FSP: For the First Time in Forever

He smiled widely down at her, single dimple standing out as he led her to the restaurant.

It was dimly yet elegantly lit inside. A large chandelier glittered on the high ceiling above them, flowers were piled high in every corner, and every table had candles and napkins folded expertly into swans and doves and just about any type of bird you could think of.

"Reservation for Beaumont," he said to a man dressed in a tuxedo with coattails. The man's eyes widened and he grinned without looking at the list.

"Good evening, Monsieur! For two?" he asked, a very thick French accent coating his every word. Geoffrey nodded, patting Emma's hand lightly. The man smiled and snatched two menus out from behind his podium before ushering them to the dining area and seating them by a window. "Your server will be by momentarily."

"Merci, monsieur."

He nodded and left them be. Geoffrey looked up at Emma, hoping to gauge her reaction.

Geoffrey nodded before tearing his eyes from her and looking around a bit.

"Oui, I come for brunch quite often. Rarely for dinner, though. They just treat me like this because of my family relation," he said before straightening and flicking his napkin out expertly and placing it in his lap. A waiter approached them after a time. He was tall and fit and wore a formal get-up complete with a bow tie, though without a jacket. There was a white cloth over his arm, and his hair was swept back. He was overall, very handsome.

"Bonsoir, Monsieur et Mademoiselle. Can I get anything for you to drink this evening, or are you still deciding?"

Geoffrey glanced at the wine menu and looked up at Emma questioningly. He was pretty sure she wasn't interested in alcohol, but he could have been wrong.

"A glass of your '61 Chardonnay for me, as well as some water. And anything the lady would like," he finished with a smile. The waiter nodded and turned toward her as Geoffrey looked down at his menu.

Geoffrey: "Ahh, the university. I'm pleased to report that I've made some quite excellent friends. And don't tell anyone, but I'm--" At this point he was interrupted by another waiter that was not their original waiter.

"Monsieur Beaumont-- can it be?! I did not think you'd be here for dinner! I've heard you're often here for brunch, but- Ah! What a pleasure!" He reached out his hand and Geoffrey shook it, not really wanting to say anything. If they kept this up, Emma would know--

"And how is the Earl doing?"

Geoffrey tried not to groan. "As far as I'm aware, my father is doing well."

"Ah, Oui! Such a shame that you are not living with them! But I suppose the romantic life of being a street painter and performer would appeal--"

"I'm sorry, Monsieur, forgive my rudeness, but as you can see I am on a date with this beautiful fleur," he said with a bit of an annoyed undertone. He gestured to Emma with a smile, though.

"Ah, Oui! Forgive me!" He bowed and left them in peace.

"I'm dreadfully sorry, ma fleur. Where were we?" he asked as the waiter returned and silently left their drinks. Geoffrey thanked him and he turned to leave with a promise to return for their orders in a few moments.

Geoffrey sighed, though he did so with a smile because it was Emma who asked and he didn't really want to hide things from her. He didn't want her to judge him for his family, but he also didn't want to hide.

"Ah. Yes, my father is the government representative in the town. He is, how you say, nobility, you see, the Earl actually. They live in the cloud estates, among the other nobles in town, but there actually aren't many others nowadays. Mostly just rich families live there. I'm... supposed to be next in line for my father's position, but...." He trailed off, swirling his drink in his glass. He felt eyes on him and that's not what he wanted. Maybe dinner was a bad idea...

Geoffrey: For a moment, he blinked at her, having completely forgotten about any secrets he was supposedly going to share with her, but after a short moment, realization dawned on his face.

"Ah, yes!" Just as he was about to explain though, he thought about how much better it would be as a surprise. "Actually, nevermind. I want it to be a surprise for you! I hope that's alright," he finished cautiously, studying her closely for any signs of irritation or resentment. He'd tell her if it came down to it, but... Just imagining the look on her face if she had no prior knowledge beforehand...! It was too good to pass up!

Geoffrey grinned widely at her, completely forgetting about his menu. "Yes, that sounds lovely! I'll most certainly be there," he assured her with a nod. Having remembered his menu all at once as he saw their server approach another table, he glanced down at it and opened it.

"We should probably figure out what we'd like," he said with a laugh, browsing through the French section. "The English... how you say... transcriptions are on the back of every page." He crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair as he browsed for a moment. "Mais, bien sûr, get whatever you'd like, ma fleur."

Geoffrey: "Ah! Oui! Peut-être the quiche? It's trés delicieux, and it's, how you say, right up your alley." He smiled as he pored over his own menu. There were so many things he liked that he always had a hard time narrowing it down. After a few minutes, the waiter came back to them, though, and asked if they were ready to order.

"Ah, are we?" he asked Emma. He could always pick if he was fighting the clock, but he never knew until the last minute. So, really, it depended on her.