Cal poured the wine into two glasses. He could have sworn he'd had a spare bottle of bubbly lying around somewhere but since he couldn't put his hand on it, he just got a bottle of red wine from the cupboard instead. Gillian had settled herself down on the couch while he went on waiter duty. Gillian thought he seemed a little standoffish but she supposed the conversation they had just had would make anyone a bit wary.
"Here we go" Cal said as he re-entered the room, carrying the two glasses of wine, handing hers to her before setting the bottle on the table and sitting down next to her. Grunting, he toed off his shoes and twisted sideways on the couch, his usual slouch. Gillian smiled as she tucked her legs up underneath herself and held up her glass.
"To the Lightman Group," she said smiling and he nodded, touching his glass of hers. They drank. There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Cal broke it.
"I'll make some calls tomorrow. Get everything sorted before the weekend." Gillian nodded, glad that their financial worry and stress would soon be put at bay. At least for a little while anyway. She let her head fall back against the couch.
"I feel like a weight has just been lifted off us." He knew what she meant. While he never let worry or anything for that matter, show on his face, he had to admit that their financial situation had had him in a bit of a fluster, despite his indifferent seeming attitude toward it all. He acknowledged that it had been more Gillian's worry than his though.
"Well it's all down to you" he said warmly, his arm stretching across the back of the couch, playing with her hair where she laid her head. She smiled up at him.
"Speaking of, don't you owe me some kind of reward for all of that?" Cal raised an eyebrow at her. Then he remembered. Their conversation in the office when he'd persuaded Gillian to stay and help him talk through financial stuff with Zoe. He smirked, not planning to make this straight forward.
"Well, I figure, seeing as you just played me and opened me up like a book, the reward should be reversed." She gave him a look and he held his hands up in surrender.
"Alright, ok. Still your favour. Good for a week from issue date," he added cheekily and she punched him playfully, knocking the wine out of his hand and onto the front of his trousers.
"Oh, sorry!" She stood up, putting her glass down and grabbing his from his lap to place beside it. He stood up as she grabbed some tissues to wipe off the couch. Thankfully it was black leather and wouldn't stain. Cal watched as she used the tissue to absorb the wine before wiping from side to side to clean it off. Standing up, she moved to the kitchen to get a wet cloth. She wanted to make sure the couch didn't get sticky.
She moved back into the sitting room where Cal still stood and she quickly wiped the couch down. She was turning the cloth over to wipe it again when she felt the strong hand on her wrist, pulling her to her feet. He took the cloth from her hand and tossed it haphazardly behind him
"Forget the couch," he said as his lips came down on hers, a soft, sweet kiss. She brought her hands to his face, allowing one to toy with the hair at the back his neck. His hands moved to the small of her back and he pulled her against him, a move which broke their kiss as she squealed when she made contact with his wet clothes.
"Cal! Go change out of those pants. I don't want to leave here smelling of wine." He leaned in and kissed her again.
"Then don't." he said and she wondered whether this was a cryptic clue or just a statement.
"Don't leave." He shrugged as he pulled her close to him again but she pushed him away.
"Go change." He looked at her, a playful pout on his lips, but he turned and made his way up the stairs, unbuckling his belt as he went. Gillian took the opportunity to wipe off the couch again and briefly dry it with a nearby kitchen towel. Then she sat down and waited for Cal to return.
OXOXOXOXOXO
Cal pulled a clean pair of jeans from his wardrobe and tossed them on the bed. Sitting down, he slid out of the red wine stained ones and pulled the other ones on. He contemplated leaving his belt on the wet pair but decided against it, taking it off and quickly wrapping it around the new pair instead. If Emily had taught him one thing it was that jeans with a belt always looked better. Popping a quick breath mint from the nightstand beside his bed, he stood up and checked his look in the mirror. Nodding to himself, he made his way to the stairs.
OXOXOXOXOXO
Ok I kinda HATE this chapter. After the last one I think I wrote myself into a corner. Hopefully I'll write myself out of it in the next chapter. For now though, I can't put any more onto this one.