There's only a handful of things to do at night, and the Hub is usually Jeff's favorite. He usually doesn't drink a lot (there's times where he does, sure, he won't lie about that), but more uses it as a place to relax that is the closest thing to normal this place can have. When people he's attracted to show up, well, all the better.
But tonight was a whole other story. He'd been working through his first drink when he saw from his booth seat Ellen walk in and take a seat at the bar. He watches her for a little while (because wow, that dress does look pretty amazing on her), before getting up to take a seat beside her, nudging his empty mug toward the bartender to get it filled up.
"I'm feeling underdressed all of a sudden," he joked, though he was wearing something decent enough - everything in his wardrobe was decent.
"Don't worry," Ellen murmurs, already starting to smile when Jeff takes a seat at her side. "I'm sure we can find you a dress of your very own."
She isn't quite sure how to go about reading him - especially after she'd gotten the note that they'd chosen each other after the speed dating round, and not she doesn't know exactly where to go with this information as there hadn't been much of a follow-up from the event. It is encouraging to know that he enjoys her company as much as she does his, at least for all of five minutes, but she did have a drink with him before and things had been slightly more invaded with monkeys. Tonight, at least, seems monkey-free.
"I don't even want to know if dresses come in my size," he joked, smirking, as he took back his now-filled drink. Settled in a seat next to her now, he paused to take a sip before adding, "No one in particular. What about you?"
She was dressed up like she was on a date, but he hadn't seen anyone approach her in the little while he'd seen her in the Hub.
"I'm glad I don't use the box anymore, otherwise that's probably all I'd get from it," he muttered. The box, despite having no need to use it, still continued to be his least favorite thing about this place. And that was saying a lot, with the crap he'd been put through.
"I guess my answer's changed too," he added, lifting one eyebrow toward her. "You're looking particularly attractive this evening, if you don't mind me saying."
"Not at all? You either have the most comprehensive wardrobe by this point or possibly the smallest," Ellen says, muffling a chuckle with a sip from her glass.
His compliment catches her in the middle of it and she hums briefly in answer before remembering to swallow. "Thank you," she quietly adds, her expression already reflecting how much he's flattered her in the slow smile that blossoms.
"Last January, I woke up one morning to find an entire dresser of clothes in my hut," he explained, pleased just thinking about it. "Haven't had to fight with the box since."
He took another sip of his drink before asking, "Any special occasion for dressing up?"
"If that's not luck, I don't know what is," Ellen replies, envy threading through the undertones of her voice. She's still smiling, though, as she reaches for the olive in her drink.
"No real reason. Although there aren't very many places to wear a dress like this around here, I know that much."
"I've always been a pretty lucky guy," he replied, grinning. Hell, the hut he'd ended up with was impressive to begin with and things just sort of built from there. He looked her over at the comment, then chuckled. "Yeah, I'd say you'd stand out in a place like the Compound."
"Just one more reason to start looking into an official upgrade," Ellen says, making a small face that reveals her exact feelings on her current living situation. It isn't that she's not grateful, but if she's going to be her long-term, she needs something more suited to her style.
"I don't know. Your setup with the hammock looked pretty cozy," she adds, looking over at him.
"You should see the bed I inherited one day if the hammock impressed you," he replied, hiding his smile by taking another sip of his drink, knowing exactly what that offer could sound like. "You living in the Compound?"
"What I have puts anyone else's on the island to shame," he confirmed, stilling smirking. She could take what she wanted from him mentioning it, he didn't mind where the conversation could lead. "I heard there's a lot of empty huts around here. Shouldn't be too hard to find something. That's what I did."
"Maybe I'll have to see it sometime. To prove you're telling the truth," she says, deciding to go with the less subtle of her responses. Granted, it wasn't the most blatant; she certainly wasn't throwing herself at him at this point, but it could be perceived as doing all but.
"I'll start looking. Who knows? We could even wind up as neighbors."
But tonight was a whole other story. He'd been working through his first drink when he saw from his booth seat Ellen walk in and take a seat at the bar. He watches her for a little while (because wow, that dress does look pretty amazing on her), before getting up to take a seat beside her, nudging his empty mug toward the bartender to get it filled up.
"I'm feeling underdressed all of a sudden," he joked, though he was wearing something decent enough - everything in his wardrobe was decent.
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She isn't quite sure how to go about reading him - especially after she'd gotten the note that they'd chosen each other after the speed dating round, and not she doesn't know exactly where to go with this information as there hadn't been much of a follow-up from the event. It is encouraging to know that he enjoys her company as much as she does his, at least for all of five minutes, but she did have a drink with him before and things had been slightly more invaded with monkeys. Tonight, at least, seems monkey-free.
"Waiting for someone?"
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She was dressed up like she was on a date, but he hadn't seen anyone approach her in the little while he'd seen her in the Hub.
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"Well, it seems like I've found someone now, so my answer should change on that, right?"
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"I guess my answer's changed too," he added, lifting one eyebrow toward her. "You're looking particularly attractive this evening, if you don't mind me saying."
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His compliment catches her in the middle of it and she hums briefly in answer before remembering to swallow. "Thank you," she quietly adds, her expression already reflecting how much he's flattered her in the slow smile that blossoms.
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He took another sip of his drink before asking, "Any special occasion for dressing up?"
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"No real reason. Although there aren't very many places to wear a dress like this around here, I know that much."
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"I don't know. Your setup with the hammock looked pretty cozy," she adds, looking over at him.
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"For now. It's only a temporary arrangement. I'm not exactly equipped to have company in my tiny little room."
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"I'll start looking. Who knows? We could even wind up as neighbors."
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