"You coming to the dinner -dance later?"
Nikki and Jack looked up from their paperwork at the Lyell's latest intern. Unusually, they had been given mature student this time.
"Do you want to come with me? You know – like a date."
Mandy continued, brightly.
The dinner-dance in question was a compulsory and dreaded annual event for most of the Lyell team, though Mandy seemed completely up for it. Jack had missed his first one last year, due to being poorly, so Nikki had gone with Leo.
"Er...no thanks, Mandy...I...er..." Jack began.
Mandy cut him off. "Actually, I was asking Nikki..."
Nikki sniggered. Jack should have known better really – Mandy was openly gay. However, Nikki was not.
After a short silence, it suddenly occurred to Nikki that Mandy appeared to think she was gay for some reason and was awaiting her answer. She looked up to see Jack watching intently. He knew she wasn't gay and was clearly amused by the unusual situation of another woman hitting on her. He wanted to see how she would deal with it.
"Er...Sorry..." She started.
Mandy sighed. "Don't tell me – you've already got a date!"
"Yeah, sorry!" Jack's face fell – a fact that didn't escape Nikki's notice.
Mandy waved her hand. "It's ok. No worries! I'm not surprised – gorgeous woman like you! You were bound to be taken!" She turned to leave. "Well, whoever it is – if they're ever stupid enough to dump you...you have my number! See you later, all."
Jack was sniggering now as Mandy left. Nikki turned and looked at him. "What's the matter, Jack, huh? You got a fetish for watching two women together or something?"
He stopped immediately and muttered, "No." He stared at the floor, sulkily as Nikki returned to her desk opposite him. "Hey, urm...you've got a date...?" He suddenly asked, clearly disappointed.
"Nope" Nikki responded, lightly. "Not yet!" She bent over her paperwork again.
"W...what...? Y...you said..." He stammered.
"Well, I didn't exactly want to go with Mandy, did I?" She exclaimed.
"But you have your eye on someone, don't you?" Clarissa commented, coming over. She had been listening to the conversations with keen interest."You're hoping somebody in particular will ask you.
Jack's face fell again as Nikki looked back up. "Mm-hm. Of course."
"Who?" He muttered.
Nikki sighed dramatically, standing up and walking towards Thomas's office, needing to ask him a question to do with her paperwork.. "Who do you think?" She answered, squeezing Jack's shoulder as she walked past. She looked back at him, caught his eye and smiled as she walked off.
Clarissa shook her head at his gaping mouth. "Oh, you are so slow!" She retorted, as Nikki came back.
Jack cleared his throat. "Urm...Nikki, will you go to the dinner-dance with me?"
She wrapped her arms around him and lightly kissed the top of his head. "Of course I will, Jack."
Clarissa chuckled. "Well done, Jack! You got there in the end!"