Spiderweb

Gradis checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror, applying more blush to her cheeks and rubbing more lip gloss onto her lips. She stared at her lips, then applied another layer, wiped it off, and started again hoping that if she made enough layers her mind would sit well with the words she forced out her mouth as they would match with the slimy feeling on her lips.

She stuffed her makeup back into her little purse and stared at herself for a bit, before turning and heading towards the door, clutching her purse tightly. She stopped a few feet away from her destination, wondering if it was too late to turn back and restart her face again but it was too late. The person she was meeting had already spotted her.

"Gradis!" Julian Stone called out, locking eyes with her. He waited until she took her seat across the table from him before continuing, "took you awhile there, I was starting to get worried."

Gradis smiled, placing her purse on the table, "worried? What for? You thought I was going to walk out on you?"

Julian hesitated for a moment, conjuring the best return and then continuing, "not really, but that's something that has happened in many dramas."

"Well this isn't a drama," Gradis smiled, reaching over and placing her hand on his, "because this is very real."

Justin smiled, putting his hand over Gradis' and tightening his grip, "of course, I could never confuse a beauty with those on tv."

Gradis looked away, the blush on her cheeks giving a slight impression she was blushing and she sneakily wiped a bit off when she turned back. "How nice of you, Julian."

"I only speak the truth," Julian chuckled, waving the waiter over.

Gradis resisted the urge to throw his hand away, but instead sipped a cup of water.

"What may I get for you today?" the waiter asked.

Gradis gave a smile and was about to speak when Julian interrupted, "A boeuf bourguignon for me and a Salade Nicoise for her."

The waiter wrote it down. "Anything else?"

"Maybe…��� Julian began, before Gradis interrupted, "a bottle of wine?"

"Got it," the waiter replied, jotting down the order, "is that all?"

"Mhm," Gradis nodded.

Julian watched the waiter get out of sight before turning to Gradis, "are you okay with the order? I forgot to ask you before ordering."

"Of course it's ok!" Gradis grinned, striking his hand, "you read my mind, I was just about to order it."

"Ah," Julian chuckled with a slight blush on his face, "that's good then."

"Mhm," Gradis nodded.

Gradis took a sip of water and inspected the room while Julian began to rant about a trip he had taken with his best friends. It was a large eating hall in which they sat in the middle of, with multiple other tables surrounding them. Multiple other fancy, luxuriously decorated, unoccupied tables. The whole situation was vexing enough for Gradis, but the fact that she had to sit with him alone in one big eating hall in a fancy hotel because he rented out the entire floor just disgusted her, almost to the point that she lost her appetite.

"Your food is ready," the waiter returned with the plates in her hand and placed the dishes in front of them, then the wine in the middle of the table.

"Thank you," Gradis smiled and turned to her food, eyes the vegetables on the plate. 'Did all the girls you brought here eat grass or something?' she thought to herself as she poked her fork into a lettuce leaf, then scooped up some tuna on it and bit into it, 'at least there's some kind of non-veggies on here.'

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