Wing Yee's Year 2

Author's Note: Continuing…please leave a review.

GGGGGGGGGG

Liz Keen sat in their office wondering what she was going to do tonight that wasn't going to depress her. In truth, she had lied to everyone and said she was meeting up with a bunch of girlfriend's at Wing Yee's so no one would feel sorry for her or think she was mildly depressed. She was mildly depressed.

The truth was, she wasn't a terribly good friend—that had always been Tom's thing. He bought the gifts, knew the birthdays, reached out when someone lost a job and invited people over for dinner. So, when Tom was gone, it meant most of her friend's were gone as well. They didn't know the truth, of course, just that they'd split and Tom had moved away and that Liz was starting fresh. A few women had reached out, but not many. And after a disaterous coffee date with Connie, Liz had stopped returning everyone's calls. They probably liked Tom better anyways.

But when people asked what you were doing for your birthday, it was tough to say the truth. Going home, drinking alone and eating a burger in my shitty motel room didn't sound like the way a balanced person would spend their birthday. No. Liz Keen was feeling very alone and very unbalanced this birthday. Aram had been lovely with the cupcakes, Reddington with the wine, but she found she couldn't even get herself excited about them. She may have been more than mildly depressed.

And then Ressler had walked in and told her he brought Wing Yee's to her, and she'd genuinely smiled for the first time all day and decided to share her special bottle with the special person who seemed to understand her best today.

"Did you really call to order us a bottle?" Liz asked him as they ate.

"I did," he nodded solemnly. "And imagine my surprise when they said there wasn't a reservation and that they wondered how you were because it had been a long time since you and your husband were back."

Liz nodded and scowled. "We went Wing Yee's a lot."

"It's hard going back to the places that remind you of that person," Ressler agreed as he reached across her to take a dumpling. "I haven't gone back to the restaurant where I proposed to Audrey."

"In a restaurant?" Liz asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It was years ago," Ressler smirked. "I wasn't very inventive."

"I can see that," Liz chuckled.

She looked at his downward gaze and smiled. "How did you propose to her the second time?"

Ressler chuckled low. "Not very inventive that time either."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"We were in bed," he admitted.

"Were you doing anything inventive in bed when you asked?" Liz chuckled as she turned slightly red.

"Well yes, I was, so…" Ressler snickered and turned red as well.

"Well, there you go," Liz said, reaching for her consommé soup. "You improved with age. The third time will be the charm."

Ressler chuckled low. "I'm not sure there's going to be a third time."

"Don't give up yet," Liz said, her mouth full.

"If I can't walk into that restaurant, I don't think…"

"Okay, you and me," Liz said excitedly. "We're going to that restaurant and having a nice dinner, without a proposal, and you are going to move on and find someone. You're a great guy, Ressler."

"Thanks," he said bashful. "Okay, deal."

Liz reached out her hand and he shook it.

"I still owe you the dinner I promised you on your last birthday anyways," Ressler chuckled.

"That's right!" Liz said as she smacked him. "You were supposed to take me before this birthday!"

"We've been really busy," Ressler shrugged, reaching for his wine. "I have bought you enough coffee and muffins to add up to a dinner."

"Those don't count," Liz gestured for him to pour more wine. They had originally toasted with the wine she and Sam made, then, deciding it was closer to vinegar than wine, opened up the expensive bottle Reddington had brought and were drinking that.

They settled into a companionable silence while eating for a few minutes until Ressler broke it.

"What were you going to do tonight?" He asked.

She looked sideways at him, and he knew she had no plans.

He nodded and stood, packing up their food.

"What's the rush?" Liz asked.

"If we want to make the late show, we need to get going," Ressler said. "I'll throw this in the fridge, and we can have it for lunch tomorrow. You cork the wine."

"Ressler, you don't need to…" Liz said as she watched him pile up their containers to carry them out of the office.

"Look, there's a small independent theatre a couple blocks from here, I have no clue what's playing, if it's a new movie or an old one, but let's go and just see whatever is there."

Liz laughed and looked at him like he was crazy. "I can't believe we're doing this."

She reached for their plates and dumped them in the garbage, then corked the wine.

Ten minutes later they were laughing as ran up to the ticket booth.

"Two tickets to…the movie," Ressler said a smile across his face.

"Permanent Midnight?" The teller asked.

"If that's the one playing next," Liz said out of breath.

"It starts in five minutes," the teller explained.

"Perfect," Ressler said as he took out his cash and paid.

"Ma'am, what's permanent midnight about?" Liz asked the woman as she made change.

"It's part of our Ben Stiller film festival," she said as she counted dimes. "He's a druggie in this one."

"You have a Ben Stiller film festival?" Ressler asked, thinking that seemed…odd.

"Isn't that why you're here?" The teller asked as she handed him the change.

"Uh, sure," Ressler said as she stole a sideways glance at Liz.

"Everyone came to There's Something About Mary tonight," she said as she gestured for them to go inside. "There's maybe 4 other people in there for this one. My boss probably should have chosen one of those Fockers movies…"

"Well, we're excited to see it," Liz said with a chuckle. "Thank you!"

They walked inside and found their seats with the five other people in the theatre spread out in the large space. They were still snickering as the ads started to play.

"Do you have any idea what this movie is about?" Liz asked him as he rested his arm behind her seat and crossed one leg over the other.

"No fucking clue," Ressler chuckled. "But we're about to find out."

"We are," Liz laughed and was shushed by a dude about 10 rows back.

Ressler gave the man a dark look, over his shoulder.

"Well, happy birthday Liz," Ressler said as the theatre plunged into darkness.

"I couldn't have thought of a better way to spend it," Liz said as she tried to look at him in the darkness. "Thanks for this. Ressler, you really are…"

"Shhhh," the dude behind them said loudly.

"It's still the fucking opening credits buddy," Ressler said loudly as he gestured toward the screen, annoyed.

Liz laughed and leaned back into her seat and his arm. This was perfect.

The end.