"Five years ago; he went to Llanview University."
"Cool I went to Llanview University five years ago." "Maybe I met him before?"
"Here is a picture of him with his wife Marcie." John takes a picture out of his wallet and hands it to Natalie.
She stares at the picture for a second. "He looks vaguely familiar; maybe I had a class with him or seen him at Viper." Natalie hands John back his picture.
Gigi returns with the pairs drinks and sees the picture. "Nice family." Maybe Natalie will be in a family photo with John one day. She sets down the drinks and goes to the next booth to wait on two new customers.
"He visited Ultra Violet a lot, said it was the college hang out." "Michael also had a nickname back in college…" "Med boy." John laughs.
Med boy; I know him well sort of we used to all go to Ultra Violet and unwind." Oh he mentioned he had a brother who was very uptight." Natalie looks at John.
"I was uptight having to raise him along with my sister when my father died and my mother needed our help." The atmosphere suddenly changed.
"Oh I am so sorry about that." "I was kidnapped as at the age of two but luckily I was rescued and brought home a year later along with my brother Rex."
"Really that must have been very difficult for your parents." John sips his glass of whiskey.
"It was and I met a new friend in the process." Natalie sips her whiskey too.
John gives her a questioning look.
"Well when I was taken I was given to a woman named Roxy and although people seem to think she is a little crazy I think she is just misunderstood." Natalie sips her drink some more. "Roxy had no idea that I was kidnapped, so when they had given me to her; she was ecstatic to finally have a daughter she spent all her time looking after me and my brother Rex and barely watched television." "Here is a little side note; my brother Rex was kidnapped too but his story is a little different from mine." "See my mother was told she had lost the baby during birth; my father had been away on a business trip when she went into labor, anyways my mother found out that her baby had not died and went on a search to find him. " "Only problem is that the doctors and nurses who were there during her giving birth were gone but my mother never gave up on her search." "Are you keeping up?"
"Yes I am." John shakes his head and continues to sip his whiskey.
"My family tried their hardiest to make sure that none of their children would be kidnapped again and went to extreme measures; only problem was that a man maybe you have heard of him Mitch Lawrence is a leader of this cult and has many follows." John nods his head yes. "When my parents hired bodyguards and nannies to look after us; there is Kevin, Joey, Cord, Jessica, Rex, and me but a few were members of his cult and decided to kidnap me but not my twin sister Jessica."
"You have a twin." John could not believe that there are two of this beautiful woman walking around Llanview.
"My fraternal twin but gorgeous all the same." "So when I was kidnapped I was brought to Roxy who had thought that her died baby was Rex and that I was an orphan." "So she raised me for a few months and I was brainwashed into thinking she was my mother." "Finally Uncle Bo found some evidence that lead him to my brother and I." "During the trial my mother found out a big surprise; Rex was her long lost son, he was five by then and that Roxy had cared for both of us with no knowledge that we were abducted." "Roxy was cleared and my mother made her Rex and mine godmother and she has been a part of our lives since." Natalie drains her whiskey; that little tidbit on her life made her throat dry.
"Wow I guess we both have lived through some interesting experiences." "My dad is the reason for me being a detective; he was murdered while on duty and that made me want to follow in his footsteps and well here I am." John finishes his whiskey in one gulp and reaches for a long island ice tea then he looks at Natalie for her response.
"That is great that you want to follow in your father's footsteps; my dad wishes that I would show an interest in running Buchanan Enterprise but he has my other five siblings for that." "Cord and Kevin run the businesses in London whereas Joey, Rex, and Jessica help him run the main business here."
"Oh so you wanted to rebel or just had no interest in running the family business?"
"A little of both; my grandfather Asa calls me the wild one." John and Natalie share a laugh.
"Michael felt the same and decided that being a cop was not for him and voilà Med boy."
Gigi who had been listening smiled and begin to plan the soon to be new couples wedding and she walks over to them. "So do you two want dinner or is the mountain of drinks enough?"
"I guess we had better eat or else suffer the wrath of a hangover."
"Beautiful I am Irish; we never get hangovers." "I could go for some dinner."
Gigi hands them a menu.
"The chicken pasta looks good and the fudge cake."
"The steak pasta does as well and maybe we can split a fudge cake."
"Deal and Gigi how about you drive my car home and John and I will take the limo."
"Limo?" John gives Natalie a naughty look.
"Since we have both been drinking I think my driver should take us to our homes."
"Okay I have both of you guys order and Natalie give me your keys." After she gets Natalie keys Gigi heads to the counter.
"So from the sounds of it…"
"Uh no McBain there will be none of that; we have not even had a real first date."
"Too bad; I respect a woman who makes a man work for it. John sips his drink.
I hope I can hold out that long. "Good because that is how I am." Natalie sips her long island ice tea and gives John a winning smile.
"So what is the scoop on everyone in town?
"You must be an amazing detective if you want to know the city's people already."
"What can I say I love my job." "I think by getting the scoop I will have a heads up in case a crime occurs and who to avoid." John sips his drink.
"You know what I think I will learn a lot from you McBain; I am glad you took my Uncle Bo up on his offer."
"Of course I could not say no when he asked me to join his force; working with him I was able to see that he is a good man and excellent police commissioner."
"He sure is and the fact that you helped solve the killing spree case was amazing." "You were able to crack all that weird coding and decipher that manic plan to kill more women."
"What can I say when you have it you have it," John says with a laugh.
Before Natalie could reply Gigi shows up with their food. "I will take these empty glasses and since I am sure both of you want to make love to each but want to wait then I will not supply you two with no more drinks tonight." "Have a great evening you guys, bye."
As Gigi walks away John looks surprised that Gigi had just said that whereas Natalie blushes then says "that's my Gigi." "Food looks good let's eat."
"Is she always so direct?" John picks up his fork.
"Yeah and even during times when she should remain quiet," Natalie picks up her fork.
"Thanks for the heads up." "So if we had continued to drink you would have made love to me?"
"Gee John let's see maybe but then maybe not; guess you won't know the answer to that."
"Dang just my luck; so since we both know that we will eventually end up together I need to tell you something." John takes a bite of his food. "I had many problems in my last relationship one main reason being my job; I am just so good that whenever a problem would arise I was the first one called and my cell phone rang nonstop interrupting my ex and me a lot."
"Oh I understand; I know I will not be a big fan of it but I understand." "My Uncle Bo does the same think and it used to drive my Aunt Nora crazy till she decided to become the district attorney and know she fully understands why her husband was called so much." Natalie bites her food. "This is really good wanna try some." She scoops some pasta on her fork and holds it by John's mouth.
He answers her question by opening up his mouth. "Very good; now you have to try mine Beautiful." He scoops some on his fork and holds it up to her mouth.
"Yours is very good too." "So is Beautiful your nickname for me?"
"In public but in private I will call you sexy red."
"In that case then in public your nickname is Handsome and in private sexy black." Natalie touches John's hair which causes him to touch her hair making them both laugh.
"So with that out of the way tell me more about yourself; although it feels as though I have known you all my life I still would like to know as much about you as I can."
"My favorite color is green, I love all kinds of music and movies but my favorites are horror and comedy, my comfort food is nachos, and my mother owns a newspaper The Banner but my Uncle Todd owns her rival newspaper The Sun." "Yea so I bet you have already heard about him."
"Yes I have but I did not know he was your uncle."
"He is my mother's half-brother; different mothers same dad."
"Okay thanks for the info; well my favorite color is black hence the outfit, like you I like all different types of music and movies, my comfort food is fries, and my mother is a blues singer."
"Glad to know; are you ready for dessert."
As if on cue Gigi shows up with dessert. "For my tip I want you two to become a couple and tell me about it first." She walks away.
"I like her; so to keep with us feeding each other how about I feed you some cake." He holds out his spoon with cake on it.
"Yum; now you try some." She scoops some cake and feeds it to him.
"As you said yum; so after these last two beers I hate to say it but I need to leave I have a busy first day tomorrow."
"Okay but only if I get to be the one to show you around." She holds out her hand.
John shakes it, "deal."
After the last two beers the two head outside to the waiting limo. "So where to John?"
"The Angel Square Hotel." He lets Natalie get in first then he gets in the limo.
"Roxy owns that hotel."
"Oh yea Roxy is short for Roxanne." "I think my mind and body are focused on something happening that everything else is thrown to the back.
"Oh and what is that?"
"You of course sexy red."
