Author's Note: Mmm... Not sure if filler or exposition...

Chapter 7: The Call
(A/N: I'd like to apologize for my crappy titling skills...)

Emily stumbled into her little hole in the wall apartment while staving off an exhausted yawn. She'd been pulling a few difficult shifts because Sarah and 'Billy' were having a little bit of a lovers quarrel and Sarah wasn't mature enough to show up to work and Bill wasn't man enough to fire her for it and couldn't (or was unwilling to) hire a temporary replacement. Plus she'd taken on a few more hours because one of the waitresses on 2nd shift, Jean, had quit because she'd gotten a better job. Something in an office.

Emily had to wonder where one could find the time to search for another job. It seemed like being a waitress took up most of her time. Between actually going to the job, then finding comfortable shoes that weren't expensive, washing her uniform by hand because she couldn't afford an apartment with a washing machine, and practicing her smile in the mirror to get better tips, plus the stress of wondering if Sarah wasn't trying to get her fired for some reason... She couldn't even find the energy to summon the brain power to decide whether or not to go on a date.

Truth be told she'd been staring at that business card for the last week and still couldn't make her mind up to call him. She'd wanted to go with him immediately when he'd first asked, just something about his face... But once she'd gotten a chance to consider it it all just seemed a little too weird.

A well off guy like that doesn't just come into a diner for a week and then asks out the waitress just as he's being run off... do they? She supposed she couldn't really know what normal behavior for someone like that would be. But maybe he'd become a regular at the diner in the first place so that he could ask her out and didn't want to lose his last opportunity. Bill's cooking wasn't THAT good.

There wasn't any reason to assume that he wanted any sort of relationship though. Maybe he just wanted a pick up. But she didn't know if she wanted to spend time and energy on what would basically be a one night stand.

She'd been down all of these lines of thought before. They weren't really helping and she really couldn't help but think that she was making this too hard. She set all these thoughts aside and worked on getting food. She hadn't gotten the chance to go grocery shopping yet and she was sort of at the end of the last paycheck anyway so there wasn't much in the kitchen. She poked around the cupboards and was able to procure a can of tuna and crackers. That'd do.

She pulled out some mustard and relish and mixed it into the tuna using the can as a bowl. She carefully spread a small dollop of it on a saltine. This familiar and mundane motion spurred some peculiar thoughts in her head.

Emily remembered when she first came to New York. She hadn't had many grand delusions of what it would be like. She was only 16 at the time, she expected it to be hard. But in the back of her mind she had expected some sort of reward for the hardship. Some sort of glamorous lifestyle at the end of the tunnel. Now, three years later, she was staring down at her decidedly unglamorous dinner of tuna and crackers and deliberately avoiding the one interesting thing that was happening in her life right now.

Emily stuffed the cracker into her mouth and went to go get the card. She was going to call him before she lost her nerve.

====[Break]====

Owen looked was perusing his notes over the dinner table. Xanatos had taken his entourage and a small group from ShoreCast out to dinner to finalize the deal. Owen's phone rang, chirping quietly through the din of the restaurant. Xanatos gave him an incredulous look.

"Who could you have possibly given that number that isn't here already?" Xanatos asked. He sounded rather smug, like he already knew. Owen was sure he was bluffing.

It was a call he'd been expecting, though now wasn't really the best time to take it. He quickly got up from the table and answered the phone.

"Burnett." He answered sharply. There was a pause at the end of the line.

"Did I call at a bad time?" It was Emily.

"Not at all. I was just in the middle of a business dinner." Owen answered.

"How late do you work?" Emily asked.

"I'm on the west coast at the moment. It's three hours earlier here." He explained.

"Oh... Well..." There was another pause. Owen decided to cut to the chase.

"I'll be back in New York by Friday, if you'll be free then?"

"Umm... Yes, I will. Be free on Friday." She didn't sound very confident in that assessment.

"Would Saturday be more agreeable?" Owen questioned.

"No." Emily said quickly. "Friday is fine."

Owen raised an eyebrow even though he knew she couldn't see it.

"It is, I just have to rearrange a few things. It wouldn't be any better on Saturday." Emily had apparently sensed his incredulous stare even through the phone.

"Very well. How shall I reach you then?" Owen asked. Owen snaked his way back to the table discreetly and held the phone with his shoulder while he jotted down Emily's home number. He deliberately ignored Xanatos' curiosity and took the paper with him, stuffing it into his breast pocket while he left the table again.

"I'll call you on Friday then to get your address beforehand. 8 O'Clock?"

"Sounds great." Emily answered. "I'll leave you to your dinner now, didn't mean to interrupt."

Owen pocketed his phone and made his way back to the table.

Xanatos gave him a look when he sat back down. Owen ignored it.

====[Break]====

Emily hated talking on phones. That had been rather unpleasant. Owen's clipped tones had come across like he hadn't really wanted to be talking to her just then. The way he'd answered the phone had made her seriously consider hanging up for a split second before she got her nerve up.

Well, it was over with now. She officially had a date for Friday. That was only four days away and she knew she had to work. That shouldn't be a problem since she worked in the morning and the date wouldn't be until 8 in the evening... but she had the feeling that she should probably try to take the day off. If nothing else then to pamper herself. She was determined to have a good day on Friday.

Author's Note: I've decided that this clearly isn't actually a story anymore. I mean c'mon, the plot is taking so long that I'm not really sure that there is one anymore. It's just a ridiculous blob of fan rambling that is starting to make less and less sense. Though I guess I'll just keep writing it for as long as I find it enjoyable anyway.