I do not own EUReKA. C'est la vie.
The Law of Attraction
Chapter 5: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?
Allison had no legitimate reason to be this on edge. This definitely wasn't the first time that she and Nathan had been out on a date. The only difference this time was that this was their first romantic outing since their divorce.
Pacing the length of her bedroom floor, she rung her hands persistently as she recalled how she'd gotten herself to this point.
After her last minute telephone calls to Nathan and Carter the night she'd invited them over for "the talk" she'd been a nervous reck. Oh, her fragile state wasn't visible to the naked eye, but on the inside, it was as if a thousand butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach. She knew what she had asked them to do was unorthodox and maybe a bit absurd, but she felt it was her only option. The alternative was something she didn't want to think about, let alone live with; not with both men living and working in the same town. Who exactly was the hair-brained idiot who stated that you only had one true love. For Allison, it seemed she had two. Two men who were as different as night and day; differences that she'd debated many times over in her head and it still brought her no closer to resolution.
Nathan was the first one she rung and that was only because she'd known he'd be more agreeable. Nathan was after all a scientist at the core, and like a scientist he believed in facts. He observed, gathered information, formulated a hypothesis, experimented, recorded the data, made conclusions and reported his methods, and as predicted, he was in agreement with her suggestion. If Allison had not been in the field herself, she would have thought it unromantic for a suitor to behave in this manner. Since she was who she was, she understood the logic behind it. Oddly enough, she found his methodical disposition quite sexy. His ordered and meticulous nature always set her at ease. Now, that by no way meant he didn't have a spontaneous side as she'd found out on many an occasion.
But aside from that, this was how they'd gotten to where they were today. She knew to an outsider it would seem childish, setting two adversaries against each other for her affections with her as the grand prize, but to her, it was unavoidable.
Allison glimpsed the alarm clock on her bed-stand. It was one of the old-fashioned types that had twin bells and a wind up key. It had been given to her by her great-grandmother not long before her death. She'd received the gift on her thirteenth birthday and Allison cherished it more than any other item she'd ever owned. Her Nana Abigail had been a wise and wonderful woman, a former school teacher from the deep south, she regularly offered Allison pearls of wisdom. One Allison remembered clearly, seemed fitting at this moment;
"Take time to be sure, but be sure not to take too much time."
Truer words had never been spoken. Allison wanted to be positive she was making the right choice, and one had to be made. If she stalled any longer, she might just lose both of them.
But, this was no time to be preoccupied, so she stepped up her pace. She was supposed to be meeting Nathan for dinner at eight o'clock. He told her that he would pick her up and all she had to do was be ready to go. She assumed they'd be going to Café Diem as usual; that's where she typically ended up going when she ate out anyway. She did find it strange that he told her to make sure she wore something extra special. Café Diem was nice, but the atmosphere certainly wasn't equivalent to a five star restaurant, although the food assuredly was. But, if he wanted her to dress the part, she wouldn't disappoint. She'd chosen a dress she'd purchased six months ago but never found the occasion to wear. It was a Michael Kors' crimson red crepe-jersey gown. It was swathed in the most glorious fabric and flowed like a dream. The dress was secured by a silver neckpiece which she matched with a cuff and simple hoop earrings. Metallic sandals in place, she picked up her clutch bag and she made her way downstairs to await his arrival.
At quarter to eight the doorbell rang. When she trotted over and swung it open, she was greeted by an unexpected face.
"Fargo? What are you doing here?"
Dressed in a chauffeurs uniform with matching cap; behind him, one of Global Dynamic's VIP Lincoln Town cars.
"Good evening Dr. Blake. I am here to escort you to your dinner engagement with Dr. Stark."
Allison smiled to herself; this was so Nathan. When he wanted to impress someone, he didn't hold back.
She followed Fargo to the awaiting vehicle and allowed him to open her door for her. He bowed to her and if Allison hadn't known that he was trying to do his best; no doubt to impress Nathan whom he held in high esteem, she would have thought his entire performance comical. Taking a seat inside, she found a bottle of Dom Pérignon waiting for her along with a hand written note;
"To our past. To our present. To our future."
As she held the hand engraved card in her hand, she pondered the implication of those words. She hoped Nathan understood that this one night did not guarantee him success. What's more, there was no reason in her getting all worked up over nothing. She needed to relax and allow the evening to develop without her impingement, and since she certainly wouldn't be driving tonight, she poured herself a tall glass of bubbly.
Something told her she was going to need it.
As they drove past the immaculately manicured lawns of her neighbors; more Eureka technology at work, and the pristine streets through the center of town, she was puzzled as to why they continued past Café Diem.
"Uh, Fargo...?"
Turning his head slightly, he answered, "Don't worry Dr. Blake, we're almost there."
His knowing smile reassured her that all would be fine.
The car slowed down outside of Da Vinci Teatro Dell'opera, so named after Leonardo da Vinci, famous for his studies in the fields of mathematics, botany, geology, engineering, architecture, optics, and anatomy. An avid inventor, he was also an accomplished musician, painter and sculptor. The center was the location for concerts, lectures, dances and plays put on by the and visitors lucky enough to be apprised of the goings on inside their secret town. No matter what form of entertainment was presented, it was an experience that had to be seen as well as heard to be believed. Acoustically, the venue was unsurpassable and visually it was without comparison as it's opulence could rival any of the worlds finest concert halls.
Fargo opened the door curbside and helped her out, his hand cradled underneath her forearm for support and lead her to the front entrance.
He tipped his cap to her then promptly left. "Have a great evening Dr. Blake."
The massive mahogany double doors opened into an expansive entryway. As she journeyed across the lobby, her heels clicked loudly against the marble floor. The sound echoed throughout the area, the floors reflective surface transmitted her likeness back at her, the duplicate Allison seemingly floating in midair. From inside the main hall, another set of doors opened. As she passed the threshold, she gasped as she caught her breath. The room had been filled with dozens upon dozens of red roses and in the middle, a linen clad dining table and a holographic violinist playing off in the corner.
"My God, you look exquisite."
Allison spun to face Nathan who looked none to shabby himself. He was wearing a black tuxedo that was tailor fit to his hard-bodied physique. He undoubtedly had a swagger about him, and the by way he looked tonight, he could give 007 a run for his money.
"Nathan, wha...how...?"
"Well, lets just say somebody owed me a few favors."
He advanced on her and stared into her eyes. Allison felt a wave of nostalgia pass over her. She had to confess, he did have a pair of the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen. Their emerald hue evoked the lush green pastures of Ireland, and although he carefully guarded his emotions, only she had learned to decode them. Surely this was a privilege he allowed only for her benefit. And Jesus. Why did he have to smell so good? When he bent down to kiss her cheek she shuddered slightly as if his warm breath thawed her; she only hoped he hadn't noticed.
Nathan led her to the table and always the gentleman, pulled out the chair for her. Taking the seat opposite her, he filled the two crystal champagne flutes and held them up for a simple toast.
"To us."
Allison hesitated momentarily, then raised her in return. "To us."
Nathan had planned a lavish evening indeed. Of course Vincent had catered the event and he had spared no expense for their meal; not that anyone actually paid for a meal from the café anyway. They dined on baked clams with garlic butter and breadcrumbs, Salad Niçoise, Sautéed pork tenderloin medallions with orange compare sauce, Crème Brûlée for dessert, topped off with a Zinfandel that contained notes of cherry and raspberry.
Throughout dinner, they talked casually about the good times they'd had and caught up with information about their families. The one topic that was off limits was work. This was a night for them and Nathan wanted none of the outside world to intervene.
Before moving onto dessert, he reached across the table and took hold of hand.
"Allie, I know how hard this is for you and I'm sorry I didn't take your feelings more seriously. I'm sorry that you even have to be put in this position. I'm just so used to it being me and you, that the thought of someone coming between us scared me. I know things haven't been great between us for some time, but I want you to know that I can change. I realize how important family is to you and I was being selfish when I left. I was thinking only of myself and my career. No matter how I tried to spin it and claim that I was doing this for us, for our future, that wasn't the case. But, you have to know that I never stopped loving you. From the moment I first met you, I only envisioned you in my life. No other woman can ever compare to you. Tonight I want to prove that I'm the one for you. We were meant to be together and I believe that deep in my soul. Allison, I love you, and if I can't have you, I don't want anyone else."
She was speechless. She knew like no one else how sweet Nathan could be, but never before had he confessed that he'd taken the job in D.C. out of his own yearning for prominence in the scientific community; it seemed as if his Nobel Peace Prize wasn't enough validation.
This was a big step in their relationship, whether that meant it was romantic or platonic was still to soon to predict.
"Thank you Nathan for being honest with me. I appreciate that."
"Anything for you Allie."
She smiled sheepishly as he stood and offered his hand as the music began to play. The candles flicked off of the crystal chandelier, twinkling light danced around the room providing them their very own star shower. Allison knew if she was going to give Nathan a fair shot, she would have to let him in. So, she sidled up to him, her head lay on his broad shoulder. Then she did what she had been trying to avoid all evening...she exhaled. As he held her tight in his arms, his lips pressed against her lustrous mane, the memories of the past flooded her thoughts. Flashes of their meeting, their courtship, the arguments, the love making, it was all too overwhelming. She excused herself and headed for the ladies room.
Once inside, she took a seat on a chaise in the restrooms vestibule, and closed her eyes. Maybe this was all a huge mistake on her part. The realist in her assumed she could treat this like any other experiment. She expected them to present their cases, then she would make her final decision. How stupid she'd been. In her zeal to shield her emotions, she'd conveniently forgotten that these were real people, with real feelings and no matter the outcome, she was going to hurt one of them. The fact was, she'd already become a causality herself. She wiped the tears that had formed in the corners of her eye; she couldn't let Nathan see her like this. He had put so much effort into this night, she didn't want to disappoint him. Gathering herself, she freshened her makeup, put on her best "I'm fine" smile and left out.
When she returned, she realized Nathan sensed the evening had taken on a serious tone, so he tried his best to liven the mood.
Colleges would find it hard to believe that he had a wry sense of humor that matched his sharp wit. Of course, many people weren't privy to his comedic side as he always strived to remain above reproach.
Allison remembered vividly one occasion when they'd visited his parents. He wanted to introduce her to his family and as he'd predicted, they'd taken an instant liking to her. His mother Jenna and father Dietrich, were his only immediate family. His mother and father were both born in Germany. They met each other while working at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva Switzerland. Their love of particle physics did not compare to the chemistry they had for each other.
Both parents being prodigies themselves, instilled in Nathan qualities such as discipline, focus, knowledge of your chosen field, and that their was nothing wrong with shameless self promotion. His father in particular had been extremely hard on him; always expecting nothing less than the best. It wasn't that he didn't love Nathan, in fact, he was extremely proud of his son and spoke proudly of him to anyone who would listen. His mother Jenna, was probably the only other woman that new the true Nathan. He was exceedingly close to her and she adored him; her little liebchen, as she so affectionately called him. Nathan was devastated when months later she had been diagnosed with cancer. That was when Allison first saw that other side of Nathan. Oh, when he was with her he was charming and attentive, but he let his guard down completely when it came to his mother. He had a knack for making her forget the pain she was going through and as she'd often told Allison, he was her greatest accomplishment and her utmost joy.
They continued to dance the rest of the night away and when it was time to head home, instead of her chauffeur driven ride, Nathan drove her. As she sat in the passenger seat, quietly contemplating their time spent together, she wondered how had they fallen so far that they'd arrived at this point? She and Nathan did have a good life together. No, their marriage wasn't perfect and if she was honest, she did have a hand in pushing him away, and before she could delve more into the reasons why, they were parked outside of her house.
Nathan walked her to the front door, making sure she got inside safely; not that she had anything to worry about, this was Eureka after all. They stood peering at each other, and she sensed that he was as unsure as she was; him more than likely not sure if she would allow a kiss, she not sure she wanted him too.
There was one thing Allison was confident about; she didn't want the evening to end. So, against her better judgment, she invited him in.
Jack reluctantly rolled out of bed and sat on the edge, his mind still half asleep. He'd had a horrible night as his slumber had been interrupted every few hours. He hated to admit it, but he knew exactly what the problem was. Last night, Allison and Stark had gone on their date and next weekend he would have his chance. He fell backward onto the bed, his arm thrown over his eyes.
What if she'd had an amazing time? What if she'd decided there was no reason to go though the charade of a date with him? What if she and Nathan already decided to reconcile? What if...what if...what if. He couldn't go on punishing himself this way. What he needed was a tall steaming cup of coffee.
Whatever happened...was going to happen, and until he spoke with Allison and was told otherwise, he was still in the game. Besides, he didn't have time for deep contemplation this morning. He jumped in the shower, grabbed an apple off the counter and drove Zoë to school.
To Jack's dismay, he arrived at Café Diem just in time to hear the scoop about Allison and Starks date. As he bellied up to the counter, he overheard Vincent and Fargo comparing notes. Jack wasn't one to eavesdrop, but he had to know what he was up against, and it seemed that Stark had outdone himself. The breakfast Jack had ordered now sitting in front of him looked unappetizing. As he listened, all he could think was how in the hell was he supposed to complete with that. He didn't have the means to arrange an elaborate setup on such short notice and if he copied what Nathan had done, he would look unoriginal, unimaginative...boring.
And as if on cue, Allison and Stark walked in the restaurant together. Jack immediately sat up straight, his attention focused only on her.
Goofy smile ever present in her company, he addressed her. "Hey Allison."
"Morning Carter."
Carter...she'd called him Carter. No need to panic he thought. That didn't mean anything...did it? And, to add insult to injury, it appeared that Stark had picked up on Jack's eagerness for Allison to acknowledge him. His shoulders automatically dropped when he saw Stark place his hand on the small of her back. He wanted to walk over and punch him square in his smug face. His displeasure must have been evident as Allison interrupted his fantasy.
"Carter, you okay?"
"Huh, oh yeah, I'm fine." He relaxed his features from the sneer that tugged at the corners to one that was more amiable.
"You look like you're about to be sick."
Before Jack could respond, and as predicted, Stark volunteered his own smart ass remark. He just couldn't let the moment pass without putting in his unsolicited two cents.
Allison bristled instantaneously for there it was, the side of Nathan she couldn't stand. He had managed to take her comment of concern for Carter and turned it into an attack. It'd be one thing if his jabs at him were friendly banter, like Carter had with Henry, but Nathan's quips tended to be cruel. Now, the hand positioned on the small of her back instead of evoking tenderness, felt like an intrusion.
Jack knew one thing, he couldn't sit there and listen to anymore. Taking his coffee and a maple-bacon bar to go, he headed over to the station house and waited for the day to begin; along with whatever craziness came with it. Apparently he wasn't the first to arrive that morning as Jo was already seated at her desk, perusing the latest edition of Guns and Ammo magazine.
"Morning Carter."
"Hey Jo."
Jack plopped into his chair and sighed heavily. Taking a long sip of his Vinspresso, he threw his head back and stared up at the ceiling.
As Jo flipped the pages of her magazine, she casually questioned him. "So, I guess you've gotten wind of Allison and Stark's date last night?"
He bounded forward, causing his chair to rock to and fro. "How did you know about that?"
"Are you kidding me? Outside of GD, nothing is kept secret in this town. Besides, Vincent can't seem to stop telling everyone he comes in contact with how Stark planned the most romantic dinner date ever for Allison."
Jack slumped back into the chair. "Ugh. Why is it I can't seem to get a break in this town?"
"Don't worry Carter, you'll get your shot."
Jack whipped his head in her direction. "You know about the arrangement?"
"Well, now I do." Jo snickered triumphantly. "Look, Stark likes to showboat, we know that, but Allison has seen that all before. She's smart, she'll make the right choice."
"Thanks Jo."
Jo's comforting words put him at ease, than just at quickly, his moment of serenity was erased as the last person Jack wanted to see that morning walked through the door. The annoying, indignant, exasperating, pompous jackass, Nathan Stark. Jack stood up from behind his desk just as Jo excused herself and left out. Apparently she didn't want to be witness to whatever was about to go down.
"Hey Carter. Why'd you run off so fast?"
"You know how it is. Lost my appetite."
Stark walked over to the window, licked the tip of his finger and smoothed it over his eyebrow.
Jack had to fight the impulse to walk over and push his face through the glass.
"Why are you here Stark?" Jack was in no mood to play games.
"I thought I'd come over and make sure you were all right. I'm sure you've heard by now that Allison had the time of her life last night. So, in an attempt to save you from embarrassing yourself, I thought I'd give you some advice. You're way out of your league and you already have quite the knack for making a fool of yourself, so if I were you, I'd give up now."
Jack grit his teeth, but managed to compose himself before letting loose a string of expletives unlike anyone in town had ever heard come from his mouth.
"Seems to me if you were so sure of yourself, or any kind of a man; like your pretending to be right now, this entire trip would have been unnecessary. Just because you were able to convince Allison with that cliche of a date, doesn't mean she won't see past the façade. It won't take long for your true colors to show.
"Gee Carter. I didn't think you knew the meaning of a word like façade."
A disgusted snort was his only retort.
"You know what Carter? You're right. I'm not sure why I came over here. I have nothing to worry about. Allison will make the right decision."
Stark extended his hand in sportsmanship. "May the best man win."
Jack shook his hand, both men simultaneously clasping as hard as they could.
"Don't worry about it Stark, I will."
Stark left out and before he exited, Jack could see him massage the hand that had been in Jack's vice grip.
Jack kicked the corner of his desk in anger. There was no time to revel in his small victory. He'd really shot his mouth off this time. He had no clue of what to do on his date with Allison. It clearly would be a far cry from anything Stark had conjured up. But maybe, just maybe, that's where his advantage lied.
With renewed vigor, he set his plans in motion.
This without a doubt, would be a date Allison would never forget.
Next - Chapter 6: The Best Laid Plans