Gateway Part 2
(Gibbs POV)
Well, if nothing else, my date for tonight does know how to treat his dates well. I had been expecting…I don't know what I was expecting, certainly not an almost darkened, enclosed room, with a spectacular view of the Potomac. When Thom E. Gemcity wants privacy, he gets it. The door closes and I sigh as I turn from the window.
Boss?
Not tonight Tim, tonight it's Jethro, or Gibbs.
The words come out unbidden and I watch as he slowly enters the room; stepping closer and closer. Disbelief is clearly written in those emerald green eyes; almost as if he's expecting Tony or Ziva to pop out of the walls shouting "Surprise!"
"We don't have to go through with this boss. I won't hold it against you if you want to leave."
I am shocked when he says it and then I see what I've been missing. Then I see that shyness I'd seen weeks ago when I confronted him in the elevator. Asked him what was wrong and he'd asked me not to ask anymore questions. Boy for being so damned observant I'd sure missed all the signs with that one. I am the one he's been thinking of.
"I signed up for a date with Thom E. Gemcity. Are you going to deny me that privilege?"
The gentle reminder brings his gaze to mine. I watch as his Adam's apple bobs when he swallows, and shakes his head.
"Ijustdontwanttodisappointyou."
That's the endearing man that I fell in love with years ago. The one who tries so hard to please, and is so scared that he won't be able to.
"I didn't catch all that." I can see his Adam's apple bob up and down as he swallows and replies.
"I—I just don't want to disappoint you…that's all." The shyness, the uncertainty and doubt in his voice give me a complicated set of emotions from anger and frustration to sudden understanding and a desire to make him see himself as more than the person he sees in his mirror.
"A nice restaurant with a private room and beautiful view; what's disappointing about that?"
"Who you're actually sharing a meal with?"
Smack!
"Thought I told you that I'm the one who signed that email; not Tony or Abby or Ducky, although I smell his hand in all this; I'm the one who wanted this evening Tim. It doesn't matter if it's with Tim or Thom, as long as you want the evening too."
"More than you'll ever know…" the reply is soft, but I still manage to hear it. I smile as I think about more evenings that we could share, if he'll let us get past this one. I go back to where I was when he first entered the room.
"Tim, join me at the window."
He does so, confusion on his face. Once again I turn to face him, only this time, I speak first.
"Mr. Gemcity, I'm Jethro Gibbs; nice to meet you in person."
We shake hands and I feel the tremors start leaving his body. He can do a role-play; then we'll take it one step at a time with the role-play. He clears his throat, and says, "The pleasure is mine, Jethro…or do you prefer being called Gibbs?"
"Either way is fine with me, Thom."
"Please, my real name is Tim."
"Nice to meet you, Tim."
"You too, Jethro, you too…have you looked at the menu yet?"
"I was too busy admiring the view. I have to admit that for being in a restaurant, you'd never know it. I don't smell any of your typical restaurant smells, especially for being in an enclosed room."
"I know, it's one reason that I like coming here, aside from the view that is."
I turn to face him in surprise. How does my agent, even a celebrated author, afford a restaurant of this high quality, and with an enclosed room with a spectacular view?
"Have you been holding out on me?"
He actually laughs and I see a faint blush cover his cheeks yet again.
"No, I don't make a habit of this, b- Jethro. I just, the owner is a personal friend of a friend. The restaurant itself isn't actually opened yet…we're its first official guests."
A knock at the door and Tim walks over and whoever is beyond my sight says something I can't hear but gives him some confidence that I couldn't. I almost growl with jealousy when I catch sight of a pretty blonde with twinkling blue eyes.
"Gibbs, come meet our hostess for tonight. Holly, this is Jethro Gibbs; he's the winner of the contest I was telling you about."
I can see a wedding ring on her finger when she holds out her hand. "Welcome Mr. Gibbs to the Knotted C. My name is Holly Thorpe and I'm the manager of this branch of the Knotted C."
I shake hands with her as she then hands us new menus to look through. "Thom, when you're ready to order just pick up the phone in the corner. Mr. Gibbs, it was nice meeting you; and congratulations on your winnings. Gentlemen, please feel free to call upon our staff if you need anything else."
There in the corner is a small booth, just big enough for a couple to fit into. How I missed seeing two glasses of water and a small bowl of wrapped, warm bread is beyond me. As we sit down, the lights gradually fade until all that's left is a faint glow from the small lights behind us and the light at the table itself.
"If it's too dim, I can adjust the lighting Jethro."
"Not too much, Tim, just enough to read the menu."
Tim adjusts the small lights with a knob that he's found near the table's edge. As they gradually brighten, I see that he's relaxing more and more. He's accepting our date as just that…a date.
I find myself grunting in surprise when I see some of the menu items. Things I haven't seen since I was a Marine overseas. I point to some obscure item and Tim nods.
"They can make anything that's on the menu. The owner of the Knotted C restaurants used to be in the military. Most of the employees will be either wounded or retired military, or even those who are still active but want to do something with their down time while they are home."
His matter of fact tone tells me that he's done some research before we ever got this far. I touch his hand and he looks at me but doesn't pull his hand away.
"How do you know about this place McGee?"
He sighs and looks at our hands, before lightly touching my ring finger; the ring finger that no longer bears Shannon's ring. His emerald green gaze comes up to meet mine, but I have a finger to his lips as I repeat my question.
"How do you know about this place, Tim?"
"My dad was one of the first employees in the first one ever built." Is his quiet admission.
"What? How?"
"Not tonight Jethro; if you want to know more I'll explain at a later date. For now, I'd like to enjoy a good steak and shrimp meal. Do you want the same, or would you like something different?"
"Steak and shrimp is fine with a salad, not soup and baked potato; and a beer, a long tall cold beer."
The orders are placed and within twenty minutes we're both enjoying steaks cooked to perfection. After the meal, as we're sitting in the booth, I realize that despite a rocky start, we've had a good meal. We're still holding hands although I don't think Tim's cognizant of that yet, and I'm comfortable sitting here with him. Tim turns to look at me, his head lolling against the back of the booth.
A shy and slightly embarrassed smile graces his face and I can't help asking, "What is it?"
"I was just hoping that you're not too disappointed. I didn't plan much beyond this stage. A meal with some conversation and then if you needed one, a ride home."
"Let me guess, the restaurant has a concierge service."
Tim blushes and nods but then says, "I'd be willing to take you home though; if you wanted me to."
As part of the date, I'd had a limo come and pick me up before dropping me at the doors of the restaurant. So I did need a ride home and I nod. Tim picks up the phone and tells whoever is on the other side that he won't need their services. He then dials another number and tells Holly that we're going to be a few minutes before coming down.
"Jethro, would you mind if I asked you a question?"
"Sure Tim, what is it?"
"Why did you want to come on this date?"
Of all the questions he had to ask…and I still don't know how to answer that one. I look up and he's the one by the window. The window…and Tim's eyes are definitely windows into his soul…I get up and walk over to him.
"Maybe I still want to open that one window to your soul that is so open to everyone else, but shuttered when you see me. I'm as much to blame; I'm not that easy to read and I damn sure don't like letting people in."
"Then why do this, to either one of us?" the pleading in those green eyes to help him understand is almost more than I can bear.
"Because, I—I was afraid of losing you to someone else. I wanted this to be our chance to find out if we could be more than just Gibbs and McGee. More than just a boss and his agent; I wanted to find out if that ticket truly could be a pathway to your soul, or maybe a gateway to your heart."
The breath whooshes out of him and I can tell I've said the right thing. His hand once again is enveloped in mine and I bring our hands up to my lips as I say, "Let's finish our date; take me home Tim."