Natalie looked at the number showing on her caller id puzzledly--after last night she'd been uneasy to answer any number or take any calls at work unless she knew exactly who it was. The number had an AC area code so she figured it safe, "Natalie Buchanan." Her questionable tone vanished as she heard the voice on the other end and a smile appeared on her face. "Hi--awww, thank you. You know I'm really nervous about everything, but I think it's going to be just fine. Yes--I wish it was those circumstances also, but it really is for the best," she said as she heard a tap on the door and saw John peer his head in, she waved him in and watched him begin to study the desk Jared had left in a rush before going to a meeting.
"No, he didn't, but he did just walk in. I'll get the address and send them to you--you take care too," smiled Natalie as she hung up her phone and responded before John could even ask the question. "It was your mom and she wanted to congratulate me and make sure you remember to give me her address."
John shook his head, "I just got off the phone with her twenty minutes ago--told her I was already on the way over here. I wanted to talk to you about last night."
Natalie's eyes went from the excited blue that John had watched them be while she spoke with his mother to a steely blue he'd become accustomed to seeing, "Yeah, Antonio already told me last night when he came by to get Talia. Thanks for checking up on that for me."
"Sure--no problem," said John as he watched her go back to work. As he reached the door instead of walking out of it he closed and locked it. "What's going on here?"
Natalie had stopped what she was doing at the sound of the door locking, she was now standing behind her desk with a look of anger on her face, "I'm working--now please leave."
"No--I won't. You've obviously got something to say about how I handled things last night and I think it's best for both yours and the baby's health to tell me."
Natalie's anger from the night before came quickly to a head as she rushed around her desk and got directly in his face, "You want to know why I'm upset about last night? You never came and checked up on me--you went up on that hillside with Antonio, looked around, and then left. The John McBain I knew would have come back down to Llanfair--he would have told me to lock my doors and not leave the house, but most of all he would have stayed at the house with me--hell, he probably would have slept in front of my doorway. What happened to that John? Because he was the one I want our child to know--not this stranger that seems to always be focused on something else."
John mentally cursed himself for the way things had gone last night, "Ok, you are right--I'm sorry. But when I left the hillside I was still focused on you--I have strong suspicion that Ramsey sent Eddie up there to spy on you."
"Why would he do that? He barely knows me."
"To get under my skin--he wants me to crack so he has a chance to fire me again. And he almost did last night when I had him against the wall and my forearm against his neck at the Penthouse. Promise me you'll stay away from him and Eddie both," asked John as he brushed hair out of her face. He stood there for a moment before leaning in and letting his lips gently touch hers. He didn't hesitate to deepen the kiss and felt a sense of joy when she reciprocated it. The only thought going through John's mind as his hands took her waist was how he wanted to take a few steps backwards, knock every paper off of Banks desk and take Natalie right there, not just for his own pleasure and wants, but also to royally piss Jared off.
He controlled the urge and pulled out of the kiss, moving his face to her ear he whispered, his voice still husky from the image he'd just conjured up, "And for the record--I did come back to Llanfair, your mom let me in and I sat outside your door until morning, I just left before you woke up."
"John," she said, her voice was soft while her heart filled with a love she thought had mostly diminished. "What? What do we do from here?"
"I'm not sure--but I think I'm going to like it whatever it is," he said as his signature smirk appeared while he placed a hand on her neck and began outline the edge of her jaw with his thumb. His cell phone began to suddenly ring and his head hung down to see who the call was "It's Antonio."
"Go ahead--take it," said Natalie as she broke the connection they were in. Listening to John's part of the call she knew he better get to the station, "You need to go?"
"Yeah, but maybe tonight we can meet at Rodi's for dinner--a couple burgers and maybe shoot some pool?"
"While I still can move around a pool table? Sure, I'd like that."
"I'll pick you up at seven," he said as he gave her a kiss on the forehead and was out of her office before she could say another word.
She stood there for the longest time just staring at the empty door that he'd left slightly ajar. It wasn't until Gigi poked her head in the door that she realized she'd been somewhere else, "You need me for something?"
"No, I was just checking on you," smiled Gigi and quickly went back to her desk, leaving Natalie knowing full well she was grinning like an idiot.
Natalie stared at herself into the hall mirror, messing with her hair one more time before finally letting the curl fall where it wanted to. Brushing her hands over the dark blue dress she realized how she'd began to show more and wondered if she should change before John got there. It was his favorite dress, but she almost felt like she was getting too big for it in the top.
"Oh Natalie--look at you," smiled Viki as she came down the stairway to see her daughter standing there.
"Do you think it's ok?" she asked, and then laughed. "I don't know why I'm making such a big deal out of this--we're just going for burgers and play a few games of pool."
"Maybe because he's picking you up? Because you two have been separated almost a year and you still have a connection," said Viki as she came behind her daughter, placing her hands lovingly on Natalie's shoulders before speaking. "You look beautiful. Pregnancy brings out more of a radiant glow than you already have. Enjoy yourself tonight," she said as she kissed Natalie on the cheek and then disappeared off towards the kitchen just as the doorbell rang.
John decided he'd study the Rodi's floor for a moment while she took the shot, it had to be better than the staring at her he'd been doing all night. He'd always loved the dress she had on, but her wearing it tonight was definitely against the law. I could always arrest her and take her back to the hotel room, he thought and then gave a slight chuckle.
"What's so funny McBain? Or are you conceding that I've won?"
"Never," he said as he began to study the pool table. As he lined up his shot he glanced over at her, "Did I mention you look pretty tonight?"
"A few times," she said as the butterflies danced in her stomach like they always did at the very simple comment he gave her. Most women would want their significant other to say it more often, but she liked how when he did say it he always had this boyish tone to his voice. What are you thinking, Natalie? You two aren't even together.
As he watched her leaning down to take the shot he was reminded of a dream he once had that involved that same dress,
That's cheating -- she can't touch!
She's right, those are the rules. Why don't you just --
"Did I ever tell you I had a dream with us playing pool with our kids?" he said absently and watched as she stopped lining up her shot and turned to him. "It was during the wreck--or after--I'm not sure. But we were in here with our kids, a boy and a girl--of course she had your hair," he said as he gently moved a piece of hers out of her face. "They were playing, and we were helping," he chuckled. "Of course in the dream the boy was older, but I'm ok with him being the younger one too."
When he'd began talking the breath escaped Natalie's lungs, but as he finished and was just staring at her to say something she was somehow able to find it again, "You realize you just made it sound like this baby is going to have a sibling, right?"
John chuckled, "So what if I did? We work Natalie--look at what we've done tonight--a normal date and normal everyday discussion."
"I don't think anyone would call us normal, John. And it wasn't the normal stuff that was the problem--or maybe it was," she said as she walked over and started putting her pool cue up.
"Hey, wait a second--," he said as he rushed over and had her look at him. "I want this Natalie--I want us, and I know we can make it work, trust me, ok?"
"Trust was one of our issues when we ended it John. Also, we tend to rush into things--I don't want to rush into something when there is now a child involved."
"Understood. We'll take it slow, ok? It's getting late so I'll take you home and maybe call you tomorrow?"
Natalie looked into John's eyes and she knew there was no way she could argue with him--not when she could see he genuinely wanted them to work, "Ok. I like that."
"Good," he smiled as he gave her a soft kiss before taking her hand and they walked out of the bar together