A well-dressed man steps out of the darkness. His face is pleasant if not good-looking, and an aura of well-meaning self-confidence radiates from him. "I'm sure they're just stuck in traffic," he says. "What?" Lucistra asks. She reaches into her bag and lets it fall silently to the ground. "Whoever you're waiting for," the man says. "I'm sure they're just stuck in traffic." "What??" Lucistra repeats, tightly gripping the handle of her gun. She starts feeling nervous. Something about this conversation just doesn't feel right. "Oh, I'm sorry," the man says, and smiles. His charm is quite disarming. "I've been watching you from my apartment up there. You've been standing here for quite a while, looking quite lost. I assumed you were waiting for somebody." "No," Lucistra says. She tries to bring the gun to bear, but finds herself somehow unable. "Okay, look," the man says, starting to sound embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to butt in. I'll leave you to it." He turns and starts to walk away. He stops after a few paces and looks back. "I'm Tim, by the way." "Lucy," Lucistra finds herself saying. "Well it's been nice meeting you, Lucy. Enjoy the rest of your night." He turns again to walk away. "Wait!" Lucistra calls, cringing at the urgency in her voice. "Do you have money?" Tim glances up at the two-storey penthouse that has been his home for the past three years. "You could say that." "Give it to me," Lucistra says. She tries again to reveal the gun...but again her hand refuses to move. Tim stares at her for a few moments, puzzled. Then the disarming smile returns to his face. "Listen, I was just on my way to dinner. I know this is very forward, and I assure you I'm not in the habit of this sort of thing...but would you like to join me?" "What?" Lucistra asks, incredulous. "I enjoy living alone," Tim explains. "But I hate eating alone. It just doesn't sit right with me. So if you don't have anywhere to be in the next couple of hours, I'd be honoured to have your company. Milano's makes the best tortellini in the state, I assure you!" Lucistra stares at him for a few moments, unable to speak or move. Was this really...a dinner invitation? Much to her own dismay, she finds herself slipping the gun back into her bag. Five minutes later, she finds herself sitting down to a quiet dinner-for-two in an exclusive Italian restaurant. Credits: La Sombra by Dark_Whisper David from DAZ Jason Hair from DAZ Tim's clothes from DAZ Dystopia buildings from Free Section