It was nice that Quincy felt the need to set Jason up. Really, that made a person feel good, to be paired up with someone she knew for a sympathy blind date. Because in the end, that was what it was, right? A ‘here, you’re kind of moping around, I know someone who might be the right distraction for you! Or maybe you’re going to be the unknown person’s distraction. Either way, he didn’t like feeling like a pity case.

But since it was Quincy, and they’d started to at least talk with one another normally again… he supposed it was just one date. And there was no obligation for another one! Surely, though, she wouldn’t be mean enough to set him up with Charlotte… Frowning at his reflection in the mirror, he shook his head slightly and continued brushing his teeth. A few moments later and he rinsed out and left the bathroom, hair all ready done and stubble all ready felt. He had shaved that morning… that was enough for a day.

Then there was the fact of wearing something nice, but blue. At least she hadn’t picked out some odd color… like pink or purple. He didn’t have as many nice shirts in those shades. Smirking slightly at his wardrobe, he pulled out a couple different shirts, mulling over it just briefly before tossing the blue and white stripped collar shirt on the bed, hanging the other, all ready forgotten, back up. A few minutes later and he had black trousers, black leather shoes, the chosen shirt buttoned up over a white vest, and a soft yellow tie. It should be enough…

The second dates were always nicer. Not that he’d been on any in a while, though. They were always more laid back, though. It wasn’t mandatory that they go somewhere expensive and uncomfortable either. After checking himself once more in the mirror, he pulled his black dinner jacket on before picking up the small bouquet of flowers, all of a blue variety. He could keep with the color theme tonight.

When he arrived, a little bit ahead of time, Jason stood around the entrance, stepping into the bar area. Maybe she was early? That would be a first. Half smirking to himself, he saw a woman in blue and bit his lip; a redhead? Still—it was a blind date. Stepping forward, he gently rubbed her shoulder. Though when she turned around, he felt his heart sink. Maybe Quincy was getting back at him. The woman seemed surprised to see him, and after looking him over, seemed rather pleased with herself.

To play it cool and act like he’d made a mistake, running out before she realized? Or be a gentleman and swallow his pride… “Ah… Did Quincy tell you… That’s quite a shade of blue.” The woman gave him a curious look. “How do you know Quincy?” That was probably better. The response, however, forced him to blink and reassess. “Quincy? Is that your…” She did a quick look around, obviously disappointed, “-date?” Then he blinked and glanced around as well. She wasn’t his blind date!

“Oh, ah, sorry, meeting friends. Have a lovely evening.” And he quickly backed out and away from her, heading to the opposite side of the bar to sit… and wait. Which he did, slightly slumped over and holding the flowers between his knees, looking down at it. A small laugh escaped him; Quincy wouldn’t have been that mean.

So now he just sat waiting, hoping for something a step or ten above the great personality he almost stayed near. He rubbed his chin in thought; hopefully Aidan would be all right with his mum tonight...

This had to be one of the most humiliating things a woman ever had to go through. Not only was she single, but her married cousin felt so sorry for her that she felt the need to set her up with whatever loner of a man she knew. And she was sure Quincy knew a few loners. She was married to Eddie, afterall, and a few other men who he worked with were certain to be loners. It can't be easy living with an 'action-man' auror, who always wants to save the world...

She rolled her eyes as she applied some lip balm, just hoping against hope that Quincy would be generous. At least it wasn't Charlotte setting her up; that would be disastrous. Quincy had been clever in her choice of colour, however - she chose blue, and since Sam was an ex-Ravenclaw, she had plenty of blue things cluttering her wardrobe. The choice was whether to go dressy or casual, or 'drasual'. She puzzled for a few minutes over her choices. They were going to Signature, afterall, so not any old thing would do. But, Sam wanted to be comfortable.

She settled on a drasual outfit comprising jeans, a tank top, blue boots, a blue bag with matching watch and a tank top cardigan over the top. Casual, and yet classy. She nodded at her appearance in the mirror. She would do just fine. She picked up the necklace with the blue poppy on and fastened it around her neck as a last minute adjustment. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail at the back of her head, with small whisps still managing to float out here and there.

Heaving one final sigh, she left her apartment, made her way out into the street and apparated when she was sure nobody was looking. She arrived outside of Signature bang on time. Quincy had told her to wait in the bar, but she hesitated slightly at the threshold of the building. Would he already be there? Would he come at all? What if their clothes clashed! If he was wearing the wrong shade of blue, it could be a catastrophe! What if he wasn't her type? Would it be rude to make an excuse about Lewis and leave? Fake an owl, perhaps? She slapped herself mentally. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier? She could have had it all set up!

She rolled her eyes at herself for acting like such a baby. But it had been so long since she'd been on a date. In fact...she hadn't. Ever. She and Thomas fell together [for what good it did them], and since he left she had never allowed herself to date anyone. How on earth Quincy had managed to coerce her into this, she still didn't know.

Taking a few deep breaths to try and settle her nerves, she pushed through her fears and made her way cautiously into the bar area. The music was on, but it wasn't too loud. The club wasn't very busy -- clearly not one of its more popular nights. She looked around and spotted someone at the far end of the bar, sitting with a bunch of blue flowers between his knees. Her stomach lurched and her heart did a double somersault. From where she was standing, he didn't look half bad. Nice choice of clothes, well styled hair.

She was feeling better about this already. She suddenly felt taller, which was difficult considering she was a relatively small woman wearing high-heeled shoes - that was about as tall as it was going to get. She took a leisurely walk towards him, hoping that he was, in fact, her date and that it wasn't just a coincidence that he was wearing blue and carrying blue flowers.

As she neared the man, her brow furrowed slightly. Was that? No, it couldn't be. Could it? She squinted slightly, as though looking at him through narrowed eyes might give her a clearer view of the man in front of her. Suddenly her eyes widened and a small laugh escaped her lips. It was.

She shook her head and made her way over to him. She stood at the bar beside him and smiled. "Well, this is a coincidence, Healer Marren."

As he sat there, looking at the flowers, he frowned to himself. So many things can go through a man’s mind when they sit still. He focused on the present; the problems he’d created, the choices he’d made… What did it amount to? And for that matter, would any of it matter in another few months? This one way ticket to self destruction was very lonely. Fiona and he were in the process of finalizing their divorce, and he wanted custody of Aidan. That in itself put a little weight on his shoulders.

Glancing up, he turned his unfocused gaze around the room, settling on a painting nearby. Then there was Eddie. His best mate wouldn’t forgive him for what he thought had gone on between Jason and Quincy. Or wouldn’t any time soon. He’d sent his gift for his birthday, but it felt odd to not go out and celebrate with him because he hadn’t been invited anywhere. So he’d celebrated for Eddie with a case of beer, a small cake, and Quidditch on the radio.

Tonight, though, wasn’t Eddie’s night. So Jason shoved those thoughts aside with a pursed lip and focused on something he hadn’t in a while. His mind wandered over memories and old goals and values. The days that he would chance to get in trouble just because he had nothing else to do. Before any children or marriages… back when he was ‘just a kid,’ and hated being called that. He recalled snippets of running through the castle, going to his first Quidditch match, meeting Eddie and thinking him such a prat at first.

A small smile came to his lips, though he was slightly startled when he heard a voice. Turning to it, he realized it sounded very familiar.

“Well, this is a coincidence, Healer Marren.”

His face showed slightly embarrassed horror; the eyes wide, mouth not sure whether it wanted to open or close, the eyebrows climbing up his forehead. He wasn’t there for a blind date! Then he realized that maybe she was just there for a drink, and he worked to get his face under control, giving her a tight smile and sitting up. He made an attempt to hide the flowers, but had nowhere to stuff them… so he settled for holding them where they were. Turning slightly, standing up and making a motion of the seat, he nodded to her.

“Samia… Ah, not Healer right now.” Giving her a friendly wink, he felt the blush starting to ease out of his cheeks. “What are you—” Then his brain started to work for him. Here he’d thought it had taken a mini vacation… Quincy had set this up… told him to wear blue… and—As his eyes traveled the length of Samia in slight surprise, he realized—no. Was Quincy that good to him? A grin came to his lips and he finally looked back up at her. Next time he saw that woman... he might give her a friendly slap on the back. “Well…”

What now? He blinked and then made up for his slowness with suddenly darting out with the flowers, offering them to her and laughing. “For you. If you are my… date.” He leaned forward slightly and made a small nod with his head to the side. “Just say yes if you’re not for my sake.” The woman he’d accidentally bumped into earlier was keeping an eye on him for now, though she was surely a little sour now that a beautiful younger woman was there. “And might I say, you look wonderful.”

He looked extremely startled to say the least. At least she'd had time to get over the shock when she'd seen who her 'date' was, without him actually having to see it. The more she thought about it, the more ironic it began to seem. And there she had been assuming that he was happily married with a young son. Clearly the young son part was right, but evidently there was no happy marriage...otherwise her cousin was playing a cruel joke on her.

“Samia… Ah, not Healer right now.”

"Oh yes, sorry." She bit her lower lip slightly. "Then, I assume it's ok to call you Jason?" she couldn't help but let a grin spread across her face as she realised how stupid that had sounded - what else was she going to call him? She couldn't call him 'date' all night, could she.

He stood up and offered her his seat, his eyes traveling down her outfit as though assessing whether she was in fact his date for the night. Her cheeks redened - it wan't very often she had man so blatantly check her out, or at least not when she was looking. The offering of his seat was a very gentlemanly gesture, and yet it made her feel uncomfortable. He shouldn't have to give up his seat for her. "I'll just..." she motioned to a stool nearby, "Get that one." she made her way over to the stool and started to drag it closer to Jason, enjoying the few moments that she was able to make her cheeks cool down. They felt like they were on fire. She spent a split second thanking Merlin that she hadn't put on any blusher, as she'd have resembled a tomato if she had.

“For you. If you are my… date.”

"Oh." she was startled by the fact the bouquet of flowers were suddenly in front of her. She smiled. "Thank you...they're beautiful." And they were. The different shades of blue all complimented each other, and it was nice that he had even bothered to get her flowers at all, letalone keep in with the blue theme of the night. It showed imagination.

“Just say yes if you’re not for my sake.”

His head jerked to the side very slightly, and Sam followed the direction, her eyes landing on an older woman with flaming red hair and a blue outfit that quite dramatically clashed with her hair. The woman in question was shooting daggers with her eyes at Sam. Sam laughed. "I think it's safe to say that I am your date. And if I hadn't been before, you'd have certainly won me over with these." She held up the flowers and waved them slightly, drawing attention to them partially for Jason's sake, but moreso for the jealous woman to gander at.

“And might I say, you look wonderful.”

She looked down for a moment and then back up, trying to maintain eye contact with him for as long as possible before flames burst through her cheeks. A genuine smile spread across her lips and into her eyes. Compliments were hard to come by, and regardless of whether he truly meant it or not, it made her feel good all the same. She bit her lower lip again, trying desperately to not come across as a clown who couldn't stop smiling. "Thanks. You look...ah..." she laughed at herself, shaking her head slightly. No doubt he would be offended by the fact she hadn't just come outright and said he looked fantastic - because he did, but she didn't want to embarass him and she was worried she wouldn't do him justice. Playing withthe petals on one of the flowers, she took a deep breath, swallowing her pride for once - to heck with it! "You look fantastic, Jason." She held her breath slightly as she looked up from the flowers and allowed her eyes to make contact with his.

“Oh yes, sorry… Then, I assume it’s ok to call you Jason?”

Smirking at that, he merely nodded. His mind sprung up with enough jokes and options for her to choose from that he figured it best his mouth stay shut, lest he give into temptation and respond inappropriately. Quincy probably had to work pretty hard to convince Samia to show up, so Jason didn’t need to go ruining that early. Not that he’d yet figured that part out, of course. In due time…

“I’ll just… Get that one.”

So she was staying with him? Or near him… Did she not have someone she was meeting? He was still piecing it all together, from the blue outfit to her warm greeting to wanting to sit near him. He hadn’t meant to seem so obvious with looking her over, except that the all blue ensemble had him a little less aware of his surroundings, and therefore what he was doing. He only realized something was amiss when he saw the slight color to her cheeks, though he quickly dismissed it as the dim lighting or the makeup she had on.

Besides… she’d just done some manual work, pulling that chair over. Maybe it was a sign of exertion. A small grin came to his lips before he quickly turned it into as innocent a look as he could manage without being overly obvious. He’d had years to perfect it, anyway.

“Oh… Thank you… They’re beautiful.”

He half shrugged, glad they were taken off his hands. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked from the flowers up to her, having the desire to be cheesy and holding himself back. Eddie would have laughed himself to flobberworms if he was around. Still… Samia was quite an impressive woman, so far. Why she would be there, agreeing to a blind date… She could probably have her pick of whomever she wanted in the place.

“I think it’s safe to say that I am your date. And if I hadn’t been before, you’d have certainly won me over with these.”

His grin widened and he felt all together better. Then he realized he was on a date with Samia, and he felt a slight increase to his heart beat, thudding against his chest. Did he look all right? Had he forgotten to floss his front teeth? Pushing those ridiculous thoughts aside, he focused on the waving flowers. “I’m glad you like them.” He didn’t need to look in the direction of his near miss, settling for smoldering gazes he could only sense he felt.

She looked even better (or just seemed cuter) when she was embarrassed, something Jason would have to keep in mind. Her smile forced one to his lips, though it came easier tonight than it had in a while. It was easy to forget your troubles when you had someone else to focus on. He shrugged half heartedly at her thanks; he was just telling her the truth. He grinned as she tried to give him a compliment back, though he didn’t think it was necessary.

“You look fantastic, Jason.”

Now it was his turn to feel a blush creeping in. Laughing, he watched her a moment before shrugging again. His embarrassment could sometimes turn into an awkward sentence or offhanded comment. “What can I say. Thank you, though.” He could keep his sarcasm back a little. Stepping to her side, he gently put a hand on her back, motioning to the restaurant part of Signature. He hadn’t been there very many times, but enough to know where the bar and restaurant merged. “The reservation should be ready. If you are.”

“What can I say. Thank you, though.”

"Sorry..." she barely whispered, feeling more and more idiotic with every second she spent with him. He must have thought her a complete dunce - how on earth he would be able to stand a whole night with her, she didn't know at all. Either way, she commended him on his efforts at staying civil. At least he hadn't just outright laughed in her face. Laughed, yes, but he made it seem as though he was laughing with her as opposed to laughing at her.

“The reservation should be ready. If you are.”

She jumped very slightly as she felt his hand on her back. That was right. They were about to eat. Sam winced slightly - this was definitely Quincy's idea of a cruel joke. She knew just how much Sam could eat, and was deliberately putting her in a setting with a decent man that she could actually like, and giving her food. Sam was well known in the family for loving her food, and envied for the ability to metabolise it so fast that it wasn't apparent she'd eaten anything. But surely, one look at her cramming food down her neck like there was an extremely hungry hippogriff sitting next to her, and even the most receptive of men would run a mile.

She was just going to have to keep herself in check and not allow over-indulgence. She nodded and smiled. "I'm ready." Though she appeared happy, the way she spoke sounded like she was conteplating walking the long walk up the steps to Azkaban. He was most likely going to regret every moment of tonight.

She allowed herself to be guided by Jason's hand through the bar and within the eyeline of the woman who he had snubbed. Sam couldn't help but cast a sly glance at the woman who looked like she was about ready to self combust with envy. As they were walking towards the restaurant, she was trying to rack her brains to find something intelligent and witty to say. "I haven't been on a date for a long time." She inwardly groaned, and the devil on her shoulder nearly beat her senseless with its fork. Way to make yourself sound like a desperate loner, genius.

"I mean...well," she sighed, trying to hide her face from him lest she become even more embarassed than necessary. "I mean if I'm acting like I've never done this before, I guess it's because I haven't..."

“Sorry…”

His face showed how confused that apology made him, though he quickly tried to hide it behind a smile, still some uncertainty in his eyes. “Why?” He gave another soft laugh and shook his head. “I’m not… I mean, unless you’re sorry you’ve got to put up with me tonight.” A wink later and he felt the situation was at least a little less serious.

He did feel her under his hand, like a kid caught about to do something they shouldn’t. Or a woman who wasn’t too sure of her date. Biting his lower lip, he tried not to put more pressure than he needed to; if she was uncomfortable still, he could withdraw his hand. If he’d known what was going through her head, he might have just laughed it off and taken the opportunity to offer a great pub not too far away that had the best fish and chips. However… he was horrible when it came to occlumens (though he preferred it that way). And so for now, it was Signature.

Now she was ready. He gave her a half grin and nodded, walking towards the restaurant. He went slow, even though he was very hungry and desiring a drink, if only so he didn’t make her feel rushed. Jason was too excited (though he was worried he couldn’t say the same for his ‘date’) to notice the envious woman in blue. Still, it seemed a Jarvey had his tongue, and he was trying to think of something witty to say. Something that she wouldn’t look at him in slight disgust and think ‘idiot.’

“I haven’t been on a date for a long time.”

Slightly surprised, Jason smiled towards her, slowing their walk a little more; they were almost to the counter, after all. He turned his attention to her, about to respond to that, when she continued talking.

“I mean…well… I mean if I’m acting like I’ve never done this before, I guess it’s because I haven’t…”

“You seemed natural to me.” Rubbing her back gently, he finally reached the host. After giving him his name, Jason turned his attention to his date. “To be honest… it has been a long time for me. So we’re both fairly new to the dating again game-” Or, maybe in Sam’s case, dating at all? “-And if it would help…” He was stopped by a slight cough, turning in the direction of the host. Their table was ready. Grinning, he turned to Sam and held his hand out for her to go ahead of him.

Following beside, he spoke softer. “We can try and act like we’re two friends who have decided to go somewhere really nice for a meal.” He grinned at her and glanced to the table as they finally arrived. Jason made sure she was seated first and then sat himself. He accepted the wine menu and glanced at it. “Do you have a preference of drink, Sam?” Glancing up to her, he shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not very good with wines, so if you have… a preference, or knowledge…”

“I’m not… I mean, unless you’re sorry you’ve got to put up with me tonight.”

"No!" Her response was a shocked one. How could he think that? He was a kind, handsome, well-mannered man. Sam was sure she had the envy of most of the women in the room, just through standing next to him at the bar or walking with him towards the restaurant. "No, of course not." She said a little softer, realising only a little too late that he was joking. For someone who was normally so quick-witted, her wits were being as slow as flobberworms tonight.

“You seemed natural to me.”

She felt the slight movement of his hand along her lower back and felt the tingles of her nerves. She was completely on edge tonight - out of her comfort zone and with a good-looking man who she didn't think was totally comfortable being there with her. She must have been such a let down as a date.

After the host made them aware of their table being ready, Jason motioned for Sam to lead the way. She followed the host to the table and Jason stood at her side.

“We can try and act like we’re two friends who have decided to go somewhere really nice for a meal.”

He spoke gently and quietly like it was a secret or a game that only they were to know about. She looked away slightly, a grin forming on her face but trying to stay normal while the host faffed around with their menus and cuttlery. Jason made sure Sam was seated first, and then sat himself opposite accepting the wine menu from the host. Once the host had left them in peace, Jason asked her about what she'd like to drink.

“To be honest, I’m not very good with wines, so if you have… a preference, or knowledge…”

She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and grinned sheepishly. "Ah, I'm not really a wine drinker." Much to her parents' disapproval. He was going to think she was such a man, the way she acted when dining out. It wasn't very often she came to a place as swanky as this - but Jason looked so comfortable in the surroundings. Obviously he came here quite a lot. "Do they have...beer?" There it was, the clincher - the make or break question. Either he would be impressed that she was a woman who drank beer - which she sincerely hoped - or, more likely he would be horrified that he would not have a delicate flower in front of him supping from a wine glass all night. It wasn't as though she chugged beer by the gallon. She usually had a small glass at a time when she was in a restaurant. Pubs, which is where she tended to spend her evenings out, she would drink by the pint, if only to make use of the fact that one pint of beer was cheaper than two half pints. And what's ladylike about throwing away money?

At her exclamation, he merely widened his eyes and gave a satisfied grin. He was just playing around, though there was some undertone of worry in that as well. Not that he would expect her to outright say ‘yes, I am dreading the rest of this evening with you. Let’s get on with it then.’ Now that would have wiped that grin off his face faster than a punch to the gut. Or the face, as his nose remembered quite well.

When they were finally at the table, he went about putting his napkin on his lap and trying to keep as polite as possible, wanting to lounge back and push his chair on the two back legs. Not appropriate in this environment, though, and certainly not on a first date. So he sat, straight backed, careful of how many elbows he put on the table. And he also worried about which fork was for which portion of the dinner… He always forgot.

“Ah, I’m not really a wine drinker.”

His eyes lit up just slightly as his eyebrows rose briefly. He had a few questions all of a sudden, and none of them would help solve his initial inquiry of what wine to select. He bit the inside of his lower lip just slightly, leaning forward expectedly. It was bizarre, being in some of the most comfortable seats he could probably sit in, and not feeling at all that way. He liked the feel of hard wood or worn in cushions when he had his dinner, when out. Or a comfortably lived in booth at a local favorite. Not somewhere high class…

“Do they have…beer?”

His eyes widened at that and a moment later, the corners of his lips spread into an easy grin. He glanced down at the menu, quickly flipping it over and scanning it. Not seeing a ‘beer list,’ he made a face and pushed it aside. “They have a bar, right?” What was he saying… he’d been here before! “You know, they have a pretty good tasting lager. Not the best… but it sure beats the cheap Natural Red Cap.” He disliked cheap beer, at least since he could afford to buy something better.

Jason wasn’t so old and snobby about his alcohol that he didn’t recall the days of bachelorhood when he got by with whatever he could scrounge up for the cheapest beer available, and less than the best food. What was an expiration date back then? Times changed, people grew up, and he was living a more comfortable life now. And that included not gagging down the worst tasting beer until he couldn’t taste it anymore.

Leaning forward, his elbow on the table, he smirked. “You just got more amazing.” Waving the waiter over, Jason grinned. “I’ll have your darkest ale, and…” Then he glanced to Sam, blushing slightly, putting a hand up to indicate the lovely lady. “Sorry… Dark or light?” He should have asked her first before ordering his drink. Cursing himself in his head, he waited patiently.

He looked satisfied at the fact she was quite happy to spend the night with him - his grin gave it away, and as he went about smoothing his napkin over his knees, she couldn't help but watch him. Her eyes glazed over slightly while he puzzled over whether it was polite to have his elbows on the table, while he mused at the various knives and forks.

As he looked up, however, she quickly averted her eyes so that she wouldn't be caught looking. That would be embarassing for her, though would most definitely boost his own ego. So, to keep herself busy, she flipped out her own napkin and smoothed it over her knees.

“You just got more amazing.”

She couldn't help but laugh, her eye instantly brightening up. He certainly knew how to make his dates feel good about themselves, regardless of how much dating experience he'd had in the past. Was she not sure he was telling the truth, she'd have thought he had actually been on a lot of dates.

“Sorry… Dark or light?”

Her head moved slightly to the side but her eyes rested playfully on his. "I go for blonde over brunette every time." Her lips curled up ever so slightly at the edges into a flirtatious smile. Hell, she was here for the night, so the least she was going to do was have some fun. The waiter made a note of what drinks they would like, and went towards the bar area.

Sam shifted in her seat slightly and allowed her upper body to lean forward just a little over the table. She rested her elbows on the table, and allowed her chin to lean gently on her clasped hands. "So." She smiled. "How is it that you've ended up here? On a date...with me?" She hoped that he wouldn't think her rude for prying - but the last she'd heard he was in a happy marriage. She was intrigued to know what had happened to mean that he was putting himself up for blind dates.

He’d have to commend Quincy for her taste in his blind date partners. Once everything had smoothed out more with Eddie and him, of course. Or maybe just a quick owl of ‘great night’ would suffice. Because, so far, Jason didn’t see it going bad. Then again, he wasn’t a seer. Not that he really wanted to know what the future would hold; it was more fun finding out through trial and error to reach the end goals. Or that was what he told himself. He liked surprise.

“I go for blonde over brunette every time.”

And she certainly was surprising him tonight. An amused laugh escaped him as he bit his lip, his cheeks turning a slight shade of red. And he preferred brunette over blonde, obviously. All one had to do was look at his past. Finally he ran his tongue over his lips just barely before smirking back. When the waiter left, he still hadn’t thought up a proper response to her line. In fact, she’d done so well with it that he was fairly blank other than a sudden desire to get to know her more. How about starting with an opening question, idiot?

“So.”

He (along with most men as they got older) had long before learned to use the peripherals to get a feel for what was around him, which served well when one glanced at a woman and didn’t want to be caught staring. So when she leaned forward, he merely grinned wider, picking up the glass of water on the table that had been left by the waiter, allowing his eyes to glance downwards to it. “So.”

“How is it that you’ve ended up here? On a date…with me?”

His playful smirk fell just slightly as he paused in the lifting of the water glass. Only a moments hesitation before he took a drink, setting it back down to lean forward once more on the table. His gaze turned back up to her face as he considered her question, and what response he might have. He could only assume she was asking about his lack of wedding ring. As if in an afterthought he ran his thumb against the oddly bare skin around his ring finger.

“It would seem by the grace of Quincy.” A grin later and he ran his hand over his chin in thought. “Ah… Fiona and I just…” What was the nicest way to put it without condemning himself right then? “Grew apart. Schedules differed too much… We both had different lives since we met, it just took that long to realize.” Good job, Jason! He should have gotten a congratulatory slap on the back for wording ‘I screwed things up by sleeping with someone else’ so eloquently.

He felt a slight pang of guilt, though he tried to mask it with a question. “What about you? Other than owing the pleasure to Quin-” Bad choice of words. “Other than being lucky, rather, to have you as my date.” As he waited, he pulled the menu towards him, though not yet opening it. He wanted to hear this at least before considering what might go well with his ale. Anything that had once been moving, that much was decided.

He laughed at her comment and she saw the tinge of red in his cheeks. He picked up his glass of water, and much as though her mouth felt particularly dry, she didn't want to simply mirror his every action, though it was said that mimicry was the highest form of flattery.

“It would seem by the grace of Quincy.”

She nodded with a grin. "So it would seem." She decided that yes, she did need a drink, so she picked up her own glass of water and took a sip as Jason carried on talking. He spoke about how he and Fiona had just grown apart. She frowned slightly, putting the glass back down on the table. "I'm sorry to hear that." She spoke sincerely - it was a sad day when two people in love 'grew apart'. She only wished she'd had some say in the breakdown of her own marriage, as opposed to simply coming home one day to an empty house and a loveless letter. She gulped slightly as she remembered that day. It still haunted her nightmares and she would never wish that on anyone.

“Other than being lucky, rather, to have you as my date.”

"Don't sell yourself so short." She said simply, as the waiter arrived back at the table, a pint of dark ale for the gentleman and a half pint of blonde ale for Sam. She thanked the waiter who stated he would give them a few more minutes to decide what they would like to eat, then made his way back towards the kitchen. "It is to Quincy - and yourself - that I owe this pleasure." She smiled as she looked down at her ale.

Then she remembered he had asked her a question, too. She couldn't have expected him to answer her question and then not have it reciprocated. She ran her forefinger over the rim of the glass. "Thomas...left me- us." she corrected herself, her brow pinching together in annoyance. "He left us." She shrugged. "Lewis was only two weeks old, and Thomas decided he couldn't handle fatherhood." She jutted her jaw out slightly and gave a breathy laugh, as though she still couldn't believe how anybody could do that. She deliberately left out the part thatb explained how Thomas had been having an affair for years and that he actually eloped with the woman he had been seeing on the side. Nobody needed to hear that. Especially not on a first date.

When she said she was sorry to hear of Fiona and him, Jason merely nodded and shrugged slightly. He had told the truth, though. Some way or another, their lives had split, they’d grown apart, and then Jason had been an idiot. What should have happened and what did were two different things, and he couldn’t go back and change it. Life had happened around it, in some form. And he was hopeful that at some point the future would start to look brighter than it did right then.

Case in point, he was enjoying his date thus far with Samia. And for now, that was what mattered. Enjoy the present, try not to worry about the future, and if you can’t handle the past, bury it under alcohol. Sweep it under that thin rug so all the worries and memories could flood once again when a strong enough gust of regret and shame came by.

“Don’t sell yourself so short.”

Jason only had time to roll his eyes playfully at her words before their drinks arrived. Thanking him as well, he picked up his drink, enjoying the heaviness of the glass, his palm growing cold from his grasp. That was going to taste delicious.

“It is to Quincy – and yourself – that I owe this pleasure.”

“Now don’t go ranting and raving too early.” Holding his glass up for a small toast, he grinned. “To a pleasurable evening.” After a moment, he took a sip to commemorate his toast, setting it back on the table while he enjoyed the first taste. He leaned comfortably against the table with one elbow, the other hand resting on his knee under the table. Jason listened as she told her tale.

“Lewis was only two weeks old, and Thomas decided he couldn’t handle fatherhood.”

Frowning at that, Jason finally reached across with his free hand and gently overlapped hers, squeezing it. “Well he’s an idiot, obviously. No offense.” Giving her a quick wink, he pulled his hand back (though he had this sudden desire to keep it there. Finally he blinked and looked down at the menu, opening t up. “You seem to be doing well for yourself, though. Alchemist for seven years, was it?” Jason dared a glance at her over the menu before turning his attention back, looking for a nice, healthy steak to sink his teeth into.

“And a caring mum. Not much else Lewis can ask for from you. He’s a sweet kid too.” Easily amused, well behaved, calmed down right when he got some attention. “How are the bites, by the way?” His brow furrowed slightly in sudden realization and concern. Surely if there’d been an issue she would have told him, but still—now that the worry was there, he wanted to know. "And did you have extra doxicide? If you don't, I have enough of it to last me a few springs and then some..."

“To a pleasurable evening.”

She grinned and lifted her own glass up. "A very pleasurable evening." she corrected as their glasses chinked, and she took a sip of her beer. She licked her lips. "It's good." She nodded.

Jason frowned as she spoke about her relationshp with her estranged ex. His hand reached across the table and she smiled comfortably as he squeezed it, assuring her that Thomas was an idiot. She laughed. "Oh, I know that. I only wish my parents would see it too." she rolled her eyes. "Even though he's been gone for over two years and refused to ever see their grandson, they still think the sun shines out of his behind." she shrugged. "But, that's what happens when you come from a purist family." That probably wasn't the best thing to talk about - she had no idea about whether Jason was from a pure line or not - and she didn't want to know. She didn't care. Things like that just weren't important.

"I'm not like them." She assured him, not meaning for him to get the wrong impression. "Blood makes no matter to me."

“You seem to be doing well for yourself, though. Alchemist for seven years, was it?”

She nodded and smiled as he looked over the menu. The waiter would be back soon to take their order, so Sam picked up her own menu and scanned the choices. She would have been happy with steak and chips, fish and chips or curry...most likely with chips, too. Her eyes widened slightly as she let them wander over the posh-sounding [and expensive] choices of food.

“How are the bites, by the way?”

She looked up from her menu. "Oh, they're fine. He was back to his normal self once we got home, demanding ice cream and sweets." she grinned. "They seem to be clearing up quite well, and he's never complained of them itching since we last saw you."

"And did you have extra doxicide? If you don't, I have enough of it to last me a few springs and then some..."

"I got some off Quincy." she grinned. Her cousin was a true mother, and could always be counted on to have everything. Sometimes it made Sam feel inferior, like perhaps she wasn't cut out to be a mother. It was times like those she had to remind herself that she was doing it alone, and doing it damn better than a lot of women would be. "Thanks, though."

His parents were still on the fence about his divorce; they weren’t happy about it, partially because they disagreed with what he’d done, and partially because they didn’t want their son unhappy. Still… if he had a similar story to what Samia had, they would never speak the woman’s name again. How some parents could be so clueless… He gave her a small smile when she explained what goes along with being in a purist family.

“I’m not like them… Blood makes no matter to me.”

Chuckling, he shrugged. “I doubt Quincy would have set us up if she thought it would make a difference.” Unless it was her perverse way of getting him back. Still… they’d been through enough over the years that surely she wouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t as if they’d fought after the near miss on her bed. Then he wondered if Samia knew about it, and his eyes widened just briefly.  Charlotte’s mouth had been big enough to tell Eddie, after that… who else was there to inform? Keeping his opinion of the younger cousin to himself, since it would be awkward to put it out right then, he glanced briefly to her looking at the menu.

“Oh, they’re fine. He was back to his normal self once we got home, demanding ice cream and sweets.”

Grinning at that, excited to hear a patient doing well, Jason leaned forward on his elbow, the menu rested open over his forearm, the other hand on the page he was looking at. There weren’t very many choices, but there seemed to be enough. “Sounds like a worthy treat after a trip to the Healer’s.” Hadn’t complained of itching? That was good. If he had, though, Jason was sure his mum had something lying around to help with it. Or could have whipped it up herself.

“I got some off Quincy.”

Ah right, the mum with the moistest. She always seemed to go above and beyond. Good for Eddie. Shrugging at her thanks, he glanced down at the menu. “Don’t mention it.” A moment later and he closed the menu, ready to order. “Do you know what you want?  Been craving some fish and chips, myself.” And at the mere thought of it, his stomach gently rumbled, unheard over the noise of the place but still something he could feel.

When the waiter came back, Jason merely nodded his head in her direction for Samia to go first. Once she ordered, he placed his, handing over the menus before turning his attention back to his date. “So how am I your first date? Best brunette in the place, if I can be so bold.” He picked up his ale and took a gulp, enjoying the taste and refreshment. That’s the stuff.