Returning the Favour [Alastair, Sophie]

The days had flown by since Alastair's first encounter with Sophie Geisleitt, the pleasantly intriguing Administrator of the Albedochiffren. He had not spent this time idly, though, there was plenty that he had organised in preparation for the not-date. But if there was anything he had taken away from their meeting, besides her number, it was that even the best-laid plans often go awry when chaos was introduced. Sometimes that chaos was an attempt to frame him for grand larceny, other times it might be an issue with how the main dish had been cooked.

The day after their original meeting was perhaps the busiest Alastair had been in a long while. He was not one to go the extra mile for just about anyone, but he had talked himself into a corner with this and if he was doing it then it was going to be done right.

The first port of call had been the destination of choice, King Neptune, a restaurant tucked away between several towering office blocks with a sleek interior and an impressive series of reviews that specialised in seafood. He was guilty of having already looked the place up online for a solo venture, though he would avoid admitting that fact, so it was fortunate that Sophie had played so generously into his hands. A table was booked, and a time settled upon that gave plenty of time for the pair to meander over.

Then came the issue of outfits. He didn't consider himself an unfashionable man, though his apparel did often match with his dry personality, but, if there was ever an occasion for him to second guess himself then this was it. So new clothes it was; a fine grey shirt cut to fit his body tightly, loose white waistcoat, dark driving gloves that stopped just past his wrists, and a long black trenchcoat that did its best to compliment his slender physique. His paycheck might take the brunt of the damage now, but it was a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things.

He had waited until later still into the evening to send a polite message, sharing his own details in turn and finalising a time for him to stop by and meet up beforehand. It had been nothing too excessive, a couple of messages back and forth was all, and then radio silence until the day was upon them.

So, there he was, waiting on the street in the City of Lights outside of Sophie's apartment block. He was early, fashionably so, and had been considering buzzing up to let her know that he was here for a while now. He didn't want to come off too strongly but, against his better judgement, he stepped up to the plate and keyed in her flat number.

He had slunk back from the door to lean ever so slightly against the adjacent wall as she made her descent, a few deep breathes to steady himself was all he needed before she reached the ground floor. This was just a straightforward dining arrangement, two colleagues sharing each other's company for a pleasant evening, there was no need to read any more into it. He was lying to himself, naturally.

At the sound of steps approaching from within, he straightened himself out and brushed away at the slightest of marks left upon his shoulder, before turning to face Sophie. His smile was narrow, a far cry from her own, but his eyes seemed to glow with a welcoming warmth.

"It was no bother at all, Sophie. You look" Beautiful. Pretty. Cute. "nice today."

Playing it cool was what girls liked, right? Nothing too dramatic needed to be said, the night was far too young for that. He turned halfway around, though his gaze hardly seemed to leave her, and shifted his head back in a slight gesture.

"Shall we? The restaurant is not too far away, but we could grab a drink if the table is not ready quite yet."

The comment on his own appearance did not require a response, it was a satisfactory part of the exchange that anyone who had ever met anyone else casually had endured. Perhaps 'endured' was the wrong word, especially in this instance, as he only felt emboldened by her simple praise, but it was a common social custom to exchange such pleasantries. He was far from vain enough to think himself truly dashing, but it was still nice to hear that she potentially considered him such.

"Oh, just the social kind. There's a bar in-house that has a fine selection of cocktails, if that's what you are after? Mocktails too, I imagine, should that be preferential."

And so he began to lead the way, keeping about a half-step ahead of her as they walked side by side. His hands were tucked away in his coat pockets, elbows extruding out in a manner that suggested she might hold on if she was so inclined but equally had not been outright stated.

The direction they headed was likely not an unfamiliar one for someone with a firm grasp on their surroundings, as they headed for the edge of a business district where a few restaurants and bars were set in close proximity. The Neptune was amongst those places, and the only one specialising in the aforementioned seafood.

Whether or not the lack of elbow-related interlocking had proven disappointing to Alastair was perhaps answered by the absence of acknowledgement towards it, either he was saving face or it had been an unintentional gesture. His gaze did flick between leading the way ahead and stealing glances at her with a certain frequency, though. To find a fellow stargazer, or sky-gazer in this particular instance, was another unexpected surprise but he had no need to share that small connection quite yet.

He had also wondered what response the cocktail suggestion might garner, it was perhaps a popular choice with their peers but there was quite the difference between both of them and the majority of their shared age group. Though that thought did beg the question of Sophie's actual age, he certainly was not a fool enough to commit such a cardinal sin of asking without a prompt but he also had not even considered it in his head. She could be older than him for all he knew, but should that even matter? He put another moment's thought into it, seeming contented with the outcome of it, and shelved that train entirely.

"Our destination should be just around the corner..."

His tone made it sound like a question when it was in actuality a statement. He had taken this exact route the day before to make doubly sure that he was not going to get them lost, and the subtly increasing volume of liveliness assuaged any worry.

And soon enough they were before the golden doors of King Neptune, Alastair already stepping forward to hold the door open for his companion and usher her inside with a pleasant smile. It was a modern establishment, fit for its prime location in the heart of the City of Light, with a bar and open seating area being the first area on show whilst the main restaurant area lingered further inside.

"So, to drink then?"

He was already reaching for his wallet by the time they arrived at the bar, though he was a half pace behind Sophie and, in that small period, she had already selected her drink and was moving to pay for it herself. Perhaps this was the line in the sand, for now, a respectful boundary by any normal convention of a first date, and so he made no move to swoop in. Though, quite unlike his decisive companion, despite suggesting cocktails he had no clue what he wanted. Plucking a menu from a nearby table, he turned it over and hastily appraised his options.

"And one Schwarzer Sturm, thank you."

It had been the first one that had caught his eye, though a second look did make him wonder if perhaps he should have gone for a fruiter option. Alas, he was committed now, and so the dark drink soon arrived and was paid for in turn. He turned, placing his back against the bar, and surveyed the rest of the seating area.

"We could grab a table outside, enjoy the evening light for a little longer."

It might be colder than inside the restaurant proper, but he had an ace up his sleeve for that. Though, given his brief experience with Sophie's skillset, perhaps she had her own tricks to play too.