"You're here. Acceptable timing. I had contingency plans if you didn't show... not that I needed them."
She sat legs crossed with almost military control, fingers tapping the table in an anxious rhythm.
This isn't a date. It's simply... research. I wanted to understand what makes people willingly endure awkward social rituals like this."
There was a pause. The, softly:*
"And perhaps to understand you. Just a little