The Eye of the Beholder [slow updates]

1. The Way to a Man's Heart

1. The Way to a Man's Heart

"I'm being completely platonic over here, but don't you find it frustrating when you find out that a piece of clothing fits you perfectly, then your realize that you shouldn't be buying clothes to fit, then you go for two sizes larger and then you look like you've bought that outfit back when you were at least five kilos bigger?"

Joseph blinked, but there was no more to his expression than that. If, by any chance, her blunt tongue took him aback, he played very well not to bring that to the surface. He broke eye contact and cleared his throat. He reached out to the cardboard menu placed in front of him on the table and picked it up. He started to flick through the pages with a speed that proved he was surely not as interested in the courses as he was in trying his best to avoid her.

A satisfied smile stretched across her lips and she let out a sigh. She leaned back against the velvet upholstery of her arm chair and picked up her own copy of the restaurant's menu. She raised her legs up and hooked her ankles over the edge of the table. The metal design of her flats glimmered under the orange light. From the corner of her eyes, she caught a glimpse of his flinch. It was disappointing that he didn't make the least effort to show he was offended by her actions. He must have practiced so hard to conceal his emotions. Nobody in their right state of mind would allow for the back of her shoes to be facing them across the table in such a respectable restaurant.

She focused back on the list of items in her hands. Her eyes skimmed the words she had known by heart. There were four pages dedicated only to steak. Then, there were another four to pasta. Her stomach grumbled at the sight of her favorite dish, but she pushed the thought aside and slammed the pages shut as forcefully as she could without shattering the cardboard to pieces in her grip. She placed the menu back down in front of her whilst the ghost of a smile floated on her mouth.

"I think I'm just going to order a hamburger," She blurted out of the blue and her gaze wandered across the room. Vintage chandeliers cast down their orange lights on multiple unfamiliar faces. Waiters dressed in the common Italian uniform roamed around the place, taking orders; delivering platters; pouring down wine-, as people chattered, laughed and even stood up to dance.

Joseph looked up and stared at nothing in particular. It looked as if he was contemplating whether or not he should reply to that. Rosaline's smile grew bigger. She had been to that restaurant enough times to know for sure there was no such thing as a hamburger on their menu.

"You know, I used to love this place." She shifted her head backwards against the headrest and gazed at the Mediterranean designs carved into the ceiling. "Unfortunately, that ended today."

She didn't receive a reply to that, either, and she didn't need one. She had already disturbed him enough, and the sight of his impatient face would only add up to her delightment, but there was no face. There was no expression or a nervous habit at most. He almost didn't seem to care. It was almost as if he had already expected it to go that way.

A young, blue-eyed face popped out of the blue, with a huge, honest grin plastered to his face, showing off how he was able to afford teeth whitening. He had the same white and black outfit on, and his hands held a fountain pen and a block note.

"Good evening, again," He greeted. He had a slight accent to his chirpy voice. "I hope you are having a great time with us tonight."

Rosaline pulled her legs down as fast as she could. "Oh! It definitely is a great night to be here," She chimed in. Joseph barely acknowledged the man's presence at all. He kept staring flatly at the open page in front of him without uttering a single word. "The service is great, and so is the decor."