Pucker Up

"hello, everyobdy!" gavin cardigan hollered out in greeting as he entered the Pub with a vivacious red head on his arm.

"hey, cardi--whoah." danny blake spilled the beer he was pouring. "hello, there. and you are...?"

"belinda starre, but friends call me belle." she smiled and held out her hand.

"and gavin is a 'friend?'" blake asked, taking her hand.

"well, he's just a lover at the moment, but he shows potential," belle winked and kissed cardigan on the cheek.

"uh, what're you serving tonight, danny?" cardigan interrupted.

"spring pea risotto with garlic scape butter," blake replied, pouring out two beers.

"not exactly beer food, but it'll be great," cardigan assured her.

"i'm sure of it," belle nodded approvingly.

they walked over to join the other regulars. "everyone, this is belinda starre, but you can call her belle."

the regulars were less successful than danny in staring in disbelief at this stunningly beautiful woman with cardigan.

"it's, um, great to meet you all," belle stammered. "gavin has told me so much about you."

"oh, really?" sierra charles moved an extra stool to the table to accommodate the newcomer. "he's never mentioned you to us. when did this happen?"

"oh, just a moment ago. you know how burkie is. he just makes this shit up as he types," gavin shrugged, then grinned as he grabbed belle's hand. "not that i'm complaining. praise be to burkie!" he actually lifted his glass and took a drink to honor their handsome creator.

"a loooong moment ago," belle grinned knowingly. "long enough to let me know that i got a lucky with this guy." she punched cardigan lightly on the shoulder. "of course, he got lucky, too, didn't you, tiger?"

marian elfman's eyebrows lifted high. "gavin!"

cardigan cleared his throat, embarrassed. "so, how 'bout those 'niners?"

"hey, that's my line!" taylor young admonished him. "remember the last chapter? say something original."

"oh, right. uh, unseasonably warm, isn't it?"

"it's july," Mysterious Lurker pointed out.

"well, yeah, but this is san francisco!" cardigan countered, then sighed gratefully when danny arrived with the risotto.

"mmm, smells terrific! thanks for bring me here, gavin," she leaned over and kissed him passionately, brazenly, possessively--

"we get the picture, burkie. stop it with the descriptive adverbs," danny glared toward the corner, imagining their handsome creator over there.

just then, their goateed busboy walked up to take the still full, steaming plates away.

"wait, shakespeare! we haven't eaten yet!" cardigan protested.

shakespeare patted him sympathetically on the shoulder and looked over at belle, who sighed and muttered, "we are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep."

"not so unseasonable after all," the Lurker noted as belle faded away and shakespeare walked away with the food.

"a midsummer night's dream," cardigan shook his head. "i should've seen it coming. trust burkie to stoop to a low-brow stunt like a dream sequence."

"tell me about it," taylor murmered as he passed a twenty over to a gloating sierra.