At already half past seven in the morning, the day was awfully bright. The sun-rays lit her room and she awoke, feeling warm and fuzzy. Gillian kicked back the bed-sheets, which rolled to the end of the bed, and stretched out her arms and legs with a low moan. She opened her eyes, smiling to herself, and walked out of bed and into the toilet. It was finally spring!!
Looking into the mirror, she stifled a chuckle and just giggled a little bit; her hair made her look like a Lion King character. Or, as if she had just got laid. She laughed to herself again. Come on, Gillian, cut it. You're single, which does not necessarily mean slutty.
Stripping off her clothes in a jiffy, she got into the shower and opened the window to let the natural light in, enjoying the morning breeze and the fragrance of the jasmine that grew on this side of the house. She breathed deeply and smiled again, humming as she let the water sweep over her body.
She couldn't believe how cheerful she actually was, being recently separated from Alec. She had thought it was going to be much harder… Three months seemed like such a little time!
Before she knew it, she was singing loudly: "I don't need a man to make me feel good… Hmmm… I don't need a ring around my finger, to make me feel complete…" She wondered for a second where she had actually got that, and remembered Emily had been singing that song the previous day.
Anyway, she was in such a good mood that she even started to dance around the shower, scrubbing her hair with shampoo over and over again. Gillian felt happy –really happy- for the first time in a long time. Spring was nice.
Half an hour later, she was ready to go. She looked in the mirror one last time: she was wearing a high-cut, knee-high purple skirt, a white sleeveless blouse, rather see-through, and a black belt at her waist. Her long, slim legs were accented by black heels.
Humming quietly, she walked out and over to her car, admiring the different kind of flowers that her neighbours had planted in their gardens. She gazed at her own lilies, right below the window-pane, and the beautiful orange colour caught her attention. She grabbed one and put it in her hair, which she had let grow out during the last few months.
Golden strands streaked her light caramel curls, which fell onto her shoulders in soft waves. She really had to admit she liked it… and she knew Cal did, too. She had noticed the way he had looked at her earlier in the week, the first time she had actually let it all down. His eyes had shown surprise, and yes, arousal. "Did you get your hair cut?" "Actually, I got my hair long" she had replied smugly, flipping it all to one side. Throughout the whole day, Cal had spent a lot of time staring at her, so today, with a flower on her head, she was pretty sure she would be getting not only his, but many men's attention.
She drove to the Lightman Group with a silly grin on her face, listening to the radio and appreciating all the blossoming plants everywhere. She remembered how during the winter everything was dead and gloomy, but now a new sense of joyfulness lingered atop it all…
She got out of her car and walked into the building with a renewed sense of confidence within her.
"Morning, Heidi" she greeted with a full-on smile.
"Morning, Dr. Foster! Happy Spring Day!"
Gillian replied, "Likewise!" and kept going. She came across Ria in the hallway, and the young protégé stared at her with surprise.
"Hey, boss" she exclaimed. "What's the occasion?"
Gillian stopped for a second and looked down at her outfit. She looked back up at Ria and grinned.
"It's spring time!"
Ria mumbled an understanding "oh!" and nodded, reflecting upon her own thoughts for a moment. "Uh" she started, still dumbfounded by Gillian's makeover, "I need you to check this for me. Um, whenever you can. It's on the Digg case".
Foster approached her and took the manila folder in a swift motion. Even her movements seemed more graceful now.
"Sure. I'll get back to you ASAP", she said as she continued down the corridor.
"Thank you!" Ria shouted over her shoulder and kept walking.
She popped her head into the lab and found Loker there, as she expected.
"Hey Eli" she said, eager to see his reaction. "Anything new?" Loker turned around and nearly had to pick his jaw up from the floor.
"Wow, uh, okay" he stammered. He shook his head as if trying to get a certain image out of his head. "Um, nothing new with the case and, you look smokin', if I may say".
"You may" she grinned. "You would've said it anyway, so I guess it doesn't really make a difference. Cal here yet?" she raised an eyebrow.
Loker chuckled.
"What do you think?" he swiveled in his chair and got back to work, while Gillian strode into her office, tossing her bag onto the couch only to keep going towards the office opposite hers.
"Knock knock" she called from outside the door. She heard Cal talking on the phone with Emily.
"Yes, love, I promise. Yes, I will. Hold on a sec- Come in, love" he cried to Gillian and got back on the phone. "Yes, I'm here. Okay, anything else you need?"
At this moment Foster stepped inside, and it would be a lie to say she didn't enjoy the moment Cal saw her. All kinds of different emotions went across his face, and for a few seconds he was not able to control them, for he was torn between talking to Emily –and staring at Gillian like a kid would stare at the shop window of a candy store.
She grinned happily, and he smiled back with a wink, going back to his daughter.
"Sorry, what? No, I just got distracted. What do you mean Gillian's here? No, it- Okay, yes, she has just arrived... Stop it or I won't be picking you up tonight. Fine. Love you too, bye".
"Happy Spring Day!" Gillian exclaimed merrily as soon as he hung up.
"Oh, that's the reason for the extravagant outfit" Cal teased, walking around his desk and over to her, waving his hand toward the huge orange lily on her head.
"Shut up, you love it".
He gave her a playful crooked smile.
"I do".
"You don't celebrate spring?" Gillian pouted jokingly.
Cal replied rather seriously, though still teasing her, in his thick and heavy British accent.
"I really don't get why you make such a fuss out of it. What's there to celebrate?"
"Seasons have changed!" she threw her hands up in the air. "The depression of winter is finally over" she beamed at him.
Cal just stared at her, a hint of a smile in his eyes.
"Don't you enjoy seeing how the flowers bloom and the birds sing?" she continued in a cheesy, novelistic fashion. At this, he laughed out loud, not taking his eyes off her.
"No, not really".
"Oh", Gillian made a sad face, pretending to be deeply bothered by his lack of interest. "I thought maybe you'd get your favorite partner a bouquet or something" she sighed.
Cal walked up to her until he was way into her personal space, and with his arms slack on his sides, he tilted his head, examining the bright accessory.
"Well, I haven't got any flowers like this to give you, but-"
"Just a kiss will be fine" Gillian cut him off.
At Cal's questioning eyes, she giggled nervously.
"I didn't mean that kind of kiss. I meant like, on the hand" she corrected herself.
"Would that be the equivalent of flowers?" he asked, frowning.
"Sort of?" she probed.
"So, you're telling me that, if a guy messes up, and he kisses you, he gets forgiveness as if he had sent you flowers?"
Gillian was not sure she understood what path this conversation was taking.
"Yeah, well –no. It depends".
"On the kiss?"
"On the flowers" she grinned, just to say the contrary.
"So let's say that a kiss on the hand would be the equivalent of one of these… Whatever you call that thing" he pointed to the lily.
Gillian chuckled.
"Okay, yeah".
And then Cal moved in even closer.
"But-"
She gasped almost inaudibly. He smiled.
"What… If I wanted to give you a really nice, big bouquet of red roses?"
Gillian pursed her lips, an embarrassed smile creeping up her face. Her cheeks were flushed with a strong pink.
Cal put a hand against the small of her back, and pulled her in, capturing her lips in a deep, yet soft kiss. Gillian closed her eyes, unable to believe what was happening. He wrapped his other arm around her waist and held her tight; she was kissing back.
Just when she was getting into it, Cal pulled away.
"No-" Gillian protested with sad eyes. "That was a really really nice bouquet!".
Cal pecked her lips, and winked at her once more.
"That's what you get for coming to work all done up like that. Happy Spring Day!"
As Gillian watched him walk away from the office, she couldn't help but think, she might just wear the same outfit a few more times.