Gary wasn’t too worried about security so long as Duncan stopped flashing lots of cash around.  He’d been well behaved for the most part.  He said the only thing that concerned him was whether the limo would fit.  The thing was shaped like a Hummer, but dwarfed one.  It wa a little scary looking, more like a tank.  It it had been a police car it would have terrified anyone that got a ticket.

Aliyah’s condition of no malls made Gary smile.  “I’d have no problem with a mall - for now.  Duncan here gets most of his clothing at Walmart, Sears, and Men’s Warehouse.  We’ll need to find something better. You know the area, so you say where.  You can either point us there or Duncan can look them up to see what the parking looks like.”

Duncan spoke up about the hours.  “For the second thing, the place I was going to take you is open 10-5.  Dinner goes until 10 ish, so plenty of time for a meal afterwards and the place I had in mind is even in walking distance.  But we should ride over.

“For just the meal tonight I spotted a place I’ve been meaning to go to.  It is a food I miss. I used to be a military brat.  We got stationed overseas and I fell in love with the food there.  Really hard to get a quality version of that food here in America, but Las Vegas might be the best place to try.”

The place in question served Turkish cuisine.  Duncan had lived in Ankara for a year and a half.  In America it was hard to get goat and lamb that was good quality.  It felt a little odd planning two dates at once.  But there was nothing like a little pressure to make him work hard.  And he felt oddly encouraged.  Maybe it was the fact she liked to read.  But it was a lot more than that.

Gary offered to give Aliyah a lift home.  But neither was offended if she preferred to walk.

+++++++++

For Duncan shopping for clothes beyond grabbing anything beyond more jeans and black T shirts was painful.  Gary must have said something to him though while she was picking up her first item - which she was allowed to keep secret.  ‘No Christmas-like cheating for Duncan,’ Gary announced.  Duncan tried to retaliate by announcing that went both ways.  Gary just mumbled jeansblackTshirttennisshoes really fast.  Duncan tried to sulk, but he got the point and grinned.

At least Duncan’s hair was in good shape.

Duncan’s new ensemble was tan slacks, dress shoes, dark socks rather than his usual white.  He still wore a black shirt, but it was a dress shirt.  And, of course, he wore a belt.
http://www.skytopmenswear.com/product/free-shipping-2015-new-arrivals-turn-down-collar-casual-men-shirts-fashion-hit-color-edge-design-slim-fit-long-sleeves-men-dress/#  Part of his problem became evident.  He stood 6’7”.  It wasn’t exactly easy to find anything that fit him.  But he refused to try on any light colors.

When they finally got sat down in the Turkish restaurant, Duncan explained the reason for his choice - having lived in Turkey.  He spoke to the waiter in Turkish - fluently.  Even Gary looked surprised.  Duncan, for all his claims of being a horrible people person, had a gift of opening up to people and getting a response in return.

“They have Turkish Chai,” his eyes danced.  “You know those tea sets with the shot glasses and cups filled with sugar cubes.  Imagine a 10-11 year old with what was for him an ungodly sum of money set loose on a ferry boat in the Bay of Izmir, drinking glass after glass of hot tea with so much sugar in it that it was like syrup.”  He laughed at the memory.  “Only equivalent I can think of in America would be a six pack of 20 oz Red Bulls.  I told them I am being coerced into maintaining a budget, but it doesn’t sound that bad.  When I was in Turkey the dollar was worth a lot of Lira.

“So now you know at least one kind of food I like.  Truth to tell I like all sorts of new foods.  But I bet you suspected that from the way I talked about omelettes.  I don’t know if you’ll like what I have planned for tomorrow.  But you said to pick something that is me.  So I did.  Well, sort of.  There was one part I thought we’d both enjoy.  Only thing I really got to see last time I was here was Hoover Dam.  So everything else is new.  I’m afraid it was a falling apart time for my family.”  Duncan stopped and clamped his mouth shut.  “Sorry, not good subject for a date.  And I am trying to make good memories of this place.  I was born not far from here.  Reno.

“So … maybe you tell me a little about yourself?”