Mulder sets a handful of test tubes on the counter of the lab. "Can someone run these?" he asks.
"Agent Mulder," Lee Faulkner, a lab technician, says. "I found the perfect woman for you."
Mulder raises an eyebrow. "Really?"
Lee nods. "It'll be a blind date; if she lets me set her up."
Mulder shrugs; he has nothing better to do this evening anyway. "Go for it. But can you run those?" He gestures to the tubes he set on the counter. "It's really important."
"Of course."
An hour later, Scully walks into the lab, looking for the test results about the samples Mulder brought in earlier. She grabs the test tubes and is about to leave when Lee stops her. "Agent Scully, are you busy tonight?"
Scully frowns. "Lee-"
"I'm not asking you out. I was wondering if I could set you up," he hurriedly adds. "It would be a blind date, but I'm sure you two are perfect for each other."
She sighs. "I guess I'm willing to try it out."
"I'll let him know," Lee says with a smile.
"Wait, do I know this person?" Scully asks. "Because I'm not going on a date with a coworker I know."
He thinks for a moment. "I don't think you two know each other. You would run in very different circles."
Once Lee is sure Scully on her way back to her office, he phones Mulder. "She said yes."
"Okay, where should I meet her?"
"I forgot to ask. Damnit, if I give you her email address, you'll know who she is."
"And that's a bad thing?" Mulder asks.
"I don't want you backing out on her."
"Woah. I thought you said she was perfect for me. Why would I back out?"
Lee sighs. "She's not really anyone's type, per se. She's a really great girl though, Mulder. Just give her a chance."
It's Mulder's turn to sigh. "Fine."
"I made a fake email account for you, so you can contact her-" he reads off the username and password- "And I'll get her a fake email too."
Scully receives her fake email login information in an email from Lee, along with her date's email address. "God, I can't believe I'm doing this," she murmurs.
"Doing what?" Mulder asks.
"Nothing," she answers.
There's no way in hell she's going to tell Mulder about a blind date; she'd never hear the end of it. Scully logs into her fake account and types in her date's email address. 'Hi,' she types. 'I don't really know what to say; I've never done this blind date thing before.'
She knows it's short, but what do you say to someone you've never met before? Scully clicks send before she can regret her decision.
As soon as Mulder logs into his fake email account, a notification pops up. An unread email, presumably from his date. He opens it and scans over it. The email is short; maybe she's not much of a talker. Mulder clicks the reply button. 'I've never gone on a blind date either. But when your coworker says he found you the perfect woman... Is dinner at 8:00 okay? You can pick the restaurant.'
He sends the email and waits for a reply. Growing bored of waiting, Mulder then sends an email to Lee. 'What do you mean she's not anyone's type?'
Lee replies in a matter of minutes. 'She's not some tall sexy blonde is all I meant. But she has a good heart.'
Mulder groans. He's about to spend his night with a very ugly woman. "She has a good heart" is reserved especially for unattractive women.
Scully glances over at Mulder. "Everything okay? I heard you groan."
He nods. "Yeah, I'm just realizing I made a mistake."
"It happens to all of us," she says sympathetically.
Scully turns back to her computer. No reply yet from her date. She decides to email Lee, get some information on the man she was set up with. 'Lee, I know you want to keep the mystery of the blind date, but could you tell me what he looks like?'
The reply from her date and the reply from Lee come in simultaneously. She clicks on Lee's email first. 'I'll tell you one thing, he's incredibly handsome.'
Scully smiles and clicks on the email from her date. 'Perfect woman? I think he may have oversold me a bit. Dinner at 8:00 sounds good. Kingbird is supposed to be a nice restaurant. And if everything goes well, maybe we can head back to my place.'
Scully can't help but blush as she sends the message. She never remembered flirting being this exhilarating, nor can she remember being bold enough to flirt first.
Mulder does everything in his power not to bail on the date. Of course, he's not looking forward to it either. He confirms the time and place in an email, and cringes when he reads the last sentence. Mulder googles the restaurant. It's upscale, but not too expensive; he can't help but shudder when a review reads 'romantic'. He knows it's a date but dining somewhere romantic is supposed to be... well, romantic, and usually with someone you find attractive.
Mulder gazes at Scully, who is typing on her computer. Going on a date with Scully is out of the question, although he wishes he could; she's gorgeous and passionate. Dating while in love with someone else is something he never thought he'd do.
Scully rifles through dresses in her closet. She settles on an open-back emerald one. Scully hopes it's not too fancy for a first date. She leaves for the restaurant before she can change her dress again.
Pre-date adrenaline courses through her veins as she walks through the doors of the restaurant. "Faulkner," she tells the hostess; Lee told her to use his last name so they would be able to find each other.
"Right this way," the hostess replies.
Mulder sits at the table, waiting for his date. He checks his watch and sighs; she's already a few minutes late. This woman, if she's as unsightly as he thinks she is, shouldn't be late for dates. The longer he sits, the more he realizes he'd rather be anywhere else. Mulder has already imagined her walking up to the table several times. Each time, she looks different. Sometimes he imagines her short and flabby, sometimes with an unfortunate wart on her face. But the more he overthinks it, the uglier she gets.
Mulder picks up his menu and starts to scan it. The date might not go well, but that doesn't mean he can't order a delicious meal. In fact, good food would make up for the entire night he's anticipating.
Heels click on the tile and Mulder can tell that she's approaching his table. She sits down in the booth across from him, and picks up her menu, obscuring her face. "I'm really glad we decided to do this," she says.
"Me too," he lies. "Do you know what you're going to order?"
"Not yet."
Mulder holds in a sigh. Although he's dreading it, he wants nothing more than for her to lower her menu. "Are you nervous?" he asks.
"A little," she admits.
"If you lower your menu, I could compliment you," he replies with a laugh. "That could ease some of your nerves."
He sets his menu down on the table, heart racing. Mulder is ready to see his "perfect woman".
Her menu slowly falls to the table. She's staring at her lap, face barely visible, but Mulder could recognize her anywhere. Her ginger hair hangs in her face and he has to resist reaching across the table to tuck it behind her ear. "You're beautiful," he murmurs.
She looks up, eyes meeting his. Her lips part in shock. He's equally surprised but more so glad that it's her. Mulder can't bring himself to mirror her astonishment; he's too caught up in hiding how thrilled he is to be with her.
"Mulder," she breathes.
"I'm going to take you up on heading to your place after dinner," he teases.
Scully ducks her head, a blush spreading across her cheeks. "Is this a date?" she asks quietly.
"It is," he replies, reaching across the table to grasp her hand. "And it's with the perfect woman, just like Lee promised."