The date starts at a cocktail bar. They clink martini glasses, Roman giving Gerri the particular look that he saves for her.
"Don't do that," she tells him.
"Do what?" he says, genuinely confused.
"Look at me all…" She does an imitation, all pouting lips and schmoopy eyes.
"Oh, that's real mature." She flicks an olive at him in response.
"So, uh, what do people talk about on dates exactly?" he asks.
"You must have been on dates before."
He thinks back, remembering his first date with Grace, how delighted he was when she said I should tell you I have a kid. Getting to play daddy without any real commitment had been the highlight of their relationship. In the end even that wasn't enough.
"Well, dates are usually about getting to know the other person. And I already know all about you, so…"
"Oh, really?" She raises an eyebrow.
"Tell me something I don't know about you, then."
She thinks, then says, "I liked your robot screenplay."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah. It needed a little work, but the potential was there."
"Are you fucking with me right now?"
"Just a little." She smiles, sipping her drink.
"Shall I tell you something you don't know about me?"
"Is it gross?"
"Kind of. When I went to see Dad, I left my coat with him."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I didn't want him to be cold."
Gerri reaches out to gently brush her fingers against his.
"That was morbid. I don't know why I said that, sorry."
"It's fine. You can talk about him."
"Shall I tell you when I first found you attractive?"
"Go on then."
"It was in the hospital, after Kendall made me COO. You shook my hand and I suddenly thought wow, I'd hit that."
"That's a beautiful story, Roman."
"What about you? When did you first notice me in that way?"
She thinks. "When you took your shirt off in the office."
"You told Ken to make me put it back on."
"Well, it was very distracting."
The ice broken, they smile at each other and Roman says, "Shall we skip dinner and just go back to my place and bang?"
"That's really inappropriate on a first date, Roman."
"It is?"
"Yes. There is something seriously wrong with you." There's a note in her voice that he recognises.
"So I'm a bad boy. Do you wanna punish me?"
"Yes, I do." She stands up. "Take me back to your place, right now."
He jumps up. "I'll get the bill."