Collins got from the table to answer the door. He opened the door slowly and there stood a young, handsome guy in a faded, grey flannel shirt and ripped blue jeans. Collins raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, hello," he greeted the visitor. "Are you…….Roger, by any chance?"

The visitor smiled shyly and nodded his head. "Yup, that me. Roger Davis." He stuck his arm out towards Collins.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Tom Collins. But you can just call me Collins, like everyone else," he said, shaking Roger's hand and smiling right back. "So you're the gallant knight who saved Mark's broken date and his broken fax machine?"

Roger blushed slightly. "Wow. Nice to know I'm being talked about," he said as he tried to balance a foil-wrapped dish in his other hands.

"So, um……….is Mark…here?" he asked nervously.

Collins tilted his head back and glanced over at Mark sitting on the couch, who looked at him, his forehead crinkling. He mouthed "who is it?" to Collins. He grinned and looked back at Roger.

"Of course he is! Please, come in!" he said warmly as he stepped out of the way so that Roger could enter. Mark's eyebrows shot ten feet up into the air when he saw Roger walk into his house. He glared at Collins, who only flashed him a cheeky grin and a wink back.

Roger stood near the couch and smiled awkwardly at Mark. "Hey Doc," he said with a small wave. "How you doin'?"

"Oh I'm very well, thank you," replied Mark abruptly. He looked over Roger's shoulder to see Collins gesture towards Roger, and then towards the single armchair. He sighed and said, "Would you like to have a seat?"

"Sure. Thanks," said the rock star as he slowly sat in the arm chair. "I tried to call you back at the hospital today but I couldn't get you. The nurses told me that you were feeling sick and had to go home early so I…….um, I decided to……bring you some of these." He put his plate on the coffee table, removed the foil wrap and there lay a fresh, warm batch of walnut cookies.

Mark's and Collins' eyes suddenly opened wider when they saw the treats. "MMmmmmm. Did you make these yourself?" asked Mark as he inhaled the aroma.

"Well, I did get some help from my ex-girlfriend Mimi, but the recipe's all mine, so yeah," he mumbled as he fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. "Here, why don't you have some? You too, Collins," he asked them both.

Collins' smiled and nodded. "Sure, we'd love to! In fact, why don't I make us some coffee to go with it? Roger, would you like a coffee?"

Roger said yes, and within minutes, Collins' brought three steaming mugs of coffee to the table and they all dug into the cookies. Mark bit into a cookie and immediately enjoyed the taste.

"Oh wow, these are yummy, Roger. Thank you for bringing them," he gushed as he savoured the soft, crumbly texture and the warm walnuts.

"Yeah, these are really delicious," Collins agreed as he polished off his cookie. Roger blushed and smiled at them.

"Thanks, guys. Glad you liked them," he mumbled as he sipped his coffee. "So, why did you leave work early, Doc? Were you sick?"

"Yeah. I was forced by my boyfriend Alistair to taste his foie gras for brunch and now I'm really paying for it," he said, chuckling with embarrassment.

Roger wrinkled his nose. "What? You mean, you ate squished-up bird livers? No wonder you don't feel good! I mean, what kind of an idiot eats stuff like that anyway?"

"Hey, I'll have you know that it's very stylish, sophisticated, upper-class gourmet food. Which is exactly why you wouldn't like it," the doctor retorted.

"Well yes, I understand that Doc, but just because it's all upper-class fancy-schmancy doesn't mean you have to like it," he said matter-of-factly as he finished his cookie. "You don't have to be just like him, Mark. You're better than that. Just be yourself."

Mark blushed furiously, not knowing exactly what to say. Collins, on the other hand, was watching this conversation with a keen eye.

"Thank you, Roger. I'll remember that."

The three of them sat together and chatted for about half an hour, until Roger suddenly looked at his watch and said, "Oh hey guys, sorry to do this, but I have an appointment in ten minutes and I really gotta fly. Thanks a lot for the coffee though." He got up and straightened his clothes.

"Hey no problem, man. You're welcome anytime," said Collins as he patted Roger on the back. Mark glared at Collins and shook his head firmly. Collins merely stuck his tongue out at Mark. He led Roger towards the door.

"Oh and Roger, thank you for the cookies. They were really nice," said Mark as he followed them to the door.

"You're welcome, Doc. I'll be sure to bring you some more when I come next," said Roger as he opened the door. He turned around to face them once more and said, "Oh hey, a couple of friends and me are goin' out to dinner this Saturday night after a gig so, I was just wondering if……you know……you guys would like to come?"

Collins slung an arm around Mark's shoulders and replied, "Of course, we'd love to! Wouldn't we, Mark?"

"I don't know. I might have a surgery on Saturday night," he mumbled abruptly.

"Well, then he'll just check and let you know!" said Collins warmly. Roger smiled at them.

"Well, thanks again guys. Nice meeting you, Collins. And take care, Doc. See you soon!" And with a smile and a wave, he disappeared down the corridor. Mark shut the door and glared at Collins.

"Boy, he seems really nice," said the professor.

Mark's face crinkled with disbelief. "Nice? What the fuck is wrong with you? First he just barges in uninvited, that too in torn, dirty clothes, waltzes in and sits down like it's his house, and then he invites us to some crummy joint that he and his friends like to hang out in! I mean, talk about rude!!"

Collins stared at Mark, his face spreading into a huge grin, as he began to laugh. First softly, then harder and harder. Mark just couldn't believe his eyes.

"Collins!! What are you laughing at? What the hell is so funny?"

The professor stopped laughing long enough to speak. "You like him, don't you?" he asked with a cheeky glint in his eye.

Mark gritted his teeth and replied, "No, I do not and I never will!! How dare you say something like that?"

Collins started skipping and dancing to the kitchen like a 5-year-old kid who knew a secret. "You like him, you like him, Marky likes Roger!!" he chanted in a sing-song voice.

Mark poked his finger into Collins' arm and growled, "I. Do. Not!!!" he glared at his friend again. "Now shut up!"

"Not until you admit that you like him!"

"Why should I admit something that's not true?"

"Of course it's true, Mark!! It's written all over your face!!"

"No, it's not!!"

"Yes, it is!!"

"No, it's not!!"

"Ohhhhh, you betcha it is!!!"

Mark picked up all the cushions from the couch and threw them at Collins, who giggled as he ducked each one. "Throwing's never been your strong point, boy," he remarked. Mark huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Anyway, I know I'm definitely going with him on Saturday. If you wanna come with, you can. If not, then that's fine. I'm sure he won't miss you at all." And with a final wink, he ducked into his room to finish correcting his papers.

Mark plopped himself on the couch and was lost deep in thought. I do not like him and I am not going to that dinner, he said to himself. Little did he know what was waiting in store for him.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand this is where the action begins!!! No, not this chapter. But soon. Just wait for it. Just waaaaaaiiitt. Just………… -cackles evilly-