September 6th - First night on the town

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Smiling and being happy are two of those things that I don't believe the word 'enough' can apply to," he said, quietly teasing, but only for a moment. "But as long as you'll trust me, we can keep working on 'more.'"

[Veronica Glarette]

"I trust you." Veronica says. "Besides, if I did not, I would not haf went wis you when we met. Call eet intuition." She jokes a bit back. But it was true.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Good point," he admitted. "You had your back to the wall then, though, and I remember you spending most of the day waiting for me to show my true colors as some sort of predator..."

[Veronica Glarette]

"...I had pepper spray ready in my jacket pocket." She admits, laughing.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"I know," he said with a grin. "Did you bring any tonight?" He asked with a wink as he opened the car door for her.

[Veronica Glarette]

"Sank you." Veronica says as he opens the door for her. She slipped inside and said with a smirk:

"Zat is for me to know and you to find out."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"See, a lesser man might take that as an invitation to check," he teased.

[Veronica Glarette]

"And you and I bos know you are not a lesser man." She winks.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Which sometimes is quite a shame," he joked. "But we'll just have to carry on, I suppose."

[Veronica Glarette]

"You going to make it?" She teases back.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Probably," he admitted. "How about you?"

[Veronica Glarette]

"Hm...I sink so. Should be." Veronica smiles. "Sank you for taking me out tonight."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"My pleasure," Ryan said, smiling at her. He studied her a moment, then let his curiosity out. "So what were you going to say at dinner, anyway?" he asked.

[Veronica Glarette]

Veronica pauses, then looks out the window as they ride along. For a few moments she's silent, then takes a deep breath and explains.

"You haf done so much to help me. I was abandoned for who I truly am. Left alone completely wis almost nosing and no one. You came to help. As optimistic as I was and as much as I sought I may be able to get out of zee situation alone, I knew zat it would really be impossible. Mais, you gave me hope. Not only haf you done zis, but you are offering to help me control zat which has controlled me for so long. All my life I haf done what I can to help osers and do what I could to listen and be zere. Eet is nice to feel eet in return."

For another moment or so she pauses before continuing.

"After all off zis, you even offer to take me out to dinner. You haf shown kindness to me beyond belief and..." She stops, trying to form the right words. "And I wanted you to know zat you do not haf to humor me. I am just a simple girl. You are so much more. You are popular, sweet, strong, a gentleman." She doesn't seem to be able to come right out and admit that she just doesn't feel good enough. "Forgive me, I am unsure how to explain."

[Ryan Gabriel]

It was Ryan's turn to be quiet a moment. "When I met you, I expected to find someone who would fight me. Someone that was so set against trusting anyone that I might have to drag you to Paris. Someone angry and bitter and... Instead I found you. Someone who'd managed to stay so sweet and... innocent through it all that I couldn't believe it. You... Amaze me. You've had so much happen to you, and all you care about is other people."

His hand, glove on again, closes over hers. "I didn't want to push much when you were in Paris. I didn't want you to think that I expected anything because I 'saved' you. But the more I get to know you, the more I think that you are the way I think everyone should be. And... I want to know you more. I'm not... Humoring you, I just... I don't know. I can be me around you, and I can like being me. Or... More than that, I feel like I'm better when I'm around you."

[Veronica Glarette]

As she listened and his hand closed over hers, Veronica couldn't help but smile. Such a simple gesture, but to her it meant so much. She squeezed his hand softly as he continued. Once he finished, she leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder.

"Zere was no reason for me to be angry about zee situation. It would not haf helped matters, only would haf served to make me feel worse zen I did. Zere are worse sings out zere zat people haf to live wis. I haf seen so much pain and suffering in some off zee memories I haf caught. But I haf also seen beauty. And it outweighs zee darkness, through and through. You are one off zose sings I haf seen zat outweighs zee darkness."

She gives his hand another soft squeeze. "What matters is zat you are yourself. As I haf said before, zat is all I ask. Well, besides zee bet. Zat was different sough." A soft chuckle. "Regardless, Ryan, eet is about what makes you happy. If you feel better, zen follow what gifs you zat feeling. I will not protest eet for my own selfish reasons." She admits.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Protest it for... Oh." Ryan put two and two together and hoped that he was getting four. "If you want me to back off, you just needed to say so. It's all right, I get it."

[Veronica Glarette]

"Wait what?" She sits up and looks confused. "No no, please don't...er...I mean..." Her words begin to come as stammers. "Zat is not...not what I meant at all. Mon dieu, je suis tellement stupide..." She rubs her forehead. "Please do not back off. What I meant is...erm..." Her voice got softer and more sheepish as she explained. "If you stay around me, I would be very happy. Because I like you. Zat...zat is what I meant."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"I think," Ryan said, "That we're the only people in the world tonight who are set on ending a date in an awkward misunderstanding." He smiled reassuringly at her.

[Veronica Glarette]

"Obviously I need to study more English." Veronica says with a small smile.

[Ryan Gabriel]

He chuckled, then pulled on her hand. "What you need to do is come here."

[Veronica Glarette]

Veronica didn't seem reluctant, but there was that constant worry in the back of her mind, a nagging of 'what if'. It was something that she constantly worried about. However at that moment something told her it was going to be alright. Always one to trust her intuition, she scooted over beside him.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan slipped his arm around her, shifting a little in the seat. "Going to be a long ride," he said with a little smile. "You should get comfortable here."

[Veronica Glarette]

Veronica smiled at him and leaned her head on his shoulder. She rested one hand on his leg (not perversely, of course), and sighed softly. Apparently she had no problem with getting comfortable, because it wasn't long after that she fell fast asleep.