Flack glanced around the park. He’d finally gotten his head out of his ass and called her, and then spent the entire day planning this. His eyes fell on a familiar figure that was leaning against the railings of the bridge. She turned and spotted him and waved.
She was dressed in the little red number, the first dress she had worn to the Crime Lab after a failed date. Spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline, and a skirt short enough that it showed off those long legs of hers. It was the dress which drove Flack crazy. Whoever had come up with that thing about women in little black dresses had clearly never seen Taylor in red. It certainly sent Flack’s pulse racing, especially when it was accompanied by that infectious smile and her long dark hair in soft curls.
That was something else which drove Flack crazy – curly hair. And he couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why she insisted on straightening it. Not that she didn’t look good with her hair straight, but Flack definitely had a weakness for the curls.
Resisting the urge to rip the dress off her, right there in the middle of Central Park, he compensated by giving her a solitary red rose. A little clichéd, one might say, but effective enough. She took it from him, a shy smile on her face. “Thank you,” she said, sniffing at it.
Flack chucked as she sneezed. Somehow, she was making allergies cute. Did he just use the word cute? He shook his head and pulled out a handkerchief which she gratefully accepted, blushing profusely – something else which he was finding exceedingly cute. Did he just use the word cute, again?
This time Flack actually laughed. Taylor looked up at him with her eyes big and wide, verging on hurt, and he instantly regretted it. He reached down for her free hand and grasped it in his own. It was small, cool, and smooth, fitting perfectly into his own. “I have a surprise,” he told her.
Taylor looked curiously up at him, but knew better than to ask. Instead, she smiled and allowed him to lead her under the trees, the leaves of golds and reds falling down softly around them.
A long stroll later and they were outside his apartment building. Still curious as to where Flack was going with this, she turned expectantly to him, but he just smiled coyly and held the door open for her. He led her to the elevator, and while waiting for it come down from the floor it was on, he pulled off his tie, wrapping it around Taylor’s eyes and tying it firmly, but gently, behind her head.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
“Trust me,” he whispered, his mouth mere millimetres from her ear. He could feel the shiver of excitement run down her spine, and again he had to refrain from removing the dress. His resolve was saved by the elevator pinging open.
The journey to the top floor seemed to take a hundred times longer than it normally did. So much so, he was tempted to hit that emergency stop button. But again his resolve was saved by the doors pinging open for a second time. He led her to a door and pushed it open before stepping behind her and taking one hand in each of his.
As the wind blew down the stairway from the rooftop behind, Taylor turned her head, “Flack?” she whimpered.
His mouth was next to her ear again, “I told you, trust me.”
Taylor bit her lip and nodded, allowing him to lead her up the stairs and onto the rooftop. He took a few more steps out and then stopped. “Shut your eyes.”
Taylor nodded and he carefully removed the tie. He took one step to the side and the told her to open her eyes. Taylor let her eyes fly open and gasped. Flack had spent the best part of the day tidying this area of the roof up, dragged a sofa up, with a little help from a neighbour – Danny had suddenly developed a bad case of vertigo – and set it up so that it was facing the now setting sun. He’d covered the faded fabric with a throw and added a few cushions.
Just off to one side were a table and two chairs – a tablecloth, candle (which had blown itself out), two wine glasses, and a bottle of bubbly in an ice bucket. Up against the wall was a mini fridge humming away gently, and a portable stereo perched on top. Flack quickly darted over and hit play and the creamy sound of Blue’s Best of Me came pouring out.
Taylor laughed at his cheesy taste in music. She was pretty certain it wasn’t his normal choice, which made her appreciate it even more.
He hurried back over and settled her down on the couch before turning his attention to the champagne and pouring them both a glass.
“Flack, this is… this is… why did you go to all this trouble?”
Flack settled his glass on the floor. “Taylor, aren’t we past surnames yet?”
Taylor blushed, “I… yeah, I just… it’s habit. Everyone calls you that.”
“Well, you’re not everyone.” He took the glass back out of her hands and settled it beside his own, and then returned his attention to Taylor. He gently scraped the hair out of her face and leant over and kissed her.
It was a much different kiss to the ones they had shared previously – for one, they were sober. For another, it was the most honest and needed kiss that either of them had experienced.
Taylor leant back and pulled away. Flack did the same, worried he had overstepped the line. Instead he found Taylor smiling at him. “What?” he asked her, cocking his head.
“You taste good,” she told him, before she pulled his lips back to hers.
A few hours later and not only had the champagne gone flat and warm, the ice cream in the fridge melted, and one of the glasses had been knocked over, but the sky had gone dark and they had missed the sunset. Not that either were complaining, wrapped up in the throw with each other.
Flack shifted and pulled Taylor closer to him, pressing his bare chest against her back as he wrapped the arm which wasn’t propping his head up, around Taylor’s waist and interlocking his fingers with hers. He leant over and began kissing her neck.
Taylor let out a tired, yet satisfied moan, “I don’t think I ever want to move from this spot.”
Flack just smiled contentedly and continued kissing her. Until he was disturbed from his task by his cell phone ringing.
“Do you have to answer that?” Taylor groaned.
“Sorry,” apologised Flack as he reached for it. “I’ll get rid of them.” He flipped his phone open, Hey, can I call you back? I’m right in the middle of spending some much needed time with my girlfriend!” he said, not caring who it was, or why they were ringing.
“Oh my God Flack, I am so sorry.”
“Taylor?” That didn’t make sense. How could she be in his arms, and yet on the phone at the same time?
Flack suddenly bolted upright in bed, realizing with a start what had happened, “No, Taylor, it’s alright.”
“No, I’m sorry. It’s late,” Taylor let out an embarrassed groan, “I am so sorry, Flack. I shouldn’t have called.”
“No, really Taylor. You wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.” Mentally, he was slamming his head against a wall. How was he going to get out of this one?
“Flack, I have just disturbed you with someone. It can wait.”
Yeah, except that someone was you. “No, seriously Taylor, what’s the matter?”
“Oh, well… um… it’s just that Danny called. Louie woke up. I was going to see if you wanted to come to the hospital with me, but it really doesn’t matter.” He could almost feel the heat off her face radiating down the phone. “Oh God, I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine, Taylor. I’ll pick you up in half an hour. I need to get a shower.”
“Flack, you can’t do that.” She honestly sounded horrified.
Flack sighed. “It’s alright, she’s gone now anyway.” Well, it was nearly true. “I’ll give you a ring when I’m outside.”
He hung up the phone, dropped it on the bed and threw his face into the covers. How the hell was he going to get out of this one? He groaned. One thing was for certain. He was going to have to have a shower before he did anything. A cold shower.
She was dressed in the little red number, the first dress she had worn to the Crime Lab after a failed date. Spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline, and a skirt short enough that it showed off those long legs of hers. It was the dress which drove Flack crazy. Whoever had come up with that thing about women in little black dresses had clearly never seen Taylor in red. It certainly sent Flack’s pulse racing, especially when it was accompanied by that infectious smile and her long dark hair in soft curls.
That was something else which drove Flack crazy – curly hair. And he couldn’t, for the life of him, understand why she insisted on straightening it. Not that she didn’t look good with her hair straight, but Flack definitely had a weakness for the curls.
Resisting the urge to rip the dress off her, right there in the middle of Central Park, he compensated by giving her a solitary red rose. A little clichéd, one might say, but effective enough. She took it from him, a shy smile on her face. “Thank you,” she said, sniffing at it.
Flack chucked as she sneezed. Somehow, she was making allergies cute. Did he just use the word cute? He shook his head and pulled out a handkerchief which she gratefully accepted, blushing profusely – something else which he was finding exceedingly cute. Did he just use the word cute, again?
This time Flack actually laughed. Taylor looked up at him with her eyes big and wide, verging on hurt, and he instantly regretted it. He reached down for her free hand and grasped it in his own. It was small, cool, and smooth, fitting perfectly into his own. “I have a surprise,” he told her.
Taylor looked curiously up at him, but knew better than to ask. Instead, she smiled and allowed him to lead her under the trees, the leaves of golds and reds falling down softly around them.
A long stroll later and they were outside his apartment building. Still curious as to where Flack was going with this, she turned expectantly to him, but he just smiled coyly and held the door open for her. He led her to the elevator, and while waiting for it come down from the floor it was on, he pulled off his tie, wrapping it around Taylor’s eyes and tying it firmly, but gently, behind her head.
“What are you doing?” she asked him.
“Trust me,” he whispered, his mouth mere millimetres from her ear. He could feel the shiver of excitement run down her spine, and again he had to refrain from removing the dress. His resolve was saved by the elevator pinging open.
The journey to the top floor seemed to take a hundred times longer than it normally did. So much so, he was tempted to hit that emergency stop button. But again his resolve was saved by the doors pinging open for a second time. He led her to a door and pushed it open before stepping behind her and taking one hand in each of his.
As the wind blew down the stairway from the rooftop behind, Taylor turned her head, “Flack?” she whimpered.
His mouth was next to her ear again, “I told you, trust me.”
Taylor bit her lip and nodded, allowing him to lead her up the stairs and onto the rooftop. He took a few more steps out and then stopped. “Shut your eyes.”
Taylor nodded and he carefully removed the tie. He took one step to the side and the told her to open her eyes. Taylor let her eyes fly open and gasped. Flack had spent the best part of the day tidying this area of the roof up, dragged a sofa up, with a little help from a neighbour – Danny had suddenly developed a bad case of vertigo – and set it up so that it was facing the now setting sun. He’d covered the faded fabric with a throw and added a few cushions.
Just off to one side were a table and two chairs – a tablecloth, candle (which had blown itself out), two wine glasses, and a bottle of bubbly in an ice bucket. Up against the wall was a mini fridge humming away gently, and a portable stereo perched on top. Flack quickly darted over and hit play and the creamy sound of Blue’s Best of Me came pouring out.
Taylor laughed at his cheesy taste in music. She was pretty certain it wasn’t his normal choice, which made her appreciate it even more.
He hurried back over and settled her down on the couch before turning his attention to the champagne and pouring them both a glass.
“Flack, this is… this is… why did you go to all this trouble?”
Flack settled his glass on the floor. “Taylor, aren’t we past surnames yet?”
Taylor blushed, “I… yeah, I just… it’s habit. Everyone calls you that.”
“Well, you’re not everyone.” He took the glass back out of her hands and settled it beside his own, and then returned his attention to Taylor. He gently scraped the hair out of her face and leant over and kissed her.
It was a much different kiss to the ones they had shared previously – for one, they were sober. For another, it was the most honest and needed kiss that either of them had experienced.
Taylor leant back and pulled away. Flack did the same, worried he had overstepped the line. Instead he found Taylor smiling at him. “What?” he asked her, cocking his head.
“You taste good,” she told him, before she pulled his lips back to hers.
A few hours later and not only had the champagne gone flat and warm, the ice cream in the fridge melted, and one of the glasses had been knocked over, but the sky had gone dark and they had missed the sunset. Not that either were complaining, wrapped up in the throw with each other.
Flack shifted and pulled Taylor closer to him, pressing his bare chest against her back as he wrapped the arm which wasn’t propping his head up, around Taylor’s waist and interlocking his fingers with hers. He leant over and began kissing her neck.
Taylor let out a tired, yet satisfied moan, “I don’t think I ever want to move from this spot.”
Flack just smiled contentedly and continued kissing her. Until he was disturbed from his task by his cell phone ringing.
“Do you have to answer that?” Taylor groaned.
“Sorry,” apologised Flack as he reached for it. “I’ll get rid of them.” He flipped his phone open, Hey, can I call you back? I’m right in the middle of spending some much needed time with my girlfriend!” he said, not caring who it was, or why they were ringing.
“Oh my God Flack, I am so sorry.”
“Taylor?” That didn’t make sense. How could she be in his arms, and yet on the phone at the same time?
Flack suddenly bolted upright in bed, realizing with a start what had happened, “No, Taylor, it’s alright.”
“No, I’m sorry. It’s late,” Taylor let out an embarrassed groan, “I am so sorry, Flack. I shouldn’t have called.”
“No, really Taylor. You wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t important.” Mentally, he was slamming his head against a wall. How was he going to get out of this one?
“Flack, I have just disturbed you with someone. It can wait.”
Yeah, except that someone was you. “No, seriously Taylor, what’s the matter?”
“Oh, well… um… it’s just that Danny called. Louie woke up. I was going to see if you wanted to come to the hospital with me, but it really doesn’t matter.” He could almost feel the heat off her face radiating down the phone. “Oh God, I am so sorry.”
“It’s fine, Taylor. I’ll pick you up in half an hour. I need to get a shower.”
“Flack, you can’t do that.” She honestly sounded horrified.
Flack sighed. “It’s alright, she’s gone now anyway.” Well, it was nearly true. “I’ll give you a ring when I’m outside.”
He hung up the phone, dropped it on the bed and threw his face into the covers. How the hell was he going to get out of this one? He groaned. One thing was for certain. He was going to have to have a shower before he did anything. A cold shower.
* * *
Taylor was already stood waiting outside her building when he pulled up, looking, as he imagined, just as embarrassed as she had sounded on the phone.
She couldn’t even look at him when she got in the car. As far as Taylor was concerned, she had interrupted him when he was getting very personal with a lady friend, and she was still mortified. She was about to launch into a tirade of apologies but he stopped her before she could open her mouth.
“Don’t apologise,” he told her, firmly. “I was only sleeping, and in all fairness, if I didn’t want to be disturbed, I would have turned my phone off.”
Taylor’s complexion was still flushed. “I didn’t even know you had a girlfriend, Flack. I really am sorry.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he told her quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly. “No, I didn’t mean that,” he groaned after one look at Taylor’s startled face.
Taylor shook her head, “I’m not going to judge, Flack. How you spend your personal time is your business.”
Flack wanted to bang his head repeatedly against the steering wheel. He figured the best course of action would be just to remain silent until he could persuade his brain to come up with something to get him out of this incredibly deep hole he was digging himself.
Taylor was thankful for the silence. Despite what Flack said, she couldn’t shake the embarrassment. It wasn’t until they pulled into the hospital parking lot and she noticed Flack staring intently at the back of the head of a woman climbing into a car that she spoke, breaking the silence. “Somebody you know?”
Flack frowned, “I’m not sure.”
He parked up and the two of them headed up to Louie’s room, where Danny was sitting by his bed, a broad grin across his face, a sleeping Louie next to him.
Flack made his way to the chairs opposite, whilst Taylor went straight over to Danny and gave him a hug. “When did he wake up?” Taylor asked him quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping Messer.
Flack sighed. Why was he so bothered about Taylor thinking he had a girlfriend when she was seeing Messer anyway?
“Not long before I called you.” He laughed. “Thirty four days in a coma, and he goes straight back to sleep.”
“Hey, Messer?”
“Wassup, Flack?” Danny asked him cheerfully.
“Did I see Aiden walk outta here?”
Danny nodded. “Yeah, she’s been a few times over the last month. Mom called her and she turned up, complete with a pizza with extra pepperoni. Says she’s going to arrange it so we meet up and she’s gonna cook, when we both have a free night.”
Taylor looked at the grin on his face – whoever this Aiden was, she was certainly a good friend, although, if she remembered correctly, when Mrs Messer had mentioned her, Danny had denied dating her. Not that it was important.
“Have you called Lindsay?” Flack asked him.
Danny shook his head, “She’s at work. And she doesn’t need to be brought further into the mess which is my life.”
Taylor sighed. “There are some things you have no choice over, and I’m sorry to tell you this, Messer, but I think it’s already too late,” Taylor told him.
Danny just looked at her and sighed.
Flack looked between the two of them wondering what exactly the two were talking about, and then wondering what it was that had possessed him to bring up both Aiden and Lindsay in as many minutes. He frowned. Come to think of it, why wasn’t it producing the reaction he desired. He sighed again. It seemed Taylor was a very understanding girlfriend.
She couldn’t even look at him when she got in the car. As far as Taylor was concerned, she had interrupted him when he was getting very personal with a lady friend, and she was still mortified. She was about to launch into a tirade of apologies but he stopped her before she could open her mouth.
“Don’t apologise,” he told her, firmly. “I was only sleeping, and in all fairness, if I didn’t want to be disturbed, I would have turned my phone off.”
Taylor’s complexion was still flushed. “I didn’t even know you had a girlfriend, Flack. I really am sorry.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he told her quickly. Perhaps a little too quickly. “No, I didn’t mean that,” he groaned after one look at Taylor’s startled face.
Taylor shook her head, “I’m not going to judge, Flack. How you spend your personal time is your business.”
Flack wanted to bang his head repeatedly against the steering wheel. He figured the best course of action would be just to remain silent until he could persuade his brain to come up with something to get him out of this incredibly deep hole he was digging himself.
Taylor was thankful for the silence. Despite what Flack said, she couldn’t shake the embarrassment. It wasn’t until they pulled into the hospital parking lot and she noticed Flack staring intently at the back of the head of a woman climbing into a car that she spoke, breaking the silence. “Somebody you know?”
Flack frowned, “I’m not sure.”
He parked up and the two of them headed up to Louie’s room, where Danny was sitting by his bed, a broad grin across his face, a sleeping Louie next to him.
Flack made his way to the chairs opposite, whilst Taylor went straight over to Danny and gave him a hug. “When did he wake up?” Taylor asked him quietly, so as not to disturb the sleeping Messer.
Flack sighed. Why was he so bothered about Taylor thinking he had a girlfriend when she was seeing Messer anyway?
“Not long before I called you.” He laughed. “Thirty four days in a coma, and he goes straight back to sleep.”
“Hey, Messer?”
“Wassup, Flack?” Danny asked him cheerfully.
“Did I see Aiden walk outta here?”
Danny nodded. “Yeah, she’s been a few times over the last month. Mom called her and she turned up, complete with a pizza with extra pepperoni. Says she’s going to arrange it so we meet up and she’s gonna cook, when we both have a free night.”
Taylor looked at the grin on his face – whoever this Aiden was, she was certainly a good friend, although, if she remembered correctly, when Mrs Messer had mentioned her, Danny had denied dating her. Not that it was important.
“Have you called Lindsay?” Flack asked him.
Danny shook his head, “She’s at work. And she doesn’t need to be brought further into the mess which is my life.”
Taylor sighed. “There are some things you have no choice over, and I’m sorry to tell you this, Messer, but I think it’s already too late,” Taylor told him.
Danny just looked at her and sighed.
Flack looked between the two of them wondering what exactly the two were talking about, and then wondering what it was that had possessed him to bring up both Aiden and Lindsay in as many minutes. He frowned. Come to think of it, why wasn’t it producing the reaction he desired. He sighed again. It seemed Taylor was a very understanding girlfriend.
Originally posted 01/07/2006