hebeimmortalized | (no subject)

Paul is, Jillie is quite certain, some kind of actual living saint. She knows how he'd woken up when they'd shared her bed, and he'd actually excused himself. And, sure, part of Jillie wishes she hadn't — mostly the southern part of her — but she appreciates that he did, anyway.

But this is something entirely new. Jillie hasn't been on a date in . . . years. Even before she'd gotten sick, she hadn't so much dated as she had . . . gotten around. At least a little bit. It's nice to actually get to know the guy. And they are getting to know each other. They talk a lot. Almost as much as she and Jack talk. Almost as much as she and her therapist talk.

And today, they're going on a date. A real date.

It takes her hours to pick out an outfit. She makes Girl help. She sends pictures to Jack to double check. She's nervous and terrified and excited.

But she can do this.

She's got her hair braided up off her neck, and silver jewelry to accent her dress. Her shoes match her makeup and she's got a small clutch with her phone, keys, and cigarettes. Paul is picking her up. She feels like a princess.

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Paul finds himself entirely flustered. He clears his throat and looks away, hoping he's not flushed too dark.

"See?" he says.

She nods. "I see," she agrees. "Really good." She takes another sip of her drink, then gathers a small little forkful for him to try. "To compare," she offers as she holds it towards him.

Paul all but mimics her, leaning in with his hand under hers, his fingers wrapping around hers to guide the fork into his mouth. Dark eyelashes flutter.

"I think that's better than mine."

She grins, but schools it down into a smirk. "Is it? Should we switch plates, then?" She's teasing, and it feels good to do it.

"Oh, no," says Paul, going back to his own food. "Absolutely not. I wouldn't want to deprive you."

"So sweet," she teases with a smile. She tucks into her meal, occasionally glancing at him to make sure he's eating, too. The waiter returns a couple of times to refresh their drinks, and check on the status of their meal. When they take breaks between bites, she asks him about his job, how it's going and if he likes it. Idle small talk that they don't need to invest much time in, so they don't detract from the meal.