here we are everybody! the second date is a coming... :'(enjoy!
(oh and caffyminx i hope you are smiling and dancing as promised
if those exams are screwing with ya, screw em right back!
)
***
Friday.
“Oh God what was I thinking?!”
Jenny smiled as she finished off a packet of mini cheddars, “I think it’s very romantic.”
“There’s nothing romantic about food poising!”
Jenny’s smile faded as Abby glared at her angrily.
Tim had been riffling through the boxes on his desk as Abby freaked out about the cooking for Luka problem. A grin spread over his face as he picked up the box he’d been looking for. He turned to Abby, “well luckily for you my unfeminine friend, I am a stereotypical gay man in all walks of life. I am Nigella Lawson with a penis.”
Tim opened the lid of the box to reveal a pile of recipe books and food magazine cuttings. Abby stared into it with impressed shock. “wow...why do you have these at work?”
Tim tutted and took the box away from her as if she’d insulted it, “always come prepared. That’s my motto.”
Abby smiled uncertainly, “ok well I’m pleased for you, really I am, but this doesn’t really help me. I can’t cook, no matter how good the recipe is.”
“were you not listening when I told you who I was? Ni-gel-la Law-son with a...”
“yes Tim I heard you the first time”
“well I’ll cook the meal for you. It’ll be the best damn meal Mr. Kovac has ever eaten.”
Abby stared up at Tim, a smile spreading on her face, “really? Would you?”
“of course! Jen will help too, won’t you Jenny?”
Jenny looked up from the packet f maltesers she’d started on, smiling with a mouthful of chocolate, “oh yes. I’d love to!”
Tim smiled down at Abby, “see, disaster avoided. You know what this calls for...” Tim stretched out his arms, “group hug ladies.”
Jenny giggled and put her chocolate down on her desk, joining Tim in the hug, they both smiled down at Abby and she shook her head in amusement. Standing up to join them she nodded, “thanks.”
***
“Just chop them Abby it’s not hard!”
“I’m sorry!”
Jenny walked up to her two friends with two large glasses of wine. Tim was getting just a bit too carried away with his invented chef persona and Abby’s nerves weren’t making things any easier. Jenny watched with a proud smile as they both took huge gulps of the wine. “How about I chop those and Abby you go and get a shower.”
Abby nodded, filling her glass with more wine before leaving her friends to cook the meal. Jenny smiled at Tim and threw one of the carrot slices into her mouth, picking up a second she yelped as Tim slapped her hand, flashing her a stern glance as he got back to the pancetta wrapped chicken he was preparing.
Abby looked at herself in the mirror letting out a deep sigh. She wanted this night to go well, she felt that she owed it to Luka. Seeing him on Thursday had shocked her into recognition of the facts; he did like her, he’d said it himself. And even if he hadn’t only a blind person would have missed the disappointment in his face when he thought she didn’t feel the same. So she’d got dressed up, it wasn’t too much, it was a modest dress; womanly but not too obviously sexy. The sort of dress that wouldn’t seem out of place in the daytime, but certainly not a work outfit. It also wasn’t the sort of thing Abby usually did; she was a jeans and tee-shirt girl. She liked the dress, it made her feel attractive, but the little voice in her head continued to fill her with doubt. She didn’t want to seem like she was trying too hard and she certainly didn’t want him thinking she was expecting any more than a pleasant dinner.
Music started playing in the living room alerting her to the fact that her friends had finished cooking. She took a deep breath and one last glance at the mirror before walking to the door, stopping with her hand on the door handle she winced in annoyance at her lack of confidence. She was about to go back into her messy closet and select another outfit when she heard Tim and Jenny calling her name in unison. She screwed her eyes up tightly and walked into the living room.
Tim and Jenny were dancing slowly to the romantic collection of music they’d selected, wine glasses in their hands. As Abby walked out of the room they looked round at her and smiles of delight spread over their faces. She stared back and her face crumpled into a nervous expression, “it’s too much isn’t it?”
She started to walk back into her room and both Tim and Jenny shouted in protest
“no no no!”
She turned back to her slightly drunk friends and pulled the fabric smooth across her stomach. Tim walked towards her with a smile, “Abby it’s perfect.”
Jenny nodded in the background, holding up her glass of wine, “a toast to our beautiful colleague!”
Tim and Jenny clinked glasses and turned back to Abby smiling like proud parents. Abby laughed in embarrassment. “ok...so what do I need to do with the food?”
“I’ve set the timer to go off when everything’s ready. It should be done at 8:30...”
“and Luka should be here at 8”
Abby nodded and looked down at her watch, it was 7:45. She looked up in nervous anticipation and Tim passed her a glass of wine.
“we should go...”
Abby nodded, “thank you so much, I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Tim smiled and hugged her, “we know.”
Jenny followed Tim towards the exit, hugging Abby on the way. Abby walked them to the door and waved them off, laughing as Tim called out “may the force be with you!” she shut the door and let out a heavy sigh as she began to pace the room. Stevie looked up from the sofa where he’d been sleeping stubbornly in spite of the noise Tim and Jenny had been making.
Abby looked down at her cat and smiled, “you’re right, there’s no reason to worry.”
She turned to look at herself in the mirror, brushing her wavy hair back from her face. She squinted at herself, inspecting the fine lines that only she could see under her eyes. Standing back she checked the dress again, turning to the side to see herself in profile, she breathed in then shook her head. It was absurd, why was she wearing a dress? This wasn’t a dress occasion. She’d scare him off for good if he knew how much she liked him and the dress said far too much. She ducked into her bedroom, resigning herself to her cowardice and deciding to opt for the safer option of a top and trousers. Then the door bell rang. “Shit”
It was too late to get changed; Abby rushed out of her room and looked at herself n the mirror one last time. “Shit.”
***