allbedestroyed | A black tie adventure with doesntsing

She takes his arm with a smile as he helps her out of the car. Their not-a-date has seemingly now turned into a date. Midge doesn’t mind. She got to see a vulnerable side of Robert tonight that only endeared him to her even more.

“Not a favorite, per se, but I’ve been here a few times and it has a nice atmosphere. It’s usually pretty quiet.” Intimate. They can get a booth and not be bothered by anyone else. “Where is this park that you run for him?”

A nice, quiet place for drinks sounds pretty good about now. Having Midge on his arm certainly doesn't hurt. He's certainly a bit calmer as they head towards The Alchemy.

"I've been the warden at his park in Nairobi for years now, but he's setting one up in Costa Rica. Hence the need for investors."

Midge can tell that he’s much less tense now. He really didn’t like being at that party. She glad that they can get some time alone where he might feel comfortable enough to loosen up.

“Which is why you were down there recently,” Midge says.

He opens the door to the bar and they step inside. It’s dimly lit with a dark wood and burgundy interior. Definitely way toned down from the party that they just left.

“We can order at the bar and then go sit at one of the booths,” she tells him. “They probably have a better whiskey selection here. I’ll have what you’re having, by the way.”

She likes a good whiskey.

Muldoon nods in the affirmative at her deduction. She really is good at paying attention to what people say. Probably no bad thing for a comedian.

The new surroundings are much more up his alley. The smell of old alcohol and the close air a far more familiar atmosphere. It's Midge's request which gets an eyebrow raise from him. Not quite asking if she's sure, but not far off it.

"You pick a booth and I'll get the drinks." It really is the least he could do.

It isn't long before he's following her down with two whiskeys. Hopefully she doesn't regret her choice. He's used to drinking rougher alcohol than she's likely used to.

When he approaches with the drinks, Midge slides further into the booth and pats the vinyl seat next to her. No need for him to sit on the other side when they can be much closer on the same side of the table.

“Thank you,” she says as she takes the drink and holds it up to him. “To you surviving the party and making your boss happy.” Midge clinks her glass against his and takes a sip.

It’s definitely not as smooth as the whiskey she usually drinks. Midge feels it burn the whole way down, but she’ll still drink it.

Sitting next to each other feels a bit strange, but it's not like he would deny Midge anything right now. Plus it does make it easier to clink his glass against hers.

"To not having to go to a party like that for a few more years," he toasts before sipping his own drink.

Watching her reaction, he smothers a smile. "Is it alright?"

Midge clears her throat after the sip. “It’s strong,” she says. “But I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. It’s a masculine drink and you are quite masculine.”

She cozies up to him, very close but not quite touching. Now that they’re alone and the night has shifted from a stressful party to a comfortable intimate evening, he’ll find that she’s a lot more flirtatious with him. It probably also helps that he kissed her, which confirms, at least, that he’s interested. Midge hopes she’s made it obvious that she’s interested too.

That only gets his smile to tug wider. "Is that your way of calling me stereotypical?"

It's starting to dawn on him that she's not entirely repulsed by the idea. He does wish she hadn't invited him to sit next to her though. It makes it difficult not to want to just lean in and kiss her all over again.

“No,” she answers honestly. “There are a lot of men who think they’re masculine, but they end up overselling it, trying too hard. You don’t have to sell anything because this is who you are. It’s effortless for you.”

Midge takes another sip of the drink and tries not to wince. (She probably fails a little.)

“Fake masculinity gets on my nerves. Real masculinity is very attractive.”

She’s very much not repulsed by the idea. He probably ought to not fight any urges that he has to kiss her.

He'll try to fight it a little. Just a little. It wouldn't do to just kiss her the moment they sit down.

"You like real people, that's why. You can deal with the fake ones, which is an impressive skill by the way, but that's not what you're drawn to."

"Lucky for me I wouldn't know how to be fake if my life depended on it," he says with a cheeky grin before he sips his drink. "Which is extra lucky for me you don't want me to be fake."

Well, that’s disappointing for her, but it’s probably best if he doesn’t indulge her in everything. She might get too used to him giving her whatever she wants.

That grin is nice. Midge hopes she gets to see it more often. “You’re exactly right,” she tells him. “That’s one of the things I like about you. I think you’re surprised that I’m attracted to you. Why?”

She’s fairly sure that she knows why, but she wants to hear his thoughts on it - and maybe reassure him a bit.

That gets him to pause. He was pretty sure, but hearing her say she likes him so directly catches him out.

He takes the moment to gather his thoughts and put down his drink so that he can give her his full attention.

If she's being straight with him, he'll give her the same courtesy. "Because I'm forty and not a model, or actor. Or particularly rich, though I don't think you care too much about money so long as I have a stable job."

"You're nothing like the women who usually give me attention," he summarises. "And as a rule, I don't want to act like those men back at that party, who chase after young women they can dazzle with gifts."

"Plus, you're young and beautiful and independent, and wicked sharp. You could have any man you want. And this is New York. There are a lot of good choices here."

Midge is curious what sort of woman usually gives him attention, though she won’t ask for now. At least he’s used to getting some attention. “I’m not looking for a man to dazzle me with gifts, although-“ She raises her pointer finger. “-I do enjoy and appreciate gifts. Attraction and feelings don’t always make sense, or at least not in an obvious way.”

She pauses to take a deep breath. “You’re… solid. You know exactly the type of man that you are and you don’t apologize for it. You’ve been a gentleman to me all night, very willing to fight for my honor. That kind of loyalty is something that I’m looking for.” Midge doesn’t want to tell him about Joel cheating on her, at least not right now. This is about him.

“I’m glad to hear that you think all that about me,” Midge continues, “but I think you have some of those qualities as well. You’re worried about how you look compared to me, but a person only becomes more physically attractive the more you get to like them, and I’ve liked you ever since you stopped to talk with me at the zoo.”

The descriptor of 'solid' get raised eyebrows, and Muldoon is ready to make a dry comment before Midge continues on. It's really not the sort of thing he would expect Midge to be worrying about, loyalty. Any partner who isn't loyal to her is an idiot, that much Muldoon is sure of.

Muldoon eyes her thoughtfully, propping up his chin with a hand as he considers her and everything she's said. It deserves a moment to take in, after all.

"My work tends to be a problem for people, for partners," he says finally. "I really like you, Midge, and I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

“I know,” she replies. It’s not as if she hasn’t considered that. She’d just hoped she wouldn’t have to think about it for a little while. “How long are you in New York?”

Midge knows she wouldn’t be able to go with him to Kenya or Costa Rica on a permanent basis. She has her kids and her career to think of.

Muldoon would never ask her to come with him, the same way he hopes she understands why he can't stay.

"I've got the rest of the week and then I have to head back." He offers a small smile. "If it's any consolation, the only ladies I pay attention to over there are the animals."

“Hopefully it doesn’t get that lonely out in the savanna,” Midge says with a wry smile.

She does understand. His work is important to him in the same way that hers is important to her.

Midge is quiet for a moment, mulling everything over.

“I guess that means we ought to take advantage of the time we have.”

That’s how she feels, though he might disagree.

That small smile widens just a touch at her conclusion. "I agree completely."

He takes this as his cue to cup her face and kiss her. Properly, this time. Slow and deep, savouring the moment between them.

Midge is glad that he’s in agreement. She puts a hand on his chest when he leans into kiss her. Her lips part against his when they press against hers. It’s a deeper kiss than the one he gave her at the party and she can taste the whiskey on his mouth.

“I guess this turned into a date after all,” she says once her mouth is unoccupied.

If she'd let him, he would fall utterly and completely into that kiss, but when she takes a break to breathe he can't help but smile.

"I'm sorry about that. If I'd known, I wouldn't have brought you there. I would have taken you somewhere more interesting. Don't hold it against me?"

“It was a nice party,” Midge replies, “just not your idea of a good time.” She cups his cheek briefly, then takes another sip of the whiskey.

“Where would you have taken me, if it was a date?” she asks, out of curiosity.

The notion that that was a nice party gets a raised eyebrow, but she knows his opinion on the whole thing. It's not his idea of fun, just like she said. The fact that she could enjoy it is a marvel to him.

He focuses instead on her question, leaning on the table as he considers. "I'm not sure."

"Maybe to a shooting range, to show you something very different to what I expect you're used to. Lunch and a walk in the park would be a safer bet."

Midge raises her eyebrows. “I’ve never been to a shooting range.” She pauses. “I don’t know if I’ve ever shot a gun. We still have a few days.”

She’s not opposed to it. Midge is open to new experiences. Plus, she’d kind of like to see him shoot.

"That's the point. It might not be the fanciest thing to do, but you'd remember it." He offers a smile then. "But I'd never make you do anything you're not comfortable with. I'd have more ideas for outside the city, but that's not for a first date."

Though to be honest, he feels like it wouldn't hurt for a woman in a city like this to know how to use a weapon. It's unlikely Midge would end up in that sort of situation, but he's someone who plans for the worst as a matter of course.

“Let’s do it,” she tells him, “the next day we’re both free.”

Midge is curious what Robert is thinking of that might not be suitable for a first date, but chances are it’s not as dirty as whatever she might be thinking of. Plus, she’s fairly sure they don’t have to leave the city to do any of that.

“Perhaps if you come back sometime I can take you out to the Catskills,” Midge continues, her voice low and sensual. “Some parts are very remote and private. You and I could get up to all sorts of things, I’m sure.”

A black tie adventure with doesntsing

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