Silent Graves

Silver Sands was just putting on her earrings as she heard a knock at the door. She looked at the time. It was almost ten minutes until her date was supposed to show up. She walked to the door and looked through the peephole. Sure enough, Stud Muffin was ready and waiting.

She opened the door. "I'm almost ready, you can wait on the sofa while I finish up."

He stepped in and admired her cream-coloured body. "I would have been here earlier, but I had a bit of a security problem at my home."

"You're early enough as it is," she chuckled. "Let's just hope that's the only time you come early tonight."

"If it isn't, I'll be sure to give you a repeat performance," promised Stud. "I'm not going to leave until you're completely satisfied; that's my Stud Muffin guarantee."

"A guarantee, is it?" chuckled Silver. "That's good to know. I'll have to put that to the test. Probably multiple times, just to be sure." There were a few clicks from the bathroom as she closed up her makeup supplies in her box. She stepped back out to the living room and gave a twirl. "How do I look?"

"You're giving me second thoughts as to whether or not I want to take that red dress off," he smiled. "Simply gorgeous."

"Oh, aren't you just charming? Come on, we'd best be on our way to the restaurant. The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can come back and the real fun can begin."

They left the house and made their way to Le Nom de Fantaisie. It was a very lavish, with a large fountain out front with little cherubs urinating into the basin. The front wall was decorated with flowers and trees, so many that there was a gardener that came by daily just to make sure it was all in good condition. You could barely see the sign from the road, and there was a reason for that. The owner didn't want just anypony coming in. There was a certain demographic he wanted to attract, and the best way to do that was to spread the word of his skill and quality by word of mouth.

He walked up to the host. Before he could be asked, Stud held up his hoof. "Stud Muffin, party of two."

The host checked his appointment book "Of course, Mr. Muffin. Right this way." He led them to a table and pulled out a seat for Silver. As she sat down, he pushed it back in and rushed over to help Stud with his jacket. As they were seated, he gave them both a menu. "A member of our wait staff will be with you shortly."

"Have you been here before?" asked Silver, looking over the menu.

"Numerous times," answered Stud. "My first time through those double doors, I was still only sixteen. I've been back at least twice a year since. I'm on a first name basis with the owner, I'll have you know."

"Now that's a very nice connection to have. And yet, you decided to have me meet with you at an old malt shop earlier today."

"Well, if I had arranged to meet you here, I would have needed a photograph of you so they could identify you at the door. Besides, with how crummy your last coltfriend was, I had to be sure you had a decent dress. A real cheapskate, he was."

"Yeah," chuckled Silver. "Always going on about how important his brother was to him. He's been dead for over a decade, move on already..."

As they chuckled to themselves a waitress came out with a notepad. "How are we feeling tonight?"

"We're feeling like we might want a bottle of Merlot," answered Stud, not bothering to look up. "And two glasses."

"Right away, sir."

"I don't know if you do this with every mare you bring here, but some mares might be a little put off by you ordering wine for them without at least asking."

"Do you want me to order ice water for you, instead?"

"No, of course not. I want the wine. I just don't know how I feel about it, that's all."

"Stick with me, and you'll grow accustomed to it. I always order wine when I come to a place like this, and if you don't want to share it with me, we'll only go through half a bottle."

"Right. I hadn't thought of that. I suppose that ordering two glasses is the proper solution."

Just as she said this, the waitress comes back with the bottle of wine unopened with two glasses. The bottle is sitting in an ice bath and chilling as it sits on the table. "Have you decided what you would like to eat?" she asks.

"So this is the whore you replaced me with!?" came a scream from across the room. The two of them looked up at the cause of the commotion. Loose Lips was climbing over the half wall dividing the entrance from the dining room and running across tables, kicking over glasses and plates as she went. "This fatass dog with tiny tits!?" Before she came any closer, two of the waitstaff grabbed her by the hooves and dragged her out the front door, kicking and screaming as she went. "He has a tiny penis!! No balls, either!!"

After a few moments, everything calmed down. The wait staff rushed to clean up the mess and replace the meals that were ruined. The owner even made his appearance, angrily storming his way to the front to find out who was responsible for the damage to his otherwise delightful evening.

"I wonder who that was?" asked Silver, shrugging.

"My most recent ex," answered Stud. "She's incredibly possessive and oddly resourceful. She broke into my house earlier today. Snuck right past security. It's actually a little terrifying."

"Good for you, escaping that one."

"So sorry for that interruption," bowed the waitress. "Now, what can I bring you to eat?"

"I'll have the risotto, no salt," said Stud, not having even opened the menu. Clearly, he was used to this place by now.

"And for you, Miss?"

"The cucumber salad looks good," smiled Silver, folding her menu closed. As the waitress nodded and walked off, Stud let out a chuckle. "What?"

"You're upset with the archetype of the stallion who orders for his date, and then follow that up with the archetype of a mare ordering a salad. What a hypocrite."

They shared a laugh as Stud uncorked the wine. Despite the interruption, they were genuinely hitting it off, and they were determined to have a good night out.