"Hey."  He said smiling at her, his eyes sparkling.  Audre held her black sweater closed it was a nervous habit.

"Hey."  She said back.  She looked up at the tiny building with no name on it just a garish flashing neon sign that said ‘Restaurant' actually it just said ‘Restart' the ‘u' an ‘a' and the ‘n' were all blown out. She crinkled her nose up.  "This is where we're going?"  She said.  His smile got even wider.

"Yep this is the place."

"Does it have a name?"

"Yeah.  Restart."  He said pointing at the sign.

"That's cute.  What kind of place is this?"

"Come in and find out."  He replied holding his hand out to her.  She reluctantly took it as they walked into the building.  Her nervousness increased tenfold when she got a look at the inside.  It was a Mexican restaurant she was able to deduce by the fact that it looked like a piñata had thrown up in there.  The walls were painted bright yellow and red Christmas lights adorned the windows, there was a gigantic wooden cross on the far wall, and cactuses in every corner.  Old black and white pictures were tacked up everywhere, making it feel more like you could've been in some grandma's living room as opposed to a restaurant.  Well actually, her grandma's wouldn't dream of utilizing such garish décor but somebody's grandmother would she was sure of it.  The place was packed.  There were only ten tables in there, but nine of them were occupied.  The smells filling her nostrils gave an indication as to why, her stomach practically growled in response to the fantastic scents wafting from the kitchen.  He led her past the filled tables to one that was in the back, in a more intimate area.  He pulled out the chair for her before going around to his.  She was caught off guard by the effortless moment of chivalry that he displayed.  He sat across from her.  As she took her sweater off, Christian's eyes roamed over her body, before quickly coming back up to her face.  He was subtle, but Audre had caught the movement and he smiled sheepishly at her, realizing he had gotten caught.

"Nice top."

"Which top are we talking about the blouse or my rack."  Audre said looking at him with one arched eyebrow.

"Both."  He said grinning. 

"Pig."  She said rolling her eyes.  A pretty petite woman with long dark hair came over to the table setting down glasses of water as well as a basket of homemade tortilla chips and thick salsa, which Audre quickly reached for. Her eyes lit up when she saw Christian. 

"¡Hola Christian! ¿Cómo estás? ¡No nos hemos hablado por mucho tiempo!"

"Hi Rosalina!  Estoy haciendo el bien y usted?  Usted busca hermosas."  The woman blushed, giggling.  Audre try to brush off the twinge of jealousy she felt.  Damn she knew she should've studied Spanish instead of French.

"Gracias."  They conversed a little longer in Spanish Audre noticed there was a lot of giggling going on, clearly Christian seemed to have that affect on women.  Audre wasn't feeling so giggly.  She reminded herself that she had been clear that their relationship was one of client/attorney as she drummed her fingers impatiently on the table before Christian finally turned back to her grinning.

"Audre this is Roselina.  Roselina, Audre."  He said making introductions.  Roselina turned to her and nodded politely.

"Hello Audre it is a pleasure to meet you."  She said in English with a thick accent.

"Hello Roselina, pleasure as well."  Audre responded cordially if not a little coolly.

"Do you two know what you would like?"  Audre picked up the menu on the table, thinking maybe she could make a quick decision but paused when she saw it was all in Spanish.  She just pointed to something.

"I'd like the cojones de toro con salsa verde um. . .por favor."  She said, proud that she could remember, ‘please' from trips down to Miami.  She didn't really know what the rest of it meant but she knew that she liked salsa.  Christian looked at her, trying to suppress a laugh.

"Could we have a moment Roselina?"

"Of course."  She said nodding smiling knowingly as she moved to the next table.  Audre couldn't shake the feeling that she was being mocked, she didn't like the feeling at all.  He turned back to Audre, his eyes twinkling mischievously.  He leaned forward.

"I just wanted to make sure that you knew what you were about to order."  He said.  She looked at him uncertainly.

"What?"  She said reaching for her glass of water.

"Bull testicles."  She choked on her water looking up at him in horror.

"WHAT?!"  The people at the table next to them turned towards her, as she used her napkin to wipe off the water that had dribbled down her chin, her face felt heated and she was thankful her dark complexion covered up her blush.  "What the hell kind of restaurant in America doesn't have English words on the menu."  Audre muttered to herself.

"The best kind.  And it's actually pretty good, just didn't think you'd want the testicles doesn't seem like that'd be a first date activity for a girl like you."  Christian responded, she glared at him as his eyes widened feigning innocence.  He cleared his throat his face growing serious.  "Try the cochinita pibil.  It's a slow cooked pork dish served with plantains on the side, it's pretty good if you eat pork if not I can suggest something else."

"Are there balls in it?"  She said tightly.  Christian laughed.

"Um, I don't think so." 

"Then it's fine."  She replied not wanting to dwell on her feelings of inadequacy.  The waitress came back and set two wine glasses and a cork screw on the table before taking their orders, Audre took his suggestion and Christian ordered the Enchiladas de Pollo en Mole.  Christian put in both orders, and the cutesy waitress wasted no time chatting him up in Spanish once again laughing and tossing her hair back, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were obviously on a date, even if Audre refused to acknowledge that fully.  It was still obvious to anyone watching that they were out of some kind of date thing, she didn't wear her expensive tittie top for nothing.  She drained her second glass of wine impatiently.  Christian finally looked over at Audre seeming to notice for the first time that she had been left out of the conversation.

"I'm sorry, how rude of us.  Roselina was just telling me about this art exhibit going on at the Mexican Fine Arts Center, she thought it would be something that I would like."  Christian said.  Roselina turned towards Audre.

"Yes I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. . .exclude you."  Audre narrowed her eyes at the fake apology.  She didn't need a translator to figure out the vibe, disrespectful slapper translated well enough in every language. 

"Can I have more water please?"  Audre said brusquely, she knew she didn't have even the smallest right to get all jealous girlfriend acting but it didn't change a damn thing about the way she felt.  Roselina nodded politely and as she walked away Christian turned to Audre, his eyebrow raising it at her crossed arms.  He suppressed a grin and wisely decided to move along.

"I brought us a couple of bottles of red wine, they don't sell alcohol here it's byob.  But if you'd like something else, like a coke or something."

"No the wine is fine."  Audre said quickly, she could use a drink actually.  He bent over pulling a bottle of wine out of his bag.  He pulled out a cabernet sauvignon and popped the cork.  Pouring her glass and his own.  Audre took a taste, it was a delicious full bodied wine with a nice blend of flavors.  She gulped down the liquid and set the glass down.  She looked up and found him watching her, that infuriating/sexy as hell smile on his face.  She looked down at the glass embarrassed.  "This is good."  She said.

"Yeah I like it.  It's from this winery up in Wisconsin, I used to work there in the summers when I was in undergrad."

"You went to college. . .in Wisconsin?"  Audre said catching herself before she made a further ass of her herself.  Immediately she could've kicked herself.  She automatically assumed that he hadn't gone to college, she was being a judgmental jerk and she knew it.  Christian had seen the surprise in her eyes but he chose to ignore it.

"I did, I went to the University of Wisconsin in Madison."

"What did you study?"

"Business economics.  I already know what you're thinking wouldn't have pictured me as a business economics guy right?"

"Well I. . .no couldn't say I saw that coming."  Audre conceded.  "Why didn't you study art?"

"For me art is a feeling not a methodology.  Plus most of the art majors I met were nothing more than talentless, scum bags with delusions of being the next Warhol.  The only bigger assholes were the art history majors, I mean it must be part of the major to take a course in being a pretentious prick or something.  Not to mention it's probably about the most worthless major I've ever heard of.  It might as well be called the ‘I want to spend daddy's money while attempting to find myself and then marry rich' major."  Christian was refilling Audre's wine glass and topping up his so he didn't catch the look of death that Audre shot him. "What about you, what did you study in undergrad?"

"Art history."  He stopped and looked at her, sure she was just being sarcastic.  But the look in her eyes told her that she wasn't.

"Um, sorry about that.  You know, I think Latin is probably more worthless than art history I mean who the hell studies a dead language.  Definitely."  Christian said.  His attempt at lightening the mood, however didn't go over so well.

"It's fine, you're entitled to your opinion."  Audre replied looking at the glass.  Christian, took a sip of his wine.

"So then I remember you saying that your mom made you go to law school but now you are doing the art lawyer thing which is kind of combining both so that's cool."

"No it's not."  Audre said, still staring at the glass.  "It's a part of that whole fitting into a defined box thing remember."  She said reaching in her bag.

"Well you seem to like it."  Christian replied trying to pull her out of the shell that he could feel her slipping into.  She pulled out a green folder and held it out to him, still not quite meeting his eyes.  He took the folder and stared down at it puzzled.

"Here is some information about Billington, Cohen and Associates.  It's a great law firm and we really go out of our way to make the people who choose to come to us feel like more than just mere clients-"

"Audre."  Christian said cutting her off from her advertising pitch.  He set down the folder and leaned forward, forcing her to meet his eyes.  Finally she looked up at him and he was slightly taken aback by the vulnerability he saw in them.

"Why did you really ask me out Christian?"

"Well, I thought I was giving you a chance to sell yourself to me.  But I was hoping that we could at least have dinner first."  He said, trying to make light of the situation.  But Audre didn't really think it was funny.

"I know I'm not perfect but you've been riding my ass since the day we met.  You sit up here and talk about judging people but it's like the pot calling the kettle judgmental.  I'm guessing- or maybe I'm judging- that I'm not the typical girl you go out with and I'm pretty sure that this much is safe to assume, so why me?  I mean what is this for you some kind of experiment.  Let's see if I can get the stick in the mud to loosen up?  Do you have some kind of bet going with your buddies at the tattoo parlor?  I mean really, this has bad 90s movie plot written all over it, all that's missing is my cherry and you're about 10 years too late for that one.  And art history is a fucking legitimate major!"   The last part she practically yelled, drawing the attention of some of the patrons in the restaurant, but she was too pissed off and tipsy enough to not give a damn.

Christian threw his head back and laughed jovially.  Audre rolled her eyes and reached for her sweater, there he was laughing at her again, and she knew this was a bad idea.  Christian sobered up quickly when he saw her movement and grabbed her hand.

"Audre."  He said softly.  "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have insulted you or your major.  Your right, you're probably not the typical girl that I go out with.  I think it's equally safe to assume that I'm not your typical date on a Friday night.  But there's something about you that just. . .I don't know. . .I kind of like you."  Audre's expression softened.

"Kind of?"

"Sometimes you're pushing it."  He said teasingly, Audre gave him a tiny smile.  "I mean there are the all too obvious reasons, you're smart, fucking hilarious, and you're gorgeous not to mention ridiculously sexy.  You also don't take any shit off of me."  Audre laughed at that.  "But then there's also the mystery behind this buttoned up persona that you show the world.  I thought for sure I had you pegged but then you show me a drawing that's one of the most beautiful, fearless pieces of art that I've seen and you say you drew it, it just kind of blew my mind."  He held her hand in his, absentmindedly drawing circles with his finger on her palm.  A movement he seemed to not notice but Audre was all too aware of it and the tingling sensation it caused in her.

"Really?  You think my drawing was fearless?"

"Yeah it was.  It was amazing, it was. . .deceptively simple and yet infinitely complex.  And honest, it was just so honest.  Knowing that you did it made me think to myself I want to know that girl, I want to know you, beneath the surface."  Audre looked away wistfully.

"Sometimes I'm not even sure if I know that girl.  I think she got lost somewhere."  He took that hand that had been holding hers and reached up, tilting her face back towards him as one long finger lightly traced her cheek bone.

"I can see her."  He said quietly.  She felt the heat rushing to her face.

"Look, Christian, my last relationship lasted seven years and honestly I'm just emotionally all over the board right now.  My self confidence took some knocks and I think that I just need to take things day by day really get back to me you know?"  She said looking up at him.  He nodded catching her drift.

"I don't have any expectations Audre, I'm having fun with you and I hope that you're having fun with me."  She nodded.  "Look, let's just get to know each other, whatever happens it happens right?"

"Right."  She said smiling.  The waitress came back and set down their food.  Christian never broke eye contact with Audre finally looking away to refill their wine glasses. 

"Enjoy."  He said winking at her.