The Cold
Gene groaned and rolled over in bed. Squinting, he looked at the alarm clock 6am, he groaned again and rolled back over. He hadn't felt this bad in a long time. Every muscle in his body ached, his head and eyes hurt and he was hot, boiling hot.
The shrill ring of the phone cut through Alex's dream. She groggily picked up the bright red receiver, "Hello?"
"I'm dyin'..." came the gruff voice
"Gene?"
"Yeah and I'm bloody dyin'."
"Do you need me to call you a doctor or something?" She asked, slightly concerned. There was silence from the other end. "Gene?"
"Can you come by on your way to work?" Gene asked sheepishly.
"You're not coming in?" Alex asked, surprised, the Manc Lion not coming in? She thought. A smile crept onto her lips at the thought of seeing Gene not dressed... not dressed for work that is, she readjusted her thoughts.
"Bolls, I'm bloody dyin' 'ere, and you want to know if I'm comin' in, to listen to a load of nancy poofs?"
Alex cut him off. "Okay, Okay keep your hair on! I'll come round on my way to work; do you want me to get you anything?"
"No just your pretty self is fine." Alex thought she heard a little smile in Gene's voice as she hung up the phone and flopped back down into bed.
Her mind wandered back to Gene in nothing but his PJ bottoms, PJ bottoms? Does Gene wear pyjamas? Alex smiled broadly to herself, the thought of Gene in a full set of PJ's caused her to giggle out loud.
She rose to her feet and began to head for the shower, grabbing a fluffy white towel on the way. Once through the door she turned on the water, steam soon filled the room. Stepping into the shower, Alex let the hot water cascade down her body, as her mind wandered to Gene again. She reprimanded herself and hurried to get washed.
After a few minutes she emerged from the bathroom ready for work. On her way out she grabbed an apple, her keys and left.
-ooOoo-
She stopped at a little café down the road. Joining the queue she suddenly realised she didn't actually know where Gene lived. She placed her order with the greasy teenager behind the counter before heading over to the pay phone; she dropped 10p in to the slot and dialled Genes number, it was imprinted on her memory.
Gene answered after several rings "Someone better have died!" the sound of his sleep-filled gravelly voice made Alex go weak at the knees.
"Gene, I don't know where you live!"
"Number 26, on the corner of Leadenhall Street and St Mary's Axe."
"Oh okay, I'll be about ten minutes, are you sure your okay?" Alex asked, absently twisting the cord of the phone around her fingers.
"Yeah..." Gene trailed off.
"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can." Alex tried not to sound too concerned.
-ooOoo-
Fifteen minutes later and Alex was ringing the doorbell at number 26. The Georgian house stood at the end of a row of terraces. The emerald green door was tall, broad and overpowering, just like Gene she mused.
She'd been standing there for a few moments before a noise came from the door, it slowly creaked open, revealing a rough looking Gene standing before her. He was wearing a flannelling dressing gown in a green similar to that of the door, some black boxer shorts and a pair of socks, Alex looked him up and down and giggled.
His hair was all messed up like he had been running his hands through it over and over, he had a slight amount of stubble on his face and his nose was bright red from him blowing it.
He followed Alex's line of sight and quickly adjusted his dressing gown, wrapping it tightly around himself he secured it in place with his belt, "You enjoyin' the view?" he asked pouting and beckoning for her to come in, once inside she handed him a brown paper bag.
Gene glanced in to the brown bag, "Mmmm, what's this?" He asked eyes fixed on the bag "Smells good."
"Soup, chicken soup" Alex said walking towards the living room awash with nerves, looking all around her taking in her surroundings.
Gene noticed her looking around the house his house "Want the guided tour?" He said a little less enthused then she had expected, whilst wiping his nose. He pointed towards the kitchen and the lounge and then upstairs "Kitchen, lounge and upstairs where you'll find me, on my death bed" He over exaggerated and then began to climb the stairs.
Alex busied herself in the kitchen, it was warm and quite modern for a house of this age. She made him tea and warmed the soup before placing it on a tray, she found things in his kitchen, his kitchen, quite easily, it felt like she'd been here before.
She took the tray and headed slowly for the stairs, as she passed the door to the lounge she couldn't help but look in, it was quite bare, with only a sofa, a coffee table strewn with magazines and a TV. She did notice the huge fur rug and the small table with selections of whiskey and one glass one it. A chill ran up her spine as she thought back to the day in Luigi's when she had asked Gene if he ever got lonely, her heart aching when he said that he did sometimes. Was now one of these times? She wondered to herself as she climbed the stairs.
Once she reached the top she was presented with three doors, she nudge gently at the first door, it was the bathroom, she was hit by his 'man stink', she smiled at the memory, she inhaled deeply, letting his intoxicating scent fill her lungs. Gene wasn't there.
"In 'ere!" he called when he realised she was up stairs.
Alex pushed open the door was greeted by Gene lying in the centre of his tissue strewn bed. The curtains were still closed and all the windows shut. She placed the tray down in front of him, Gene then handed her a key attached to a loop of string.
"What's this?" Alex asked knowing full well it was a key to Gene's front door.
"A key in case I die" Gene grumbled.
Alex took the key, and then proceeded to open the windows.
"Oi it's freezing in here as it is!" Gene yelped.
"You need the fresh air Gene, it will help you recover"
"I need a good seein' to and a stiff drink, that'll help me recover"
Alex rolled her eyes and started to pick up the tissues and throw them in the bin, she headed towards the door.
"Where you goin'?" Gene mumbled whilst trying to slurp the hot soup
"To wash my hands" Alex replied as she left and headed to the bathroom. Once inside she closed the door and then took a huge lungful of air, Gene's scent filled her senses once more, she was suddenly very aware of herself. She looked around the bathroom, there were no hints of any woman ever having been there. Alex took down some aftershave from the shelf and eyed the label. "Faberge - Denim Aftershave" it read, as Alex said this out loud she recalled the advert from the 80s in her mind. "Splash it on! shake it on! spray it on! Denim makes Christmas go with a bang! Denim for a man who doesn't have to try, too hard!"
Alex giggled at the thought and decided that was definitely Gene, 100%. She washed her hands, sprayed a tissue with his aftershave and slipped into her pocked before heading back to his bedroom.
When she peered around the door she noticed Gene was sleeping, her first thought was to not disturb him, but she couldn't help herself, seeing the Gene Genie all helpless, made her rump quiver, she smiled as she thought, back to Gene asking if he made her rump quiver. She crossed the room sheepishly and gently sat on the edge of the bed, sweeping his fringe from his face as he stirred slightly. She tenderly traced her finger along his cheek bone, she bent down, placing a tender kiss on his forehead before getting to her feet. "Let the Manc Lion sleep" she told herself softly as she left the room. As soon as she was out of the room Gene cracked open his left eye and scanned the room, once he was sure she had gone he let a huge grin spread across his face. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Alex hadn't been able to focus on anything at work, she had been thinking about Gene. She had slipped out of the office to use the loos and had found herself sneaking a quick sniff of the tissue laden with Gene's aftershave. I must have it bad she thought as she tousled her hair in the mirror.
The day dragged on with only a few leads to follow, it was two days before Christmas and the Secret Santa draw had just been taken.
"Ma'am" Shaz yelled as Alex entered CID. "We've all picked ours so there's only one left for you." She told Alex, a little red in the face as if she knew something Alex didn't. It dawned on her as she reached in to the hat for the last folded bit of paper, that Gene would be her secret Santa.
-ooOoo-
Gene had been moping around all day; he had watched TV and read the paper twice. Tried to eat more food and tried to drink whisky but his throat felt like he'd swallowed razor blades.
Shaz had called him just after lunch to see how he was feeling. He was feeling much more cheerful by the time the call had ended because Shaz had told him that he had to buy a secret Santa present for Alex.
He knelt in front of the fire, throwing a few logs on and lighting it, maybe it would make him feel better. A nice doze by the fire always seemed to do him the world of good.
Twenty minutes and some furious poking later, the fire was ablaze, Gene was exhausted; he slumped back against the sofa, the soft fur of the rug comforting him, the flames of the fire lulling him in to a gentle sleep.
He woke to the sound of the TV, as he became more aware of his surroundings he realised someone was on the sofa behind him and they were, oh they were doing amazing things to the skin behind his ear, it felt so good he didn't want to open his eyes. Suddenly he reached up and grabbed the hand behind him, making its owner jump. Alex let out a scream "Gene! You terrified me!"
"Just 'ad to make sure it wasn't Ray!" Gene replied with a slight chuckle.
"Feeling better are we?" Alex asked as she went to get up.
"Not quite" Gene replied as he got to his knees and came face to face with Alex. She gulped, hoping he hadn't noticed. His features were all the more prominent in the light of the fire, she reached one had up to stroke his stubbly cheek. She quickly realised what she had done and went to move it away.
"Alex..." came Genes voice full of lust and desire. His stomach was doing the tango, or at least that's what it felt like. He took her hand in his and drew it close to his body, he rose slightly but before he knew it, he was pinning her to the sofa with his body, his face millimetres from hers. His lips gently brushed against hers causing her to let out a groan. Just then he drew his face away and sneezed. "Achoo!!" the sneeze was so loud it echoed.
Alex squirmed beneath him and managed to free herself, realising what almost happened she grabbed her coat and bag and headed for the door.
"I'm having the morning off tomorrow Gene, see you at lunch" Alex yelled as she left.
Gene sat there, tissue in hand, dazed from the sneeze and confused at what had just happened.