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Chapter 2: Rules of Attraction
Their chosen eatery turned out to be a quaint little place, tucked away from the New York bustle along a small walkway. They'd left the SUV nearly ten minutes away, allowing a short walk to their destination in the early evening twilight; the Manhattan streets having quietened only slightly between the work crowd leaving the city for home, and the night's party-goers venturing out in force to celebrate the weekend. The restaurant was lit with tiny white fairy lights surrounding the large glass windows either side of the door, projecting a romantic aura outwards with a fenced-off outdoor area lit with lanterns. On a nicer night it would have been a lovely place to sit and unwind after a long day, and Stella loved it already before even stepping inside.
She managed to sneak a look at her friend as she caught sight of the place, wondering if he'd known that this place would be so... couple-y. His expression gave nothing away as he met her questioning gaze, moving his hand to the small of her back as he guided her ahead of him through the door. Tables were spread throughout the space in an uncrowded, relaxed manner, allowing space and privacy to their occupants as they ate. A young woman showed them in, delivering the pair to a booth in one corner then disappearing with their drinks order. Choosing the house speciality - herbal tea - over anything alcoholic, Stella took the oppurtunity to tease Mac over his unadventurous choice of black coffee, offering a sip of hers in the form of a dare.
Chuckling at her, Mac held her emerald gaze as he brought her tea cup to his mouth, the pretense that he'd never tried herbal tea before happened to be amusing Stella greatly.
A playful Mac Taylor was a sight to behold.
Stella prayed that stray thought hadn't brought a tell-tale blush to her cheeks as she scolded herself for having a dirty mind. He was her friend, and thoughts like the ones she couldn't shake right now were so not allowed. Their meals were placed in front of them before she realised Mac had ordered two more of the teas; her cup looking suspiciously shallow.
"You liked the tea then?" She laughed, promptly stealing the tall mug of untocuhed coffee that sat next to him in retaliation.
"It's very good. I assume the coffee is also -" Mac gestured with his left hand to the drink now clasped in her right, an amused eyebrow raised at her theivery.
Rewarding him with a full toothed grin, she returned the mug to the side of his bowl of noodles with a respectable half left and tucked in to her kung pow chicken. "So..." Stella began, waiting until he fixed his sea-grey eyes on hers before she continued. "You remember that bet you made with Danny a few years ago? Whether Lindsey would eat that deep-fried taranchella?"
His sharp mind only took a moment to remember the incident, a fond smile lighting his face as he nodded. "I remember being twenty dollars richer that day. Wasn't that night the one you dragged me to that movie -" He stopped, brows knitting together as he tried to fathom the title.
"One of the Batman movies, I think." She supplied for him, stealing another sip of his coffee in liu of the second round of teas that had yet to arrive. She laughed whole-heartedly as she recounted the mission of convincing him to accompany her to the theatre and then to see the latest popular super-hero movie alongside the hordes of teenagers and couples on a Saturday night. At the time he'd even admitted to enjoying the film, although the few times they'd returned to the theatre for movies since, he'd always managed to bargin his way out of her choices with bribes of dinner or drinks afterwards. Stella had no qualms about admitting to herself the added extras were well worth the sacrifice of a film choice. "Sometimes I wonder how you survive conversations with Flack, what with all the pop culture you expose yourself to, Mac."
"I sense sarcasm in your tone, Stella." He deadpanned, an air of flirtation about him that she convinced herself she'd imagined as his low voice invoked the familiar more-than-friendly stirrings in her. He turned to smile at the young waitress as she set their drinks down in the centre of the small table, before his ocean-grey eyes settled back on her face again.
She shot him an amused smile in response, finishing the last of her chicken before cradling the chinese tea cup in her hands. " Well, Danny seems to think that he knows you better than I do," Stella explained, telling herself to stop enjoying having his full attention as he continued to stare at her, his curiousity clear in his expression. "So we have a bet going that involves your... participation."
Obviously torn between hiding his interest and asking where she was going with this, Mac answered with only the slightest hint of trepidation; "Should I be concerned with your's and Danny's use of the lab's time?"
Stella hid her mischivous grin behind her tea cup, almost glad she was about to spring this information on him unexpectedly as a form of getting her own back. "Danny is convinced that you couldn't be persuaded to leave behind your blues and greys for a day and wear a slightly... more vibrant colour to work."
"A more vibrant colour..." Mac replied, as if sounding the words out would make them more clearer in their meaning.
Stella watched his reaction, relief at the forefront of her amusement as she determined that he hadn't taken the light-hearted bet as an attack on his dress sense and more surprisingly, hadn't immediatly shot down the spot of fun they'd essentially decided on at his expense. "Pink."
"Danny would be correct in his assessment there, Stell."
The playfulness of the conversation caused her brain to lapse in judgement enough that she was dangerously close to pouting at that. "I bet him that I could persuade you to wear a pink shirt to work for one day, Mac. One day. I don't want to lose."
Mac chuckled at her, his deep laugh resonating in the quietness of the restaurant and causing her smile to widen. "You never have, Stell. The problem is I don't own a pink shirt."
"I was going to buy you one as a gift - that store you like so much is open 'til nine tonight."
He laughed again, his hand brushing hers accidently as he passed her the dessert menu without asking the question of whether she wanted dessert or not. "You've actually planned this all out, haven't you?"
Stella grinned, allowing her fondness for her best friend show as she placed her right hand on his forearm, staying silent in the hopes he'd been swayed.
"What were the terms of this bet?"
"Fifty each, then Flack bet another fifty."
"Flack was involved as well?"
She shook her head, dark curls tumbling each which-way. "He walked in on the conversion."
"And which way did he bet?"
Her smile was gentle, her eyes sparking with mirth as she responded. "Don seemed to think I could persuade you to side with me."
She'd really not meant to sound so flirtacious, but the words left her lips before her brain fully processed their full connotations. Mac didn't respond, only a small smile adorning his features as his serious gaze studied her without subtlty. Times like these Stella had to rein in the feelings that surfaced whenever his intelligent eyes settled on her with such intensity; times when she wondered if he ever thought about the possibility of them being more than friends - whether it was something that had ever crossed his mind. Given that she'd spent the first two years she'd known him over-thinking her every conversation with him for fear of letting slip that she was incredibly attracted to him, before he became a collegue as well as her best friend and she forced professional ethics between her consious feelings and how she felt about him. Those first two years she'd fallen so hard and so fast for him that she was convinced she'd have to sever their friendship before her happily married friend found out the truth. It seemed unfair that she'd harboured these feelings for the duration of their friendship on a level that wavered between the consious and the subconsious, and Mac Taylor may not have even pondered the idea of a relationship with them.
Her bright mood suddenly took a nose-dive, melancoly creeping over her without permission.
"Were shades of pink discussed?"
Stella snapped out of her thoughts, looking blankly at him before processing what he'd asked in mock-seriousness. Longing for the man sitting across from her was stamped down as she laughed genuinely at his quiet humour. "A pink of your choice, Mac."
His chuckle warmed her lonely heart a little and she suddenly realised his right hand now sat next to hers in the centre of the table, his thumb brushing softly across the back of her hand so gently she wondered if he was aware he was doing it. "And if I agree to encourage this misuse of the lab's time, what do I get out of it?"
For her part, Stella tried desperatly to keep that comment in context, away from any thoughts of possible innuendo intended. "Did you have something in mind?"
He shot her what could only be described as a mischevious smile in response. "I may have an idea."