Ch. 4
It took only moments for Sherlock to stow his experiments away in the proper refrigerators, boxes, and bins before the pair was walking out of the morgue. Molly head for the lift while Sherlock made a turn for the stairs.
"Come," he said as thought he was calling a cocker spaniel, "the exercise will help your body eliminate the toxins your liver hasn't excreted yet."
Rolling her eyes, Molly hitched her overly large bag higher onto her shoulder and followed him up the flight of stairs to the main floor of Bart's.
Once upstairs Sherlock paused and turned to Molly.
"So where were you thinking of grabbing this 'cup of joe' ?" Sherlock jokingly asked in his best American accent, quite pleased that it caused the small woman to giggle.
"Generally I pop around the corner to Lucy's Café. They have my favorite kind of tea, but there are several options around this area. Which do you prefer?"
Offering his arm to her Sherlock began walking in the opposite direction of Lucy's.
"So, not my usual place," she said, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow, doing her best not to let her voice crack or hands shake from the combination of fear and adrenaline.
"No, today I'm taking you to my favorite place."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Mary was about ready to throw her apron on the ground and walk out of Lucy's, never to return when the bell above the door jingled.
She let out a sigh and turned around to find none other than John Watson standing at her counter.
"Hello," he greeted his smile stretching so big it created little lines around his perfect blue eyes.
Mary's mouth went dry. She wanted nothing more than to launch her body over that counter, tackling the man, and covering him with kisses.
She took a deep breath.
"Hello, John. What can I make for you today? The usual coffee?"
"Uh, well, no, a-actually…" he was doing his best not to stutter, but failing miserably, " I was actually wondering if you would, uh, like to have dinner with me…. Perhaps tomorrow night, around seven?"
Mary was stunned. Finally her flirting had paid off, a date with Dr. John Watson. Inside she was doing cartwheels and summersaults.
But wait… tomorrow?
Her facial expression turned from one of joy, to one of concern.
"I didn't mean to be so forward. I'm sorry, I just thought… well it seemed as though you'd been flirting with me… and…" the doctor couldn't even complete his sentence. He could feel his ears turning red.
What was this woman doing to him? He normally was so confident when it came to securing dates.
"Oh, John! No. It isn't that. Molly and I have plans to go dancing tomorrow night. We made them ages ago and I know she's looking forward to it."
The smile left his eyes.
"But I'm free tonight," she added.
"Tonight sounds wonderful. And I think I will have that coffee Mary. Thank you."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
After walking for what seemed like ages, Sherlock and Molly finally reached their destination.
"Here we are," Sherlock said, gesturing to a hunter green door in the middle of the block.
"Sherlock, what is this place? It doesn't look like a café to me. I thought we were heading out for a cuppa."
"I never said it was a café, I said it was my favorite place," he said proudly, knocking on the door.
A small window opened and Molly could see two hazel eyes peering out at them.
"Name?" A voice said, presumable the voice also belonged to the mysterious eyes.
"Sherlock Holmes, and guest."
The large door swung open and the pair quickly shuffled inside.
As Sherlock helped her remove her coat Molly took in her surroundings. It took her a minute to realize where they were. She had been transported to a different era.
"Welcome to Roosevelt's, Molly Hooper. This is my secret hiding place," the tall man removed his jacket while leading her into the large main room.
In the corner there was a small stage that looked like it occasionally held a small band. A piano sat next to the stage. Small tables were scattered throughout the room with candles lit on each one. About one third of them had occupants, which seemed like a considerable number for this time of day. The back wall was lined with liquor and wine bottles. In front of the shimmering wall was a large, dark wood bar with two men in black suits standing behind it.
Molly kept her jaw from dropping. He had brought her to a pub… was this some kind of joke.
She turned her eyes from the vintage room to the dapper man standing next to her. It was shocking how seamlessly he fit into the decor of the space.
He must have sensed the tension and confusion in her body.
"It's a speakeasy, Molly. A pub styled after prohibition America." He explained as he led her to a table labeled 'Reserved'.
"Its lovely, Sherlock. I do enjoy a pint, as you well know, but why did you bring me here?"
"I thought maybe we could experiment with having more than just a working relationship.
Molly was crimson again.
"Oh." She whispered just as a waiter approached, "I'll have a gin and tonic please. A large one."
