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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 4, 2011 9:55:29 GMT -5
Seeing Mason's reaction to her question, it made Aislinn feel a little more shy. She was aware of the fact that she asked if he was busy in the same sentence as the word date and it just dawned on her that she could be technically asking him on a date. Her hands found the towel that was in front of her again and she bit the inside of her cheek for a moment. Was she really asking him on a date? She had never done anything like this before.
Although, what was the harm if it was really a date? Mason was sweet and nice. They were able to talk without any problems. Of course there was a reason why Aislinn never dated, but Mason seemed like the exception. For once she noticed the small things that he did.
"Would you," she paused for a moment to take in a breath. "Would you like to go to dinner tomorrow? I mean no where fancy or anything, but just somewhere simple?"
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Post by Mason Broderick on Feb 5, 2011 2:19:07 GMT -5
For a moment, Mason couldn't breathe. It felt like everything screeched to a halt, and he couldn't move at all. No one had ever asked him out before. He was so stunned that she had asked him out that he didn't even care about the fact that she was a woman and was asking him out, instead of the other way around. He was old fashioned, but that didn't really seem to matter nearly as much as the fact that she had asked him at all.
"I.... I.... Um.... Y-Yes. I-I w-would l-like that," he managed to get out at last. His tongue felt thick, but something about her smile still managed to set him at ease and help him get the words out. "B-But l-let me pick the place. I know a really n-nice place not f-far from here."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 5, 2011 10:32:12 GMT -5
She wasn't sure where the slight boldness came from. Like Mason, she was usually old fashioned but for the moment she wasn't. It didn't feel like she had just asked a stranger to dinner. She saw him every day, so that still didn't make him a stranger did it? Of course today was the first day she was actually able to talk to him.
Aislinn started playing with the rag in front of her because she became fairly nervous at his initial reaction. The expression on his face told her that he didn't get asked out often, or at all. She couldn't think for a moment why no one ever did. When he said yes, a smile started to show on her face.
"Okay," she said as he said he knew a place. Aislinn wasn't even sure where they would have gone had she picked out the place. She was able to let out a breath of nervousness. Now she felt more at ease since he agreed to go to dinner tomorrow. However, Aislinn felt the anxiety building, excited for the next day. She was in a better mood, if that was even possible.
"Sounds perfect." Her smile was just a little brighter.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Feb 6, 2011 1:53:24 GMT -5
When she relaxed, Mason felt himself relax a little more as well. It was strange how there was just that moment of nervousness and uncertainty, and then everything seemed good again. He had never expected that it would be so easy to talk to a girl as pretty as Aislinn, but it almost seemed like they had known each other for years.
Her smile made him smile, too, and he almost felt silly for ever being nervous at all. "I-I'm l-looking forward to it," he said. In fact, he could already tell he was going to be distracted by thoughts of it for the rest of the day. He would have to talk to his parents for advice on what to wear or how to act, because he'd never been on a date before. But if it could just be like it was right now, maybe it wouldn't be so hard. "D-Do y-you like Italian?"
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 6, 2011 10:54:14 GMT -5
Aislinn knew that she would spend the day wondering 'what if' this or 'what if' that. She didn't want to actually ask her father what she was supposed to do because well, it was supposed to be girl advice. Chase wasn't there, so she couldn't really ask her. Aislinn figured that she would just figure it out on her own. Besides, they were just going to dinner. If they could have a good conversation now, things should be just fine then, right? She would be anxious all day tomorrow, especially since she was already feeling it now.
"I love Italian," she said. She wasn't too terribly picky when it came to food. Italian, Chinese, and Japanese were her favorites, but she could eat just about anything. "I love food in general, but Italian is one of my favorites."
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Post by Mason Broderick on Feb 7, 2011 1:16:01 GMT -5
Mason had the strange urge to start dancing or singing. Maybe even both. He had not felt so happy and excited since... well, since ever. This is not to say he was an unhappy person, but his happiness usually involved books or his grades or something like that. But this was different. He felt a little like he was floating.
"Th-that's perfect, then," he said. "H-Have y-you ever been to G-Galligan's? I-It's just a f-few blocks from here. Th-they make the b-best ravioli..."
This wouldn't be so hard. Being with Aislinn and talking to her made him feel happy and warm inside. And whether this was a date or just dinner with a friend, it didn't have to be any different than it was right now. She knew what he was like, what his interests were.... and she still wanted to spend time with him. There wouldn't be any need to pretend he was anything else.
Suddenly, he had a feeling that his simple, quiet life was about to change. And he liked it.
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 7, 2011 8:48:58 GMT -5
"I can't say that I've been to Galligan's yet. My dad and I usually get take out from another place that's a little further away." Aislinn didn't actually go out and eat that often. It wasn't that she was scared to eat out in public, she just usually didn't go to a place to sit down and eat. There were the few times she did if she was with her father if they had one of those dad/daughter nights, or if Chase decided she wanted to go somewhere and took Aislinn with her.
"But I'm always up for trying somewhere new." There was a giggly feeling that made her want to burst out into a giggle fit because she was excited, but she was able to contain it, luckily.
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Post by Joe Dean on Feb 7, 2011 23:45:01 GMT -5
The rush hour crowd had now dwindled considerably, and Joe was having a hard time not listening in on their conversation. He tried to busy himself by starting fresh batches of coffee, but he couldn't stand with his back to them, because he needed to watch the door in case of new customers.
As it happened, Joe had been close enough to hear her asking the muggle boy out. He'd had to work hard to suppress his smile at that. How could he not be happy? Aislinn so rarely reached out to anyone outside of the family (Chase was practically family to Joe), let alone to a young man. And this young man--Joe hadn't caught his name--seemed very respectful. Of course he was wary of her becoming involved with a muggle, given the state of the wizarding world at this time, but he was relatively certain that he, being an American and already living among muggles, was probably beneath the notice of the so-called Death Eaters. And Paul had distanced himself from the family so completely...
Paul. Whenever Joe found himself thinking of his son, his smile faded. He'd failed his son... which only made him more determined to be there for his daughter.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Feb 8, 2011 2:18:04 GMT -5
Mason had lost all track of time at this point and really had no idea what was going on around him. Everything was focused on her and on their conversation. It was as though time had stopped for them, like a kind of magic spell that had wrapped around them. He had to remind himself that magic didn't exist... but at moments like this, he couldn't quite believe that. Surely magic existed.... what else could bring them together this way?
"I-I th-think y-you'll like it," he said. "I-I u-usually just go there for takeout.... But I did t-take my p-parents there for their a-anniversary last y-year."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 8, 2011 3:07:02 GMT -5
Aislinn wasn't aware of the fact that her father could over hear their conversation. She knew he wouldn't do it intentionally, but she didn't care if he did over hear it. There wasn't anything bad they were talking about. In fact, she would talk to her father later about this very conversation.
The mention of parents and anniversary made a pang of sadness hit Aislinn. Her father wouldn't be able to do that, but she didn't focus on that. After all, her father had her, even though it wasn't exactly the same. "That's really sweet," she said with a smile. "I bet they enjoyed themselves." She was enjoying herself talking to Mason. It seemed a little strange to find something else she found as enjoying as her job.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Feb 9, 2011 0:55:41 GMT -5
Mason was pretty close with his parents, and he knew that she could understand that. She was close to her father, it seemed. And he knew better than to ask her about her mother.... he had figured out a long time ago that if she were still around, she most likely would have been working here as well. The little bit of sadness that seemed to come over her when he mentioned his parents' anniversary seemed to confirm that for him, and he ached a little to see her sad, even if for just a fleeting moment.
"Y-yes.... th-they did," he agreed. He didn't add that his mother kept talking about the pretty waitress who worked there, suggesting that maybe he should try talking to her or asking her out. He was sure that if she would let her, his mother would be fixing him up with every eligible girl in London.
"A-Anyway, I th-think you'll like it. Wh-what time do you w-want me to m-meet you?"
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 9, 2011 13:03:36 GMT -5
She was thankful that Mason didn't ask about her mother. It was something that she didn't really talk about all that often. Maybe the few happy memories that were there, but nothing more if that.
Mentioning what time to meet caused that girlish giggle feeling again. She was able to contain the excited giggle that wanted to come out. "We could meet around 7. That would give me plenty of time to work my shift and change." Of course she had no idea what she was going to wear. The little bit of extra time would give her time to go through what outfits she had to decide on what to wear.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Feb 10, 2011 1:47:58 GMT -5
When she giggled, Mason began to blush again. It was almost embarrassing; he felt a little like a schoolboy. Technically, he supposed he was a schoolboy... But he wasn't a child. And he hadn't felt like this even when he had been. Aislinn made him feel excited, and he could already feel the fluttery feeling in his stomach at the thought of meeting her for dinner tomorrow night. He'd never looked forward to anything more than this dinner.
"O-OK. I'll m-meet you here, then," he said. "I-I'll be here at 7:00."
He'd have just enough time after his 4:30 class to get back to his apartment, shower and change, then get back here to meet her. Maybe he'd even slip out of class a little early... a concept which never would have occurred to him before. Even now the idea was somewhat shocking.
"I-.... I r-really should get going... I'll be l-late for class. B-But I r-really e-enjoyed our talk. A-And I'm l-looking forward to tomorrow night."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 10, 2011 8:58:30 GMT -5
"I don't want you to be to late for class." She hadn't realized how long they had been talking. "I have a nice time talking to you too and I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Aislinn smiled. "So, I'll see you tomorrow and I hope you have a good time in class." She sort of wished that they could continue to talk but she knew that he had class, and there was the fact that it was almost time for another small rush and she needed to make sure that they had everything ready for it.
Tomorrow was more than likely to drag on, but she couldn't wait.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Feb 10, 2011 19:23:26 GMT -5
For the first time ever, Mason really didn't want to go to class. He really wanted to stay here and talk with her. Yes, he'd see her tomorrow, and not just for dinner. He'd see her here tomorrow morning when he came in for his coffee. He could even stop in later on today, after his classes, to say hello to her. Would that be too much? Would it seem pushy or clingy or needy? He didn't want her to think that he was any of those things. But he already knew that he'd spend the rest of the day thinking of her and counting the moments until he could see her again.
"O-OK," he said reluctantly, taking a final sip of what was left of his now-cold coffee. "I-I guess I'll see you t-tomorrow. Th-thanks again... I h-had a nice time."
He smiled at her, and threw away his coffee cup, then started for the door. Then, almost as an afterthought, he turned and quoted Shakespeare, "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow."
Once again, when he quoted, he did not stutter or hesitate at all as he quoted, but he was walking backwards as he looked at her, and nearly fell into a chair near the door. He should have been mortified, but somehow he knew she would understand. He quickly righted himself and laughed lightly before he turned back around and headed out the door.
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Post by Joe Dean on Feb 12, 2011 0:17:04 GMT -5
Joe was wiping down the cappuccino machine at that moment, and had his back to the door. This was a good thing, because he was able to hide his smile for a moment, until Mason had gone out the door. He waited an extra couple of beats as he finished with the cappuccino machine (which had to be wiped down frequently to prevent the steamer from getting clogged with burnt-on milk residue). Finally, he turned to look at his daughter, smiling warmly.
"He seems like a very nice young man," he said, doing his best not to sound like he was pushing her in any way. He had a feeling that he didn't even need to; she had done this all on her own. He was very proud of her, actually, but he wasn't going to tell her that just yet.
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 13, 2011 16:44:51 GMT -5
Aislinn waved and hid her laugh as Mason made his way out. She had to admit, he was really cute, both personality and appearance wise. Her excitement about tomorrow night was still building and she actually had something to look forward to.
Once Mason disappeared out the door, Aislinn started to wipe down the counters as there was a light smile on her face. When her father spoke up, she looked up to him and smiled a little wider. "Yeah, he's pretty nice." She was quiet for a moment. "We're supposed to be going to dinner tomorrow night."
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Post by Joe Dean on Feb 14, 2011 1:42:04 GMT -5
Joe smiled as he finished with the cappuccino machine and turned to look at her. "Yes, I heard... Don't worry, I wasn't listening in on your conversation. I just happened to hear that part."
In a way, he felt a little torn. A part of him, the overprotective father in him, wanted to warn her to be careful. The boy was a muggle, after all, and she was not. He didn't know about that difference, but Aislinn did. And even though they were fairly isolated from the rest of the wizarding world here, they were still part of it. Some of the Ministry workers stopped here for coffee each morning--Joe knew this because they paid in sickles and knuts instead of shillings and pence, and some of them weren't as good at blending in with the muggle style of dress as they seemed to think they were.
But it was just a date. And Joe was so glad to see her getting out and spending time with other people her age that he didn't see the point in warning her about something she already knew.
"I'm sure you'll have a good time," he said, smiling. You two definitely seemed to have a lot to talk about."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Feb 16, 2011 7:31:05 GMT -5
When her father said that he had heard, Aislinn couldn't help but feel the heat rise in her cheeks. She didn't say anything she didn't want him to over hear, but it was just the fact that she hadn't been paying attention. Usually she noticed the small things, but for a bit she didn't.
She did know about the muggle and wizard thing. She knew a lot of people didn't like it, but Aislinn didn't really care. It wasn't too often that she visited the wizarding world, and they had lived out of the wizarding world for some time. Here she felt a lot more safe than she did there, and here was where she wanted to stay.
"I think so too," she replied with a smile. "We talked a lot about books and that sort of thing."
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Post by Joe Dean on Feb 17, 2011 1:01:12 GMT -5
Joe nodded. He had noticed the young man before, of course. He was a regular, who came in every day with an armful of books. He had already figured out that he must be a student at one of the universities, and that he was just as shy as Aislinn was, if not more.
Joe glanced over at her, wondering what it was that had caused her to decide to talk to the boy today. He'd been coming in for a year or more, every day, and today she decided to talk to him. It was especially interesting, because Joe would have sworn that Mason would be the one to talk to Aislinn first. Joe noticed people and was very good at reading them, and he could tell that the boy was trying to work up the courage to talk to her. But Joe was very happy with how things had turned out... it was nice to see Aislinn reaching out once in a while.
"So you'll have a lot in common, then," he said. He walked over and put his arms around her in a brief hug. "I'm happy for you, sweetheart. What's his name, by the way?"
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