What Kind of Man || Jim Moriarty

Six

Lucy had made it across town with little time to spare, but she still found herself standing outside the restaurant with a dim look as if she had all the time in the world. It was an expensive place, too expensive for her to even look at but this is where she had been told. The black stiletto heels clicked against the path as she nervously paced back and forwards trying to make a decision. She could still walk away, she'd probably regret it, but it was still an option. Or Lucy could pluck up the courage and just go and meet the man Samuel had arranged for her. Either way involved risks, either way also involved the certainty of something happening which she didn't want to happen.

But this was the easiest decision, at least by doing this....the future would be...better? Hopefully. For that reason, Lucy turned and climbed the few short steps to the door of the restaurant.

Inside was dimly lit. There were large chandeliers hanging but they were near turned off, there was such a low level of light being emitted from them. There was a dark red and black colour scheme which added even more to the atmosphere, and from what Lucy could see of the restaurant from the greeters desk the tables were very spaced out and far apart.

"Good evening Miss, do you have a booking?" A man, older, and dressed in a charcoal grey suit smiled at Lucy from behind the desk. Nervously, she fixed her skirt to make sure it sat right on her legs and hips before returning the mans smile.

"Yes, I think so. My names Lucy Scott but it might be under something e-" Lucy began to say to the man as she took off her coat and handed it to him, but he just shook his head and interrupted her to stop her rambling.

"No problem. If you'd like to follow me." He passed her coat to a girl Lucy guessed was the cloakroom attendant, and then started to walk into the seating area of the restaurant. She was lead past a large bar, the light causing a sparkling reflection against the many bottles of liqueurs and wines. For a while it seemed as if the place was never ending, but then as they reached the back of the restaurant the man stopped and gestured towards a booth, in which a man sat on his phone.

"Thank you." Lucy muttered to the greeter, though he had already turned his back to leave. From here the man looked...smart. But that's all she could really gather. He sat there in a dark suit, yet it wasn't quite black, on a modern phone with his hair greased back. He didn't look safe yet he didn't look dangerous either. He looked well off, which he would have to be to afford a night eating here. But there was only one real way to work out what he was like. Putting one foot in front of the other, her hips swayed lazily from side to side and just as she approached the table, he looked up.
His eyes did a quick once over her body from top to toe, lingering in certain areas longer than others. "Mr Moriarty?" Finding the courage to speak had been easy when he wasn't looking directly at her, but then as soon as the man's dark pupils pierced hers, the breath escaped from her lungs and Lucy had to force herself to stand taller instead of curling into a ball on the floor.

"Miss Scott?" The accent in his voice was obvious, yet smooth. But he didn't stand from his seat to greet her, instead he just watched Lucy as she awkwardly stood by the side of the table. "Well..." He looked at her long and hard before nodding to the empty seat opposite him. "Take a seat."

"Yeah, sorry." She placed her small clutch purse on the table and then slid into the high booth seat, all the while her cheeks burned with a nervous blush. She didn't know what to say, how to act or where to look with this new man. It was such a strange situation. Did he know? Was he meant to know? Lucy wasn't sure but he was just looking at her from under his eyelashes as he finished typing on his phone.

"Can I get you a drink Miss?" A waiter appeared by her side, hands clasped politely behind his back. She jumped at the sudden speech, having been buried in her thoughts, but looked at the waiter with wide eyes and quickly said any drink.