Daisy paced back and forth outside the restaurant where Silas had decided they should meet. Arvil was late. Five minutes late, so far, and going on longer. He hadn’t been late to their “date” the other day, but maybe that had been a fluke. Maybe he was always late. Maybe he’d stood her up. Stars, she hoped he hadn’t stood her up. That would be awful…
When Arvil finally parked his car in the lot and locked it, he walked inside the restaurant. He and Daisy had decided to meet outside the restaurant a few minutes before they'd given Silas the time, but he'd long past it. She was probably already inside.
He was late ten minutes.
His eyes swept over the people in the hall, eating and chatting until his eyes landed on the woman he was looking for. She had his back turned to him, but he was observant enough to find her after one day of meeting her.
As he stepped closer, he heard Silas speak.
"Your boyfriend is late," he said, and Arvil couldn't help but want to snort. No, he was invisible. Of course he was late. Didn't take a genius to find that out.
But he pulled on an apologetic face, set his hands on Daisy's shoulders, and spoke.
"Sorry I'm late, beautiful," he said, putting in the right amount of guilt in his words. "There was a last minute meeting I had to take care of, and you know how long they can go."
Daisy caught herself before she jumped. She hadn’t been expecting Arvil to be there, much less for him to put his hands on her shoulders. The not-quite intimate touch was startling, especially since it had been a while since she’d had a boyfriend.
“Sorry I'm late, beautiful. There was a last minute meeting I had to take care of, and you know how long they can go,” the man behind her said, and she forced herself to relax under his touch.
Daisy twisted around to smile at him, hoping it looked more realistic than forced. “There you are. I was beginning to get worried.” In other words, where the heck of you been? “Silas, this is my boyfriend, Arvil. Arvil, Silas Adams.”
When she had gone home after their little “date” thing, she’d done what he’d said and looked him up. Arvil Davis was the CEO of the company Cyber. Somehow, even with working at the paper for as long as she had, she’d failed to recognize him, which made her feel stupid. How could she not recognize one of he most influential men in business? Even if that business was mostly gaming. She was shocked.
Arvil squeezed her shoulders and smiled down at her. That smile wasn't entirely affectionate. No, it was more of a 'Your smile looks like you've had to swallow lemons.' In short, it was forced.
Finally, he turned to Silas, who looked surprised to see him. Arvil reached out his hand for him to take.
"We've met," he said to Daisy. "At a program a few months ago."
"I never would have imagined Arvil Davis dating," the man said, shaking his hand before both of them pulled away. Arvil took his seat next to Daisy. "Much less Daisy."
Arvil rubbed the back of his neck, feigning slight embarrassment. "The media is wild. I wanted to keep the spotlight away from Daisy as much as possible."
Then he looked back at her and smiled adoringly.
"But I suppose her beauty managed to bring it on her, anyway," he joked, running a hand through his hair.
Silas fell silent for a while before he finally spoke again. "How did you both meet, exactly?"
The blush that rose to Daisy’s cheeks at the compliment and smile didn’t need to be faked. Did he really think she was beautiful? Not that she really cared… She hardly knew the man. She did have to admit, though, that he was rather attractive himself.
“There was a function I was covering for the paper a couple of months ago. We met there,” she explained, casting a quick, blushy smile in her fake boyfriend’s direction. I guess those years of high school theater are going to come in handy. I’ll definitely be needing them for this.
"It was a Fundraiser Program. A friend of ours introduced us," Arvil elaborated, resting his chin on his knuckles. "Though I suppose we don't really have to explain ourselves to you… now do we?"
Silas released a breath through his nose. "It was surprising to learn that the woman I sought is already taken," he replied. "You surely can't blame me for wanting proof."
"Well, you have your proof," Arvil simply shrugged. "Daisy and I are dating."
"So it seems," the way Silas was looking at them made Arvil uncomfortable, but he didn't show it.
"Did you already decide what to eat?" he asked, steering the subject away.
Daisy has leaned back into Arvil slightly as the men spoke. Her gaze had flitted between Silas and the table or whatever else nearby caught her attention. Anything to keep from looking him in the eye.
“I was just going to get the turkey sandwich,” she said once Arvil had (thankfully) changed the subject.
"I'd decided on the lobster," Silas replied, folding his hands on the table.
Arvil hummed in reply. "So I take it we're ready to order. Don't worry about payment. It's on me."
“Aren’t you getting something?” Daisy asked, turning to him and furrowing her brows. Even if she didn’t know him that well, she knew he should eat something if he hadn’t already.
"I am, don't worry," he said in the best assuring voice he could muster. "I haven't had lunch, so I will."
Meanwhile, Silas watched the pair quietly, trying to take in the information. He didn't know what to say, but if she did have a boyfriend, then he was not going to break them up. That went against his honor. However, if they were lying…
Daisy nodded once Arvil had assured her that he would be eating. “Then I’m ready, yes. And thank you for paying, Arvil.”
Arvil smiled at her, but said nothing. Instead, he flagged the waiter over and ordered their meal.
One lobster, a turkey sandwich, and BBQ spaghetti. He also ordered drinks, two cokes and one strawberry milkshake, having heard from Jordan that Daisy wasn't too fond of sodas.
While they waited for their food to arrive, the two men began to talk, mostly about business, but making sure to include Daisy in their conversations.
Daisy mostly listened and nodded along to what the men talked about. Mentally, she was taking notes of things they said, thinking that she might be able to use them later for the paper. Since they were talking business, she really didn’t have much to add, but she chimed in here and there.
Their food finally arrived, so for that small minute, they pulled their respective dishes in front of them.
After eating, Arvil asked for the bill, which Silas insisted they pay together. He ended up agreeing. Finally, it was time to leave.
Daisy stood after Arvil and nodded toward Silas. “I hope you believe me, now. I think the evidence is rather present.”
Silas hummed at her, standing up as well. He offered her a smile.
"We'll see," he said smoothly. "It was a pleasant lunch."
"Now if you'll excuse us—" Arvil reached for Daisy's hand—"we'll be taking our leave."
Daisy glanced briefly at the hand Arvil reached out to her, and she took it gently. She gave him a tiny smile before turning to Silas again.
“I’m sure I’ll see you later,” she said in a murmur.
Arvil guided her out of the restaurant, still keeping up with the acting. He looked at her and smiled.
"Did you drive here, or did you get a cab?" he questioned. "Because if you got a cab, we can still go for coffee. I have about ten more minutes before I need to get back to work."
“I don't think ten minutes is enough time to get coffee,” Daisy mused, shaking her head. “And I did drive, so I guess we’ll have to get that coffee another time.”
Arvil let out a chuckle, bringing her hand to his mouth so he could give it a small kiss.
"Drive safely," he said to her as he let go of her hand. "Text me when you get home. I will see you soon, Daisy."
Daisy nodded once, pausing before she stepped slightly closer to her. “Thank you,” she murmured. “For this.”
"You aren't the only one getting something out of it," Arvil responded with a shrug. "But you're welcome. Women shouldn't be forced into a marriage and be expected to drop their jobs."
Daisy lips quirked up into a small smile, and she nodded again. “I’ll see you soon, then, I suppose. I’ll make sure to let you know when I arrive home,” she added, her lips twisting up playfully.
Arvil chuckled and nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"See you later," he said, turning around to walk to his car. This went well. Hopefully, things would continue to run this smoothly
“Goodbye, Arvil,” Daisy said, taking a step back before turning around. Hopefully, this would go well. This mess could pass soon.