"Yes, this looks good."

Cordelia smiled as she turned and inspected herself in the mirror of the fitting room. She'd placed an order for new clothes at her local tailor's some time ago and they were now ready. She figured that she deserved it and it would make a good impression on Chad whom she was still seeing. And who was still covertly attempting to mold her. Sure, he'd gone easy on her last date but he'd surely return to his usual ways soon enough. She chuckled at the thought. How little could she get away with changing and how long would it take before he caught on?

She elected to leave her new clothes on and went to pay the remaining amount of her commission fee before she returned home. Chad would be showing up at her place again this time.

The doorbell rang and Cordelia smiled when she opened the door. Chad had brought her lavish gifts yet again. The bouquet he offered her outdid the previous - which was a tall order at this point - and he'd brought high-class confectionery and a purple silk scarf to go with it.

"Matches your eyes," Chad offered as he handed her the items with a humble bow.

There was nothing to be said for his manners, at least on the surface level. Cordelia chuckled softly.

"You're going to spoil me rotten at this rate."

"Is that not the entire purpose of having a boyfriend?" Chad smirked.

"Mm, perhaps," Cordelia agreed as she ushered him in.

As soon as they were inside and Cordelia had set down the gifts Chad embraced her. He held her so tenderly that her heart probably would have melted if she were less experienced. She noted that his face was flushed when they pulled away.

She led him to the living room where they sat down and had a drink and continued to be physically affectionate. Cordelia waited for the next sneaky jab at her self-esteem, but it didn't come. Odd. Perhaps he was going a different route today and saving it for the end of the date? He still kept flattering her but it felt somehow different today. Probably just a question of time, she told herself. For now she told herself to enjoy his affection.

She did manage, for a time. At some point her annoyance took over. She'd rather been enjoying the game they had going. Now this date too was taking a turn for the dull.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Chad asked. He must have picked up on a change in her demeanor.

Seeing how he was offering her a convenient excuse she decided that she might as well run with it.

"I must have caught something while I was out and about," she said, faking an apologetic smile. "Perhaps we should cut this short so you don't have to catch whatever bug this is."

"Ah," Chad said and let go. "Want to try again in a few days?"

"Yes, let's do that," Cordelia agreed. Perhaps she'd be able to recalibrate her expectations by then. She'd normally be okay with this sort of relationship… but Chad had intrigued her. This version of him was a lot less interesting.

She accompanied Chad to the door, where he placed a soft kiss on her forehead before he left. It was a gesture that was uncharacteristic of the Chad she knew. Cordelia saw it as a confirmation that he, for whatever reason, had suddenly gone dull.

Cordelia wasn't sure but eventually decided to show for their next date. There still was the chance that this was just Chad deciding to play it more cautious for a while, not that she knew what might have set it off. Had the reveal of her occupation as a psychiatrist had an effect after all?

Turned out that Chad still offered her fancy gifts, a wealth of compliments, and not the slightest hint of sinister intent. She accepted them - they were nice enough - but they failed to excite her at this point. Him aborting the game felt like a betrayal of sorts. She knew that was a ridiculous notion but still failed to shake it.

At most she was able to derive some mild enjoyment from the fancy restaurant he took her too. It was a shame. The meal was skillfully prepared but she failed to appreciate it in her current frame of mind. After having a few bites she found herself listlessly poking at the food with her fork.

"Cordelia," Chad eventually frowned. "Are you still unwell? You didn't have to force yourself, you know."

Yep, utterly uncharacteristic. The old Chad would have attempted to somehow guilt trip her under the guise of caring. Cordelia sighed deeply and placed her hands on the table as she rose from her seat.

"Chad, I've thought this over." She decided to get straight to it rather than tiptoeing around the subject. "I want to break up."

"Wh-What?"

The expression on Chad's face looked like genuine shock. Just like so many other of her previous lovers. She couldn't suppress a wry smile at the thought.

"This just isn't working for me anymore. I'm sorry," Cordelia said.

In her terms this was actually one of the kinder breakups. Usually she would wind up doing something that left the relationship in shambles and beyond any sort of recovery. Frankly, this time she wasn't invested enough to care about making a big scene.

Chad slightly lowered his head and smiled sadly. "…I'm sorry this wasn't what you wanted after all."

"Well, thank you for the time we spent together," Cordelia said. She gathered up her things and left. "Goodbye, Chad."