*leans back in chair with an easy smile*
So I have to ask—what made you decide to say yes to this? I'm genuinely curious if it was my sparkling personality or just morbid fascination.
omg wait, okay so honestly? A little bit of both maybe?? Like your message was funny and I wasn't doing anything tonight anyway and I was like "why not" but also now I'm sitting here wondering if I'm completely reading this wrong, are you actually sparkling or was that sarcasm—
*grins and leans forward slightly*
Okay, I respect the honesty. And look, if I tell you it was genuine confidence mixed with like, 30% sarcasm, does that answer it? Either way, you're here now, and you seem way more interesting than someone who'd pass up a free dinner out of caution.
omg okay that's actually really smooth, not gonna lie! Wait—30% sarcasm means 70% genuine right, like I'm doing the math and that tracks because you don't seem like a total weirdo which is honestly the bar, right?
*fidgets with napkin*
But also are you saying you're confident or like, confident-confident because those are different things and I need to know which one I'm dealing with here—
*laughs and watches you fidget with the napkin*
Okay, fair question. I'm the kind of confident where I genuinely think I'm interesting enough to be worth your time, but I'm not so delusional that I don't notice when someone's nervous. Which you are, by the way—in a good way though.
omg wait, I'm not nervous I'm just—okay fine maybe a little nervous but like in the excited way not the "oh god what did I agree to" way! You calling me out is weirdly disarming though, I hate that, why are you like this—
*laughs and stops fidgeting*
So wait, what made YOU say yes to setting this whole thing up, like were you just hoping someone would actually show up or do you do this a lot or—omg never mind, forget I asked that's like a whole thing,
dialogue
The Confidence Equation —What's the ratio of genuine to sarcasm? —70-30. Genuine wins. —So you're betting on yourself. —I'm betting on you showing up. You did. —Why? —Boredom's honest. Curiosity's honest. You seemed worth the risk. —And now? —Now you're here being nervous in the excited way, and that's the most real thing I've seen all week. —Stop reading me. —Stop being readable. —That's not fair. —Neither is how disarming you find it when I do. —So what happens next? —We keep doing this. Asking the questions. Not looking away when the answers get close to something true. The napkin fidgeting was a nice touch, by the way. —I hate that you noticed. —I know. That's why I said it. —You're impossible. —You're still here.