#cantilevxr

it had been gabriel's suggestion that they go to the diner, a less formal spot that felt comfortable and familiar to him ( since he liked coming here at least once a week on cheat days ). even if he had to scrounge up a date on short notice, after lying to ji-ah through his teeth that he was also seeing someone... even though he definitely wasn't. so, he asked the brunette who frequently came to the gym he worked at if she happened to be free tonight. all he can do now is hope that it doesn't seem like they're on a first date, even though that's exactly what this is. he had texted her back and forth for a little while, asking questions that he'd be able to answer if the subject came up, so he feels slightly prepared to face ji-ah and her boyfriend. hopefully, he can pull this off and put on the performance of a lifetime. emily, emily, emily, he repeats to himself in his head, getting the name of the gym girl to stick since he kept forgetting it. that's what happens when you go out with someone you barely know, especially when they have a generic name. walking into the diner, he slides into a booth and shoots a grin at one of the servers he sees pretty often as a regular here. moments later, emily strolls in and he waves her over, gesturing to the empty seat beside her and nodding hello. it's just now that he realizes how formal they are with each other ( and it'd be weird to get all touchy-feely with someone on a first date ), but it's too late to back out of this now. perusing the menu, it's another few minutes before he sees ji-ah come in with said boyfriend she had mentioned she was seeing last they spoke, and he tips his head in their direction to let her know he's here. "hey, you," he greets, offering her a hug, then turning and forcing a smile on his face as he meets the other male's gaze. "nice to meet you, i'm gabriel. i'd say ji-ah's told me all about you, but that'd be a lie since she hasn't." his tone is teasing, though it's also the truth since he doesn't know much about him.