"Jazz? Like jazz music... well I can tell you that I don't hate it. I haven't listened to it very often though, one of my friend's used to be obsessed so I've heard it before. And I love music in general, whenever I'm at home I'm listening to some type of music. I guess it's a bit of an addiction." She confessed, Vivian thought about how she never had listened to jazz music that much. She made a note to listen to it more often, because it seemed to be a big thing to Michael.

They'd both asked a lot of questions that night, favorite colors and preferred careers; Vivian felt like she knew Michael, but like he was still a stranger to her. They'd definitely hit it off tonight, but it left her wondering where they were at. Did this make them friends now? Of course they were friends, right?

But Vivian found herself hoping that they could be much more than just friends, call her lovesick but she was falling for this semi-mysterious WCU agent with a taste for jazz music. Well, maybe lovesick was overdoing it, she liked him. She like liked him.

"So, was that another thing on your checklist?" She asked him, "First making sure that I was okay with Muggles, and then checking to see that I didn't have a secret loathing of jazz music?" Vivian smiled, she was just joking, but she found it amusing how Michael was almost testing her in a way.

"The list is endless,"  Michael answered, with an almost straight face.  "I collect brooms, travel frequently, for pleasure as well as for work.  I give killer foot rubs, snore and have been known to be a blanket thief.  I'm a hopeless romantic but I also believe that women aren't fragile creatures in need of protection.  You have your own mind and I fully expect you to use it, even if you are using it against me.  I have a tendency to fixate on things and I assume that I'm always right, even when I 'm not.  I can be patient, especially when it's something important.  Like everyone else, I have my limits but I always consider time served on a project as one of the components in deciding whether it is worth continuing or not."

He tilted his head slightly and gave Vivian a crooked grin.  "Scared yet?"

"Scared yet? Are you kidding me? You're going to have to do a lot worse if you want to scare me off," Vivian said. Meanwhile, she was running through what he had said in her head. It was a long list but she thought she could remember it, maybe...

She was glad that he didn't think all women needed protection, because he would be wrong in that department. Whether Vivian was playing with magic or gunpowder, she would always consider the person on the other end of the duel needing protection. She was cocky in that sense, never thinking that someone else would have to take care of her, that no one needed to play the big knight in shiny armor and swoop in on his magical unicorn to rescue her.

"I guess I should share my list as well then?" She asked, thinking of what she could say. "Well, I like living life to the fullest. I hate losing, I love winning. If you should ever hear that I am on any sort of potion or something to help with pain, then you should avoid me, unless you need blackmail, then that's your perfect opportunity to get it. I'm a Scorpio who had a lot of energy and hates being lied to. I sort of get caught up sometimes and I get possessive over things or people, and I can get jealous very easily. But I'm a sucker for a good novel and find myself wishing I could meet the character's I read about."

"And I hope you aren't scared because I would hate to scare you off so soon," Vivian added.

"Scorpio? Well, sorry but we're done right there.  I'm an Aries and we're just not compatible."  He laughed.  "Hopefully you're not too into astrology.  I enjoyed divination in school but it's just too finicky for me to rely on it all that much.  As far as the rest is concerned, I think this is going to get very interesting very quickly.  I hate losing.  We're either going to get along really well, with a few major blowouts or we're going to go completely the other way and fight constantly about everything, with a few moments of peace that won't last very long."

Michael kissed her hand again, wondering what her lips would feel like.  "They say nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight.  Here's hoping the juice will be worth the squeeze."

"Astrology? No way, not a true believer in that sort of stuff. I prefer making my own way through life without some silly horoscope telling me what to do." Vivian said, smiling at his joke.

She found herself thinking, I wouldn't really mind losing a fight with Michael. As long as I win some of them, then maybe we wouldn't be that bad together. She surprised herself with her own thoughts shaking off the thought of them together, reprimanding herself metally by thinking about other things. Maybe the fact that he'd kissed her hand again, and the next time she would really like it if that kiss could be on her lips.

"You are just full of useful metaphors aren't you?" She said as they finished up their dinner, Vivian knew their time together tonight was coming to an end and she found herself wishing they could stay together a bit longer.

"I am the king of useless trivia, useful metaphors and lists that are three items long,"  Michael replied.  He watched as Lyndsey cleared the dishes away.  "One thing I am not king of is time,"  he added with a sigh.  "If I was, we wouldn't be running out of it for this evening." 

There were ways of extending the evening but Michael wasn't going to suggest anything too forward.  This technically wasn't even their first date.  It had been a chance invitation for a drink that went far better than it had any right to.  Michael wasn't complaining about it though.  Sometimes, chance meetings happened for a reason.

So that was it, their dinner was over. Lyndsey had cleared the table, they'd both payed for their half; Vivian hadn't felt comfortable about not sharing the bill, this wasn't even an official date. Although she found herself wishing it was.

When they walked outside, Vivian shivered from the difference in temperatures between the inside of the Pub and the outdoors. But she shook it off as they walked, finding that it really wasn't that chilly, but it was late and it was Autumn... things were just starting to get colder.

"I would really like to do this again sometime," she said, breaking the silence. "I had a lot of fun tonight."

Michael slipped his jacket off and offered it to Vivian.  He wasn't cold but he had seen the slight shiver.  "Me too,"  he said. 

He'd been mildly annoyed that she wouldn't allow him to pay for dinner but he had understood her discomfort.  "Next time you won't be able to talk me into letting you pay for half.  I insist on paying for our first official date.  Assuming, that is, that you are willing to go out on a date with me.  How does dinner and a fill in the blank sound?  You get to chose the last half of that.  Live theatre, concert, river cruise, etcetera.  I suppose a picnic and a trip to the zoo might even be in the cards, if you feel like it."

Vivian took the offered jacket, shrugging it on and enjoying the warmth it brought. "I would love to go to a dinner and a fill in the blank." She said with a smile.

"Honestly I wouldn't know what to fill in the blank with yet, something fun I suppose... I'll have to think it over." Vivian said, biting her lip nervously. She didn't know why she was nervous really, she just was.

They were back in the wizarding part of London, and she found herself awful close to her flat. She let out a reluctant sigh as they got closer, "This is my place." She said, gesturing to a building a few buildings down. "Thank you so much for everything, I'm looking forward to when we can do this again."

Vivian pulled off his jacket, handing it back. "And thanks for letting me borrow this."

Michael took his jacket back.  "and now we reach the official awkward moment of the evening,"  Michael said.  "I'll see what I can do to make it less so." 

He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a business card.  "My number, so you can call when you decide what the fill in the blank is."  He took her hand and kissed her knuckles again.  "That will have to do in lieu of a first kiss," he added.  "That should wait until after the first official date, don't you think?  And don't think I don't want to kiss you.  It's quite the opposite.  I would very much like to kiss every inch of you."

Vivian slipped his business card into her pocket, making a mental note to figure out the fill-in-the-blank as soon as she could. "Thank you," she said before he kissed her hand again, providing an explanation as to why he wasn't actually going to kiss her on the lips or anything.

She blushed, "That sounds like a plan. I'll be looking forward to our first official date then. Good night Michael," she said as he let go of her hand. She walked up the steps and opened the door, walking in and closing the door quietly. Vivian leaned against the wall, a smile permanently etched on her face. She was buzzing with joy as she stood back up and took the stairs two at a time until she reached her flat.

Michael watched her go.  He wasn't sure whether he should kick himself or pat himself on the back for not kissing her.  It seemed to have gone over well but that wasn't necessarily the case.

Vivian was stunning.  She was funny.  He wanted to see more of her, by every definition.  Slow down there, Mister.  You've been down this road before.  If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Don't let your heart start writing cheques that your brain will have to cash.  She's smart, funny and pretty and seems to be into you.  Take it slow and we'll see how long it takes her to call.

Michael turned and headed down the street, looking for a convenient place to apparate home from.  To hell with it.  I'll walk.  It's a nice night and I think I'll enjoy it.  Damn, there is some of her perfume on my jacket....