Future: The Alice Shop, St. Aldates Street, London
T he bell on top of the door rang when professor Carter Pillar entered the Alice Shop. He walked toward the desk where Fabiola stood selling gifts.
The Pillar smiled, knowing that she had no idea who she really was in this version of life. She stood there as beautiful as ever, selling toys and outfits.
He had lied to Alice, saying he hadn’t found Fabiola, but he had, and he was hesitant to ask her out.
“Fabiola?” he nodded respectfully.
“Frabjous professor,” she loved to call him. “What brings you to my humble shop today?”
To see you. To damn see you. “I was thinking I would buy an outfit for the festival. You know my students want me to attend.”
“Oh,” she looked surprised. “I’m going myself.”
Silence saturated the air. Things got smoother that he had anticipated. The Pillar shrugged. He had waited so many Looking Glass travels for this moment.
“Alone?” he said.
“Excuse me?”
“Oh, sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have assumed-”
“Are you asking me out, professor Pillar?” she smiled.
God, her smile turned him into a little butterfly.
“If you’re not going with someone else.” he said.
She eyed him for a while. Sometimes he wondered if she would still like him if she remembered all of the conflicts from the past. He also wondered if not telling her was cheating. But would she have believed him if he told her he killed the real Pillar for her?
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I can’t.”
He swallowed hard, “I understand,”
It was such a disappointing moment after all they have been through. At least she didn’t want to kill him in this version, and it was time he excused himself. It was a shame that being as handsome in this version of life didn’t work out its charms.
“Unless you wear a costume,” she said with a tease in her eyes.
His eyebrow hung high.
“You look. Well, too elegant,” she said.
You should have seen me showering in blood , he thought, but said nothing.
She said, “You know Alice Day is all about insanity, right?”
“Insanity,” he considered. “Didn’t know that you like to be…”
“Insane?” she laughed. “Catch me After Hours in a bar next door and I’ll show you insane.”
He liked this side of her.
“So what will it be?” she asked.
“The costume?”
“Mad Hatter or the Pillar?” she said
His heart almost stopped. Did she know? “Why those two?”
“You don’t look like Alice to me,” she wrinkled her nose.
“I don’t,” he said, his heart beating faster. “Which costume do you think suits me better?”
“I’ve always had a crush on the Hatter,” she rubbed her chin, sizing him up.
He wondered if should confess being the Hatter, but he wanted to tease her back, “I’ve always had a thing for the Pillar. He is badass.”
“Not badass, but one insane fella, I admit.”
“You like insane, remember?” he blatantly flirted with his eyes.
She shrugged this time. It pleased him to know she liked him. Did she have a crush on the elegant professor already?
“Insane is good but also dangerous,” she tapped the desk with her nimble fingers, considering.
“You look like you like dangerous.”
“Sometimes,” she leaned forward and rested her face on her fist. “But you can’t go wrong with the Hatter.”
“Why is that?”
“He is the second most famous character after Alice,” she said, devouring his eyes. “Also children love him a lot. He is such a crowdpleaser.”
The Pillar took a moment to think it over. He stepped closer to the desk and leaned forward. They were only inches from each other’s lips.
“I’ll take the Pillar’s outfit,” he said.
Fabiola leaned even closer, “But I told you that you can never go wrong with the Hatter. He is crowdpleaser.”
The Pillar smiled. Well, smirked. Mischievously. Dangerously. Insanely.
“Fabiola,” he said. “Do I look like a crowdpleaser to you?”
“Nah,” she said. “And I like it.”
The End.