[OPEN] On Borrowed Time

"That's not true," she returned sharply, frowning at him and loosening her grip on his hand. "I was trying to keep you from feeling... obligated."

Her response was essentially useless when he countered, though, and she withered a bit under his gaze. She didn't think it was really worth getting into her history after they had only been talking for a little while. She didn't feel like it would go over well, particularly after he thought she was trying to vie for attention or whatever else.

"I was mostly kidding," she added under her breath, sitting back in her seat and giving a slight tug in a rather sad attempt at taking her hand away. Her other arm wrapped around herself. "So I'd like to go back to the part where I said I'd see about dealing with it, and I'd like to pretend that I didn't just say something that disappointed you. If that means that we should meet later, and be done here, then that's fine. But that's up to you."

He gazed at her, trying to think of how to explain.

"It wasn't meant to be a criticism," he said. "I was just saying sometimes people are nice to you because they want to be. No obligations, no hidden agendas."

"I mean, maybe I do have a tiny agenda, but it's not a hidden one," he added, shrugging a shoulder.

Selwyn bit his lip again, thinking about what she'd said about finishing up. He didn't really want to leave, but after that little disaster it seemed to him that the conversation could only go downhill from here. They didn't really know each-other well enough to continue with a light-hearted evening after all this.

And, well, regardless of how he felt, he would have to leave eventually. His lessons were all scheduled for before lunch.

"I do have to be up early in the morning," he admitted. "But you didn't disappoint me."

"Maybe just deal with one thing at a time and I won't worry if I'm not at the top of that list."

"A tiny one?" she asked knowingly, lifting an eyebrow even as a small smile curved her lips. "It seems like a pretty big one."

Adrienne didn't feel as down as she expected to when he said that they should probably head their separate directions, but that mostly came from his claim that she hadn't done very wrong by him. Although her version of going home meant dealing with Kaiden, she didn't really worry about it as much as she probably should have.

"As soon as it's handled, I'll let you know," she promised. "But you're right. It would probably be best to call it a night."