Cal knocks on the door to Gillian's office before poking his head into the room.
"Busy, love?" Gillian looks up from the paperwork in front of her and shakes her head, a small smile forming on her lips as she looks at Cal.
"No, not right now. What do you need?" Cal steps into the office and closes the door behind him before walking closer to Gillian's desk.
"Was wonderin' if you had any plans for Valentine's day?" Gillian frowns and shakes her head.
"Besides avoiding everywhere my ex husband might be? No." Gillian sighs and looks at Cal.
"Why?"
"Would you be interested in having dinner that night?" A slight smile creeps back onto Gillian's lips and she nods.
"Sure, what did you have in mind?"
"Just something casual. Jeans and a nice shirt." Cal smiles.
"I'll pick you up at six, yeah?" Gillian nods and smiles.
"Okay, I'll see you at six on Sunday." Cal smiles and makes his way out of Gillian's office before turning and smiling at her.
"Don't stay too late, love." Gillian smiles.
"I won't." Cal leaves Gillian's office and whistles on the way back to his own office, planning to get his things and leave for the night
---
Gillian frowns as she pulls on a green sweater before throwing it across the room and trying a red button up top. She tosses that shirt across the room along with five other ones as well as a couple pairs of jeans before settling on dark skinny jeans and a pink cable knit Polo sweater over a white button up shirt. She pulls on a pair of knee high, broken in, black leather riding boots before running her fingers through her hair and going downstairs as the doorbell rings. Gillian opens the door and smiles at Cal.
"Hey…" Cal smiles back at Gillian.
"Hey yourself." Gillian looks over Cal, taking in his long sleeve Chelsea polo shirt hidden under his worn black leather jacket that paired well with his dark jeans and worn leather shoes.
"I feel a bit over dressed now." Cal shakes his head and grins.
"You look great, love." Gillian blushes and laughs.
"Uhm, let me get my purse and we'll go." Gillian steps into the kitchen and grabs her purse before stepping out with Cal and locking her door.
"So where are we going?"
"Well, I made reservations for us at Art and Soul and got tickets to a show afterwards."
"How'd you manage to do that on such short notice? You just asked me yesterday."
"Figured you'd say yes." Cal grins and opens the door to his car for Gillian. He shuts the door once she gets in, getting in on his side of the car before starting the engine. Cal drives them to the restaurant and parks the car before taking Gillian inside. He walks to the host's stand and smiles at the woman standing there.
"Reservation for Lightman."
"Okay…" The hostess crosses Cal's name off of the list before handing two menus to a waiter next to her.
"Table 30 please.
"Mark's going to be your waiter this evening, and just follow him to your table." Cal nods and wraps an arm around Gillian as they follow the young man in front of them. Once they get to the table Cal pulls out Gillian's chair for her before pushing it in once she sits down. He sits down in his own chair before thanking the waiter as he hands them their menus.
"Can I get you anything to drink?"
"Gill?"
"Uhm…Red wine…merlot please."
"Okay and for you sir?"
"Scotch…on the rocks…"
"Any particular brand sir?"
"Glenlivet…18 year please." Mark nods and smiles.
"I'll be back in a moment with your drinks." Cal nods and looks up once the young man disappears.
"What sounds good, darling?"
"Hmmm." Gillian looks up and shrugs with a small smile on her face.
"It's hard to choose." Gillian looks back down at her menu and sighs softly as she scans over her choices.
"I think for an appetizer I'm going to get the beer steamed mussels…and the Caesar salad to go with the veal chop…do you want to split a side of fried green tomatoes?"
"Fried green what?"
"Fried green tomatoes…you've never had them before?"
"Can't say I've even heard of them, love."
"Well then we're definitely getting them, and I'll have to make you mine sometime." Gillian grins and winks before closing her menu.
"What about you? What are you going to get to eat?"
"I think I'll get that appetizer and salad and the Prime Strip Loin for my entrée." Gillian smiles and looks up when Mark comes back over, setting Cal's drink in front of him before setting Gillian's glass in front of her before filling it with dark red liquid. He puts the cork back into the bottle and smiles at the couple.
"Have you guys decided on anything yet?"
"I think we're actually ready to order completely."
"Okay, what can I get for you?"
"We need two orders of the beer steamed mussels, and two of the Caesar salads, and she will have the Veal Chop cooked medium and I'll have the Prime Strip, medium as well…and apparently we're splitting a side of fried green tomatoes."
"Okay, so two orders of mussels, two Caesar salads, a medium Veal Chop, and a medium Prime Strip, as well as a split order of fried green tomatoes?"
"Sounds good."
"Okay, we'll have the appetizers out soon, would you like your salads with your entree or between the appetizer and entrée?"
"With please."
"Alright." Mark smiles before leaving with the bottle of wine in his hand. Cal looks at Gillian and smiles.
"How have you been doing, love? We haven't talked much lately."
"I've been doing fine…I've been dealing…" Gillian smiles.
"Figure if I can make it past the first Valentine's day I can make it past anything."
"You're a strong woman darling…and you've got me…a whole support system of people…" Gillian nods and smiles, taking a drink of her wine.
"There's small things I miss…that really aren't small things but by that time they had become small things…you know what I mean?"
"Not really…" Gillian laughs and shakes her head as she takes another drink.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this."
"Cause you trust me. So trust me and maybe we can work this out."
"Like…the sex…" Gillian looks around and sighs softly.
"By the time we got divorced we'd had sex…twice…it had become a completely useless thing in our relationship…but I miss it. Yet I didn't really miss it then."
"Ah yes, the absent sex that suddenly bashes you in the head when there's no one to get it from…" Cal laughs and takes a sip of his drink as Mark sets down their appetizers.
"Can I get you guys anything else?"
"No we're good, thank you though." Gillian smiles and sets her glass down before scooting closer to the table.
"These look amazing." Cal nods in agreement before starting to eat along with Gillian.
"Mmm they taste just as good." Gillian nods enthusiastically quickly cleaning out all of the shells before laughing.
"Super good." Cal grins and finishes up his last few shells before looking up as Mark comes over with a tray, their dishes on it. He clears their dirty dishes before setting down their food.
"More wine?" Gillian nods and smiles.
"Please that sounds great."
"What about you sir?" Cal nods as well and Mark smiles.
"Okay I'll be right back." Mark swipes Cal's glass off the table before leaving with the dishes. He comes back a moment later with a fresh glass of amber liquid and a wine bottle, filling Gillian's glass. He retreats quickly and Gillian smiles as she grabs a tomato and dips it in the sauce before taking a bite.
"Mmm these are super good!"
"Is that your new phrase? Super good?"
"Yep." Gillian laughs and holds a bite out to Cal.
"Try. Now."
"Demanding little thing." Cal takes the tomato from Gillian and tosses it into his mouth. He munches on it and smiles.
"Those are good."
"Told you. See what you've been missing in life?" Gillian smiles before starting to eat.
---
"Can I interest you guys in dessert?" Gillian's eyes light up at the mention of dessert and Cal laughs and nods.
"That sounds great…"
"What can I get for you?"
"Chocolate…we'll split it." Mark nods and smiles before disappearing. Cal smiles at Gillian.
"So dessert than this show…what show is it?"
"Some Michael…Bubbley guy or somefink like that."
"Michael Buble!?"
"Yeah that's it."
"Cal! How did you get tickets to Michael Buble?"
"Never you mind, love." Cal smiles and finishes his drink before Mark brings over their dessert and sets it down between them, two forks on the plate.
"Our chocolate stout pudding cake."
"Looks great." Mark nods and leaves letting them enjoy the dessert. Cal digs his fork in before scooping out a bite and feeding it to Gillian.
"Good?"
"Oh my god…so good." Gillian feeds Cal a bite and smiles as she watches his face.
"See, it is good."
"Very darling." Cal smiles and works through the dessert with Gillian before paying the check. He helps Gillian out of her chair before walking out of the restaurant with her.
"Good dinner darling?"
"It was an amazing dinner Cal…Best Valentines dinner I've had in a long time." Gillian smiles and gets in the car with Cal.
"So where is this at?"
"You'll see." Cal smiles and drives for a while before parking at a local piano bar. He gets out and holds a hand out to Gillian before walking inside with her. He gives the doorman twenty dollars before tugging Gillian through the crowd to the front. He looks down at her once they get there.
"Thirsty?"
"I could drink a beer…"
"Okay I'll be right back." Cal smiles and leaves Gillian returning a bit later with two plastic cups of beer, handing one over to Gillian.
"Here you go love."
"Thank you." Gillian smiles and takes a drink of the beer before looking at the stage.
"What time is this supposed to start?"
"Bout ten minutes." Gillian looks away from the lit piano and at Cal before licking her bottom lip.
"Why are you doing all of this?"
"Doing all of what? Dinner…this…all of today…"
"Just because you're not in a relationship doesn't mean that you shouldn't be allowed to celebrate Valentine's Day." Cal settles an arm on the back of Gillian's chair and smiles.
"Yeah?" Gillian nods and smiles.
"Thanks."
"No problem, love." Cal smiles with his teeth before looking up at the stage as Michael Buble walks out.
---
Gillian smiles as she looks at Cal as they stand outside of her door.
"I had an amazing time tonight Cal…it was something I really needed." Cal nods and shifts his weight slightly.
"I had a good time too love." Gillian leans into her door, her hand on the handle.
"Wanna come in for a night cap?"
"You trying to get me drunk and take advantage of me, hmm?"
"Not at all." Gillian giggles and unlocks the door before walking in with Cal. She shuts the door and flips her kitchen light on.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom real quick, okay?"
"Sure love." Gillian smiles and hangs her purse up along with her jacket before going upstairs and using the restroom. She washes her hands before going to her bedroom, gasping when she flips her light on and finds a large bouquet of lilies propped up against her pillows. She walks closer to the flowers and reaches down, fingering an orange petal then a white one before picking all of the flowers up and reading the tag attached to them. She grins widely before setting them back down and going downstairs. Gillian smiles at Cal as she leans in the doorway to the kitchen.
"You are such a big liar." Cal looks up from the paper at Gillian and looks at her with wide innocent eyes.
"I have no idea what you're talking about love."
"You're the only other person who has a key to my house besides me…and I didn't put the fifty lilies on my bed…so I can only deduce that you hired someone to put them there and planned to work your way into my bed tonight." Cal grins as he stands up. He folds the paper up and tosses it on the paper.
"Guilty love." Cal walks over to Gillian and puts his hands onto her hips. He strokes her hips with his thumbs softly and licks his bottom lip as he sighs softly.
"Made a resolution this year to finally tell you how I felt…thought I should keep it this time." Gillian smiles as she wraps her arms around Cal's neck, unshed tears glistening in her eyes.
"And tell me Dr. Lightman…how do you feel?"
"Like I'd be lost at sea without you love…" Cal looks into Gillian's eyes and then down to her lips before looking back up.
"Can't help but love you…" Gillian smiles as a tear leaks down her cheek. She presses herself up onto her tippy toes and smooshes her lips to Cal's, kissing him slowly and softly. She pulls back after a moment and smiles at him, another tear following the earlier one.
"I love you too." Cal smiles at Gillian and kisses her again.
"So…did I make it into your bed darling?"
"I'd say you bought yourself a whole side." Gillian laughs and pulls Cal to her room by his shirt.
"Such a liar."