Who: Bettina Esposito & Freddy Adler What: Devious best friends have set them both up on blind dates … with each other! When: Saturday 06 July 2019, evening Rating: A for Awkwardness, P for Plotting Revenge
Bettina Esposito was nervous. It had nothing to do with the fact that she had been set up on this blind date (even though that would normally be a pretty good reason to be nervous) - no. It had everything to do with the fact that she was going to have to sit down in front of this gentleman, whom she had never met (and she was sure was probably a very nice person), and tell him that she wasn't really interested. And she would have to do so in the very tiny, provocative white dress that Nora had insisted she wear.
There would be an absurd amount of apologizing on her part, that was for certain. She didn't like turning people down, or making people sad. It was how Nora had managed to guilt her into showing up tonight anyway. Thankfully this wasn't happening in Snowcap, which meant that there was a very low chance of Nora and Mateo spying on her (and they would, too, she was sure). They wouldn't have to witness her possibly crush this poor stranger's heart.
She thought about Freddy. She was definitely going to tell him what had happened tonight, if only because she didn't want him hearing about her going on some date from someone else and think she wasn't interested in seeing him again. She was definitely interested. Very interested. That was definitely not going to be a problem.
After pausing outside the door to gather her wits about her, Bettina stepped into the restaurant where she was supposed to meet her date. It was a fairly classy place, which made her feel even worse. Her teeth chewed lightly on her bottom lip as she looked around. Nora had told her what he was supposed to be wearing, but had refused to show her a photo, simply saying 'you'll know him when you see him', which made absolutely no sense to Bettina at all.
Thankfully, this place had a bar, which she started to make a beeline for. She was definitely going to need a drink to get through this.
Freddy Adler wasn't nervous. He was annoyed. At both his sister and Teo. He'd been looking so forward to the dinner with Bettina—and he'd finally actually given her a day where he'd be free—but Teo had been insistent that he still go on the 'blind' date. He was also not so much nervous as he was a little wary at the fact he was probably going to have to tell an otherwise perfectly nice woman that he just wasn't interested, and that he was sorry they'd wasted each other's time. The only upside to the whole venture was that it was far away from any of the many watchful eyes of his family—it was going to be bad enough as it is without having to worry about his family or best mate looking over his shoulder the whole time.
Thinking of Bettina he knew he'd end up telling her about this because... well, he respected honesty in a relationship. And okay, so he hadn't actually asked her out yet in that way he was pretty interested in her. Plus even if he didn't strictly have any right to know, he knew if he were in the reverse of this situation that he'd kind of want to know.
He'd gotten dressed and ready early because according to Teo he had to be there at the restaurant waiting for the brunette in a white dress. It was probably as vague as Teo could get without being absolutely cryptic about it, and he'd refused to show him a photo so Freddy could know exactly who to look out for and only said that he'd know when he'd see her. Freddy had gotten a table that was near the bar (because he was sure he was going to need it for afterwards, and didn't want to cross the entire restaurant) but had a reasonable enough view of the door as well. He'd long since hung his jacket on the back of his chair, and was currently drumming his fingers (in between sipping the drink he'd ordered) on the table while he waited.
Freddy wasn't exactly keeping the most watchful eye on the door simply because he didn't want to be that picture of a nervous guy waiting for a mysterious date that somehow oft seemed to inspire pity from everyone else. So he'd missed Bettina's entrance but as his eye wandered the restaurant it caught a glimpse of a small statured brunette woman wearing a white&mdas;hand very tiny—dress at the bar. He didn't think much of it beyond noting that from what he could see the lady was definitely pretty enough but then the woman turned around, and he blinked in surprise. And then stared, because that was Bettina. In a tiny white dress. Looking amazing! Before he could really think on it he found himself waving her over to his table.
It was as he was realising that he probably shouldn't have another woman at his table when his actual date arrived that the feeling of excitement plummeted down to his stomach like a lead weight. It was a huge coincidence but there was no way Bettina could actually be his blind date. "Uh hi. And also wow, because I didn't expect to be seeing you until our dinner plans," he greeted. "Not that I'm not happy to see you it's just... well, surprising." There was a bit of a long pause before he asked, "Why are you here? Not that you're not allowed or anything, obviously."
It took a moment for her to get her drink, seeing that the bar was quite busy, but after taking a rather large sip to calm her nerves, she turned back towards the dining room proper so that she could give it another once over. There was still no sign of her mystery date in the dark gray jacket, but she did see a familiar face seated at a table not too far away. Under normal circumstances, she would've been overrun with excitement at the sight of Freddy, but in that very moment, a knot was forming in her stomach despite the smile that was plastered on her face.
It probably wasn't the best idea to be chatting up another guy when was supposed to be meeting someone, but that thought wasn't at the forefront of Bettina's mind - especially when Freddy was looking as good as he was right now. Maneuvering around the few people who had decided to move into her way, Bettina crossed the room to stand next to his table, thinking to herself how crazy it was that they'd run into each other here, and tonight of all nights. "Wow, hey! This is - yeah, wow this is a surprise."
Seeing him here really made Bettina regret the fact that she was there to meet some setup of Nora's, especially when she would've much rather been there with someone like Freddy. When he asked her why she was there, she sighed. "Your sister got this ridiculous idea in her head - and you know how stubborn she can be - and I tried to tell her no, but she wouldn't listen." Yeah, she was definitely going to kill Nora for this. "Sooo now I'm here, with the universe's most vague description of a guy I'm supposed to meet, so I can apologize for wasting his time because I'm not interested."
Freddy wasn't an idiot. He knew Bettina was gorgeous but seeing her up close she was somehow more gorgeous. And boy did it suck that he was here waiting for a date with someone else when he had a woman he was very interested in standing right in front of me. He was a little distracted and managed to miss the first half of what Bettina had even said. "Really?" he asked, amused as well as surprised that they were both there for the same thing even if unfortunately not with each other. "It's kind of funny because Teo set me up with a..."
As soon as he got to the words 'set me up' got past his lips it was like a light bulb had gone off. But then, for a brief moment, he looked just a little confounded with his head tilted to the side, and it seemed as if he was trying to work out a puzzle—when in fact he was mentally debating whether he was actually right or not. His mouth dropped open, and he stared at Bettina in stupefaction. "Oh my god..."
What was it about their best friends? They were both so darn nosey. They'd talked quite a bit about that at the masquerade - Nora and Teo were apparently incapable of just leaving them alone, it seemed, and there was a flash of disappointment on her face when he started to say that Mateo had set him up on a date. The look on his face, though, had her tilting her head in return - which was when she noticed the dark gray jacket hanging off the back of his chair. She was looking for a guy in a dark grey jacket. Nora had said she would know him when she saw him.
Bettina grew a very deep shade of crimson, and she brought her little black clutch up to hide her face as she made the connection herself. Her voice was a bit of a squeak, really when she finally said, "They set us up. Oh my God, I'm going to kill her. Both of them. They're absolutely terrible!" She finally lowered the clutch, looking amused as she shook her head, chuckling a little. "Well, allow me to rescind my earlier statement about not being interested, because I am - I'm definitely interested."
Freddy nodded in agreement. He didn't know how he was going to accomplish it but he was definitely going to payback both Teo and his sister for this. He wasn't sure when but clearly Nora and Teo probably thought it was hilarious the moment they planned on setting the pair up on a 'blind date'. They'd definitely meddled too far now—even if he couldn't really complain about getting to spend the rest of the evening with the one person he'd wanted to in the first place.
A bright smile appeared on his face. "That's good to know because I'm definitely interested too." Being the gentleman that he was Freddy got up (couldn't help bestowing a kiss upon her cheek) and pulled the other chair out for Bettina, and pushed her in once she was seated. Then as he sat down he groaned, running his hand down his face, when he realised just how ridiculously delighted their mutual best friends would be on hearing how the date went. "You know the pair of them are going to gloat and hold this over us right?" he pointed out, and sighed. "Teo's just going to be so freakin' smug about it that I won't hear the end of it for months!"
Her mind was already running a marathon as it tried to think of ways to get back at the two of them for this. While she was beyond happy that her date ended up being the person she'd been looking forward to spending time with, she was not going to stand for Nora's meddling any longer. Her best friend needed to be taught a lesson, and who better to teach it to her?
"I'm glad to hear that the feeling is mutual, otherwise this could be even more awkward than it already has been." At least now they could get past the slight awkwardness. Hopefully. Blushing a little as he came to pull out her chair, Bettina got settled at the table, placing her clutch off to one side, and her drink in front of her. "Nora will be just as bad - which I'm sure you know, since you grew up with her. I swear, those two are freaking perfect for each other." Two peas in a dang pod, those two were.
Thinking about Mateo made her groan. "God, he'll make the office unbearable." Though a mischievous look crossed her face, and she leaned forward a little. "You know, they were so certain that this date was going to go wonderfully - but what if it didn't?"
A brief snort of laughter was Freddy's response to her comment about knowing how Nora was. He was definitely very familiar with Nora's tenacity once she'd set her mind to something that was for sure. "Hadn't really thought of it much but they really are."
He reached across the table and gave a sympathetic squeeze to her hand. Then he caught a glimpse of the impish look on Bettina's face, and he started to grin in a very knowing manner. While he couldn't say he knew Bettina extremely well he was pretty sure that their thoughts had very much aligned to the one thought: that their best friends had to pay. "I definitely like what you're suggesting. It would definitely throw them for a loop, and a very well deserved one at that," he replied. Freddy chuckled quietly as he tried to picture Nora and Teo's reactions. "Y'know the perfect way to start off would be just to tell them absolutely nothing except how much of a disaster or nightmare it was—reel them in first before getting to the specifics of just how 'good' things went."
It would seem that their thoughts were on a very similar path. She was liking Freddy more and more. "Exactly! We'll wipe the smug looks right off their faces. They won't know what to do!" She could imagine Nora's confused, slack jawed expression now. She could even picture Mateo looking completely lost, and devastated that their genius plan had apparently backfired.
"We'll have to come up with a good story," she told him, her head tilting to one side as she started to think. "Horrific, but not too over the top, y'know? It has to be believable, after all." They didn't need their targets to see right through their story and ruin it all. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.
Picking up her glass, she held it out for a toast, grinning widely. "To revenge on our meddlesome, but well meaning, best friends."
Freddy wouldn't have pegged Bettina as having even one devious bone in her body but he was definitely liking this mischievous side to her. "Oh, definitely. That's why I think we ought to draw them in first with as vague a description as what they gave us. Maybe one or two specific details — once they start asking what we mean by 'disaster' that is."
He chuckled, and raised his glass and clinked it against bettina's. "To revenge. And to what I expect will be a much more enjoyable night now that I know you're my date."
His mind was still ticking over thinking of little details that he might be able to use in describing how nightmarish the supposed blind date had gone. "Well, while we wait for a waiter to take our order, would you like to try and come up with an idea or two? At least so our stories match because you know if we don't tell them or they don't figure out we're lying they'll want to talk and compare," he explained. "Which brings me to the first important point, how familiar do you think they are with the details of this particular restaurant?"
Bettina may be all sunshine and rainbows, but there was a little bit of lightning hiding out in her as well. She had learned to be devious from dealing with her siblings. When you were getting pranked constantly, you had to learn how to fight back. "Because you know they won't be able to let it go. They'll have to know what went wrong."
Clinking their glasses together, Bettina continued to smile at him - at this whole, ridiculous circumstance, really - as she took a sip from the glass before setting it aside. "Far more enjoyable. The thought of having dinner with a complete stranger was nerve wracking."
He made a fair point - their stories needed to match up. "I doubt they're too familiar - Nora did comment that she'd never been to this particular place, and was thinking of getting Teo to bring her." And with how busy Mateo had been lately, she highly doubted that he'd gotten a chance to do that. "What did you have in mind?"
"Right?" he said as he settled back into his chair a little. "Aside from that I was kind of dreading having to tell you all about it. Not that we're... I just figured it'd be the right thing to do but I'm glad I don't have to bother with that now.
"Oh, that's actually perfect," he responded with a devilish grin. Freddy had, aside from a couple ideas of his own, rather unashamedly been thinking of and trying to recollect moments from some romcom films he'd seen in the past. "Well, you know how in films there's sometimes that moment where the girl, or guy, has that absolutely embarrassing moment of clumsiness? I was thinking of something like that but something believable but also not predictable like knocking over full wine glasses. Only nothing on the table is really giving me much of an idea as to what though."
"Oh my God, I was too! I mean they've had this whole thing in motion since before you came into the office the other day with Iris, but then I figured out that you were the guy I, um, that I met at the masquerade, and we made plans, which I was actually excited for. I tried to cancel tonight with Nora, but she was just so insistent, so I had planned on talking to you about it all, since I didn't want you to think that I was that kind of girl, y'know? Trying to string a long two guys at once, because that is totally not like me at all, and - oh my God, I'm rambling again." She let out a laugh, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I tend to ramble when I get nervous, or excited … and around people I like."
Bettina was quite familiar with the movie tropes. Looking around at their little table, however, she understood the problem. There really was nothing on the table that sparked that kind of moment, other than their drinks, though, "I mean, if they're not familiar with the place, who's to say there isn't a candle on our table? Those are prime for knocking over, and they have the added benefit of catching things on fire. I feel like accidentally lighting fire to the table linens might be a good start."
"Lucky for you I think it's kind of adorable when you ramble," he said with a wink. Though he really did think it was adorable the way she'd ramble on especially when he knew it was on something she liked or was excited about. "Exactly. I'm not the kind of guy to string anyone along either. In fact the only reason I gave in to Teo's insistence was the fact he promised he'd back off from ever trying to set me up or push me socially again."
Freddy smiled in absolute delight at Bettina's suggestion. "That's a great idea, and definitely more dramatic than spilt wine but still believable enough," he commented. He tapped his finger against his lips as he thought for a moment. "Do you think it's 'too much' if it wasn't just the table linens but the table itself that caught alight?"
Cue the blushing again. She hadn't met anyone who thought her rambling was adorable - most people thought it was annoying, or just tuned it out. "Nora made me a similar offer, which is why I caved and said yes. I have to wonder, though - how did they know to try and set us up? Because Nora had this set up before you came into the office, which would mean they had to have known … Oh God, do you think they saw us at the fundraiser?" If they had, it would mean that Nora had known all along who her mystery man was, and she had rambled on about how good of a kisser he'd been.
It could be quite dramatic, and she'd seen it happen a few times before. His idea, however, was even better. "I love it. I mean, how unlucky do you have to be to set the actual table on fire? That would've gotten us kicked out of the restaurant for sure."
"It's possible? But if she saw us then why wouldn't she say somet..." Freddy pursed his lips together, and let out a slow breath through his nose, as a thought occurred to him. "Somehow I get the feeling that Nora thought the 'mystery' of it all was too amusing to just tell either of us who our mystery partner was at the masquerade. Either way I have to say I don't feel the least bit bad for guilting the pair of them into setting us up for a 'terrible' date."
"It would certainly help making for a disaster of a date that's for sure," he chuckled. "Would you like the honour of having knocked over the candle? Not that I have a terrible memory but having just the one detail to remember will be easier. Plus I'm pretty sure it's going to be more the lack of details we'll give them that'll really work in our favour."
Freddy would've said more but a waiter had stopped at their table before he could continue. He'd already had a chance to study the menu and quickly rattled off his order, and turned to Bettina. "My treat—since you've got dinner covered for our next date," he offered. "Not that I plan on not helping out at all."
Bettina pinched the bridge of her nose, as she listened to him speculate about Nora. "That sounds about right. She does love her mysteries, after all. I've had her meddling in my love life since we met, so I feel this is definitely well deserved." It was nice to finally be having a conversation face to face with him that didn't involve the both of them stammering their way through the most simple sentences.
"I would love that honour, good sir. I mean, it's not totally out of the realm of possibility where I'm concerned." She could be a bit of a klutz, especially when she was excited or nervous. "It'll help keep the story straight, but we don't have too many complicated things going on." The less convoluted the story was, the better. "It was so terrible, we just can't talk about it!"
When the waiter arrived, Bettina gave the menu a quick once over while Freddy was making his order, and went with the first thing that struck her fancy. She didn't want to end up with an internal debate over three items and make the poor waiter stand around until she made a decision. "Oh my gosh, that's super sweet. Are you sure?"
"Exactly. Hey, do you think it's terrible of me to admit that I'm very much looking forward to seeing their reactions?" he asked with a grin. He really wasn't actually all that concerned with how right or wrong it may be, and more so when taking into account the fact that Nora and Teo had set them up. Nope, he currently had very little sympathy for what his sister and best friend had coming to them. "And that's before they even find out we're fibbing about it all. I really can't wait to see their faces when they hear."
"Absolutely," he said with a slight nod, after the waiter had left. "Seems only fair when you'll be cooking dinner when Iris and I come over—though like I said I don't mind helping out there. Besides we're supposed to be on a date, aren't we?"
“If it is, we’re both terrible people. They so deserve this.” She firmly believed that, and if that made her a terrible person? Well, she’d take it. While it didn’t happen very often, Bettina could be quite the devious little woman. “The look on their faces is going to be so priceless. I want to get a photo of it. Hang it in the office.”
There was a soft smile on her face, and her eyes averted as she tried not to blush further. “Thank you.” Was it apparent that she hadn’t been on a date in a while? “Well, if you and Iris want to come over early, we can totally cook together, if you want? We can even get Iris involved.” She had no issue letting Iris help, where she could - kids liked to feel included in things.
Picking up her glass, Bettina tilted her head again, looking at Freddy for a moment. There had been something on her mind, that she was curious about. “Can I ask you a question?” Her fingers tapped against the glass gently for a moment, before she brought it to her lips for a sip of the tequila. “That night, at the fundraiser … what made you kiss me?”
"I'll make sure to try and get a really good angle when I'm talking Teo about it then," he commented gleefully.
"You're welcome." Freddy didn't think it was apparent at all. Then again he hadn't exactly been on a date in quite some time, and so if he were aware of Bettina's thoughts at all he'd honestly just hope that it wasn't apparent he hadn't dated for a while either. "Uh sure! We could do that. I mean, Iris would love that too—just make sure to set the rules before you get to the prep and cooking parts."
"Sure, go ahead." He was sipping at his beer when she asked the question. Thankfully he merely choke on it slightly rather than spluttering it across the table. "Um... well, you kissed me first. I mean, it was on the cheek but you still kissed first. And... I don't know. I was just looking at you, and kissing you seemed like the right thing to do..."
"You, sir, are my hero." It was going to be a great little thing to have whenever Mateo was being obnoxious, which could be fairly often. It might get him to actually shut his mouth.
It wasn't apparent to Bettina, either, though she probably wouldn't have been surprised to learn it - not because Freddy wasn't an attractive, and personable man. She could only imagine that dating when you had a child could be difficult. "Perfect! I'll be sure to let her know all the rules before she even sets foot in the kitchen." That way there would be less of a chance of any kind of mishap.
She apologized profusely when he choked. She hadn't meant to startle him with her question - she was honestly curious. "I mean, I did, yeah. You were being so sweet, and it just seemed … right, you know? Oh God, I hope you don't think I was asking because I regretted it or something. Because I don't. I actually really enjoyed that night, like a lot. I just- you don't seem the type to just kiss random strangers you bumped into once at a party, so I was curious and - oh God, I'm rambling. Again. I seem to do that a lot around you." She supposed it was because she liked him, and that made her both nervous, and excited.
Freddy shook his head, and gave her a reassuring smile. He knew she hadn't meant to startle him or anything. "What? No, I wasn't thinking that at all. Like you said you were curious, and that's the only impression I got from the question. I really enjoyed that night too but um yeah... kissing random strangers isn't exactly my thing—even if you're not actually a stranger as it turns out—. It's just you were really... it was fun, and you were really nice, and kissing you seemed like a good thing," he responded smiling bashfully, and with just a hint of a nervous flushy in his cheeks. "It's okay though. The rambling that is. I don't mind, and... it's kind of cute."
There was a look of relief that crossed her face quickly, before being replaced again by that bashful little blush. "I mean, it was definitely a good thing. I very much enjoyed it - all of it, really, not just the kissing part." She had really enjoyed their talk, and just being around him in general. "It helps that I've always found you kinda hot - oh God, don't tell Nora I said that." Not that she thought for a second he actually would say anything to her, especially right now.
There was no surprise in the fact that Freddy had a bit of a stupid grin on his face at the news that she'd enjoyed herself. Hey, he was a guy so of course he was going to be somewhat pleased to hear that a girl liked his kissing. Freddy snorted in laughter. "Don't worry, after trying to set the pair of us up like this I don't think it's likely I'll blab to her," he chuckled. "Although I feel like I ought to question you more about it."
"Oh God," Bettina buried her face in her hands, laughing. She was bright red from embarrassment. Why had she told him that? "I would see you around Snowcap, or when you would come in to see the healers… I thought you were very attractive, but I couldn't bring myself to say anything, especially not back then." Nora had told her why her brother had moved back to Snowcap, and it had broke Bettina's heart to hear.
Freddy couldn't help chuckling at Bettina's reaction to his question. There wasn't any meanness in it he just thought it was adorable and amusing. His humour at her reaction though dropped the moment he heard those words. They were vague enough that anyone else might've just brushed it off as having had nerves or shyness in the past. Except he knew only too well as to what 'back then' meant. Freddy stared at his beer a moment as he swirled the liquid around in the glass before taking a sip, and taking time to gather his thoughts. "Um yeah... I probably wouldn't have um been the most receptive to any attention back then," he responded. It was something of an understatement. At the time, excepting Iris and the rest of his family, he hadn't really had time for anyone, and certainly wasn't in a frame of mind for any kind of companionship for a long time afterwards. Whether such a comment would've led to that or not.
"Reckon it's part of why Nora and Teo were probably so insistent about this 'blind date'. They likely figured I'd never have the gumption to ever actually ask you out once I worked out you were my mystery partner from the masquerade," he added with a wry smile.
Shoot. Bettina bit her lip as he fell silent, realizing that she'd unintentionally gone and made it awkward. "No, I don't imagine you would've been. You were dealing with enough as it was, without some silly girl with a crush." So she'd kept quiet about it, shoved it to the back of her mind, and decided to just do what she did with everyone else: be nice.
She stared down at her hands, which were now fidgeting idly in her lap. "I know Nora probably thought similar of me. I've been avoiding dating for a while, now." The last few guys had been terrible. "I have to say, though, I am kinda glad that they insisted we come out tonight."
He nodded in agreement. "Exactly." Freddy's eyes widened slightly that it sounded as if he had also agreed that she was, or rather would've been, a silly girl. "Not that I would've thought you were a silly girl though! But uh yeah it was a long time before I even felt remotely ready to actually try dating again."
"I know that Nora, Teo, and even Cate, mean well when they tried getting me out socialising more but I always preferred trying to take my own pace at it." He managed a smile at her last comment. "Not that we weren't managing alright on our own—even if we were kind of awkward that day in the office. And even though I do agree with you I definitely won't be thinking of changing my mind about the revenge."
"I don't think anyone can blame you for taking your time - at least, they shouldn't. You had yourself, and Iris to worry about." Losing someone like he had - Bettina couldn't imagine how difficult that was, especially with a small child.
"I know what you mean. I don't really like being forced into these awkward situations with people you hardly know. I want something to develop naturally, you know? Meet them when I'm supposed to, and not because my best friend guilted me into it." Laughing softly, she nodded. "That conversation was so incredibly awkward," she mused. "But we were doing alright, I think, though getting to plot revenge with you is a pretty good bonus. I'm glad you're not changing your mind."
Freddy gave an appreciative smile at the sympathy. It wasn't easy trying to move on, and some days he wasn't sure he'd ever actually completely move on. Though he was trying, and while he wasn't sure what it was he may or may not end up having with Bettina it was probably the first time in a long while that he'd actually taken a chance.
"Exactly! I mean, I don't mind some kind of set up where it's actually been my decision or choice to go with it but... yeah, I've just always preferred to let things happen organically y'know?" he responded. It also reminded him he was probably going to have to mention to Cate to take him off of the Revelio beta—well, supposing that this went anywhere he'd have to. "Glad one of us had the courage to do something there before someone else did. It's definitely a pretty good bonus isn't it? Besides, miss out on seeing Teo's face when I tell him how horribly wrong this all went? I don't think so."
"See? You get it!" It was nice to know that they seemed to be on the same page about that. A relief, really. "I think that if I hadn't up and asked you to dinner, we would've awkwardly danced around it until neither of us did anything, and we both went home mentally slapping ourselves for it." At least most of that awkwardness seemed to have worn off, now. They were back to the easy conversation like they'd had at the masquerade. "I can't fault you for that - it's going to be priceless. Enough about all that, though. Why don't you tell me more about yourself? I mean, this is supposed to be our first official date, right? Might as well get all the ridiculous get to know you questions out of the way."
"Nah. I would've asked you eventually... okay, maybe not that day but I definitely would've asked. I think I was just still surprised at realising who you were, and also maybe slightly a little to do with Iris being right there and being just outside of Teo's office as well." Still he was glad that Bettina hadn't waited, and had done something about it—even if they were now on a date thanks to their mutual best friends.
Fortunately, their waiter returned at that moment with their meals which distracted them a moment before they returned to their conversation. "Well, that's true. What do you want to know about me then?" he asked.
"I definitely can't blame you, there. I hope my asking didn't make things weird with Iris at all." That was the last thing she wanted to do. She knew that it was likely to be a little odd, if things progressed beyond dinner - that was just the nature of things, when kids were involved.
The food looked, and smelled, amazing. "I figure we can start with the usual - favorite color? Favorite food? Do you think that pineapple belongs on pizza?" She smirked a little at the last one.
"No, no... it didn't," he responded with a shake of his head. "I told her about it afterwards when we were home. She's—" Freddy paused to chuckle. "—actually really looking forward to it. Obviously she doesn't know that it's um kind of a date but she's excited for it."
Freddy couldn't help but laugh at the last question. "You sure don't pick the easy questions, do you?" he commented, as he winked at her. "Favourite colour is green, favourite food is these amazing carne asada tacos from this one food truck in San Diego, and I don't know about belonging but I don't mind having it on pizzas. After all lots of people make lots of other different sweet and salty, or savoury, food combinations and nobody makes a fuss over them."
Taking a bite from his meal he took a moment as he ate to think of a question or two. "Hmm... Okay, same first two questions for you, aaaaand... okay, not counting what you told me at the masquerade but do you have a hidden talent?"
"Oh, good. Good. It was kind of a split second decision, but I'm glad she's excited. I'm excited. I wanted her to feel included, you know? Since the two of you are kind of a package deal," she said with a grin. It was a fact that Bettina was totally okay with. She adored little Iris.
For Bettina, the last one was very important, as she was very much a supporter of pineapple on pizza. "I have to keep you on your toes." She made note of his answers, filing them away for later use. "I'm happy to say, Mr. Adler, that you passed the test. You get to move on to the next round, with no judgement penalties." She gave him a wink as she took a bite of her own meal. She'd made a good choice.
"Okay, um, if I had to pick just one color, probably purple. My favorite food is probably my abuela's pastelon - it's like Puerto Rican lasagna. As for the last one…" She thought for a moment, twirling her fork between her fingers. "I can get almost any kid to fall asleep in under ten minutes." She still had no real idea how she did it, but apparently she was just that good.
"Now, if you could travel anywhere in the world, where's the first place you'd go? Also, what's your favorite book?"
"I certainly appreciate it." he said, smiling back at her warmly. He was glad that Bettina was trying to include Iris with any plans. He loved his girl to pieces and wouldn't change a thing but it was hard not to deny the fact that telling any date he had a four-nearly-five year old daughter made things 'complicated'. Yet with Bettina he didn't have to deny or pretend anything—he didn't even have to wait until the second date to tell her like he usually did if the first date had gone well.
Freddy looked at Bettina with a raised eyebrow. "Going by that answer I'd hazard a guess that someone rather enjoys having pineapple on pizza."
He tried to keep the smirk off his face as he ate a little more whilst listening to her answers. The smirk was for the simple fact that going purely by her appearance at the masquerade that she was rather fond of rainbows, and so having to pick just one colour was probably not an easy decision. Freddy liked seeing the look of fond remembrance on Bettina's face as she mentioned her abuela's pastelon, and was grateful for the answer to a question he no longer had to ask. "Seriously? Under ten minutes? How?!"
"Anywhere, huh? For me personally it'd be somewhere quiet—a secluded beach somewhere, since I get enough woods and mountains here, that'll give me peace but I can still have fun if I want to. As a dad... Iris has definitely hinted at wanting to go to Disney World at some point—all the princesses y'know," he answered. The second question was not exactly difficult but a little trickier to answer. "I don't know that I actually have a favourite book. I mean, I do actually read when I can but... yeah, I don't think I've ever actually had a favourite as such."
Freddy grinned and gestured to Bettina with the fork in his hand. "And that I believe means it's my turn again," he said cheekily. "Hmm... okay, what's your favourite season, and why? And... oh, I know! Favourite ice cream flavour?"
"You would be correct on that." She was very glad that there would be no future arguments over pineapple on pizza. Picking her favorite color - singular - was difficult. She loved them all for different reasons, and it made picking just one nearly impossible. She laughed at his reaction to her so called hidden talent. "I don't know, honestly. I guess I'm just soothing to kids, or something. When I used to babysit, every time I'd put the kids down for a nap, or at the end of they night, they were out like that." She snapped her fingers. "Even my younger siblings were the same way."
She listened as he talked about where he'd go, if he could. She definitely didn't blame him on the beach front. "I love the beach, it's so relaxing, though I definitely see the appeal of Disney World. I've never been, myself, though I've always wanted to go." Trips to places like Disney World weren't exactly feasible when there were seven kids to deal with.
Their conversation carried on long after their dinner was finished. It was easy, and fun, going back and forth with him asking silly questions, and learning more about each other. Laughing, Bettina placed her now empty glass back down on the table. "And once, we convinced my youngest brother that he was invisible for about a week." She'd felt terrible about it later, but it had been hilarious at the time. Looking up, she noticed one of the waiters giving them the side eye, and she realized that there was only a couple of other people left in the restaurant. She leaned forward across the table, giggling a little. "I think they want us to leave."
"That's definitely some talent to have. I wish I had it myself," he chuckled. "Not that I have any trouble getting Iris to sleep except when she's feeling unwell and gets a bit stubborn. Still... that's definitely one handy talent to have."
Freddy smiled fondly even as he pushed the food around on his plate in a distracted manner. "We used to go every weekend—it was easy enough when you lived somewhere like San Diego. Though for uh obvious reasons I'd rather choose somewhere not so familiar." One day he'd probably be able to visit San Diego, and see familiar places, and not see reminders of Anne everywhere—or feel like the world was closing in because did remind him of her. "I've always kind of wanting to go myself. At least for the rides anyway. Iris, on the other hand, has wanted to go so she can meet all the princesses there."
It was just as easy to talk and laugh with Bettina now as it had been the night of the masquerade—with the added benefit of actually knowing who she was. Freddy laughed at the story about her brother. "Really? Did he end up finding out himself or did someone have to fess up about it?" Freddy blinked before looking around the restaurant only to see that she was telling the truth. The place was very nearly deserted, and he noticed the same waiter. "Or maybe they're just jealous they're still having to work while I'm the lucky one on a date with a pretty woman," he said with a wink. "Though maybe we ought to go before they do actually decide to kick us out. We could go for a walk though if you're not ready to head home?"
It made sense that he'd want to go somewhere that wasn't completely filled with memories. "Well, if you ever find yourself in Puerto Rico, let me know. I know of some amazing beaches." The benefit of having family that lived there. "I can't blame you, there. The rides look amazing, plus the whole nostalgia of it all - seeing the movies we grew up on brought to life?" She may be a witch, but she thought that was absolutely magical.
She thought on his question for a minute. "I think I ended up telling him it was a joke - I started to feel bad. He was so freaked out!" He had started begging their parents to buy him paint so he could paint himself, making it easier for his siblings to see him. "My mom was livid. Dad thought it was hilarious."
Bettina could hardly believe that they'd stayed until almost closing. Then again, it was easy to lose track of time talking to him. She found herself blushing, again, when he called her pretty. "Clearly they're jealous. I think I could use a walk, after all that food." Plus, she wasn't quite ready to call it a night, yet. She was enjoying his company too much.
"I'll keep that in mind then if I ever find myself there," he said with a smile. Though he was sure that any holiday, in whatever form, would probably still be a ways off. Not to mention taking Iris into account because, no matter the amount of family who'd offer to look after her for him, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to really go anywhere without her. "Would definitely need more than a few days to explore it all—especially with a kid in tow."
"I can imagine," he chuckled. "My parents probably would've reacted the same way had I ever done something like that. Mind you it'd depend on the sibling. But then of course I'm the nice one."
"Well, then," he drawled, as he stood and put his jacket back on. He held a hand out to Bettina. "I'll pay, and then we can walk around before heading home before either of us turn into pumpkins."
She could only imagine how much extra time you needed for things like holidays or trips when small children were involved. "Of course you would! I'm sure she would want to see absolutely everything. I know I would."
Chuckling, she had a feeling that Nora wouldn't have taken kindly to a prank like that. Her temper was a bit too fiery at times, and she'd hate to think of the trouble she'd have caused as retaliation.
Taking his hand, Bettina stood, grabbing her small clutch from the corner of the table. The Cinderella reference had her smirking a little. "At least if I lose my shoe, you'll know who it belongs to, and I'm pretty easy to find," she said with a wink. Despite their plans to say otherwise, Bettina thought that this had ended up being a pretty great evening.