Manipulative || A.I.

Contriving

Sarah stood outside the small corner resturaunt wondering if she should actually go in. The place was all large windows with large triangularly pruned tiny trees creating a makeshift outdoor space on the concrete. It was winter so there were no tables and it just looked kind of out of place.

People passed by her, knocking into her as she stayed planted in the same place. In New York, a local knew never to stop in the middle of the side walk but this time Sarah was one ot those people every New Yorker hated. Normall she was just like them. She hated when toursists would stop in the middle of the sidewalk to take a photo of some bantam thing.

"Are you going to stand there all day or are you actually planning to come inside?" she looked down from the illuminating neon sign to see one of her friends, Amelia, popping her head out the entrance door.

"Yeah. Sorry." Sarah snapped out of her frozen state budling herself from the small gust of wind that had suddently hit and walked to the door.

"We just watched you for a good minute wondering if you could see us," Amelia pointed to the table she was seated at. It looked right out onto the street.

But Sarah also saw the reason she was contemplating not even going in.

Her blind date.

Amelia led Sarah over to the table and the young man stood up to put out his hand for her to shake. She grabbed them and found them to be a bit worn and his fingers were uncommonly long.

"Ashton this is Sarah. Sarah this is Ashton."

Sarah would give Amelia points for picking her an attractive blind date. His subdued green eyes were almost covered by a messy, but somewhat styled, mop of cinnamon brown hair. And when he awkwardly smiled at her and the dimples appeared on his cheeks she felt compelled to give a similar smile back.

"He's a drummer in a band," Amelia spoke.

Strike One.

The probability his band would gain success was close to one in a billion. He would probably live off ramen noodles for the rest of his life and still be convinced his band would make it.

"I think I can do my own introductions Amelia. I know you have somewhere to be," A thick Australian accent strolled past his lips to advise Amelia.

Strike Two.

He was foreign. He could be illegally in the country and just trying to find a wife to get him a green card so he could stay with his failing band.

"Right sorry. Well I will leave you two to it and, Ashton say hi to the band for me," she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

She spun to put her arms out for Sarah to walk into for a hug.

"I see your face Sarah. He already has two strikes against him and you have'nt said a single word. You really need to let go and have some fun. I chose him becuase he wasn't like the rest of your shitty blind dates. He is a great guy. And if all else fails just have a good one night with him because from what all his band mates say he is quite well endowed," Amelia whispered past the thick amount of ombre'd hair of Sarah's head and tickling her ear drum.

"Most awkwardly long hug ever," Sarah spoke pushing Amelia off of her.

"Ah. She does speak. I thought you had set me up with a mute for a minute there Amelia," He smiled.

"She can be an interesting person once you get to know her...so go and do that. I'm off," Amelia finally walked out the large door of the restaurant.

Ashton pulled out a chair for her to sit and she took slow steps to the chair and began to take off all the layers of clothing she had packed on. She was a petite girl who got extremely cold in the winter. Layers were the only way she could stay warm.