Amanda, Angelo, and Jean-Paul

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Angelo and Amanda take Jean-Paul up on his offer of dinner.



"Can I open my eyes yet?" Amanda asked, sounding more amused than annoyed. She loved surprises, at least when they didn't involve something with fangs and tentacles leaping out at her. There had definitely been a teleport, and the air was much colder than New York, with snow crunching underfoot and voices speaking French. She didn't think they were in Paris, tho' - the power signature wasn't the same. This place felt younger than Europe.

"Not yet", Angelo said firmly, sliding a hand over her eyes just to make sure. "We're almost there." They were at the door, in fact, and he waited until he'd steered her through it to take his hand away.

The scene could not have been more inviting. The lighting in the small bistro was turned slightly dimmed, allowing the flickering candles and white tablecloths at each secluded booth to stand out all the more. The warm interior and scents of cooking were especially welcoming after the chill outdoors. The restaurant was quite busy. The hostess moved to take their names, but paused as Jean-Paul waved them from where he was seated.

"One of the perks of being the owner," he explained, rising to greet them. "No waiting for a seat."

"This is lovely," Amanda said with a smile as she took off her coat and handed it to the hostess before taking a seat. "So this is your big surprise, huh? Top marks, love." She pressed a kiss to Angelo's cheek. "Hi, Jean-Paul."

"Jean-Paul promised me dinner for watchin' over Nate the other night", Angelo told her with a grin. "Bought Clarice a nice bottle of wine for the favour, an' here we are."

"Good to see you again, Amanda. Angelo." He took his seat again. "I figured that dinner for two the least owed to someone who kept me from turning into a pile of radioactive sludge. Though, I confess, I was surprised when Angelo suggested that we come here." The speedster grinned. "Payback for running away with Nathan, perhaps?"

Amanda blushed a little and smiled. "Well, if it gets me dinner at a place like this, I'll have to save people from turning into sludge more often. You said you owned this place?" She glanced around again. "It's really nice. And what's this about running away with Nate? Still trying to convert him?"

"Nate ran off to the Adirondacks again", Angelo said dryly. "Jean-Paul caught up with him an' made sure he didn't do anythin' really stupid."

Jean-Paul lay one hand over his heart. "I solemnly swear that all of our stupidities were minor and that I do not pursue married men with intent to recruit. They're more trouble than they're worth. You never know when they might relapse." The night's special was stuffed saddle of rabbit and drink orders didn't take long to get out of the way, with Jean-Paul abstaining from the wine. "So when did you two start dating?"

"About... two years ago?" Amanda looked to Angelo for confirmation. "We've been friends for ages, and things sort of developed. Especially after Ange got himself blown up." She smiled at him to show she was only gently teasing.

"Amazin' what gettin' blown up does to make you think about stuff", Angelo agreed with a crooked grin. "An' yeah, just over two years."

"Well, at least I did not miss another wedding." Jean-Paul turned in his seat and made an off-hand gesture at the bustle around them. "I'd offer you the guided tour, but there's not that much to see aside from the kitchen. I don't tend to interfere with the chefs."

Angelo was still eyeing him after the wedding remark. "No weddin's, no, unless you count... no. Whose did you miss? An' the place looks pretty nice from here."

"Nate was single when I left," Jean-Paul pointed out. "So was Scott. It was a bit of a surprise to come back and find that not only was he married, but his bride had risen from the dead to be with him. I suppose that is romantic, in its way."

"In the tacky horror movie kind of way," Amanda joked. She'd finally stopped spluttering, having been in middle of sipping her water when Jean-Paul had mentioned marriage. "But since Clarice already made zombie jokes back then, I'm not about to open that can of worms again. How's teaching going, second time round?"

"It's left me permanently mired between 'Why did I ever leave?' and 'Why did I ever decide to come back?'" Jean-Paul chuckled. "The students keep me on my toes and give me new perspective on most matters, but some days I would give quite a bit to once more be a selfish bastard responsible for no one but myself. I'm looking forward to Spring Break. I think I'll need the time to recharge."

"You gonna go anywhere for the break?" Angelo asked easily. "Rechargin' might be easier out of the mansion."

"That is still up in the air. A week's retreat to the Oka Park beach could be fun, but I think I'll hold off on my plans until I know how many of the kids are staying put." The drinks arrived, pausing the conversation briefly. "But it's not as if I need to hurry with my plans; if I decide to go, then I can suit up and go. And you two? You're not tied to the school schedule, but any plans for a get-away?"

There was an almost helpless shrug from the witch. "At this point, I have no bloody idea. I've been away for so long, I can't really justify taking off again too soon. But that's not to say I'm working insane hours again. Just really depends on what comes up. And what Ange is wanting to do."

"An' I don't know", Angelo chipped in. "I mean, I'm runnin' the office until Nate's back up to speed, so... kind of might be busy for a while."