Singled Out!

[PearlNecklace]

Abby enjoyed the way that Nate took her hand and once in the restaurant helped her with her chair. Many woman would be shrieking in horror that he would have the audacity to do such things. Abby was probably more old fashioned than those women, she loved that Nate was being so attentive.

She glanced up at him from the menu and shook her head. "I have no preference Nate. I rarely dine out, so I'm afraid my knowledge of wine is lacking. If you believe the Cabernet Sauvignon is a good choice, I'll trust you."

She relaxed against the back of the chair, putting the menu down a moment as she looked across the table at him. She wondered what he wanted to get from this encounter, was all this chivalry a prelude to sex? Did he think he could charm his way into her panties. As she looked at him, she almost felt she'd let him in them.

"So tell me why you're here. You've mentioned business, but what do you do? And why were you at that sorry excuse for a meat market? Is there a Mrs Nate who will want to crucify me at a later date?"

 

[Demos Straxus]

Epyon laughed at her upfrontness. So many women would tried to tippy toe around these questions over a period of hours. She simply blasted him with both barrels right off the bat.

"I work as a corporate attorney for a major stock analysis firm, which decided to merge last year to merge with another soulless enity of the same ilk. I was brought in to make the transfer smooth. It wasn't. Not by any means. I've spent the last six day crammed into a miniscule meeting room in my hotel, trying to convince the heads of two rival companies that they love and adore one another. After that I was ready for a drink, and perhaps some company which didn't talk in stock evaluations. The 'meat market' was the best place to find both. Though I must confess that you were far more than what I had expected to find in such a place. I'm frankly rather curious to learn what you were doing in such a place yourself."

He paused just long enough for her to start to hammer him on the marriage question before answering with a smile.

"And no, I am only married to my work."

 

[PearlNecklace]

She leant forward in her chair and glanced at his left hand. "No, I didnt see a wedding ring, or a hint there was one but it was in your pocket. But a girl can never be too careful."

Abby bit her lip and looked him squarely in the eye. "So if I was more than you expected to find, you were clearly after some bimbo for a roll in the hay?" Her reasons for being there were pushed to the side as she looked at him and wondered if he would give her some kind of line, or if he would admit the truth. "I mean, if you've been stressed and frustrated I'm sure you would have been looking for someone to help ease those things?"

Why beat around the bush she wondered. She always spoke her mind, she was careful how she did so but she did it anyway.

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate smiled, not looking the slightest bit affronted or embarrased by the question.

"Yes. I am as human as the next man. Though I generaly like to think I bring as much pleasure to my consorts as they do me."

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby smiled in return. "Well then, does this mean that dinner and your gentlemanly behaviour is all a front? You're going to ply me with wine then take me back to your hotel room for a quickie?"

Abby shook her head, looking to him with questions in her eyes. "This is where we part company I think Nate. I was there tonight because my friends dragged me along, not because I wanted to be. I'm not into casual sex, especially with a man who quite possibly has had a different girl every weekend for the last year."

Although she'd said her little speech she hesitated as she looked at him. Was she being too hasty, had she judged him unfairly. "Unless of course you're going to dispute my claims. But then I suppose that would be natural, given your occupation!" She couldn't help the smile or the laugh that realisation brought to her lips.

 

[Demos Straxus]

"I am a lawyer by profession, though I will not refute most of your claim. Well except for the last part. 'Ply you with wine' indeed. Who is playing who here Abby? We both know that technique would never work on you."

Nate actualy frowned slightly at this. Obviously feeling she was insulting his intellect.

"We both know the only way you will go to bed with me, is if you choose to do so of your own free will, and I would not have it any other way. My intent here is to simply show you a good time. The point at which we part company is completly your choice. I am simply enjoying your company at this point. It has been a long time since I last engaged in inteligent conversation of anything other than a buisness nature."

Nate steepled his finger before him in a buisnesslike manner.

"I am here to provide you with an excelent dinner, some fine wine, and what I hope is intelligent conversation."

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby actually blushed. She hadn't done that in the longest time but as she sat there and listened to Nate dispute some of the conclusions she had jumped to, confirming others she felt a little embarrassed.

She bite her lip then looked over the table at him. "Its a little hard to engage in intelligent conversation when one has their stilettos in their mouth!" She smiled at him as she glanced at her feet.

"How about we start over?" She smiled at him and said "Hello Nate, my name is Abby. I'd love to go to dinner with you and see where this could lead. You'll have to excuse me if I place my foot, or feet in my mouth, its a bad habit of mine."

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate smiled at this.

"Not all of us can be backstabbing lawyers."

Gesturing over he ordered a bottle of wine, and then sent the waiter away until they were ready to order. Pouring them both a glass of crimson liquid out of the bottle, he smiled and handed her one, placing the other at his side of the table. The Waiter Could have done all this, but Nate enjoyed the slight labor, and it gave him a chance to observe Abby from a different angle. She was a most satisfying woman to deal with.

Returning to his seat, he raised the glass in a toast.

"To new beginnings."

 

[PearlNecklace]

"To new beginnings"

She smiled at Nate as she sipped the wine slowly. "Hmm, its got a lovely taste to it Nate. I'll have to drink it slowly or I might just end up dancing on the table" Abby laughed softly and winked across the table at the handsome man she was dining with.

"So what are you going to order for dinner Nate? I can't quite decide what I'd like. What do you recommend?"

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate chuckled at her coment.

"Then I had best keep us stocked up on wine."


Turning to the menu, he sipped his wine, and spoke out his choices.

"I think I shall have the house salad, a plate of their hand pressed ravioli, with perhaps a slice of rasberry cheescake for and chocolate liquer for dessert. Though I might pass on dessert...what I would like, may not be on this menu."

His eyes passed over her in a plateful way, making his meaning clear.

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby laughed softly as his hot gaze travelled over her. It was not because what he said was amusing, but because it made her nervous. For a crazy moment she imagined herself lying on a long banquet table, completely naked, covered in cream and syrup and other dessert kind of things. Blushing brightly, she shook the thought out of her head.

Smiling over at him she nodded her head. "I think I'll have the same, only the dessert I'd like is on the menu. Where as the dessert you'd prefer can be bought at a few venues a few streets over. I'd be happy to show you where after we finish our meal together."

She grinned across the table at him, leaning a little closer, unaware that the movement pushed her breasts further out of the already revealing halterneck of her dress. "Besides.. you couldn't afford me.."

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate chuckled at this response.

"Ah...but the sweetest dessert is also often the hardest to obtain."

Nate admired her fine breasts for a moment, obserinv them like an art critic might look upon a Van Gogh.

"But enough about me...Why were you at the 'meat market?' You seem even less the type than I. "

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby shrugged as she looked at him "Plain and simple really. My so called friends believe I don't get out enough. That I spend too much time being sensible. They dressed me in this ridiculously flaunting dress and dragged me along. I'd be at home now if you had'nt have bought me that drink. I had just decided to leave."

Abby toyed with her fork, feeling slightly vulnerable after the admission. What would he think of her now he knew she wasn't a raging party animal? She'd drawn attention to the dress and now she wondered what he thought of her in it.

"I mean really, this dress doesn't suit me. And I'm showing off far too much breast!" It was only then that Abby glanced down and saw just how much her leaning forward was revealing. She straightened up, blushing as she looked over at him. "And I thought you were a gentleman.. did I flash you a nipple?" She asked half joking, half embarrassed.

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate smiled, totaly at ease.

"No...but that dress is rather revealing, and in your case flattering."

Taking another sip of his wine, he pondered how to respond to her statement about not wishing to be at the party and decided to be honest. It had worked quite well thus far.

"As to your distaste for the supposed 'meat market', I find myself quite grateful to it, for whatever it's flaws, it did allow me to meet you. A turn of events for which I am most grateful. Indeed, one could consider us the exception that proves the rule. A pair of adults that meet at such a place, and engage in intellectual, rather than sexual congress."

He smiled again at her, but did not refrain from his usual penetrating gaze. He knew that she felt it, and reacted to it, though she tried her best to ignore it.
Most men, he knew would have used caution, afraid to scare her away, but Nate knew she valued honesty, and he would not decieve her about his feelings.

 

[PearlNecklace]

"This has been a marvellous exception." Abby replied quietly. She was glad he had finally realised she would not be falling into bed with him. Though the look he gave her, the heat in his gaze made it obvious that Nate was certainly interested.

She sipped her wine, almost drinking too much as her mind became preoccupied. She wondered if she would fall in bed with him? He was an attractive man. Intelligent, well spoken, clearly successful. Did that mean she would break one of her own rules and sleep with a man she hadn't met. In this day and age that was no longer wise but she found herself considering it as she looked over the table at him.

 

[Demos Straxus]

"It has at that, though I do hope you will forgive me if I don't cease in the attempt. I would be most dissapointed with myself If I didn't at least give it my all."

Nate observes her watching him. He can see the slight indecision in her eyes, but cannot seem to find the tool to move her.

All it would take is one action.....but what?

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby laughed as she looked across the table at Nate. "Well you can give it your all.. and I'll refuse with my all and we'll both leave satisfied. Though one of us won't be satisfied in quite the way they had envisioned."

Smiling across the table at him, she was glad when the waiter arrived to take their orders.When he looked towards her she slowly shook her head and pointed it towards Nate. "He and I are having the same thing."

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate smiled politely at the waiter, and then ordered.

"The young lady and I shall have the house salad, a plate of your hand pressed ravioli, with a slice of rasberry cheescake and chocolate liquer for dessert."

The waiter dutifully jotted this all down, and left. Nate's intrest in him vanished as soon as he left the table. Returning his attention to Abby, he pondered her statement. Rolling the statement around in his head he smiled, and steepled his hands in a way that any of his law school chums would recognize as his debate posture.

"If you don't mind my asking, why are you so hell bent against the idea of the two of us enjoying a wonderful evening?"

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby decided Nate's choices for their meal were exceptional and looked forward to enjoying them. But until each course arrived she was left to sit under his scrutiny and she wasn't sure how much longer she could actually do that for.

Then her answer came, as he asked her a question. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you so hell bent against the idea of the two of us enjoying a wonderful evening?"

She shook her head as she looked at him. "You have it all wrong Nate. I'm more than prepared to have a wonderful evening with you. I'm just not prepared to conclude it in your bed. I am sure that would be just as wonderful and I've no doubt you're an amazing lover. But I am just not interested in a one night stand."

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate considered her statement disspassionetly, as he had been trained to. It was not easy. She was intoxicating to behold, and even thinking with her in his presence dampened his usualy sharp mind. Mentaly shrugging, he decided to let the the issue sit for a while. Hopefully something would come to him.

"Very well, I shall simply have to resign myself to having an enjoyable meal with a wonderful woman. In any case, I think we've talked far too much about myself. I would love to know more about you."

His usual charming smile shone on his face, though it was clear he was still considering the issue.

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby almost breathed a sigh of relief as Nate finally let the subject drop.

"Oh I'm sure you're far more interesting than I am to talk about Nate." Abby had never been very good at talking about herself and avoided doing so at all costs.

She felt she'd already been quite hard on the gorgeous man sitting opposite her so she gave in and smiled at him, saying; "But how about I promise you this? Anything question you ask of me I'll answer as openly and honestly as I am able to.

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate chuckled at this.

"Okay."

He pondered the questions he might ask for a few seconds. Dissmissing half of them out of hand, he decided to start with the basics.

"What do you do for a living? I get the distinct impression you're not a lawyer."

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby nodded her head and smiled. "You're right Nate, Im not a lawyer. I'm a preschool teacher. I teach 20 3 year olds in a full time daycare."

She laughed softly as she continued. "They can be just as fierce but they're nicer to be around I'm sure."

She found herself relaxing as she talked about one of her favourite subjects. Children were her love, her passion and she enjoyed teaching them.

 

[Demos Straxus]

Nate watched her eyes light up, and smiled. She obviously enjoyed this subject very much.

"Don't that many children prove unruley at times?"

 

[PearlNecklace]

Abby shook her head and her smiled became brighter. "Not once they respect you and realise anything you say or do is for their own benefit. I can yell louder than them if necessary. I can be as quiet as a mouse and they have to strain to hear me. Either tactic works for loud children."

She blushed as she realised her enthusiasm was getting the better of her. Never mind, she thought and carried on with the same gusto, "Besides, unruley can be fun! Like when we're singing and dancing along with music, waving streamers about. Or when we're running around the playground because a huge crocodile is on the loose!"

She sat back in the chair, still blushing and finally stopped talking. She realised she'd been enthusiastically talking away for a while now as the waiter arrived with their salads. The diversion was welcome and she was sure Nate probably felt the same way.