Tegwen raised an eyebrow at Gabriel, quite pleased. She glanced at the girl's name tag: Vina. "Yes, two. Thanks, Vina."

Vina ushered them in, keeping an eye on Tegwen. "Would it be weird if I said there was something really familiar about you?"

"Yes," Gabriel interjected curtly. "It would be."

Seeming unaffected by Gabriel, Vina showed them to their table, swaying her hips the whole way.

It took a few moments of uncomfortable silence while Tegwen and Gabriel arranged their impressive collection of shopping bags -- everything from Abercrombie & Finch to Victoria's of Hollywood. It was amazing these girls had been able to get around in the crowded mall with so much baggage, and not get mugged or simply lose track of some of it.

Once seated and after Vina walked off, Gabriel picked up her menu. "Who'd she think she is? A Blunt girl or something? Geez, she's the type my stupid partner would probably go after."

"Good for him," snapped Tegwen, flipping through her menu. She'd actually not been offended by Vina and -- judging by Gabriel's response to her -- wondered if she should have been. She'd been the recipient of comments like that most of her life and learned early how to shrug them off gracefully. "C'mon, that's her job. You know, be flirtatious with the guests? She was probably gonna follow it up with some lame and outrageous compliment like 'you look like Jean Henlow.'"

Gabriel peered at Tegwen from above the edge of her menu and finally smiled. "I see the resemblance with those gold curls of yours."

Snorting, Tegwen replied, "I think you need your eyes checked." And maybe parts of your brain, too, if you believe it.

"No, it's true! Check a mirror sometime."

Tegwen just shook her head.

A snobby-looking poodle came along to take their order and dropped off a couple glasses of ice water. Once left alone again, Tegwen folded her hands neatly on her place mat and regarded Gabriel solemnly. "Earlier, when we were shopping, we made a deal. And you have yet to uphold your end of the bargain."

Confused, Gabriel lowered her glass from her bill. "How so?"

"I asked you a personal question with the understanding that you'd ask me one in return. We're never gonna be friends if we don't share secrets -- without the benefit of alcohol. I asked, and you told me, how you came to work for F.O.W.L.. And what did you ask in return? You cheapened out and asked me if I wanted to go get lunch!"

"Hey, that's a legitimate question!" Gabriel laughed.

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