So...French Fries Aren't French Food? (Mama T)

Detective Jorge Cervantes, a man who has thrown himself into the line of danger time and time again. A man who has stared into the faces of some of the most crazed mutant criminals, who has been shot at, stabbed, sucker punched, has had his own crown knocked loose at least once, and bitten by at least once by a cat during a rescue mission now drove through the metropolis of New York, towards Inwood Park for his most stress inducing task yet…he had a date.

Now, do not be fooled. It is not that Jorge has never been on a date before. Plenty of times back in Miami his family or friends set him up on blind dates, most of which ended when a woman would ask if he knew Jimmy Smitts or Don Johnson (seriously?). The unfortunate truth is that Jorge had never really had a steady relationship after his teenager sweetheart Nichole. At first it was because no female measured up to her, but as he got older, those sentiments finally washed away and Jorge really had wanted nothing more than find someone compatible with him. That, sadly, never seemed to happen for him.

Especially with the types of dates his family and friends would come up with.

After time though, Jorge had simply thought it was useless. No one would want to see a battered down mutant police detective, but that urging was always there. In the end, no matter what he thought about himself, he did want to meet someone. And that is why he asked the woman named Gemma out tonight. He had a feeling that she was not the type to ask him about Don Johnson…

“God, at least I hope so,” he muttered to himself and continued on.

He had spoken with her at least once on the phone already to confirm their date for tonight and seemed like he would be rather punctual. Almost a first for Jorge since he tended to run on his own sense of time and space where five minutes could turn into thirty. But as he drove through Inwood Park, he made his way towards the place he dropped her off the first time. It was a mansion. And not just any mansion, it was the Xavier Sister School mansion. So far in his life in New York, he has already met at least one kid who attended there and he had to smirk to himself at the thought. He guessed he was just meant to keep bumping into them.

As he drove the roads that finally made their way into the large clearing of the mansion grounds, he had to stare for a second. The place was massive and seemed to be extremely opulent if it were merely someone’s home. But Jorge knew it was a school and one that Gemma worked and lived for. That really made her noble in his eyes because so few people actually committed themselves to these types of things anymore and it warmed his heart to see that people like that still existed in the world.

As he drove up to the gate Jorge slowed his ‘67 Chevy Impala and sighed as he killed the engine. Part of him really thought he was crazy for asking her out. He was forty after all, and his line of work could be extremely dangerous not only for him but those he cared about. Still, he knew she could take care of herself if the situation ever came down to it.

Finally, after he sat in his car for a moment or two, Jorge took a steady breath and climbed out of his car. And apparently he cleaned up well.

Freshly shaven with his hair nicely combed, Jorge Cervantes, the usually grizzly looking individual walked up to the front door, dressed simply in a nice gray dress shirt, black slacks and a black jacket over that. Before he said good night to her they had agreed that things would not be too formal but they could not each show up in just PJs either. So he picked out the nicest clothes he owned that ran that medium range. So here he was, nicely dressed, reservations made at a restaurant days ago, and a bouquet of purple and pink roses already in hand.

He had forgotten this anticipation. It had been awhile. So, with steely nerves, Jorge walked up to the gate and made to speak into the intercom he saw her speak into last time. After all, a gentlemen does not arrive for a date and honk the horn for a lady to come out.

"Here we go," he muttered with only a small stab of nervousness in his voice.