Of Tinder dates and Uber drivers (complete)

Chapter 5

"Mother, it's me," Jennie hissed into the phone. She'd excused herself to go to the bathroom 10 minutes after sitting down at the table and she was already dreading having to go back to it. "Why in the hell did you set me up with this guy?"

"Because I think you're well suited," Cora replied coolly. "Is there a problem?"

"He's 25 years older than me!"

"So?"

"And he walks with a cane."

"Jennie," her mother sighed. "You're being very judgmental."

"He won't even tell me what his name is," Jennie hissed. "He said, 'Everyone just calls me YG.' Isn't that slightly sociopathic?"

"He has good connections and knowing him will help your career. It's just one dinner."

"I'm going to kill you," Jennie replied flatly. "This is the most humiliating thing that's ever happened to me."

"That's not true. Remember the time you and your sister were playing dress-up and you accidentally drew on your eyebrows with permanent marker?"

"That wasn't an accident. Jisoo did it because she thought it would be funny."

"Even so, going out for dinner with someone who works on Wall Street doesn't even come close. I did you a favour."

"People probably think I'm having dinner with my father."

"Don't whine. And don't slouch," she added, making Jennie automatically straighten her spine even though it hadn't been curved to begin with. "Don't leave him waiting, please - it's very rude."

Jennie groaned and hung up without saying goodbye. When she returned to the table, YG was just sitting there - not looking at his phone, not reading the menu, not pretending to observe the room. He was just sitting, staring straight ahead, waiting for Jennie to come back.

"Hi," she said, forcing a smile. He returned it - a quick flash of his teeth that reminded her of a shark. "Did our server come over?"

"Not yet." That was the end of his sentence. Jennie swallowed.

"Right," she said. "Shall we get a bottle of wine?"

"Certainly. Do you mind if I choose? I have a bit of a refined palate."

Jennie forced herself not to roll her eyes as she handed the wine list over to him. She waited for him to make conversation about his favourite kind, or even to sniff at the less expensive ones on the page, but there was nothing - he just sat in silence, his cold grey eyes scanning the menu, until eventually the waiter came over.

"We'll have a bottle of the Bordeaux." Again, Jennie found herself trying not to laugh - his 'refined palate' had led him to pick out the exact same bottle that she, the commoner, would have chosen.

But then he was just watching her again. Even though they were sitting down, his right hand was resting on the cane that was propped up against the edge of the table.

She glanced down at it, forcing another tight smile, before saying, "So. My mother tells me you're a hedge fund manager?"

"I am."

"How long have you been doing that for?"

"Longer than you've been alive, I'd wager," he replied. A weird thing to be smug about, she thought. "Cora told me you're the mayor of your town."

"That's right. I'm in my first term."

"I see," he replied slowly. Then, right off the bat, asked, "Republican?"