekends, the city was packed with people busy with their chores. Passing tall and thick beauties one by one, I was extremely conscious of my height. I was below average, even among males in this world.
The occasional passing glances and smiles I received, even though Sadie was right beside me, made me feel strange. It was the clothes I realized. I wasn't overly fancy, but the simplicity of the plain blue shirt on my slim body stood out. Even some men gave me passing looks, but they were the ones with either an unfit body or uncommon features.
The ones who looked better than me only sneered once they saw Sadie or ignored me like I was air. None said anything, but the meaning was clear: 'I can do much better.'
Sadie was losing confidence the more we walked. That was until I held her hand. She paused, surprised, and glanced at me. I smiled encouragingly. After that, she kept her head high, and we both relaxed a little, going slower than the people all around us.
She had never done this before, I realized.
I didn't know much about her, only what others told me. Sadie had a job related to coding. She has been working forever. Even while studying, she did part-time jobs to earn money for herself and to send it back to her parents, who lived in a small town.
My life on earth was somewhat similar, so I could understand. There was never enough time for anything, and you always had to put things aside and get to work. Not just for yourself, but for everyone who relied on you.
The theater was in a big mall. Once inside, Sadie checked her phone and said,
"We still have over 45 minutes. Should we go early?"
I observed our surroundings. The shops here were much fancier than the ones in the part of the city we lived in.
Sadie added, "There is a nice coffee shop on the third floor."
I nodded, "Let's go then. We must have a drink after exerting so much energy."
She smiled. Hand in hand, we entered the coffee shop and settled at a side table with a view of the city below. Ordering drinks with fancy names, we observed the busy city below us quietly.
Without looking at her, I asked, "The movie and dinner should end before 10, right? I will have time to assemble the PC."
"I won't take long. Don't worry, I will be there. I have to do this several times in a week where I work."
"Is it good?"
"What?" She glanced at me.
"Your work."
The half-tired smile on her face was enough of an answer. "It's work. I like parts of it."
"Here's your order, sir, ma'am." The employee came and placed two tall glasses between us.
I should have known these were women-sized drinks. They have men-sized things too, but unless one asked for it, the default was this. I barely went out and often forgot I had to say that. But it was fine, more was better.
After a couple of sips, Sadie asked.
"The girl you went together with to Ryes's house. Is she still in contact? I always assumed you had a girlfriend. It was a surprise when you revealed to be single." She barely made eye contact. Her cheeks were slightly flushed.
She knew she was being too direct. Well, if I were in her place, I would assume it was a date as well. If I didn't take my shots when the chance presented, it would be a stain on my legacy as a man.
"No. I don't like relationships.. I think I am too young. The commitment part.. doesn't sit right with me."
Sadie's eyes widened, but she hid it well by taking a sip of her drink through the paper straw. When she remained quiet for a while, I added,
"Even with Gwen, I was just thinking of having fun. Nothing more. By interacting with me and all the exchanges, you should have noticed I do not fit the definition of normal."
Sadie almost choked on her drink and coughed several times. I chuckled at her reaction. It may not be what she wanted, but this did lessen the romantic tension between us, even if a little.
She laughed at her silly situation.
"I always thought males seek a stable relationship above all. But I should have known better. It's another type of stereotyping. Some women are more into physical after all."
We both took a sip, and before we could continue the conversation, someone approached the table. I looked up. It was a couple. A woman in her early thirties in a sleek dress, the man beside her of a similar age in a black shirt and grey pants. The man's beard looked recently dyed.
My attention, however, was snatched away by the massive booty inches from my face, jiggling with every movement of the woman's body.
"Sadie! I thought it was you! It's been so long! How have you been?" The woman said, inching closer to Sadie with open arms.
Sadie's confusion turned to a smile as she stood up and returned the enthusiastic hug. The middle-aged man was looking at me, but I could not help but revel in the moment when the four large squishy things mushed together. The women of this world hugged fiercely without any care, especially between each other.
The view was always spectacular.
She was a friend. A college friend reuniting years later. When the Woman tried to sit beside her, insisting on talking more, Sadie glanced towards me, and I nodded. The table was for four anyway. The man sat beside me, though I much preferred the woman.
"VD project is something else!" The woman said her name was Kara. "We used to sneak out of the college to watch these movies."
Sadie was genuinely happy to meet her friend, though a little uncomfortable with my presence. They talked about all kinds of embarrassing things. The woman just assumed I was Sadie's boyfriend without question. The man remained quiet, messing with his phone.
Suddenly, Kara turned towards me after taking a sip of her drink and asked,
"So, enough about the past. Tell me about this gentleman here. How did you guys meet?"
"Ah, we are flatmates," Sadie replied before I could.
"Ohh.. That kind of situation, huh?" Kira winked at us.
Sadie was about to clear the misunderstanding when I replied with,
"Yeah, she was always there for me. It's hard not to feel things after that." Then laughed together with Kara and her husband, who put away his phone the moment the topic changed to romance.
Usually, women were not this open around other men. Kara and her husband seemed to have confidence that did not match their appearance.
"That's so true." The husband, Zane, said. "It's good. Finding like-minded people in this city is so hard. Kara always talks about her college buddy, glad to finally meet you two."
Sadie smiled at the man and returned the polite words.
We talked about this and that to pass the time. But somewhere in the middle, I thought something was weird. These two were extra extra friendly. I kept an eye on them and noticed Zane stealing glances at Sadie a couple of times. Kara could see that as well and was completely fine with it.
In fact, Kara herself had her eyes wandering all over my body while we chatted. I saw that Sadie looked at me in between; she was acting unusually strange for a while now. Yes, she could sense the weirdness as well.
"You should come over sometime. We live in Rokshane Street, the upper city region." Kara invited.
I did not miss the nervous eye contact between the couple when she did that and took a sip.
"Ah, sure. Next time we have time. We will try." Sadie replied.
"Haha," Zane laughed, "You two are young. I promise you it will be fun. There are some things you learn with age, though I envy youth."
Kara added, "We should have fun. Life is so short. Make time. We will introduce you to many others who are interested in such bonding. Fun aside, it's a great way to make contacts. It can do a lot for your career."
Oh fuck.
Bonding.. Fun.. Make friends with the same mindset.. Aren't these two talking about swinging!?