AN: I have to thank Cloe for her help on this one BIG TIME; for being my sounding board, helping me work out the details and in the process helping to undo my writers block. And the Doc, as always, for the little snippets she contributed here and there in the very beginning and encouraging my idea :)
Teaser
The restaurant is housed in an old bank. It's full of patrons and the background noise is a steady buzz of conversation and the tinkling of cutlery, glass ware and piano. The waiting staff are dressed in white shirts and black vests, ties and trousers. A young man indicates a table for two against the wall. He pulls Gillian's chair out for her and offers to take her stole. She thanks him with a smile and hands it over. He pushes her chair in for her too. Gillian looks around the decor; dark varnished wooden floors, deep forest green for the booths that clearly used to be private cubicles for bank staff and clients, and cream walls. There were framed black and white photographs of the original building, inside and out. She studies the one that hangs over where they sit. Then turns her attention to her dinner date. Cal looks back with raised eyebrows. "Finally here then."
Gillian gives him a smile. He's had a hair cut recently and he is in a suit, dark with white shirt, no tie, polished black shoes. He's even shaved. He looks great and he is trying so very hard. "I guess we are."
Cal fidgets in his seat and leaned forwards as if he has a secret to impart. He doesn't get a chance to say it before their waiter arrives again. Cal sits back abruptly.
"Can I bring you something to drink?"
Gillian looks to Cal. "Wine?" He suggests.
"Sure," she agrees. "Anything."
Cal picks up the wine menu and selects a bottle. He recites it to the waiter who gives a nod and takes the menu away as he leaves. Cal suddenly seems struck with realisation. "Is that all right?"
"The wine's fine."
"No, I didn't ask you if that was all right before I did it."
Gillian gives him an expression that is a cross between a laugh and a frown. "Don't worry about it. It's wine. It's not that big a deal."
"You're allowed to tell me off you know. You don't have to stop all of a sudden cos we're," and he waves a hand between them so she knows he is talking about them and everything that that implies.
Gillian, bordering on amused now, reaches out and places her hand over his on the table top. "Relax Cal. It's just dinner."
"It's dinner with implications."
"You're over thinking it."
"I don't want to screw it up."
The waiter comes back with the wine and Cal waves for him to just pour it; he doesn't need to try it first. The waiter tells them the specials and then politely mentions he'll be back in a few minutes to take their order. Gillian withdraws her hand to pick up her menu. She peruses over it. "And if you think I'm going to stop telling you off because we're dating, you've got another thing coming."
Cal gives her a delighted smirk she doesn't notice and picks his own menu up.
Exterior shot of Logan's. Night.
"It's getting so warm," Gillian notes, looking up at the clear sky.
"Yeah," Cal agrees eyeing up her figure in the little black dress.
"I'm looking forward to summer this year."
"Just this year?" Cal asks with raised eyebrows.
Gillian turns to him to retort when his new dark car pulls up and the valet steps out. Cal opens Gillian's door for her, then tips the valet and strides around to the driver's side. Once his car door is slammed shut Gillian speaks again. "You look really nice this evening."
Cal had turned to push his seatbelt into the catch but suddenly stops and looks up at her. "Thank you."
She gives him a smile, a genuine one, a flirty one and he grins back. "Also thank you for dinner."
"My pleasure."
"Don't be so nervous."
"When it comes to dating you, I find it hard not to be."
Gillian's hand comes to rest on his arm as Cal pushes the clip into the catch. She can feel his muscles bunch under his suit jacket. She gives his arm a little squeeze. "Just relax. We'll get used to dating."
Cal's car interior. Night.
Cal cuts the engine and turns to look at Gillian, who is watching him. "Want me to walk you to the door?"
"I think I can manage."
"If I don't, do I forfeit a goodnight kiss?"
"Absolutely not," Gillian leans towards him and he meets her to press lips against lips. Gillian gives a little sigh and kisses him just that little bit harder. Cal opens his mouth slightly against hers and Gillian's hand comes to rest along his jaw.
"I could definitely get used to this part." He gives her a disarming smile.
Gillian gives a slight laugh and leans in for another kiss just as her cell phone starts ringing in her purse. "Hold that thought," she tells him.
Cal gives a groan. "Or you could just not answer it," he tells her as she finds her phone.
She frowns at the number before answering. "Yes?"
Cal places a hand near the back of her neck, stroking the soft skin here.
"Yes this is she?"
From this tone of voice, he withdraws his hand and tries to catch her eye to silently ask what is wrong.
"Yes I'll be right there." She disconnects the call and turns to Cal with worry on her face.
"Who's in trouble?" He asks quickly.
Exterior hospital. Night. Continued.
Gillian approaches the emergency department reception desk in a bustling hospital front line department and impatiently waits for someone to give her some attention. It's not extremely busy but the nurse who is manning the desk is currently having a conversation with a man who is holding a bloodied handkerchief to the ring finger of his left hand. "I understand, Mr Carson, that you're in a whole world of pain," she speaks dryly. "But there are other priority cases ahead of yours right now. You're not going to bleed to death. I'll keep an eye on you and a doctor will be with you shortly."
Carson looks over at Gillian, then eyes her up quite blatantly. "She doesn't seem to be hurt at all."
The nurse gives him a withering stare while he isn't watching her. "Take a seat Mr Carson," the nurse tells him in a bored tone of voice. She has clearly been dealing with him for several hours. "Decided to cut his wedding ring off," the woman explains as she approaches where Gillian is waiting.
"That's one way to get rid of it," Cal quips. "I had to use soap, try and..." he trails off abruptly and ceases his demonstration at Gillian's sharp glare.
"I'm Doctor Foster, I'm looking for Ria Torres," Gillian speaks to the nurse who's name tag reads Maggie.
"Torres," the nurse muses. "Let me check." She types quickly on the chunky computer keyboard. "She's in exam room three with Doctor Anderson."
"Thank you," Gillian is polite. Cal saunters down the corridor after her while she moves rapidly in the direction the nurse has pointed out. He doesn't seem concerned much about the fact that one of their employees is in a hospital. When they reach the doorway Gillian hesitates.
"Are you going in?" Cal asks.
"I might wait out here for the doctor to finish," Gillian steps away again.
"She called you for a reason."
"But I don't know what that reason is for yet," Gillian tells him.
Cal gives a nod like he understands but it's clear he doesn't. He fidgets where he stands, a bundle of nervous energy.
"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," Gillian tells him.
Cal gives her a frown. "I'm offended by that. Course I'm gonna stay." He turns towards her and approaches. "What do you think of me?"
The exam room door opens and a man their height in blue scrubs emerges. He gives them an expectant expression. "I'm Doctor Foster," Gillian explains as she turns away from Cal. "Ria asked you to phone me."
"Right of course. You can go in and see her."
"What happened?" Cal asked. "Car accident?"
"No, it's more serious than that. Ms Torres was attacked."
Opening Credits