This would be his first time participating in one of this legendary DM’s fatuous debacles.  John was actually looking forward to seeing exactly how stupidly this would be put together.  He had attended a couple of the final meetings from the DM’s last game since he couldn’t very well just jump in to the end of one.  But, this would be the first in which he participated.  He parked his truck in a safe and out of the way spot and came in quietly without preamble, finding an empty chair and putting down a small tray of sushi that he had bought on the way over.  Sure enough, as he looked around, he identified several of the dominant snacks and even the sandwiches as being heavy on the cheese.  The veritable banquet of lactose made his stomach tighten reflexively.  Yet, there was a shining light of hope at the table.

Rosemarie had brought brownies.

He left the sushi and went back to his truck for his duffel and a small bag.

He had already become a little fond of Rosemarie for her bold manners and her way of not putting up with unnecessary crap to say nothing of her sense of humor.  Her brownies were just a form of icing on the cake.  In fact, he hadn’t even noticed that she was pretty until the second session he attended.  Still, fondness and looks aside, she was ten years his junior and there was no way that he was going to start trying for a relationship with someone that young.  If she tried to start something, that would be a different matter.  For now, he was glad to have found a person whose presence he could actually enjoy.

He pulled out his customary stack of notebooks and sketchbooks along with a pair of chopsticks.  Yet, instead of taking a bite of his sushi, the first thing his chopsticks snagged was a brownie.  Sushi was masterful but fudge was divine.  He tossed an appreciative nod and a half-smile to Rosemarie as he began with the best and got his materials organized, creating a small island of order in the chaos of the room.  He also put the small bag on the table by Rosemarie.  

He had noticed her mentioning something that she liked at the last meeting that he attended, and he had felt a little bad after eating as many of her brownies as he had that day.  After all, he was only an observer at the time.  So, he had snagged a little something by way of apology and thanks.  The bag contained a couple servings of sushi and a small veggie platter featuring carrots plentifully.

It was only now that he pulled out a thin notebook from his stack and passed it down to Craig for his approval.  He had finished the character the morning before and polished it up a bit in the time he had left around work.  His friend had been teasing him about losing their bet and attending this more than once, but that guy had never been quite the brightest bulb.  John had wanted to lose that bet.  He had been watching that sap moon over that same girl for almost three years.  It was a miracle that she hadn’t married someone else in the meantime.  The bet was a gambit to get the putz to finally make a move and it had paid off handsomely.  The two seemed quite happy together and John was happy to play the loser if it meant seeing his friend laugh so much.  The guy’s depression had been irritating.

It was only now, in a quiet moment between the crunching and munching and idle chatter, that John spoke up.

“Good morning, Craig, Rosemarie, Soumer, Alex, Theresa.”  His voice was as smooth, even, and deliberately unremarkable as his clothes.  He always looked nice and professional but never more or less than that.  His looks had the careful uniformity of a well maintained and habitual mask.  Still, a red button down shirt and black pants looked good on him and he was not oblivious to the fact.