Dinner ….
A light, violin led piece played on the radio in the corner of the dining room. Two candles sat lit in the center, a single rose in a vase. The small, round table was laid with the consulate's lesser dishes on a wine colored table cloth. Meg walked into the dining room on Ben's arm, because she wanted to, not because it was necessary.
"Here we are, Madame." Ben pulled out Meg's seat for her before taking his own seat.
"I've had dreams like this, are you certain this isn't one of them?" Meg smiled, tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear to reveal a diamond stud. Ben squinted, looking at the other side, sure enough, there was a sapphire stud in her other ear. He figured she's put her earrings on looking down so she would have more time looking up. Dr. Brown had given her half an hour up and half an hour down instructions since she was doing so much better. He'd even said she could go without her eye patches indoors. The doctor said that Meg would probably have some sensitivity to sunlight for a while to come.
"No, this is quite real." He poured her iced tea.
"What do I smell, steak?" Meg lifted her nose to the steaming meal waiting for her to dig in.
"Ah, we have rouladen, new potatoes au gratin, green beans, and yeast rolls." Ben answered proudly.
"You cooked all that? For me?" Meg found her fork and found the chipped steak rolled with onion and bacon first.
"It was no trouble." Ben watched her savor the first bite. Nothing he cooked could taste as good as watching her enjoy the meal. Seeing Meg happy was enough.
"You do realize you're spoiling me, don't you Ben?" Meg teased, spearing a fork full of green beans.
"Yes, that was the general plan." He agreed, hiding a smile behind his glass of iced tea. Meg laughed, a genuine, rolling laugh. She went suddenly silent when she heard heavy footsteps on the floor in the hallway. Ben was on his feet in a split second.
"Hello, Benny, you here?" Ray called out, expecting the Mountie to be in his home/office. "Hey, Fraser, I came to check on you." The detective ventured farther into the consulate.
Ben waited for Meg's response, curious to see if she'd try to hide the fact that they were having a candlelit dinner.
"Tell him to come on in." Meg said in a low voice, nervous. She expected the Italian detective to have something smartalec to say to her.
"Ray, in the dining room." Ben still wondered what the final results would be. The detective stepped into the dining room. The first thing he saw was the candles burning on the table and the dishes set up on the sideboard.
"Okay, I see I should have called first, good thing I decided to come early tonight." Ray raised a surprised brow, taking in the scene. Ben appeared calm and the Inspector seemed nervous but hiding it.
"Inspector Thatcher and I were just …."
"Having a celebratory dinner." Meg finished, smiling briefly.
"Oh, what is it, Canadian bacon day or somethin'?" Ray snickered.
"No, this is our first," Meg paused, a blush beginning to creep up her neck. "our first evening." She shot Ben a pleading expression, praying he would finish the sentence for her.
"First date?" Ben finished, hoping he hadn't said something Meg would make him regret later.
"Well, I'll be. I thought she hated you, Fraser." Ray laughed, laying a hand on his stomach as he nearly doubled over. Meg stiffened in her seat, her lips pursed.
"Now, Ray," Ben began, straightening up.
"Fraser, I'm happy for you, really, I thought you'd never get together." Vecchio grabbed his friend's hand and shook it vigorously.
"Thank you kindly, Ray." Fraser said, though he wasn't certain, his brow knit.
"It's about time you two figured it out." Ray slapped Ben on the back. "Frannie's going to have a hissy fit, but she'll get over it." A hissy fit wasn't nearly what Frannie was going to have and the Mountie knew it. The passionate Italian was going to go up like a Roman candle when she found out Fraser and Thatcher were a couple. Ben wanted to go back to the Yukon, and the sooner the better.
"Is there a reason for your visit this evening, Detective Vecchio?" Meg said pointedly, her 'Inspector' tone in full force.
"I came to see Fraser but I see he's doing alright. Congrats, Benny, I'll see you tomorrow, okay." Ray turned to leave.
"Have a good evening, Ray." Fraser walked as far as the dining room door with him.
"I'll see myself out, enjoy your meal." Ray waved back at Meg then disappeared into the hallway.
"Pardon the interruption, I wasn't expecting Ray to drop in this evening." Ben sat down and put a linen napkin over one knee.
"Ben, I saw you watching my reaction." Meg said seriously. He looked at her, his features neutral.
"I learned from my mistake on the train, I hope you know that." She reached her hand out to take his across the table. His rough fingers gently slipped into her hand.
"I believe we both learned something." Ben agreed, a load taken off his mind he didn't even know had been burdening him. It was important to him that she acknowledge they were a couple.
"Let's get back to dinner before it gets cold, shall we?" Meg squeezed his hand before turning loose.
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"Where's the steak you promised, I can smell it on you." Dief wagged his tail and licked his chops when Fraser finally made it in for the night.
"Dinner went well, thank you for asking." Ben chided him for his lack of manners.
"I know dinner went well, what I don't know is where you're keeping the steak you promised me." Dief began to sniff around impatiently, sitting on his haunches when Ben sat down at his desk.
"Very well, I'll get the steak I promised." Ben got back up to go into the kitchen.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Meg stood beyond Ben's office door, holding a paper plate of the chopped steak.
"Ah, yes it is." Ben froze with that deer in the headlights expression he always got when Meg caught him doing something bizarre. "How much of that, of the conversation did you hear, exactly?" He smoothed his brow with his left thumb nail.
"Most of it." She answered, sitting the plate on the floor in front of Dief.
"Oh, so you ..." He trailed off, glad that he'd been talking to Diefenbaker and not his father's ghost. At least Dief was visible.
"It's fine, Ben, I understand; love you, love your wolf." Meg leaned against the door frame, watching Dief enjoy his steak. Ben relaxed, leaning against the wall near the door frame. They looked at each other, the silence between them comfortable. Slowly, Ben leaned in and gave Meg a playful peck on the lips. She laughed, moving closer, putting her arms around his waist and giving him a real kiss.
"I should get going, it's bed time." Meg finally pulled back, checking her watch.
"So it is." Ben read her watch up side down.
"Sweet dreams, Ben." Meg laced her fingers together as she stared up at him, smiling. She hated leaving but knew that he would still be there in the morning.
"Sleep well, Meg." Ben cupped her face in his hands, running his thumb along her cheek as he stared into the deepest, most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen. Diefenbaker barked loudly when he'd seen and heard enough lovey dovey stuff out of the two humans.
"I guess that's my cue to go." Meg pulled free first. Ben watched her walk down the hall, glad to be able to finally love her openly. The night had been a success.
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