Klaus was stunned to find himself in such an impressive environment. He looked around, admiring the ornate columns and the sophistication of the room. It was an upscale restaurant, far beyond his expectations and a hundred times better than the Italian restaurant he had visited with his family the night before.
As Klaus absorbed the surprise, a ma?tre d' approached him with a welcoming smile on his face. "Good afternoon, sir. Do you have a reservation?" the ma?tre asked, looking at his list.
Klaus was confused for a moment. He hadn't made a reservation; after all, Ashley had said it was an informal lunch. However, he realized that Ashley had probably already arrived, considering that she had mentioned a few minutes ago that she was already leaving her house.
"Oh, yes, I'm here to meet Ashley Cox," Klaus replied, trying to sound confident.
"I see. Then you must be Klaus Park. Well, the Coxes are waiting for you. Please come with me."
The maitre d' smiled and led Klaus to a reserved table in the corner of the restaurant, where there was a window with a wide view of a beautiful garden at the back of the building.
Klaus followed the maitre d' with somewhat shaky steps, trying to get used to his surroundings. As he walked, he could feel the curious glances of some of the restaurant's patrons, which added to his sense of unease. When he reached the reserved table, Klaus spotted Ashley sitting next to an elegant man and a woman with a warm smile on her face, all of them beautiful. Their eyes met and Klaus felt a mixture of relief and joy at seeing Ashley's familiar face.
"Klaus, I'm so glad you're here," Ashley exclaimed as she stood up and walked towards him. She looked radiant, wearing an elegant blue dress that perfectly matched the sophisticated atmosphere of the place.
Klaus felt a tightening in his chest as he saw Ashley approaching. He couldn't help feeling that he didn't belong in this glamorous world, but the happy expression in Ashley's eyes calmed him a little. Ashley gave him a loving hug and then introduced Lord and Lady Cox:
"Klaus, these are my parents, Jimmy Cox and Natasha Cox," she said, pointing at Klaus as she put a hand around his waist. "Mom and Dad, this is Klaus Park." She continued and introduced Klaus to her family.
Klaus greeted them politely with a simple smile, feeling somewhat embarrassed by their presence.
Lord Cox extended his hand in greeting, giving off an aura of seriousness and authority.
Lady Cox, on the other hand, had a warm smile and a friendly look that immediately made Klaus feel more comfortable.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Klaus said sincerely, trying to convey his gratitude for the opportunity to be there. "Ashley speaks very highly of you."
Natasha Cox smiled and nodded. "Ashley has told us a lot about you as well, Klaus. We are happy to finally meet you in person."
As everyone sat down at the round table, Klaus looked out the window and admired the view of the beautiful garden at the back of the building. It was a peaceful and serene setting that contrasted with the refined atmosphere of the restaurant. Finally, Klaus sat down at the table with a certain amount of nervousness, aware of the importance of the moment and determined to make a good impression on Ashley's parents, after all, since he had greeted them, he could feel their curious eyes on him, scrutinizing him.
Jimmy Cox leaned forward with a serious expression and broke the silence with a direct question:
"So, Klaus, how did you two meet?"
Klaus smiled slightly, trying to hide his nervousness, and began to tell the story of how they first met on the train to Woodbury during the first trip for the special program selection process. He described their chance meeting and their conversation, including how Ashley thought he was cheating at Dagger Disputes, which made her a little shy.
As Klaus spoke, he could feel the eyes of Ashley's parents alternating between him and their daughter. Natasha Cox, with her warm smile, seemed genuinely interested, while Jimmy Cox kept a more critical eye, evaluating every word.
"Do you like these useless games these days, Klaus Park?" Jimmy asked in the middle of the train story.
Klaus didn't know what to answer right away, but he was a good improviser, especially under pressure. "Actually, yes, I like them. They help train the reflexes and other parts of the brain."
"Hmm? Really? And I thought I was just a useless way to pass the time."
Lady Cox noticed the mood that was forming and, showing an interest in knowing the history of the relationship, changed the subject to a new question:
"And how long have you two been together?"
Ashley was the one who answered promptly to get off the other subject as quickly as possible. "We've been going out for almost three weeks now. And it's been wonderful."
Klaus nodded in agreement with Ashley's statement and added:
"Yes, it's true. I have been lucky enough to share some amazing moments with Ashley on campus. In a place like this, you need to relax sometimes."
The looks of Ashley's parents softened a bit, but then Jimmy Cox continued with a more pointed question:
"And what do you do, Klaus? What are your plans for the future?"
Klaus answered truthfully, describing his degree in software engineering and his interest in specializing in artificial intelligence. He expressed his interest in the field and his determination to contribute to the advancement of technology.
Mrs. Cox, with a gleam of curiosity in her eyes, continued the dialogue before her husband replied:
"How interesting! So you have definite career plans. And how do you feel about being in such a different environment from what you are used to, like the Special Program?"
Klaus took a moment to consider the question. He looked around, admired the elegance of the restaurant and thought for a moment. With a shy smile he answered:
"Well, I think I am completely used to new environments and strange situations by now. You know, the games have taught me a bit about that." He said and looked at Ashley's father, who stared at him with narrowed eyes.
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