"You're gorgeous as you are, but I do find myself wondering what you'd look like with a different hairstyle," Chad commented after taking a sip of his coffee.

They were out on another date, this one at a classy cafe. Cordelia raised an eyebrow. This wasn't Chad's first suggestion of this nature. In fact, she had noticed small but gradual changes in his demeanor. It seemed that he had different intentions than simply getting her into bed a few times.

"You think so?" Cordelia tilted her head. "I'll see what I can do about that."

She'd decided to play along for the time being. Chad had a knack for spoiling her and she enjoyed the time spent with him in spite of his nitpicks. He generally made an effort to disguise them, and some of his comments were quite clever. She actually found the situation intriguing - which probably meant that she was messed up in some capacity. But what could you do? Her profession already had a reputation for being somewhat strange. There was a reason she simply told people she worked in the mental health field. "Psychiatrist" came with too many preconceptions and tended to scare certain people off right away, while it made others visibly awkward.

Cordelia chuckled softly and regarded Chad. She wondered where he was planning to take this. Of course, she'd get out the moment she sensed any signs of actual danger.

"I'm so glad I met you," she told him. A little flattery of her own didn't hurt, and she wanted him to think that she suspected nothing. "We'll surely have many wonderful times ahead."

Chad responded with a confident smile.

"Say… Who do you think is responsible for you being the person you are now?" Cordelia asked.

She was with Chad again, this time on a dinner date. The backdrop was a high-class restaurant, the kind with crystal chandeliers, marble floors and a star rating that matched their steep pricing. It was a good thing for her that Chad insisted on footing the bill.

"I'm sorry?" Chad looked up from his meal, appearing confused. "What do you mean?"

Cordelia shrugged in an attempt to play it cool. Had her question set off any suspicions? She'd have to counter that.

"Most of us have someone who was an influential figure in our life," she smiled at him. "I figured someone would have taught you to be such a gentleman." She went for another bite of her dinner, creating an opening for Chad to deliberate the question.

Chad scratched his head. "I'm not sure… I suppose my father was a prominent figure, though that might be too generic of an answer…"

"I don't think that's generic," she smiled. "Our parents contribute a lot to who we are, whether through their presence or through their absence." Such as her own father, who almost never came home.

"You sure are quite analytical of other people," Chad commented. "Are you a shrink or something?"

"Uh-oh." Cordelia jokingly put her hands up in a defensive gesture. "It appears that my secret has been exposed," she laughed. Looked like she had more defusing to do. She leaned closer to Chad.

"I mean, isn't it natural to ask? Don't you want to know about the person you love?"

Chad laughed. Did she detect some nervousness in there? Was it because she'd used the word love or was it something different?

"I suppose," he said, flushed. He grinned, returning to his usual relaxed demeanor. "Tell me who your influential figure is, then."

"Mm…" Cordelia put a finger to her lips, considering whether to actually tell him. After a moment of deliberation she decided that she might as well. If he was seeking to manipulate her that information should make for a tasty piece of bait. "My father was absent a lot. I could get rather desperate in my attempts to get his attention the few times he actually was around."

Chad's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh my… well at least you don't have to fight for my attention much," he said in his usual flirty tone. "All you have to do is ask, you know."

"I'll be more than happy to," Cordelia smiled. And she would. She very much enjoyed his affection while it lasted. "To think I'd meet someone as kind as you."

Chad smiled slightly. "You know what, I'm glad I met you, too."

Glad for what reasons? Cordelia was curious, though she obviously couldn't ask him straight out. Instead she placed her hand on his. "I can't wait to spend lots more time with you."

Again Chad smiled, but it lacked the ease of his usual smiles. What might he be thinking?

"Me too," he said.

Cordelia smiled back at him. She supposed she'd find out what resided behind his mask eventually. Here was hoping it was going to be interesting.