"I'm pregnant." Susan smiled almost ironically.
Robert let himself grin, watching the exchange from the desk across admittance. Then the poor woman lost her breakfast all over the floor so he cringed and turned back to his work, letting someone else call housekeeping.
"Are you okay?" He heard a familiar British accent and finished what he was doing, listening to their conversation.
"Oh, yeah, I'll be fine. Morning sickness." Susan had stopped walking.
"Congratulations." Elizabeth said surprised but happy for her.
"Thanks. So what's the cure for this?"
Elizabeth laughed, "Make sure Chuck looks after you."
They parted ways like old friends. Odd, Robert thought, considering their history with Mark, but he was never one to claim to understand women.
"Hello." Elizabeth leant on the counter waiting for him.
"Hi." He smiled and got up. "Good timing." He walked around the counter and kissed her by way of greeting before heading to the lounge to get ready to go home.
"Happy birthday." She waited by the door as he went to his locker.
"Thanks for sparing that from public notice." He pulled off his coat.
"So, how was your day?"
"It's getting better." He shut his locker and walked over to her for a proper kiss. "So… what brings you here this fine evening?"
"Birthday surprise."
"Oh gosh."
"Hey, you might like it, you never know."
"I guess I'm going to find out."
"Have a little faith, I know what you like." She walked through the door he opened, "Plus Ella is staying at a friend's."
"Maybe I will like it." he grinned mischievously.
She took him to an Italian restaurant: 'Romano's'. She said it was good for his ego. And that since it was his birthday she wouldn't put him through pretending to enjoy her cooking.
"Thank you for this Elizabeth." He broke the silence while she unlocked her front door.
She smiled graciously, "You haven't even got your present yet."
She pushed the door opened and went to walk through but he grabbed her and kissed her.
When he let go she laughed, "Come on, you're going to love it." She took his hand and led him inside.
She dropped his hand and went into the lounge, flicking on the light and waiting for his reaction.
He walked in, looking at her with a grin and shaking his head like she was up to something. Then he noticed the difference. A huge lounge chair. It was covered in dark crimson suede, with rolling armrests and everything. It looked antique but perfectly preserved.
"That is great." He ran his hand along the back appreciatively, walking around to see it properly.
Elizabeth was grinning. "Try it out." She put her hand on the back of the chair as he sat down.
"This is perfect." He sunk into the soft leather.
"I thought it was about time you got your own chair." She knelt down beside him, resting her elbows on the armrest.
He turned to her contemplatively.
"What?" she questioned his stare and he shook his head smiling. "Well Ella has hers and I can quite happily take over the entire couch,"
"I noticed." He interrupted, "So this is your way of getting me of your couch."
She nodded, pretending she was caught red-handed.
He laughed and when he stopped, whispered, "thank you. This is perfect."
"Good," she smiled, glad she found something he liked.
"And for everything. Tonight has been… just perfect."
He looked very serious. Elizabeth got up and put a CD on. "You want a drink?"
He got up and walked to her. "No."
She turned to him, a small smile playing on her lips, and let him take her hand.
"May I have this dance?"
She nodded, swallowing, nervous from the intensity in his eyes until he cracked a grin, revealing he'd only been trying to stare her down.
She laughed and pulled him close.
'I really cant stay (but baby its cold outside)
I've got to go away (but baby its cold outside)
this evening has been so very nice (I'll hold your hands there just like ice)
my mother will start to worry! (beautiful what's you're hurry?)
and father will be pacing the floor (listen to the fireplace roar)
so really I better scurry! (beautiful please don't hurry)
well maybe just a half a drink more (puts some records on while I pour)
the neighbours might think (baby its bad out there)
say.. what's in this drink (no cabs to be had out there)
I wish I knew how.... to break the spell (your eyes are like starlight now)'
Robert had started to sing along and Elizabeth laughed lightly at the words. She hadn't heard this one in ages.
"You know I haven't even sung you happy birthday yet."
"Shh, you're ruining the song." He teased.
"Happy birthday… to you." She mimicked Marilyn Munroe appallingly.
Robert laughed and stepped back to spin her around and watch her smile.
"Happy birthday… to you."
He pulled her back to him as Dean Martin finished in the background.
Elizabeth kept going, "Happy birthday… Mr President."
"Now that's good for the ego."
She laughed, "Happy birthday… to you."
"It's been a while since I was sung to." They'd stopped dancing and he was running his fingers down the side of her face, playing with stray curls. He exhaled and shook his head disbelievingly. "I love you."
She smiled and kissed him, surprised by his response.
"Did you have any more surprises for tonight?" he mumbled between kisses.
She laughed, "no. Unless you'd like to christen your new chair."
He stopped for a minute and looked at the chair. "No offence, but it doesn't look that comfortable."
She laughed and kissed him again, "That's cause it wasn't designed for such exertion."
It was his turn to laugh. "What did I do to deserve you?" he turned half-serious.
"Well…" she pulled him towards the stairs "first, you dragged me half-way across the world, stunned by my surgical talent,"
"Amongst other things…"
She looked shocked.
"You knew that." He came as close as the man could to looking bashful.
"Anyway, you argued with me more than any sane person would have bothered,"
"So now I'm insane?"
She nodded, "You told me things I didn't want to hear."
"I never knew you were so grateful."
"Only for some of them."
He smiled understandingly and opened her bedroom door. "Ladies first."
"I've been promoted." She smiled walking in.
"I was just being polite."
She laughed and turned to face him. "And you make me laugh."
"I thought you'd finished." He stood really close but didn't touch her.
"I'm finished." she breathed.
He kissed her before the words were out of her mouth.
Robert let himself grin, watching the exchange from the desk across admittance. Then the poor woman lost her breakfast all over the floor so he cringed and turned back to his work, letting someone else call housekeeping.
"Are you okay?" He heard a familiar British accent and finished what he was doing, listening to their conversation.
"Oh, yeah, I'll be fine. Morning sickness." Susan had stopped walking.
"Congratulations." Elizabeth said surprised but happy for her.
"Thanks. So what's the cure for this?"
Elizabeth laughed, "Make sure Chuck looks after you."
They parted ways like old friends. Odd, Robert thought, considering their history with Mark, but he was never one to claim to understand women.
"Hello." Elizabeth leant on the counter waiting for him.
"Hi." He smiled and got up. "Good timing." He walked around the counter and kissed her by way of greeting before heading to the lounge to get ready to go home.
"Happy birthday." She waited by the door as he went to his locker.
"Thanks for sparing that from public notice." He pulled off his coat.
"So, how was your day?"
"It's getting better." He shut his locker and walked over to her for a proper kiss. "So… what brings you here this fine evening?"
"Birthday surprise."
"Oh gosh."
"Hey, you might like it, you never know."
"I guess I'm going to find out."
"Have a little faith, I know what you like." She walked through the door he opened, "Plus Ella is staying at a friend's."
"Maybe I will like it." he grinned mischievously.
She took him to an Italian restaurant: 'Romano's'. She said it was good for his ego. And that since it was his birthday she wouldn't put him through pretending to enjoy her cooking.
"Thank you for this Elizabeth." He broke the silence while she unlocked her front door.
She smiled graciously, "You haven't even got your present yet."
She pushed the door opened and went to walk through but he grabbed her and kissed her.
When he let go she laughed, "Come on, you're going to love it." She took his hand and led him inside.
She dropped his hand and went into the lounge, flicking on the light and waiting for his reaction.
He walked in, looking at her with a grin and shaking his head like she was up to something. Then he noticed the difference. A huge lounge chair. It was covered in dark crimson suede, with rolling armrests and everything. It looked antique but perfectly preserved.
"That is great." He ran his hand along the back appreciatively, walking around to see it properly.
Elizabeth was grinning. "Try it out." She put her hand on the back of the chair as he sat down.
"This is perfect." He sunk into the soft leather.
"I thought it was about time you got your own chair." She knelt down beside him, resting her elbows on the armrest.
He turned to her contemplatively.
"What?" she questioned his stare and he shook his head smiling. "Well Ella has hers and I can quite happily take over the entire couch,"
"I noticed." He interrupted, "So this is your way of getting me of your couch."
She nodded, pretending she was caught red-handed.
He laughed and when he stopped, whispered, "thank you. This is perfect."
"Good," she smiled, glad she found something he liked.
"And for everything. Tonight has been… just perfect."
He looked very serious. Elizabeth got up and put a CD on. "You want a drink?"
He got up and walked to her. "No."
She turned to him, a small smile playing on her lips, and let him take her hand.
"May I have this dance?"
She nodded, swallowing, nervous from the intensity in his eyes until he cracked a grin, revealing he'd only been trying to stare her down.
She laughed and pulled him close.
'I really cant stay (but baby its cold outside)
I've got to go away (but baby its cold outside)
this evening has been so very nice (I'll hold your hands there just like ice)
my mother will start to worry! (beautiful what's you're hurry?)
and father will be pacing the floor (listen to the fireplace roar)
so really I better scurry! (beautiful please don't hurry)
well maybe just a half a drink more (puts some records on while I pour)
the neighbours might think (baby its bad out there)
say.. what's in this drink (no cabs to be had out there)
I wish I knew how.... to break the spell (your eyes are like starlight now)'
Robert had started to sing along and Elizabeth laughed lightly at the words. She hadn't heard this one in ages.
"You know I haven't even sung you happy birthday yet."
"Shh, you're ruining the song." He teased.
"Happy birthday… to you." She mimicked Marilyn Munroe appallingly.
Robert laughed and stepped back to spin her around and watch her smile.
"Happy birthday… to you."
He pulled her back to him as Dean Martin finished in the background.
Elizabeth kept going, "Happy birthday… Mr President."
"Now that's good for the ego."
She laughed, "Happy birthday… to you."
"It's been a while since I was sung to." They'd stopped dancing and he was running his fingers down the side of her face, playing with stray curls. He exhaled and shook his head disbelievingly. "I love you."
She smiled and kissed him, surprised by his response.
"Did you have any more surprises for tonight?" he mumbled between kisses.
She laughed, "no. Unless you'd like to christen your new chair."
He stopped for a minute and looked at the chair. "No offence, but it doesn't look that comfortable."
She laughed and kissed him again, "That's cause it wasn't designed for such exertion."
It was his turn to laugh. "What did I do to deserve you?" he turned half-serious.
"Well…" she pulled him towards the stairs "first, you dragged me half-way across the world, stunned by my surgical talent,"
"Amongst other things…"
She looked shocked.
"You knew that." He came as close as the man could to looking bashful.
"Anyway, you argued with me more than any sane person would have bothered,"
"So now I'm insane?"
She nodded, "You told me things I didn't want to hear."
"I never knew you were so grateful."
"Only for some of them."
He smiled understandingly and opened her bedroom door. "Ladies first."
"I've been promoted." She smiled walking in.
"I was just being polite."
She laughed and turned to face him. "And you make me laugh."
"I thought you'd finished." He stood really close but didn't touch her.
"I'm finished." she breathed.
He kissed her before the words were out of her mouth.