AN: Sorry for the big delay in updates. I've been really unmotivated to write lately and I was also somewhat stuck. I really didn't know where I wanted the story to go after the last chapter. :\
Ever since he had walked down the stairs this morning, the large gift bag sitting on the dining room table had been mocking him.
At first he tried to ignore the bag but managed to unintentionally catch little glimpses of it wherever he went. He could see it as he made his tea and had breakfast in the kitchen. It was in his peripheral vision while he read on the couch. And he was surprised to find out he could partially see it through the dining room window as he walked down the sidewalk with Einstein.
The bag hadn't been there the night before when he arrived home, so obviously Seska had brought it with her. He wondered what might be inside until a sudden thought occurred to him: what if the gift wasn't even for him? He didn't know Seska's plans since he hadn't spoken to her after their argument on Friday.
Chakotay stared at the bag a bit longer and figured he would take a peek. He carefully poked around the white tissue paper and realized there was an envelope tucked in between the thin sheets. The envelope wasn't sealed so he carefully removed the notecard from inside. If it wasn't for him, he would place it back exactly how he found it and go on with the rest of his day.
Chakotay,
I'm very sorry for the way I acted the other day. I didn't mean any of it. Work has been stressful and I took it out on you and your dog. I missed you lots this weekend.
Forgive me?
Seska
Chakotay read the note again and set it down on the table. He knew he was going to forgive her, he pretty much already had. He always did. That was the basis of their relationship, he realized. They would fight, the guilty party would do something nice for the other, and they would forgive and forget then repeat at a later date.
Chakotay sighed and began to pull the tissue paper from the bag. He peered inside to find it full of dog treats and several toys. He pulled out each item out and placed it on the dining room table. Seska had really gone overboard. He knew Seska could be difficult to live with but she meant well in the long run. And now he felt like a jerk for having spent the night alone in the guest bedroom.
He continued to rummage through the bag and eventually found a toy that made him chuckle. It was a rubber squeaky toy in the shape of a black high heel; very similar to the one Einstein had chewed up. "Hey, buddy," Chakotay said as he tossed the toy into the living room, "this is the only shoe you're allowed to chew." Einstein, who was busy chasing his tail around in circles, stopped the moment the toy landed with a loud squeak by him. He immediately sat down and started to chew on the pseudo shoe.
Chakotay moved his attention back to the table and placed everything back in the bag. He figured he should call Seska and thank her for the thoughtful gifts. But he hesitated when he reached for his phone. Maybe he would just wait to thank her in person. Or maybe a text would suffice.
Before he could debate his options any further, his phone rang. It was Sekaya. She had already called him a few times throughout the morning and he had declined every single one. If it had been some sort of emergency, she would have left a voicemail or sent him a text like she had in the past. He simply didn't feel like chatting with her, mainly because he sensed she wanted gossip about the park. He knew exactly how she operated. He was certain she interrogated Edgar enough and now wanted to know every detail about Kathryn coming from him.
The thought of Kathryn made him smile. He was looking forward to seeing her again at their puppy training in a few hours. Maybe he would arrive a bit early and get her some coffee. He quickly nixed that idea. He didn't want to be too forward or make her feel uncomfortable in any way. They already had had a few awkward moments the day before. But they were greatly overshadowed by the wonderful time they had together. He enjoyed her company and hoped she did as well.
/\/\
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Kathryn glanced over at Chakotay as they exited the building.
Chakotay scoffed. "If you say so."
Kathryn laughed. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think Einstein did a much better job this week than last."
"Oh, were you observing us again, Kathryn?" Chakotay feigned shock.
"It's somewhat hard not to with all the jumping and groaning going on. And that's just from the human."
Chakotay chuckled. "One thing is for sure, he's not living up to his namesake's level of genius."
They both laughed as they walked through the courtyard and Kathryn stopped in front of the elevator.
"I didn't park in the structure today," Chakotay informed her. "We went to the park for a bit before class. I thought that might calm him down but I think it had the opposite effect, though."
Kathryn tugged on Amelia's leash and walked toward the outside gate. "Any plans for the evening?"
"Not really. I was thinking of getting something to eat on my way home."
"I was going to get dinner myself. Would you like to join me?"
Internally Chakotay was screaming "Yes!" at the top of his lungs but was trying very hard to keep his composure. "Are you sure? I don't want to impose."
"Of course I'm sure. It will be my treat since you provided such a lovely picnic yesterday."
"Well, that wasn't really me."
"I know. I guess I could ask your sister to have dinner with me instead? I'm betting she has some amazing stories about teenage Chakotay," Kathryn cheekily added.
"Ha-Ha. You're such a comedian today." Kathryn merely smirked as she looked at him over one shoulder. Chakotay couldn't help how much he adored that quirky little smile of hers. "So, where did you want to go?"
"There's this little café right by the park that has pretty good food. Well, at least it used to be. I haven't been there in a while."
"And we'll be okay with these two?" Chakotay pointed at both dogs.
"There was an outdoor seating area so I don't think it will be a problem. And if that doesn't work out I'll invite you over for some of my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." Kathryn chuckled then added, "But they won't be as good as your sister's, that's for sure."
Chakotay knew she was joking but deep down he would rather spend his evening with her at her home and not at a restaurant. Not so much that he wanted food, but he simply wanted to spend more time with her in an intimate setting. Being able to see where she lived, what books she read, or seeing childhood pictures of her could tell him more about Kathryn's life than any conversation ever could.
They walked down the sidewalk until they reached the corner. "See," Kathryn pointed out the café in the distance as they crossed the street, "it's right over there. It's pretty close."
"It is. What kind of food do they serve?"
"Um, I guess it would be classified as American cuisine? We can go somewhere else if you want something different?"
"Oh, no. That sounds fine. I was just curious."
They arrived at the café and were promptly seated in their outdoor patio by the young hostess. She handed them menus, gave them a quick rundown of their daily specials, informed them their waiter would be with them shortly and left them alone.
Kathryn looked around the patio and observed the patrons inside. "I guess we made it on time for the early bird special."
Chakotay looked up from the menu, "I guess so."
"You did bring your AARP card, right?"
"My- what?"
Kathryn stifled a laugh. She leaned in and whispered, "I think we are the youngest people here, well besides the servers."
Chakotay quickly scanned the rooms and realized Kathryn was right. "I wonder if we'll get carded?"
Kathryn chuckled but before she could add anything to the conversation, they were interrupted by their waiter.
"Hi, I'm Kevin. I'll be taking care of you two today. May I get you something to drink?"
"I'll have a glass of chardonnay and-" Kathryn looked at Chakotay.
"I'll have some iced tea."
"Sounds great. Any starters for today? The spinach artichoke dip is very popular and the calamari is incredible. It's one of my favorites."
"Calamari sounds perfect. We'll start with that."
"Sounds great." Kevin jotted the order down in his notepad and looked over at Chakotay. "Anything for you, sir?"
"No, I'm fine. Thank you."
"Okay, I'll give you a couple of minutes to go over the menu. Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be right back with your drinks."
"Thank you, Kevin," they simultaneously said.
They perused their menus in silence until Kevin returned with their drinks and the order of calamari. He informed them he would be back in a few to take their order.
Kathryn took a piece of the calamari and popped one into her mouth. "Mmmmm. They're delicious. The breading is nice and light. Have some, Chakotay."
"I'm fine."
"No, I insist. You need to at least try one." Kathryn pushed the plate toward him.
Chakotay set down his menu and lowly sighed. "I'm actually a vegetarian."
"You're what?!" Kathryn exclaimed a little louder than she probably intended to.
"A vege-"
"No, no, I heard you. Sorry. I just- But yesterday you…" She furrowed her eyebrows while she stared off into the distance as if she needed to search through her memory files from the day before. "You're a vegetarian," she whispered under her breath as the realization dawned on her.
"I'm sorry. I should have mentioned it before."
"Don't be. I just didn't notice yesterday." Kathryn looked at the plate sitting in between them on the table, a face of panic setting in. "Should I get Kevin to take it away. I don't-"
Chakotay chuckled. "Kathryn, it's okay. I'm fine with it. Friends eat non-vegetarian meals around me all the time."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Kathryn rested her forehead on her hand. "I feel so embarrassed."
"Why?" Chakotay laughed.
"Because I kept insisting you try it." She dramatically gestured toward the calamari.
"Well, if it makes you feel any better, here's my moment of embarrassment." He held up his menu and pointed to a section. "What does this say? I don't have my reading glasses and can't make out the fine print."
Kathryn covered her mouth, trying not to giggle. "You really do fit in with the senior crowd." She looked at her own menu and found the section Chakotay had pointed to. She read, "It's an 'apple chicken gorgonzola salad' and it comes with 'thinly sliced apples, grilled chicken seasoned to perfection, chunks of gorgonzola, candied walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette' which sounds really good actually."
"It does."
"But the chicken…"
"I'll just order it without the chicken."
"Are you sure? We should have gone somewhere else." Kathryn looked mournfully at him.
Chakotay reached over, placed his hand over hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Trust me, it's fine."
Kathryn sighed. "Okay, but next time you choose the place to eat."
Chakotay grinned at the thought of there being a next time. "Deal."
/\/\
The food was better than what Kathryn remembered it to be. Maybe it wasn't the food so much, but the company. She enjoyed spending time with Chakotay. They always had interesting conversations and she didn't feel like she had to be walking on egg shells around him like with other people, which was refreshing for once.
Kathryn leaned back in her chair and placed her hand on her belly. "That was delicious. I normally don't eat those types of salads but it was pleasantly surprising."
"Those types of salads or salads in general?" Chakotay jokingly asked.
"Be quiet. I mean salads that are a mixture of sweet and salty."
"Oh, I see."
"Do you two want to see the dessert menu?" Kevin asked as he cleared the plates.
"Kathryn, you up for some dessert?" Chakotay smiled at her from across the table.
"I'm somewhat full but it wouldn't hurt to look."
"Just so you know our most popular desserts are the tiramisu, cheesecake and the coffee-flavored cake, which is a specialty of this restaurant."
Kathryn knew her eyes lit up at the mention of coffee. She looked at Chakotay who was already chuckling at her.
"To save you some time, we'll have some of the coffee flavored cake," Chakotay told Kevin.
"Sure, I'll bring that right out. Just one?" Kevin asked.
"Do you mind sharing, Kathryn?"
"No, that sounds fine."
"Great, I'll be right back."
Kathryn picked up her glass and took the last sip of her wine. "So what are your plans for the holiday weekend?"
"I'm going camping."
"With Edgar?"
"No. Edgar is visiting his paternal grandparents in San Diego. I'm going with a work buddy and my old college roommate."
Kathryn smiled. "That sounds like an adventure."
"It usually is. It's nice to catch up with Mike. I don't see him that often now that he has two boys."
Kathryn paused for a moment. "Mike…why does that name sound familiar?"
Chakotay laughed. "Because it's the same Mike I punched when I was a kid."
"You're kidding!"
"Nope. He moved away the summer before high school. I completely forgot about him until move-in day my first year of college. There he was, Mike Ayala, unpacking his things when I arrived at the dorms. We eventually became really good friends. Small world, huh?"
"Definitely."
Kevin tried not to interrupt and discretely left the dessert in between them, carefully placing two forks on either side of the plate.
"Are you going to take Einstein with you?" Kathryn asked as she took a bite of the dessert. "Oh, this is so good."
Chakotay took a bite and nodded. "I thought about it but I'm not. I think it would be too much for him and for me. Maybe when he's older and has a bit more training. That's why I was talking to Ivan before class. I wanted to know about their boarding services."
"You're going to put Einstein in a kennel?" Kathryn didn't mean to sound so devastated but couldn't help herself.
Chakotay shrugged. "I don't really want to but Seska hasn't really warmed up to him yet and is probably not going to be home much, either. I can't leave him with Sekaya since Edgar won't be home and she's busy, too. I think he'll be better off at the shelter. Plus, I'll only be gone about two days really."
Before she could stop the words from coming out, Kathryn blurted, "I can take care of him."
Chakotay watched her as he slowly chewed the cake. "You want to take him for the weekend? He eventually asked.
"Yes."
"Won't be that be too much?"
"No."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm positive.
"Don't you have plans?"
"Just dinner with my sister on Saturday, other than that I'm free."
Chakotay gently smiled. "Well, if you don't mind, I would really appreciate your help."
"I'm honored to do it."
Kathryn looked up as Kevin walked up. "I'm going to leave this right here," he placed the bill on the table, "and if you need anything else, let me know."
Kathryn quickly reached for the check holder and grabbed her wallet from her purse.
"Kathryn, let's split the bill. It's only fair," Chakotay insisted.
"Nonsense. I said I was going to pay." She placed her credit card in the sleeve and set it on the table.
Kevin took the check holder and quickly returned, "I'm sorry, Ms. Janeway, but I'm going to have to see some ID. A lot of restaurants in the area have been targets of credit card fraud lately and we need to double check all transactions. I apologize."
"It's no problem," Kathryn said and she pulled out her ID from her wallet. "Better safe than sorry, right?"
Kevin smiled and nodded while he compared the card to her ID. "Well, thank you for that and happy belated birthday to you" he added before walking away.
"Thank you." She put her wallet away and looked up to find Chakotay staring at her. "What?"
"It was your birthday? When?"
"On Friday," she responded in a low voice as she shrugged it off. "No big deal."
"Birthdays are a big deal. Why didn't you say anything?"
"I guess the same reason you didn't say anything about being vegetarian."
Chakotay chuckled. "Touché."
"It's really not a big deal to me. Especially this year. The only celebrating I'm doing is with my sister on Saturday. And that's only happening because she's an insistent little pest that won't stop."
"Sounds like Sekaya."
Kathryn laughed. "Little sisters are the worst, aren't they?"
"Tell me about it." Chakotay paused, then smiled at her. "Well, happy belated birthday, Kathryn."
"Thank you. So, shall we go?"
"We shall. And thank you for dinner."
"My pleasure."
/\/\
The glow of the television provided the only light in the room which cast an eerie shadow over Seska's body while she ate her dinner from a paper plate.
She had gotten home earlier than usual expecting Chakotay to be there, but he wasn't. She had set the dining room table with the nice china she hardly used and pulled out the beautiful candlestick holders she had received from her mother on her last birthday.
She waited.
By the second hour she cleared the table, put the candlesticks away, grateful she actually never lit the candles because they would have become a melted mess, and plopped herself on the couch where she still remained.
She looked up when she heard the door unlock and saw Chakotay walk in with dog in tow. "Hey, I thought you would be home earlier?"
Chakotay startled. "Hi, I didn't expect you downstairs."
"Someone recommended a documentary on Netflix and thought I would check it out before going to bed."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
They both remained frozen in place as an awkward silence passed through them. Chakotay still held onto Einstein's leash, who, for once, was sitting obediently by him. Chakotay took a couple steps into the living room and the puppy hesitantly followed.
"I meant to call you earlier and thank you for the gift but thought you might be busy with work."
"I'm never too busy to answer your calls, you know that."
Chakotay awkwardly smiled. "Good to know."
"I brought some of that Thai food you like for dinner. I thought you would be home when I got here. It's probably cold now. You'll have to microwave it," Seska said as she played with the hem of her nightgown.
"Oh, uh, thanks. I'm actually not hungry."
"Oh, you ate?"
"No. I mean, yes. At Sekaya's. I uh-" he emptied out the contents of his pockets and placed everything on the nearby coffee table as if trying to buy himself some time. "She needed some help moving stuff around the garage and I went over after the puppy training class."
Seska had worked with lawyers for too many years to know when someone was bending the truth. "Okay, well, if you want to watch this," she pointed toward the television with the remote, "I can rewind. I'm only about ten minutes in."
Chakotay ran his hand through his hair. "Um, I think I'm going to take Einstein for a quick walk around the block. I want him to get his business out of the way before bed time."
"Can't he go in the backyard?" Seska asked, furrowing her brows.
"A walk will be better for him."
Seska shrugged. "All right. If you say so."
"I'll be right back."
"Do you want me to wait for you or…"
"No, it's fine. I'll catch up when I get back."
Seska weakly smiled as she watched him turn toward the door and walk out the door with the dog. She was about to hit the play button on the remote when she heard the ding of a phone. She looked around for hers when she remembered she had left it charging upstairs.
She stood up and walked to the table where Chakotay had left his things. The screen had already gone dark when she picked it up. She momentarily thought about going after him since he shouldn't be too far down the block.
She was going to set the phone down exactly where she found it when it lit up as a second text came in.
"Kathryn Janeway?" Seska muttered under her breath.
She didn't immediately recognize the name from any conversations she'd had with Chakotay. It's not like she knew all of Chakotay's work colleagues anyhow. But deep down she felt these texts weren't regarding a professional matter.
She glanced at the door and with curiosity getting the best of her, she unlocked his phone. She could feel her heart racing as she stared at the glowing screen.
If you're going to do it, just do it.
She took a deep breath, hit the messages button and found the texts from this so-called Kathryn Janeway.
"'Thank you for having dinner with me today. I had a wonderful time… like always. Have a good night.'" Seska read out loud as she felt her heart drop into the depths of her stomach and continued onto the next text. "'And I was serious about the dog sitting this weekend. Let me know the details. See you soon.'"
She couldn't breathe. She could hear ringing in her ears and the lump in her throat was making it difficult to swallow.
He had lied to her.
She could feel the hot liquid building up in her eyes. "No! You are better than this!" She yelled at herself as she quickly wiped the tears that managed to escape. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
She locked the phone and put it down on the table. She knew Chakotay wasn't one to pick up on little details and would never realize she had looked at his phone.
She stood in the middle of the living room wondering what to do. Could she sit down on the couch and wait for him to get back and continue to watch this documentary with him as if nothing had happened? Or was she going to run and hide?
She closed her eyes in an effort to make the pain go away. She picked up the remote, turned off the television, ran up the stairs and locked the bedroom door behind her.
[TBC]