I had a little trouble with this - What do two people talk about when they don't know each other and one person doesn't want to be there in the first place? - but it wasn't writer's block... If it was I would still be writing it. So it may seemed a bit rushed.
Thank you to SSAPrentis for helping me work it out though :)
Disclaimer: Not Mine
Ziva looked at her father expectantly. Waiting for him to talk first.
"Ziva, remember the conversation we had last night," He said rather cheerfully.
"How could I forget," Ziva replied coolly.
"I have set up a date," he stated.
"I do not want to go on it," She replied.
"If you do not; you will be grounded," he threatened.
"How scary," Ziva spat back sarcastically.
"You will be going. I will be taking you there tomorrow night,"
"Tomorrow night!" Ziva exclaimed.
"Yes tomorrow night. You will get to know him," Eli said and stared at her, Ziva stared right back before looking down at the table and sighing, "Okay," She said. She stood to leave and her father spoke again, "You need something appropriate to wear," He said.
"Like what?" She asked bitterly.
"A dress. If you don't have a dress a skirt and a good top," He told her.
"I am sure I can find something in my wardrobe," Ziva said turning around and heading up to her room.
She changed out of the clothes that she was wearing and into her trackies and a tee shirt. As she picked her jeans off the floor to turn them in the right way and to re fold considering that they weren't dirty, she found the napkin that Tony had written his number on. She looked at it for a second before grabbing her phone and adding him as a contact. But she couldn't call him now. Not that she was now going on a date with someone else.
The next morning she was told that her father had organised for her to be at the classy restaurant at six. It was now five. She was procrastinating. She didn't want to go, no matter if she had agreed to it or not. In the last two hours she had accomplish nothing but having a shower. She always found excuses; 'I have to finish this chapter, it is one of the best so far', 'Tali needs help with her hair', 'I need to water the garden'. She was smart enough to have a shower before she watered the garden and then she decided she had to tidy it up a bit and had to have another shower. Her brother and mother could tell what she was doing; and Eli was getting frustrated.
Eventually, she had changed into an off white dress that went down to her knees and the straps crossed on her back. By quarter to six she had finished applying make up and doing her hair.
She didn't talk to her father as he told her how he expected her to behave. He wasn't going to be there; so there wasn't a way that he would be able to know anyway, unless the guy that she was going to meet worked for him.
When the car stopped she stepped out as well as she could given the high silver shoes that she was unaccustomed too. She took a few unsteady steps to through the car park before regaining balance.
When she got to the door a man approached her. He had deep cold eyes - colder than the photo made them look - dark hair, and tan skin. The man from the photo her father showed her a few days. The one who looked like he had a kind facade and his real personality was dark. She shivered slightly involuntary.
"Ziva?" He asked. She nodded, "Your father has told me great things about you," He said. She watched him carefully as he spoke, reading into the smallest of moves he made.
"I'm Riley," He introduced himself.
"Good evening Riley," She greeted.
"Shall we go in?" He smiled.
"I do not see why not," Ziva replied. He offered his hand and she reluctantly took it.
He led her inside to a table by the window. He did everything you would expect to see when watching a chick flick.
"So what has my father told you about me?" Ziva asked.
"He said lots of things. You are strong, you know how to fight and defend yourself. What he didn't tell me was how beautiful you were," He said. She didn't react to the form of flattery. When he realized that he wouldn't get a reaction, he wiped his hands on the side of his pants and inhaled deeply before talking again, "So, Ziva, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself," He asked.
Ziva studied him for a moment before adjusting her position in her chair before answering, "I finished school last year, I am having a gap year this year - working mostly to build a fund for my studies next year," Ziva said.
"What do you want to study?"
"Law enforcement," Ziva said.
"Why?"
"Why does that matter?" Ziva answered.
"I guess it doesn't," he replied.
They took it in turns at walking to the front counter and ordering. When they were both sitting down facing each other again he watched her as if he was figuring out what to say. She hadn't given him much to work with.
"Why don't you tell me your... Favourite colour?" he asked.
"Do not have one," She replied bluntly.
"Why?" He asked.
"I like all colours," She plainly replied, "Enough about me. I bet you know a lot about me from my father. What about you? Tell me about you," She said. She had no interest in what he had to say, but she didn't need to feed his information on what he knew already from her father with her talking about herself.
"What would you like to know?" he asked with a smile.
"Anything and everything," she replied with false interest.
"I was born and raised in Seattle, and moved here a few years ago on a business offer. I am the third child of four..." he continued with his life story. From how old he was to how much money a year he made.
She watched him as they drank, ate, and he spoke. She got the same impression sitting in front of him as she got from looking at the photo. He was dark, on the surface he didn't seem like a bad guy - he wore his façade well.
She randomly wondered how many people he had killed. She shook the thought - she could tell he hadn't, it was more a thought of hatred. She tried concentrating on what he was saying.
She was amazed at how he could still be talking after an hour and a half?
From the movies she had seen and books she had read, stereotypically speaking the girls on the dates usually talk about themselves more than the guy does. But it seemed to be the other way around.
After spending two and a half hours with the man, Ziva knew that there was no way that she would be able to spend the rest of her life with him. He was a business man and spent his times doing business deals... That held no interest to her; she needed some type of mystery, something to keep her interested and thinking. This business man had no life outside of his work. He didn't even follow a religion.
It made her wonder why her father wanted to her to marry him. Her father had to have some motive.
He led her outside to wait for her father to arrive to pick her up. She leant against a wall waiting, making it clear to him that she didn't want to be there, but he didn't seem to notice.
As soon as the car arrived, she said goodnight and got in the car fairly quickly. She was sick of being around a man that spoke of no one but himself. Eli said a quick hello before driving in the direction of their house.
When they arrived back Ziva went straight to her room and changed out of her dress to her pyjamas and sat on her bed, and rang Abby.
"Ziva," Abby said.
"Hi Abs,"
"What's up? You haven't called me at ten in ages," She joked.
"I had a date. With the most boring man on the face of the Earth," Ziva replied.
"Did you go on the date with the guy you have to marry or that Tony guy?"
"I have a feeling that Tony would be so much more interesting," Ziva stated, "His name is Riley, and... Actually I will get that photo and show it to you tomorrow,"
"Okay. What does he do?"
"Something about making deals. I was not listening, I was re-reading one of my books in my head," Ziva said.
"The wonders of having a photographic memory," Abby said.
"No, the wonders of having a favourite book and re-reading it a few times," Ziva laughed.
"What did you find out about him?"
"That he likes to talk a lot. But that might be my fault. I did not want to talk to him so I told him to tell me every thing. He is not very interesting,"
"You've said that already Ziva,"
"I know that I am just making a point,"
"That he is really boring?" Abby replied.
"Yeah,"
"Have you called Tony?"
"No, not yet. I am not sure I should now; I am - technically - dating someone. It would not be right,"
"You are not dating this man, you are being forced too. You are humouring your father?" Abby asked.
Ziva paused for a second, "You know that if I do not do what he says then he will do almost everything other than kill me," She explained.
"You don't like him, you shouldn't be dating him," Abby debated, "I haven't even seen him and I already hate him,"
"So what you are saying is that if I do not want to be dating Riley, then I am allowed to call Tony because it means that I am not dating Riley," Ziva replied, confusing herself.
Abby had to think about it, "Yeah, basically,"
"You have lost your mind Abs," Ziva muttered.
"What do you mean I have lost my mind?"
"It does not matter whether I want to date him or not, I am still dating him. It would not matter if I had been dating him for the last few months than decided that I did not want to date him. I would leave him; but I cannot," Ziva said.
"Why don't you call Tony, organise a place then explain the situation," Abby suggested.
"Because it is a stupid situation and I should not burden someone with my family issues,"
"I am sure if he really wanted to date you he wouldn't care," There was a pause as someone began talking to Abby, "I have to go. My brother needs some help. Talk to you tomorrow,"
"Bye,"
She heard the line go dead and she fell back on her bed staring at the ceiling.
It didn't take long for her to fall asleep on top of her bed covers after thinking of a way to get out of what her father has got her into.
What are your thoughts on Riley? I know I haven't given you much to work off. He is going to be one of those 'mysterious' characters.
Review Please :D