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The restaurant where she sits waiting for Lucas at the bar looks amazing with its rich emerald and airy pink hues. The bartender eyes her drink, raising a brow, silently asking if she wants another one. Sophie nods, deciding on one more drink before heading home to lick her wounds. She rubs her fingernails across the denim of her pantsuit.
The noise of the barstool sliding next to her makes her vigilant, preparing to confront Lucas for his apparent disregard in communicating with her. When she turns, though, she’s surprised to see Eliot, of all people.
“What are you doing here?” He grits out as he flags the bartender’s attention.
She sighs. She’s spoken with Harry a few times but hasn’t disclosed anything to the team, feeling hesitant to open up to Eliot.
“Harry mentioned something about you wanting to date again… do I need to beat somebody up for you?” Eliot accepts a drink from the bartender before shifting his attention towards her.
The tightness in her throat warns her tears are close. She takes a small drink from her cocktail. “You boys talking about me?”
Eliot shrugs. “Just trying to look out for you.”
She appreciates his protectiveness. “Beating him up won’t do any good if he doesn’t show,” she whispers over her glass.
Eliot makes a contemplative sound and nods. “Not responding to texts?”
Tears prick the corners of her eyes. “No, I’m afraid not,” she gets out despite the tightness in her throat.
Eliot’s soft voice does little to stop the tears. “Hey, he’s not worth crying over. What’d you have planned for this date, anyway?”
Sophie wipes her eyes. “Dinner, then a movie.”
Eliot nods, raising his glass to his mouth. “Is this your first date since… Nate?”
Considering she’s already teary, she understands that hesitation. It stings, and she nods and takes another drink. “I’ve never been stood up before.” She lets out a short laugh as she swirls her drinking straw around the glass, watching the orange twist spinning on top of the amber liquid.
A low growl emits from Eliot. Sophie notices the firm set of his jaw as he strums his fingers against the granite surface of the bar top. “We’re getting some food to go and I’m treating you to some fun on the town tonight.”
Her brows arch on their own accord at his firm command. She opens her mouth to respond, but he cuts her off. “It’ll get your mind off of it. Their veggie sandwich is pretty good, too.”
They order sandwiches and carry the doggie bags to the riverwalk, settling themselves on a bench overlooking the river. Sophie crosses her legs and watches the barge floating by as the sun creeps closer to the horizon. The sandwich, of course, is amazing with the watercress and chickpeas pairing well with the zesty sauce.
It bothers her why Eliot was at the restaurant in the first place, with worry rising that he intentionally showed up there this evening, much like the water bubbling up in the barge’s wake. “Eliot,” she strikes out. “Why were you at the restaurant?”
“I didn’t follow you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” he assures. “I visit this spot to enjoy the sunsets.” The coral colors of the sky reflect on the Mississippi, dancing on top of the murky waters, creating a relaxing sight and its lazily lapping sound setting the tone of their conversation.
“By yourself?” Sophie notices how everyone around them has a companion of some sort with them: a couple strolling along the path, holding hands; a woman walking her golden retriever; a dad with two young kids squealing in delight; a group of teens tossing stale bread into the water.
“Sometimes. Sometimes not,” Eliot answers between bites.
Sophie hums in understanding. “It’s beautiful.”
Eliot knocks his arm against hers. “That’s kinda the point.” His eyes scan her face for a moment, almost as if assessing her mood. “So, what about this guy made you take the plunge?”
“Oh, it’s silly now.” Sophie bites her lower lip. “He just seemed so safe-” she takes a deep breath, “-I wanted to dip my toes into this dating thing and he seemed like the right kind of man to have a first date with.”
“Backfired on you,” Eliot says with a smirk. She smacks his arm before taking another bite of her sandwich, which only causes him to rub his arms playfully. “Dinner and a movie doesn’t seem your style anyways.”
“Kind of hard to find someone who’s willing to go nab a Picasso on Tinder,” Sophie comments, running her fingers against her beaded necklace. “Or wants to sneak into the Galerie d'Apollon to swipe the Sancy as a second date.”
Eliot snorts. “Sounds like you have the same problem as me. It’s hard to find someone who understands The Life.”
Sophie nods, reflecting on how Nate finally came around on that, smiling as she recalls the ring he stole for their first anniversary. “How do you do it?” the question comes out soft.
Eliot raises a brow. “Seriously? I don’t. The last serious relationship I had was with Maria and we all know how that went. It’s just a lot of first dates-” he coughs, “-and one-night stands.”
Sophie considers his words, weighing them against her own life. “Is that what I have to look forward to? Lots of first dates and one-night stands?”
Eliot leans back on the bench, stretching his arms, causing his dark button down to ride up, before splaying them along the back of the bench. “Well, if you keep picking safe and boring, then yes.”
Sophie watches the tugboat churning the water as it passes by, the sun nestling against the skyline of the south bank of the river. “Bit of a quandary we find ourselves in then.”
He chuckles as he looks at the river. “You know, Parker told me once that I at least have the crew in my life.” His gaze shifts to Sophie. “Most people have far less in theirs.”
Like the sun against the skyline, Sophie lets those words sink in. She slumps against the back of the bench, nudging his arm with her back. She swallows. “Are you happy with that kind of life?”
“I’m...” Eliot hesitates, the tension in his arm radiates across her shoulder blades, "content.”
Sophie lets the moment pass, however, knowing that challenging him on this would only lead to him withdrawing. A nearby street lamp buzzes in the distance, as the noises of the city behind them surround them. “Would you like to be content elsewhere this evening or…?” Sophie lets it hang.
A faint smile rests on his face. “Well, I do have one more regular haunt in this part of town. Do you like Zydeco?”
A smile settles on her face at his cryptic words. “I’m willing to try anything once.”
—
She sits at a small corner table, watching the band set up on stage. She tracks Eliot as he makes his way to the table, armed with drinks. The neon signs cast a moody hue against his face and throughout the venue, reminding her of the old places that Ralphie used to play.
“Hey, that’s a nice sight to see,” Eliot comments, handing over her drink.
“What is?”
“That smile on your face. Biggest one I’ve seen all evening,” Eliot offers, scooting his chair up to the table.
“Hmm, well, remembering a few nightclubs back in the day - with Ralphie,” she explains.
Eliot leans in. “Really? So, were you only his muse or did you… you know, date?”
With a smirk, Sophie taps a finger to the beat of the song. “I was sixteen and under Ramsey’s watchful eye. I played coquettish and so off limits it had Ralphie eating from the palm of my hand.”
Eliot picks up his drink, taking a long sip, his leg bouncing along with the lively drumming on stage. “That whole album was amazing. Never even thought about girls that way until I heard 'Stovepipe City'.”
Sophie snorts, causing a bit of the beer to go the wrong way, needing a few coughs to clear her throat. “That’s… uh, wow, Eliot.”
The smile on his face warms her heart. “That’s still the coolest thing about you.” His eyes are twinkling, even in the moody lighting.
“Says the man who’s become famous in two sports and as a musician?” Eliot’s the only other person besides herself who has become famous in multiple fields.
“Now, I don’t know that I’d call a minor leaguer ‘famous’ but… thank you very much.” The playful tone riding on the tail end of his words.
“You’re a good grifter, as much as it pains me to say.” Sophie enjoys how his smile morphs into a smirk at her praise.
“I learned a lot from you,” Eliot says, while raking a hand through his hair.
Even though he doesn’t advertise it, Eliot enjoys picking people’s brains. Sophie suspects he doesn’t mind the endless first dates, since each one provides an opportunity to pick a new mind. “That’s a very high honor, Eliot.”
His gaze rests on her for a few extra beats. “I still wanna know about this knife throwing ability of yours.”
Sophie grins through a laugh. “You just want to recruit me to your little darts team!”
“Hell yeah,” he tosses out before downing some of his beer. “That team from Metairie needs to lose for once.”
“Fine. You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Spencer.”
“Yeah, I really had to twist your arm, Ms. Devereaux. But more importantly, shirt sizes.”
She settles in as he shows her a few photos of the team shirt the others wear. While not to her particular tastes, Eliot promises that the cotton shirt is responsibly sourced and locally printed.
He grabs another round, stopping for a few moments to greet someone he recognizes. Sophie marvels at the ease Eliot displays while holding the drinks and shaking the man’s hand. For someone who presents as such a grumpy loner, he easily draws people into his orbit with these connections. Sometimes rather intense connections, but given what he had confessed earlier with his lack of dating prospects, Sophie understands a little better now why he invests so much in his friends. His family.
Just like her.
Just like she could do.
Filling with a warm bravery, she smiles at Eliot when he sits back down at the table. Accepting the cold glass, she grasps his hand and squeezes. “Thank you, by the way. For this evening. Everything this evening.”
“Yeah, it was nothing.” He slips his hand free and rests it on the back of her chair. She shoots him a look, getting one of his pathetic attempts at winking in return.
She hums her agreement, matching the pitch the lead singer is using on stage, and settles into the chair to enjoy the company and the atmosphere. Although she didn’t get a first date, she didn’t feel so adrift now.