Merry Christmas 2023.
Huge thanks to Joodiff for the beta.
All I Want.
"What are you up to this weekend? Anything exciting?" Eve Lockhart inquires as she comfortably reclines on the armchair in Grace Foley's office, sipping a glass of red wine.
"Nothing special," Grace retorts, still seated behind her desk, casting a quick glance at her colleague. "All the stuff I didn't manage to get done during the week like house cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping." Shrugging. "You name it. Hopefully, there'll be time to squeeze in a nice lunch with a friend and a good book too."
She turns her attention back to her monitor again.
It's Friday afternoon. After office hours. The squad room is in darkness. The two doctors are alone in the office as their police officer colleagues still are out on police business.
"No Christmas preparation? No gift shopping?" Eve responds with disbelief. "Lucky you. Are you really done already?"
"Not completely. Still searching for ideas." With an air of concentration, Grace bites down on her lower lip and gazes at her monitor. "I still need a single one, but I have absolutely no idea what to buy." With an irked movement, she pushes a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Anything I can do to help?"
"No thanks, I don't think so. Sooner or later, I'll find something."
"If you say so... "
They sit in silence for some time. Grace glued to her laptop. Eve nursing her wine. Eventually, the latter can't control her curiosity any longer and inquires. "Who's the present for?"
Arching an eyebrow Grace sends Eve a stern glance. Doesn't say a word though.
Eve smiles wryly. "Let me guess," she smirks. "It's a middle-aged, well-groomed man who's very picky about his appearance and is definitely not in need of anything. What is there to buy? Men are so boring. Cufflinks? A shirt?"
"His wardrobe is so full of shirts I doubt there's room for more," is the laconic answer she receives.
"A new wallet, maybe? Some nice-smelling beard oil?"
"Got plenty of that too."
"An impeccable bearded man with good taste," Eve concludes, chuckling, "Silly me. I should have known." Winking cheekily, she continues, "Maybe you could buy him something fun instead. What about some funky trunks?" She eagerly suggests. "I found a website the other day, filled with perfect gifts to ignite passion and simply show your man just how much you appreciate him. For instance, black boxers with very telling messages. Messages with words like long, hard, and stiff." Eve blinks conspiratorially, her expression full of innuendo. "I can show you... " Glass in hand, she gets on her feet. "I need a top-up anyway."
"Eve! It might be my brother I'm talking about." Grace scolds, and then coughs clearly struggling to hide a smile.
"Really?" Eve's sparkling laughter fills the office. "I don't think so. In all the years I've known you, you never talked about having a brother before... " It takes a minute before she regains some kind of equilibrium. "Grace. Grace." Still chuckling, she walks the two steps to Grace's desk and reaches for the bottle, filling her glass. "Any idea when the others will return? There's hardly any wine left." She distributes the last few drops in Grace's glass.
"They'll come when they come. You never know with police officers, do you? It's their loss, though. It's a nice wine." Grace nods in agreement without further comment.
"It was," Eve returns and settles on the chair again, making herself comfortable as she studies her colleague who's still busy with her laptop. Shaking her head, she can't prevent the words from slipping out. "Just admit it, Grace. We both know that I know who you're talking about."
"Grow up, will you?" Grace mumbles with a sigh and runs a hand over her face. "You may or may not know who or what I'm looking for a gift for, but it's none of your business. We're colleagues and friends but we need to keep certain lines of propriety." She makes a resigned gesture. "Anyway, the man in question has a huge ego. He certainly doesn't need that kind – or any kind of encouragement." Snorting. "Years back, we had a case where long nails were involved. We were all gathered in the lab, Frankie, Mel, Spence, and I, and he had the guts to tell us that 'nine inches means a lot to a guy'. Can you imagine?"
Cracking up laughing, Eve struggles to talk. "Ah, Grace, Grace, your man certainly has some serious balls, I'll give him that. But yes, I can imagine him saying something exactly like that."
From behind her desk, Grace regards her with despair, then takes a heavy slurp of her wine. "He really does." She casts a glance at her watch. "It's getting late, and I still have no clue what to give him."
"That's tough."
"The whole concept of adults giving each other Christmas gifts is ridiculous." Grace snarls and sinks back in the chair. "We all have everything, and what we don't have we buy when it's needed, don't we?"
"That's true, but don't tell me you don't love the attention and affection your man shows you when giving you presents, because I won't believe you."
"Of course, I do. I really do." Reflectively, Grace tilts her head. "We women are easy to find something for, aren't we?" Automatically, Grace starts to fiddle with the pendant hanging around her neck. "Different kinds of jewelry, a perfume or cream, a scarf or something like that. It's so much more damned difficult to find something a man really appreciates." She exhales heavily.
"Doesn't he have any hobbies? Something to distract him in his spare time?"
"Spare time?" Grace grunts. "He doesn't know what that is. Doesn't know the concept."
"Buy him a huge Lego box, then. One of the biggest ones with thousands and thousands of small parts. Titanic or maybe The Star Wars Millennium Falcon, that'll give him a puzzle and keep him occupied for a very long time while building it."
"And how do you think I will feel about that?" Grace replies tartly, visibly displeased. "Anyway, it won't do. He doesn't have the patience for something like that."
Relenting, Eve holds up a placating hand. "Of course not. I can't really imagine him doing something like that." She shrugs. "Then why don't you find something both of you would love." Pursing her lips she angles her head, reflectively. "Together!"
"Together?" Grace contemplates Eve's face. "What do you mean?"
"Something nice. Relaxing. There's a fantastic place, a spa near Covent Garden. A temple dedicated to the relaxation of body and mind in which time simply doesn't exist. After an hour soaking in nice-smelling hot water all your muscles and joints will be softened like butter. You can buy a massage too. For couples. Thoroughly warmed, you lie side by side on separate tables, each with a masseur, who takes care of removing all the tension in your bodies. I'm sure he'll love that. Jacob and I went there on my birthday. It's so good," she breaths dreamingly with a soft smile on her lips. Then looks at Grace with a cheeky snigger. "That should give you a very docile and compliant lover, and why not add a facial of some kind? Maybe a moisturizing face mask or a mud mask for both of you? That's definitely a new experience for him while you'll get some real amusement."
"The bath, yes. The massage, maybe," Grace lifts a finger, "but a mask," she grins, "oh dear, that would be one step too much for him, I think." Sobering up, she angles her head thoughtfully. "The whole idea sounds magnificent. A really lovely and wonderful experience. I'll give it some thought during the weekend, but I think it'll do."
"Why don't you have a look at their website? There are different kinds of hot baths. You can even have a bath in Spanish red wine." Eve giggles hysterically now. "Maybe you'll even be intoxicated by the fumes, loosen up your inhibitions a little, but of course," she stops to compose herself, "it should have antioxidant properties. Good for the skin."
"Thank you, but no thank you. He won't appreciate that, I'm sure, and it seems wrong to me too," Grace retorts, wrinkling her nose in dismay. "Waste of good wine in my opinion. Wine is purely for drinking." She raises her glass in a salute.
Reciprocating, Eve regards her glass and empties it. "Time to go home. No more wine left anyway."
"It is getting late. I'll just finish up here, then I'll leave too." Speculatively tapping a finger on her lips, Grace asks. "Are the masseuses male or female?"
"No idea," Eve looks slightly astonished as she gets on her feet. "I haven't the faintest idea... " Puzzled, she shakes her head. "Why?"
"Well, he's a man... " Grace looks rather bemused as she gets up too. "A man touching him. Rubbing and stroking his skin?" She smiles indulgently. "I'm not sure he'd appreciate that."
"I don't see the problem," shrugging, "a very manly reaction, I guess. When you book the treatment, you simply ask for a female masseuse for him but ask for a good-looking young male for yourself and get the most out of it," Eve replies straight-faced with a wicked glint in her eyes. "Well, I better brace myself and join the stressed crowd of desperate Christmas shoppers." Lingering at the door frame, Eve turns around, waving. "Bye-bye, Grace, don't stay too long. Have a nice weekend."
"And you," Grace smiles back, "I think I'd better pay a little visit to the ladies before I go."
Eve disappears and Grace turns her laptop off and gathers her things, leaving her bag on her desk and heads towards the toilets.
Much to her surprise, she finds Boyd in her office when she returns a little later. Seated on the chair Eve just left, legs crossed, he is holding the empty wine bottle in his hand, apparently deeply engaged in studying the label.
On her approach, he looks up over the rim of his glasses and sends her a broad boyish smirk. "This looks like a bloody good wine. I'd certainly like to try it."
"Oops," Stopping halfway between the door and her desk, Grace holds a hand to her mouth, trying to contain her amusement, and casts a quick glance down at him. "There might be a slight problem... "
"Oh dear. Oh dear. And what could that be, eh?" Holding up the bottle at the level of his eyes, he slowly shakes it. Without waiting for an answer, he wryly concludes. "Seems like the two of you doctors have done a pretty good job... not a single drop of wine left for a poor hard-working copper."
Grace makes an apologetic gesture, walks the few steps to her desk and starts packing her bag. "What can I say... We waited. You didn't text or call to let us know if or when you would be back and time flies in good company, you know. Besides, we did discuss some work-related things."
"Like my Christmas present?" Boyd gets up and walks to stand behind her.
Slightly piqued, she tilts her head, wondering how much he heard. Dryly, she concludes, "You've been eavesdropping." Rolling her eyes as adds, "Naughty you. Besides, both our reports are on your desk, as demanded."
Boyd makes an apologetic motion. "Only because I wouldn't intrude. Besides, you both seemed to have a jolly good time at my expense." He reaches past her and places the empty bottle on her desk.
"And just how much did you hear?"
Boyd circles her with his arms, whispering close to her ear. "Enough to hear about the spa."
"Mm," Enjoying the feeling of his body against her back, Grace closes her eyes, inclines her head towards his body, and lets it come to rest on his chest. "And?"
"And?" Bending down he places a gentle kiss on her neck. "Sounds like a very pleasant idea. The massage too by the way. Only," Boyd tightens his arms around her, "how do you think I'll be able to relax when you have your wicked way with a bloody young and fit Adonis manipulating your body on a table next to me? That'll definitely cause havoc with my blood pressure."
"Doesn't matter now, does it?" Looking rather irked, Grace regards him over her shoulder.
"Why not?" Puzzled he scrutinizes her face. "I like the idea.
Sighing deeply, she explains. "I won't give you something when you already know what is."
"Why not?" he repeats. "It's still a great idea. We're adults. None of us believes in Santa anymore... or is there something I've misunderstood?"
"Hmm!"
"You could pay for the massages and I could pay for the masks?" he suggests.
"You'll have a mask?" Grace inquires incredulously.
"Why not?" Boyd asks. "New experiences and all that... "
"I don't think they'll do it with that beard of yours. It'll be messy."
"Not an issue." Placidly he smiles. "I can shave."
"Don't you dare!" Twisting in his arms, Grace comes to face him. Reaching up, she cups his face. "You'll do nothing of the kind. I won't allow it. The beard stays... it suits you. You look so much better with that than you did during the early days of the CCU."
"Is that a compliment?" He chuckles, shaking his head.
"If you wish... I do like you the way you are. Silver fox and all."
"Good, that's a reassuring thought. No immediate plans of replacing me with a younger toyboy, then?"
"Not remotely." She laughs and lets her hands fall down his chest. "Toyboys are overrated... "
"And you know that because... ?"
He regards her with a deep dark gaze that hardly reveals any emotions. Only she notices an almost hidden simmering mix of passion and worry and under her palms, she feels his muscles tense.
Holding his gaze she serenely retorts, her voice lined with honesty. "I'm perfectly happy with what I have. All I want is you."
A broad smile lightens his face as he dips down and kisses her softly. "Well, that's a good thing because I'm not letting you out of my sight. Let's go home. I feel like a long bath is in order. Together."