Evelynne - Meet the Parents

Foreword: This story was originally done as a roleplay between myself and Emanuel's owner. As English is not his first language, and French is not his OC's, I kept some of the errors he made to convey the language barrier, so if you're wondering why he talks like that, now you know.

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Evelynne fiddled with the lip of her purse nervously. She had nothing to be afraid of, she was certain, but she couldn't help it. Her father was kind, but... well, he was still a dad, and it was hard to know how a dad would act when another man was moving in on his daughter.

It would be fine, she told herself. It would be fine.

She had dolled herself up as much as ever for the occasion, in a sleek red dress that bared her shoulders and gleamed in the restaurant's artificial lighting. A matching beret completed the look, as was to be expected of her. Rather than jewelry on her neck, she had chosen a thin silk scarf that ran down just to the tip of her cleavage, only a little bit of which showed over the top of her dress. It did nothing to disguise the generous curve of her bust- or any of her no less generous curves, for that matter- hugging her hips and emphasizing her thick hourglass shape and restricting her walk to small steps. Glistening heels raised her just a little over Emanuel's height, and her ankles and wrists were both adorned with the gleam of polished silver jewelry. Barely visible under the cut of her short hair, diamond and silver earrings glittered like chandeliers, covered largely by her thick, straight black locks.

Her parents weren't much less showy than she was. Her father dressed in a smart white tuxedo that popped against any background in its cleanliness, with an imposingly ornate watch upon his wrist and shoes shone bright. Her mother shined as brightly next to him, wrapped in a tight golden dress that bared much of her muscular legs, and all of her arms. She paled in comparison to her daughter in every respect, save for the calm in her eyes. She knew how her daughter felt, and couldn't keep a hint of mischief from her glossy, yet aged lips.

Emanuel had not yet arrived, but he wasn't late, the family simply had a policy of arriving early so as to never be late. The same policy Evelynne lived by, instilled by her parents. They had chatted on the way, and so sat in patient silence, both Evelynne and her father watching the door for the arrival of Evelynne's special invitee.

The door of the restaurant soon opened delicately, betraying Emanuel's trepidation, he took two steps inside and stopped, self-consciously scanning the patrons to see where Evelynne and her family were.

He, himself, had gone for an elegant and frankly impressive black tuxedo for a man of his means. Not something he would typically wear, but this was a special occasion, and he had to make an impression. He had on dark brown shoes, shined bright, and although he looked elegant overall, his hair was as messy as always- but that was a part of his style, it was done that way on purpose. His most expensive silver watch adorned his right wrist, and in his left hand he clutched a bouquet of a variety of beautiful and colorful flowers.

When his eyes fell on Evelynne's distinct profile, he hurried toward the table, shoes scuffing lightly against the carpeted floor in a way that gave away the fact he wasn't accustomed to... well, any of this. But he wasn't unhappy, and with his eyes on his girlfriend, he was consumed only with two thoughts: his infatuation with her, and the burning self-consciousness that came with the prospect of meeting her father- magnified tenfold by the man's imposing... well, just about everything.

Evelynne's father, Louis Moreaux, rose to his feet and extended his hand as Emanuel approached. Evelynne flinched reflexively as he did, but she stopped herself, just gripping her purse more tightly. In spite of herself, she couldn't help but smile, and her makeup did nothing to hide the blush as she took in the sight of her boyfriend looking so handsome. The hair was a little out of place, but she couldn't deny it gave him a cute, sort of endearing look. Her mother gave her a little wink and she stifled a giggle.

"Emanuel," Mr. Moreaux greeted, "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Emanuel held out his hand, greeting him and bowing his head a little, a small custom that he had acquired from his habit of watching anime. His legs trembled slightly, feeling weak. If this was not the single moment he had been the most nervous in his entire life, well then it must be the second.

"Th-the pleasure is mine, M-Monsieur Moreaux," he responded, growing even more embarrassed by his nervous stutter.

"Hmm," the man hummed amiably, and released Emanuel's hand, gesturing to the empty seat as he took his own. Evelynne smiled eagerly at him, sitting in the spot next to the available seat, her mother on the other side, with the man of the family facing Emanuel. "I understand you are nervous," Mr. Moreaux continued, glancing at Evelynne. "Both of you are." He sat back in his seat, relaxing slightly, "I would tell you not to be, if I thought it would help at all," he continued with a slight chuckle. "I will tell you the truth, I have high standards. But I also know how much my little Evelynne has been waiting for this day, and I trust her not to make a stupid decision. So I will tell you right now that you have already made a good impression on me, Emanuel." He spoke informally to him, as was custom in France for the senior to do, while retaining his reserved manner. He expected politeness and respect, but nobody doubted Emanuel was capable of that. As he talked, his eyes lingered a moment on Emanuel's hair, and Evelynne's chest tightened slightly as she recognized the barely perceptible twinge of apprehension in her father's face, but just as soon, he was back to smiling amiably and looking him in the eye.

Emanuel took a seat, his eyes drawn magnetically to Evelynne. She looked so elegant, and even if that was true of her every hour of every day, he still felt as impressed and enamored as ever by that fact. How had he been so lucky?

"I... I appreciate that you have taken the time to meet. I know you... may have a busy schedule, but at least let's make this time that we are together unforgettable." Emanuel commented in a somewhat nervous tone, but managing to keep himself calm enough. "I also appreciate your trust. I assure you that Evelynne did not commit a foolish thing by choosing me..haha" Emanuel added, sounding a bit calmer, he was determined not to disappoint Evelyn's father. "Oh and these flowers are for you Ms Moreaux," added Emanuel, extending his arm a little towards Evelynne's mother, holding forth the bouquet.

Evelynne's eyebrows- well, actually everyone's eyebrows- rose in surprise. Jeanette Moreaux, Evelynne's mother, accepted the gift gingerly in her weathered yet well-maintained hands. "Oh why thank you, young man, how lovely!" She laughed and inhaled deeply of them.

Louis's expression was one of approval. "You are a very well-mannered boy," he commented, folding his hands. "Don't you go stealing both of my women from me now," he joked.

Emanuel let out a slight laugh, the comment managing to calm him down slightly, in spite of the situation.

"Don't worry, your wife is beautiful, sir, but Evelynne is the one for me," Emanuel replied, joking back about it, sounding more confident and self-assured.

"Oho, do I hear wedding bells already?" The older man sighed with a little laugh and sat back a little. "Well, I think I have spoken over everybody enough. I'll take a back seat while we order- Honey, why don't you take up the interrogation?"

Mrs. Moreaux gave her husband a knowing look and picked up her menu. "Thank you very much for the flowers, Emanuel. I wish I had a vase to put them in right now- I hope they will still be fresh when we get home. They will look lovely on our kitchen table." She paused and perused her food options. "Since we are here to eat, why don't you tell us about your tastes in food?"

Emanuel smiled when he saw that everything was going well, much better than he expected. "Ah... My taste in food..." He blushed self-consciously. Even though he had already been dating Evelynne for a while, he still felt like her refined taste- and knowledge- of foods had yet to rub off on him. "To tell you the truth, Evelynne is the one who chooses for me, I'm afraid I'm not as knowledgeable about gastronomy as I would like to be." He scratched the back of his head- a little habit he had picked up from anime. "My favorite food is breaded shrimp, though," he chimed, hoping it would satisfy their curiosities for now.

"Hmmm," Mrs. Moreaux hummed, amused. "Evelynne did warn us you were British," she teased. "Well, I happen to love shrimp, myself. In all of its forms."

"Mmhm!" both Mr. Moreaux and Evelynne grunted in agreement. "This is a shrimp-loving household," the patriarch said with approval.

"Evelynne showed us your drawing, by the way," her mother continued, changing the subject. "She said you draw in a Japanese style?"

Emanuel felt himself suddenly flush hotly, feeling embarrassed albeit for no identifiable reason. "Oh yes, the drawing that I gave Evelynne is of a drawing style called 'manga'... Well, sort of- manga just means comic in Japan, and it includes a wide range of styles," he answered, his embarrassment fading quickly to be replaced with the confidence that comes from talking about a subject one is very familiar with. "Drawing Evelynne was not an easy task," he continued, "It is difficult to capture her great beauty and put it on paper."

He beamed brightly at Evelynne, who positively radiated in response, blushing, herself. She glanced subconsciously at her parents, then reached out and placed a hand on his. She could feel his heartbeat- slower than her own. She felt a little silly, being so worked up about it, and feeling him calm down, she felt herself doing likewise. Emanuel for his part, blushed a little more intensely at her touch, but maintained his calm admirably.

"I can imagine," her mother commented. "She has many details to capture," she observed with a chuckle, eyeing her daughter's bare biceps knowingly. "If I may say, you have excellent taste in women," she joked.

He laughed heartily, making the split-second decision not to share in the glance at Evelynne's arm. "Thank you very much Madame Moreaux. It would be impossible for me not to fall in love with your daughter. She is a beauty. One of the most beautiful women I have seen!"

Mr. Moreaux harrumphed, but seemed to do it more humorously than genuinely, because it triggered a fit of laughter from his wife. She covered her mouth and stifled herself. She was about to respond when the waiter arrived. Mr. Moreaux ordered everyone a bottle of wine, and a variety plate of appetizers, then they went around with their orders. The man ordered an expensive steak with greens, his wife a pot-au-feu, and Evelynne ordered stew. Lastly, it was Emanuel's turn.

Emanuel stared at the menu for a few seconds, somewhat lost because he saw lots of names of dishes, causing his choice to be unclear.

"Uhmmmm..." he hesitated, "Evie... wouldn't you mind recommending me something to eat? Sorry, you know I'm not so cultured," he offered with a chuckle, trying not to dwell on how outclassed his tastes were at this table.

Evelynne giggled softly and nodded. "Well, everybody here chose something with red meat, why don't we get you something similar? How does... duck sound?"

"Duck, huh? hmmm, sounds good, yes." Emanuel accepted with a nod. He passed on the order to the waiter- duck, with greens and potatoes. "Thank you very much Evie. It seems you saved me again," he made light of the situation to avoid lingering on his lack of experience.

She gave him a wink in return. "You'll learn- or I will teach you."

"Duck is a good choice," her father noted, "Maybe I should have gone with that... Maybe next time." He nodded to himself, "The trouble with these restaurants... So many good choices."

The waiter departed, leaving them free to converse once again. Mrs. Moreaux once more took up the torch of conversation. "Evelynne tells me that your mother is an artist too."

"That's correct," Emanuel answered. "My mother is a painter, she has been since she was young. In fact she instilled in me a passion for art."

"As mothers do," she said warmly, winking at Evelynne. "What would we do without them?"

"For me, mothers are the heart of our society," the young man said sagely. "They can change their children, educate them and guide them to a good path. And besides that they will always give us their love."

"Oh, well said, young man," she said, eyebrows raised, impressed by his declaration.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you were trying to impress us," Mr. Moreaux said amiably. He glanced at Evelynne, who for her part was blushing in silence, again toying with her purse.

"I think we've interrogated you enough," Mrs. Moreaux picked up again. "Is there anything you would like to talk about, dear?"

Emanuel blushed upon hearing his date's mother call him "dear". Evelynne already said he turned into a tomato around her, but her mother was even worse! Albeit for entirely different reasons.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat. "What if you and Monsieur Moreaux tell me more about your lives? I would like to know you better," he said genuinely. These were the man and woman that raised the perfect woman- and dared he think, perhaps his parents in law.

"Well, that's a pretty broad topic," Mr. Moreaux said, "Is there anything specific you have in mind?"

"How about a little about your hobbies? I would like to know if we have something in common," he specified with a light chuckle. Another, more specific question did cross his mind- the older woman's muscles, in particular. Sitting next to Evelynne as he was, his eyes weren't too arrested by them, but they definitely were intriguing to say the least. She was certainly the second most muscular woman he had ever met.

"Ahh, hobbies," Mr. Moreaux patted his thighs as he mulled it over for a moment, then nodded to his wife, who took up the question first.

"I think mine is probably obvious," she said, smiling from her husband across to Emanuel. "And no doubt Evelynne has told you about me a little before. I don't compete anymore as a bodybuilder, of course, but I still enjoy the lifestyle, so I carry on as if I did, even bulking and cutting seasonally. I cooked for myself for years, to get my diet perfect, so I've become a bit of a chef as well." She laughs, "That's something Evie did not take after."

Evelynne smiled and shrugged her steeply-sloped shoulders at that.

"Oh sure, your beautiful daughter has talked to me about that part of her life before," Emanuel responded. "I know it may sound a bit silly, but I want to thank you for that since Evie inherited it from you!" Although his words had a joking tone to them, he was completely earnest in his thanks.

His comment earned him a giggle from Evelynne, and a grin from her mother, while her father smiled with amusement. "I'm very happy you like Evelynne for what and who she is," Mrs. Moreaux said happily. "I never wanted her to settle for a man who was just 'okay' with it." She patted Evelynne's arm encouragingly.

The food arrived as she spoke, and the conversation stopped as they took in the beautiful spread before them. Emanuel could not wait to begin, salivating liberally at the sight of the beautifully presented, and wonderful-smelling dishes.

"Wow! It looks extremely delicious! And it not only looks delicious, it smells super good! My mouth is watering," he laughed, having to pause and swallow to keep from drooling.

"Bon appétit, everyone," Mr. Moreaux announced with a smile, and his wife echoed as everyone began to enjoy their dishes. "Do you drink wine often, Emanuel?" the man of the family asked as he poured himself and his family their cups.

"Actually, I don't drink that often, only for special occasions. I know I can at least handle one drink- a toast to us?"

"Marvelous," he answered with approval. "Well, I trust Evelynne will bring much more wine into your life from here on out, haha!" He patted her hand with his own, "She takes after both her parents in that regard." Evelynne rolled her eyes, grinning as she sipped.

"To your health" Emanuel offered, holding up his glass before taking a sip of the wine, savoring it every second, as it was a rare occasion. Every time he drank wine, he was always impressed at how refined it somehow tasted.

They all sipped with him, then Louis raised his again, "To my daughter's happiness," he said, looking from Emanuel to Evelynne with a smile. They sipped again, then set their glasses down.

"Now let's enjoy this food before it gets cold," Evelynne suggests enthusiastically, and they do so.

Emanuel savored the dish as much as the wine. He had had duck before, but this one was simply out of this world. An explosion upon his taste buds with every bite. "Wow, this tastes delicious! Thank you very much for making me the recommendation, Evie. You have a refined eye for food."

She smiles, her mouth full, and raises her cup in agreement before washing her dish down with the rich red wine. They carried on eating largely in silence for a while, until Mr. Moreaux once more broke the silence. "You study art, from what I understand it- do you have any ambitions for your talents?"

Emanuel took a small sip before answering. "That's right, I plan to dedicate myself to art, my plan is either to become a painter or to dedicate myself to drawing comics or manga, any option seems appropriate."

Mr. Moreaux nodded. "Well, for you to come to France to study art, I did not doubt you would be a man of ambition. A simpler one than I myself tend to rise to, but I can respect it. You are here, after all," he said, gesturing vaguely about.

"I may have more ambitions," Emanuel added, "I would like to create works of art that remain in people's minds. But for the moment I'm fine like this."

"Speaking of going abroad, have you been anywhere other than England and France?" Evelynne's mother asked.

"Yes, I have traveled to other places like Japan and Spain for example. Very beautiful places, by the way!" He answered.

The conversation carried on late into the evening, stretching out the length of their dinner. The cheeses came and went, and eventually the dessert did the same. Finally, at length, tongues tired from conversation, they rose from the table. Mr. Moreaux took Emanuel's hand in his and squeezed it firmly. "Well it certainly was a pleasure, Emanuel. I'll warn you now, I have not resigned myself to giving my daughter to any man just yet, but as long as you continue to make her happy, I will be happy too."

"I assure you that I will make Evie the happiest woman in the world," he said with a confident grin. "I will do my best to make it so." He was determined to hold to his word. "It was a pleasure to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Moreaux. It was a very fun evening," he added, thoroughly pleased with how the night had gone.

Evelynne's father patted his hand and released it. His wife strode forward and suddenly wrapped him in a hug, kissing him on either cheek. "The pleasure was all ours, my dear. I cannot speak for my husband, but you have won my approval already," she said warmly as she released him.

"And I think you know my feelings already," Evelynne giggled, wrapping an arm around his waist and pecking his lips.

Emanuel accepted the kiss from Evie, returning the favor by giving her a romantic kiss and putting his arms around her waist. They both lost themselves in that short dreamy moment, but the eyes upon them ultimately cut it short. The handsome young man couldn't resist giving her cheek a parting caress, however.