Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait. My commissions are tough, but I'm getting by so big thanks to Frost the Heron for helping me edit this chapter, be sure to follow him on his channel. And as always, thanks for your patience and support, stay tuned for more, remember to brony on.

Dinner For Two

Having finally gotten the job you wanted, you did as Gloriosa instructed some time after you came back home. The routine was simple for you, every day from 7 AM to 5 PM, you would drive down to Camp Everfree, sometimes you'd stay the night there when you were too tired to head home. Gloriosa was okay with that, seeing as you lived in the city and driving to and from the camp took up some time.

For a whole week, you've been helping Gloriosa with the camp. So far, during that week, only one family stayed at the camp, mostly for 4 days. The rest of the days went by pretty slow. Chopping up firewood, cleaning up the mess hall, going fishing with Gloriosa for food, etc, etc.

The work was backbreaking for you at first, but you powered through the stress because being able to work with this cute woman was worth it. Right now, it's the middle of the day and you were taking some campers with you on a hike to take a peek at the wonders of nature. Lucky for you, this hiking trip was doing wonders for your legs. Gloriosa was staying behind at the camp so she could fix up some food when you returned.

"So, how are you guys enjoying the trip so far? Can you feel your dogs barking?" you asked, keeping a positive attitude.

"Sure am. This uphill trail is tough," an older man said. He looked like he was in his late 30's or early 40's. Behind him was probably his wife. She was probably in her mid 30's, but you didn't ask about her age. Next to both parents were their kids. A boy and a girl. Both looked to be 12 years old and 7 years old with the boy being the oldest. "How long have you worked here? Is this your first time on the job?"

"Sort of. I got this job a week ago. I figured Gloriosa could use some help around here. She's done so much for the camp, I think she deserves to wind down a little bit," you explained.

"That's nice of you. You're a very generous young man," the woman said.

“Thank you, I do my best to make sure everyone here has a great time at Camp Everfree,” you replied modestly.

“And you’re doing a bang-up job at it,” the elder man complimented to you. "Seriously, I think you applying here was the best thing you've ever done. I didn't want that young lady straining herself in running this camp all on her own. If you want my advice, you should ask her out, buy dinner for her. That's how I met my wife."

"Did not, I paid for you because you blew your money on Smirnoff," his wife chuckled. He tried to shush her but burst out laughing because of how she was right.

"Mom, what's Smirnoff?" the little boy asked.

"It's uh… nothing you should worry about," she dodged the question.

"If you guys are done cracking jokes and making each other laugh, shall we march onward?" you asked. The family agreed and kept hiking up the trail, only for you to feel your pants being tugged at. You look down and see the cute little girl looking up at you.

"Are you Gloriosa's boyfriend? If you're not, can you be mine?" she asked politely. You chuckled while her big brother burst out laughing.

"I don't think your dad would approve, young lady. Besides, I'm way too old for you. Dating a little girl like you is a big no-no," you said, which made the girl look down in sadness. "Hey, cheer up. Before you know it, you'll be grown up and all the boys will be looking towards you. And if you stay as sweet as you are now, then who knows, maybe I'll be looking at ya, too."

"R-Really?" she asked, her smile returning.

"It could happen. But for now, take this time to enjoy your childhood. You got all the time in the world right now, so use it to play like the other kids do. I'm sure your parents think so, too," you said before patting the girl on the head. “Come on, I wanna show you a beautiful flower field and it’s not far from here.”

The girl got excited after you told her that and she eagerly run-up to the front of the group and was ready to continue the hike. You followed her to the front and guided the little girl and her family to the flower field and to many other beautiful places that the forest had to offer.

Soon, you came to the flower field and sighed at its beauty. "Well, we're here. Take a look." you gestured to their destination. The parents and little girl stared at this beautiful field with amazement and astonishment. "Feel free to look around or if you're tired, you can sit down and rest your tired legs."

Right away, both the boy and his dad sat down. The little girl, however, ran over to admire the flowers and how beautiful the place looked. With everyone either resting or admiring the scenery, you decided to make a wreath as a gift for Gloriosa. And you knew just what kind of flowers to do so with.

After finishing up your wreath, you lead the family back down to camp for a nice rest. Luckily, Gloriosa had made a barbequed feast for everyone and had a nice bench set up outdoors. The family sat down, knives and forks ready, and started eating. Gloriosa made a fine spread of hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled steak, potato salad, macaroni salad, and a few 2 liters of soda and some water.

But you… you had a special surprise for Gloriosa which made her curious since you had both hands behind your back. "What are you hiding?" Gloriosa asked.

"Close your eyes and you'll see," you said. She chuckled and closed them well. You moved the wreath from your back to the front. "Okay, you can open them up." When she opened her eyes, she gasped, putting a hand on her heart. A beautiful wreath consisting of gloriosa daisies, befitting for someone who's name is just that.

"Aww, that's so sweet, thank you," she said, happily accepting your gift. "Were you thinking of me when you left for your hike?"

"Sure, you've done so much for everyone and for me. I wanted to thank you for all of that you've done for me and the camp. So I thought I’d make you a new wreath for you.”

"That's sweet. No one's ever given me a beautiful gift like this," she says before taking it with her to her office where she hung it above her desk on the wall. Gloriosa then walked out and gave you a big hug. Your face turning bright red. "Thank you so much." Your hands were shaky, but you hugged her back, even though your heart was racing a thousand miles.

"Hey, uh… Gloriosa?" you said.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"If it's possible… do you think maybe one of these days, we can… go out to eat? I'll buy," you said, making the camp host blush.

"Y-You mean like… on a date?" she asked. You weren't sure how to answer that question. "W-W-Well.. I… I mean, my schedule's free tomorrow so… sure, I guess I'll go. Where are we gonna eat?"

"There's a nice family restaurant close to my house and I got some leftover cash, you want me to drive here and pick you up?" you asked.

"Sure. Pick me up at 7 PM. I'll be ready by then," she nodded.

“Alright, looking forward to it,” you smiled happily. So, with the arrangements set, you sat down with her and the family, chowing down on some of the delicious grub she's made.

“It’s delicious, thank you, Gloriosa,” you said as you took a bite from your grilled steak.

"My pleasure. And thanks. I'm glad you like my cooking," Gloriosa said. Seeing that bright smile on her beautiful, adorable face just makes you feel so good. It's like when you look at her, everything just makes sense.

Soon, the sun was just above the trees in the distance. You checked your phone and it said 4:59 PM, close to your quitting time. But you said nothing and just kept watching the campers as they were having fun over by the campfire.

"Quitting time," Gloriosa said. "You did another great job today. I'll see you tomorrow." You nod and hug her goodbye before climbing running off towards your car and climbing in. You started up the engine and drove back home.

The next day, Gloriosa had given you the day off so you could rest. You slept in so you could have a bit more energy today. You woke up at 11 AM and did your usual hygienic routine, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, and putting on deodorant. After that, you had a few quick bites and watched some TV for the rest of the day.

It was a slow day and you just wanted it to hurry up so you could go on your date already. But you stopped thinking why Gloriosa is always smiling. In fact, you don't know much about her other than what she does for a living. Come to think of it, you wondered why her brother wasn't at camp anymore.

Maybe when the time comes, you'll ask Gloriosa about it. Though you need to use your words carefully as she was kinda reluctant to tell you about him during your interview with her. To pass the time, you decided to get to your workout routine. You started off with your 100 push-ups while listening to some music after you turned off the TV. Then, you went to work with your 100 sit-ups, followed by your 100 squats.

After you finished your work-out with the 10-kilometer run on the treadmill, you started stretching your body while taking, slow and deep breaths to get your heartbeat back to a normal rate. Now that you finished, you had to go and take another shower just to wash the stink off.

Later on, at around 5:45, you left the house, heading back to camp to pick up Gloriosa. You can already imagine how well she's gonna look when you show up. You soon arrive 3 minutes before 7PM. Getting out of your car, you see Gloriosa wearing a lovely burgundy dress that matches her hair. And she had one of the gloriosa daisies tucked in her hair/

"Wow… you look beautiful," you said in a daze. She blushed from your compliment.

"Thanks and you look nice, too," she commented. You had on a blue unbuttoned short-sleeved overshirt with a black undershirt and blue jeans.

"Glad you like it. Shall we head on out?" you asked, opening the door for her. She happily climbs in and you close the door for her and climb into the driver's seat before driving off.

"This is a nice car, is it brand new?" she asked.

"I… guess you could say that. My mom bought it for me as a birthday present. I've had it for a month now," you said.

"Aww, that's sweet of her. I'll bet your dad is proud of you, too," Gloriosa said, though when your dad was mentioned, your smile went away a little.

"Yeah… proud."

"What's the matter? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, don't worry. I'll tell you later when we get there," you said. Gloriosa understood and remained silent throughout the trip, looking out the window and watching the orange sky slowly turning to dusk.

Moments later, you both arrived at the restaurant. You both exit the car and you locked it up. You and Gloriosa went inside. "Hello, welcome to Mario's Pasta Palace, how can we help you?" the host asked.

"Table for two, please," you said.

"Of course, right this way," the man said. He guided you and Gloriosa over to a table with a nice view of the city. There, he handed you and her the menus. "The waiter will be with you shortly. Enjoy your time here."

"Thank you," you and Gloriosa say in unison. With the host heading back to his station, the two of you got to talking.

"I don't know how to thank you for treating me out to dinner like this. I mean, I've eaten at these restaurants before, but it's usually either by myself or with my… my brother," she said, looking away a little.

"Did something happen to him? Where is he?" you asked.

"Well… since you've been a huge help to me around camp, I might as well tell you. My brother, Timber Spruce, he… he's in prison," she said.

"Seriously? What for?" you asked.

"He was getting a little too… friendly with a girl at a beach. He was working as a lifeguard but wound up falling for a girl who already had a boyfriend. When he tried to advance, he… got beat up by the girl's boyfriend and was carted off to jail. I was there for his hearing and was shocked when he got 5 to 10 years in prison. So now, I've been running the camp on my own. Business is great, but… it can be a little stressful."

"I can't believe he'd do something like that!"

"He was never the same when he lost his shot with Twilight."

"Twilight?" there was only one girl who was named Twilight that you remember. "You mean as in my classmate, Twilight Sparkle?" you asked.

"Yes, though I shouldn't be surprised that you two were in the same school."

"True. And to be honest, I kinda liked her, but… not in the girlfriend’s kind of way. She's always been more like the cute little sister I always wanted. Her boyfriend, William, however… we're good buds. He's been nothing but good to her ever since they got together."

"Oh that's sweet. So then, what about you? Why don't you tell me more about yourself?" she asked, her smile returning.

"Let's see, where do I begin…" you said, clicking your tongue as you try to think.

"How about your parents, what are they like?"

"Okay, well… my mom works as an attorney. She's a very strong and independent woman. She and my dad have always had my back. I kinda have this stubborn trait I inherited from my dad's side of the family. He'd always try to handle his problems on his own as I do. Recently, I've been struggling with paying the bills since my boss at my previous job didn't pay me well," you explained, remembering how much of a nightmare it was.

“So, is that why quit your job then? Because your boss didn’t pay you enough?”

“Yeah, but not before I sued his ass with the help of my mom. He got fired by the higher-ups and I had to find a new job quickly after that. I tried applying to some other places in the city, but there weren't any positions open. Then, right when I saw your add online and applied for a spot at Camp Everfree."

"Even if it is far away?”

“For you, I’d cross the ocean and climb the highest mountain,” you replied sincerely, making Gloriosa blush.

“I didn’t know you were a flatterer as well,”

"That's another part of me that I've inherited from my dad. It's one of the traits about him that made my mom marry him."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, where is your father?"

"Oh… he, uh… he passed away. No, he was murdered. By some money-grubbing thug."

Gloriosa widened her eyes in shock. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up such a painful, traumatizing memory. Did the police capture the murder of your father?”

"Yeah, but not before I got my hands on the bugger. He came to my school with guns and I was in the bathroom at that time. When he came inside, I surprised him and beat him senseless and gave him a serious warning that if he ever shows his face again, he'd be sent to the slammer in stitches, which scared him. He's doing 25 years to life in prison," you explained.

"That's good to hear. But you know, at least you still cherish your father's memory and that you still have a mother. My parents… well… they live up in the mountains in a nice, quiet lodge. They gave me the camp after they retired a couple of years ago.”

“That sounds wonderful. Living high up in the mountains, away from people and nothing but beautiful fauna and flora all-around your house. Peace and quiet, no loud noises from the city,” you rested your head on your hand while you imagined your perfect home.

"Yeah, I can agree with you there. I mean, I'm fine with visiting the city every now and then, but I've always felt like I'm more at home with nature.”

“Glad to hear that I’m not the only one who thinks that,” you smiled back at her. "Maybe sometime in the future if things work out and if you want, I could… move in," you said.

Then, before Gloriosa could respond, the waiter arrived. "Good evening you two, may I start you off with something to drink?"

“I would like some orange lemonade, please,” you said to the waiter.

“Some water for me, please,” Gloriosa then followed.

After the waiter wrote down what you two wanted to drink, he handed you both the menus. “I’ll be right back with your refreshments,” he said before leaving you two.

"So, what was it you asked me? If things work out and if I'm okay with it that I'll let you move in with me?" Gloriosa asked. You felt your face heating up when she repeated your question.

"I… well, yes, I… that's what I said," now you really felt embarrassed. You've been working with her for a week and already you're asking to move in with her someday. And to top it off, you're barely having your first date with her. You hoped that you weren’t rushing things between you and her.

"Well, perhaps we should take things slow. You're still new to the job, even though you're doing splendidly trying to help me out around the camp. Does that sound good to you?" she asked.

Phew, at least she's agreeing to take it slow. "Sure, sounds good. Thanks, Gloriosa."

"Don't mention it, anything for my best employee. Actually… no, you're most than just an employee, you're my closest friend… at least for now anyway," she mumbled that last part hoping you wouldn't hear.

"Gloriosa… you're the best," you said, making her giggle. Shortly afterward, the waiter showed up with your lemonade and her water.

"There you go, you two. Now are you both ready to order?" the waiter asked.

"Sure, I'll have the alfredo pasta with a bowl of salad, please. And can you add in some ranch dressing on the side?" Gloriosa asked.

"Of course. And for you, sir?" he asked you.

"I'll have some chicken alfredo and a side of garlic bread, please," you said.

"Wonderful. I'll have both of your dishes ready in just a few minutes," the waiter said before leaving you two be.

"So, Gloriosa, about the camp. Do you plan on running it your whole life? Or do you have other plans for it?" you asked.

"Well, the camp was passed down from my grandparents and it would be right if I retired and the camp get run down to the ground. It's like my home and I couldn't just leave it. So I don't think I'll be retiring anytime soon. Not unless someone was willing to keep it going for me after I retire or if I wind up having children, but that's not until later on in the future," Gloriosa explained.

"I respect that. Not a lot of people like losing their legacies at some point in time. Maybe one of these days, if it's possible, we could turn your camp into a national landmark. I mean, it's a stretch, but there might be a chance it could actually happen," you said.

Gloriosa's eyes lit up from this new idea. "Oh, that'd be a wonderful idea! At least it'd keep Filthy Rich from trying to buy it and turn it into a hotel resort with a spa," she said.

"That jerkwad? Is he still trying to get his hands on your beautiful camp that you and your family worked so hard for?” you asked, surprised. "Just what does it take to keep that asshole's hands off your legacy? He's even worse than my former boss."

"I'm glad to see you care so much," Gloriosa said, smiling at you.

"And I'm happy you think that. Hey, maybe one day when you're not so busy I could show you where I live. I'm not sure if I'll be able to live there much longer since I might be moving out sooner or later. And I was hoping that maybe one day, I could… move in with you," you said.

Gloriosa giggled, “I think I’d like that very much, deary,” as she placed her hand onto yours, smiling so warmly. Your heartbeat raced a thousand miles the moment you felt her touch your hand so suddenly.

"T-Thanks, I… I'm happy you think that," you stuttered. Gloriosa giggled, making you blush at how cute she is. Moments later, the waiter arrived with a cart carrying your dishes.

"Here are your orders, I hope you both enjoy them. If you ever need anything, feel free to let me know anytime you like," the waiter said.

"You've been a great help, thank you so much," Gloriosa said. The waiter nodded with a smile and left once more. You and Gloriosa got your utensils out and started eating your food. Gloriosa closing her eyes while her mouth was still chewing showed she was enjoying her meal. It put you at ease to know she likes it.

'Ah dad, I wish you could see this,' you thought to yourself as you ate.

25 minutes later after finishing your dinner and paying the bill, you walked out with Gloriosa next to you. "Mmm, that was great. I really had a good time tonight. Thanks for treating me out to dinner, it was very sweet of you," she said.

"It was my pleasure. Only the best for the girl who's made my life worthwhile,” you replied.

Gloriosa blushed at your words and playfully hit your shoulder. “You’re such a sweetheart. You know that?”

"I try. Truth be told, you're actually the first girl I've ever gone on a date with," you confessed. "I didn't know how it would turn out, so I just did what I could and be myself."

"Well, you did a very good job for your first try," Gloriosa assured.

"Thanks. Anyways, shall I take you home now?" you asked. Gloriosa simply gave you her hand and you escorted her to your car. You opened the passenger side for her and allowed the sweet flower girl to climb in. You closed the door walked over to the driver's side, opening your door an climbing in. Buckling your seatbelts, you started the engine and drove off into the direction of her camp.

The ride back to camp was fairly quiet. Gloriosa would give you occasional glances. You also glanced at her, but only for a few brief moments since you had to keep your eyes on the road. You sighed happily, celebrating in your head a little from how great your date went with the girl of your dreams.

Soon, you arrived at the campsite. By this point, Gloriosa was fast napping in her seat. You adored how cute and peaceful she looks when she's asleep. As much you wanted to watch her napping away, you had to get home yourself. So, you tapped Gloriosa on the shoulder, waking her up from her peaceful nap.

"Are we here already?" she asked.

"Yup. You were out like a light. I never knew you looked so pretty even when you're sleeping," you complimented, chuckling.

"Well aren't you sweet. Thanks for the dinner and… for showing me a wonderful time. You have yourself a goodnight now," Gloriosa opened up her door and before she got out, you felt the lovely lady give you a tender kiss on the cheek. Your face turned into a ripe tomato from this surprise kiss. She giggled and climbed out of the car, closing your door before walking back to her office.

"S-She… kissed me," you stuttered, shocked. Your hand lightly touched the cheek she kissed and saw a faint trace of her lipstick on her fingertip. "Best… night… ever!" you did your best in trying to contain your excitement. After gathering your thoughts, you turned the car around and drove back home, looking back on this wonderful night. You can't wait for what lies ahead of you in the future, that's a guarantee.