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 Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:46 am
The difference between the first restaurant and the second had been astounding. The diner didn't have mobile ordering but they did have someone by the register waiting to take orders. The place was well lit (and no lightbulbs exploded when they went inside) and clean. There was going to be a ten minute wait for Jace's order, but they were already working on Gabby's milkshake already.
Neither of them had ever been here, and that was okay. He didn't even care about reputation right now. They'd made small talk on the way over here, and stayed close to the streetlights just to make sure she didn't think he was trying to get creepy. They'd exchanged names, and he'd mentioned that he worked in a law firm, maybe to make sure she knew that he cared about the law, and abiding by it.
And also to assure he that he didn't need to steal. He'd even offered to buy her milkshake to make up for the whole thing earlier.
Even if he hadn't done anything wrong, maybe he was just overcompensating. He knew he came across as naturally bitchy, and when he was in a bad mood and already too tired to manage his face, he'd rather just try to buy her off than make the effort to seem friendly.
He wasn't unfriendly! Just tired.
He watched the woman behind the counter as she worked on the milkshake, and then turned to face Gabby.
"Have you ever been robbed? That's not a threat," he insisted, just to make sure, "It's just that you got really worked up when you thought I was trying to rob you."
...Was she secretly a robber?
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 11:38 am
“No, but you hear so much stupid s**t on the news that when someone comes into a restaurant behind you and there’s a loud noise, you automatically think something awful, don’t you?”
She shrugged and flashed a slight grin. “It made sense at the time. It’s dark out, I’m a lone woman. Like, it made sense. I doubt that it’s the truth now but. Is it the first time you’ve been called a robber? You should be thankful I didn’t hit you!” Gabby could have, and if he had done anything slightly more creepy…she honestly would have but.
That was in the past now and soon she’d have a milkshake safely in her belly.
“Why’s a big fancy lawyer all alone getting lame food at this time of the night anyway?”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:04 pm
“Because I was busy working all day,” he grumbled, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Everyone else went to bed already.”
Did they? He didn’t know. It’s not like he had friends and Nelson was the only one around and any time he called him it sounded like Nelson was preparing himself for bad news. He couldn't in good conscience call him this late and not expect to send him into a panic.
“No one has ever called me a robber before, no.” He couldn’t fault her for being cautious in Destiny City, but still. He was tired of bad things happening to him! He just wanted a break!
“I suppose I’m glad you didn’t assault me. I don’t know what I’ve done, I’ve already had a long day. I just want to go home.” It looked like they were almost done with her milkshake; maybe he should have ordered one of those instead of trying to eat healthy.
…Not that his grilled cheese and soup and fries were healthy, but. It sounded fast. His standards had fallen so low already, now he was just desperate.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:37 pm
“Better than being called a murderer though! Don’t you think?” She gave a little grin and nudged him in the side with her elbow. Feeling a little mischievous. “I feel like, there are a lot worse things to be called other than a robber, and honestly…if you’re a lawyer, won’t most people think you’re a robber anyway? Lawyers have a bad reputation most of the time thanks to all of the accident chasers that exist to get themselves rich.”
She had nothing against Jace, liked him even, he was easy to talk to and it was fun to tease him, but most of the time Lawyers…
“My grandfather was a lawyer, on my mother’s side. And he was just as bad as most of the accident chasers. Brought her a nice bit of money though so I suppose I can’t complain. Money is at the root of all evil though, am I right? So…who cares if things are right or wrong or…ah.”
Gabby shook her head, giving a rather guilty smile. “I'm hungry. And talking stupid. Are you from a wealthy family too? I’d say you dress like it but that could just be the work suit.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:58 pm
Jace felt a bit begrudging and smoothed out his outfit because, yes, he screamed of money. He had to dress nicely. He carried himself with pride and dignity and couldn’t let anyone think that he wasn’t an absolute professional.
Which, he was. It was like, his whole personality.
“I come from a family of lawyers,” he answered slowly, because either she could infer that he was wealthy or that they were bad lawyers, and neither seemed ideal in this conversation. “My parents have their own practice. But I’m branching out. We don’t have the same interests when it comes to all of our cases. Divorce lawyers are very popular,” he mused, but when he trailed off it was obvious that his heart might have been somewhere else. “It’s pretty lucrative, too.” He shrugged.
He didn’t seem to take much pride in capitalizing on the deterioration of relationships and families. Or screwing over people who didn’t deserve it.
“But I’m just hungry and talking stupid, too. I don’t usually talk about work outside of the office. I should have gotten a milkshake, yours looks really good. I don’t even like sweets.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:19 pm
The fact that he obviously came from money too was the last thing that Gabby needed to really relax with him and she laughed. “Divorce court! Oh you must see so much juicy stuff, Jace. Also, I think we should exchange numbers and get food more often. We rich bitches should stick together and you can gossip to me about how your cases are going, yeah?”
Her eyes sparkled and she drew out her phone swiftly, opening it to a new contact and holding it out, swinging it slightly for Jace to grab.
“Also, you’re right. You should have gotten a milkshake, but the good thing here is that you can still order one and I’m sure you’ll get it before your food gets finished. French fries always take a while, so…give me your number and I’ll order you a shake. And then I’ll be on my way.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:30 pm
Jace looked at her for a split second because she said what he’d been thinking before he could even juggle the pros and cons of mentioning it to her. She did seem like the sort to thrive on gossip, and if he were being honest–
It would be really nice to have someone to vent to. He shouldn’t! He was a professional!
…But any of his friends who might have been interested in hearing about bratty divorcees were gone, living their own lives. He didn’t even know if Holden would want that gossip.
He accepted the phone and typed in his number. He typed in his name and not ‘Robber’ like he’d been planning on doing.
“All right, but if I’m giving you all this good gossip, you’d better show up with some of your own once in a while. And we need to pick better places to eat. If you’re a rich b***h, I don’t know what you were doing at that last place any more than I know what I was doing there. So I hope you have some recommendations for somewhere better.”
He’d relaxed a bit; he had a hard time meeting new people and could come across as too stern, too stubborn, too callous.
…But he hadn’t chased her away yet, so. Maybe he was getting better with people.
Or, maybe she was just different than most people.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:42 pm
“Oh god yeah. We’ll have better places to go when it isn’t butt o’clock at night, that was our fault for being hungry so late. But I know we know good places to eat, and you know that I know that we know good places, so we’re set.”
She sent a quick text to the number he had put in, and completed it with a selfie of the two of them, her making a terrible face and him not even looking as she hadn’t told him she was taking it. The milkshake had been ordered and Gabby was pleased to see that they were working on it. “All right. See you around new gossip bestie. I’ll keep my ears open for anything new and exciting that I think you might like, be safe getting home. There are weirdos out at night as I’m sure you know.”
Winking, Gabby gae a little wave and then left the diner, sipping her milkshake as she did so.
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