#* EOIN MacCLEAN / thread / ingrid .

[someotherdog]

@persephonyed / plotted starter for eoin & ingrid!

eoin hated being set up on dates. his friends had always been concerned over his bachelorhood, something that didn’t bother him much since he was a chronic workaholic. he really didn’t have a lot of time for dating, and hey, it wasn’t as if he was lonely. he didn’t have time to be lonely either. sometimes, he found a nice girl at the gym or at a bar; occasionally, he would download tinder and then end up deleting it after a week or so. though he was almost forty, eoin still believed he had time to find the one. however, his coworker-turned-friend insisted that he knew the perfect woman for eoin, a friend of his girlfriend. she was a doctor. she was incredibly intelligent. (she was age-appropriate.) after a couple days of cajoling, he finally relented. his friend set everything up for the date, all eoin had to do was show up. on that friday night, he had arrived to the restaurant early. he had been on many dates before but they have always made him nervous, especially blind dates. eoin tried to occupy himself with responding to emails and playing a couple rounds of candy crush on his phone when he finally felt someone heading towards him. putting his phone down, eoin was struck by the woman’s bright blonde hair and big blue eyes. he hoped she was his date. eoin rose from his seat, smoothing down his jacket, “you must be ingrid?”

[someotherdog]

it made him feel a little guilty, the elation on indigo’s face. he wasn’t unaware of the effect he had on her, and while it did all sorts of things to his ego, he worried that he was getting her hopes up. yes, he liked her, but he was much older than her, and he was (technically) dating someone else. it was probably a little cruel to meet up for coffee when eoin knew they wouldn’t be anything more than casual friends. they weren’t allowed to be. even so, her enthusiasm was quite contagious and he couldn’t stop himself from giving her an affectionate smile and a small shrug. “they beat dunkin’ loyalty into you when you live in boston.” eoin quipped. he listened as she listed off the options. “ah, you’re more adventurous than i am.” an advantage of being young, he thought. after decades of being a working professional, especially as a defense attorney, he couldn’t afford to take risks like he did when he was indigo’s age. “and i'm not allergic to peanuts, in case you were wondering, just silicone—which i hope they don't put in their drinks.” he laughed at his own joke. “typically i stick with one cream and one sugar. i suppose i’m boring that way.” eoin pulled out his chair and sat down briefly, looking over the menu board from his seat. everything looked like a heart attack in a cup, so sugary. “caramel ribbon crunch latte? cotton candy frappé? sounds really sweet.” he read off the menu, taking a look back at indigo. “so how has your day been so far?”

it was undeniable, the crush she’d developed on eoin — one that had continued to grow since from that day he graced the stage of her dreary lecture hall. indigo still couldn’t fathom a world in which he actually wanted to share his free time with her, but it was something she’d never take for granted. it had already taken weeks to actually get him out for coffee, and she was starting to believe he hated the stuff and had only taken a cup previously out of obligation. but the way he waved in her direction washed away all indie’s worries and the tension in her shoulders gave way. “ahh yes, locked up by the coffee corporation,” she giggled, “i can’t blame you for quick service and the best donuts any chain could have, but this place is pretty great, too. and they have tea and other things if you’re not vibing with coffee today!” it was her subtle way of wondering if she had him all wrong. but their texts, they’d been nearly constant, and he always seemed to want to talk to her more. she felt like she was beginning to get to know him, and was curious if he was the man he acted as over text. “i got that red velvet latte they’re advertising there,” she gestured towards the promotional sign, “and something new wouldn’t hurt. i actually encourage it, if you’re a man who doesn’t get out of his box often. unless you have an allergy, then it might hurt!”

[someotherdog]

ingrid seemed to think his social faux pas wasn’t that big of a deal, thankfully. “oh no, i’m a strict dunkin’ man.” they didn’t have coffee chain restaurants in the small town he grew up in, and he spent all of his college years, pre- and post-grad, in boston. he had no choice but to prefer dunkin’ donuts. eoin laughed as well, brows lifting as he comically grimaced. “hm, i guess you’ve got me there. we’ll call it a wash.” they were both in high-powered professions, and that was a plus in eoin’s book. if anything, she’d understand that his time was limited and the pressure was incredibly high to be the best at what they did. lives were at stake if they failed in any way, though more literally on ingrid’s part. eoin shrugged, used to that sort of reaction whenever he mentioned the number of siblings he had. “yeah, my parents started when they were teenagers and didn’t stop until i was in college, i guess.” not to mention the half-siblings he had around his hometown, though he wasn’t close to any of them. “i haven’t seen them in a very long time, though.” eoin was too busy to go back to his dusty hometown in arizona very often. mostly, he interacted with his brothers on social media. “i’ve got season-holder tickets to the minor league baseball team here—i helped the owner’s son with a drunk and disorderly charge a few years ago. just sayin’.” he had to laugh again, rolling the napkin on the table between his fingers. “i will consider being called boring a compliment then, since it comes from you.” on the topic of reality shows, he sheepishly shrugged. “i’m a bachelor guy, sorry to say. bachelor in paradise, to be specific. i’m also pretty partial to sister wives on tlc because the drama on that show is insane. what about you?”

"do you even like starbucks?" sure, it was accessible, but ingrid crinkled up her nose at the thought of their insanely acidic coffee. but maybe that was just a her problem — and maybe she had come to hate every place that wasn't the coffee cart at the hospital, so her elitism shouldn't bound too high. but she smiled at his quick recovery, and didn't hate the compliment either. eoin knew just how to make a remarkable first impression and that meant a lot more to ingrid than he knew. "i'm the surgeon, and you're the one worried about being perceived as money hungry?" the woman laughed, taking a sip of her drink once the server dropped their first round off, letting them know they'll order food in a little bit once confirmed with eoin. "holy shit, nine? i thought two was a lot, but maybe their personalities are just big enough for nine." it was nice to know he was so well-adjusted, so stable, and didn't show any signs of wanting to lure her away and murder her yet, so that was a plus. "i'm not calling you boring, but honestly, boring can be really fucking nice sometimes. not everyone needs to be a thrill-seeking egomaniac to make a good impression. which, for the record, you are doing quite effortlessly." after her materialistic asshole of an ex, ingrid was thrilled to be out with someone so normal. she'd have to remember to thank christine later on. "i haven't been to a sports game in, god, a long time, but i love reality tv. what's your favourite show? and yes, it will be judged, but that's a core part of a first date, is it not?"

[someotherdog]

would it be too soon to say the date was going great? so far, at least. there was still time for eoin to fuck it up, or perhaps she’d reveal herself to be a secret republican or something. maybe she hated dogs. he had to hope his friends would know him better than that, though. “hm, maybe i should’ve asked for more. she was just going to pay me with a starbucks gift card.” he rolled his lips together and widened his eyes a little when he realized that might’ve been insulting. “again, just kidding. you’re worth a lot more than that.” he thought she looked like a million bucks, honestly. listening as she gave a small list of facts, he smiled as he looked from her to the menu a few times. everything she said sounded relatable enough to him. at least they were both working professionals, and whaddya know, she loves dogs too! “it’s my turn then, i guess,“ eoin laughed, trying to think up some facts of his own to list. “well, let’s see… i’m a defense attorney—please don’t run out on me now, i swear we’re not all money-hungry assholes—and i’m not the oldest sibling, but pretty far up there. in fact, i have nine siblings in total.” eoin felt a quick sense of deja vu, like he had just discussed this with someone else. oh yes, he had had a conversation weeks ago with a cute college student about the very topic, “i also live alone with no pets and can’t believe the price of rent—or gas, for that matter—these days. uh… i love baseball, reality tv shows, art museums, and i think stone temple pilots are one of the most underrated grunge bands of the nineties.” eoin finished with a visible cringe. “sorry, i must sound like the most boring guy in america.” / @persephonyed

when he laughed at the formality, ingrid toyed with her own fingers after he released them, feeling awkward for the first time in awhile. “i’m sorry, i’m really out of practice here,” she laughed partially at herself, “i haven’t really dated in awhile and i’m so used to business meetings and patient introductions, that it was just habit.” she was impressed by the handshake though, confident and firm, but tender at the same time. she always thought you could tell a lot about a person by their handshake and it hadn’t raised a red flag on eoin’s part. “i hope she’s at least bribing you with a decent sum, you don’t know how completely unbearable i am. don’t want you to get the short end of the bargain here.” it took a little to ease into the small talk — which she always hated — but ingrid felt surprisingly optimistic, unlike her usual self. maybe it was a good idea she had finally let her friends talk her into this. “i’ll say perfect is setting the bar incredibly high, but i’ll do my best to live up to the expectation.” she glanced at the wine list briefly as they continued the lighthearted exchange, though she knew she’d be getting the same thing as always: the crispest sauvignon blanc the restaurant carried. “that's more than they provided about you," though they had shown her a photo, "let's see. i'm actually a surgeon, cardio, and i'm the oldest sibling with a couple of younger sisters, i just moved into a new apartment for the first time in decades and can't believe how expensive housing is these days, and i've been thinking about getting a pet. maybe a fish or something i don't really have to take care of, but i'd love a dog. and i'm just now realizing how obnoxious and hard it is to just spew random facts about yourself."

[someotherdog]

thank god, eoin thought as she approached him and held out her hand. “it’s so nice to meet you.” he said, accepting her handshake. it seemed so formal. they seemed like such adults. he laughed politely when she said she thought he was going to be some deadbeat being paid to date her. well, it stung a little bit, but he figured that was the least of her worries when it came to a blind date. he could’ve been a murderer or something. shit, she could’ve been a murderer, too. their friends wouldn't set them up on a date with someone that could possibly murder the other... he hoped, at least. “oh, well, not to disappoint you but christine said i wouldn’t get the money until after the date was over.” he joked, shrugging. “no, i’m just kidding. i thought mike might’ve been playing a prank or something that he knows the perfect person for me. he’s just been a little too interested in my dating life lately.” when all his friends were married with kids, it wasn’t hard to feel like the odd one out. he wondered if ingrid would agree with that. “i guess he had my best interests in mind.” eoin shamelessly flirted, then moved to pull out ingrid’s chair before he sat down on his own. “so i don’t actually know that much about you. mike and christine only mentioned your name and that you’re a doctor.” / @persephonyed

[ @someotherdog ] ingrid had broken up with her long term boyfriend a couple of months ago, and though she hadn’t needed time to mourn the relationship or get over it, she hadn’t taken up anyone’s offer to take her out yet. no dating apps, no drunken bar crawls in hopes that someone suitable might be out too, nothing. she’d thrown herself into her job after wasting her potential with someone who was threatened by her, and she was happy not to feel obligated to appease anyone any longer. so when her friends set her up with a blind date and sprung it on her when she was two bottles of wine in during a bachelor marathon, her dumb ass said yes. now it was friday night and she had zipped herself into a dress she’d abandoned ages ago, hoping that this mystery man was decently suitable. if not, perhaps he’s be sleazy enough to give her a good night as compensation. but the weirdest thing happened when she walked into the restaurant and immediately spotted the only decent-looking man in the place, it was a relief when he was the one who said her name, confident and introductory, in a way that impressed ingrid enough to bring a genuine smile to her face. “and you must be eoin,” the blonde remarked, stretching a hand out between them respectfully. “i have to say, when christine sprung this on me, i was nearly convinced you were going to be a deadbeat she was paying just to get me out of the house.”