Manny took a small bow and waved to the crowd as he stepped off the stage.

“Dude, how do you not have a record deal or something?”

[color=a0410d]“Eh...I don’t have time for all of that.”[/color]

“Oh, c’mon, Manny. That’s the kind of talent people pay for....live a little, dude.”

Manny chuckled a little and lightly shook his head. Just then, a bit of movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to see a very familiar rottweiler with a red vest making its way directly toward him and his heart skipped a beat.

[color=a0410d]“You can[i]not[/i] be serious…”[/color]

“Looks like a service dog. It’s okay, they’re allowed.”

[color=a0410d]“No, it’s not the dog...it’s the owner. I think I’m being summoned.”[/color]

“Oh? You know this dog?”

[color=a0410d]“Yeah, I do. I’ll catch you later, alright?”[/color]

“I’ll be around.”

As his friend headed back to work, Manny peered down at the dog with a slight sense of dread. He was just sitting and waiting for Manny to follow. With a sigh, Manny motioned for the dog to go.

[color=a0410d]“Lead the way, boy.”[/color]

The small walk across the cafe felt like an eternity. The sense of dread within Manny growing stronger with every step. Was she angry? Frightened? Would she call him out in front of a bunch of people? Would he be able to do the same? Maybe she just wanted to smooth things over...no, that sounded too good to be true. Revenge, perhaps...? Whatever it was, Manny was prepared for the worst. When he reached Aurora’s table, she cut him off just as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Meet me outside if you can. And no, I'm not about to kill you or anything over what happened."

He had never before felt the amount of relief that he felt now. She didn’t sound super pissed, but her tone still had a mix of annoyance, anger, and weariness. As relieved as he was, though, it did little to calm his nerves. He had messed up pretty badly with this girl and he was finally about to face it -- he would not leave her hanging a second time. It took him a few seconds to build up the resolve to follow Aurora out of the cafe. He had faced things that were much more threatening than a chat with a blind girl, yet he felt as if his very life was on the line. Bundling up, he stepped back out into the cold and found Aurora leaning against the wall. He approached slowly, like a child forced to apologize to someone they bullied.

[color=a0410d]“I, uh...don’t know what to say…I guess I can start with sorry...”[/color]