Chapter 27: David Something
JULIA
What did I expect? 1 should’ve known better.
Sarah had always been terrible at setting up blind dates. Every single one was a story worth locking away in a vault and never speaking of again.
And yet here I was, sitting across from another disaster in the making
I could still vividly recall the rapper who had forced me to listen to his entire mixtape. In his car. For two hours. He’d bobbed his head to his own lyrics, snapping his fingers off–beat, waiting for my reaction like I’d tell him he was the next Kendrick Lamar.
Spoiler alert: he wasn’t.
Then there was the guy who had dreams of becoming a professional clown. He made me mime with him for an hour in his living room because he believed in “interactive bonding.” I had never wanted to scream more in my
life.
And let’s not forget the future priest whose parents had “set him up to see if he had a calling. like I was an apparition, which I suppose I was–just not the divine kind.
“He stared at me
At least this guy didn’t have an obvious weird quirk yet. No mime routines, no car mixtapes, no existential dilemmas about the priesthood.
David something was just…well, a stuck–up asshole.
He had launched into a monologue about his job not even ten minutes into the date. I was half–listening, my fingers tracing the edge of my wine glass as I watched the candlelight flicker between us.
“People underestimate how important Human Resources is,” he said, leaning forward and shaking his head while taking a sip from his wine. “But I don’t blame them. Not everyone has the competencies or emotional intelligence to handle this field.”
I hummed in response, though I’m sure it didn’t sound convincing.
David smiled smugly, acting like I had validated his point. “For example,” he continued, “last quarter, I handled a massive overhaul of our recruitment system. We had a 37% increase in applicant conversion. Do you know how significant that is?”
I resisted the urge to say “no” and let him continue.
My eyes wandered briefly around the restaurant, noting the elegant décor, the soft hum of conversation, and the couples enjoying their evening.
Meanwhile, I was stuck here, listening to David inflate his own ego with numbers I couldn’t care less about.
He didn’t stop there. “People come to me for advice all the time. I’m basically the backbone of the company. Without good HR, businesses would crumble.”
That was it. I needed a change of subject before I stabbed my fork into my own hand just to feel something-
“So,” I said, forcing a polite smile, “how’s the paella?”
David froze mid–sentence and looked at me like I’d just insulted his ancestors. “The paella?” he repeated, drawing out the word dramatically.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 27. David Something
I blinked at him. “Yeah. The paella. Is it good?”
He leaned back in his chair, his expression smug again. “It pronounced pa–EH–yah.” He rolled the word off his tongue exaggeratedly.
It was weird since he wasn’t even Spanish!
I stared at him blankly. “Right. Pa–Ell–yah.”
“Spanish cuisine is all about respecting tradition,” he added, shaking his head. “But, it’s okay. You’re pretty so I’ll forgive you.”
1 took a sip of water, biting back my irritation. I’d met guys like David before–men who had to correct you at every turn and needed constant validation just to function.
Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t the type to feed other people’s egos.
“Good to know,” I said dryly, returning my focus to my plate.
For the rest of the meal, I let David carry the conversation while I quietly ate. At least the food lived up to my memories.
I could taste the saffron in the rice, and the shrimp was cooked to perfection. If I closed my eyes and tuned David out, I might have actually enjoyed myself.
Finally after what seemed like a thousand years the plates were cleared. Only the wine remained, sitting between us.
I couldn’t believe I’d survived.
David signaled for the waiter and pulled out his wallet in one motion. He made sure to flash his gold credit card just long enough for me to see it.
“I’ll take care of this,” he said, his shoulders squared in confidence. “It’s my treat.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, though the gesture did little to redeem him in my eyes.
Once the waiter left, David leaned back and smiled at me, his teeth gleaming. “This was nice. We should do it. again sometime.”
I blinked. Again?
“Actually…” I hesitated for a moment, then decided to get straight to the point. “I’m not really looking for a relationship right now.”
The smile faltered on his face. “Oh,” he said, his brows pulling together. “Well…that’s fine. I mean, should we at least head back to my place tonight? I live in that big condominium a few blocks from here.”
I stared at him before shaking my head. “No.”
His grin turned awkward. “Oh. Well-”
It was time to pull out the big guns. I sighed and shook my head. “Look, I don’t think Sarah told you, but… my son is waiting for me at home.”
David’s jaw dropped. His eyes widened, and for a second, I almost laughed. “What?”
“My son,” I repeated, keeping my expression serious,
He stared at me, processing this new information. After a long pause, he seemed to snap out of it and shrugged.
2/3
Chapter 27. David Something
+26 BONUS
awkwardly. “Well, ul…that’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.‘
He grabbed the wine bottle and poured us both a glass. “Wy don’t we end the night with cheers, then?”
1 stared at the glass as he pushed it toward me. I hesitated for a moment but figured one more sip wouldn’t hurt. ” Sure,” I muttered, raising the glass slightly.
“To…unexpected surprises,” David said, lifting his glass with a smirk.
“Sure,” I echoed again, too tired to argue.
I took a sip, letting the wine coat my tongue.
But as I swallowed, something felt…off.
My throat burned just a little more than it should have.
I brushed it off at first, assuming it was the alcohol. But then my body began to feel warm.
Not just warm–but hot.
My vision started to blur around the edges, and the soft buzz of the restaurant grew muffled.
I blinked hard, gripping the edge of the table. “What…”
The last thing I saw was David’s smirk stretching wider.
Then everything went black.
