A Friendly Hand
By Didi
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters. John Wells and his friends do. Let's not get into the debate as to who owns the ideas and all that; cause let's fact it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: The hospital rumor mill get hold of a hush-hush situation.
Note: I cannot recall if Dr. Harriet Lenning's husband was given a name on the show or not so I'm going to call him Harold for now. If anyone knows the answer to this chapter's character name challenge, please drop me a note. Thanks.
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Chapter 4
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"You know," Jackie said, her eyes going mischievously bright. "This is going to make some pretty interesting gossip tomorrow morning."
"Tell me you're not planning on helping the rumor mill," Letty said as she leaned back in her chair to see around a large woman in an uncommonly orange dress. The two young doctors appeared to be in a discussion of some sort with Slingerland leaning toward Keating in a reassuring manner as he ignored the wine menu in his hands. "Wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't seeing it myself."
Harriet smiled and turned her head and took another sip of the soda she had been nursing all evening. "Well, strange circumstances make strange bedfellows."
Rae tore her eyes away from the cozy couple that were now ordering form a tall blonde waitess. "What does that mean?"
Dr. Lenning merely smiled, shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of soda.
"You know something don't you?" Letty Jordan deduced with a grin. This was getting more interesting by the moment. There was never a shortage of intrigue at the hospital but never this juicy.
"Share," Jackie said as she leaned in to hear better.
"Sorry ladies," holding up her hand with regret. "But doctor-patient confidentiality does apply here."
"Really?" Rae asked, her suspicions high now. "Or are you just unwilling to pass long hot news?" She turned her head to catch Slingerland taking Jules's hand gently in his. For the entire world, it was a causally intimate gesture that would only be noticed when one was not expecting it. "Well..."
"Looks pretty together to me," Jackie said as she grinned. "You know, when I came to the hospital, I had Slingerland pegged as a playboy and Keating as a total girl scout." She shook her head and watched as Slingerland brought Keatings hand closer to him. She looked embarrassed by he seemed oblivious of everything else but her company. "But... this... this could definitely make a believer out of me."
"Believer in what? The strange and unusual?" signaling a waiter, Letty finished her drink and pointed to her glass. The waiter nodded his head and turned to the bar.
"In the attraction of opposites," Jackie grinned and looked around. "Where's the food? I'm starving now."
"You sure you won't share, Harriet?" Rae asked as she watched her much amused friend turn to watch Slingerland and Keating lean toward each other to hear the words the other was saying.
"Can't," Harriet replied, smiling with some concern. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't just a little concern for Jules's heart. Matt Slingerland was too well known for his charms and Jules... Jules was too much like a daughter to her for her not to worry that the young woman was going to get her heart broken. But then again, stranger things have happened.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Jules leaned in and said through a forced smile, "You can let go of my hand now."
"What's hurry?" Matt asked, playing with her finger for a moment. "We won't want Debra to think that there's trouble in paradise now, would we?" He was thoroughly finding it amusing that he appeared to be making her slightly nervous. It was always an assumption on his part that Jules Keating knew him enough to be oblivious to his charms. But it would appear to be otherwise.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked, slowly extracting her hand from him and resting her chin on her knuckled as she rest her elbows on the table. The lone candle in the red holder threw rosy glows on her cheerfully freckled face. While not classically beautiful, she was as adorable as a sprite.
"I need to know that I'm not going to be drawn into a badly played game of love and war," he replied as he leaned toward her. "And with women like Debra, it is always war." The band picked up a lively song that had a solid beat that had everyone on the dance floor jumping.
Jules's face lit as she recognized the song.
"Fan?" Matt asked, glancing over his shoulder at the six-man band that was keeping the place entertainment. The wailing sax was quite impressive.
"My dad loved big band swing music," Jules clarified. "We must have had every record known in existence that had any type of big band music. Drove my mother crazy cause we wouldn't be able to afford new gym shoes for my brother but Dad could still get his records. Thank god records were cheap by the time we were kids or I swear my mother would have divorced Dad over it."
Matt laughed. "My father was always an opera fan, all the classic for dear old dad. My mother tried to get my father to understand that children cannot always appreciate the hollering and shrieking of opera singers. But dad was stubborn, dragged us to every performance he could get tickets for when he was actually at home."
There was a mixture of fondness and irritation in his tone that had Jules wondering. "Did you learn to appreciate it?"
"To some extent," he said with a nod as the band picked up the beat to the delight of the dancers. "I can enjoy it in increments." He watched as several couples took center stage with fancy moves that had their neighboring dancers stopping to watch. He glanced back at Jules's delighted face and smiled. Her bright green eyes were lit with an inner fire that was rather bewitching to behold. "Dance?"
"What?" clearly startled.
"Would you like to dance?" holding out his hand to her. "You do know how to swing dance, don't you?"
The teasing challenge in his voice had her raising a superior brow at him. "Do zebras have strips?" taking his hand firmly and getting to her feet. Looks like she was going to get to break in her high heels after all. "I have to warn you though, I was pretty darn good back in college."
Matt laughed and turned her about with an overhead turn. "Wasn't too shabby myself back in the days. Get ready to rocket, little lady."
"Take it away, Buck Rogers," she replied chuckling as they took to the floor.
For a pair that hasn't taken a turn on the dance floor since their days before medical school, internships and work consumed their every waking hour, the two danced like pros. Every turn, every twist, every dip and twirl was in synch as they took center stage.
Slingerland moved well, long limbs that should have been clumsy were schooled by polo, rugby and fencing lessons that had part of the curriculum in a British boarding school. Keating was graceful from her hoydenish days as a regular tomboy, navigating between limbs of trees, playing baseball, soccer and various other outdoors activities that kept her tanned, freckled and happy. Matt learned to lead early and Jules learned not to ever anticipate her partners from long before. Together, they made a smoothly beautiful team on the brightly lit floor.
The band ended on a high note as Matt dipped Jules low, putting his weight on his leg to support her bent body, balancing the two with sheer calm strength. Neither one realized they were the last and only couple that been left on the dance floor to dance until the enthusiastic applause erupted from the gathered crowd around them.
Jules blushed as Matt pulled her smoothly onto her feel, catching her around the waist to help her balance. Bowing, he gave her a quick gentle nudge to get her to do the same, before they left the dance floor to the disappointment of some gathered hoping to see more of the excellent dancing.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Matt asked as he held her seat out for her.
"I can ask the same thing of you?" Jules said with laugh and took a sip of the ice water someone had brought to the table. "I didn't think swing dancing was part of something the British education system requires of their students."
"No, but we did have to learn all the basic classics," he grinned and took a sip of the water, chewing on an ice chip. "The waltz, two-step and the foxtrot were a must. I learned the jitterbug and swing came along naturally since it was similar." He tilted his head and gave her a sly look. "For the more exotic such as salsa, tango, rumba and some of the more forbidden dances, we learned after hours." Jules laughed until tears came to her eyes. "Your turn."
"Mom and Dad were excellent swing dancers... for people that have two left feet," she chuckled with fondness. "I seriously think that they were trying to cripple each other when they danced. Fortunately, my brothers and I had been gifted with some grace in movements. My older brother Jerry was a champion swing dancer. But he was shy, so he would only practice with his kid sister or his dance partner, the woman he eventually married." She sighed remembering some afternoons spent having to put up with Jerry's perfectionist nature. "There is nothing like learning from someone who knew what they were doing."
"That must have made for some lovely quality time with your siblings," he looked up in time to see Debra return from her kitchen trip. "Here comes Debra."
"I guess she wants us to order," Jules predicted as she picked up her menu, not seeing a word on it as she giggled. "I wonder if she saw us."
"Oh, judging by rather green look on her face, I would say yes," Matt replied picking up his menu as well.
That set Jules off again.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Did you know that Slingerland could dance?" Rae asked with a rather stunned look at her face.
"Dance?" Letty asked, "I didn't even know he could walk without causing a train wreck."
"The boy can move all right," Jackie commented as she watched Keating taking a dip with only Slingerland's arm as support. "And then some."
"They certainly do look comfortable together," Harriet commented with a grin. She remembered when Harold would take her dancing when work became too stressful for her health. Perhaps one night, she'll have to bring him here.
Rae nodded her head as she watch the twirl and whirl of Jules on high heels, her sweet face bright with delight. Their bodies match each other's movements but never touching. A twist of the hips, the turn of the arms, a push of the hands... it was like a choreographed dance. "Like they've done this before."
"So how long have those two been dating and no one knew about it?" Jackie asked before a man with dark eye and bedroom eyes distracted her. "Excuse me, ladies. Hormones are a calling." She slipped out of her seat and flashed Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Sexy a come hither look.
"That's a good question," Letty asked as she shifted in her seat to get a better view of the dancing couple but the crowd that had gathered around the dance floor wasn't making it easy. "And why hasn't Jules said anything."
Shrugging her shoulders, Rae picked at her crunchy golden fries. "If I was dating Matt Slingerland, I wouldn't announce it either. People would think I was one of the dozen woman on his long list of... of... you know."
Letty nodded her head in acknowledgement. "What do you think Harriet?"
"I think," putting her fork to the Caesar salad she had ordered. "That Jules is wise enough to know what she's about. That the two are very good dancers. That other people's private lives are none of my business." Spearing a tomato, she smiled at her friends.
Dr. Jordan and Dr. Brennan looked at one other. "In other words, we should butt out."
"In other words, your hot meals are growing cold."
"We can take a hint."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Dr. Keating closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. "I don't know how you can eat that."
"What?" Matt asked, cutting the beef into thin slices. For not being a steak house, their steaks were rather fine.
"Beef," she said, shaking her head and taking another bite of her salmon in cream sauce. "I never understood Americans and this beef obsession."
"First of all, I'm British. Second, beef is a very fine and basic staple of our meals. Third, it has very benefit proteins in it."
"So does fish," she replied breaking off a piece. "And I don't have to worry about mad cow disease when I take a meal either."
He shook his head at her, "The USDA has found no traces of the disease here in North America," spearing a piece, he held up it to her. "Try it."
"What?" leaning against the offered forkful. "No."
"Try it," he said again. "You're not a vegetarian, are you?"
"No, I'm not a vegetarian and I know what beef tastes likes, thank you very much. I just prefer not to eat it." She said, taking sip of the wine. She had made Matt taste it first, fearing that Debra had poisoned it. That look of death she had received from the woman was rather frightening.
"When was the last time you had some?" he asked, still holding the offering to her. "Just take the bite."
She glanced at it for a moment before leaning in to take the meat into her mouth. The sweet, tangy sauce that had been generously applied sent a small thrill down her back. Chewing slowly, she savored the texture and taste of the soft meat.
Matt was slightly stunned by the sheer delight he was experiencing just by watching her enjoy herself. He had a disconcerting feeling that this night was not going exactly to plan. Shaking his head, he quieted the uneasy feeling. "Now tell me there not something rather satisfying about chewing on that as oppose to your fish."
"Okay," she conceded reluctantly. "So there is something rather primitively gratifying about sinking your teeth on flesh."
He made a face. "Not when you put it like that."
Jules laughed. "Must be a feeling left over from our Neanderthal days," she scooped up some fish on her fork. "But fish has all the proteins we need without any of the extra fats," she offered it to his lips, which opened to take the offering forkful. "Now tell me that it isn't just as delicious."
Watching her watching him expectedly, he had the insane urge to learn forward and taste those sweetly curved lips against his own. Shaking the ridiculously thought fro his mind, he cleared his throat and concentrated on the food. "That's surprisingly good. What was it?"
Grinning, "Grilled salmon with creamy clam sauce. Overkill on the cholesterols but god the taste is worth it."
"I'll say," he smiled back. The whole exchange was beginning to get a reaction from him that he had not expected nor want. Changing the subject seemed like a proper course of action. "My father called the other day."
"How is he?" she asked politely as she finished her meal slowly.
"Very good, made another killer deal," he smiled and set his wine glass down. "He asked about the eggs again."
"Eggs?" she looked puzzled for a moment before her eyes went wide. "My eggs?"
Nodding, Matt grinned rather evilly. "He asked whether anything ever came of it."
"I hadn't planned on using them unless as a last ditch effort to have my own kids."
"I know," he reassured her quickly. "But my father was still nervous over the whole legal responsibility issue."
Jules nodded her head with understand. "You can assure your father that if I ever decide to have kids using the frozen eggs, you are under no legal, financial or moral obligations toward me or the kid. I'll even put it down in writing if you'd like."
"I don't doubt you, Jules," Slingerland replied softer feeling slightly miffed over the fact that she appeared to really not expect anything from him other than... what she already got. "But..."
"But?" she asked.
He looked at her, serious all of a sudden. "If I were to... just show up when you had the baby. Would you really deny me a chance to know him or her?"
"Urg... Matt... this... this is...um..." she put her fork down slowly by the plate.
Holding up a hand, he stopped her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked the question. It was terribly inappropriate of me to do so. I apologize."
"Matt..."
"No, no, don't answer, please." He smiled and reached for her hand. Squeezing it gently, "I know that whatever your decision would be, it would be the wise one."
She smiled and turned her hand about to link with is for a moment. "Matt, I said it once before and I will say so again, you are not your father. What you do with life is up to you. And your kids... I'm sure they'd be very lucky to have you as their father."
The sincerity was touchingly sweet. But then, it's what he's come to expect from sweet darling little Jules with her adorable pixie face. "Thank you."
"Dessert?" Debra asked, coming up to them so quickly that the two sprung apart like guilty teens caught doing something they weren't suppose to.
Matt cleared his throat and tried to smile at the blonde woman that was holding out a tray of sweet confections. For a moment, his mind drew a blank. "Jules, would you like some dessert?"
"Oh... um...." She looked at the tray blindly for a moment, trying to compose herself. "I don't I can finish one."
Keeping the plan firmly in mind, for everything they were doing was simply to facilitate the plan, he picked up a plate of tiramisu. "Why don't we share then?" he smiled at Debra before turning his eyes to Jules, who glanced at the offered sweets with curiosity. "The most sinfully delightful creation of the ... where is tiramisu from?"
"I don't know," she said picking up the dessert fork. "I just know it's good."
"Thank you," Matt said and turned to Debra, who was watching Jules with a critical eye. "Could you bring me the check?"
She nodded slowly, watching them for a long time before turning to go.
"Think she suspects something?" Jules asked carefully as she took a forkful of sweets. "Oh, this is too good."
"Whatever happens, this has been a lovely evening," he toasted her with a forkful of tiramisu. "Thank you, Dr. Keating, for lending a friendly hand."
Jules nodded her head. "You're welcome, Dr. Slingerland. It's been fun."
"Yes it has," more than a little surprise how true it was.
TBC....
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Throwing the whole thing back into the hospital next. Yes, for those of you that are curious, there is going to be Nick in this story. (How anyone expects me to write a Presidio Med fan fiction without at least having a mention or two of Oded Fehr's character is beyond me?)
R&R please.
By Didi
Disclaimers: I don't own any of the characters. John Wells and his friends do. Let's not get into the debate as to who owns the ideas and all that; cause let's fact it, you'll lose. Enjoy the story anyways.
Summary: The hospital rumor mill get hold of a hush-hush situation.
Note: I cannot recall if Dr. Harriet Lenning's husband was given a name on the show or not so I'm going to call him Harold for now. If anyone knows the answer to this chapter's character name challenge, please drop me a note. Thanks.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Chapter 4
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"You know," Jackie said, her eyes going mischievously bright. "This is going to make some pretty interesting gossip tomorrow morning."
"Tell me you're not planning on helping the rumor mill," Letty said as she leaned back in her chair to see around a large woman in an uncommonly orange dress. The two young doctors appeared to be in a discussion of some sort with Slingerland leaning toward Keating in a reassuring manner as he ignored the wine menu in his hands. "Wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't seeing it myself."
Harriet smiled and turned her head and took another sip of the soda she had been nursing all evening. "Well, strange circumstances make strange bedfellows."
Rae tore her eyes away from the cozy couple that were now ordering form a tall blonde waitess. "What does that mean?"
Dr. Lenning merely smiled, shrugged her shoulders and took another sip of soda.
"You know something don't you?" Letty Jordan deduced with a grin. This was getting more interesting by the moment. There was never a shortage of intrigue at the hospital but never this juicy.
"Share," Jackie said as she leaned in to hear better.
"Sorry ladies," holding up her hand with regret. "But doctor-patient confidentiality does apply here."
"Really?" Rae asked, her suspicions high now. "Or are you just unwilling to pass long hot news?" She turned her head to catch Slingerland taking Jules's hand gently in his. For the entire world, it was a causally intimate gesture that would only be noticed when one was not expecting it. "Well..."
"Looks pretty together to me," Jackie said as she grinned. "You know, when I came to the hospital, I had Slingerland pegged as a playboy and Keating as a total girl scout." She shook her head and watched as Slingerland brought Keatings hand closer to him. She looked embarrassed by he seemed oblivious of everything else but her company. "But... this... this could definitely make a believer out of me."
"Believer in what? The strange and unusual?" signaling a waiter, Letty finished her drink and pointed to her glass. The waiter nodded his head and turned to the bar.
"In the attraction of opposites," Jackie grinned and looked around. "Where's the food? I'm starving now."
"You sure you won't share, Harriet?" Rae asked as she watched her much amused friend turn to watch Slingerland and Keating lean toward each other to hear the words the other was saying.
"Can't," Harriet replied, smiling with some concern. She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't just a little concern for Jules's heart. Matt Slingerland was too well known for his charms and Jules... Jules was too much like a daughter to her for her not to worry that the young woman was going to get her heart broken. But then again, stranger things have happened.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Jules leaned in and said through a forced smile, "You can let go of my hand now."
"What's hurry?" Matt asked, playing with her finger for a moment. "We won't want Debra to think that there's trouble in paradise now, would we?" He was thoroughly finding it amusing that he appeared to be making her slightly nervous. It was always an assumption on his part that Jules Keating knew him enough to be oblivious to his charms. But it would appear to be otherwise.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked, slowly extracting her hand from him and resting her chin on her knuckled as she rest her elbows on the table. The lone candle in the red holder threw rosy glows on her cheerfully freckled face. While not classically beautiful, she was as adorable as a sprite.
"I need to know that I'm not going to be drawn into a badly played game of love and war," he replied as he leaned toward her. "And with women like Debra, it is always war." The band picked up a lively song that had a solid beat that had everyone on the dance floor jumping.
Jules's face lit as she recognized the song.
"Fan?" Matt asked, glancing over his shoulder at the six-man band that was keeping the place entertainment. The wailing sax was quite impressive.
"My dad loved big band swing music," Jules clarified. "We must have had every record known in existence that had any type of big band music. Drove my mother crazy cause we wouldn't be able to afford new gym shoes for my brother but Dad could still get his records. Thank god records were cheap by the time we were kids or I swear my mother would have divorced Dad over it."
Matt laughed. "My father was always an opera fan, all the classic for dear old dad. My mother tried to get my father to understand that children cannot always appreciate the hollering and shrieking of opera singers. But dad was stubborn, dragged us to every performance he could get tickets for when he was actually at home."
There was a mixture of fondness and irritation in his tone that had Jules wondering. "Did you learn to appreciate it?"
"To some extent," he said with a nod as the band picked up the beat to the delight of the dancers. "I can enjoy it in increments." He watched as several couples took center stage with fancy moves that had their neighboring dancers stopping to watch. He glanced back at Jules's delighted face and smiled. Her bright green eyes were lit with an inner fire that was rather bewitching to behold. "Dance?"
"What?" clearly startled.
"Would you like to dance?" holding out his hand to her. "You do know how to swing dance, don't you?"
The teasing challenge in his voice had her raising a superior brow at him. "Do zebras have strips?" taking his hand firmly and getting to her feet. Looks like she was going to get to break in her high heels after all. "I have to warn you though, I was pretty darn good back in college."
Matt laughed and turned her about with an overhead turn. "Wasn't too shabby myself back in the days. Get ready to rocket, little lady."
"Take it away, Buck Rogers," she replied chuckling as they took to the floor.
For a pair that hasn't taken a turn on the dance floor since their days before medical school, internships and work consumed their every waking hour, the two danced like pros. Every turn, every twist, every dip and twirl was in synch as they took center stage.
Slingerland moved well, long limbs that should have been clumsy were schooled by polo, rugby and fencing lessons that had part of the curriculum in a British boarding school. Keating was graceful from her hoydenish days as a regular tomboy, navigating between limbs of trees, playing baseball, soccer and various other outdoors activities that kept her tanned, freckled and happy. Matt learned to lead early and Jules learned not to ever anticipate her partners from long before. Together, they made a smoothly beautiful team on the brightly lit floor.
The band ended on a high note as Matt dipped Jules low, putting his weight on his leg to support her bent body, balancing the two with sheer calm strength. Neither one realized they were the last and only couple that been left on the dance floor to dance until the enthusiastic applause erupted from the gathered crowd around them.
Jules blushed as Matt pulled her smoothly onto her feel, catching her around the waist to help her balance. Bowing, he gave her a quick gentle nudge to get her to do the same, before they left the dance floor to the disappointment of some gathered hoping to see more of the excellent dancing.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Matt asked as he held her seat out for her.
"I can ask the same thing of you?" Jules said with laugh and took a sip of the ice water someone had brought to the table. "I didn't think swing dancing was part of something the British education system requires of their students."
"No, but we did have to learn all the basic classics," he grinned and took a sip of the water, chewing on an ice chip. "The waltz, two-step and the foxtrot were a must. I learned the jitterbug and swing came along naturally since it was similar." He tilted his head and gave her a sly look. "For the more exotic such as salsa, tango, rumba and some of the more forbidden dances, we learned after hours." Jules laughed until tears came to her eyes. "Your turn."
"Mom and Dad were excellent swing dancers... for people that have two left feet," she chuckled with fondness. "I seriously think that they were trying to cripple each other when they danced. Fortunately, my brothers and I had been gifted with some grace in movements. My older brother Jerry was a champion swing dancer. But he was shy, so he would only practice with his kid sister or his dance partner, the woman he eventually married." She sighed remembering some afternoons spent having to put up with Jerry's perfectionist nature. "There is nothing like learning from someone who knew what they were doing."
"That must have made for some lovely quality time with your siblings," he looked up in time to see Debra return from her kitchen trip. "Here comes Debra."
"I guess she wants us to order," Jules predicted as she picked up her menu, not seeing a word on it as she giggled. "I wonder if she saw us."
"Oh, judging by rather green look on her face, I would say yes," Matt replied picking up his menu as well.
That set Jules off again.
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
"Did you know that Slingerland could dance?" Rae asked with a rather stunned look at her face.
"Dance?" Letty asked, "I didn't even know he could walk without causing a train wreck."
"The boy can move all right," Jackie commented as she watched Keating taking a dip with only Slingerland's arm as support. "And then some."
"They certainly do look comfortable together," Harriet commented with a grin. She remembered when Harold would take her dancing when work became too stressful for her health. Perhaps one night, she'll have to bring him here.
Rae nodded her head as she watch the twirl and whirl of Jules on high heels, her sweet face bright with delight. Their bodies match each other's movements but never touching. A twist of the hips, the turn of the arms, a push of the hands... it was like a choreographed dance. "Like they've done this before."
"So how long have those two been dating and no one knew about it?" Jackie asked before a man with dark eye and bedroom eyes distracted her. "Excuse me, ladies. Hormones are a calling." She slipped out of her seat and flashed Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Sexy a come hither look.
"That's a good question," Letty asked as she shifted in her seat to get a better view of the dancing couple but the crowd that had gathered around the dance floor wasn't making it easy. "And why hasn't Jules said anything."
Shrugging her shoulders, Rae picked at her crunchy golden fries. "If I was dating Matt Slingerland, I wouldn't announce it either. People would think I was one of the dozen woman on his long list of... of... you know."
Letty nodded her head in acknowledgement. "What do you think Harriet?"
"I think," putting her fork to the Caesar salad she had ordered. "That Jules is wise enough to know what she's about. That the two are very good dancers. That other people's private lives are none of my business." Spearing a tomato, she smiled at her friends.
Dr. Jordan and Dr. Brennan looked at one other. "In other words, we should butt out."
"In other words, your hot meals are growing cold."
"We can take a hint."
*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Dr. Keating closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. "I don't know how you can eat that."
"What?" Matt asked, cutting the beef into thin slices. For not being a steak house, their steaks were rather fine.
"Beef," she said, shaking her head and taking another bite of her salmon in cream sauce. "I never understood Americans and this beef obsession."
"First of all, I'm British. Second, beef is a very fine and basic staple of our meals. Third, it has very benefit proteins in it."
"So does fish," she replied breaking off a piece. "And I don't have to worry about mad cow disease when I take a meal either."
He shook his head at her, "The USDA has found no traces of the disease here in North America," spearing a piece, he held up it to her. "Try it."
"What?" leaning against the offered forkful. "No."
"Try it," he said again. "You're not a vegetarian, are you?"
"No, I'm not a vegetarian and I know what beef tastes likes, thank you very much. I just prefer not to eat it." She said, taking sip of the wine. She had made Matt taste it first, fearing that Debra had poisoned it. That look of death she had received from the woman was rather frightening.
"When was the last time you had some?" he asked, still holding the offering to her. "Just take the bite."
She glanced at it for a moment before leaning in to take the meat into her mouth. The sweet, tangy sauce that had been generously applied sent a small thrill down her back. Chewing slowly, she savored the texture and taste of the soft meat.
Matt was slightly stunned by the sheer delight he was experiencing just by watching her enjoy herself. He had a disconcerting feeling that this night was not going exactly to plan. Shaking his head, he quieted the uneasy feeling. "Now tell me there not something rather satisfying about chewing on that as oppose to your fish."
"Okay," she conceded reluctantly. "So there is something rather primitively gratifying about sinking your teeth on flesh."
He made a face. "Not when you put it like that."
Jules laughed. "Must be a feeling left over from our Neanderthal days," she scooped up some fish on her fork. "But fish has all the proteins we need without any of the extra fats," she offered it to his lips, which opened to take the offering forkful. "Now tell me that it isn't just as delicious."
Watching her watching him expectedly, he had the insane urge to learn forward and taste those sweetly curved lips against his own. Shaking the ridiculously thought fro his mind, he cleared his throat and concentrated on the food. "That's surprisingly good. What was it?"
Grinning, "Grilled salmon with creamy clam sauce. Overkill on the cholesterols but god the taste is worth it."
"I'll say," he smiled back. The whole exchange was beginning to get a reaction from him that he had not expected nor want. Changing the subject seemed like a proper course of action. "My father called the other day."
"How is he?" she asked politely as she finished her meal slowly.
"Very good, made another killer deal," he smiled and set his wine glass down. "He asked about the eggs again."
"Eggs?" she looked puzzled for a moment before her eyes went wide. "My eggs?"
Nodding, Matt grinned rather evilly. "He asked whether anything ever came of it."
"I hadn't planned on using them unless as a last ditch effort to have my own kids."
"I know," he reassured her quickly. "But my father was still nervous over the whole legal responsibility issue."
Jules nodded her head with understand. "You can assure your father that if I ever decide to have kids using the frozen eggs, you are under no legal, financial or moral obligations toward me or the kid. I'll even put it down in writing if you'd like."
"I don't doubt you, Jules," Slingerland replied softer feeling slightly miffed over the fact that she appeared to really not expect anything from him other than... what she already got. "But..."
"But?" she asked.
He looked at her, serious all of a sudden. "If I were to... just show up when you had the baby. Would you really deny me a chance to know him or her?"
"Urg... Matt... this... this is...um..." she put her fork down slowly by the plate.
Holding up a hand, he stopped her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked the question. It was terribly inappropriate of me to do so. I apologize."
"Matt..."
"No, no, don't answer, please." He smiled and reached for her hand. Squeezing it gently, "I know that whatever your decision would be, it would be the wise one."
She smiled and turned her hand about to link with is for a moment. "Matt, I said it once before and I will say so again, you are not your father. What you do with life is up to you. And your kids... I'm sure they'd be very lucky to have you as their father."
The sincerity was touchingly sweet. But then, it's what he's come to expect from sweet darling little Jules with her adorable pixie face. "Thank you."
"Dessert?" Debra asked, coming up to them so quickly that the two sprung apart like guilty teens caught doing something they weren't suppose to.
Matt cleared his throat and tried to smile at the blonde woman that was holding out a tray of sweet confections. For a moment, his mind drew a blank. "Jules, would you like some dessert?"
"Oh... um...." She looked at the tray blindly for a moment, trying to compose herself. "I don't I can finish one."
Keeping the plan firmly in mind, for everything they were doing was simply to facilitate the plan, he picked up a plate of tiramisu. "Why don't we share then?" he smiled at Debra before turning his eyes to Jules, who glanced at the offered sweets with curiosity. "The most sinfully delightful creation of the ... where is tiramisu from?"
"I don't know," she said picking up the dessert fork. "I just know it's good."
"Thank you," Matt said and turned to Debra, who was watching Jules with a critical eye. "Could you bring me the check?"
She nodded slowly, watching them for a long time before turning to go.
"Think she suspects something?" Jules asked carefully as she took a forkful of sweets. "Oh, this is too good."
"Whatever happens, this has been a lovely evening," he toasted her with a forkful of tiramisu. "Thank you, Dr. Keating, for lending a friendly hand."
Jules nodded her head. "You're welcome, Dr. Slingerland. It's been fun."
"Yes it has," more than a little surprise how true it was.
TBC....
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Throwing the whole thing back into the hospital next. Yes, for those of you that are curious, there is going to be Nick in this story. (How anyone expects me to write a Presidio Med fan fiction without at least having a mention or two of Oded Fehr's character is beyond me?)
R&R please.