Knock it Off

Hal thought for a moment then shook his head. "Nope, can't think of anything better. I've never been there either so it'll be an adventure." It really was okay right? They were working together now, after all, so it was a good idea to get to know each other right?

The rest of the day was typical, and thankfully there were no more mishaps with Aaron, altho Hal did leave a message for Ty to keep a closer eye on him that night. By the time Hal got home to his apartment, he was ready to call it a day - so stuck in the same old routine, he almost forgot he had something to do tonight. 

Showering and changing into a clean pair of jeans and a short sleeved shirt, he slipped on his boots and paused by the hall mirror to take one last look. Why did he feel funny about this? Why had Sam's invitation set his mind so off kilter? There was nothing strange about this. They were becoming friends and friends hung out together. Plain and simple. 

He donned his leather jacket and threw himself a final glance in the mirror. "It's obviously been far too long since you've had female company," he chided aloud. "Knock it off before you make a fool of yourself." He sighed despite his confident tone. It still felt awkward. He'd been out with friends countless times, but truth be known, he hadn't spent time alone with a woman in...years. Just friends with Sam or not, he was feeling rather inept. 

Getting to the restaurant a few minutes early, he found a table for two back in the corner where he could see the door. 


Hunter sat back up again to be shoulder-to-shoulder with Ryan. "I'm sorry... that's rough." All of it was. She'd had a tough time of it. "Being tired is nothing to be ashamed of. Stress like that wears a body out. Hard part is..."

He looked down and fiddled with his water bottle. "...After you make it over one hurdle, another one is thrown in your path. I guess it comes with the territory though... life that is." 

He paused another few moments. "You're not crazy, by the way. People are just idiots so don't listen to them. Seeing someone you loved is... Well I just think it's a sign of how deeply you loved and that's nothing to sneeze at." He nudged her arm a little with his elbow. "So... quit being so down on yourself. You deserve better."