Just Another Night At the Bar

by Silent Sir 224

The Grand Date

Today is the day! I’d better check with Niccolo and pay for the reservation. Bishop sat up and got off the couch. Following the usual routine, he put a pot of coffee on and waited for his guest to wake up. Like with the other days, that didn't take long; she was up about ten minutes after he was—just in time to get a fresh cup of coffee.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

"Morning," she said through a loud yawn.

"Sounds like someone could use a cup of joe."

"Yes, that sounds wonderful."

A full cup floated in front of her. She dropped a cube of sugar in and stirred for a minute before taking a sip. "I love the taste of this coffee."

"You can take some home with you, if you like. I have plenty of it."

"Oh no, I couldn't possibly take something like that home with me."

"I insist." He pulled a medium sized tin out of one of his cupboards.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I can always get more."

"Well... okay." She carried it into the bedroom to put it with the rest of her things before returning to the kitchen.

"So, what do you want from the cafe this morning?" Bishop asked.

"I can order it myself, Bishop." She began to walk to the door.

"Actually, I wanted to eat here this morning. You know, a change of pace from the past few days."

"Well, it would be nice. And we can always go and get lunch or dinner." She sat down on the couch.

"Exactly. Now, what would the lovely lady like this morning?"

"Hmm, how about an egg and cheese croissant?"

"My, my; a lady with fine taste. I shall, right away."

"Please, do make haste."

"Of course, Milady."

Bishop left the apartment with a bag full of bits and high hopes for the night to come. He walked quickly to his favorite cafe and was greeted by his favorite waiter.

"Ah, Bishop, I hope last night was enjoyable for Twilight and yourself. Speaking of which, I notice you are dining alone. Did something happen?" The server asked out of concern.

"Oh no, Niccolo, I just offered to go on a breakfast run for us. And last night was most pleasant, thank you."

"Ah, excellent news. So what can I get for you two this morning?"

"An egg and cheese croissant and a Belgium waffle. Also, an update on that reservation."

"I'm still going to call you crazy, but yes, a section will be reserved entirely for you two. Sofia was commenting on how romantic the gesture is. The cost isn't nearly as much as I thought it would be, but its still a lot."

"Money is no object here, but that is still good news. How long before the food is ready?"

"About ten minutes."

"Ah, excellent. I will return shortly."

"I will be here."

Bishop began to walk away, but looked back. "Niccolo?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks, for everything."

"Don't mention it, Bishop. Now go and win her heart!" he said with gusto.

"I'll do my best!" Bishop answered while trotting off to his next destination, The Evening Sun.

The large restaurant was in the town's center, making it easy to locate and one of the most famous restaurants this side of Canterlot. He walked up to the daunting structure, passing a large line of ponies trying to make reservations. A very well dressed stallion stood in front of the building behind a podium. "Excuse me, sir, but do you have a reservation?"

"Yes, under the name 'Bishop'."

"Bishop... Bishop…" He perused the list to find the name. "Ah... wait, this- this can't be right!"

"Is there a problem!?"

"Well, according to this, you have the entire ballroom reserved. I'm sorry, that's obviously a typo, I will return shortly."

"No, no, that's not a typo." He corrected.

"Sir, you reserved the entire ballroom?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes."

"Alright," the waiter sighed. "I need to speak to the owner about this."

"Oh, that's not necessary, I need to speak to him directly. Can you point me in the right direction?"

"Right now, he's probably talking to the chefs in the kitchen. It's just past the waiting area in the main dining room toward the back."

"Thank you, good sir." Bishop walked inside and followed the directions to hear someone giving a speech in the kitchen.

"You guys are some of the best chefs of Equestria; this has been child's play for some time now. Now let's get out there today and give these ponies the best damn food they could possibly imagine!"

A series of loud cheers followed as a golden yellow stallion with a red mane and tail exited the kitchen.
"Oh, hello, my name is Sunny Day. Can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm a friend of Niccolo."

"Oh, you're Bishop! Pleased to meet you. I must really thank you for choosing this establishment for such an important dinner. Come, we can talk with the manager upstairs." Sunny led the unicorn up a set of stairs from the waiting room to a spacious office with a few chairs and a semi-organized desk. The manager was sitting at the desk preparing for the day skimming through a ledger behind several stacks of paper.

"Oh, Mr. Day! Terribly sorry, I would have gotten things spruced up if I knew you would be up here so early!" She started to remove some of the stacks of paper.

"Relax, Ms. Diner. This is Bishop. He was the one who asked for the ballroom to be reserved," Sunny introduced.

"Mr. Bishop, it is a privilege to have you dining at our establishment. My name is Dashing Diner. I oversee the restaurant for Mr. Day."

"A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Diner. I do apologize for the suddenness of this request. I am actually a little surprised you agreed," Bishop admitted. Gotta love those 'spur of the moment' acts.

"Mr. Bishop, I assure you that it was no issue. We always have a wait list; tonight will be just a little longer, don't worry." Sunny assured.

"Alright, if it's not too much of an imposition. How much do you need from me?" Bishop asked calmly.

"500 bits will be the price for such a request," Ms. Diner replied.

"500 bits? That's ridiculous!" Bishop protested. How could they ask 500 bits for such a request?

"I'm sorry, but we need to cover possible revenue loss," she explained.

"I'm not paying less than a thousand!" Bishop demanded.

"Beg pardon?" Sunny questioned as his jaw dropped.

"To make such a request with a day's notice? I will not pay any less, that would just be unfair to this establishment, and by extension, you."

"I-I assure you sir that is not necessary," the owner stated.

"I'm paying you one thousand bits. Call the difference a donation, I will pay no less. But, if you could remember Niccolo's favor, that would greatly appreciated."

"Mr. Bishop, I... I don't know what to say. Thank you so much!" The owner wrapped his hooves around Bishop in a bone crushing hug. The unicorn just accepted the friendly embrace and prayed he would be able to breathe soon.

"It's... not a problem... now, can I... stop having my... lungs crushed?" he wheezed.

Sunny released him immediately. "Terribly sorry; I guess I got a little carried away there."

"Not… a problem." Bishop caught his breath and tossed a very full pouch to Sunny who was surprised by the weight.

"Well, this is unprecedented. Dashing?"

"Yes, sir."

"Give this gentlecolt the best treatment, as if I myself was eating at that table!"

"O-of course, sir; right away!"

"Good. I'm going to spread this good news around—a little bit extra for everyone's pay checks this week!" Sunny ran down the stairs in excitement.

"She's something special, isn't she?" the manager stated.

"Unbelievably so," Bishop answered.

"Well, she is really lucky. Don't worry, everything will go perfectly," Diner promised.

"Thank you, and have a good day." Bishop took his leave, a wide smile on his face.

Everyone he passed leaving the restaurant thanked him for his generosity with a wide smile on their face. Bishop felt a good helping so many in such a gesture for a wonderful mare as Twilight. News spread quickly as the ponies in line outside shot him an annoyed glance as he passed. He didn't care, though; he was in too good a mood to let anything short of a dragon attack ruin his day. His friend at the cafe took notice of this immediately.

"Well, I take it things are going smoothly," Niccolo stated.

"More than I thought possible!"

"Glad to hear it." He levitated a to-go box from behind the podium. "Enjoy your meal."

"Thanks." Bishop placed a much smaller pouch of bits on the podium. "Also, don't worry about that favor; I have it covered."

"I will keep that in mind, Bishop. Have a pleasant evening."

"You too, my friend, you too."

He walked back to the apartment with a quick pace, not wanting to keep his guest waiting. Upon reaching the apartment, he noticed an unusual grey pegasus walking past him through the door. She appeared to have a lazy eye.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Hiya. You live here?" the mare replied, with one eye focused on him.

"Yes, I do. I've never seen you around. You new here?"

"Yes, but I'm just delivering a package for my friend."

"Who's your friend?"

"Twilight; Rarity wanted her to get it right away, so I flew it personally."

"Twilight Sparkle?"

"Yep, that's her. She's staying with a guy living here. You know who that is? I never saw him up there; she said he was on a breakfast run."

"Um, that's me, actually. Bishop's the name," he explained.

"Ohhh, nice to meet you. My name is Ditzy, but my friends call me Derpy."

"Pleased to meet you, Ditzy. I hate to cut this conversation short, but I do not wish to keep breakfast waiting."

"No problem. See ya later, Bishop." Ditzy took off into the sky.

Nice mare. He walked up the stairs and unlocked the door to his apartment. When the door opened, he couldn't believe what he saw. Twilight was wearing something that he just made his eyes glued to her. If even wanted to look away, there was no way he would be able to even turn his head.

"Bishop! You weren't supposed to see this yet!" she cried, noticing a complete lack of a response. "It's too much, isn't it? I was afraid of that," she sighed dejectedly and started pacing back and forth.

"Twilight."

"I told Rarity I didn't want it to be too much."

"Twilight."

"I shouldn't have even tried it on."

Bishop gave a heavy sigh, walked up to the pacing mare and held a silencing hoof to her lips. "It's perfect, Twilight. Absolutely perfect."

She pulled away, noticeably blushing. "Really?"

"Yes, that dress is absolutely perfect on you." The silk gave her an elegant figure, the sapphire blue complemented her coat beautifully and the simplicity of the dress went perfectly with her modest personality.

"Are you sure this isn't over doing it? Rarity made me this dress in case we went out to eat somewhere fancy."

"That's very thoughtful of her. I guess we'll have to go out and give you a chance to show off." He smirked.

"We don't have to," she replied, not catching the sarcastic tone.

"Do you want to go someplace fancy for dinner?"

"I wouldn't mind..."

"So, yes?"

"Yes, I would really like to go out tonight."

"Then that's exactly what we're doing." He placed the boxes of food in the kitchen. "Come, let's get some breakfast."

"Okay, just let me take this off. Don't want to stain it."

"Aww, but I love seeing you in it," Bishop pouted.

"You'll see me in it tonight, but no sooner," Twilight teased.

***

"You ready?" Bishop asked.

"If you are... hold on, your tie isn't straight." Said tie was gripped in a magenta aura and straightened.

"Thanks." He opened the door. "After you."

"My, such etiquette." She walked out the door with a well dressed stallion in tow.

As they walked down the street, wandering eyes followed them— some in envy, others in curiosity, and a handful in joy for the couple.

"So where are we going?"

"Just a little place called the Evening Sun."

"The Evening Sun?! The most prestigious restaurant in the city, the Evening Sun?!"

"That's the one."

"When did you plan this? This couldn't be planned today, you must have planned ahead of time!"

"Nope, did it this morning."

"How!?"

"The owner owed Niccolo a favor. He let me call it in."

"Is that what you two were discussing last night?"

"Yep."

"You little liar. You said you were talking about work!"

"We were; Niccolo used to work at the restaurant a few years back. He'll get requested to help with busier nights."

"But wait, if he was working at such a successful place, why is he at a cafe now?"

"Because he'd rather work at his own restaurant."

"Wait, he owns that cafe?!"

"You sound surprised."

"Well, that's a little bit of a shock, isn't it?"

"I suppose, but the guy owns a large house in the town center. That money has to come from somewhere."

"Okay, we're veering off topic a little. So let me get this straight: you reserved a table this morning, just like that?"

"Well, not exactly."

"Bishop, what do you mean 'not exactly'?"

"It's a surprise." Twilight had a concerned look on her face. "Twilight, do you trust me?"

"Of course."

"Then I promise you will never forget this night. It will be the best first date for both of us."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" She started to run, making it a race and laughing the entire way.

"That's not fair!" Bishop gave chase; nervous energy had been building inside him since he woke up that morning. This was the perfect excuse to burn that energy.

Twilight won by a small margin, resting at a street corner. The two caught their breath and rounded the corner calmly to view their destination. It was a simple building, white marble exterior in the shape of a cube. The words “Morning Sun” were an orange color with spotlights making them much more visible in the late evening light. A line extended from the entrance down the street a short ways. The pair walked calmly past the line up to the greeter.

"Ah, Mr. Bishop, your table is ready. Mr. Day is waiting for you inside."

"Thank you, sir."

"No, thank you."

The two walked in the door, to see Sunny waiting for them. "Ah, Mr. Bishop and Ms...?"

"Twilight."

"I am honored to have you here. Come, let me show you to your table."

He led the two through the main dining room. It had a beige coat covering the walls with dark red table covers. The doors to the ballroom are closed for some reason, Bishop noted.

"I do hope you enjoy your meal." Sunny opened the door to allow entry. The room carried a similar atmosphere and appearance as the main dining room. The room had a single table for two while the rest of the room was empty, other than a dance floor at the far end of the room. A grand piano sat next to it with a pony playing a light tune.

"Where are the other tables?" Twilight asked.

"Tonight, they have been removed," Mr. Day explained.

"But, where will the other diners sit in here?" Sunny threw a confused glance at Bishop.

"Um, Twilight, we are going to be the only ones eating in here tonight."

"What?"

"I, uh, reserved the ballroom tonight, just for us," Bishop explained.

"Bishop... you didn't need to do that!"

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to. I wanted to treat you like the really special mare you are."

"I... I don't know what to say..."

"I do. Mr. Day, can we get some menus?"

"Of course; I will be right back." Sunny took his leave.

"Shall we?" Bishop pulled a chair out for his date.

"Y-yes. I still can't believe that this is happening." She sat down and had her chair pushed in before Bishop took his own seat.

"Believe it. I promised this would be a night to remember."

"I... I don't deserve this."

"Shush, I don't want to hear you say that. You do deserve this. You saved this land twice and you still have so much potential to do so much more. If anything, I don't deserve to be on a date with you, no matter how romantic," Bishop admitted.

"Okay, that is absolutely untrue, but can we put the modesty away now? I don't want it getting in the way of this night."

"Of course. You are so lucky I set this up for you," he joked.

"And you are so lucky I decided to come with you," Twilight countered.

"True, I'm a lucky guy."

Sunny re-entered the room with two menus and handed them to the unicorns. "Now, what can I get you to drink?"

"Ice water for me please, no lemon," Bishop answered.

"Hmm, can I get a glass of Chardonnay?"

"Of course, I will return shortly." Sunny took his leave.

"So what are you going to order?" Bishop asked, perusing the menu himself. Let's see, they have... pizza, pastas, hay burgers... everything looks so good.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm thinking this dish called Mostaccolli."

"It looks good, just like everything else on this menu. I might have to join you on that if I can't decide."
Mr. Day returned with the drinks. He placed a large glass of water in front of Bishop. For Twilight, a chalice and a bottle of red wine. "Just say when." He filled the cup about halfway before she gestured that was plenty. "Now, would you like a minute?"

"I'm ready if you are, my dear."

"Oh, okay; I will have this dish here, the mostaccolli?" She pointed to the menu.

"Ah yes, very good, and you sir?"

"I shall have the same."

"Ah, excellent, makes it easier for me to remember. Oh, I forgot the bread and salad, I will be right back!"

"Oh no, that's not necessary," Twilight assured.

"Are you sure? It's no trouble."

"We are fine, thank you," Bishop assured.

"Alright then, I will return with your meals." He took his leave once more.

"So Twilight, can you tell me about your life in Ponyville?"

"Sure, why do you ask?"

"Well, I have received a lovely letter from your friend Rarity, and I met Ditzy when she left the apartment. I'm curious to hear about your other friends at home."

"Hmm, I don't know who to start with."

"Well, how about Rarity? I've had some contact with her already."

"Well, she's a fashion designer, the best one in our town for some time. She designed this dress in one day. She is very classy. She also is a really good friend."

"I imagine."

"Then, there's my friend Fluttershy."

"The model?"

"Yes, although she didn't model for too long. How did you recognize the name?"

"A co-worker has a calendar of her in his cubicle."

"That's... surprising. Make sure she never finds out about that... same goes for Dusk."

"Dusk?"

"He's her fiancé. He moved into town a few months ago. He has a... troubled past that he needed to face. He is a really nice guy, though." Bishop nodded in understanding, sipping his glass.

"Then there's Applejack. Her family owns an apple orchard outside of town. She works those fields almost every day. Still, she finds a way to spend time with friends and help out whenever we need it. Pinkie Pie is another one of my best friends; she works at a bake shop in town. She is really energetic and loves parties. Every week it seems like she makes up a new reason to throw a party." She laughed softly, taking a trip down memory lane, no doubt. "And last but not least, there's Rainbow Dash. She heads the weather team in Ponyville—when she's not performing some death-defying stunts across the sky, of course—but she always stays loyal to her friends."

"Sounds like a nice group of friends. You're a lucky lady."

"I know, but you have Niccolo and Jimmy. Both upstanding stallions."

Mr. Day returned with two steaming dishes and laid them in front of them. Noodles baked in a tomato sauce covered in a layer of melted cheese. The aroma was heavenly as it wafted through the air, gracing all it passed with watering mouths.

"That smells delicious," Twilight commented.

"It really does," Bishop agreed.

"Enjoy your meal. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you."

"I'm fine as well."

"Then I will check up on you later this evening." Sunny left once more.

The two ate in comfortable silence, simply enjoying each others' company. Music filled the room, the food tantalizing their taste buds and the atmosphere was amazing. Bishop couldn't plan a better night if he wanted to. But he had an extra surprise before the night was up.

"That was fantastic! I don't think that this night could be any better," Twilight sighed contently.

"Really? Not even with a dance?" Bishop stood up, extending a hoof to her with a grin.

"I... Of course," she accepted and walked with him to the empty dance floor.

Bishop took the lead, spinning with Twilight in a circle, but her movements were rigid, and her gaze was more focused on the floor than anything else.

"Relax, Twilight; you don't need to stare at your hooves all night."

"Was it that obvious?"

"A little. Don't worry; just relax and let your body take over. I promise you won't fall."

Twilight took a deep breath. "Okay, I trust you."

The pair started again, only the two moved with more fluidity. The start was still a little shaky, since Twilight stepped on Bishop's hooves a couple times, but the pain was more than worth it to see that beautiful smile. After a few minutes, they got into a rhythm. They moved as one for what felt like hours before Bishop felt they had been out late enough.

"As much as I would love to dance the night away, I think it may be time to take our leave."

"Can we do one more thing?" she whispered.

"Sure."

Twilight leaned in and planted a kiss lightly on his lips. Bishop's brain stalled for a moment, registering how big an impact one gesture could have on him. He snapped back to reality when he heard the sound of the mare giggling in front of him.

"I hope I wasn't too forward in doing that." His response was returning the gesture, both blushing afterward.

"No, you weren't. Now, would the lovely lady like to return home?"

"Yes, I would."

The two walked back to the table to find the table clear of dishes and a note.

Bishop & Twilight,

I took the liberty of taking care of everything while you two enjoyed the night. No payment will be necessary and I hope you both have a wonderful night. I hope you will consider this establishment again for another dinner.
Sincerely, Sunny Day.

With a shrug, Bishop led his date out of the restaurant gathering a number of glances from ponies at tables and wait staff. Twilight gave a yawn and began to slow her pace as they made it to the street.

"Tired?"

"A little..." she spoke through another yawn.

"I can carry you, if you want."

"No... no, I don't want to... impose."

"I insist; it's just a few blocks."

"Well, okay."

With that, Bishop began to carry his marefriend back to his apartment. She fell asleep moments after situating herself (as much as one could) while being carried. Once he reached the apartment, she began to stir. When he laid her in the bed, he pulled the covers to her chin and kissed her gently on the cheek. Just before he left the room, Twilight woke up.

"Bishop?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Twilight. Sweet dreams."

He walked over to the couch with a smile on his face. He didn't care about getting a pillow or blanket. The world was too perfect for him to worry about such things. He just fell asleep with those three little words playing through his head. I love her.

Comments

[Lonepone]

Brilliant. That's all I have to say, even though it doesn't come close to describing how great this is. Keep it up.

[soulyman]

I have no idea what to say. This is just stunning, amazing, brilliant, wonderful, emotional, captivating, aw-inspiring, electrifyingly good! I love how you have put all your stories together in such a way that they seem to be a sequel to one another. I think this should be published as a book! I would so buy it!!!!!!!!!