The filet minion was amazing. They had talked about some of the classes LJ was taking this semester and Sara's need to find a new car soon. To anyone else those topics might have sounded dull for a date such as this, but after what they had been through topics like this were heavenly.
The waiter came to clear their plates and helped them to select desert. The evening was going so well. Michael was relaxed and happy. Something Sara hoped to see more often now that his life had found some normalcy again.
They continued to talk as their waiter returned with their deserts. She had selected cheesecake and he had chosen tiramisu. She had just begun to ask him how his job was going when she noticed a change in his features. He had gotten tense and was no longer listening to her.
She followed his eyes just in time to see a middle age man walking toward their table. She didn't know who he was, but he had reporter written all over him. Sara turned back to face Michael and saw their waiter out of the corner of her eye. She signaled him they were ready for their check and he disappeared almost immediately to go and fetch it. She knew there was no way to avoid this reporter entirely but she was hoping they would be able to get out of here before too many questions could be asked.
"Your Michael Scofield." It was a statement rather than a question.
Michael didn't say anything although Sara could see the tension in his jaw. "This is an awfully nice place to find a recently released felon. They must pay more in prison's now a days than I thought."
Sara saw their waiter approaching with their check and she sighed with relief. He smoothly interrupted and handed the check over to Michael. "I can take it now if you would like sir."
The waiter's voice broke through Michael's thoughts. He reached into his wallet and paid the waiter in cash. "Keep the change."
"Thank you sir. It has been a pleasure to serve you this evening." The waiter came around and pulled out Sara's chair for her and he waited by the table as she and Michael headed for the door.
They made their way out of the restaurant as quickly as they could without actually running and headed straight for Michael's car. Sara was glad the waiter had read the look in her eyes correctly. She didn't know what kind of a tip Michael had given him but as far as she was concerned it wasn't enough. She would have to make a point to come by tomorrow and leave something extra for him as a thank you.
As Michael closed the door for Sara he looked back to see if they had been followed. They hadn't. This is not how he had wanted to end the evening. Everything had been going so well and he had planned to take her for a walk along the beach and propose in the moonlight. Now it just didn't seem to fit. The mood had been broken and by some lousy reporter who thought he was being funny.
It took all the effort Michael had to not hit the roof of his car before getting in. Instead he opened the door and slid behind the steering wheel. He glanced over at Sara who was sitting quietly with her hands in her lap. He knew what he had to do. "Would you like me to take you home?"
Sara had been thinking of ways she could make things better again for Michael when she heard him ask her if she wanted him to take her home. She should have expected this. He always tried to protect her. She looked up and met his eyes. "Actually, I was just thinking how I didn't get to finish my desert so I was wondering if maybe we could stop for ice cream." Sara ended this statement with a smile and hoped Michael would take the branch she had offered.
He wasn't sure how to react. She wanted ice cream? And now she was smiling at him, her eyes bright with excitement he couldn't help but smile back. "Ice cream sounds good."
He put the car in drive and set out to find ice cream.