Accidental Marriage [Ashlio]

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Hayden nearly recoiled at the look at tone the hostess was sending her, but she stood her ground instead and scrunched her face up as she huffed out a breath. She told herself to not get angry though; no point in doing that, right? Especially not when they were trying to get a table at a restaurant that was obviously busy and was obviously usually booked ahead of time so that the people wanting to come here could get a table. She had half a mind to think that they weren't going to get a table at the place, and with that thought she turned to look at Jackson to suggest that they go somewhere else when he spoke up and opened his mouth.

They were celebrating something? Even she couldn't help but blink her eyes in confusion and raise her brows, wondering what the man had up his sleeve to get them into this place. It seemed like it would be unlikely to work; after all, the hostess seemed to be more of an uptight hard ass than Hayden wanted to think that most hostess were normally like, but having to work in a place like this had probably been more frustrating for the woman that most other hostess jobs. So maybe she could give the woman a little more leeway with her attitude. After all, they probably weren't the first people who came to the restaurant without a reservation, wondering if they could get a table and then trying to persuade the woman to let them have any open table.

Still, she was curious to see what Jackson was going to say, wondering if his advances were going to work. And, lo and behold, they actually did.

After the hostess had been passed the chip and said that, suddenly, a table had opened up for them, Hayden could do nothing but, again, blink her eyes as the woman turned away to lead them to a table. What the hell? Her eyes peered back up at Jackson, watching as that idiotic, and even charming, grin of accomplishment graced his lips. Well, wasn't he something... Her look of surprise slowly turned into one of pleasant happiness as they followed the hostess to their table, Hayden's eyes taking in every sight that she could. Now she was thankful for the dress she decided to wear that night--at least she didn't look under dressed.

Her eyes took in the food that was left on the plates of the people already served, her sight taking in the appearance of the aesthetics around the food and then the food itself. Unfortunately she wasn't able to get too good of a look at anything as they quickly weaved their way through the tables until they made it to their table. She instantly looked out the window they were presented with, her smile widening when she took a seat as she couldn't help but let out a little breath at the sight. It really was pretty to see the lights down on the ground. Her mind had only come back to the conversation when the mentioning of champagne had been brought up.

She snapped her head away from the window and looked from the hostess to Jackson, wondering, again, if all of this was really happening. How had she gotten lucky enough with this guy to be sitting in a place like this, about to be ready to be wined and dined without having to spend a penny of her own money? A part of her felt bad for that. A part of her felt like a free loader taking advantage of a guy that was too nice to say no to her. But, despite all that, she was still going to play along.

"Bring us your finest champagne," she said, turning her eyes to look at the hostess with a confident look as she straightened her back and squared her shoulders with a smooth smile. "A bottle of it, please." The hostess left with the nod of her head after a moment of her being gone, Hayden couldn't help but finally let out a laugh.

Her frame bent over the table slightly until she brought herself back upright to look at Jackson with a childlike grin. "Oh my God, I can't believe that actually worked!" She said in a bit of a hushed whisper as she leaned in a little closer to him. "I thought things like that only happened in the movies! You really are something else."
 
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"A hundred dollar bribe always helps with changing someones mind," he chuckled and leaned a little forward, resting his elbows and the edge of the table. "She was definitely keeping this table open for an idiot like me to come along. Probably expecting a really big tip too."

The whole situation felt... all he could think of was 'crazy'. Extremely crazy. Had he just payed someone a hundred dollars just to sit at a table? That's something he would never have normally done, but he guessed it fit the spirit of the night. His dad probably did it all the time, or he pulled some other strings.

"Oh god..." he groaned when that last thought made him realize something. "I'm so stupid. Here I've been spending the whole day in a meeting with one of the owners of this hotell. I could probably just have called him up, and we would have gotten in without any problems." He sighed and shook his head a little, chuckling. "Guess that's just another thing I don't have in common with my father. He would have been on the phone already in the elevator or something, demanding the best table in the house."

He rolled is eyes a little at the thought, than quickly smiled as a waiter came with the champagne. The bottle made a pop when it was open, and seconds later they had two filled glasses in front of them, small bubbles dancing around in the golden liquid. The bottle was left in an ice bucket, and when the waiter left, he lifted is glass.

"I guess we should toast," he said and noted how the light reflected in the drink before he looked towards Hayden. "To an all-inn, Las Vegas night? Although that sounds a little scary, to be completely honest," he chuckled.
 
When her laughs finally settled down, Hayden straightened her body back as she covered her mouth with one of her hands as she let off a small cough. She had to agree with him on that matter; even she couldn't deny that she would have taken the tip and sprung for a table if anyone had given her a hundred dollars. Who wouldn't take an offer like that? Her mother, and as instantly as the thought came, she couldn't help but feel her the corner of her lips twitch, nearly turning into a frown. Her mother also wouldn't have gone off with a random man to help him spend his money either, and she likely would have tried to advise Jackson to keep his money and save it, or at the very least actually appreciate his father for what he was doing for him.

Hayden decided not to comment on the matter, however. It wasn't important, and the more she thought about her mother, the more she questioned her actions, something that she didn't want to do for the duration of the night. She was here to enjoy herself, and she was going to do just that to the best of her abilities. In the back of her mind she thought about her two friends, wondering what they were up to and wondering if they had tried to get into contact with her yet, but she decided against looking at her phone for the time being. She hadn't felt it vibrate yet, and likely there would be times throughout the dinner where she would be able to sneak a quick peek at the phone without seeming to be rude.

"Well, just think of it this way," Hayden started, feeling another round of sympathy for the man as she listened to him. He really didn't think things out too thoroughly, did he? Probably not, or at least not in that moment anyway. "You said you wanted to spend more of your dad's money, right? So what would be the good in accomplishing that if you were able to get a table for free because you know the owner of the place?" Of course, they likely would have been able to get a better table had they taken that route, but this table was just fine. They had a good view, and while the table was a little small it would work. "I think you're doing the right thing."

Another wink and another breath later and a waiter came to their table with a bottle of champagne, popping the cork and then pouring the glasses before setting the bottle into the ice bucket before he walked away, mentioning that he would be back in a moment to start taking their orders.

Hayden took her glass before looking over to the champagne to read the label of it to see that it was a brand that she had never heard it. Probably something pricey, but that was what they, or Jackson rather, was going for so she wasn't going to question it. Instead, she shrugged the matter off and looked to Jackson with a smile at his suggestion of a toast. She held her glass out closer to him. "To an all in Las Vegas night that hopefully won't end with us in jail or in a hospital somewhere." Now that would really be a story to tell, wouldn't it? "And to new friendships and to spending your dad's money." She clinked her glass gently against his, listening to the soft clack that resonated between the two until she pulled back and took a small sip. It was good, really good. So this was what fine, expensive champagne tasted like?

It was almost sad to think that this high life would end for her tomorrow.

"We should probably look at the menu now to figure out what we want. Nothing is off the table for ordering, right?" She set the champagne glass on the table and let her eyes scan over the open menu that sat in front of her. There were so many choices, all of which were expensive, but all of which sounded so good. How could she choose?
 
(So short, sorry!)

He swallowed a mouthful, trying to taste a difference from all the other champagne he had ever had. He couldn't. "Order whatever you want, and how much you want," he said and looked over the meny himself, glad that they hadn't ended on some fancy french place where it was impossible to understand anything on the meny. Still he struggled with deciding, everything seeming so tempting. "See anything good?"

He looked over at her and smiled, still having trouble with believing this was actually happening. Why would someone say yes to go with a weird stranger when you where here with friends? Sure, he was paying for everything, but still. He found it a little strange that she hadn't even taken him up on her offer to buy all three of them dinner. Not that he was complaining, the thought of having to entertain three woman at once made his heart beat a little faster. That would definitely have been awkward.

Still, he wondered what exactly had made her say yes. Was it just that he was paying, or had she actually liked that stupid joke of his? It definitely wasn't his looks, that he was at least sure of. Especially now that he was sitting in a fancy restaurant in just a shirt and jeans... He could without problem imagine the look his mother would have given him if she had seen him now.
 
What ever she wanted and however much she wanted of anything. Those, Hayden knew, were dangerous words if spoken to the wrong person, and even Hayden found her mind momentarily lapsing as she took another look at the menu. Holy hell, he really didn't care what and how much she got? Cameron and Emily were never going to believe what she had gotten herself into, though thinking about her friends left Hayden with a sense of guilt. She left them down at the casino without so much of a word that she was leaving, and leaving with a stranger who was, essentially, asking her to help him spend money that belonged to his father. They were going to be upset, and she even felt guilty for not asking them if they wanted to come along since Jackson had offered to feed her and her friends in the beginning.

Maybe she would call them after dinner and invite them out to a club so that they could enjoy the night as well; after all, she and Jackson were already sitting at a table that only sat two people, and she didn't want to press their luck with trying to get a better table. Sure, was she still terrible for abandoning her friends on a trip that was meant to be spent in each other's company since they weren't able to spend much time together any longer? Probably, but Hayden told herself that she would make it up to them at some point. Besides, they had two days left in this place. What was the harm in spending time with a stranger who needed help spending money?

When she thought about that, however, it made her feel sleazy. What kind of person did that? Then again, what kind of person went along with it and continued on with the adventure, never turning her down and only encouraging her more like Jackson was doing? Did he have an ulterior motive behind his actions? Could she actually trust this man like she wanted to?

Quickly, Hayden took another sip of her champagne, trying to clear her mind that was, now, beginning to piece together the situation. It didn't seem right to be doing this, but it also seemed wrong to get up from the table and leave him. And it seemed wrong to not take the offer of a good meal.

"I think everything looks good," she finally spoke up.

From looking at the menu it seemed that they would be served a three course meal--an appetizer of their choice, a main course, and then a dessert. The prices were so out of her normal price range with restaurant food that they nearly made her dizzy. She wondered if Jackson always ate like this or if his father was the only one with money and he just so happened to have a handle on it on this trip. It didn't seem like he dealt with money too much himself, given the way he dressed, but perhaps that was just his style; low key so that he didn't get robbed because he looked rich.

"I honestly don't even know what to get," she scoffed, shaking her head as she laughed and turned her head to look at Jackson. "I almost feel bad for spending this kind of money, your money--or your dad's money--on this food, or anything really." She bit her lip before she smiled softly. "I guess I should thank you for all of this right now, so, really, thank you. I never would have been able to afford to even walk in a place like this." And then, to lighten the mood back up, she snickered. "Now I really have to see you dance, or at least dance with you at a club after buying you a drink. I feel like that's the least I'll be able to do for you. We can be embarrassed with our dancing together."
 
"I say deal about the drink-part, and we'll se about the dancing," he chuckled while glancing up at her, before looking down at the menu again. "Okay, that price has to be a typo. No way a salad can cost that much!" he said, still laughing a little and shaking his head slightly. "Ok, this is what we'll do, because I can't choose," he said and laid the menu flat on the table, before closing his eyes and then pointed at a random place in the meny. He opened his eyes and looked at his choice. "Ah, apparently I'm having some risotto," he said and smiled at her. "And really, don't feel bad. I'm glad I don't have to eat alone, and this is more fun then whatever shabby place I would have landed up in. My dad probably wont even notice me spending this money, it's ridiculous."

He folded his hands at the top of the menu and smiled a warm smile, feeling a lot of gratitude towards her. "I mean, really, thank you for saving me from a very boring night. I'm actually a little surprised you chose to come with me when you are here with friends, but I'm definitely not complaining," he said and picked up his glass, tacking a small sip while he worried if that had been a really awkward thing to say or not. He couldn't always tell. Hopefully she just took it as he meant it - him being happy about her being there.
 
"Well, when in Rome, or Vegas in this case," Hayden said to his last comment, smiling at the gratitude he showed for her having come along with him. "I think my friends would have killed me if I refused a man who wanted to buy dinner and drinks anyway. I mean, they'll probably still want to kill me for leaving them for you, but I'd probably never hear the end of it if I turned and walked away from you back at the casino."

She looked back down at the menu and nearly had the mind to choose what she wanted to order by which Jackson had, but, deciding against it, she decided to choose what she thought looked best on the menu: a French onion soup for her appetizer and the roast chicken for her main course. She'd figure out her dessert order later if she had the stomach room for it. And it wasn't long after she silently made her decision that the waiter came back to the table, looking down at the two with smiles as he introduced himself and started listing off the house specials of the day before asking what they wanted to start off with.

After their orders were placed, the waiter left the table with their menus in hand, leaving them alone again. Hayden watched the man walk off until he was out of her view, and then her eyes went back to Jackson as she still had that smile on her face, still perplexed with everything that was happening. "So, tell me about yourself," she started, reaching forward to take her glass in hand again to take another sip. "I figure we might as well get to know each other a little since we're sitting at a fancy restaurant waiting for dinner. I doubt if we'll be doing too much talking at any clubs we go to, so this might just be the calmest part of our night, or hopefully it will be. I, for one, am excited to have some fun later on." Hayden rested her back against the back of the chair and let one of her legs rest over the other as she gave Jackson a raised brow, nearly amused, look.
 
Jackson took the bottle and filled up their glasses to the top again before leaning black in the chair. "I'm afraid I'm going to bore you, but sure," he said and brushed his fingers up and down the stem on his glass while he thought about what to tell her. "My father owns a very successful insurance company, which you might have guessed, and since I'm his only son, I'm taking over it. And... that's pretty much what I do. Whatever my father tells me," he said and shrugged with a smile.

"When I'm not working, I either work out or I'm at home. Or I meet some of my friends, but they are a little more into the party scene than I am," he chuckled. "They go out several times a week, while I think once or twice in a month is more than enough." He tried thinking about something else to tell her then, but there really wasn't any. It struck him how boring his life must sound for others, and he did sorta agree. "There. Not fun at all, like I warned you. Now it's your turn."
 
Though she didn't want to admit it, and though she didn't say it out loud for fear of upsetting Jackson to the point where he would tell her to leave, his life did sound terribly boring. Not the part about his friends, she had to admit to herself, however Hayden couldn't deny that the thought of following in a parent's footsteps to become a successor in their business when their time was up seemed like one of the worst things anyone could ever do. Of course, if they enjoyed what their parent did and if they were happy to take over the job, then she figured it was okay. But she could never see herself wanting to take over something that wasn't originally hers just because she was related to someone; she wanted to have her own experiences, and she wanted to make a name for herself by not following behind someone. It seemed like too much of a hassle, like there would be too many expectations pressed down on her shoulders with that. Not only that, she didn't want to be handed something just because of her name; she wanted to actually work for something, and prove to herself that she could actually handle the business that she was trying to take over.

But she didn't want to dwell on the topic for too long. Likely, she would never see Jackson again after this night, so she had no right to judge him that way. For all she knew, too, he could just be down playing his life to make it sound less interesting so that he wouldn't intimidate her. With him coming from a father who had money, Hayden found it unbelievable that Jackson didn't party all the time or didn't throw his money around whenever he wanted.

Then again, maybe he was just different.

"Well, neither of my parents ever had a successful business for me to take over or to get any money from, so I'm already much lower on the totem pole that you are." She laughed at that, her eyes rolling at her own sarcastic comment as she took another tip. "I work as an assistant chef at a restaurant back at home; it's a nice place, nothing as fancy as this, but it's definitely on the more high end of the spectrum when it comes to restaurants. I've actually been working there since I was a freshman in college, though when I first started I was only a waitress until I was able to work my way back into the kitchen. It still took me a while to get a position where I could actually cook rather than do only prep work, but just about the time I was a junior I was put on to be a line cooker, and about... Last year, maybe a little bit before that, I was promoted to assistant chef." She smiled, feeling pride well in the pit of her chest. "I've gone through graduate school and the whole deal too, but that's not as interesting."

She shrugged. "I guess you can say I'm a bit of a food fanatic, or cooking fanatic, really. It's just what I love to do.

"So, is taking over your father's business something that you've always wanted to do? I mean, I imagine you've probably been a part of it since you were young since it's your dad's company and all, but did you always envision yourself taking over his job eventually?"
 
He smiled the whole time she talked about her job, finding it really interesting. She seemed so passionate about her job, and very happy with it. He wondered how that felt, as his smile slowly died when she asked him if working for his father was what he really wanted.

"Like you said, his business has always been a part of my life, so there have always been talk about me taking over. For as long as I can remember, they've said things like 'when you grow up, you're going to go to work like father' and that I'm going to wear suits like him and travel like him and all that. When I got older, it turned more into 'you have to learn responsibility for when you are going to work at the company' and all things like that when I got in trouble." He took a pause, not really sure what to actually answer to her question. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that there have never been any other option, so I've never put that much thought into what I want to do. I've always been told I'm taking over the company, so that's what I'm doing..."

He sighed a little, feeling his depressive answer ruining the mood. It would have been better if he had just thought of something funny to answer and steered their conversation onto something else. Luckily their appetizers arrived just then, her soup and the famous salad for him. He was too curious on how it could be so expensive.

"Wow, this looks really good," he said and smiled again. "Your job sounds amazing by the way, and I'm just glad you never have to see my cooking skills. Although, I do have to say my overcooked spagetti and canned tomato saus is pretty amazing. I'm also really good at ordering from Dominos," he said, shaking his head a little while laughing. "What kind of food do you make at the restaurant?"
 
Maybe it would be best, Hayden decided, to steer and keep the conversation away from Jackson's work life. While she found the subject interesting, and a bit sad given the fact that he had never been given a choice with what he wanted to do with his life, she could tell that he no longer wanted to speak about it and in the back of her mind she couldn't help but reprimand herself for even bringing the question up. It might be a sore subject with him, she realized as she watched his facial expressions. She couldn't imagine being forced into something that would shape the rest of her future in the way that he had.

Still, at least he was able to bring a little bit of humor back into the conversation after their appetizers were set on the table. She looked at his salad and then down at her soup, agreeing with what he said about them looking really good. She could feel her stomach begin to gurgle as the smell of the onions and other ingredients drifted up to her nose along with the steam that billowed from the bowel. She couldn't help but smile at the sight, but she turned to look back at Jackson when he asked his question.

After she unfolded her napkin to get her utensils, she rested her napkin in her lap and scooted the chair a little closer to the table so that she wouldn't have to lean over to get to her food. "I'm sure you can't be that bad of a cook," she started, going back to his earlier statements as she picked her spoon up and dipped it into the soup. "Though I do think it takes skill to completely burn and overcook something, especially spaghetti." She gave the man a teasing look at that before she brought the spoon to her lips to blow on the soup, cooling it down a bit. "But there isn't any specific kind of food that I make at the restaurant; I'm not stuck at a specific station like I was back when I was just a line cooker. Now I kind of just make... Everything, or anything on the menu really. I help the chef a lot, and I help plan what some of the specials are going to be for the day--which are, somewhat, of the things I cook most--and I help him with taste testing. It's an interesting job, but, believe it or not, it's a lot of work."

She shrugged her shoulders to that, as if it was no big deal when, in her world, it was a huge deal. "It's probably not as much work as you have to do, I imagine. Though I think I'll take slaving over a hot stove rather than having to sit in a meeting with boring people for a few hours every day, no matter the pay." With a small laugh, she winked at Jackson before she finally took her appetizer in her mouth. Oh God, was it good.

"So, what are some of your interest?" She asked after swallowing the food. "Any hobbies?"
 
He took a bite of his salat and chewed, surprised about how good it tasted. There had to be some kind of magic in that dressing. "Hobbies beside overcooking my pasta you mean?" he asked and winked back. "Not much really, I'm usually just with my family or friends, doing whatever they are. Not much time for hobbies, and haven't really found one that I like enough to press into my busy schedule.» He took another bite, giving him time to think a little before continuing. «When I'm not with anyone, I'm at home watching tv, and I've seen those cooking competitions. It looks really tough, so I don't doubt for a second that it's hard work. Chefs get all the respect from me.»

He smiled and tried the champagne again, liking it more and more with ever sip. Wishing they could stick to talking about her, who seemed to have a much more interesting life, he got back to the previous subject. «Your job sounds interesting, it must be nice having different tasks and a menu that are changing, so you don't have to do the same every day, week after week. Like I do! Not that I could ever imagine becoming a chef, don't think that would end very well,» he chuckled. «So your restaurant makes all kinds of food? Like here, just a little less over the top fancy maybe?» he asked, hoping he didn't say anything wrong. «And you have to tell me your hobbies, I'm sure they are more fun than my none existing ones.» 

 
What a shame, Hayden continued to think as she listened to Jackson. There was no way he could have no hobbies other than to follow around his friends and family and do what ever it was that they wanted to do. It just didn't seem right! Did he not enjoy his life at all? Did he always listen to what others told him, never refusing to do any work just as he did with his job situation? Hayden couldn't help but frown as the thoughts continued to muddle through her mind, her lips pinching a bit as she tried to gauge the man sitting before her. It was just so... Strange that he wasn't an over the top, hot shot that she imagined someone with money would act like. How the hell did he not act like many of the men, and even women, she had seen walking around Vegas who had an air of superiority around them with every step they took?

Something was strange about this man. Something different. Except Hayden wasn't sure whether to be unnerved by the revelation or to be intrigued about it.

Nonetheless, Hayden caught the quick change in subject as she took another spoon full of the soup and put it back in her mouth. He didn't seem to like talking about himself much, something that she also found odd. She wondered if that would change throughout the night, however, after they got more drinks in their system and after they were finally able to let loose and get out of the--while nice--stuffy atmosphere of the rooftop restaurant, and hotel in general. She guessed she'd just have to find that out later, and, despite herself, Hayden wanted to see how he would change after getting strong alcohol in his system.

Hayden nodded her head to his questions. "I'd say that I work about about a... Three, or three and a half star restaurant. I mean, obviously that's not the highest of the high, but, then again, it's not that low either. It's nothing like this place, but it's nice. I dream of being able to work in a place like this." She laughed again, beginning to find herself getting back into the enjoyment that was supposed to be that night. "It gets tiring though; the owner likes to introduce new items and courses to the menu to make the place better and more high end, but it just creates more frustrating work for everyone else. I mean, I understand why he wants to do it, but the restaurant just isn't in an area that'll thrive too heavily on rich or wealthy people. But as for hobbies of mine..."

She paused as she thought, her lips pinching in concentration again until she relaxed them back down into a smile. "Obviously cooking, while being my job, is a hobby of mind. But other than than, like you, I don't have too many hobbies either. When I was younger I used to write in a journal a lot, so I guess that was a hobby of mind for a while. But, now... I don't really do that much, or at all. Too old, I guess." Another laugh and another sip of her champagne. "I spend every Sunday at my mom's to have dinner with her and talk; I don't think that's really a hobby, but it's a bit of a tradition that just exist between the two of us."
 
Listening to her talk about her work was the most exciting he had done all day, maybe even all week. She talked with a passion he seldom heard in other people, and you could tell by her whole body language that she really enjoyed it. He wondered how that felt, actually liking what you did for a living. Not that he disliked his work, but he definitely didn't like it. For him it was just another task that needed to be done, not necessarily appreciated. All her talk made him start thinking about what he would have done, if he could have chosen his occupation.

He had no idea. It really was something he had never given any thought. His life had been planed for him before he was born, and he had followed it without questions. They way he saw it, his parents loved him and wanted what was best for him, and he loved them - even though they could be annoying. Especially his dad, now that he had started using hime more and more for tasks he just didn't bother doing himself. He should maybe take it as a compliment though, that his dad trusted him enough with all the responsibility. But, it hit him now that it would have been nice to actually be asked for a change, instead of just being handed an airplane ticked and itinerary.

«That sounds nice,» he said when she told about her dinners with her mom. «My family arranges a lot of dinners, always inviting some of our extended family.» He picked up the camera box from the bag, curious to find out how it worked. And they did after all have to make a memory or two from their dinner together. «A lot of my cousins have children now, so it's always becomes a mad house when they visit. It's fun though, seeing them grow.» He pulled the camera out the box and inserted some batterier and the film.

«Hey, maybe I should pull some of those strings and get you a job here,» he said with a teasing smile. «Would make my dad proud hearing my push people around for a change. But first, lets see if this work.» He held up the camera and pointed it at the view. Clicking the button, the camera made some noises before finally spitting out an image. Jackson took it and placed it on the table, watching it as it developed. «Not the best quality, but not bad either,» he said and smiled at her. «Now, what was it you said about taking pictures of you…?»
 
"We don't really invite people to our dinners together," Hayden commented with the shrug of her shoulders. "Every once in a while she may invite a friend of hers to come to the house on Sunday, and every once in a while I may ask one of mine to come just to change it up a little bit, but otherwise it's usually just the two of us. I like it best that way though; it's just our way of talking about our week and what we did and how we're doing." Coming home on Sunday afternoons and staying until the evening had been a thing that Hayden had been doing since her freshman year of college. Since her father was no longer living, and since the thought of her mother spending so much time alone in that house bothered her, she always made sure to take time out of her schedule to spend time with her mother. The two of the needed each other, and she hated the thought of her mother spending dinners alone.

"It's a lot easier with cooking for only two people too, not that mom actually lets me cook on Sunday's anyway. She's kind of a stickler with that. "Someone else needs to cook for you for a change, rather than you cooking everyone else's meals for them," she always says. It's a little frustrating sometimes, but I appreciate it and I love her for it." Just thinking about her mother was enough to bring a wistful smile to the woman's lips, but she soon brought her self out of her revere with the shake of her head and with another bite out of her soup. "But at least you get to see a lot of your family, especially the little ones."

At his comment about pulling strings to get her a job here, Hayden couldn't help but laugh. It was appreciated, yes, though she couldn't help but believe he was only saying that just to say something to her. "As must as I appreciate the offer, I think I'd rather make my own way up to a place like this, rather than having someone pull strings for me. Besides, I don't even think I'd want to work here; Vegas doesn't seem like a place I'd be able to tolerate living in. Too busy all the time and too far away from home. Sometimes I just need a quiet afternoon, you know? And I don't know if my cooking skills would get me through to here; I feel like I might not be nearly as good as I need to be to work here."

She watched as he pulled the camera out to snap a picture of the view that they had from their vantage point. When the image was spit out of the camera, Hayden leaned over in order to get a better look at it as it started to develop. He as right; it wasn't the best quality, but it was good enough, she figured, for the price that had been on it and for the fact that it was an instant photo. No photo shopping or editing that one. "It'll work for it's purpose. As for having my pictures taken," she lifted her head and looked up at Jackson, smiling and then laughing as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I just said warn me so that you don't get a terrible shot of me. I might have to hit you if you do that." Feigning as warning glance, she quickly dropped the look and, suddenly, stood from her chair.

Looking back and forth, she walked over to Jackson's side of the table and crouched down a bit as she rested one of her hands against the back of his chair while the other one sat on his shoulder as she moved her head in a little closer to his. "Here, take another picture with us like this. That way you can always remember me as the one who helped you spend your dad's money at an expensive restaurant."
 
He was a little relived when she said no to his offer. For a moment it hit him that she might actually be the kind of person that took offerings like that. It would at least have explained why she had said yes to come with him. He probably seemed like an easy pray with valuable connections, and he probably was. Not for a second did he doubt that he could be tricked into something, if they just tried. He was definitely more naive than he liked to admit.

He hadn't really expected her to though. The way she talked about all the hard work, and how proud she seemed about working her way up all by herself… She didn't seem like the person to take something that was handed to her, at least not something that big. Another unfamiliar concept for him.

He wondered what his life would have been like if he hadn't been handed his fathers company. Having to figure out everything by himself, and really work for it. Not that he didn't have to work for his job. He had gone to college like everyone else, struggled to get the best grades possible. Then during the years working for the company he constantly had to prove himself. Not just for his father, but for the other high up employees that had helped his father build the company. But, they had also helped him and guided him every step of they way, showed him what was important to know and what wasn't, starting all the way back when he was still in high school. He had never had to make any choices, and the times that he had struggled with something, there had been no trouble finding someone that could help. He hadn't given it much thought before, that was just how everyone he knew did it, but it hit him now that he was lucky. For all he knew, insurance was the only thing he was good at, so without all the help he might have been living on the street now.

It surprised him when she got up and moved over to his side, but in a good way. Her hand felt warm on his shoulder and he could smell her perfume when he turned to look at her face. «Don't think I need a photo to remember this,» he said with a smile and then lifted up the camera in front of them. Looking into the lens, he clicked the button and a new photo was spit out. He laid it down on the table. «Now I'm crossing my fingers that it turned out good, because I prefer to not get hit,» he chuckled and laid the camera back in the bag before turning his attention to the photo.
 
The fact that she was standing so close a stranger, a hand on his shoulder and her head only inches away from his, hadn't registered in Hayden's mind until Jackson finally spoke up. She turned her head and looked at him, finding herself smiling at his smile, before she turned and looked at the camera as he tried it to line up with their faces. This wasn't strange... Right? No, she didn't believe so. They were just two adults enjoying their time together while getting to know each other, almost as if they were on a date. The silly thought caused a small chuckle to come from the woman right as Jackson pressed down the button to the camera, causing her smile to be more natural and not as robotic as the general photo taking smile looked like. A date; did she even remember what one of those were?

Pushing the thought aside, as the photo was spit out of the camera, Hayden stood and brushed down her dress before she walked back over to her seat to sit back down. "I hope you had us centered in the picture, at least," she joked as she folded her napkin back over her lap and pulled the chair closer to the table. She leaned over again and watched as the faded picture slowly started to develop into what had been captured. The outlining of their faces could be seen first before their bodies appeared and then colors that surrounded them started filling in the spaces. Things in the picture looked a little more red and pinkish than Hayden would have liked, however when the image finally finished its development she couldn't help but find a sort of glee in the image.

Their frames had been centered, surprisingly, and Hayden, in the picture, had her head tilted just the slightest bit to be a little closer to Jackson. "If only we had a marker so that we could write on the bottom of the picture. I think a good caption for that would be "The fun is just beginning"." Despite herself, she laughed at that and shook her head. "Okay, maybe that was a little lame, but I like it. I think it came out good; not like, Iphone or expensive camera quality good, but good enough for what we have."
 
"I think it looks great," he said and lifted the photo for a closer look. It looked like they enjoy themselves, and while he knew it was true in his case, he hoped it was in hers too. He laid it back down and finished his salad in one large bit. Hayden looked to be done to, and as if someone had been keeping an eye on them waiting for this moment, the waiter reappeared and asked how the meal was.

«Hey, could you get us a marker?» Jackson asked after answering that the food tasted great. «Something we can use to write on these,» he added and pointed at a photo. The waiter nodded and left with a promise that the main course would arrive soon. «So what do you think?» he asked and looked at Hayden again. «So far, so good?»

He kept expecting her to get bored and decide to leave, even though she had said that she was in for the whole night. Hopefully she still meant it, because he was starting to really look forward to their night out on the town. This dinner was nice, but he felt awkward every other minute and constantly worried that he did or said something wrong. And his clothes was still sorta bugging him, he didn't really fit in there.

Going to a more relaxed atmosphere would hopefully help, and getting something a little stronger to drink wouldn't hurt either. And now that he thought of that, he realized that waiting wasn't really necessary. He took the champagne bottle and poured the last drops into their glasses. «Maybe we should order something else to drink?»
 
It surprised Hayden with how quickly the waiter had appeared at their table just as they finished their appetizers, though she kept her surprise to a minimum and simply said that the soup was good, something that she had never tasted before but loved dearly. She'd have to keep something like that in mind for when she went back home; trying out new recipes just for her own pleasure was a favorite past time of hers, even if the endeavors tended to drain her bank account and tended to ruin and fill her kitchen with dirty dishes and the delicious smell of what ever she made. Unless she burned something, of course, then she would be subject to the smell of burning food for the better part of the week while her neighbors at her apartment complex complained about the smell. Again.

At least, Hayden reasoned with herself as she watched the waiter walk away and as she took another sip of her champagne after Jackson topped off their glasses with the last of the bottle, she didn't burn nearly as much food as she used to. It all came with practice though; you burn some, and then you don't. As long as she never messed up at work, she figured messing up a little bit at home was just fine. She wasn't perfect, after all, and messing up was all a part of the process that helped her become a better cook.

"I think this is going better than good," she said, an easy smile coming to her lips then. "And not just because of the good food. You're, surprisingly, easy to talk to. You know, for a guy who likes to spend his dad's money and all." She gave him wink and laughed at the joke to let him know that she wasn't serious with her tease. Though, when she thought about it, despite how boring the life he seemed to lead was, he was easy to talk to. It wasn't normal that Hayden found herself willing enough to blurt out information about herself to a stranger, but, she figured, it was probably the least she could do given all that he was doing for the night. Besides, it's not like she was giving away and information that was too personal; just general things that most of her friends and family knew about her.

"But I think ordering more drinks will be good, though I think I'll stick to something light for the time being. I'll keep the heavy drinking for when the party really begins. Wouldn't want to stumble out of here in a drunken stupor after all; I feel like the people here would frown upon that." Not that she necessarily cared what the other patrons of the establishment thought of her since she would likely never see them again. "Besides, I'm already feeling good from the drink's I've had before. And this champagne is doing a fine job with keeping that mood up."

A few moments later the waiter came back with a sharpie and rested it on the table before he asked if he could get them anything else. Hayden stayed quiet with that, figuring that she would order another drink once she was finished with her champagne. So, to let Jackson do what he wanted, Hayden grabbed the sharpie and the picture of the two of them together where she wrote on the bottom white portion of the picture "The fun is just beginning (:". Against her better judgement, she laughed at it, shaking her head and then sat it back down on the table. "Now it really looks lame actually written on there. But I like it."
 
The comment about him being easy to talk with made a big smile appear on his face. He always felt people found him boring to talk to, at least people he didn't know. Though he probably wasn't anyones first pick in a conversationist among his friends and familie. It came from overthinking and always trying to say the right thing, which most of the times just ment he didn't give his opinion on anything and basically just nodded along to everything. He knew it was stupid and hatet himself for it, but no matter how hard he tried to stop it, it kept happening.

«It looks great,» he said when she had written on the photo, and picked it up for a closer look. Then he picking up the other photo, the one he had taken of the view. «Maybe you can think of something smart to write on this too. I'm afraid I'm not that creative,» he chuckled and laid it down in front of her. «I'm liking these more and more. Taking photos on your phone is fun and all, but having something that you can actually hold… I don't know, makes it more real or something.»

Just seconds later their food arrived, and the smell alone was enough to make his mouth water. «This looks amazing,» he said and looked down on his steaming risotto. Then his gin and tonic arrived, and he took a quick sip. «By the way, if it's one thing rich people know how to do, it's drink. I think there is a higher chance of being frowned upon by not drinking. Not that I'm trying to push you or anything, you do what you want,» he said with a smile.

For not drinking so often, he had a surprisingly high alcohol tolerance. It took him a lot before he started to feel anything, unless he was drinking on an empty stomach, which he wasn't anymore now. That was probably the reason for his mad hangovers. Some of his friends seemed to get drunk just after a few bear. That must be nice, if getting drunk was your hobby. It certainly seemed to be among some of his friends. He agreed it was fun though, once in a while, although he preferred just getting tipsy. He hated waking up the next day and realizing that he had done a bunch of stupid things due to losing control of himself.
 
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