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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 17 2017, 12:50 PM (17 Views) | |
| Angel Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:50 PM Post #1 |
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Angel had been on many dates in her life. She was an attractive woman, dates were bound to happen. Even when she had been in elementary school, she had been going on dates. All right, so those weren't dates, really. Those had been going over to a friends house to play, but she had always felt like they were a little bit more than that. It hadn't been until she had gotten into junior high school that she realized she had been crushing hard on a lot of her friends back then. She had never had a shortage of people who wanted to date, but she had plenty of people tell her she was being by far too picky. She had standards, some people would say, and they would shrug when she asked if she wasn't suppose to have them? She had been told she was being...well, she had been told she had been racist, sexist, and a few more 'ist' she was sure were made up because she had a preference. She was terrible because she said she liked her men to be one way or her women another. Apparently she wasn't allowed to like men that were a certain bit of height or had certain physical features that others didn't. People had always brought up outlandish things, asking how she would feel if someone didn't want to date her because of some reason as superficial as she had. They never seemed to like when she pointed out that then that was fine, that was that person's business and so long as they weren't saying it to her face, if they were turning her down with a kind 'oh, I'm just not interested in dating' rather than something like 'I don't date fat girls' or something, she couldn't be bothered. <p> But this was the first time she had felt those butterflies in her stomach in years. She had dated plenty of men and women; she had dated ones that she had been members of a show with, she had dated people "in the business", she had dated endlessly confident people. That was basically what you found when you dated people that were surrounded by theater; lots of big personalities with so much confidence that it was blinding. But Joshua was different from the other people. He seemed quietly confident...but then after being on Broadway, you began to realize the people that actually made it in were suppose to have big personalities. They needed their voices to stretch, their movements to reach to everyone in a crowd. People on Broadway were taught to be loud or were just in generally loud. Joshua, on the other hand, was a high school teacher. That took an entirely different set of confidence. It was more of a stand tall and never allow yourself to be knocked over sort of confidence. It was a staring someone in the face until they backed down confidence. If Angel remembered high school correctly, Joshua would have to have all the confidence he could to face teenagers. But it was more than that. Sure she liked confidence, she thought it was attractive, but she also liked...Joshua. Watching him with his class, she had seen a man who was passionate about what he taught and who knew what he taught. He didn't walk around with the air of someone who was faking it so that he might make it. For her, that had always been attractive, a man who knew what he was talking about rather than stumbling around. <p> She hoped that this date would turn out nice. She had high hopes and maybe that was the first step to becoming disappointed. How many dates had she gone through that turned out like that? She thought a guy was nice and sweet and smart, then he turned out to be a really good actor. She thought a girl was understand and charming, but then she turned spiteful over everything around them. But she wanted to believe that this would work out, that Joshua was worth the time and effort...not that there had been a whole lot of effort on her part. All of her effort had been digging through her closet, trying to find a dress that showed off everything while still leaving something to the imagination. She had needed something that was enticing but at the same time classy. She wanted to impress Joshua, not make him think she was trying too hard, that she was somehow too easy, or that she was somehow unobtainable. Honestly she couldn't remember the last time a man had made her feel this way. A nice man was easy to come by if you knew how to look, but they had all been ones that she was fine if they left her life. After all, it was a first date with everyone. It wasn't like she had spent years of dating them and learning their personality, only to have it fall apart. She never understood people who got like that, as if one meeting alone was enough to make you crave and want more. It didn't she wasn't going to <i>try</i> at least because...again, first date. Those were suppose to be magically. <p> There was a part of her that wished she had let Joshua take care of more things. Her mother had always gone on and on about being a strong independent woman and to a certain extent, Angel knew she was. She knew how to make her own doctors appointments, being on stage had helped her with her shy nature, she knew how to talk to people even when her nerves were jangling, she could take care of his own things...but she couldn't deny she like the feeling of being taken care of. She didn't know many people who <i>didn't</i> like that. But when Joshua had suggested taking her out, she had yes, and when he had suggested a place, she had said 'what time should we meet there'. She was kicking herself, though it wasn't the worst foible. There was a part of her that was cursing herself because what if he had wanted to pick her up? God, he could have picked her up and they could have chatted and there was so much potential there...and instead, she found herself standing outside the restaurant hoping that she hadn't been ditched. She didn't think Joshua would have ditched her. Partly because he had offered to take her out to thank her; even if it wasn't a date, he probably would follow through with that. But a louder part of her said that Joshua was different, he wouldn't just <i>ditch</i> her. |
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| Joshua Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:51 PM Post #2 |
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Joshua was more than a little surprised, honestly. It wasn't that he wasn't a brave man... but neither was he one to normally put himself out there. He was a generally content man, he supposed. He didn't need to go taking risks and he didn't need to pull back. He was happy. Apparently, however, his brain had said otherwise and without really consulting him on the matter. He hadn't known what had happened until after the words had come out. The beautiful young woman that had come to the school to talk to the kids, to specifically spend time with the debate team, had been radiant. Her personality and her charm and her abilities as a public speaker and performer had all shined through and he could admit that he had been captivated. It had only gone further when she was so willing to sit and listen to the kids, to talk to them and then to talk to him about the kids and the classroom and the way things had changed since she had gone to this school. Somewhere along the line the words had just... blurted out and he had asked her to dinner as a way of saying thank you for all that she had done today. He knew that public speakers of any kind got compensation for their time. Things like this came with compensation for her and the agency that represented her as well as a lot of public relations credit. He knew that. So, really, it was less 'to thank you' and more 'because I'd like a date' but he hadn't even realized that initially. He had almost believed what he had said himself, honestly. It was only later that he had begun to wonder what he was thinking. He was an older man. Maybe not old but he was getting older. He wasn't a great looker. He had never had doubts about his general appearance but he recognized that he wasn't a first choice and that compared to the stars that filled movies, television and Broadway he was most definitely not at the top tier level of looks and he was okay with that. He was also someone with a faint country accent that had grown up on a farm. Most people looked at him as if he had said he had come from an island in the middle of the Pacific ocean that had been henceforth undiscovered. He really wasn't the most attractive package for a young woman or a young man nowadays. At least, he didn't think so. Angel was a beautiful young woman who could probably have any share of men - or women, if that was her thing - and he didn't really see anyone being overly interested in him. It certainly hadn't happened in awhile, after all, and that was probably just because he was getting older and he was busy with teaching, with after school activities, with lesson plans, with all the things that came with being a teacher. Or, maybe, he was just using that as an excuse. It was easy to just not let things be changed because you got comfortable and told yourself that things weren't going to be any different. Maybe this was his change, maybe not. Maybe it would just be a pleasant night out. Maybe they would click. Maybe they wouldn't. At the very least, he was doing something that he believed in - in treating someone to something because they had been kind. It didn't matter that it was something that was usually done for PR. She had been eager and engaging and taken extra time with the kids. That deserved thanks. He wondered if maybe he should have offered to pick her up. Some people liked that but it had become less of the norm lately. Maybe Angel would have liked it? But maybe she preferred meeting him. She had said she would, after all. That was always the problem with things like first dates. You didn't know anything. You had to guess. Did the person like this type of food or that? Did they like this type of person or that? Were they looking for something permanent or not? Of course, in the end he supposed it didn't matter. It would either work out or it wouldn't. If he stressed about it, he would only be nervous the entire and that never really presented a good impression. And he wanted to impress her, he realized. Maybe more than anyone he had met in a long time. He wanted her to talk to him, to laugh with him, to look at him. It was curious realizing that. It made him slow down, made him actually pause and think about what to wear. Not that he had anything overly fancy, really. Being a high school teacher didn't really leave you with many options for fancy clothing nor the money to splurge. So, in the end, he had gone with something a little nicer than he had been wearing during the day; just a simple suit but it was a suit with a nice cut, at least, and he still fit into it which was also quite important. He wouldn't say he was overweight or out of shape, not fully, but they also never told you how easy it was to gain a few pounds here and there once you slid past thirty. If you weren't watching it would just sneak up on you in a flash. Finally, he couldn't delay any longer. Not unless he wanted to be late and he didn't like that. He had never understood the New York mindset that being fashionably late was somehow, well, fashionable and acceptable. He might run a few minutes late here or there but, generally, he was on time. He most definitely did not want to be late for this. A gentleman did not leave their date waiting and he had always striven to be somewhat of a gentleman... and to just generally be a courteous human being, as well. There was a small flutter in his stomach as he got nearer to the restaurant. What if she'd changed her mind? What if she had just been being polite when she agreed but she didn't actually want to come? There were so many variables. But when he approached the restaurant he saw her standing there and he couldn't help the relieved and somewhat wide smile that slid onto his face at the sight of her. "I feel like maybe I should have offered to come pick you up," he said by way of greeting, just smiling at her still. "Shall we?" he gestured slightly to the door of the restaurant before he moved forward to pull it open, holding it wide so that she could get around him and go inside first. |
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| Angel Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:51 PM Post #3 |
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When was the last time that Angel had felt this thrill of nervousness go up and down her spine? She was pretty sure it had been like the last time she had been on stage. There was always that feeling of nervousness, the worry of what would happen in the great big unknown. Usually it was fine, it almost always turned out fine, but there was always the first moment fear because she never quite knew if she was going to grasp it or not. At least some of the worry eased when she saw Joshua, when he showed up and he looked good and he was just...there. It hadn't been at the forefront of her mind but she had wondered, vaguely, if he would should up at. She couldn't even say she had been burned too many times by a date not showing up at all because that had never been the case. The dates she had had in the past were always pretty pleasant. The men actually showed up, they had a good enough time, and then things didn't pan out for one reason or another. That was the way of life, but no matter how much the worst <i>hadn't</i> happened to her, she still worried that maybe one day it would. Maybe that one date she had was the one where the date just...wouldn't show up after all. But apparently Joshua wasn't going to be that kind of man and she couldn't help responding to his smile with one of her own. "<b>I would have liked that,</b>" she admitted and a moment later she laughed. "<b>I think I just got a little too excited at the fact that I was asked out on a date that I just said yes as soon as I could.</b>" It was true. Maybe on some level she had wanted to say yes and make it all happen so fast that he didn't take it back. It was like an adult version of 'no takesies backsies'. <p> He moved forward, opening the door for her and she felt needlessly flattered. Even when she tried to remind herself that most guys would do that, that <i>strangers</i> would do that, she still found herself thinking that it was awfully sweet of Joshua to have done it. Her brain was trying to keep her from setting this up for something more than it was considering it was just a first date, but her heart had been ready to build it up. It was as they were taken to their table, as they settled down into it that she looked at him. "<b>So this will sound like a really bad question, but are you originally from New York? It's just...you have a bit of an accent...</b>" It wasn't the most obvious thing in the world, just a bit of one that was more noticeable on certain words. And while Angel hadn't really had to deal with the question herself, she had had plenty of friends who had been asked where they were from when they had just been from that state, or some other place in the US. It was somehow both a conversation starter and almost a taboo question at the same time. The fact was, though, that he could have very well been from New York, but his parents had an accent or something. That was one of the things she had always loved about New York – it was this great big melting pot of people. You had people from all around the world that lived there, some new, some old, some that hardly new English at all. It was all the different cultures being shared. Though at the same time, she tried to remind herself that maybe she was just mishearing things. Maybe she was just thinking that she heard an accent on certain words. After all, how many times had she told a friend about a show, about someone's southern accent in said show, and the friend had said 'there's no accent'. <p> This feeling of butterflies in her stomach was both the best and the worst feeling in the world. She knew when the date was done, if she didn't have anything else with Joshua, she would build this feeling up and it would twist into something slightly less than pleasant in her own mind. Then she would convince herself that dating just...wasn't for her because of it. But at the same time, she didn't <i>want</i> this date to go poorly; right now the feeling of butterflies in her stomach was a fluttery feeling that was almost pleasant every time she looked at Joshua. "<b>How long have you been teaching high school?</b>" Again it felt like a nice lead in to a some kind of conversation. She had to admit, she had never really personally thought of teaching high school as a viable option for herself. It wasn't that she thought <i>too</i> poorly of the students...it was more that high school was the height of kids being teenagers. Emotions and hormones were high, they were trying to figure out who they were in the world, and some of them struggled to come to terms with their lives. Then there was always the fact that teachers rarely got the recognition or the pay that they deserved. A lot of the time it seemed like such...thankless work. Angel couldn't really understand how someone could go into the job without wanting to help, without some kind of altruistic feelings. At least in the beginnings. She imagined all the factors against teachers also helped in beating them down into people that just wanted a paycheck. But that was pretty unfair to just assume up front because Joshua had seemed almost impassioned as he had talked with his students, he still had the spark of someone who had been happy to teach and loved what he taught. <p> The thing about first dates was there was always something to talk about. She knew this and yet at the same time, she felt herself wanting to flounder just a tiny bit because...well, every time she looked at Joshua, he would do these little things like smile or there'd just be this small crinkling of his eye. She tried to tell herself to not think of it as a date – after all, hadn't he originally said that he was taking her out to thank her for coming to talk to the kids? She had just let it settle as a date. What if she had been reading this all wrong? She had been making a fool of herself since the moment Joshua had showed up then, she had been acting probably like a lovesick fool. Even when she told herself to dial it back just the tiniest of bits, she found she couldn't. There was almost a mental shrug of 'I came this far' and if this was just a thank you sort of dinner, odds were good she was never going to see Joshua again so there was the fact that only she would remember it. "<b>What do you do for fun? Or are you one of the teachers whose life is only teaching so that's all you ever do?</b>" she teased. |
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| Joshua Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:52 PM Post #4 |
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If he were honest with himself, Joshua couldn't quite remember the last time that he had been on a date. It wasn't so much that he had lacked opportunities as... well, he supposed he had just gotten busy with life in general. He had dated a few times, both serious and non-serious, and then he had gotten busy with his job and his family and suddenly dating had just gone onto the back burner. It had been easy to just forget about even the thought of trying to find someone to date. He could have gone from within the school, he supposed, but most of those individuals were either married already or they just didn't mesh with him. He couldn't remember the last time that he had even looked at someone and thought 'I should ask them on a date' and to actually be excited for it. It had probably been several years, honestly. He had been worried that he might be building himself up. He had said it was to thank her for what she had done for the kids, but it had been a thin cover up and he was sure they both had known that... but she could choose to still take that at face value if she wanted. It would be his luck, wouldn't it, to actually have some interest and not be receiving it from the other party?But when he arrived, Angel just seemed pleased to see him and she smiled happily at him. He gave a soft laugh at her words. "Maybe we both should have had a little more foresight. Next time, right?" he asked, wondering if there would be a next time. Right now he felt like there would be but they hadn't even gotten into the building and had a long date yet. They had only just arrived and by the end of the night it could be a flop. There was no sense in getting either of their hopes up just yet. They were mostly silent as he held the door open for her, as they went inside the restaurant and were lead to a table. There was a bit of nerves that he wasn't quite willing to admit to coiling around inside of him. He was in his thirties. There should be no reason whatsoever that he should be feeling nervous. He had done this plenty of times before and in the end you either clicked or you didn't... but this time he was nervous. It felt like this one mattered and maybe it did... or maybe he was just building it up in his head. It was very easy to do that. He couldn't stop himself from smiling when the first question that was asked of him was if he was originally from New York. "Well, you put it better than some people," he commented with a small smile. Compared to some of his brothers and some of their children, his accent wasn't really all that thick - probably because he had spent quite a bit of time in New York by this point in his life. He knew it was there, though; softer and more genteel but it hung on some of his words and there was no getting around that. "I'm not, though, no. I was born in Kentucky Nowhere exotic, I'm afraid." People always seemed disappointed when he said Kentucky and he wondered why. Was it because they were expecting somewhere like Texas or was some part of their brain just sure that, somewhere, there was some European country that spoke with a soft southern accent? Or maybe they just didn't like Kentucky. He had never been able to figure it out. "And what about you? Born and raised here in New York or did you move here at some point?" He could admit that he hadn't really done his research. He wasn't a person that followed celebrities even if he happened to like their work or liked theater and the like. He could tell you who they were, of course, but he felt it almost intrusive to start peeking and pecking at their past and their lives before and during their fame. They were people, just like anyone else, after all. Every time he looked up at Angel, he couldn't help but to be momentarily struck by how beautiful she was. He had thought that before, when he had been watching her eagerly listening to students or laughing with them. Seeing her here now did little to quell that opinion. She was, simply put, one of the most gorgeous women he had ever seen before. He hoped the night would go well because he could honestly see himself taking her out more. He could see himself taking her to more places that he enjoyed eating, out to the theater or a movie, out on some day trip to the country. He could see himself doing a lot of things with her and maybe that was just jumping the gun too much. "Let's see now... it's been just about nine years, actually." He paused for a moment before he gave a laugh. "Hard to believe it's been that long. It's always what I wanted to do, though. I kinda broke the family tradition." He gave another laugh at that. It wasn't like it was something that had gotten anyone up in arms, though. Joshua had nothing against what his family did and when he went home he even helped out some. It had never been his calling, though. He had always felt something when he had helped teach his younger brothers something or when he had helped other kids in school, when he had helped teach his nieces and nephews things. It was just in his blood, he supposed; it had just gotten in deep and it had been what he had wanted to do with his life. "And you? How long have you been on stage? Did you always want to be a performer?" He knew there were equal parts people who had wanted from the time they could talk to be on stage and screen and there were also people who just fell into it one day. They were interrupted, here and there, by the waiter coming to take orders, coming to bring the food, but if he were honest, Joshua would say that he hardly even noticed the waiter's coming and going. He hardly even remembered what he ordered and he was pretty sure he wasn't tasting it because his attention was just wholly trained on Angel rather than anything else. She would lean forward intently and look at him, listen to him. When she smiled, it lit up her whole face and made her even more beautiful (if that was possible) and she was interested in things he said - and he was interested in things that she said. "You mean there are things other than teaching?" he asked her with the air of someone wholly affronted. Then he allowed his expression to smooth into a relaxed smile. "I'm afraid I can be a bit boring. My favorite activity is reading." He gave a rueful laugh and gestured to himself. "It's a bit obvious." He wouldn't say he was anywhere near overweight but it was equally obvious he wasn't a man who got out and ran or went to the gym for fun or anything of that nature. "Some of the family genes are still there, though, because I do enjoy going for walks and taking hikes sometimes. I enjoy theater and I'm afraid to admit that I enjoy going to places where I know a good debate might be going on." He gave another rueful laugh. "And what about you, Angel? Don't tell me you run marathons for fun, please." |
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| Angel Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:53 PM Post #5 |
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She smiled at him, it was something she felt she honestly couldn't help. She felt excited and almost flustered at the idea of having a date for the first time in who knew how long. Oh, she had never really <i>lacked</i> for dates honestly, it was always just...the dates had never gone too well. It was like no one "normal" really had an interest in her outside of...well, outside of normal interest. Broadway buffs seemed more interested in dating someone who was on Broadway, she could be replaced by any of her costars and they would be just as happy as they were to date her. And then the few costars she had dated had seemed awfully...egotistical, as if they were dating her simply because she was so without personality they could pretend she was them and they were dating themselves. But Joshua seemed actually interested in her, though it could really go either way. Heck, it could exactly as he said it did: he was just trying to be nice and thank her for coming to talk to the kids. "<b>Next time,</b>" she agreed, "<b>I'd really like that.</b>" They were simple words, she felt, but they had a lot of meaning. She'd really like there to be a next time, she'd really like for him to pick her up, she'd like there to be multiple dates. But maybe that was all pushing it a little. Maybe they should get through this first date and see where it went, because wouldn't it be embarrassing if she said they should date and this turned out to be just a thank you? Or even worse, what if they didn't have anything in common or that they just couldn't see eye to eye on anything. She was a firm believer in the idea that people didn't <i>need</i> to have a lot of stuff in common, but they needed to be able to listen and at least have the decency to pay attention. There were just some interests out there that people couldn't handle. <p> She felt jittery, like those moments before she went on stage, the moments where she knew something would either be magical or fail dramatically. She had had a lot of practice with flops, but this...she wanted this to work out. And this was worse than a show flop. At least when the show flopped, there were a lot of factors. Other actors, the general feel of the performance, the crowd they happened to have. A date was pretty much just her and him as factors, there was no one else here for them to blame if things went wrong. "<b>People put it <i>worse</i>?</b>" she couldn't quite keep the surprise from her voice. She had tried to keep her words careful and very aware of the fact of what she was saying but...but even she could see how someone could take offense to it and the idea that someone could ask in a worse way was kind of surprising. Then again, she supposed people could just say he sounded weird or ask if he were from...Texas or something or wherever they just assumed Southern accents came from. "<b>Kentucky?</b>" she repeated and she couldn't stop herself from sounding excited. "<b>That sounds exotic to <i>me</i>. I've never been to Kentucky.</b>" Though if she wanted to be cruel (though why she would, she didn't know), she could have said that there was no reason to go to Kentucky, there was nothing that came out of Kentucky. But then that could be said of most states couldn't it? Most states had their stereotype but it was only a fair few that people actually remembered. New York, California, Texas, Florida, Alabama. People coming from any where else might have minor things thought about them, but for the most part it was like this giant empty slate. "<b>Oh I've always lived in New york,</b>" she gave a tiny shrug. "<b>I don't know if I could handle living anywhere else.</b>" Because she had lived there her entire life and moving anywhere else...well, the idea was a little daunting. <p> The more they were talking, the more at ease she felt. She couldn't be sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Was that a sign she was getting more comfortable with him? Was that a sign that she felt safe with him? Or was it some trigger in her brain that knew they weren't going to be a couple but his company was good enough? She supposed that wasn't <i>awful</i> either. It seemed actually pretty okay in her opinion. "<b>Nine years? That's really impressive. I don't know, when I was in school, teachers were either like brand new or had been there twenty years, there was almost <i>no</i> in between...though I'm not entirely sure how we expected the teachers who had been there twenty years managed to skip over being anything but new.</b>" That was just how it was in high school...then again, any teacher seemed like they were super old and any teacher who had been working there for five years usually graduated to the idea that they had been there twenty or more years. Mostly because they always talked in that voice that said 'back in my day, students were hooligans' or they spoke of much better things were. It seemed to date them. "<b>What's the family tradition?</b>" she asked curiously. She had never had much of a family tradition in her family, mostly because according to her parents, their parents had wanted them to have their own paths. What was the point of having everyone do the exact same thing, they had said? Why did they want everyone to do what had been done before when realistically speaking they wanted all new jobs and life experiences to be passed around? She ducked her head down as he asked after her, laughing a little. "<b>Well I guess I've been on stage since I was twenty three? I got started late because I got a degree for drama as well as secretarial duties in case the stage thing didn't work out.</b>" It had been her choice. Her parents said she didn't need to, but she had said she wasn't going to be one of those people that worked in a bar or a restaurant, bleating away about how she was a <i>star</i>. "<b>As for wanting to be a performer...not really. My mama got me started in theater when I was younger because I was actually really shy and it helped to do. It was the whole idea that if I was afraid of something, just throw me into the deep end and I'll learn how to swim out of sheer fear of drowning.</b>" God she had cursed her mother at first; she had come home crying about how it was so awful but her mom had just kept sending her back. <p> She was hesitant to say that this was going well, but it was. She was enjoying herself, she found herself watching Joshua more than glancing around the restaurant and she hadn't wanted to check the time in a while. She wanted to actually keep talking with him. That was the sign of a good date, right? At least they were chatting and while the stuff seemed small, it was also just so easy to do. "<b>I've heard rumors to that,</b>" she laughed at his put upon affronted look. "<b>Aw there's nothing boring about reading.</b>" She liked the sound of that, she liked the quiet hobbies. "<b>It's not obvious at all.</b>" It was easy to say and she meant it, even though he seemed to think that have a slight bit of heaviness was some great indicator. She had known a few men that were just stocky or carried weight weirdly, it didn't have to be because he just read books all day. When he continued on, she felt a small smile curl her lips because it sounded...sweet. It sounded nice. Walks and hikes? Debates? Maybe she didn't do the debate thing all the time but maybe if he meant them in the less formal way of just sitting amongst friendly people having friendly discussion, then she could understand that. "<b>Yeah I actually do Iron Mans every year, is that going to be a problem?</b>" She laughed after a moment. "<b>Actually it's not that exciting. I mostly work, really, because unless there's a show I'm in, I'm trying to find something. But I really like watching TV.</b>" Was that going to be a deal breaker? Did he want a woman who read as much as him? She didn't hate reading, but she had always found a lot more fun in flopping onto the couch and just...turning something on. |
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| Joshua Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:54 PM Post #6 |
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When Angel smiled at him, he couldn't help but to smile in return or to feel the slightest of butterflies in his stomach every single time she did so. Had he ever felt this way before on dates that he'd had in the past? He couldn't remember, honestly. He wouldn't say he'd been going through a monumental dry spell but it had been awhile. He didn't remember feeling this way with anyone else but he was very well aware that, sometimes, people said that with every single person and truly meant it. They just didn't remember what it had been like at the beginning. It was far too early to think it was anything more than nervous and pleased feelings rather than some unknown love that had never been found before. That only happened in the movies and in novels and on Broadway, didn't it? Real life wasn't always all immediate love. Sometimes it took months or even years. He couldn't stop his smile as Angel said that she would like a next time, that she would like it if he picked her up. It wasn't an absolute guarantee of a date - this one had only just started, after all - but it was a step in the right direction. "Great," he said. "I would, too." And he would. He wished he had thought of it sooner it was just that the invite had almost literally been blurted out in a way that he didn't normally do. If he had taken his time about it he would have thought how nice it would have been to pick her up and escort her all the way to the restaurant, to have had that extra time to chat. But if it went well there was no saying that they couldn't do that again and again. Joshua gave a small laugh at Angel's incredulous tone and the surprise on her face as she asked if people had put things worse before. "I have a very light accent, but I have been asked some rude questions before. My nephew, ah, he has a thicker accent and he moved up here to study and practice law and he's heard quite a few very rude questions. People like to assume about accents from any place and, unfortunately, the stereotype about anyone with a trace of a southern accent is that they're an ignorant country hick to put it mildly." He just gave a small smile and shook his head. He was lucky in that he had only encountered it a few times and his accent had faded somewhat so that most people were either used to it now or just didn't notice it. Parker, he knew, had gotten it a few times... though the kid was smart enough to use that to his advantage, too. Joshua gave another laugh. "I'm not sure anyone has ever called Kentucky 'exotic' before," he told her honestly with a laugh. It was a beautiful state, that he couldn't deny. There were things about it that he loved and missed when he was in New York but exotic? That was usually suited for countries outside of America, at least in his own head. "Born and bred in the hustle and bustle, huh?" he asked her with another smile and humor in his eyes. Joshua gave another laugh at Angel's words. "I think all kids think that. I think it's a part of the fact that most children view anyone over a certain age as a very old adult. Even someone who isn't that old at all. If I think back to when I was in school..." He paused for a moment, clearing his throat a little in a self-conscious sort of way before he actually did what he had said. "Well, I think most of them were probably honestly around my age, perhaps a bit older, but at the time it seemed as if they were ancient." Maybe there had been young teachers but he didn't remember, honestly. It wasn't even that he was that old now but, well, time blurred your memories after awhile. "Ah, I knew you were going to ask," he teased her lightly. "My family runs a racing stable. We breed and sell and race thoroughbred horses. It's family tradition that you take on a job there but, ah, you can see I was too much of a rebel." His father hadn't exactly been pleased at the time but Joshua had just been very firm. It had happened the same way with his nephew later. Besides, it wasn't as if he had abandoned them all. He visited. He talked the farm talk. He helped out. His life calling had just been in teaching rather than anything else was all. "A very smart idea," he told her as she revealed that she had taken the time to get an extra degree so that she could have a backup plan in case her first choice didn't pan out. A lot of people didn't do that and he felt almost strangely proud that she had done so. He tilted his head to the side for a moment, just listening to Angel as she went on. "That sounds like it could be potentially traumatizing," he said, honestly. Some people that worked with but some it probably wouldn't. Still, it had obviously worked for Angel and for that he was glad. Had he had a date that went this well in.... forever? He'd had a few long term relationships over the years but he couldn't remember just talking like this with them. Maybe he had, but he couldn't remember feeling this interested. He had honestly hardly even tasted his food or even realized that he was eating it. The one time he had glanced at his watch and he had been shocked to see the amount of time that had gone by. They weren't taking up the restaurant's table by any means but they had been here longer than he had even begun to imagine. Nothing else seemed to matter except the conversation though. And while he thought she was beautiful and lovely and he wanted more dates with her, a part of him honestly wanted to just continue the conversation. Was that a sign of just how much he liked her or was it just something turning into a solid friendship? He would be vaguely disappointed if it were the latter and yet he found he would enjoy it nonetheless. She was engaging and intelligent and he was enjoying being around her far too much. "Impossible. All the students know that teachers just live at the school," he said with another scoff. He gave her a smile as she said there was nothing boring about reading. "I'm glad to hear it. I think I probably do it too much sometimes." Not that he minded but, well, she might. "You're too kind," Joshua told her with another smile. He raised an eyebrow at her as as she said she did marathons every weekend. "Oh, this is just terrible. This date has to end." He made no move to do so and he was sure she wouldn't take it to heart at all. "Nothing wrong with that. I'm afraid I don't watch as much as I did when I was younger but I have some shows I am shamefully addicted to." |
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| Angel Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:55 PM Post #7 |
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She told herself not to get too expectant. This was just, right in this moment, a thank you dinner. Of course it had very strong leanings and hints towards being more than that, but for that moment, it was just that. Except they had all but stated this was a date. She still told herself to calm down, to let it play out naturally, because just because they got along in a classroom discussion and the first few minutes of this were going well, it didn't mean that the rest of the date would go well. They might find their interests were superficial, they might find that they worked better as just people who had a brief discussion and then parted ways, they might find they were better friends. She didn't want to get her hopes up, after all, but she was doing it anyway. She brushed away the thoughts mentally as he said he would like to escort her to their next date. The thought kept her light, kept her so hazily happy as they settled into their seats and got the actual date part. She shook her head as Joshua laughed. "<b>I never really thought of it that way. It's just an accent.</b>" Because she had worked with a lovely girl from Texas who had a thick accent and her husband had a thicker one, but they had both been more than reasonably intelligent. Then again, she supposed she shouldn't say she had <i>never</i> seen the stereotype. How many times in a show had there been the slow witted character who talked slow and with a drawl as if he had all the time in the world and needed that time to figure out a very simple question? She could admit it seemed to be short hand in some of the theater shows to show off a lack of intelligence. But it was such a fine line, too, between ignorant and a smooth talker. "<b>I guess I just always associated it with charming people?</b>" She gave a tiny shrug, running her finger around the rim of her water glass. "<b>You know, whenever you see a movie, it's like...the romantic lead always has this drawl in his voice and he always speaks...plainly. At least in a lot of romantic movies where a girl has to go back to her home town or she winds up going to the country. She always picks the country.</b>" And Angel had been charmed by those men, too, she couldn't lie. They had always just used endearments and they had worked hard but they were sweet. That was what her friend and her husband were like, after all. Very sweet and charming. "<b>Every single moment. Like I said, I wouldn't know what to do outside of the city. It's always treated me well. I'd probably die if I couldn't just do a quick walk down to the corner in sweatpants and messy hair.</b>" She had loved the convenience of everything and there always seemed to be something happening. There was so much culture, there was so much to explore. <p> She shook her head at Joshua's laugh, unable to stop her smile. "<b>I feel like someone once explained it as the idea that when you're young, you still have so much of your life left that comparatively everything is so much longer and people seem so much older.</b>" It didn't sound nearly as smart when she said it as it had sounded at the time. It had made a certain amount of sense but...it wasn't anything she understood herself. "<b>Believe me, most of my teachers <i>were</i> ancient. But then you didn't work in my school without having been born old because they were the only ones that knew how to corral everyone.</b>" Oh, her school hadn't been bad exactly – not like some of the public schools that had been in the neighborhood. But hers was almost worse; it was a special school for those advanced in whatever they were advanced in (or had the money to get them there) and she had realized really early on that if you wanted trouble makers, you put a bunch of kids who were too smart for their own good in the same room. "<b>Well,</b>" she gave a tiny huff, "<b>when you say something mysterious like 'family tradition',</b>" she wiggled her fingers, "<b>a person gets curious. Is the tradition going to college, is the tradition getting the same kind of degree, is the tradition to be initiated into a cult? There are so many options.</b>" He continued on, going so far as to say his family bred race horses. "<b>Race horses? <i>Really</i>?</b>" she couldn't quite keep the surprise out of her voice. "<b>That's such a...unique thing. Who breeds race horses?</b>" She put her elbows on to the table, resting her chin in her hands as she looked at him. "<b>You must have really wanted to be a teacher to go against your family like that.</b>" It sounded like something that would be hard to do...not because the family was awful (which they might have been, she didn't know, but he sounded awfully fond of them) but because telling your family you didn't want to do something was the hardest thing in the world. You knew they would understand but at first there would be the confusion, the hurt. They might take it personal, they might get mad because it had been good enough for them why wasn't it good enough for you. You knew eventually they would understand, but the build up and the immediate after shock was always the worst. "<b>Gotta be prepared. My voice isn't going to last and neither is the beauty that draws people.</b>" Not that she thought she was a stunning beauty that filled the seats but she was what people came to expect – she was young and pretty enough. No one wanted to see an old, wrinkled woman in the starring role. "<b>Oh it was. Trust me, I ran out crying my heart out because I was scared. Granted, I was eight years old so it's kind of expected at least once in that age you forget your lines and start crying.</b>" She gave a small shrug. "<b>It worked...or it worked enough that I can at least pretend I'm not scared out of my mind.</b>" <p> The thought of having a second date of becoming more and more a reality. At least that was what Angel felt. She hoped Joshua felt the same but it wouldn't have been the first time that she had felt something someone else didn't. She told herself not to borrow trouble, she should just enjoy what she had right then. At the same time, she couldn't help it because she was having such a good time and she wanted so <i>badly</i> to have a second date. "<b>Well yeah, that doesn't mean you don't do things other then teaching,</b>" she scoffed, "<b>Like making nests out of books in the library. That's what our janitor use to tell us as kids.</b>" She remembered it all so well because she had been so <i>convinced</i> of the fact. Even when her parents said that no, it was a mouse problem, she had believed it was the teachers. "<b>Mmm, I think it only counts as too much if it starts interrupting your life. Or so I've been told.</b>" That was the thing about addiction, wasn't it? If it started making you unable to live your normal life, then it was a problem. Joshua could go out on a date without reading a book. He could teach his class without reading a book (fully). If he decided to sit at home and read, well that was his choice, wasn't it? "<b>Oh no,</b>" she put her hands to her cheeks as his said the date had to end, "<b>and here I was being all polite about the reading thing. My efforts have gone to waste because of your rudeness now.</b>" It felt easy to laugh about it, but maybe that was because he hadn't taken the joke so far as to pretend he was getting up and leaving. "<b>I've always really liked watching some of the sci-fi shows. It's not my favorite but it's one of the more common things outside of all the shows that set in offices.</b>" |
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| Joshua Manning | Nov 17 2017, 12:56 PM Post #8 |
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Things seemed to be going well and he wondered if maybe that was putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. It was just one dinner that hadn't even finished yet. She was an actress. Oh, he didn't think she would have agreed to come out here with him and then acted as if she were having fun but she was probably slightly better than most people at just smiling through something that was difficult. Again, he didn't think that she would do that but the simple fact was that he didn't know. Just as she didn't know how much he might think of this as a date or just as a dinner just yet. They were still testing the waters with one another, which he was just fine with. He had never felt the need to rush through things that were important. This, he felt, could most definitely be important. "Oh, not everyone thinks that," he said with a small laugh in response to her words. "It is a very common concept, however, in the public's eyes." Maybe it was because there were ignorant people that had formed the stereotype - and some ignorant people who kept it going - and maybe it was mostly Hollywood to blame. The amount of television shows and movies that portrayed the ignorant person with an accent - not just from the South, either. Someone from another country, poor, simple minded immigrant, with an accent. Or, even worse, some immigrant - usually, unfortunately, of Hispanic heritage and they were somehow always a gang member. People with New York accents were all rude and pushy. It didn't exist solely for Southern accents. He gave another small laugh. "I'll take charming over the other misconceptions any day." Not that his accent was as thick. His brothers all had varying levels of it and Joshua had lived in New York long enough for his to fade even more. It was still there, though, and it had been there in particular during his early years in New York. "There is a certain convenience to being in the city," he agreed. Paris was nice. It was relaxing and beautiful, but it wasn't particularly close to anything. Going to the store was a good twenty minute trip or so and that was just to the small town. To go anywhere larger and it was thirty minutes or more. "There is something to be said for the country though. There's a peace there that you most definitely do not get here." He had grown used to New York, he even enjoyed it, but there were times he just wanted a respite from sirens or people yelling or bright lights, too. "I suppose that's as good of an explanation as any," he said at her words. He hadn't considered much of why. It was just something that kids did; the innocence of youth and the surety of youth in being youthful. He had never thought about it any further than that. Joshua gave another laugh at Angel's words. "I think some of them are still around, to be honest." Because there had been some incredibly elderly people when he had started who seemed as if they might never retire, as if they might just keep going until they fell asleep in their chair at school and never woke up. They were some of the most beloved teachers by the students, surprisingly. Maybe because, as Angel said, they knew how to corral everyone. Or, maybe, they just honestly ignored the antics of the children and let them get away with anything. Joshua didn't dig too deep into what went on in other people's classrooms, after all. He couldn't help but to think that the tiny huff that she gave him was almost endearingly adorable. He smiled at her. "Well, at least you knew it was too late in history to be bootlegging," he teased her again. When she responded to the information, she was surprised. People were always surprised. It was as if they thought that race horses were just dug up from everywhere and anywhere and plopped onto a track. "Really," he said. "You'd be surprised. It's a business. There are plenty of breeders in Kentucky and in Florida. Some up here in New York, too. It's an expensive business, though." There were days the farm seemed as if it could never do poorly and days where it seemed like it would never recover. It was all part of the business. "I felt as if it were my callin' in life and I wasn't going to be dissuaded. Thankfully, my family is all fairly laid back." His parents had been irritated but they had let it go. His brothers had philosophically shrugged and said he had to do what worked for him. Maybe that was why Parker had had an easy time of breaking off to be a lawyer. Joshua had somewhat paved a little bit of the way for him. "It's a stance I wish more people would take in general... having a backup in case things don't pan out. Ah, I know it's not always feasible, of course, but I see children hanging all their hopes on one specific dream and if that doesn't work out for them?" He shook his head a little with a sigh. "I don't know about the beauty not lasting, though," he offered her with a small smile. He had little doubt that she would age quite well - probably better than he would. "I think I would have been petrified as well." Getting up to teach or debate was one thing. To act? That was something else entirely. "It seems awfully rough but... at least it worked out well for you?" After all, she was doing well on the stage. That had to count for something. Joshua was still surprised at how quickly the time was flying. Oh,he hadn't expected it to be a bad date - they had gotten along quite well at the school - but he hadn't expected to enjoy himself so much. He had hoped, of course, but you always went into these things with at least some trepidation. The time seemed to be flying away rather than dragging, slipping through his fingers in a way that said the night would end far too soon. He hoped she was enjoying herself as much. He hoped that there would be a second date, a third, maybe more if things continued. Joshua gave a laugh at her words. "Did he really tell you that? How could you believe that? Everyone knows teachers hang upside down like bats from the ceiling." He wasn't like some of his nephews and his niece, even like some of his brothers, who joked a lot. Not that he was without a sense of humor but his was a calmer thing. Still, he couldn't help but to joke with her now. It seemed almost natural to want to joke and laugh with her. "Oh, good. That means I can read more books, doesn't it?" Joshua asked with a small smile. At least he hadn't devolved into sitting with his nose in a book every second of the day. That had to count for something. He laughed again as she put her hands to her cheeks. "I guess I shoulda mentioned I'm a rude man before all of this, shouldn't I?" He brought the heel of his hand up to strike his forehead. "Must have slipped my mind." He tilted his head a little, listening to her for a moment. He ducked his head a little, just slightly embarrassed. "This is the part where I have to admit that I rather like watching those inane cooking competition shows and quite frankly how am I supposed to come out on top after admitting that?" It was mostly about the food and seeing how it was made for him, but that didn't make it any better, really. |
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8:37 AM Jul 11