Author's Notes: Before you start this chapter, I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews! Your feedback is important to me because it helps me understand if the story is going in a direction that you like and makes sense. This chapter ended up being longer than I expected, but that's good news because it means you have more to read! Some people may love this chapter, others may have not expected it and will be surprised. So, thank you all and happy reading!

"So... Where are we going to eat this time?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Are you worried about the place again?"

"No..." I tried to sound calm, "I just like to know where I'm going to eat so I don't have to go through an embarrassment when I look at the menu and don't know what the heck is written there."

"Do you have that much of a misconception about what richer people eat?"

"It depends... Aren't you the ones who love to eat lobster every weekend and caviar and all that stuff?"

"Maybe... if you watch too many movies." he laughed.

"Well... I apologize if I'm not exactly used to those kinds of habits. I've never had the chance to go into a restaurant where the food is more expensive than my couch."

"You seem to forget where we went last time. It's not exactly a habit of mine to go to those restaurants you talk so much about."

"So where are we going, then?"

"Relax, your boss has invited you to dinner and you seem more worried than relieved."

"Why should I be relieved? Haven't you heard anything I've been saying for the past few weeks? It's not exactly the most natural thing for me."

"We're going to another regular place where I usually go several times after work. Don't worry...the food doesn't cost more than your couch." he smiled and I couldn't help but do the same, "We're going to Blue Pegasus."

"Blue Pegasus? Isn't that an italian restaurant?"

"Yeah, it's a regular of mine. All the staff who work there know me."

I didn't know if that meant the restaurant was quite affordable or if it was going to be one of those expensive Italian restaurants. I started to get nervous... He had no idea what my financial situation was like, but he probably thought I would have a little extra money that I could spend on food, which was not true at all. I kept as much money as I could, but I didn't exactly have thousands of dollars that I could spend on a dinner. I didn't want to look like an idiot in front of my boss, but right now I was too nervous for my wallet.

As soon as we arrived, I examined how the restaurant looked at the entrance and it really looked like a normal restaurant, but that didn't mean it was cheap. At the entrance was the big sign that read "Blue Pegasus" with that typical decoration that all italian restaurants usually have. Before I could analyze any further, he parked the car and got out. I still had that tingling in my body, the nervousness kept taking over me in these situations. It was then that he opened the car door for me to get out and so I did.

There were a few people at the entrance of the restaurant who didn't exactly look like me. Some were dressed up, with big classy trench coats that must have been expensive and others were simply dressed in casual clothes. I didn't know what to expect, but I was ready for any scare I might get at the end of my meal.

He turned to walk toward the restaurant and looked at me when he noticed that I still hadn't moved from the same spot.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"I don't- I don't know if I-"

"I told you not to worry about anything. Come on, let's go inside before you catch a cold out here."

He walked into the restaurant without giving me time to respond or even come up with an answer that would get me out of that situation. I was getting more and more nervous, the thought of making myself look ridiculous in front of my boss was too disturbing for me, so I decided to follow him without saying or thinking anything else.

I crossed my arms and walked beside him once we got inside. lBefore we could sit down, a waitress came walking towards us and immediately smiled after recognizing Natsu. He wasn't kidding when he said that the staff knew him, she seemed like she had see a superstar entering the restaurant. She was a tall lady with brown-ish hair and was wearing big glasses.

"Welcome back, Mr. Dragneel." she said, "Would you like to sit at the usual place?"

"Yes, thank you." he gestured his hand to me, "She will accompany me this evening."

"Oh, I see... Was Miss Lisanna busy tonight?"

"Has she said something to you that I need to know, Evergreen?"

That was an unsual name... I had never met someone named like that. She immediately looked like she regretted her words in that very moment and coughed before speaking again.

"Not all, Mr. Dragneel. Pardon me, I wrongly assumed that-"

"You're forgiven. Now, where is our table?"

She took us to the table where we were supposed to sit. I sat down across from him and my eyes immediately looked at the window that was right next to us. We could look outside and see the city and the people walking around. I was suddenly surprised when I looked at the menu. The prices were... not what I was expecting. I widened my eyes and I inspected the whole list and my heart almost dropped. I wanted to say something, but I didn't want to annoy him or sound ridiculous.

"So... What are you going to-"

"You can choose whatever you like." he quickly said.

"But... I don't know if I can-"

Before I could finish my sentence, the waitress came back to our table and gave Natsu another menu. I looked at it and noticed that it was the wine's list.

"Do you still need to ask? I thought you knew me better, Evergreen."

"Well, your tastes could change..." she subtly looked at me, "But in that case, the usual red wine it is."

After the waitress left, another girl walked by our table and immediately looked at Natsu with a gentle smile on her face.

"Mr. Dragneel! Long time no see!"

"Don't be silly, Jenny. You saw me last week."

"Always so grumpy! Cheer up, you even brough a beautiful lady with you tonight. Could she be the reason why you haven't been answering my calls?"

"You know exactly why, Jenny."

I couldn't tell if they were joking, but by the looks of their smiles, I knew that it was probably an inside joke. I had no idea if they had ever been involved, but I didn't care at that time. What was in front of me was another woman who was interested in Natsu.

"Well... Have you both decided what you want to eat?" she asked.

"It's the usual for me." Natsu answered.

"Are you sure? Don't you want to try something else? With all that pasta, you're gonna end up like Bob."

I had no idea why I decided to speak up in that moment, but all that came out of my mouth was a curious question that my brain was apparently dying to know.

"Who's Bob?"

"Oh, it's our boss!" she answered, "He's a little... How do I say this-"

"Chubby."

That was all that came out of Natsu's mouth before the waitress started laughing. She looked around to make sure no one heard her and tried to recompose her voice.

"So... What will you want to eat, Miss...?"

"Lucy."

"Yes... Lucy." she looked at Natsu with a smile and back at me, "Is there anything on the menu that you like?"

"I..." I looked at the menu again with nerves all over my body, "I don't know... I've never eaten any of this food before."

"Well, I'm sure Mr. Dragneel can help you out. Why don't you try the same thing as him?"

"I... I guess."

"Perfect. That'll be two, then." she smiled, "It won't take long. Enjoy the evening."

That's all she said before grabbing the menus and disappear. I had no idea what kind of food I had ordered, but since it was something that Natsu usually eats... it had to be good, right? We both sat there in silence before I came up with something in my mind to ask him.

"So... Do you plan on staying in New York for long?"

He raised his eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"I mean... Are you going to stay here for the rest of your life or do you already have some plans for the future?"

"Well, whenever time lets me, I'd like to buy an island and spend the rest of my life there."

"Wow... That's definitely not what I was expecting..."

"Why not?"

"I mean... It's an island..." he kept staring at me as if I was crazy, "It's not exactly a cheap place to live on..."

"What can I say? Perks of being the heir of a big company." he smirked and I knew he was teasing me, "What about you? What are your plans, Lucy?"

It was not the first time he had called me by my name, but it still felt weird and... comfortable.

"Well, for starters... I'd like to start writing a book of mine." he raised his eyebrow, "It's not my life's dream, obviously... I just like to write a lot, but I don't really have time to start my own novel and... that's something I'd like to do someday."

"What kind of novel?"

"I... I don't know yet. Maybe a romance."

"Figures." he chuckled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing... It's just that that's what I picture when I look at someone like you. It's nothing to be ashamed of, I'm sure you'll have your own story published someday."

"Yeah... I hope so."

"What about after your novel's success? What do you plan to do?"

"Well, I don't think it'll be a big success-"

"There you go again, doubting yourself." he smirked, "Do I really need to remind you again of what you wrote about the company? You're probably a natural."

"S-Sorry, it's just... I don't know. Maybe I'd like to go live on a small and quiet town, where I can finally breath in peace and enjoy what I've accomplished in life. Maybe I'd like to travel the whole world and learn about all the things I still don't know. Maybe I'd like to live on an island, who knows?"

We both smiled after that and he chuckled as soon as he noticed that I was joking around with him. It was nice to have a moment like this with... my boss. It was still hard to get that idea out of my head, but it was true. The man standing right in front of me, acting like he was in some casual dinner, was my boss. Somehow, I couldn't tell if I was lucky or not because of that. After he stopped laughing, our food finally came and I looked at it. I could almost swear that my eyes were glowing... The food looked so nice! It was definitely tasty. The waitress told us to enjoy the meal and I immediately started eating as if my plate was going to disappear in any minute.

I couldn't deny it...the food was great. It was better than many other things I had tried. It felt like I was eating something made by experienced people... I'm sure there was a pretty good chef in that kitchen, and I just felt like running in there and give him a hug.

"So, how's the food?" he asked.

"It's... It's great! I don't think I've ever tasted anything like this before."

"You can thank Bob when you meet him for hiring good cooks."

"I can see that..." I smiled, "So, how did you find this place? You used to come here since you were a kid too?"

"No... The story is a little different this time."

"Really? I'm all ears, then."

"I believe you are, but this is not a story you are very interested in listening to. To be honest, it's not something worth talking about."

That was making me even more curious, I'm wasn't gonna lie. However, I knew it was rude to keep trying to find out more about his personal life. I ended the conversation and continued eating. All I wanted least was to ruin a simple casual dinner with my boss.

As soon as we both finished our meals, the nice waitress who had served us earlier came to our table and took our plates with a smile on her face. She seemed to enjoy her job very much, even though she was just a waitress or she was simply a very good actress who could pretend to be in a good mood all the time. It was at that moment that my face paled when I heard Natsu ask for the bill. I was too afraid of the number that might appear on the paper and I started to get nervous. I didn't want to make a fool of myself in front of him.

As soon as Jenny returned with the bill on a small silver plate, my body almost fainted at the sight of the numbers on the paper. I wanted to say something, if only to apologize for being too expensive for me, but Natsu interrupted me before I could say anything. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his credit card.

"It's for everything, please."

Everything?! I didn't believe what I had just heard. I could have sworn my eyes could pop out at any moment from how wide open they were at that moment. I was completely in awe of what he was doing, without even wondering if I would have the money to be able to afford the dinner. I tried to say something, but he raised his hand and interrupted me. He looked at me and I could understand what he was trying to say...that I shouldn't worry.

After the bill was paid, we both got up and headed toward the exit, but not before receiving a farewell from Jenny with the same smile on her face as before.

"Is she always this cheerful?"

"She has days... When she has reason to be, she can be even more so."

I had no idea what he meant by that, but before I had time to ask or thank him for dinner, my phone started ringing. I looked at the screen and noticed that it was Levy. I didn't know what she would want at that time of the night, since it was unusual, so I answered it.

"Hello?"

"Lu-chan! Good, I'm glad you answered! I was afraid you'd be cooped up at home doing your all-important tasks from work." she paused to laugh, "Listen, are you available tonight or are you going to be boring again?"

"Boring? Some of us have to work, you know." I smiled, even though she couldn't see it.

I knew she was just teasing me, that was her way, but I wanted to mess with her a little too.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Worker! You know I'm joking! So... What do you say? Do you think you can make it to the bar tonight and have fun with your GREATEST friend, or are you going to stay home one more night?"

"Are you okay, Levy? You sound a little strange."

"I'm always okay! In fact, I'm more than fine after a super nice guy bought me a drink and it was spectacular! I've never tasted it before, when I meet the boy again I'll have to thank him-"

She was talking to herself by that point and I knew perfectly well that she probably would have been drinking a few minutes ago. Something in me didn't want to go to the bar and have to put up with the loud music and the smell of alcohol, but at the same time I didn't want to leave Levy alone in that state and there was a greater force inside me that made me want to go there and help her.

Natsu was still beside me waiting for me to explain to him what the problem was, since he could see the concern on my face. I put my hand on the microphone of my phone and spoke.

"It's my friend Levy... She's having some trouble at the... bar and I have to go get her."

"Is that the little blue-haired girl who was with you at the festival the other day?"

"Yes, that's the one."

"In that case..." he walked over to the car and opened the passenger door, "Let's go get her."

"No... T-Thank you, but you don't have to come with me. I can go get her, I don't want to bother you with a silly matter like this."

"Do you think I'd offer if it was something I didn't want to do?" he smirked, "Come on. We have to get there before your friend finds her way somewhere else on her own."

I didn't know what to say. At that moment, my body filled with gratitude for his kindness. Everything about him was too strange. I really couldn't read him, it was as if his personality was the biggest mystery I had in front of me. I decided not to argue with him about it any further and got into the car. He closed my door and got in the car looking at me.

"Shall we?"

Along the way, I kept looking at my phone to check if Levy had texted me or called me back. I was worried, I knew perfectly well that it wasn't Levy's first time drinking, but I also knew that when she is too excited she is capable of overdoing it and getting completely lost. I just hoped she was okay.

Natsu suddenly looked in my direction and must have noticed that I was constantly nervous with my phone in my hands and chuckled.

"Relax, your friend is fine."

"How can I be sure? She's a person well capable of getting carried away in the moment when she's not thinking straight."

"I've been in your situation before too. A friend of mine was exactly like that. I even lost count of the times I had to go help him because he was so lost in alcohol. Trust me, she's fine."

"I hope so..."

Somehow, his words were enough to make me calm down a little, but still, I feared for Levy. She is a great person, she was the first friend I had made since I arrived in New York and I didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

As soon as we arrived, I could already see people outside pouring out all the alcohol they had in their bodies, and it wasn't even late yet. My eyes immediately searched for Levy, but I couldn't find her anywhere.

As soon as Natsu parked the car, I got out and ran to the entrance of the bar. Natsu tried to keep up with me, he was probably amazed by my haste to get inside and find Levy. I had to confess that I was also amazed by my attitude.

As I entered, the smell of alcohol invaded my nose. It was not a strange smell to me, but it was not something I liked to smell and avoided at all costs. The music wasn't too loud, but it was loud enough that I had to shout her name to find her in the crowd. I shouted as many times as I could and when I heard a strange voice saying her name, I looked over and noticed that Natsu was also calling for Levy. That feeling of gratitude filled my body again and I smiled involuntarily. It was then that I felt Natsu's hand touching my shoulder to get my attention and he pointed to the back of the room, where I could see a small blue-haired figure sitting at the bar counter. I ran as fast as I could to get to her and when I finally did, she simply noticed my presence with the biggest smile ever on her face.

"Lucy! Oh my god, you really came!" she hugged me suddenly.

"Yes, I came... Not for the reasons you're thinking, though. I came because I was worried about you, you sounded weird on the phone and I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"Worried about me?" she laughed, "Lucy, I'm fine! Do you really think I would let anyone hurt me? I can take care of myself just fine, but thanks for your concern. I'm just having fun, you don't have to be so dramatic!"

"Still... I know how sloppy you can be when you drink too much." I smiled.

"Too much? I haven't even started yet." she smiled back, "In fact, you're just in time because I was just about to order a very special drink and I want you to try it." she turned her attention away from me and looked at the bartender, "Hey! Another shot of that special I ordered earlier, please!"

"Levy, I don't want it... Thanks."

"Really? You came all this way to be boring anyway? You need to have fun, Lu-chan! Did you come all the way to New York to sit in a chair all the time or to start a new life?" she smiled and shifted her attention to who was behind me, "Look who's here! Mr. Dragneel, good to see you again! I didn't expect to find you in a place like this."

"Let's just say I had an... unexpected event." he looked in my direction.

"Well, in that case why don't we all drink? It'll be the best fun I've had all this week."

"I don't usually drink." Natsu said.

"Do you really think I believe that? You own a big company, you probably drink gin every night and then!" she laughed.

I looked at Natsu because I was afraid of his reaction to hearing Levy being so cheeky and saying all those unseemly things, but to my amazement he just smiled. He was smiling as if Levy was just a silly girl who was too drunk to be able to think properly about the words that were coming out of her mouth. Something in me couldn't help but smile too... After all, she could cheer anyone up without even trying too hard.

The bartender came back to the counter with the special drink that Levy had ordered and I raised my hand as soon as he tried to offer me the drink to let him know that I didn't want it. It was at that moment that I felt someone sitting next to me and when I looked at the person, I noticed that it was Natsu.

He raised his hand and gestured to the bartender to come back and give him the drink. I was too amazed by his presence. It all seemed so... casual. So natural that it was almost hard to believe and it almost made me forget for a moment that the man standing next to me was my boss.

"I thought you didn't usually drink."

"That's exactly what I was thinking..." he grabbed a glass, "A man can change, right?"

"The more, the merier!" Levy suddenly appeared behind me and wrapped her arms around me, "Don't be so boring, Lucy! Let the man enjoy the night!"

Levy called the bartender again and ordered another round of shots. She was getting out of control. When I saw those tiny glasses at the counter, I knew that I was going to regret it if I drank another one. I tried to ignore it, but Levy grabbed mine and tried to force it on me. I tried to remover her hand from my face gently, she was definitely drunk and I couldn't stop laughing about it.

When she noticed that I was going to drink it, she tried to give it to Natsu who politely declined it as well and looked at me. He was also laughing, it was impossible not to have that reaction looking at how Levy was behaving. I had never seen her like that. She turned around and walked to the next person in front of her eyes to give them the shot. They both drank it happily and she came back to the counter and sat next to me with a big smile on her face.

"That last one was so strong! I'm gonna get drunk at this rate!"

"I think everyone will get drunk at this rate if you keep giving them drinks!" I joked.

"I see that you don't really tolerate alcohol that much." Natsu said and Levy looked at him like she was offended.

"I'm sorry, what?! You think I don't know how to drink?" she gestured the bartender to come, "You're gonna regret those words, spiky hair!"

Levy grabbed the shot and drank it at an impressive speed. I confess that I was getting scared by the amount of alcohol she was ingesting at that moment.

"You better calm down, little one. You won't be able to get off the floor soon." he replied.

"Calm down! That was a weak one!" she leaned on me, "How about if... I order a special strawberry vodka?"

"I'm in, if you promise you can make it home okay." he answered.

"Don't worry about me, pinky! I may have had a few drinks, but I still know the way home." she turned to me, "What do you say, Lu-chan? Are you in too?"

"Umm, I think I'll leave you with that privilege, thanks."

They were both drinking like crazy, as if they were drinking water. And I simply couldn't even stand to taste the vodka in front of me. Suddenly a loud music started playing, and the people standing around me started to dance.

"You know... I've been coming to this bar every weekend when I can, but I've never had as much fun as I did today! You guys really need to accompany me more often."

"Levy, I'm sure Mr. Dragneel isn't exactly a man who has time for these... distractions. Plus, don't forget that we only came here to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, yeah... I know, but I don't believe that! I bet Mr. Dragneel is quite used to these things..." she looked at him, "Isn't that right, spiky?"

He paused for a few moments and looked at me subtly and back at Levy, "Why don't you order another round and I'll tell you?"

"That's what I like to hear!" she clapped her hands and got up from her seat to call the bartender.

I was surprised by his response. I don't think that's even the proper word, but I couldn't believe how carefree he seemed at that moment. It was as if he was a completely different person than the one I was so used to at the office.

Levy asked the bartender for another round of shots and this time, even without my asking, she handed me one of the glasses and almost asked me please with her eyes for me to drink. I knew full well that I was alcohol intolerant and that it would not be a good idea, but I didn't want to disappoint her and eventually accepted.

I was already feeling my body getting hot, and my vision a little distorted. It was at that moment that I felt Natsu's eyes on me.

"Are you okay?" he chuckled.

"I think I've reached my limit..." I looked at him and he looked like he was mocking me, "What? I'm not used to drinking!"

"I can see that." he chuckled again, "Don't worry, if your friend keeps calling you every night, you'll get used to it."

I wanted to laugh at his words but as soon as I tried to make any movement, my head felt dizzy. I put my hand on my head, trying to calm it down but I knew it was useless. My head was starting to feel heavy and I wasn't thinking straight anymore. I looked around and Levy was already waiting for the bartender to order another round and that's when I knew that I needed to leave.

Natsu kept staring at me to make sure I wouldn't fall and when I looked at him again, my heart almost froze. It must've been the alcohol's effect, but looking at him from that angle somehow made him look so handsome. I knew he was attractive, but the lighting coming from the bar's disco made him look like a greek god. I had to stop thinking. My imagination was already playing tricks on me and I had to leave.

"I need to go to the bathroom, excuse me."

I tried to gain the strength to get up without falling to the ground. It was a little difficult to get to the bathroom, but I managed. I leaned on the wall and when I got inside the bathroom, I stood in front of the mirror looking at myself. I had slightly flushed cheeks and a fluttering heart. I splashed some water on my face and took a deep breath. I had to go home, I didn't want anyone to see me like that, especially not my boss. It was too embarrassing for me to handle.

As soon as I left, I had to face the crowd of people dancing. They were pushing me everywhere, which was a nightmare because my head was spinning too much. It was at that moment that I felt my body lose all balance and my legs lose strength. Before I could fall to the ground, I felt two arms grabbing mine from behind and restoring the balance necessary for me to be able to stand. I was completely shy and embarrassed after realizing that it was Natsu who had helped me. He couldn't see me in that state, nor do I know what the hell he could be thinking at that very moment.

"You don't look so good." he said, "Do you want to leave? I can take you home."

"N-No, that's not necessary! I can go home by myself, but thank you."

"Are you sure?" he raised his eyebrow, "It seems like your brain is begging for a bed to lie down right now. I don't think you'll be able to reach home by yourself."

Levy suddenly came to us and opened her mouth after seeing the state I was in. She walked over to me and put her hands on my shoulders, making me look her in the eyes.

"Lu-chan, are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to be in this state! I just wanted you to have a little fun with all the work you have to do all the time!"

"I know, Levy... It's not your fault, you don't have to worry about me." I put one of my hands on top of hers, "I'm fine, I just need to go home."

"I'll come with you!"

"You don't have to, really... You're having a good time, I don't want to ruin your night because of me."

"Nonsense! You're my friend and that's what I'm here for."

She changed her position and put her arm intertwined with mine so I wouldn't lose my balance again. I managed to look subtly at Natsu, who still had the same expression on his face as before. I knew he must have been worried, but I was also afraid that he was probably thinking that I was a complete idiot. He looked at Levy and smiled.

"Can you take care of her by yourself?"

"Sure! I'm stronger than you realize, you know!" she smiled back.

"I don't doubt it. In that case... I'll take you to her house, then I'll go my way."

"Of course! Thanks a lot, spiky!"

After that, Levy helped me get to Natsu's car without dropping me on the ground. The trip seemed longer than it was. My head kept spinning and it seemed that if I said anything, what would come out of my mouth would not be words. I leaned my head against Levy's shoulder the whole way and if I closed my eyes, I would fall asleep.

As soon as we got to the door of my apartment, Levy helped me out of the car. Natsu just stared at us to make sure we could get home without any problems. I still felt full of shame about the whole situation. I went to the bar to help Levy, but the one who ended up needing help was me. Before we entered the house, we turned around to look back at Natsu and Levy was the first to raise her hand and waved at him.

"Thank you so much for the ride, Mr. Dragneel! We owe you one!"

"I won't forget that." he chuckled, "Good night, Miss McGarden." he turned his gaze to me, "Good night, Lucy."

And without saying anything else or giving me time to respond, even if I couldn't, he started the car and drove away. Levy looked at me and burst out laughing suddenly.

"What a night, huh?" she said.

Even though I couldn't answer, I managed to laugh back and we stayed like that for a few minutes before finally entering my apartment.