Stupid Bureaucracy

[Gabriel Mendes]

Appreciating the joke Tamara offered, he shrugged, still sure that she was a whole lot better than him. The last time he tried to cook, he cut his finger, burnt the inside of his forearm and got hot oil splattered all over his front. Never again.

Nodding for her to take her time, it did make him feel a little awkward just standing there so by the time she had finished printing what looked to be the new recruit's schedule, he was ready to wait in his car for her.

"I'll just wait at the entrance." He announced to her and made his way down. The air was a little crisp so when he got to the car, he turned on the heater and waited for Tamara.

He kept having to remind himself that this wasn't a date, that this was simply Tamara returning a favour. But he would take whatever he could get. Lunch with a really good-looking colleague didn't often come by. Once Tamara arrived, Gabriel hurried to open the door for her and off they went to the nearest establishment.

"I hope you don't mind Italian." Gabriel started after locking his car door and guiding them both to a quaint little mom and pops restaurant, opening the door for Tamara out of courtesy.

[Tamara Sulik]

When you lived alone, you had to learn how to cook, at least the basic things. It was even more true when you had a baby with you. Once she started working for the school, she had less opportunities to cook, as she could also just simply get something down at the cafeteria, but she would prepare herself meals every now and then. “Of course, the day you’ll want coffee made in the Turkish fashion, I’ll be happy to oblige,” she added. Hey, she was from this area, despite how American-like she may appear.

She nodded to Gabriel when he said he’d wait for her. It was not going to take her too long but it also seemed longer when you were the one sitting and waiting. She could understand he may prefer to wait for her elsewhere instead of just standing here. Tamara was not affected by his presence but she knew how it could feel like. She had no problem with him waiting by the parking lot. So long as he’d look out for her because she might not recognize his car. She did not exactly pay attention to the cars her colleagues were driving.

It was strange when he opened the door for her but she only thanked him and said nothing about it. It was an attitude she wasn’t used to. “I love Italian,” she assured. She was not quite sure which restaurant he meant to take them to. She didn’t go out nearly as often as she’d like.

“Oh. Thank you,” she said as they arrived and Gabriel opened the door for her. She didn't try to hide her surprise. She really wasn’t used to this.

[Gabriel Mendes]

"I'll hold you to it." He said with a grin. He'd had his fair share of coffee over the years and Turkish coffee had to be in his top five. If Tamara could make it as well as how he remembered it, this crush of his on her might just grow even more.

When she assured him that Italian was fine, Gabriel smiled and nodded. Her surprise didn't quite register in the recruiter as he was too busy looking for a place to sit. It was still lunch time and the place was quite busy.

If his manners were brought to light, he would easily mention the fact that his mother had always insisted on all of her children having etiquette. Opening doors was just part and parcel of that.

"I recommend you get the spinach gnocchi. It just melts in your mouth." Gabriel grinned widely as they finally got to a table. He pored through the menu to find something he hadn't eaten there before waving a waiter down.

[Tamara Sulik]

Tamara was used to make coffee in the Turkish way. It was how it had been done back at home and while she could still take it in many other different ways, provided they wouldn’t add anything to it, when she made some for herself, it was how she’d make it. She didn't mind making more for others. It was not all that hard to do, once you started. She simply shrugged and smiled to Gabriel when he pointed out he might just ask it out of her someday. There really was not much to it.

The restaurant he took her too was still very busy but she supposed it shouldn’t surprise her. It was lunch time, it made sense they’d be crowded. Still, they managed to get a table. Tamara wouldn’t really have minded if they’d be forced to go elsewhere, it was not a date they organized a long time in advance after all, but she assumed Gabriel might feel a tad embarrassed if he couldn’t get them a table.

He suggested her something. Recommend was the word. Tamara didn’t like being told what to do, even when it came to what to order but she didn’t let it show. It was not like he meant anything wrong, he was just being nice. “Gnocchi, uh? You go to that place a lot Gabriel?” she asked, assuming it couldn’t be the first time he was here if he knew the gnocchi were good. Just because he liked it did not mean they made it that good here. She stared at him and for a moment wondered if he was not Italian. She thought Mendes was more Spanish or Mexican, something like that. But people rarely knew where Sulik came from so she could be wrong.