Ficlet - Mucking it UP
Title - Mucking it Up
Rating - PG
Spoilers up to "Exposed"
Summary: A chat one week past the episode.
“You alright, love?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just missing him,” Gillian answered, straightening the papers on her desk.
“Yeah, I know.” Cal studied her for a few moments. “Why don’t you come to dinner with me.”
“No, tonight I’m going to indulge in every woman’s privilege after a break up. Pint of ice cream, a hot bath and a trashy novel. Not necessarily in that order, but you get the idea.”
“You mean a wallow in self pity, kind of thing?”
“Exactly.”
Cal inhaled, then stretched, then looked around to see if anyone was lurking about before stepping further into her office. “I’d just muck it up you know.”
Gillian smiled, actually chuckled. “Oh, I know.”
Cal nodded, made it halfway out the door before turning back ‘round.
“But, there may come a day, when I won’t.”
“I know that too,” Gillian smiled.
“And that’s the day I’ll be coming for you, Foster. So you better watch out.”
“If I’m even single at the time.”
“Oh, you’ll be single.”
“Cal! Thanks a lot! What are you going to do, have files on everyone I date, which reminds me, we need to discuss that. No more files, Cal. I mean it.”
“Right, no more files. Night then!” Cal waved, then sauntered from the room, silently counting in his head how long it would take her to follow him. He was off by a second. He was slipping.
“Cal, I’m serious. You’ve got to stop stalking the men I date. Not only is it a gross invasion, of privacy, it’s creepy,” Gillian said, catching up to him and grabbing his arm. “Cal, are you listening.”
“To every word. No more files. Got it.”
Gillian stared at his for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Goodnight Cal.
“Night love,” Cal grinned, waiting for her to walk away before asking, “Is a notepad with doodles considering a file? I mean really, it’s just some notes scribbled on a bit of paper.”
Gillian turned back, bearing down on him, which made his grin widen.
“Oh! How about this! I use a series of those...what do you call ‘em...sticky notes! You can hardly call that a file, I mean it a two by two scrap of paper. Definitely not a file then, right?”
Gillian shoved his shoulder with her own. “Cal, I mean it, you have to stop prying into the lives of the men I meet. It has to stop.”
Cal started walking again, forcing her to keep up with him. “I’m just looking out for you, love. That’s all.”
“I’m a grown woman, Cal. I can look out for myself.”
“Never said you couldn’t. If it’s typed in say, a word document, that’s not a file, right? It’s a document.”
“Cal!” Gillian stopped, staring at him, her mouth agape. “You’re not going to stop, are you?”
“Probably not. Never know when that day will come where I won’t muck it up. A man has to know what he’s up against.”
“You’re going to be up against me, and I’ll be pissed off.”
“I wouldn’t mind a bit if I was up against you, Foster,” he said, leaning close enough to invade her personal space. “In fact, I think we’d both rather like it,” he said, attempting to look down her low cut blouse.
Cal looked around, grinning. “You know, you’re closer to my car than you are to your office, so you might as come to dinner with me.”
“You planned this didn’t you? Get me riled up, make me forget my night of indulgence and self pity!”
“Did it work?”
Gillian glowered at him, then sighed. “Yes, it worked. But you’re buying.”
Cal slung an arm around her shoulders, practically beaming. “The thing is, I haven’t got my wallet on me. Do you mind...?” he faded off, waving his hand in the air.
“There are days, Cal, that I really don’t like you.”
“But today is not one of those days. You’re enjoying yourself, admit it,” Cal teased, bumping his hip against hers.
“No more files?”
“No more files.’
“You promise?”
“Cross my heart,” he nodded solemnly.
“Fine. I’m buying us dinner, but that means I get to choose.”
“Anything but that micro cuisine garbage. Why do people pay good money for what basically is an appetizer and a tiny one at that!”
“Mulligans pub?”
“Now you’re talkin’. After you, Foster,” he said, opening the front doors.
It was a start anyway.
Rating - PG
Spoilers up to "Exposed"
Summary: A chat one week past the episode.
“You alright, love?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Just missing him,” Gillian answered, straightening the papers on her desk.
“Yeah, I know.” Cal studied her for a few moments. “Why don’t you come to dinner with me.”
“No, tonight I’m going to indulge in every woman’s privilege after a break up. Pint of ice cream, a hot bath and a trashy novel. Not necessarily in that order, but you get the idea.”
“You mean a wallow in self pity, kind of thing?”
“Exactly.”
Cal inhaled, then stretched, then looked around to see if anyone was lurking about before stepping further into her office. “I’d just muck it up you know.”
Gillian smiled, actually chuckled. “Oh, I know.”
Cal nodded, made it halfway out the door before turning back ‘round.
“But, there may come a day, when I won’t.”
“I know that too,” Gillian smiled.
“And that’s the day I’ll be coming for you, Foster. So you better watch out.”
“If I’m even single at the time.”
“Oh, you’ll be single.”
“Cal! Thanks a lot! What are you going to do, have files on everyone I date, which reminds me, we need to discuss that. No more files, Cal. I mean it.”
“Right, no more files. Night then!” Cal waved, then sauntered from the room, silently counting in his head how long it would take her to follow him. He was off by a second. He was slipping.
“Cal, I’m serious. You’ve got to stop stalking the men I date. Not only is it a gross invasion, of privacy, it’s creepy,” Gillian said, catching up to him and grabbing his arm. “Cal, are you listening.”
“To every word. No more files. Got it.”
Gillian stared at his for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. Goodnight Cal.
“Night love,” Cal grinned, waiting for her to walk away before asking, “Is a notepad with doodles considering a file? I mean really, it’s just some notes scribbled on a bit of paper.”
Gillian turned back, bearing down on him, which made his grin widen.
“Oh! How about this! I use a series of those...what do you call ‘em...sticky notes! You can hardly call that a file, I mean it a two by two scrap of paper. Definitely not a file then, right?”
Gillian shoved his shoulder with her own. “Cal, I mean it, you have to stop prying into the lives of the men I meet. It has to stop.”
Cal started walking again, forcing her to keep up with him. “I’m just looking out for you, love. That’s all.”
“I’m a grown woman, Cal. I can look out for myself.”
“Never said you couldn’t. If it’s typed in say, a word document, that’s not a file, right? It’s a document.”
“Cal!” Gillian stopped, staring at him, her mouth agape. “You’re not going to stop, are you?”
“Probably not. Never know when that day will come where I won’t muck it up. A man has to know what he’s up against.”
“You’re going to be up against me, and I’ll be pissed off.”
“I wouldn’t mind a bit if I was up against you, Foster,” he said, leaning close enough to invade her personal space. “In fact, I think we’d both rather like it,” he said, attempting to look down her low cut blouse.
Cal looked around, grinning. “You know, you’re closer to my car than you are to your office, so you might as come to dinner with me.”
“You planned this didn’t you? Get me riled up, make me forget my night of indulgence and self pity!”
“Did it work?”
Gillian glowered at him, then sighed. “Yes, it worked. But you’re buying.”
Cal slung an arm around her shoulders, practically beaming. “The thing is, I haven’t got my wallet on me. Do you mind...?” he faded off, waving his hand in the air.
“There are days, Cal, that I really don’t like you.”
“But today is not one of those days. You’re enjoying yourself, admit it,” Cal teased, bumping his hip against hers.
“No more files?”
“No more files.’
“You promise?”
“Cross my heart,” he nodded solemnly.
“Fine. I’m buying us dinner, but that means I get to choose.”
“Anything but that micro cuisine garbage. Why do people pay good money for what basically is an appetizer and a tiny one at that!”
“Mulligans pub?”
“Now you’re talkin’. After you, Foster,” he said, opening the front doors.
It was a start anyway.