Luka stopped a moment and looked at the calendar in front of him on the table. He frowned a bit and counted backwards flipping pages as he went. He smiled and nodded slightly. He looked up as Abby came out of their bedroom dressed for work. She was twisting her hair into a knot on the back of her head and secured it with a hair clip. She picked up a coffee cup from the table and took a drink.
"What?" she asked as Luka grinned at her.
"Today is a special day," he said.
"It is?" She frowned thoughtfully and he nodded. She shrugged and held out her hands as she couldn't place the date.
"Our wedding was three months ago today….exactly." Abby's hand dropped and she smiled slightly.
"Really…..." she said. Luka nodded and stood up.
"Yes," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "We need to celebrate." He kissed her and Abby laughed.
"Celebrate…..three months?" Luka nodded. He kissed her nose.
"Some place fancy," he said. "Some place really special." He pulled back and looked at her. "We've never done that before, have we?" Abby laughed.
"Hardly," she said. "Your idea of a hot date is a couple of sandwiches and a game of pool at our local bar and grill." Luka rolled his eyes.
"I can do fancy too," he said. Abby frowned playfully and pulled away from him.
"I can!" Luka insisted. He shook a finger at her.
"We're both off at seven," he said. "You just meet me at the admit desk in your little black dress and I will show you how to celebrate fancy."
"Little black dress?" Abby scoffed. "Luka, I don't even own a little black dress."
"You don't?" he said incredulously. "I thought every woman had a little black dress in her closet." Abby shook her head and shrugged.
"That's never really been my thing." Luka pondered that for a moment and then shrugged.
"So, go out on your break and buy one." Abby laughed.
"You are such a man," she said as she shook her head.
"What?" he shrugged.
"A new dress….especially a little black one….means new shoes, new underwear, stockings….."
"Stockings?" He grinned lecherously. Abby punched him playfully.
"What's the problem?" he groaned.
"I'm supposed to find all that on my lunch break?" His face fell and then brightened.
"So take my lunch break too. I'll cover for you." Abby laughed and shook her head. She slipped on her coat and picked up her bag, waiting for him at the door.
"You'll make it up to me later anyway," he wheedled. Abby looked up at him.
"Black, huh?" she sighed.
"And little…." Luka added. Abby sighed and shook her head with a smile. Luka looked at her with pleading eyes as he slipped into his jacket and shut the latches on his bag. He didn't take his eyes off her as he lifted the bag's strap to his shoulder.
"What are you thinking?" he asked her.
"I'm thinking about how fast I could get from one shop to another at lunch time….when all the rest of Chicago will be doing the same thing," she sighed.
"Yes!" Luka crowed happily as he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and picked up her hand as they headed out the door to the entryway and off to work.
All day long all she could think about was what he might be planning. However she went from one patient to the other absorbed in their problems and issues. They passed each other in the hallways, always with a little smile for one another. Once, at the admit desk they found themselves standing side by side and Luke nudged her with his elbow. She just looked up, nudged him with her hip and returned his smile.
Jerry watched them critically and shook his head. He was having a very hard time following Luka's actions today. He'd cancelled a dinner reservation at the Drake Hotel and arranged for a flower delivery to come to the hospital rather than the restaurant. It was hard to figure what the good doctor had up his sleeve next.
Luka was triaging patients in the waiting room when she came back from her shopping trip. Abby grinned at him triumphantly and shifted the dress bag on it's hanger that was slung over her shoulder. She headed for the call room to put her purchases in her locker and then went back to work.
The afternoon crawled by for both of them. Luka wasn't sure when he became aware of the looks he was getting from other ER employees. Everyone seemed so jumpy around him. He was jotting some notes onto a patent's chart when two nurses stepped around a corner and almost ran into him.
"Dr. Kovac!" Inez shrieked. She looked at her companion in panic and the two of them hurried off in another direction carrying several bags and boxes. Luka watched them go and then snagged Abby's arm as she came out of an exam room.
"Have you noticed anything…..funny…..going on?" he asked her. Abby shrugged.
"No," she said, and then grinned. "But I have had my mind on something else." Luka chuckled and nodded.
"Me too." He looked around and then bent his head to kiss her lightly.
"Your shopping trip was successful?" Abby shrugged and began walking away.
"I don't think you'll be disappointed," she smiled slyly. Luka chuckled and shook his head.
Five o'clock….five thirty….six o'clock……time seemed to crawl by. The board was clear and passed on to the night shift and Luka hurried to his office to change. He stepped out into the corrider and turned to lock his office door when he caught sight of Abby coming toward him. His mouth dropped open and he stopped and just enjoyed the view. She had a half cocked smile on her face and was striding toward him in a form fitting black sweater dress that slipped off one bare shoulder. A slender silver belt rode on her hips and her hair was swept up in a loose knot and held in place with a silver clip. Several strands had slipped loose and curled around her neck. She stopped in front of him and put her hands on her hips.
"Little enough for you?" she asked. Luka nodded enthusiastically and Abby laughed as she reached up to push his chin up and close his mouth. She looked him over and admired his dark suit. She straightened his new silk tie and patted the pocket over his heart.
"Are you ready to go?" Luka nodded and offered her an arm. He patted her hand as they made their way toward the ambulance bay doors. Heads turned and Frank's mouth dropped open when he saw them together.
'Hey, how did they find out….." Yosh started to say and Frank shushed him. He quickly picked up the telephone.
"Dr. Kovac," he called. "Dr. Weaver's on the phone." Luka waved his hand.
"We're off duty, Frank," Luka said as he tugged Abby toward the exit.
"She said to get the hell over to the phone now," Frank insisted. Luka sighed and dropped his chin to his chest. He left Abby at the door and strode over to the phone.
"Kerry, Abby and I have dinner reservations for seven thirty," he said impatiently. Abby suppressed a smile as she saw him nodding and then shaking his head in frustration.
"Five minutes…" he growled. "Okay." He handed the phone back to Frank and sighed as he looked at Abby. He held out a hand and she shook her head as she moved toward him.
"Apparently there some paperwork I neglected to sign at the last staff meeting," he said. "It can't wait until tomorrow so she's waiting for me in the conference room. It'll just take a minute. Ride up with me?"
They were alone in the elevator going up and Luka could resist it no longer. He bent his head and nuzzled the tempting bare shoulder and neck line.
"You smell good," he sighed. Abby chuckled.
"You like that, huh?" He nodded and nibbled on her ear lobe. He straightened as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. He took her hand and they headed toward the hospital conference room. Luka pulled the door open and…..
"SURPRISE!" The noise blasted out into the hall and they were drawn into the wildly decorated conference room. A DJ in the corner was playing the Wedding March and there were hugs and handshakes all around as Abby and Luka were passed along to a long table where a wedding cake was waiting. Jerry stood nearby holding a bouquet of flowers and a champagne bottle. He nudged Luka.
"The flowers you ordered," he said as he handed the bouquet to him. "and the champagne from the Drake Hotel…..which they charged you for when I cancelled the reservation this afternoon." Luka frowned at him and Jerry grinned.
"I had some trouble keeping up with you today," he said with a shrug. Luka set the bottle down on the table next to the cake and turned to Abby. She was hugging Neela and he shook a finger at a laughing Kerry.
"We debated about the appropriateness of holding this here," Kerry said. "It was the only way we could make sure everyone could be here at one point or another…..and besides, after the last few months in this hospital…." She leaned over to hug Abby.
"We all needed something to celebrate," she said as she pulled back and smiled at them. Luka grinned and settled the bouquet of flowers, a simple arrangement surrounding three red roses, into Abby's arms. She smiled and looked up at him.
"Not exactly the fancy celebration that I had planned for tonight…" he whispered in her ear. Abby drew back and smiled at him.
"I'll make it up to you," she replied quietly. Luka grinned and kissed her as the cheers and laughter surrounded them.