Meeting ID: 848 7157 5191

[dolly weathers]

Dolly pulls the spaghetti strap to her sequin flapper dress over her shoulder and rushes over to her laptop. She can't remember the last time she dressed up for anything - maybe her dad's 70th back last February? She dabs her lips a shade of fig and pulls a strand of hair from behind her ear. She looks at the clock - 9:01PM - and decids to wait another minute so she's not the one waiting in the call. How keen would that make her look? As the seconds pile up, she takes a sip of red wine and leans back in the kitchen chair. 9:01:58 9:01:59... she clicks to join the meeting. Oh my god, your hair. The peroxide.. it's.. blinding!

[theo lovett]

Theo runs his hand through hair that isn't there, narrowing his eyes at the little square view of himself presented by Zoom. An uncommon event is made all the more uncommon by the fact he's wearing a suit, or at least half a suit, his upper body decked in a slightly crumpled white shirt, a deep, almost black purple suit jacket managing to make him look more put together than he feels. His beer sweats on the desk, his laptop propped up next to his tarantula tank, a candle left on its other side as Elyse's attempt at bringing some romance to the events. He's still studying himself when Dolly joins and he grins, running his hand over his hair again. "Yeah. It's pretty bad isn't it? I've been gazing at myself for minutes here, Weathers."

[dolly weathers]

Her lips split into a grin and she opens her mouth to laugh, god, what are you going to do about it when it grows? Shave it? She hates it, honestly. She silently mourns his beautiful dark Disney Prince locks. So, I've got a surprise for you, she spreads her fingers out like a burst of fireworks, we're going to dinner. Or rather, dinner is coming to you. ETA four minutes.

[theo lovett]

"A problem for another day," he grins, taking a sip of his beer. He notes that she kept her word and dressed up, and the sight makes his grin widen. "Wait, what?" he asks, before shaking his head. "Oh man, Dolly, that's so emasculating. I'm supposed to be wooing you here!" He holds up the candle, the scent of cinnamon and vanilla engulfing him. "I've brought the ambiance at least."

[dolly weathers]

She twirls her wine glass in her hand and shakes her head, I honestly never took you for the ballsy type. She tilts her head back and laughs as the candle flickers across screen. What is that smell, she waves her hand, is that the smell of the cringeyness of a Zoom date? It is! The doorbell buzzes and she lifts herself from her seat, relax. It's just McDonalds.

[theo lovett]

Theo's eyes watch the wine as it swirls in the glass, making him wonder how many dollars worth were in that glass. Tens? Hundreds? He didn't really know anything about wine at the best of times, nevermind rich people wine... he's getting distracted, as he often did on video calls, and he forces himself to focus. "I'm the bored type," he says, sensing that perhaps his new hair wasn't her favourite. He's left to ponder this as she momentarily disappears. "Don't do McDonald's down, that shit is gourmet. Can't wait for mine, I have no idea how I'm gonna repay you," he says, grinning still, taking a swig of beer. "You look nice by the way. Glad to see you're taking our cringey date seriously."

[dolly weathers]

It takes her a couple of minutes to get back to the screen, but when she does she lifts a bag of McDonalds like a trophy. Tada! she grins and puts the bag next to the laptop. I'll wait till you get yours. We'll open it together, like a proper restaurant. Her shoulders shimmy as he compliments her and she backs away from the camera to do a quick spin, kicking up her feet to show off her slippers. You also look completely handsome. Did you have a good day of rest?

[theo lovett]

"What if mine takes--" he starts, before he hears the unmistakable sound of the apartment intercom crackling into life. He hears Elyse speaking into it, and holds up one finger. "I'll be but a moment. Avert your eyes," he says. As he stands it's revealed that his suit stops at his waist, his legs clad only in tight fitting boxers that leave little to the imagination. He ignores Elyse and Ollie as he goes to the door to collect his food, trying to fight the smile that's creeping across his face as he catches his housemates exchanging a glance. "I'm back, and god, this smells good." She twirls and he claps, nodding. "Great effort. A+, the slippers really set it off. Mhmm, I've been up like, two hours now? It's my morning."

[dolly weathers]

Hey now! she shouts at the screen, we said lingerie BENEATH clothes. She grins when he leaves, only feeling slightly stupid when she laughs to herself. Her fingers pull needily at the paper bag when he comes back on screen, only the best for my little Covid hero. She pouts when she opens the bag, well fuck, I wasn't thinking about breakfast. I could have gotten Denny's. She pulls the fries from the back, first of all, an appetizer. Then... she pulls out a burger, the main course. And to finish, desert she waves an apple pie at the screen. Let us feast.

[theo lovett]

"It's over 70 degrees in here! Suits are hot!" Theo says, hearing the tail end of her complaint and defending himself as he sat back down in his chair. The bag is warm and greasy in his hands and he can't wait to eat, suddenly ravenous. "No no, this is the breakfast of champions," he says, shovelling about eight fries into his mouth at once. He talks through his full mouth, "tell me about your day. What have you been up to while I've been resting from carrying the future of the human race on my shoulders?"

[dolly weathers]

She rips open a packet of ketchup and squeezes all over her fries. Well, she chews and bounces her head as she waits to continue. I had a test, then I worked out, then I sat on the phone with my brother.. then, I had a bath. Got dressed, and here I am! She shoves a couple of more fries in her mouth, what do people even do any more? What hobbies are all the rage? Her day feels like a fog that she was still within, she can't even remember what she and Robbie argued about but she's still flushed over it. Are your roomies there?

[theo lovett]

"How'd the test go?" he asks, genuinely curious. He digs his fries into ketchup, scooping up a sickly amount of the sugary sauce and shoving it into his mouth. He licks the salt off his fingertips, nodding along as she reels through her day. More eventful than his. "Well, I'm glad you asked!" He says, drying his fingers off on a flimsy napkin so he can hold his Nintendo Switch up to the screen. "They do this. Did you get one?" He nods. "I think they're eavesdropping, so we can't get into the cybersex until they've lost interest," he speaks loud enough for them to hear, offering her a wink.

[dolly weathers]

Uhm, she chews and shrugs, nailed it.. but now that I've said it outloud, I've jinxed it. She exaggerates a big sigh when he produces a Nintendo Switch, shoving a bundles of fries in her mouth she shakes her head. We're not playing. I don't know you well enough to lose to you, she takes a small sip of wine... the wine, coming from her father's vineyard. Are they bored yet? How about now? I'm desperate to get off on something other than my boring vibrator. How about now?

[theo lovett]

Theo's jaw drops open, thankfully just after he's swallowed a mouthful of Big Mac. "You're saying you betrayed my one condition?" He's torn between genuine offence and faux outrage. He looks at the laptop and shrugs, feigning sadness. "It's a shame that I'm gonna have to call this date to a close so early on. You've forfeited it." He puts his hand on his laptop, going to close it only to stop at the last minute, straightening it up again. "Maybe we can finish eating first." He laughs at her response, surprised she's going along with it. "Okay, okay. Want me to get my Magic Mike on?"

[dolly weathers]

She covers her face with her hands and groans, no no no, stop. Ugh. No. I bought the thing! It was expensive. It's like a fancy Gameboy. I just think it's more like a second or third or fourth or never date kind of thing. She presses her lips together, realizing that she called it expensive, expensive in comparison to a Gameboy. You know what I mean! She is about to take a bite of her burger, oh my god, yes. But it's not the same if I can't tuck bills in your panties.