The clip of Gillian's heels on the hard floor gave her entrance away. Cal looked up as she came into the room, five month old Lewis on her hip. Cal immediately gave Lewis a smile, getting to his feet from behind his desk. But Gillian's face was not happy and Cal's smile faded almost as quickly as she approached.
"How come I just got a call from a friend of mine who said she saw you kissing some woman on the street?" Her tone was tense and her eyes hard, cautious, searching. "A woman who wasn't me."
"Uh," Cal started. His mind raced. Lewis stared at him with big blue eyes and adorable blonde curls. But his wife's face was tired and annoyed. "The thing is..." he started.
Gillian jabbed a finger into his chest and he took a half step backwards, surprised. "I'm waiting."
"Geeze, all right," Cal rubbed the point on his sternum she had pushed. It actually hurt. "She was a... it was a... thing. A thing to see if, Loke-a recorded it, her husband..."
"It was work?" Gillian cut in.
"Yes! Work related I swear. I'd neva, Gill, come on. I wouldn't. You know that."
"Uh huh and so then why did I get a phone call from a friend, who isn't really a friend, letting me know my husband was kissing some big-breasted woman on a street outside a bar in the middle of the day?" Her face and tone did not change an inch.
"Ok so first of all, she kissed me," Cal started to gather his wits again. Lewis yawned. Oh god he was so cute the wee tyke! Cal reached out a finger to rub his little cheek and Lewis made a grab for his hand.
"And second?" Gillian demanded.
"Second," Cal looked over at her again. He didn't have a second. Did he? Damnit Lewis, too cute. "Second, I'd neva do that. I've neva cheated and I neva will. Specially with someone as fake as she was. And it was disgustin'."
"I don't need details. Why didn't you tell me?" She was still mad.
"Well," Cal hesitated, trying to read a thaw on her face that didn't seem to be there. Yet. Yet, because Gillian was logical and reasonable and she'd see, wouldn't she? "Cos I wasn't sure you'd be so open to the fact that some otha woman kissed me."
"Of course I wouldn't be open to that," Gillian gave him a little huff. She shifted the weight on her hip and Cal reached out his arms to take the baby. Gillian let him go but had to pry his fingers from a lock on her dress.
"Hi darlin'," Cal cooed to his son. Lewis grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "How are you today huh?" He smoothed a large hand over Lewis's curls. The boy stared up at him. Cal pressed a kiss to his soft forehead; mmm he smelt like clean baby.
"But at least you would have been honest with me."
"I wasn't lyin'."
"But it's somewhat deceitful to not tell me," Gillian countered. "I don't need every detail of your day Cal, but this, something like this, this counts as the kind of things you should tell me about immediately. So I don't get phone calls," she grouched.
Cal looked over at her again, swaying slightly with his son. Gillian's face had softened, apparently she had run out of steam. She leaned against the edge of his desk, so she was perched, but she still didn't look happy.
"You're right," Cal said. Two magic words in marriage. He'd learnt that one a long time ago. But it wasn't just about admitting defeat or keeping his wife happy by making her right. It was that, well in this instance, Gillian actually was right, he should have told her; but it was also something more. He wasn't sure he knew how to explain it but with Zoe he had always just told her she was right to keep the peace. It almost became an automatic response. He didn't even care. With Gillian it wasn't mere appeasement, but letting her know he understood where she was coming from and that he was paying attention to her, to what was important to her, and that he was learning from his mistakes. That was what it was about. After the fighting when she was pregnant, and then Mitchell, both of which left an unpleasant taste in Cal's mouth, what he wanted was to have a good relationship with his wife.
Lewis jerked his head back suddenly and Cal brought up his right hand to cup the back of his warm head. He gave the baby a little jiggle but held Gillian's gaze. "I should have told you. I was... a little afraid of how you'd take it but mostly I didn't know what to say. I didn't like it. Kissin' her. It was," he gave a slight and quick disgust expression. "It wasn't like kissin' you." And Cal felt a pang in his gut that reinforced everything that had just come out of his mouth. He probably shouldn't have brought up the kissing bit again, because really, that wasn't what Gillian was upset about. She was upset about the fact that he hadn't been upfront with her. It seemed she was willing to over look the lip lock for now. So there was only one more thing to add: "I'm sorry luv."
Gillian pushed away from the desk again. She was just daring to wear those form fitted dresses again, even if she wasn't the size she was before she had a baby. This one was a loose one, but still, and heels, and she was, despite looking tired, looking good again. Not again. She didn't not look good...
Gillian stood in front of Cal, adjusting Lewis's red t-shirt around his waist. The five month old looked over at her and gave her a smile and she immediately melted. "Hi," she cooed at him. "You're so smiley today."
"Aw you givin' your Mum lots of smiles huh?" Cal asked him. "Are there smiles for Daddy?"
Lewis ignored him.
Gillian leaned in to her husband and gave him a soft kiss. "I forgive you," she murmured softly.
'Oh thank god,' Cal felt relieved. "I won't do it again."
"Ah!" Lewis cried, grabbing his mother now that she was close.
"Good," Gillian murmured as she gave him another kiss. "Ugh you taste different," she pulled away quickly. Cal was surprised. He didn't did he? She must be projecting. Gillian grabbed Lewis and pulled him free from his father's arms. "Shall we make Daddy sleep on the couch tonight?"
"You said you forgave me," Cal protested.
"That was before I detected different lip gloss on your lips," Gillian still spoke to Lewis even though she was addressing her husband.
Cal wiped at his mouth. "But I..."
"I'm teasing," Gillian looked over at him, a slight glitter in her blue eyes.
"Not fair," Cal grumped. "I should get a handicap."
"In what? Marital stuff ups?"
Oh wow she was on a role today.
"Or a free bloody pass," Cal grumped.
"I think you should suck it up," Gillian retorted.
Cal raised a finger, pointing at her face. "I saw that. You're still mad at me."
Gillian gave him an unimpressed expression, adopting the rock he had done before now that she had the baby back. "Give me a chance to process. According to my friend you're such a typical cheating bastard."
Cal's expression went beyond unimpressed. "Who is this friend?"
"Not a very good friend. I distinctly heard gloating in her tone."
"Is that the scientific term for it?"
"It is in the world of women."
"Hm," Cal noted. Lewis slapped at his mother's breast. She grabbed his hand and jiggled it back and forth to distract him.
Gillian looked over at him. "She really isn't a very good friend. And I'm not mad at you." She paused. "Maybe a little. For not telling me, not the kissing part. Although that's not great," her tone went dry.
"I'm sorry and I won't do eitha of those things again," Cal repeated.
"Hmph," Gillian responded haughtily. "I should hope not."
Cal wasn't sure he should laugh. He wasn't sure if he was entirely out of the woods yet. He was going to have to make it up to her. Some serious romance. Totally take her mind off what a wanker he could be at times. Remind her that he was actually one of the good guys and that he was trying to be an even better one.
"We have to go now," Gillian spoke to Lewis. "Wave goodbye to Dad." Still holding their son's hand, Gillian gave it a shake in Cal's direction.
"Bye darlin'," Cal responded stepping forward to smooth Lewis's hair again and press a kiss to the boy's forehead. "Bye darlin'," Cal repeated, raising his gaze to his wife. He pressed a kiss against her cheek.
"Pathetic," Gillian murmured.
Oh yeah, she was in fine form today.
Cal pressed his lips against hers in a closed mouth kiss but she teased him open, inviting more intimacy. It made his stomach quiver a little and he felt guilt flood his system. What was he thinking flirting with their target in a bar and then letting her man-handle him outside it? He was in love with his wife. He wanted no one else but his wife. Ah geeze he had almost right royally screwed this up.
"See you at home," Gillian told him as she pulled away again.
Cal felt the stupor of being around her slow him down for a second. He pulled himself free again; this was not the time or place to wallow in how amazing it felt to be in love. "Yep," he managed before she had got too far away. He watched her calves in those heels, then her backside as his wife retreated across his office. Lewis stared at him over the back of his mother's shoulder. Cal raised his hand to wave with a smile. When he reached the door, Lewis suddenly broke out in a brilliant smile for his Dad.