Daisy made a noncommittal sound in her throat, her cheeks tinted slightly red at his question. She took another bite of her food as her gaze roamed the room, basically everywhere but his face. Hopefully, it just looked like she was looking around.
Arvil quirked an eyebrow at her, at the pink cheeks and the sound she let out. He let it slip by, not poking it with questions. It was just a joke, and he knew she thought so, too. Even though maybe, just maybe, he wanted her to say yes.
Daisy looked back over at Arvil once her heartbeat had gone back to normal. She gave him a small smile then took a sip of water.
“So… How have you been, Arvil?” she eventually asked.
Arvil looked back at her, swallowing the drink he’d sipped.
“I’m fine. The usual,” he finally answered with a shrug. “What about you?”
“Same here… It’s been boring around work lately, nothing much interesting to report,” Daisy said with a shrug. “How’s work going?”
“It’s… going slow these days,” Arvil admitted honestly. “I had to fire a guy yesterday. Worst encounter ever.”
Daisy’s smile fell, and she leaned slightly forward. “Oh no… What happened? Of you don’t mind my asking.”
“He was lazy. Three months into the company and he was providing absolutely nothing, save for one invention the week he joined,” Arvil explained. “I have them go on trials for a week before determining whether they’re fit for the job or not. He turned out to be very good at throwing a fit.”
Daisy pursed her lips and slowly shook her head. She sighed, leaning back in her seat.
“That’s ridiculous… Some people these days think they just go to work to have fun, not to do what’s required of them,” she muttered.
“It’s how people are,” Arvil shrugged. “Sometimes they think everything should be handed to them on a silver platter, even those who aren’t born from a rich family.”
Daisy hummed her agreement, snorting at his last comment. “But some people especially think that way when they were raised in a rich family. How we managed to turn out like this is a miracle.”
“Well, for me, my parents actually cancelled my credit cards until I knew how to work for myself,” Arvil admitted. “Not that I was a heavy spender, or that I was spoiled. It was just a lesson for me to know how to manage my own money.”
“Oh. Well… I just forced myself to learn how to be self-sufficient. I was sent to private schools, and I hated how I was treated by others and how they treated other people. I vowed to never be like them and became me,” Daisy explained with a shrug. “Totally cliché, I know, but… I refused to become one of those girls who always relies on her parents for money, when she could be making it herself.”
“I like that about you,” Arvil said casually. “Though it’s not entirely a good habit, but you know how much expectations you need to put in a person. You can work on your own, and you generally don’t need another person’s help. When you do, though… you still don’t ask for it. That’s the bad part.”
Daisy pursed her lips slightly, knowing he was right. She did t ask for help because she’d never really needed any… So when she did need help, it was hard for her to ask for it.
“Yeah… Well, I’ve never really needed it much before, and I can usually figure things out on my own even when I do,” she said quietly with a tight shrug.
“But you end up pushing yourself a lot before you do figure it out,” Arvil noted, taking a bite out of his food. “Sometimes you need to realize help can be appreciated.”
I would never turn you down.
“Yeah. It’s just… hard, I guess. Especially when I’ve been doing this myself for so long,” Daisy murmured, taking a sip of her water.
“I know,” Arvil said softly. “But you’re not alone anymore, Daisy. I’m here for you, I hope you know that.”
Daisy felt her face warm up, so she avoided his gaze by taking a bite of her food. She truly didn’t know how to respond to him, to his kindness. Why in the world did he have to be so sweet? It was going to hurt when they had to break up…
After lunch, Arvil paid the bill, and soon, they were walking out quietly.
“It was nice,” Arvil finally broke the silence. “The talk and the food.”
Daisy glanced over at Arvil, her hands wrapped around the strap of her purse. She gave him a small smile and nodded her agreement.
“Yeah, it was. Thanks for taking me out. I think I really needed to get out of my apartment and be somewhere besides there, my work, and your work,” she mused, ending with a soft laugh.
“That reminds me…” Arvil shifted on his feet, “I’ve never been to your workplace before.”
Daisy blinked, pausing her walk to look up at him. “You’ve never asked to visit… I didn’t know if you wanted to. It’s really not all that interesting, but you’re welcome to come whenever I’m there. Especially if you talk to my manager. She’d love that.”
“I’ll think about it,” Arvil hummed, though there wasn’t anything to think about. He’d visit her. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Thanks,” Daisy said as she began to walk again. “Would you mind letting me know before you come visit me, though? Just so that I can make sure I’m not in a meeting or something when you get there.”