Depend On Me

Date (1)

Chapter 6: Date (1)

***

Both of them got moderately dressed up for the occasion. Gabriel put on a dark blue suit jacket over black jeans and a white shirt. While Elizabeth worse a deep blue dress and low black heels, combined with a black bag and some black crystal accessories.

“How do I look? You think he’ll be impressed?” Elizabeth asked as she turned around in front of her roommate.

“I’d be surprised if he wasn’t… I think I dropped my jaw somewhere around here…” Gabriel remarked jokingly and the woman giggled as they headed out of the apartment.

“You know… around you I really feel much calmer… It’s so nice having someone I can talk to like this.” Elizabeth remarked as they exited the car.

“You mean? I thought you have plenty of friends.” Gabriel asked as he opened the door to the restaurant.

“I do but… most of them are already married and with kids, so it’s not like we have much in common to talk about. And most of them are pressuring me into dating, like this…” Elizabeth said as she waved her hand at Jennifer and the man she was going to have dinner with.

‘Who would have known she had so much on her mind…’ Gabriel headed to the table with her, pulling the chair out so Elizabeth could sit down.

“Thank you.” Elizabeth said as she smiled at Gabriel, this was supposed to be her date’s job but the man that was comfortably sitting down didn’t even bother to do it.

After introductions were over, they began speaking to their respective dates…

 “Gabriel, so what do you do for work?” Jennifer asked as she leaned a bit too close to the man for comfort.

“I’m a handyman and I occasionally work at a bar, mostly nightshifts…” Gabriel answered briefly while keeping most of his attention focused on the other man that was at the table.

The man’s name was Lois, he was in his late thirties. He was fashionably dressed with thin framed glasses over his large nose which surprisingly suited his face. He had a beard that seemed well groomed and his mannerisms were calm as if calculated in advanced. Gabriel had a hard time deciding whether the other male looked good or not…

“And what do you do Lois?” Elizabeth asked with a polite smile on her face. The date had just began and she already felt like it was going nowhere.

“I’m a General Manager in a Financial Consulting firm.” Lois said proudly. “I help high value people manage their finances in the best way possible for them… but I won’t bore you with details you wouldn’t understand.”

“No, please do… It sounds very interesting.” Elizabeth said as she smiled once again in the man’s direction. She was thinking of holding back from drinking since she was going to drive back home but now that the man started talking so arrogantly, she couldn’t help but drink a bit of the wine that was on the table.

“We offer life insurance with each deal we make with our clients, reassuring they will reach their goals whether they are on this earth or not. I analyze the client’s needs based on their financial goals. Whether it would be to have an impressive investment portfolio or maybe to buy another mansion that they’d only ever so rarely go to… Or maybe to educate their children and leave them a large inheritance. I handle all of that while also making sure all my clients are left with a good impression of both my company and myself.” Lois explained as he smiled brightly. “I am the best of the consultants there and I hold the highest position within my own team which I formed a year ago. And even though we’re such a new team we’re almost always on top of the rankings…”

‘Arrogant prick… Just say you sell life insurance to desperate rich people…’ Gabriel thought to himself as he listened to the man speak. But what made him most annoyed wasn’t the other’s manner of speech but rather the fact that Elizabeth was so earnestly listening to him. ‘Is she really interested in this guy?’ He wondered to himself as he looked at the woman’s side profile.

“Are you listening to me?” Jennifer interrupted the man’s thoughts. “I was just telling you about this awesome-” She was interrupted before she could say anything further.

“I’m going to go out for a smoke.” Gabriel said as he stood up from the table, their order was still yet to arrive and he thought waiting outside in the cold was a better option than listening to either of their ramblings.

“Wait, I’ll come with you.” Elizabeth said as she also stood up. They both headed outside of the restaurant.

“So… what do you think?” Elizabeth asked as she took out her small cigar box and offered one to the man.

“About him or her?” Gabriel asked as he accepted the cigar and took out his lighter, lighting up Elizabeth’s cigar first, then his own.

“Both.” Elizabeth said as she closed her eyes and took a drag from her cigar. She rarely ever smokes but this was one of those occasions where she couldn’t resist the urge to do so.

“Jennifer is… very talkative… I don’t really understand what she’s talking about…” Gabriel admitted as he looked at the cigar’s burning end, he was yet to take a puff from it and just looked at it.

“Haha… I get it… She can be a bit too much at times but she’s a pretty good girl. Well not that, that means you have to listen to her or anything… Maybe take control of the conversation and talk about things that interest you, she’ll likely follow your lead.” Elizabeth suggested as she breathed out the smoke, the cold air around them making it even more visible as it left her red lips…