Thank you once again to all those people who reviewed - it's lovely! And thanks to my proof reader and fellow Doc lover! Ah CE how we miss you!
The door to the restaurant sounded as they pushed their way through it and immediately a computerized voice bade them welcome. A hologram appeared in front of them and smiled when it saw Jack.
"Usual table sir?"Jack nodded in reply and the hologram glided ahead of them, leading them to a quiet, intimate table near the very back of the room.
"Computerized waiting staff? Very late 21st century," the Doctor commented. "Are you going for a cultured feel?"
"You know how it is," Jack replied, still hanging on to his bravado, "a little old-fashioned romance."
"You're going to have to aim for a lot more old-fashioned if you want to impress me," the Doctor smirked back."Age is not an advantage when it comes to the dating game," Jack shot back. "I thought you would have got that by now." There was a short pause as the pair took their seats opposite each other. Jack continued, "What with Rose and everything."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "And what does that mean?"
"Come on Doc, you know exactly what it means. Or has your genius failed you on this point?"
The Doctor was just about to open his mouth to snap a reply when the hologram pressed its fingers together and a tall pair of tapered candles lit in front of them.
"Anyway," continued Jack, relishing the opportunity to score another point in the comfortable bickering. "Candles were being used on earth in the Dark Ages. That is older than even you. Old-fashioned enough for you?"
"Ha!" the Doctor barked a laugh at him.
"And I'll have the '84 this evening," Jack informed the hologram.
"Excellent choice Sir," it bowed slightly and slid silently away to get the wine.
"The '84?" the Doctor asked. "It's a good thing we have unlimited funds."
"Well, I can't appear to be cheap in front of my date," Jack smiled back. Unaccountably, however, he felt himself blushing again. Patter like this was what Jack lived on and yet suddenly he had become nervous about the delivery of it. What was he so worried about? It was only the Doctor. To shift the attention away from his reddening complexion Jack said, "I'm still waiting for you to explain about Rose, Doc."
"There's nothing to explain," the Doctor replied briskly. "And even if there were, I wouldn't explain it to you."
"Yeah, okay, whatever you say Doc." Jack teased the Doctor, hoping for a blush from his companion.
The hologram reappeared at this moment with the wine and poured them both a large glass. It also held out two menu pads for them to select from. The Doctor eyed the wine.
"And I warned Rose against getting drunk."
Jack ignored the comment and took a sip of his drink. Come to think of it, he had never seen the Doctor drunk. He had never even seen him drink. Jack wondered what the Doctor would be like drunk. Of course, tipsy people were the easier conquests. It would make-. Jack stopped the thought but he was too late to halt the images arising in his mind.
"Is it hot in here tonight?" the Doctor suddenly asked.
Jack looked around in confusion at the random question. "Not that I can tell, why?"
"You just seem to keep going a little red, that's all."
The Doctor's tone was completely innocent but Jack knew he must have noticed.
"You think I keep going red? I don't feel hot."
"Then I must be wrong. Must be the lighting. Or the drink. Or something."
Jack nodded, glad the Doctor was willing to drop it.
"Funny thing is, the lighting on the street was nice and bright. And you hadn't had anything to drink out there. And you were red then." The Doctor continued in that dreadful tone he usually used to take apart villains that had annoyed him with some scam.
"I don't know what to say," Jack tried a confident smile. "I really hadn't noticed it myself." 'Although you must have been watching me pretty closely to notice in the street,' Jack noted inwardly.
"Oh okay." The Doctor gave one of his oh-so-innocent smiles and looked down at the menu pad. It only took him a few seconds to make his choice and tapped the selection. Jack was a little longer in his decision. Once again he was trying to regain his composure. It had all started so well, teasing the Doctor about Rose, buying the meal, and then suddenly the Doctor had the upper hand. For all his expertise in the games of lust it had occurred to him that 900 years was a long time to get very good at such things. And the Doctor was not at all a bad looking man. Jack physically shook himself. It was such images as the Doctor's naked torso that he was concentrating so hard on forgetting. 'Food, order the food,' Jack instructed himself. At least when he was eating he would have something else to concentrate on.
