Sorry that I have not been posting in SOOOOOO long! I have been doing horribly on it lately - I know! I have been feeling tired and stressed with school and when I have time I have not felt like editing and writing a whole lot. Last week I had five assignments and this week I have three midterms and another assignment. I will have more time to work on it in about a week or two. I am sorry that I have kept you waiting. I am not quitting on my stories - just a little overwhelmed and needing some time until I go back at them full force. :) I may try to post some more later this week, but I'll have to see.
Anyway, this is a Valentine's prompt that I received from fiftyshadeswritergal. She wrote one on the same prompt, so make sure that you read hers if you haven't already!
Enjoy! Valentine's cyber hugs to you all!
...
"Why are you still here, Tony?" Ziva quiered as she hurried back to her desk after delivering a file to Jenny.
Tony looked up morosely.
"Where would I go?" he asked gloomily.
Ziva paused and looked at him.
"You have been chattering constantly about Valentine's Day for the last two months, ever since Christmas was over. You had plans for it since Thanksgiving! That is today, Tony! You need to go!"
"No, I don't," he grumbled.
Ziva was instantly curious. She sat on the edge of his desk, eager to hear the rest of his story. Tony, even when miserable, thrived on attention and he began to tell his story of woe.
"Allison called me an hour ago. It seems she went to a bar last night and met some guy who claims that he is a famous musician who just returned from a tour in Europe. He's apparently 'rich, handsome, and fascinating and he asked me out, Tony, so I'll be too busy tonight'," he mimicked. It was obvious that his pride had been greatly damaged as he continued, "Can you imagine?! I asked her on New Year's Day and she couldn't have even cancelled on me yesterday so that I could get a date for tonight?!"
Ziva struggled to balance her amusement at Tony's downtrodden expression with sympathy for yet another disaster in Tony's private romantic life.
"You know so many women. I am sure that one of them are free."
"No," Tony grumbled. "ALL of them are already going out. I checked. Everyone I know is busy! There's not even anyone to hang out with to keep me company. McGee somehow snagged a date - still wondering how that happened! - and Abby's at her 'annual super-duper-single-chocolate-and-stuffed-animal-exchange' party. I even figured out the Boss has a secretive date, probably with some doomed spirited redhead. How come Gibbs can get a date with his track record and I can't?!"
"Oh," Ziva hummed sympathetically. Her phone rang at her desk.
"Just wait a second, Tony. I have to get this." She picked it up and answered. "Hello. Oh, yes, I am looking forward to it. ... Oh. ... I ... I understand. ... No, I am ... fine. It is fine. ... We can ... go out some other time. ... Have a ... good evening. Bye."
She hung up and slumped into her chair.
"What's up?" Tony asked with concern in his voice.
"That was my date for the night ... ex-date."
"What? He stood you up?" Tony asked, indignation for his friend thick in his voice. It was one thing for one of his dates to back out - that was nothing new. It was quite another for some guy to get Ziva all excited, looking forward to a special Valentine's Day, and then dump her. If he could only get that dirt bag's phone number...
"He could not help it, Tony," Ziva said in her date's defense, realizing that Tony was bordering on revenge mode for her sake.
"And why not?" Tony needled.
"He was out of town on a business trip and he was driving back and just arrived at a large accident scene. Officials said that the delay will be for at least two hours and for him to take another route would take at least four. It is already late and by the time Ben gets back it will be far too late to go anywhere."
"Sorry."
"It is not your fault."
Tony watched Ziva as she slowly gathered her belongings in preparation of leaving.
"I guess that we will just both be lonely tonight," she said. "I hope that McGee and Abby have fun at their events tonight to make up for the rest of us.." Her tone was artificially light, but Tony could hear the tiny quaver that she was trying so bravely to hide.
She's been looking forward to that a lot more than I was to mine, he decided.
"You .. going to be okay?" he asked. She shrugged, keeping her back to him to hide any tell-tale facial expressions slipping past her mask.
"Of course I will be fine. I do not need anyone. Valentine's is a silly holiday!"
"Yeah!" Tony echoed with gusto. But the long pause after that indicated that neither of them fully believed that statement.
"The only bad part is that now I am starving and every decent restaurant will already be booked. I suppose I can find some pasta or rice at home but it will not be quite what I was looking forward to through the day," Ziva said sadly. She picked up her bag and wearily turned toward the elevator. "Good ... I mean, night, Tony."
"Night, Zi."
She got to the elevator before his overtired brain made the connection.
"Wait! Ziva!"
"What?"
"I have reservations."
"So?" Ziva asked impatiently. "I am already hungry, Tony. You do not have to make it worse!"
"I have a solution."
"What? The vending machines!"
Tony rolled his eyes. "My reservation is for two!"
"Yes ... oh!"
"If we're both alone for the night, I might as well keep the reservation and you might as well come along. That way, on Monday, at least we can say that we had dinner out. We can always leave out each others names and that way we won't lose face in front of McGee and Abs."
Ziva's eyes twinkled with renewed life.
"Where is the reservation?"
"Capelli's. It is for 8:00."
"It is good that I brought my change of clothes to work. I will get ready."
She hurried off, fresh bounce in her step.
Tony grinned as he grabbed his wallet and suit hanger from behind his desk and headed to the bathroom to freshen up himself. He had a beautiful woman to treat to supper.
...
I hope that you enjoyed! Thank you for the prompt, fiftyshadeswritergal!