A few hours later, Sofia is looking in the mirror as she applies a bold red lip. She had spent way too much time deciding on what to wear so she could look nice but not give off date vibes. That is how she ended up wearing a black satin cami tucked into tan wide-leg pants and strappy sandals. Grabbing her black crossbody bag along with her phone and keys, she is now ready to set out to meet Weston at the restaurant.

Getting to know someone new is always a little nerve-wracking even if you are excited, which Sofia is only somewhat. She just desperately hopes that it won't be awkward. There are few things worse than forced small talk. Sofia has to keep reminding herself that Sam seems nice and making connections is a good thing.

The restaurant Sam chose looks like a quaint little Italian place that makes her yearn for Nyc. Those thoughts lead to Sofia imagining herself back home and cooking for her friends, getting their thoughts on her culinary experiments. As she walks into the restaurant, she makes a mental note to take the time to cook and reconnect with something she is passionate about and perhaps combine it with baking to create new offerings for Lola's Bakery.

The hostess brings her back to reality when she asks if Sofia has a reservation but before she can reply, Sam Weston is there to greet her and usher them over to a table. He pulls the chair out for Sofia and she has to admit that was quite charming. He sits across from her in a pair of black slacks and a teal dress shirt, his hair in a crisp military cut. There are a couple of lit tea candles floating in a circular glass bowl filled with water and a small arrangement of carnations in the middle. Soft Sicilian music plays in the background and murals of Italy can be seen throughout. For a minute or so, Sofia gets caught up in the atmosphere and it brings a soft smile to her lips.

She catches Sam looking at her and realizes he's probably been talking to her while she just zoned out. "I'm sorry, that was so rude! I was just admiring the place" she rushes to apologize but Weston just laughs quietly and waves his hand seemingly not bothered by her absent-mindedness.

"It's alright. So, does that mean you like it?"

Sofia takes another look around the enchanting little place "I still haven't had the food so I'll hold off on my final verdict but the ambiance is inviting."

"I'm really glad, I took time to really think about the best place. I found this restaurant almost by mistake. A couple of years ago my family was getting together and my older brother chose where we'd eat, turns out he sent me the wrong address. I called him and he gave me the right one but I made a mental note to come back. I try to come every couple of weeks, I may be mildly addicted to their arancini."

"I love good arancini! Any other recommendations Mr. Weston?" He rubs his chin dramatically making Sofia giggle despite herself. "Honestly everything is really good so you won't go wrong no matter what you pick".

Sofia nods her head and examines the menu once again. Ultimately she decides on the caponata and, true to his word, it was amazing. The sound that she made after the first bite was nothing short of a moan, that's how good it was. The proceeding heated look Sam gave her made Sofia turn six shades of red. The chuckle after didn't help either and she did her best to hide how off the look made her feel and convinces herself that it must have just been her imagining things.

Clearing her throat, Sofia takes a sip of her drink. "So...Deputy Chief. Did you always want to be in law enforcement?" she asks hoping that easy conversation will get rid of any lingering weirdness.

"Yes and no. You could say it's sort of in my blood. I've always had a strong sense of morals and justice so the career path sort of just felt right for me. What about you? Baking and patisserie seem to run in the family" Sam redirects while cutting into his veal.

"A strong sense of justice? Very Captain America of you," Sofia Jokes, "I had actually decided to become a chef. My specialty is the savory side of things. Most of my knowledge of everything sweet comes from my grandpa." She pauses, not wanting to get onto the topic of yéyé so she tosses out a quick follow up question, "Anywho, what are the local hangout spots I should check out? Last time I was here, I was still a teenager so no bars or clubs for me" she asks with a smile and allows the conversation to flow from there.

The meal was nice and there was no more awkwardness. Conversation seemed to come easily after the small hiccup and made the time pass by quicker than she had realized. It is around 10 pm when they finally leave. Even after the food was long gone they had stayed to talk for a bit longer until they decided that holding up the table any longer would be rude.

The pair was silent as Sam walks Sofia to her car. Grabbing her keys, she turns to say goodnight and thank him for coming out with her but freezes when she sees the signs clear as day. The slowly getting closer, the deep look into the eyes, the slight lean forward. The next step is the tucking the hair behind the ears.

And, yup, right on schedule he reaches forward and gently tucks her loose hair behind her ear. Her mind is screaming at her to pull away but she can't seem to move. Just then, a fleeting image of Cass doing the same move and the memory of how right it felt when he did it helps jolt her back to awareness. Sofia closes her eyes and takes a breath before opening them and gently pushes Sam back.

"I think there may have been a misunderstanding here. I thought we were hanging out as just friends. You offered to show me around, not take me out on a date. I'm sorry if the signals got crossed somewhere" Sophia states kindly but firmly so there is no room for doubt.

A look passes over Sam's face that sends chills down Sofia's back but before she can identify what it is, he smiles and backs away, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "I understand and it is definitely my fault for not being more forward when I asked. Hopefully, I haven't ruined our chance to be friends." His eyes look hopeful and Sofia gives a tentative smile, really just wanting to get the hell out of there.

"No harm done. Thanks for a nice night, I really did enjoy it. See you around Sam" she says politely but makes sure not to commit to anything. Weston opens his mouth to say something but appears to change his mind, closing it and giving another tight smile but finally letting Sofia get in her car and drive away.

Sofia could not be happier to get in her car. The night had gone well but there was no way she was going to kiss him. It had never even crossed her mind. Apart from barely having met him, how could she kiss Weston when, not only was she not interested, but she also had the image of Cassius there whenever she closed her eyes. In another life, perhaps she would have given him a chance but that reality will never come to be.

All of her ruminations come to a halt when Sofia drives up to the house to see all of the lights on and the figure of someone moving around the living room. The curtains make it hard to tell who it is and Sofia's heart starts hammering.