Esmeralda would be lying if she was uncomfortable. The restaurant Sosuke chose was over the top, something she never would go to or even dreamed of going to. The restaurant, called "Perch," had good reviews but ridiculous prices. Looking at the menu, she couldn't believe that it cost so much, especially for miniature food. In the end, both ordered and waited for their food to be ready. The two were silent; Esmeralda didn't even look at him. The young woman felt embarrassed. She sat in front of a very handsome man who she had barely met a couple of minutes ago and who had invited her to dinner. "I should have taken the money," she told herself.

"What was that?"

Esmeralda snapped out of her thoughts. "N-Nothing. We just met for a couple of minutes, and we are in an expensive place I can't afford."

"I'm paying, so you have nothing to worry about."

"I feel terrible! You are spending money on a person you hardly know. I should have taken the money so you wouldn't have to spend this much."

Sosuke crossed his arms. Esmeralda noticed that he didn't seem fazed; he looked curious. "You didn't lead me into anything, my dear. I chose to do what I did. I wanted to give you those 100 dollars because you danced and sang beautifully. Not everyone can sing or know the many songs of Gina Lollobrigida."

"Gina was such a talented actress; she had a voice like no other. Not only that, but she also took photojournalism. Sadly, people look past that but only notice her beauty." Esmeralda took a sip. "By the way, I told you my name; you never told me yours."

"It's Sosuke. Let's do an appropriate introduction." He motioned out his hand, and Esmeralda got a hold of it; both shook hands. "You have a unique name. I imagine you were named because of the color of your eyes."

"Yes, my father named me. He's from Mexico. My father can speak Spanish and Nahuatl. Many indigenous people and other people speak Nahuatl, but they still prefer to speak Spanish. Many people feel that Nahuatl is an inferior language. Sadly, many Mexican people are descendants of many indigenous tribes. Still, with the different mixtures, one wants to be seen and respected by the color of their skin or the languages they speak." Then, the waiter arrived with their orders and went on his way. "Anyway, I'm glad my father taught me the language as did my mom; she taught me the Romani language of her people."

Sosuke took a sip of his wine. "Interesting, your mother was the one who taught you how to dance and sing?"

Esmeralda nodded. "My mother taught me a lot of things until she passed away. Now it's just my dad and me."

"You seem to be very close with your father."

"Yeah, he's the only family I have."

"Don't you have other extended families?" Sosuke noticed the hint of sadness in her eyes.

"My mother and her brother left the community; she had an arranged marriage at a young age, so she came here with my uncle, whom I don't know. I know her family would never accept me. My father told me that my paternal grandfather was an abusive drunk who left my grandmother. My grandmother remarried another abusive man who made my dad run away and work at a young age. My father and his siblings are not close, his two sisters married other abusive men, and most of his five brothers are in cartels or jail. So you know the deal."

Sosuke took a bite of his food and gave a slight nod. "I can understand family drama, but not as bad as yours. Your parents did a splendid job of raising a responsible and beautiful young woman. How old are you?"

Esmeralda blushed as she looked down at her food. "I turned eighteen five months ago. How about you?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Well, I told you about me. How about you, Sosuke?"

Sosuke chuckled. "I'd rather not say."

"Hey, that's not fair. I told you about me!" Esmeralda pouted.

"You could've rejected speaking about it, but you chose to tell me. I choose not to say things about my life."

The young woman glared at him. "You're such an ass, even though you are good-looking. What are you, European?"

Sosuke became even more amused. He had to admit that her temper did make her even more adorable. "What makes you think I'm European?"

Esmeralda rolled her eyes. "Your mannerism and you seem to have a bit of an accent. You dress with style. My gut tells me so; I got it from my mom."

"Well done, my dear. You are pretty smart in your way. I still have no interest in speaking about my personal life."

The young woman rolled her eyes. "Suit yourself, billy goat."

Sosuke raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Your new nickname."

Sosuke gave out a slight smirk. "May I ask why?"

Esmeralda put her fingers on her lips. "I have no interest in explaining my reasoning. I choose not to say."

The two kept on eating until they finished. Sosuke paid.

"Well, that was very good; thank you for dinner. Again, this wasn't necessary."

"I enjoy the company, although I'm here for a couple more days. Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I perform in the area."

The two stood up. "I will meet you at the square at 7 pm. I would like to see and speak to you again. May I have your phone number?"

The two gave their phone numbers as they walked out of the restaurant."This night was eventful and weird, but I made a new friend. Hope to see you tomorrow, billy goat." Esmeralda got a hold of her things and went on her way. Sosuke watched her as she was nowhere in sight. Deep down, he didn't know why he had asked her for dinner. Perhaps deep down, he had hope in her. A hope that all was not lost in his era. He looked forward to tomorrow.