Welcome back DEARIES to another chapter

  Enjoy ??

  _______________________________________

  Saturday morning felt different when you weren't waking up to the alarm of a Nokia phone especially in 2006.

  I woke up in a cheap motel room I had rented for the night as I wasn't ready to go back to the SHIELD barracks with a bag full of cash.

  I sat up, cracking my neck, the neon sign outside buzzed.

  "Status," I murmured.

  [Current Funds: $12,850 USD] (Cab fare and motel took a chunk)

  [Charm: 17]

  "Time to look the part.", I spent the morning in Manhattan, for a guy who used to buy his clothes from the clearance rack at Target, walking into a high-end department store on Fifth Avenue felt like stepping onto an alien planet.

  I found a charcoal grey suit,It was Italian wool and It cost $800. In my old life, I would have vomited at the price tag, Now? I simply handed over the cash without blinking.

  A normal suit wasn't enough, I needed an edge so I ducked into a changing room and pulled up the [System Shop].

  [Item Selected: Essence of the Gentleman]

  [Type: Consumable / Enchantment]

  [Cost: $1,500 USD]

  [Effect: Can be applied to any formal wear. Grants +2 Charm and +10% Persuasion while worn. Increases Presence]

  "Buy," I whispered, My digital wallet lightened and a small, glowing orb appeared in my hand. I crushed it against the fabric of the suit, the grey wool shimmered for a second, the threads seeming to tighten and align perfectly with my body shape.

  I put the jacket on and looked in the mirror.

  The reflection wasn't Toby Dick, the data entry clerk, this was Toby Dick, the guy who owns the yacht the data entry clerk cleans.

  The suit fit like a second skin and my shoulders looked broader and my posture corrected itself automatically.

  "Damn, you beauty" I said, adjusting my tie.

  "I'd date me too."

  19:00 Hours Queens.

  I waited outside Jessica's apartment building, It was a brownstone walk-up, decent but modest. I had hired a town car for the evening...not a limo which is too tacky and outdated , but a black Lincoln.

  When the door opened, I actually forgot to check her stats for a second.

  Jessica wasn't wearing the SHIELD grey anymore, she was wearing a little black dress that ended mid-thigh, showing off legs that I had only imagined the day before.

  Her blonde hair was let down, cascading over her shoulders, She stopped on the stoop when she saw me leaning against the black car and her eyes went wide.

  [Target: Jessica Miller]

  [Status: Stunned]

  [Attraction: Spiking]

  [Current Thought: "Is that..... Toby?"]

  I smiled, well that was the Charm 17 smile.

  "Hey, Jess. You clean up nice." She walked down the steps, her heels clicking on the pavement. "I clean up nice? Toby, you look like you just walked off a movie set.

  Who exactly did you win this bet against? Tony Stark?"

  "Something like that," I said, opening the car door for her. "After you."

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  She slid in, offering a flash of thigh that the System helpfully highlighted with a Vital Point Detected marker and i ignored the urge to stare and slid in beside her.

  The drive to Le Bernardin was smooth as i let the Pheromone Control a passive buff from high Charm do the work. I didn't try too hard, I just asked her about her day, about the archives.

  "It's just dusty," she said, relaxing into the leather seat. "We found a box of files from the 40s today, Captain America stuff. It's sad, really, reading about all the people he left behind."

  "History is full of ghosts," I said, looking out the window at the passing city lights.

  "That's why you have to enjoy the present, the food, the wine and most importantly the company."

  I turned to her, locking eyes. "Especially the company."

  She blushed.

  [Affection: 18/100].

  Oh yeah, We were climbing.....

  The Restaurant

  Le Bernardin was quiet, expensive, and smelled like old money.

  The waiter, a man who looked like he judged people for a living, led us to a corner table.

  "Monsieur, Mademoiselle," he said, handing us menus that didn't have prices on them.

  Jessica looked panicked.

  "Toby," she whispered. "I don't know what half of this is. What is..... Kindai Maguro?"

  "It's tuna," I whispered back. "Fancy tuna."

  The sommelier arrived with the wine list. This was the test, I knew nothing about wine, I drank beer and Mountain Dew.

  I took the leather bound book.

  [Skill Activation: Observe]

  I scanned the list.

  * Chateau Margaux 1996 - [Status: Overpriced / Too heavy for fish]

  * Screaming Eagle - [Status: You can't afford this]

  * Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 2004 - [Status: Excellent pairing,Crisp, Notes of citrus,Will impress]

  "We'll take the Puligny-Montrachet," I said casually, handing the list back without looking at the sommelier.

  "And keep it chilled, please."

  The sommelier raised an eyebrow, truly impressed. "Excellent choice, sir."

  Jessica looked at me like I was a wizard. "You know wine too?"

  "I have hidden depths," I said, leaning forward, the table was small, creating an intimate atmosphere. "So, Jessica,Tell me.

  What does a Junior Archivist dream about when she's not sorting files?"

  She swirled her water glass.

  "I don't know. Getting promoted? Maybe Field work?"

  "Liar," I said softly.

  She looked up, startled. "What?"

  "I'm good at reading people," I said.

  "You don't want Field work, You hate violence, I saw you flinch when the guard walked by yesterday with his gun drawn."

  I was cheating,I had read her Bio in the System earlier.

  She bit her lip. "Okay, fine. I... I want to travel. I want to see Paris and I want to write, but SHIELD pays the rent and the student loans."

  "Paris," I mused. "The City of Lights."

  The wine arrived,the waiter poured and We toasted.

  "To Paris," I said. "And to paying off loans."

  We drank, the wine was incredible or maybe that was just the taste of victory.

  As the dinner progressed, course after course of seafood dissolved in my mouth, I worked the conversation like a joystick.

  [Option A: Brag about money.] (Risky)

  [Option B: Ask about her family.] (Safe/Boring)

  [Option C: Subtle sexual tension.] (High Risk / High Reward)

  I chose C.

  "You know," I said, slicing a scallop. "You have a very expressive face, Jess. When you talk about writing, your eyes light up. It's... distracting."

  "Distracting?" she laughed nervously. "Is that bad?"

  "It's dangerous," I corrected. "Makes a man forget what he was saying."

  [Critical Hit!]

  [Affection: 35/100 (Interested)]

  She put her fork down, the atmosphere shifted and it wasn't just friendly anymore, It was heavy.

  "You're not really a Data Entry clerk, are you Toby?" she asked quietly. "The suit,the car and the way you handle the waiter, Who are you, really?"

  Here it was, the moment to sell the lie.

  I took a sip of wine and looked her dead in the eye.

  [Poker Face: Maximum Output]

  "I am a Data Entry clerk," I said, "On paper, but let's just say..... I do some freelance consulting for people who need things found or lost."

  It was vague, It was mysterious and It sounded like James Bond crap.

  She ate it up brilliantly.

  "Freelance consulting," she repeated. "Is it dangerous?"

  "Only if I get caught," I grinned.

  I signaled for the check, I paid in cash and tipped generously.

  When we walked out, the night air was cool. I offered her my suit jacket. She took it, draping it over her shoulders. It smelled of the Essence of the Gentleman and my own cologne.

  [System Note: Target is wearing your item. Marked status applied, Affection gain increased by 20%]

  "This was... amazing," she said, standing by the car. "I haven't had a night like this in... ever."

  "It's not over," I said.

  I stepped closer, I didn't kiss her, not yet. I reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, my fingers brushed her cheek, her breath hitched.

  [Touch Interaction: Success]

  "I have one more surprise," I lied. I didn't, but I had an Inventory full of stolen cash and a desire to see how far this night could go. "But we'd have to go to a different venue. A bit more... private."

  She looked at me and I saw the conflict in her eyes.

  The sensible SHIELD agent vs the woman who had just been wined, dined, and charmed by a handsome consultant.

  She looked down at my jacket on her shoulders, then back up at me.

  "I have work tomorrow," she whispered.

  "So do I," I whispered back. "We can call in sick."

  She laughed, a breathless sound.

  "Okay," she said. "Show me the surprise."

  I opened the car door.

  [Quest Update: First Blood]

  [Status: The End Game]

  [Phase: The Hotel]

  I got in beside her.

  The driver looked at me in the rearview mirror.

  "The W Hotel," I said. "Times Square."

  As the car pulled away, Jessica's hand found mine in the dark, She squeezed it and I gave it a small squeeze.

  Slow, maybe, but tonight, the fire is getting only started.

  Authors Note:-

  Things are getting ??.

  Mr dick is impressing.

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