Chapter Ten
Booth had driven to Tempe's work at two-fifty in the afternoon where she attempted to focus on a set of remains, but drifted in and out of thoughts about possibly having cancer and a man named Seeley Booth. She was not one to monitor time, as it served no purpose other than to strain your neck but today was an exception. At three o'clock, Booth entered her office where they made small talk then drove thirty-five minutes to the doctor that would give her, them, crushing or jubilant news.
Dr. Ben Richards and Temperance Brennan had attended university together. Both of extremely high intelligence, they attended many of the same social functions. Ben had lost both his parents to cancer at the age of seventeen and vowed one day he would be an oncologist; doing whatever he humanly could to help others beat the dreaded disease. With a common bond to make a difference for others, they remained friends over the years and when Tempe's family doctor told her of the possibility of a tumor in her breast, she knew the person she had to call.
"Well Temperance I have great news. You don't have cancer," Dr. Benjamin Richards said as he peered over the rim of his glasses.
Tempe was now convinced that a person could forget how to breathe given the right circumstances.
"But.."
Uh oh the inevitable "but".
"You will need to have the mass removed. We could wait six months and do a mammogram but I feel it is best we remove it given its current size. I am going to schedule you for outpatient surgery next Friday." He glanced at his date book, "I have an opening at ten o'clock."
"Ten o'clock Friday. I will be there." As she stood a bit weak in the knees, she held her hand out towards Ben's, "Thank-you Ben."
"I hope to never see you in my office again," Dr. Richards replied with a warm half smile.
As Booth and Brennan walked back to his car, she pulled out her phone, excited to share her news with her other best friend.
"Ange, it's me, I have great news."
The two women chatted for a few minutes while Booth drove to the outskirts of town towards his favorite restaurant for dinner.
"Booth where are we going?" Brennan asked after she ended the call with Angela and looked out the window, noticing the landscape changing as they headed out of the city.
"Dinner," he replied as he pulled into the parking lot of a out of the way restaurant.
"How do you know I am hungry?"
"I don't," he paused as he put the car in park and pulled the keys out of the ignition, "But I do know that I am." Giving her one of his best smiles he got out, walked around the back of the vehicle to open the door for her.
"Booth, I just want to go back to the lab and get some work done."
"You can't be serious," he replied as he held the door open for her.
"Very."
Ignoring her, he nodded to the host who recognized him immediately, "Seeley, so good of you to come back. Table for two?"
"Yes please, Dimitri."
"I will tell Angelo you are here, Seeley. He be so happy," Dimitri said with his broken English and heavy Italian accent.
"So you come here often, Seeley?" Brennan asked with curiosity.
Ignoring the use of his given name he answered, "Angleo is my cousin. He owns the place. Only comes to town a few times a year. He lives in Italy." Booth took off his jacket and placed it beside him as Dimitri returned with a bottle of wine.
"Angelo be right out. Then I take your order." Dimitri turned to Brennan then back to Booth. "Your mother not teach you any manners Seeley?"
Immediately Booth knew he had forgotten to introduce Brennan.
"Dimitri, this is Temperance Brennan. Temperance this is Dimitri."
As they shook hands Angelo emerged from the kitchen, the cousins embraced and introductions were repeated.
While enjoying their meal, talk was abundant with topics like Parker's first girlfriend and Brennan's next book. After strawberry cheese cake and coffee for dessert, Booth paid the bill and said goodbye to his cousin.
"Thank for a wonderful dinner Booth. And even better company."
"That was a compliment Bones. Are you feeling okay?" Booth said with a crooked grin.
"Come on Booth, I have given you a compliment before."
Knowing she had but wanting her to repeat at least of them, she called her on it.
"When?"
As they got into the car Brennan turned to him and put her hand on his forearm, "When I told you that you are a great father, several times."
"Good memory Bones." He winked at her and pulled out of the parking space onto the road which would take them home.
xxxx
"There that should be roaring in no time Bones," Booth said as he gestured towards the freshly lit fire in his fireplace.
"I have always liked fires. The flames are eternal and peaceful." Her head turned away from him as she saw on his face at that moment the same look he gave her outside the Jeffersonian after obstacle coursing her out in what seemed like a few seconds.
Sensing there yet another tension filled moment brewing between them he brushed off the potential for furthering it by stating he was going to make some hot chocolate.
"It turned cold quickly out there Bones, the fire was a good idea," he said from the kitchen.
She smiled briefly at him and turned to stare back at the fire.
"No marshmallows so I put in some whipped cream, hope you like it," he said as he handed her a large mug.
"It's fine, thank-you."
As they sipped their hot chocolate, the silence between them was becoming deafening. This had to be one of the most awkward moments of his life. The apprehension building in him started to crawl up his throat and when he felt it reach his mouth he let loose. Slamming down his cup on the table caused some cream to slip over the edge and Temperance Brennan to be catapulted off the couch and out of her fire induced entrancement. He pulled her cup from her hands and placed it firmly down beside his, turned to her and pulled their bodies together. Chest to chest, eye to eye, they stood. No movement, no sound, only the crackling of the fire behind them. The flames formed shadows around their faces, breaths shallow and fast.
"Booth, what are you doing?" Her voice was steady and low.
"What I should have done a long time ago," he replied just before he leaned forward and felt his lips touch hers. They both paused a brief moment before Brennan responded by reaching for his shoulders and leaned into him. The tension was releasing from both their bodies, flowing outward as their breaths became one. Passion, evolvement and the sweetest tastes ever powered the kiss along.
As he pulled back his heartbeat picked up pace. He had been scared of actually kissing her but now that he had done it, he was petrified - he hadn't really thought about what would literally happen following their first kiss.