"Aaron said to dress fancy and I don't own anything fancy," Norah told her friend panicking.
"Men!" JJ said an exasperation. "When is this date?" JJ asked.
"Saturday," Norah replied.
"Well, that gives you a little time at least," JJ said. "You should ask him what he means by fancy. Fancy covers a really broad category of clothes. There is really ultra fancy that includes jewelry, even if it's not the real deal if you're going up attend a really high profile event that requires the men to wear suits or even tuxedos, and then there is the fancy when you are just going out to dinner at a restaurant that will require you to dress up, in a very nice dress, but not a gown."
"And there is a difference between a dress and a gown?" Norah asked feeling rather ignorant. She had never had to dress up as fancy JJ was describing in all her life. She was usually a casual kind of gal.
"Oh yes, a world of difference," JJ said cheerfully at the panicked expression on Norah's face. "He's not just taking you to a vid or a causal restaurant, not if he said to dress fancy. He might be taking you to some society event for all you know."
"Let's hope not, as a that's a little much for a first date," Norah said.
"If you have his link number you should call and ask him what you should wear. Don't wait until you see him tomorrow. Remind him, that you've never been to any really fancy events and don't own any really fancy clothes."
"I hate to do that," Norah said looking reluctant.
"I would too, but you have to remember that Aaron, apparently doesn't know that you don't understand what fancy means, since there are different levels of it. You don't want to dress inappropriately and embarrass yourself or Aaron," JJ reminded her friend. "You want to be dressed correctly and you don't have a lot of time to buy yourself a fancy dress, as Saturday is tomorrow. You should've told me immediately so we could've shopped sooner."
"Alright fine," Norah said resignedly. "And he only told me yesterday JJ. It's not like he told me a week ago. If he'd told me a week ago I would've told you and I wouldn't be panicking now."
"Men! They are absolutely clueless about what a woman needs to do before a big date," JJ said again in exasperation. "You would think they would have more sense. The least he could've done was given you a few more days warning, though a week would've been better."
"I think he was afraid I would back out if he gave me too much time think about all the bad things that could happen," Norah said.
"He was right to think that," JJ admitted her ire fading. "I know you can't help but think about all the negative aspects of dating the boss, but you need to tell your brain to give it a rest."
"I have, it just hasn't worked," Norah said. "I can't control what I'm thinking, you know."
"You're right, no one can control what they're thinking," JJ said. "You might be able to cut off a particular line of thought once it starts, but you can't control your brain from thinking it in the first place."
There was a knock on the door just then and Norah looked puzzled.
"Not expecting anyone?" JJ asked seeing her friends puzzled look.
"No, I'm not," Norah said as she headed for her front door. Norah checked the video monitor to see who it was and immediately opened the door.
"What are you doing here Penny," Norah questioned
"Are you going to invite me in," Penelope asked with a smile. She and Norah had become really good friends over the last few months.
"Of course," Norah said opening the door wider.
Penelope entered the small apartment and Norah hurriedly introduced the two women.
"JJ this is my friend Penelope Garcia. She works for Aaron, as his computer expert. Penny, this is Jennifer Jareau, we've been best friends ever since I moved to New York," Norah introduced.
"Nice to meet you," both women said shaking hands
"Now that the introductions are out-of-the-way why are you here? I don't mean to be rude, but I'm having a bit of a crisis."
"That's exactly why I'm here," Penelope said. "When Aaron mentioned your date tomorrow and that he was planning on taking you somewhere fancy I reminded him that you might not have any appropriate outfits, as you might never have had to go anywhere that required you to dress more than casually. Believe me, Aaron almost literally kicked himself when I reminded him that you needed more than a couple of days warning."
"I thought he told me only a couple of days in advance because he was afraid I'd back out," Norah said.
"That might've been part of it," Penelope admitted. "But he's also a man and he doesn't know the first thing about female fashion."
"See that's exactly what I said," JJ spoke up. "Norah and I were just getting ready to go shopping since she doesn't have to work today."
"I think Aaron arranged it for my days off on purpose so I could prepare for our date," Norah added. "I don't have to go back to work until Monday."
"That would be like him," Penelope agreed. "He might have expected you have to do womanly things in order to prepare for your date with him. He has absolutely no idea how long it takes a woman to prepare for a date so he was probably giving you plenty of time or at least what he thought was plenty of time."
"That just shows he's never been married," JJ snorted. "Or at least he's never had to watch one of his girlfriends get ready for a date so knows nothing about the process."
"He doesn't usually date a woman more than a few weeks, before he breaks it off," Penelope said.
"So how long have you known him?" Norah asked casually.
"A long time," Penelope said vaguely. "I met Derek because I started working for him after college, so I'm glad I did because we fell in love and married."
"So any children?" JJ asked curiously and Penelope shook her head.
"Not at the moment as we've been married only about two years. Children come in their own time," Penelope said smiling serenely. "So about that dress shopping."
"We might as well get going," Norah said. "I hope you know where Aaron's taking me for our first official date."
"Yeah, I do and I offered to help you get ready for it," Penelope said.
"So are you going to give me the name of the place?" Norah asked.
"Charles's Chophouse," Penelope supplied.
JJ whistled appreciatively and Norah just stared at Penelope in astonishment.
"That's got to be one of the most expensive, exclusive places in New York," Norah said finally, sounding rather choked. Shock did that to her. "I never expected him to go all-out on our very first official date. It's supposed to take months to get in, as there waiting list is supposed to be extensive."
"That's just Aaron for you," Penelope said casually and Norah wondered how anybody could just accept the way that Aaron Hotchner did things. She had no doubt that Aaron had paid them to put them at the head of the list or perhaps he had a permanent reservation.
"I think he was trying to impress you," Penelope added, even as the three women left the apartment and Norah made sure to seal the door behind her.
"I'm not one of those types that needs to be impressed," Norah said. "I enjoyed it very much when we'd just talk for a few minutes or shared breakfast together. I'm just a casual type gal. I've never been to anywhere really fancy in all my life."
"That's what I tried to tell Aaron, but he had already made the reservation by then. You don't make a reservation at this place and then cancel it unless you have a very good reason, as that could get you on the ban list for the next year at least."
"I wouldn't think they'd ban Aaron Hotchner from anywhere he wanted to dine," JJ said. "I've heard he can be a very generous tipper."
"That's true," Penelope agreed.
"So where are we going shopping?" Norah asked, even as they all climbed into Penelope's car.
"Where else? Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue and 57th street," Penelope said with an excited gleam in her eyes.
"Oh no, I can't afford to shop in that area," Norah protested. "That's for the ultrarich like Aaron."
"Or at least the wealthy," JJ agreed. "I probably can't afford so much, as a sock from one of their shops.
"There's no need to worry," Penelope said waving a hand dismissal. "Aaron gave me his credit card and he's paying for anything you might need Norah. JJ is welcome to come along."
JJ understood that the offering to use Hotchner's credit card did not extend to her. Aaron Hotchner likely didn't even know she existed. No, Norah was his girlfriend at least for the moment, and shopping in the ritzy section of New York, well, the expanse of such a spree would merely be considered pocket change to someone like him. He probably extended the same courtesy to all his girlfriends.
"Aaron suspected you would try to protest and he said to tell you that he insists that you spend what you want and not just for tonight's outfit. It's to make up for his mistake, as he should've asked me or his administrative assistant Emily Prentiss about how much time you needed to buy an outfit for your date, as he never considered that you might not have any appropriate clothes. He failed to remember that you don't come from a wealthy background."
"Fine," Norah sighed giving in as Penelope had anticipated her protesting. While she appreciated Aaron's generosity it really wasn't necessary. "I am such a pushover when it comes to him."
"It's just as well, because he would have had me buy you an appropriate dress, shoes and everything else you needed anyway if you had decided to be stubborn," Penelope told Norah speaking nothing but the absolute truth, as that was exactly what Aaron had instructed her to do before she had left.
"Well, he sure does know how to get you to accept his generosity," JJ said grinning appreciatively.
"Yeah, he does," Norah sighed melodramatically though there was a little smile on her lips. "A man and his money."
"Hey! If you have plenty of it why not spend what you want?" Penelope suggested with a bright smile.
"I suppose that's true enough," Norah agreed after moment. "I know he has enough to spend whatever he likes, and still leave plenty for any heirs."
"If he ever gets married that is," JJ said. "Or at least ever have children."
"He's still young though and has plenty of time to have at least one child or several if he wants to and I know he doesn't necessarily have to be married to get those children, though I think he's too responsible just to have children without at least marrying the mother first, even if it ends in a messy divorce," Norah said.
Penelope listened to the two friends chat and said very little, though she agreed with most of it. Penelope thought that Norah knew Aaron pretty well considering their short acquaintance. Of course, there was also a lot of things she didn't know like about his immortality, but if the relationship worked out like both she and Derek hoped then she would learn that secret and perhaps even become immortal herself.
They arrived at the parking garage near Fifth Avenue and Penelope paid the fee before finding a parking spot. Penelope led the way as she knew exactly where she intended to take Norah to get the appropriate outfit for her dinner date with Aaron. After that was accomplished, they needed appropriate underwear shoes, jewelry and a handbag to go with it. If Norah protested she would simply ignore it. It might take awhile for Norah to realize that Aaron cared for her, more than a little or he wouldn't have offered to buy her outfit for their date tonight. He had never done such a thing any of the other women he had dated, not unless the dress somehow got ruined and it was his fault then he replaced it.
Of course Norah and JJ probably assumed that Aaron extended this service to any female he dated, which just wasn't the case. Most of the women he dated had plenty of money of their own so that was no need too. Penelope wouldn't say that Norah was the first woman Aaron had dated that came from a solidly middle-class background, but it was certainly a rather unusual event.
To be fair though, Aaron rarely ran into anyone with a middle-class and especially a poor background, since he usually stuck to venues where the wealthy spent their time, or at his office in the Flatiron building. Well, either that or he was traveling on business. It's not like he walked from place to place as he always traveled by car usually with a driver.
He didn't go many places where he had the opportunity to meet someone like Norah. If he did he might've met someone much sooner, but on the other hand, there was no hurry for him to get married since he didn't age. Still, Penelope knew Aaron was lonely, which was why she was all for this relationship working out or at least one of the reasons. The fact that she genuinely liked Norah had a lot to do with her support. Penelope believed that Norah and Aaron would be very good together, if only they would give into the feelings they already had for each other.
~~~Aaron and Norah~~~