"C'mon, my dear, you need to get out there and find someone, you can't just reject everyone who wants to share a passionate night with you! And you said you needed help so I'm doing it, aren't I?"
"But this 'idea' of a blind date is ridiculous!"
Elizabeta couldn't believe her bad luck tonight: Francis had set her in a blind date, something she doesn't intend to go through, and he said she was being ridiculous for rejecting the plot. Yes, she had been staying in the apartment for a few days than she intended, and she did get upset whenever she went on dates with guys because of how ignorant they were, but this didn't mean she was all up for dating someone blindly. So many things could go wrong in this situation and yet Francis was pleading for her to give it a chance whilst their silent friend Kiku was busy playing on his god damn Nintendo.
Sighing in frustration she muttered, "I should've just watched some anime instead..."
"Darling, that isn't very helpful when it comes to writing-"
"Watching a bunch of teens having weird, unrealistic romances is much better than doing it yourself! I'm in my twenties but at least I'm living it with great fulfillment!" She folded her arms and pouted with great
"Eating cup noodles, sleeping in longer periods of the day and ignoring your editor is not good for you!"
"Besides, Eliza," Kiku spoke up suddenly, the two looked over to Kiku and listened, "it's not good to stay in our apartment like a hermit. You should try giving this whole date thing a chance."
"What the hell, I thought you'd be on my side?"
"I would be, but you haven't exactly been...yourself since you broke up with Roderich..."
Her right eyebrow twitched in irritation. Yes, Roderich and her were over, but Kiku was rather wrong about who dumped who. If it was to comfort Elizabeta in feeling that she was in somewhat control of the relationship, then it helped a tad in regaining her confidence in herself. Roderich had dumped her, surprisingly, for their relationship was long-dreaded. That was it. Elizabeta tried forgetting the whole thing but it hadn't been easy for her. She and Roderich were like soulmates, practically connected. But now, Roderich had left her first and...that really hurt her feelings. She wasn't forthcoming afterwords for a long time and that caught Francis and Kiku in a worried state.
Thinking about it, maybe it wasn't such a terrible idea in meeting someone new now. I mean, she thought, it has been a while now. I don't see why I can't at least give it a shot, for my writing and myself. But then I have to admit Francis is right... That last part made her feel anxious, as she hated admitting the French romantic was right.
Elizabeta sighed in defeat, "If my date goes well," she said cautiously, "then you two need to go on a date with whoever I want. And I gotta watch you two do it, I mean it! Bros, man, we gotta stick together!" Elizabeta shouted proudly, hands tightened in fists in the air whilst punching upward.
Kiku and Francis were dumbfounded at her request, but they agreed as they did set Elizabeta up so they had to go with it, too.
"So, is there a reason why I have to wear this dress and go into this fancy restaurant?"
"It's rather romantic as a setting, no? Plus, I know a good friend who allowed me to reserve a table for you."
"By good friend, you mean your sex bud for the week?"
"My dear Eliza, we only participate in sex once in a while!"
"Well, can you at least tell me who you set me up with?" Elizabeta asked, intrigued over who Francis set her up with.
"I can tell you it isn't a man, all you have to do is go inside and say who sent you." Francis said teasingly. She could practically see the flames of love burning brilliantly in his eyes whenever he thought about Elizabeta and her potential pair, whoever it was, in his head.
Shrugging to herself, Elizabeta took one last look down at her dress-a black knee-length dress with a necklace of a lightning bolt from her best friend-and decided to go. Kiku and Francis took their moment to say goodbye and Elizabeta, taking up her courage, entered into the large restaurant without a second thought.
Entering the restaurant, Elizabeta was taken aback on how elegant and suave everything was. Fancy looking setting, fancy floorboards and art work on the walls, fancy chandeliers over the tables, everything just flat out looked fancy and here she was, feeling sheepish about the whole setting. If her senses were right, Francis and Kiku were by the window where she left them, watching over her as invisible support.
Then, an old man with a curly moustache and wearing a lavishing tuxedo with a waiter towel over his right forearm approached her felicitously and asked in a spiritless tone, "Have you reserved a table, madam?"
"Uh...yeah, I mean yes! I'm Elizabeta..." The waiter raised a curious eyebrow. "M-my friend sent me here, Francis?"
"Oh, yes, him," Elizabeta could sense the distaste in his words. "Your table is occupied with your...blind date, so if you would just follow me, please." The man strutted forward into the larger area of the fancy restaurant and she attempted to look natural, but she couldn't help but feel nervous around these extremely posh people glancing over her like a piece of dirt had taken existence.
Soon enough, Elizabeta was guided to her table nearby a window (properly for Francis and Kiku's view) and at the table there was a woman looking down on her phone, occupied. The waiter took up the seat for Elizabeta, even though Elizabeta could have done it herself, and she realizes as she had her butt on the chair that the person in front of her...was Natalya.
Elizabeta's jaw nearly dropped in horror; Natalya just glanced upward from her phone, stared for a moment and glanced down without a reaction. What the hell, she thought in bewilderment, I thought Francis matched me with someone SANE? Elizabeta only stared at Natalya, noticing the slight changes in her appearance like her hair actually down and straightened nicely, Natalya's eyes had eye-shadow around them which gave an alluring look to her and she was here. The fact that she was out here in public made things frightening for Elizabeta.
She knew she was supposed to say something, compliment her, say how nice she looked tonight and make a funny joke about it. But how could she? Natalya was known around the apartment neighborhood as that cat lady in isolation, just minus any cats.
"Your menus," The same waiter said out of nowhere. Elizabeta nearly fell off her chair. Was he there the whole time?
The man just placed the menus on the tabled and strutted away with much boredom. Elizabeta watched him leave and turned to look at Natalya but noticed the menu was brought up like a wall. She didn't know what to do, so she motioned to look at the window beside her and saw a bunch of bushes and, deep within, two pairs of eyes staring like a monsters hidden in an old cartoon show.
Elizabeta mouthed, "Help me," and once they blinked, the eyes disappeared in the darkness.
Turning away, she noticed Natalya peering up from the menu in a glaring state, making Elizabeta freeze in her seat with discomfort.
"What is wrong?" Her voice was deep yet quiet when she asked.
"Uh...I..." Elizabeta cleared her throat. "I just wanted to say how lovely you-"
"I'm just here for free food, and nothing else," Natalya said bluntly, her eyes piercing into her soul. "I thought Francis told you that."
"He...did not tell me that..." Honesty was always the best (yet anti-climatic) way to go, Elizabeta thought shyly.
"Well, just order whatever you want then. He told me he's buying." Natalya's striking eyes lowered down to the menu and no one said a word afterwords.
That struck an intriguing cord with Elizabeta. Free food? Now that was something Elizabeta loved the most. Nonetheless, Elizabeta with her new-found confidence raised her hand for a waiter. Once the waiter from before rushed over, Elizabeta picked up her menu, examined it while Natalya's dark blue eyes once more looked up to Elizabeta in curiosity.
Elizabeta gave the waiter the menu casually and said with determination, "We'll have everything on the menu."
The snarky waiter was taken aback, Natalya's head popped out in consternation and her menu fell from the wind.
"E-everything?" Stammered the waiter apprehensively.
"Yes, everything." Elizabeta turned to Natalya whose eyes were wide from shock. "You don't mind, do you? I mean, like you said, it's all on Francis so..."
Natalya's expression changed from shock to a slow, devious look. Her whole facial expression became devious in the realization that they could dine on everything and not worry about being in debt.
With eyes still on her, Natalya took her menu away and gave it to the waiter passively. He looked back and forth at them, not realizing they were glaring in a special eye contest and, once he ran off, the two ladies began laughing at their stunt, catching some people's eyes because of their deceitful nature.
"I should've thought about that!" Natalya admitted cheekily.
"Yeah, I mean, we're literally burning a hole in Francis' pocket with this! Hey, maybe when they come here and ask for dessert, we'll say 'No thanks, but make sure to tell Francis it was his idea!'"
"This whole thing was his idea! You know how he convinced me besides free food? He said I'd get the newest copy of your book if I-"
The laughter had died, the ladies stared each other in disbelief.
"You...read my stories?"
Natalya expressed great reticence when Elizabeta realized this, "Um...yeah. I do read some of your stories. Don't tell anyone." Her face suddenly became grim. "If you tell anyone we know, I swear upon great Mother Russia and Belarus that I will-"
Elizabeta raised her hands in defense, "Hey now, ain't gotta be like that! I mean, if you wanted a copy or something you could've come up and asked me."
"I prefer being alone..."
Elizabeta fell silent when she said that. She honestly understood what she meant by that, and the previous thoughts of her being the isolated hermit in the apartment building. Feeling rather guilty, Elizabeta wondered what she could say to change the awkward situation.
"You know...it's not so bad," Natalya watched Elizabeta's soft expression and listened, "being alone all the time. But then you realize how unbearable it can be. You don't get to know what's going on, you don't know if you want to know or worst you worry about everyone leaving you. That's why a lot of people end up staying alone. Yet no one ever realizes that being surrounded by people you love, no matter how irritating they can get, can change your view in so many ways. Take one of my characters in An Ex-Lover's Journey!"
"...like how Sarah liked Scott but had stronger feelings with Annie, so she strained her relationship with both of them out of fear of hurting the other?"
Elizabeta punched the table surface in determination, catching a few eyes on her.
"Exactly!" She declared proudly, grinning like a fool.
Out of nowhere, Natalya seemed content with this newfound because she grinned at the Hungarian's ecstatic charm. Elizabeta, though getting to know Natalya now, felt the months of rumors and whispers from neighbors were just lies and bullshit gossip. Now she was getting to know her for real as they dined exquisitely (under Francis' money) and talked with excitement in each other's eyes.
XxXxXxX
The night had gone better than Elizabeta expected. With her arm around a lovely, non-psychotic lady's hip and Natalya smiling despite her stern expression being one of the special few she had seen tonight. They had just gotten out of the restaurant with the snarky waiter bidding them goodnight (and holding back tears, reasons unknown to them) and Elizabeta had fresh ideas for her stories, as well as realizing this blind date wasn't such a bad idea. She hadn't thought about Kiku or Francis or even Roderich!
However, inside the bushes near the window they had dined nearby, Kiku was comforting a tearful Francis who wept after witnessing the two's extreme consumption of gourmet foods and having deep regrets on picking Natalya as her date.
"What have I done..." Francis said, broken inside.
"You got yourself into a larger debt than expected..." Kiku said as he patted Francis' back for comfort. "If we sneak away from the window, maybe the waiter won't find us?"
"I'm scared he'll call the apartment and take all my money!"
"He might, but for now...how about we go home and-?"
"Elizabeta is obviously going to take her home..."
The two remained silent after realizing what Francis meant by that...
"Wanna crash in Al's place?" Kiku suggested.
Francis mutely nodded as they began crawling out their way from the bushes and made their way back home, even if it would be occupied for a while.