So this was an idea that I got at work due to thinking up one line and I basically stopped what I was doing just to write down this one line before I forgot it.
I hope you like this.
Wedding Date
When John got up this morning and walked to his local café, he would never have believe the day he would have if someone had told him what was going to happen to him.
It had become something that he did. On his Saturday off, he would spend the day in his comfy clothes and treat himself to a full English breakfast, cooked for him. He looked forward to it each time. It got him through the busy shifts.
John was glad that it was his weekend off. He was just going to relax all weekend, maybe find something to binge watch. There were loads of shows that his patients or their parents would ask if he had watched and he would tell them that he hadn't because he didn't get the time.
He ordered his breakfast and sat down at the table with a cup of tea. It was just going to be a relaxing day.
That was until a woman entered the café, ordered a bacon sandwich and then sat at his table. John looked around as she got herself comfortable. There were quite a few empty tables, she could have sat at any of those. She looked rather dressed up to be sitting in the cafe she was in.
"Sorry, you don't mind me sitting here do you." She said.
"No not at all." He said, trying to keep his manners in check.
He watched her look around the room before she moved up and seat to sit opposite him. John turned when his number was called and smiled down at the breakfast in front of him.
"Could I ask a favour?"
He looked up at her. "Okay? What type of favour?"
She took a deep breath. "Please stop me at any time if I have got the wrong end of the stick and you are married or in a relationship of some kind. But other than the fact that you are devilishly handsome, too handsome that I would expect someone of your age to be. You are the only person here that would make my step-mum go ballistic but that I approve of. I need a date for this wedding and you look as though you could do with having a good time."
John blinked a few times. "Sorry?"
"My step-mum keeps going on about how I never have a boyfriend and how I won't settle down so I may have made up a boyfriend, which was okay, I had a friend that was planning to play my boyfriend. But he has just bailed on me." She explained
"So you want me to go to a wedding with you so that you have a boyfriend but you also want to cheese off your step-mum at the same time."
"Exactly."
John eat part of his breakfast as her number was called. He took the time to take her in. She was very beautiful but it would take him away from his day of doing nothing, that he was looking forward to. He would have to go and make small talk to people he didn't know with a person he didn't know.
"Couldn't you tell her that your boyfriend had to work last minute?"
"I had to do that last time. Please, I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate."
"You are that desperate to ask a random guy off the street."
"Looking it's not like it is our wedding. I just need a date."
There was something about her that made him actually want to go. He supposed that her proposal wasn't too bad.
"Fine. I will go with you."
She smiled widely at him. "I hope you live close by."
"Why?"
"Because you need to change."
John looked down at his pink t-shirt and tartan trousers. "I suppose you have a point."
He watched her as she looked around his flat. Her attention was immediately drawn to his collection of books. He had always enjoyed a good book and over the years his collection had expanded so much that his friends used to joke that he could probably run a library.
"Aren't you going to get changed?" She asked.
"Why have you gone straight to the books?" He asked as he walked towards his bedroom.
"English teacher. I think I have made the right choice. You have good taste."
"Glad I have that approval."
"We need to come up with a story to how we met." She shouted to him.
"Okay, you can make that up."
"Books. We can go on the books. A book club maybe?" She said as she entered his bedroom.
John was quite glad that he had got his trousers on and done up most of the buttons on his shirt by that point.
"I have heard about something on the internet. Where you send books to each other. We decided to meet up instead because we both lived in London." He offered.
She sat down on his bed before hold her hand out. "Clara Oswald, 28, English Teacher. Originally from Blackpool but moved away to get away. Wanted to travel but the time has never been right."
He finished up the buttons on his purple shirt before taking her hand. "John Smith, 58, Doctor. Originally from Glasgow but moved away because of better job opportunities."
"Very nice to met you John."
He picked his coat up out of the wardrobe and put it on. "Is this alright?" He asked.
"You look like a magician but it will do. Come on. We don't want to be late."
John smiled to himself. There definitely goes his day of doing nothing.
John was happy that he grabbed his Ray-Bans as he left. He looked over at Clara as they walked up the path towards the church.
"Didn't have you down as someone to own a motorbike." He said.
"It surprises most people. It is just easier to get around London on."
"That was my first time on one."
"Enjoy it?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Yeah, I did."
"Clara. So glad you are here. We thought you were going to be late." Someone said, running up towards them.
"Sorry, took a little detour on the way." She said as she hugged the girl.
"Is this the man that Linda has been telling everyone about?" Her friend said looking at John.
Clara looked over at him. "Not exactly. But this is John, my boyfriend."
"Boyfriend? Clara, he looks old enough to be your dad."
Clara laughed as she held onto his arm. John looked down at her and realised that actually that comment wasn't wrong. She had said that she was 28. He was 30 years older than her. He could very well be her father.
"You know me. I always liked an older man."
"You should probably get in. I think she will here soon. Your dad and Linda are on the left hand side."
Clara pulled on John's arm pulling him towards the church.
"She does have a point." He muttered.
"And I have always liked an older man. John, don't think that I chose you because you were the most approachable in that café. There was a biker that looked a hell of a lot more approachable."
"Then why did you chose me? I thought I was just here to cheese off your step-mum."
"Can't I find you attractive as well? You look like the sort of guy that I could have a good time with. Relax John. I wanted a guy that I could hold a conversation with. Maybe I could ask why you went along with my proposal. You must have had some plans today."
"Well a beautiful woman asked me and my plan for today was only to do as very little as possible. I don't actually get out a lot, being a Doctor and all that. Maybe you were right when you said I look as though I need a good time."
"Good, we can both get through this wedding together." Clara said smiling up at him.
John shook his head at her as the entered the church and sat down, not by Clara's dad or step-mum. She told him that she would save him that until the reception.
It wasn't as bad as John thought it was. As soon as Clara mentioned that he was a doctor, all questions turned to his profession rather than them going out. He watched her as she smiled up at him, with some sort of pride. He had no idea what she was thinking but part of him wondered if she felt proud to call him her boyfriend, even if it was just for a day.
"Okay, they are coming over." Clara said as the people they were talking to moved on.
"Clara. It is good to see you. We did wonder where you were during the ceremony." Her dad said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"We were running a little late so we just sat at the back." She explained.
"Is this him?" Linda asked.
John removed one of his hands from his pockets. "Doctor John Smith." He said, introducing himself.
"A doctor?" Her dad said, surprised.
"A Paediatrician."
He watched as father and daughter shared a look and John thought that he had his approval. Maybe his age didn't matter to him, just someone that would be able to look after his daughter. He wanted to shake his head. He didn't need his approval. It wasn't like they were going out.
The woman, who John suspected was Clara's step-mum, looked uncomfortable. "How old are you?" She asked.
"58. I do understand it is a bit of a gap."
"Dave, that is a couple of years old than you." She said in a hushed tone.
John looked over at Clara and she rolled her eyes at him before smiling. He knew then that he had helped her complete her mission of making her go ballistic.
"Shall I get us some drinks?" John offered before Dave could say anything.
"I'll help you." Clara said, pulling him away.
John tried to keep his balance as she pulled him though the crowd by the elbow of his jacket. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her towards him to slow her down.
"I think you were right." He whispered to her once they were out of earshot.
"Right about what?"
"That I would make your step-mum go ballistic."
She giggled next to him. "Oh, I am going to be hearing about this for a long time."
"But it will be worth it, won't it?"
Clara looked up at him. "Yeah, it will."
John didn't now whether to smile or groan when they went to sit down at their table to see Clara's dad and step-mum already sitting there. He supposed that they would be put together but had hoped that they might have been placed with some of her friends.
He was doing his best to be polite for Clara but he wasn't used to too many people. It was the only reason he worked with children. Most adults were idiots in his mind. But not Clara. Clara wasn't an idiot.
"We never got to talk more." Her dad said.
"No we didn't." Clara said.
"So how did you two meet?"
"There was this internet book club where you send books to each other. As we were both in London and quite close, we thought it was best to met up." John explained.
"He has quite the collection." Clara said.
"You do enjoy the classics. I would have thought you would have more a contemporary taste but it is refreshing to have someone so interested in the classics." He added.
"Likewise."
John smiled at her. Clara Oswald was something else. He had never had any interest in anyone before. There was one girl but in the end they wanted different things and their careers were taking them in different directions.
Clara smiled back at him. He wondered what she was thinking. Whether she was enjoying his company as much as he was enjoying hers. He lifted his arm up and placed it on the back of her chair.
He watched as her step-mum shifted in her seat. Part of him wondered whether her step-mum just wanted her to have a nice, reliable guy to depend on. Clara was 28. Most people would be thinking about settling down at that age to start a family. He couldn't understand why Clara couldn't have any guy that she wanted.
"You said you were a Paediatrician." Her step-mum said.
"Yes." He confirmed.
"Why a Paediatrician?"
"I studied medicine and want to help children. Plus I find children much easier to get along with. A child doesn't believe that they know it all and are happy to listen to me as I explain what is making them ill and what I will do to help them. They are more interested about that. The parents." He rolled his eyes. "They are just worried about how long it will take and whether I can make their 'little darling' better. What they don't realise is that when their child is put into my care, it is because I am one of the best and I will use everything available to me to make them better."
She opened her mouth but was stopped as by a tap of a glass. The speeches were starting and John really didn't care what they had to say. He still turned in the direction of the head table, just out of politeness. He felt her leant against him.
"If you want another reason why I chose you than one of those bikers. I thought you would have an answer for everything."
John smiled. "I usually do."
"I'm glad I chose you."
He turned to her. "I'm glad you chose me as well."
One day with Clara Oswald. One event with Clara Oswald. John didn't want the day to end. He didn't want Clara Oswald to drop him off at his flat later that night. Or maybe the taxi by the amount she had already drunk. There was something about Clara Oswald.
John turned back to the top table and smiled. Even if it was just one day with her, he would treasure it forever.
"You look cold." John said as he placed her jacket around her shoulders.
"Thanks, it just got a little too warm in there."
"Warm? It's boiling in there and loud. God, that music is too loud. I can't hear myself think. You can even hear it out hear."
Clara started laughing. "I saw you talking to my dad."
"He was just making sure I was looking after you. I may have told him about the reason why I am here but then I told him that I would be a very lucky guy if I was with you."
"What did he say to that?"
"He just laughed. Told me that it sounded like something that you would do. I do think that if I was your boyfriend, I think I may have passed his test."
"Why does every boy think he has to go through some test?"
"Because there is. Your father is like every other father, has extremely high expectations as to the guys you are allowed to go out with." He paused. "Thank you for choosing me."
"You looked completely distraught by the idea when I first proposed it to you this morning."
"I had a day planned of doing very little. It's what I do on my weekend off. My job is just so fasted paced that when I get five minutes to myself, I just like to enjoy it. You took me away from that."
"But you are glad that I did?"
"Yeah. It has been a great day."
Clara smiled at him. "Maybe I should have explained this earlier but, we are quite far from London so I booked myself into a hotel because I knew I would be in no state to drive back."
"Are you asking me to come back with you?"
"We are meant to be together."
John smiled at her. Maybe the alcohol had made him a little braver but he found himself leaning in at the same time Clara did. Their lips locked and he was just vaguely aware that his jacket had fallen off her shoulders as he tried to pull her closer.
If it was only for a day, he was sure that this was the best day of his life.
John walked down the corridor towards his next patient. He had been on his feet for most of the day and was just looking forward to going home and collapsing on his bed. It had been a long hard week of insane length shifts. The only thing that was getting him through was the thought of the weekend that he had with Clara.
He really wished that he had thought about it more and exchanged numbers with her. She was perfect and he had let her go. At least he had one day with her.
He shock off his mood and tried to look as happy as he possibly could when he walked into the room. The explained to the child and her parents than she was on course for a great recovery and that it shouldn't be too long before she is allowed home bearing in mind she keeps taking her medicine. The girl smiled widely up at him and he was reminded why he wanted this job.
John left the room on more of a high than when he entered. He walked over to the reception to hand over a file, it was some appointment that he had made earlier in the day but hadn't processed properly. Technology wasn't his strong point.
"John?"
His face lit up. "Clara. What are you doing here?" He said as he walked towards her.
"I wanted to see you again. Oh my stars, you look exhausted."
He nodded. "I can't wait to get off in ..." He looked at the clock behind him. "Three, four hours, depending on what sort of night it is going to be. I love the job but sometime it does just take the mick."
Clara smiled at him. "Maybe I should just give you my number and then you can call me when you feel up for going out."
John stared at her. "Can you walk with me?"
"Sorry? Are you busy? I can come another time."
"I am sure you can walk and talk. It's fine, you might stop me from looking like a zombie."
Clara giggled as she fell into step with him. "My dad asked me whether they would be seeing you again. I could just hear Linda arguing that it was a bad idea. He seemed to really like you."
"It was because I passed his test and I said it was only for one day."
"I do actually think he liked you. Anyway you made the day really special. I thought it was going to be another day of watching a friend get married and then the question of when I was going to get married would come up, but it wasn't. I really enjoyed the day and I really enjoyed you company."
John held the door to his office open for her and she gave him a smile as she entered.
"I really enjoyed your company as well." He said, falling into the sofa.
"When is your next day off?" She asked.
John blinked. "Tuesday and technically Wednesday but that is only because I am on the night shift."
"I can do Tuesday night."
He smiled at her. "Then it is a date."
"Yeah." She said in agreement.
He flung himself up off the sofa and picked up his phone off the desk. "Maybe we should exchange numbers. Plan it properly."
Clara took his phone off of him and typed in her number before sending herself a text. "I will be looking forward to it."
He couldn't stop himself from smiling at her. "I will sleep all day Tuesday to make sure I am awake for it."
John took his phone back off her and kept smiling when she told him that she would let him get on. He probably had better things to do than talk to her. He could have told her that he would like nothing more than talk to her but he still had quite a few patients to check on. Anyway, she probably had some marking to do.
He sat back down on the sofa before saving her number properly. He would enjoy seeing more of Clara Oswald. He thanked everything for that weekend and he was sure that it would be the start of something special.