Chapter Five:
Stella stepped off the subway train and made her way to the street above; she had already discovered that, like herself, Rachael was also a very keen shopper. So she was heading over to Rachael's place before taking full advantage that they both had the day off by doing some well earned retail therapy.
She stepped into the elevator and pushed the button to the fourth floor. Scanning around the box, Stella took note of the people she was sharing the space with; an extremely tall, tired looking man who appeared to be in his late 30s' who gave her a curt nod and a petite elderly lady with a warm smile gracing her features. The elevator came to a stop and with a quiet 'ding' the doors slowly opened.
Making her way down the corridor of the newly decorated building, Stella came to Rachael's door and, knocking lightly, she waited for a response.
Rachael cursed herself for not organising her belongings sooner as she frantically rummaged through the pile of boxes for shoes, of course she had unpacked her clothes and shoes but it appeared that the ones she wanted to wear right now had somehow ended up in a box that wasn't supposed to have shoes in.
She groaned as she heard the knock at the door, signalling Stella's arrival. Stumbling over her own feet as she raced to the door before pulling it open "Hi Stell, come on in...sorry about the mess, I haven't gotten round to sorting everything out."
"I was the same way when I moved into my new place. If you need a hand just ask, you know."
"Thanks, but I think I should be okay." Rachael said whilst she pulled on her black knee high boots. "Okay, I'll grab my keys and I think we're good to go."
XOXOXOX
The pair, weighed down with shopping bags, dropped into the dramatically coloured booth in the small diner they had chosen to grab some lunch and refresh themselves for round two of the retail therapy. Glancing up from the menu she had picked up, Stella studied the younger woman in the seat opposite to her, "So, what you make of New York so far?"
Rachael looked up with a smile. "So far so good, although I'm not used to the cold just yet!"
After spending the day with Rachael, Stella could see why 'the new girl' was the talk of the lab, she was fitting in with the team so well and her infectious laugh and happy persona very rarely failed to make others smile. "So, I hear you did really well in the field. Mac was impressed."
"Well, it was a pretty cut and dry case. The guy confessed right away." Rachael put the menu down on the table in front of her and smiled.
"Still takes something to impress him like that, I also heard you impressed someone else too." Stella replied with a coy smile.
Rachael frowned "Really?" She arched an eyebrow.
The waitress arrived at the table and took their order before Stella could answer; they placed their order and continued with their chatting once the overtly-nice waitress had vanished from sight.
The coy smile reappeared upon Stella's face. "Hmm, Well Danny told me that you and Flack are getting pretty friendly."
Rachael's heart landed with a thud in the pit of her stomach. "Ohh, not you too!" she groaned "Like I told Danny, we are friends. It's no different from Danny and me or me and Adam, Stella." The waitress brought the drinks to their table, both Rachael and Stella stopped their conversation again and watched as she did so and hurried away from them.
"Yes but Danny's married and Adam, well Adam is just Adam" The pair giggled together. Stella composed herself and leant forward slightly, lowering her voice as though she were about to divulge a secret of inordinate importance. "And Flack, well he's...very much single and very much into you."
Rachael nearly choked on the ice-tea that she was sipping at Stella's last comment. "What?!" She screeched. "Oh no, he is not, Stella!"
Stella couldn't help but laugh at the younger woman sat across from her; clearly that girl couldn't read a guy when they flirted, and to her Rachael and Flack would made a great couple. Maybe they just needed a slight push. She was getting carried away thinking about ways to get them together and for a moment forgot that Rachael was sitting across from her. Well, that was until she gasped and shrieked rather loudly, "Stell, what are you plotting?"
"Nothing, nothing at all..." She replied with a guilty look spread across her face. The pair finished their drinks and paid as they headed out of the quaint diner.
They walked down the street together quietly chatting with arms full of shopping bags heading towards the subway for the short journey to their apartments. "Hey Stella, please don't try to put your matchmaking skills to use unless I'm not going to be involved in it." Rachael laughed, re-approaching the subject that had been broached earlier in the day.
"And why wouldn't you want that, huh Rach?" Stella quipped
"Just because, okay, Stell? Right, this is my train, thank you for a fantastic day of shopping; it was just what I needed. I'll see you tomorrow." Rachael gave Stella a small hug before stepping on to the train in front of her.
XOXOXOX
Reaching her apartment Rachael juggled with her keys and the shopping she had purchased, she eventually stepped into her lounge, tossing the keys onto the coffee table and dumping the bags on the floor.
She headed into the kitchen and turned the kettle on; a nice cup of coffee would was just what she needed. She would get this place in order, she sighed. Walking back to her lounge, she moved the boxes stuffed with her belongings around until she came across the ones that she was looking for, heavily scribbled on with a black indelible marker: KITCHEN.
Dragging the heavier of the two boxes across the floor to the kitchen, she began pulling out the bits and pieces that she had brought with her from Miami. The whistling of her bright red kettle stopped her; she snagged her favourite coffee cup from the cupboard above and swiftly made the coffee. Rachael went back to the lounge and slumped on the new large black leather L-shaped couch that had been delivered a week ago. She couldn't believe that she still hadn't completely unpacked everything, but she had been so busy working there just hadn't been enough time.
She sighed and moved from the couch onto the floor. No more messing, she simply had to get things done. Opening a smaller box that lay in front of her, Rachael began pulling out the small objects.
A slightly melancholic smile graced her face when she came across a small framed photograph; it was of the team in Miami, she could remember the day as it is only yesterday, it had been taken on her birthday the previous year; she had dragged everyone out for drinks, giving them no excuse not to come, she coerced them all with the same line: 'I'm not spending my 27th birthday alone'. Feeling a lump rise in her throat and the tears starting to burn in her eyes, she put the picture on her coffee table, faced down. Deep down she knew the photographs were the reason she hadn't unpacked, she was still sad that she'd had to leave Miami so quickly; and she still missed the friends that she'd made in her time there. She picked up the frame again and let her eyes scan the image, lingering on one person in particular; Eric Delko. Okay, so they weren't actually 'officially' together, they'd been out a few times before she left for New York but she had really liked him.
Rachael let her mind wander to what could have happened if she had just stayed. She groaned as she heard her cell phone ringing from her handbag, groaning once again when she read the call display, she cleared her throat as she answered. "Mum, hi; you okay?"
She listened intently to the voice on the other end of the line, "Rachael, sweetheart, you've been crying; is everything okay" Damn that woman; how did she know these things just from talking for three seconds over the phone?
"Mum, I'm fine; I went out in the field yesterday!" She said enthusiastically, hoping to divert her mother's attention.
"That's good honey." They chatted amicably for a few minutes before her mother stopped laughing and sighed heavily. Uh oh, that sigh; she'd heard that before. "Look Rachael, I'm just going to cut to the chase here-"
Closing her eyes Rachael held her breath; she knew what was coming, too many times before had her mother called her with the same phrase."Okay, so where's he vanished to this time?"
"Sweetheart, I don't know. I thought he'd learnt his lesson after last time"
Rachael was beyond pissed off. No more, that's what she'd said last time he'd pulled one of his stupid tricks. "Mum, I...I can't deal with him right now. Try to get in touch with him; you know that I can't have anything to do with this. Look, everything will be alright; he'll turn up, he always does." She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, herself or her mother.
"Okay, okay. I'll let you know if I hear anything else, goodnight baby."
"It'll be fine. Love you Mum, goodnight." She ended the call, knowing full well that this wasn't going as simple as she had hoped.
XOXOXOX
Nikki A/N: Hey!! Thanks everyone for the reviews, alerts and what not!! We really do appreciate the feedback so much! Okay, so that was a nice girly chapter before a bit of upcoming excitement!!! Just a bit of an insight there, the next few chapters are quite interesting ;) Sorry that was a shameless plug, but hopefully you'll all keep reading and enjoying and reviewing (pretty please)
Mary A/N: Hola! Two reviews this time! Myself and Nikki are uberly pleased and would like to thank everyone again for reading, reviewing, alerting and favouriting, and we shall once again shamelessly bribe you with more Flack in the upcoming chapters...feel free to press the button :) Mary