lunch date [log]

“Hi.” That grin was slightly crooked before blue eyes dropped to quickly and casually give her a once over. “You look nice today. Got a hot date or somethin’?” He was acting a little brazen today, wasn’t he? It seemed so out of the blue considering he felt sluggish and bored out of his mind just a short while ago. James finally pushed off from the wall yet was slow to lead her away from the conference room. “You can stay, you know. I don’t mind.” She had clearly been enjoying it, and it was for her career- he certainly wasn’t going to throw a fit.

Alright, maybe a tiny one internally, but he understood. He was waiting for his own to pull him away at any second. Perhaps that was why he was anxious.

Lina was beginning to giggle again, as James tried not to laugh and his large grin just making everything worse. That is until he moved her to the wall, and put his hand on it up by her head. The giggles died off and were replaced with a look of amusement, and...something else, she didn’t know.

His smile turning more crooked did something to her heart, and it felt like it had skipped a beat. She watched his eyes give her a once over, and she tilted her head slightly to the side. “Apparently with an agent.” She replied, a small smile on her face as she arched her eyebrows slightly at him. When he pushed off the wall and they began to slowly walk away from the conference room, she didn’t even look behind her. It was James time now, not seminar time.

“I do.” She said glancing up at him as she adjusted her bag strap. “They’ll be others.” She waved her hand dismissively. “The unicorn demanded it, I can’t tell it no.” She said as if going against the unicorn’s wishes would be something she’d regret. In reality? I want to be here. With you. Were the words she probably would have said if she was more bold and daring.

For whatever reason her hand gave his a small squeeze and she looked forward so as not to look at him. Knowing if she did, she’d probably turn into a puddle on the ground. “Besides, I’m starving.” She said matter of factly.

Barely turning his head, his grin was almost sly as they walked; bright blues shifted sideways to find her profile. ‘Apparently with an agent.’ Oh, if only she knew. Jay didn’t react any further; his tongue pressing to the back of his teeth to avoid biting it.

Well, he wasn’t going to argue with her. If she didn’t want to go back, that was all he needed to hear. ‘They’ll be others,’ she said. And this might be the last and only time he’d be able to spend with her. James was aware his time was limited, even if he didn’t know how limited, but he always knew they would go separate ways whether now or when she left in a couple of days. It was inevitable. It was always inevitable with him, which is why he rarely tried. This just happened to be a rare occasion. She helped him forget what darkness was awaiting him when he received his next job from ACIS.

Laughing again over the unicorn comment, it wasn’t a long walk to the restaurant within the hotel. Of course, it was nothing fancy, but as nicely as she was dressed...he wasn’t. That, and this was just lunch. He didn’t think he- or even she- was brazen enough to call it anything more than that. Even if he was totally okay with all this hand-holding. It was weird, but also...just not.

Once they were seated, he thanked the hostess before glancing over the menu. “I don’t see corndogs on this thing…” he mused out loud. He should probably stick to something simple today. Maybe something healthy. “So, I never asked-” Those eyes drifted back up to her face. “What kind of doctor are you?” General practitioner? Pediatrician, surgeon...gynecologist?

Once they were in the restaurant, Lina sat across from James at the table. Thanking the hostess as well, before she looked down, skimming the menu and already knowing what she wanted. She was a simple girl, and perfectly fine with simple things. She also knew what she liked and didn’t like.

She glanced up and smirked when James said they didn’t have corn dogs. “We might have to go back to the pier if you want that.” She said amused. She leaned back in her seat, resting her hands in her lap. At James’s question her eyes lit up, and she wiggled a bit to get more comfortable. “I guess you could call it emergency medicine? I used to work on call in an ER, but after my divorce I took a job running a small clinic back home. Aside from my assistant it’s just me, so I do everything. Check ups, evaluations, if one of the fishing guys have an accident on a boat I patch them up as best I can before they’re transported to the bigger city.” She explained.

“There’s a small hospital in the town I live in but they’re not equipped for the bigger things, and my clinic is more on the edge of town and more near the harbor. So I get a lot of drunken sailors and crabby old men with arthritis.” As Lina talked she gestured a lot with her hands, getting a bit more animated in her movements. She didn’t realize how much she was talking until she had delved into the story of the twelve-year-old who’d been walking where he shouldn’t and had ended up with a fishing hook in his cheek and she’d had to remove it.

The waitress coming back asking what they wanted was what made Lina realize how much she’d rambled and for a moment she felt guilty that she was the only one speaking. He’d probably wanted to talk about something else than hear stories about stupid kids who’d gotten fish hooks in their cheeks. When the waitress glanced at her to take her order she, Lina smiled at her. “Chicken strips, side of fries, BBQ sauce, aaaaand a lemonade please.” She rattled off. There was something about chicken strips and it being a comfort food for her. It was something she’d always ordered as a kid when her mom could sneak her and Marie out for a good dinner.

“Alright enough about my job, what about yours? Any idea how much longer they’re keeping you here for?” She asked curiously.

Well now. That was the most she spoke at once without much break. James was slowly lowering the menu when it became clear it was going to be a bit of a long-winded answer...but he didn’t seem to mind. Instead of mulling over what to eat, he was a bit more interested in this life she seemed to lead. She had her own clinic in some small town somewhere near the harbor, and it sounded wonderfully simple. It sounded easy and perfect. Well, except for the emergencies, that is. No, that wasn’t easy, he imagined. And she saved people...

Also, she was divorced. The “ex” she had mentioned briefly last night had been a husband, he now assumed, and he realized he was wanting to prod about it. No, it wasn’t his place, he had no right to know. This was just a nice, casual lunch. James leaned back in his seat, watching her and her animated hands, a small smirk on his face. Her life sounded exciting and yet normal. Sometimes, he never thought that could even be possible. But here Lina was, proving it with every word and exaggerated motion of her hands.

They were politely interrupted by the waitress, and he’d speak up after Helina had gone, “Uh, just a water and the steak salad with balsamic. Thanks.” He was going to be hungry again later, he knew it. Once the woman stepped away, he was giving Lina his undivided attention again, the topic of conversation being shifted back to him which wasn’t really a topic he liked. “I really have no idea,” he answered, masking the annoyance from his voice. He still hadn’t heard a word about whatever this damn job was, and it was frustrating.

As if thinking he may have missed that message, he fished his phone out of his pocket to check it real quick. Nothing. And as quickly as that, he shut the screen off to set it aside on the table. “If I were to guess, probably another week.” They normally didn’t want him lingering in the same place for too long. And it had already been a week.

The smirk was returning as he looked back to her. “So, the kid with the-” Jay made a hook with his finger. “That hasn’t been the most...gruesome thing you’ve had to deal with, hm?” Was he actually asking her for a gorey story? His curiosity was strangely piqued, it would seem. Or maybe his social skills were getting way worse. She didn’t have to answer, though, and he was already chuckling lowly at himself for even asking it. “You enjoy it, though, yeah?”

Lina watched James as he answered. Another week? She supposed if he was working it wouldn’t be that bad, but if they didn’t have anything for him to do she imagined he’d be bored out of his gourd. She grimaced at the thought. “Hopefully it won’t be that bad.” She said, trying to be optimistic. Tomorrow was her last day before she’d be flying home on the next one. The thought actually made her sad. To leave San Diego and James. Which was ridiculous because she barely knew him. But for whatever reason there was a part of her that knew him. She couldn’t explain it. Didn’t know what it was, but she knew she’d be sad when she’d have to board that plane.

Her attention was brought back to the present, and that smirk that gave her. She found herself laughing and shaking her head. “Ooooh no. When I worked in the ER we had everything from gunshots, drug overdoses- though they’re rare, Alcohol poisoning, hunting and fishing accidents, you name it.” She said. Alaska was a lawless state despite what the rest of the country thought. Up there you had to be careful, not only because of the wildlife but because of some of the people too.

“I think the most gruesome thing that my clinic saw was a guy who came in after accidentally stepping in a hunting trap out on a hike. His buddy had to carry him in, he nearly lost his foot.” She said. It had certainly been gruesome. “The friend managed to tunicate his leg before he carried him in, which was probably what saved his foot. I had the fun job of trying to remove the still attached trap from his ankle.” She winced just remembering that day. The poor guy had nearly fainted once she got it removed and saw how bad his ankle was. Lina had to steri strip the large gashes he had and make it he’d at least be okay enough for an ambulance ride to the city, but the guy had bled like a stuck pig. It’d taken her hours to get it cleaned up.

She was doing it again, she realized. Lina gave him a sheepish smile before she reached up and scratched her cheek lightly. “I like helping people. Fixing them up.” She said. She’d helped patch her mother up more times then she could count. From an early age Lina knew she wanted to be a doctor. To help fix other people’s hurts. It was something she did enjoy, and gave her her own spike of adrenaline sometimes. Sometimes she needed that race against the clock to remind her she was still alive. That she was still breathing. “It can be rewarding, but also really hard.” She sighed. Thinking about the people that couldn’t be saved back when she lived in Anchorage. “I’ve lost a few people, which isn’t something that’s easy to deal with. Buuuuut you gotta move on.” She shrugged her shoulders a bit. “Aaaaand I’m talking to much again, I’ll keep going if you let me.” She chuckled a bit. “Tell me about you.”

It was always bad, he nearly said. Yet, he couldn’t stop. It was like, the moment he had a job, he was programmed to just...do it, and never question it. He didn’t stop until it was finished. He didn’t think about anything more than the mission until the chaos had subsided and he was left in silence with his own thoughts.

Left in the darkness and memory of what he had done. Wondering if he had done the right thing.

Yet, as she began to talk again, he wasn’t thinking about his own darkness. He was thinking of all the darkness she seemed to fix and brighten, all the good she’s seemingly done. Clearly, he did not mind her rambling on like this- in fact, he had asked for it again; not once appearing as though he was bored. Even as crazy or gruesome as it all sounded, he didn’t mind it at all. “I like listenin’ to how you like helpin’ people,” he said without batting an eye. In other words, I just like listenin’ to you talk. The corner of his mouth twitched, as though he were going to smirk again, but the idea lingered more in his eyes than anything else this time.

At the mention of losing people, his face sobered even more, and he’d nod. “No...it never gets any easier.” He wished he didn’t know what that felt like, but he did. In more ways than one. His eyes subtly drifted back down to his phone and its dark screen before they glanced down at his hands that were loosely folded on the table in front of him. It’s just never easy, and yet he kept doing it.

Why was he falling into this black hole right now? He was normally better put together than this, especially when he wasn’t alone.

‘Tell me about you.’ Bright eyes blinked and looked up to her. James backtracked a little, offering a small smile, “I don’t mind that you talk. I don’t have much to say myself.” Besides his secret job, what did he really have to speak about? “I mean...I always travel, but it’s always for work, haven’t been home in a few years…” He was trailing off when the waitress stopped by to give them their drinks, only continuing once she stepped away. “I’m, uh...a really borin’ person.” Oh, yes, what a way to sell yerself, mate. Not that he really was trying to make much of an impression, seeing as how she was leaving in a couple days. Well, he was making it easier to forget him all of a sudden!

Rolling his eyes at himself, his grin was embarrassed as he ran a hand down the side of his face. “Sorry ‘bout that. I think the lack of sleep is creepin’ up on me. But seriously, I work in construction.” He gave her an amused yet pointed look as if asking what was so glamorous about that. “I do get to go up reeeeeally high in buildings and wear a fancy hat, though.” Well, at least he was laughing at that now.

Lina began to turn a bit red when he said he liked hearing her talk. Nooooo, he was just being nice. No one liked hearing her talk. Okay maybe Elliot and Marie, but- She averted her eyes to fiddle with the silverware to her right. “No...it never gets any easier.” That caught her attention. She raised her eyes to look at the somber look on his face for a brief moment, and she watched as he glanced at his phone. Curious… For a moment Lina wondered if James understood loss. What it was like to have someone’s life in your literal hands. How watching someone die could really screw you up. Especially if they had had a similarity or reminded you of someone else. But...He worked in constr- Marine. He’d been a Marine. Of course, he knew what it was like then. Of course, it never got easier.

She smiled encouragingly at him at as he gave her a small smile. She listened to him this time, and smiled at the waitress as she delivered their drinks. She took her lemonade and took a sip, her eyes never leaving his. “Pfffft, James Bishop you are not boring.” She told him. Not believing that at all. A boring person wouldn’t have dragged a stranger to a carnival last night. She watched him as he grew embarrassed, and noted how adorable he looked rolling his eyes and running his hand down his face. She stopped herself just in time from blurting it out and she tilted her head to the side slightly. Taking another sip of her lemonade before she set it down. “Work stressing you out? Or mind won’t shut off?” She asked. Lina felt herself slipping into doctor mode. Not liking the fact he apparently wasn’t getting enough sleep. It could be a number of things though. “Have you tried melatonin? Bendryl works too, it’s an antihistamine. Makes you drowsy and might help.” She suggested. “There’s also the girly way of relaxation like taking a bubble bath with warm water, and burning a lavender candle. Helps you relax.” She found herself grinning wide, but she did want to help him if she could. “Sorry, entered doctor mode there for a second.” She laughed.

“Hey, you get to look at a building and go ‘I helped make that’,” She said, giving him a pointed look back. “And that’s pretty impressive, not boring.” She told him. “The cool hat is only a bonus.” She smirked.

Truly, he didn’t know what had come over him. He hadn’t let that mask slip once all last night, why did it suddenly happen now? Maybe the stress really was getting to him, and it might not go away until he received word from ACIS.

Then, it would either get better or worse. Only time would tell...he kind of hated waiting.

He can do better than this, and he really didn’t need her asking questions. “Eh, it’s a bit of both, honestly.” Oh yes, work was definitely stressful. He was lucky if he managed to get four hours of sleep. He had been so used to the routine as a Marine, and then it never left him. He was up early no matter what, then laid in bed for hours until he could sleep. That probably wasn’t very healthy. Fortunately, her going into doctor mode only made things more amusing and he was forgetting most of this almost immediately.

James paused after he took a sip of water, looking at her with a shocked look on his face after she mentioned the bubble bath. “Oh, it’s…girly to do that? I’ve been doing that for yeeeears.” The amusement over his own words was mostly shielded by the glass as he lifted it back to his lips.

For the record- no, he’s never taken a bubble bath in his entire life.

He relented, nodding when she continued to talk again and he placed his glass back down. “Sure, I suppose. The yellow hard hat is verra fetchin’. I think blue is more my color, though.” Jay leaned back in his seat again, shrugging a shoulder as he decided to try and change the subject slightly. “So, when yer not savin’ people’s feet or pullin’ hooks outta faces...or gettin’ lost in mirror mazes with a Scot-” He paused to finally offer that smirk again. “What does the good doctor enjoy doin’ in her free time?”

Lina began to laugh, “I’m serious! Bubble bath magic!” She said. She was glad to see his smile was returning more, if she didn’t know any better, there was something wrong. But she wasn’t going to pry. “I agree, it brings out your eyes even more.” She admitted, smiling as she took another sip of her lemonade. She took her glasses and pulled them on top of her head.

She set the lemonade down and pulled out the spoon from the rolled napkin, and began to push around the chunks of ice in the glass, mixing it slowly. She watched it for a second before she answered his question. A smile was already growing on her face. “Spending it on or near the ocean.” She sighed. “I go with my uncle fishing a lot on his boat. Whale watching. We get a lot of whales up north, humpbacks, blues, Orcas sometimes. They’re beautiful.” She said. She continued to spin the ice slowly with the spoon, watching it go round and round, as if it was putting her in a trance. “I go hiking a lot, we have a cabin that’s pretty much off the grid that we go to a lot in the summer. You have to get to it by boat, and we built it ourselves. It was our first project we worked on together when Mari and I came to live with my uncle.” She remembered the summer fondly. They’d put what supplies they’d needed on Uncle’s large fishing boat, and hauled it off the land he owned that was about an hour away by boat. It was secluded, away from people, and had a view of the Alaskan wilderness that was breathtaking. It’s taken them a whole summer and then some, but it had felt pretty damn good at the age of 14 to say you helped build a cabin and had something to show for it.

“I read poetry, like… The motivational, about life kind. Not old sonnets or things like that. Mostly they’re quotes.” She made a face. “I dunno, I find them soothing. Relaxing. One book actually helped me get through my divorce.” She sighed, thinking about it, and scrunched her nose. “It was the most painful type of loss. You. Slowly melting away. Making sure you burnt every last piece of my heart.” She quoted one particular one she’d read right after she decided to divorce Steven. “And then there’s some really funny ones.” She smirked, before her eyes lifted up to look at James. “be a unicorn. not a twatopotamus.” She began to giggle, thinking about their all-seeing little friend. She sighed, and dipped the spoon into the lemonade to stir it. “Other than that, I’m pretty...boring.” It was her turn to give him a pointed look.

There was always something wrong, he just often hid it very well. He was trained to hide it, to act like everything was fine even when it wasn’t. Just every now and then, that mask would slip. Perhaps he was still a bit human after all. Not to say anything he said or did during their little adventure at the pier was fake. That was perhaps the most normal he felt in awhile. Even now despite feeling the confusion and cloudiness washing over him briefly. James hadn’t lied to her...just hadn’t told her everything, of course.

He shook his head, the amusement still clear on his face. “Oh, I’m sure that it is…magic...” But he didn’t sound very convinced. “Sorry, but...I’ll never be takin’ a bath with...bubbles. Ever. I don’t even take baths. Showers are quick and easy.” Baths were supposed to be relaxing, but Jay didn’t really know how to relax sometimes. And what do you do, just sit there? Think about your life’s decisions? Probably not a good idea for him.

He was much more interested in listening to her than thinking about bubbles, and slowly leaned forward again on the table; arms casually folded in front of him. While she spoke of what she liked to do in her free time, he was busying himself with trying to figure out whether he liked her more in those glasses or not. That wasn’t a thought he was going to say out loud, however. His eyes squinted softly with his smile at the mention of the whales, a cabin she had helped build with her uncle and sister (and that sounded like the perfect place to just run away to and hide)...but the poetry had him pause. He nearly laughed, but it wasn’t because he would be laughing at her. James did chuckle a bit when she made that face- was she embarrassed of this? It was endearing, sweet even, but the reason for her getting into it clearly was not. Lina mentioned the divorce again.

The light smile was beginning to disappear from his face again. That is, until she quoted another one and it caused him to suddenly laugh. Naturally, it had to be one with a unicorn. “I like that one.” The All-Seeing One would approve. James was already watching her when she gave him that pointed look, and he was ready to argue it before he remembered that he would just be arguing against himself. He couldn’t use last night as a way to prove she wasn’t boring, so maybe he’d just prove they were both, in a sense, literary nerds? Sad saps?

Lips pressed together in thought and he very subtly shook his head as if telling himself he was being an idiot before he could even say anything. His expression sobered and his attention drifted to his hands again. There was a long pause.

“I desire you.” His voice had dropped to a deep whisper, and he purposely paused there for effect. Only for a few seconds before he continued, the words coming back to him. “I write...to you. I write for you. I tear up everythin' I ever wrote for you or about you.” Those bright blues finally rose back up to her face and settled there, studying her for a moment more. “All I can say is that I want...I want you, Roxanne.”

The heat was rising in his face, he could feel it in his cheeks before he finally lowered his head and chuckled quietly. “I like plays. Whether just readin’ them or, when I had the time, actually goin’ to see them.”


She froze. Her eyes went slightly wide by surprise. What? Throw in a Scottish accent, spoken in a whisper, and those words, and it was a concoction of mixed emotions. Mostly, Lina was suddenly terrified at what the emotions were that she was suddenly feeling. James’s voice was deep, and when whispered like that it took on a husky tone. She was frozen in place, and she felt a warmth sweep through her body as if she’d just been covered in a weighted blanket. He had her full attention. Her stirring had stopped and she looked only at James. The rest of the world no longer existed. Only him, and what he was saying.

Lina locked eyes with him when his blues glanced up to look at her. She’d long ago mastered a blank face, a guarded face she should say, but her eyes gave her away and they were a hurricane of different emotions. At first, it had been surprise, then confusion, then something else that she didn’t have the words for. But whether he’d realized it or not, James had cast a spell on her, and she felt very, very warm. She was sure she had flushed cheeks at that moment. Did the unicorn tell him to do it?

She saw his face turning red and the chuckle as he laughed quietly. It was what broke the spell, otherwise, she probably would have continued to stare at him. She blinked a few times, a bit surprised and the noises of the restaurant came flooding back to her. “Plays huh?” She asked. “Which one is your favorite?” She asked curiously. Folding her arms and mirroring how he was sitting. She gave a slight tilt to her head, as a coy smile appeared on her face. “More importantly, how do you feel about musicals?” She asked.

He wasn't really sure what came over him then, and why he felt a bit embarrassed, but he had been compelled to. And, strangely enough, those were the first words to come to his head. Maybe because he hadn't known what to say. Cyrano, with all his perfect prose, hadn't either at first. Was that supposed to be ironic?

Perhaps it was a good thing he broke the spell. He was losing himself in that fog again, drifting out to sea and never wanting to return. Yet, Jay would be lying if he said he didn't like that mixture of emotion in those large, brown eyes. And that he seemed to have caused it.

When she spoke again, he was looking back up to her, the amusement a lot softer on his face. "Perhaps Macbeth. Or, well-" He paused, gesturing at nothing in particular but referencing the words he just quoted. "Cyrano." A finger tapped his nose, maybe insinuating he had a nose as big as the character's. "It's...sad. This gifted soldier and duelist who loves poetry and has a way with words, doubts himself and is too afraid to express his love for a woman." And, ultimately, he dies in her arms with her mourning him. Tragic, and probably why he liked it.

"Musicals?" he echoed. The waitress was finally bringing out their food and he'd quietly thank her. "Can't say that I've sat through any without fallin' asleep." He grinned. At least he was being honest. James also hadn't tried to watch too many to begin with. "But, maybe I just haven't watched the right one."

Lina watched James with new interest, not pegging him to have any interest in anything theatre related. Dare she think he was possibly one of those men who didn’t like literature and preferred his football? Or was interested in more “guy” things? Well, he’d certainly surprised her. And was making her even more interested in him.

“It sounds sad. I’ve always been a big believer on actions speaking louder than words.” Because words were weapons and full of deceit. You couldn’t trust pretty words sometimes, but maybe that was just her being cynical. She found herself smiling and she thanked the waitress before she picked up a French Fry and dipped it in her BBQ sauce. “I mostly like the musicals for the songs. Footloose the musical is pretty entertaining. Even if Kevin Bacon isn’t in it.” She chuckled before nibbling on the fry. “It’s got some good ones that are fun to sing along too. Same with Cats.” She admitted. There was one song in Cats that always tended to make her cry or tear up, depending on how much emotion was used to sing it.

Oh, those fries looked good. So did the streak strips on his salad, because he was trying to be good, but...damn, was he regretting it now. After last night, he was going to have a constant craving for fries now, wasn’t he? He was pouring the balsamic when his eyes flickered back up to her for a moment. Actions could speak louder than words, this was true. Sometimes it was easier to express oneself that way, at least it’s how he felt. Especially with the eyes, and hers had been very full of emotion just moments ago.

With knife and fork in hand, he paused in the middle of cutting a piece of steak to look at her again. “Oh no...the furry musical?” he asked in mild amusement. “That’s what they call them, right? Furries?” He was chuckling at that but said nothing more. He was certain that musical wouldn’t suit his tastes, but it was only because he enjoyed his old, depressing plays. “So, yer one of those girls, aren’t ya?” His tone was light and clearly teasing, but there was a glint of curiosity in those blues. “Those dancin’ movies givin’ you thoughts ‘bout some...shirtless guy with a ten pack liftin’ you off the dance floor above his head.” Oh yes, he’s seen Dirty Dancing.

Lina nearly choked on her fry at James’s comment, and began to laugh. “They’re not furries!” She said defensively. “And yes that’s what they’re called, but you should google an actual furry. In the Musical it was stage makeup and leotards thank you.” She pointed a fry at him and arched an eyebrow before she bit into it defiantly.

Her eyebrow just rose higher as he insinuated that she was one of the girls. She picked up a chicken strip without breaking eye contact with him. If by one of those girls he meant the kind that enjoyed a good chick flick and wishing she had her own knight in shining armor, and who enjoyed bubble baths along with a good glass of wine and lit candles, then most certainly yes. She liked to pretend that she was the heroine in the movie and that she got her happily ever after, because real life had given Lina the biggest fuck you she was sure she’d ever recieve when it came to romance. Steven had nearly sworn her off men, and she’d focused on building herself up. But it didn't mean she still didn’t think about the horrible things he’d told her and the belief that she wasn’t going to be good enough for anyone. She was apparently only meant for the abusers and liars, and for a time, she thought she deserved it. There was something about her that made her only worthy for the trash. She knew it was a load of bullshit, but her track record for decent guys was not the greatest. In fact, Lina kept wondering if she was in some dream, and that James was a figment of her imagination. He wasn’t real. He couldn’t be. She’d finally lost her marbles, that’s what this all was, or he didn’t see her as anything more than a friend. And she was okay with that. She expected it.

Her face looked like she was unamused, but on the contrary there was mirth in her eyes and she was trying very hard not to laugh. “Your goddamn right I am.” She said lowly. Dunking her chicken strip in her BBQ sauce, she couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on her face. “Swayze certainly knew what he was doing.” She said as she took a bite. She chewed thoughtfully for a moment, and then decided to just say what was on her mind. “You should take some notes and try it. The girls go bonkers over something like that and-” She set her strip down to bring her lemonade up so she could take a sip, her smirk only widening as she hid behind the glass. “It might get you laid more often.” She said with as straight a face as she could muster while she sucked on her teeth and picked her chicken strip back up.

"They are furries!" he declared quietly in argument, laughing at the very word itself. "It's weird and creepy, and just-" He shook his head as he took a bite, dismissing the thought. In all honesty, he'd never seen the musical or any kind of rendition of it, but that was because it did kind of freak him out. Grown adults waltzing around acting like cats? He didn't get it. But he wasn't going to harp on it any more since she appeared to enjoy it. She liked furries- so what? James was still laughing about it.

'You're goddamn right I am.' That brought the smirk back as he looked at her. He figured that was the case, and he wasn't mocking her for it like he had for the musicals. There was nothing wrong with fantasizing, he supposed, especially when your real life was complete shit. Did he imagine some meet-cute, or rescuing some woman from a bunch of gun-wielding scumbags? Sure. But that didn't mean it was actually going to happen, or that it would even stick. After all, he was a professional liar. He wasn't allowed to have that kind of life and retain his job. A job that was currently pissing him off.

His attention didn't drift to his phone, although he thought about it. It remained on Lina as he quietly ate and she was trying to put him in place. "Aye, the whole-" That accent drifted away again into an American one like it was second nature, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." James mulled it over for a second before she was talking again, and it was a good thing he hadn't taken another bite because he might have choked. Blues widened, looking to her rather serious face. She managed to stun him into silence for a good long moment, and he was torn about whether to laugh or not.

Well, damn. How do you give a comeback to that?

Brows rose in his surprise, pointing his fork in her direction. "Low blow, Lina. Low blow..." It was clear that he wasn't offended. "How would you even know, hm? You’ve got a radar for that sorta thing?" Or maybe it was just horribly and embarrassingly obvious? Most likely, and he wasn't going to argue it just to make it all the more worse for him. And because she dealt a low blow, he was going to attempt to get back at her.

"So, it would work on you?" Blues were slow to lift back up to her face, and he dared to throw that lopsided grin at her.

Had she roasted him? Maybe. If she was being honest, she hadn’t intended to. She was trying to help! She didn’t know how often James actually partook in those times of extracurricular activities. She was merely saying, he could probably get even more if he took a few notes from Swayze’s book.

She hadn’t said anything else after, just let him process what she said while she finished her chicken strip and was moving onto the next. Glancing up at him periodically with a look of innocence that said “I didn’t say anything.” The look of surprise on his face however made her face crack and a small smile appeared on her face while she picked up a french fry. She began to chuckle as she shook her head. “No, but you just outed yourself.” She laughed. She leaned in and pointed her french fry at him. “I said more often. I don’t know your sleeping habits or what the normal amount for James is. I’m just saying doing something like that is hot, and it’s a sure-fire way to get a lady hot and bothered.” She turned her hand and put the french fry in her mouth and chewed on it, preparing herself for what he threw back at her.

She was not prepared, but she should have expected it. Her chewing slowed and she narrowed her eyes at him. Seeing that lopsided grin she tried to keep a lopsided grin. She was a doctor and there were certain things she’d learned quite quickly you shouldn’t get embarrassed over. Sex was one of them. “Maybe.” She said, not breaking her eye contact as she stared down those blues of his. She arched an eyebrow slightly at him and turned her head slightly. “Haven’t met someone with the balls enough to listen to Swayze yet.” She said, picking up another fry as she adjusted herself in her seat before she took another sip of her drink.

He "partook" in those extracurricular activities far less than he'd be willing to admit, which was precisely why he didn't say anything even as she called him out on it. Intentionally or not, but he'd already backed himself into a corner...and James didn't do well when he was cornered. That innocent look earned her a playful narrowing of his eyes...because she knew exactly what she had said and done.

Touche', Houston. Touche'. He almost stole the french fry right from her fingers, too.

Even when he tried throwing it back at her, she wasn't relenting. In fact, she was upping the stakes. And he was fairly certain she didn't want to do that. Not with him, because James Bishop rarely let things slide, especially if it was a challenge. And this was, most definitely, one. In some form or another. Maybe.

He was biting the inside of his lip, knowing he should simply let it go. His attention moved from her amused face to his phone once more for a second, its screen still black. James was anxious again, but he kind of wasn't sure if it was entirely work or not this time. That wasn't a good thing, he knew, but it was hard to ignore it. Especially now.

Hot and bothered were words that were very difficult to ignore. And the woman was not backing down. He couldn't stop grinning, finding this fact about her that much more intriguing while remembering who he was, what he was, and what was waiting for him. He had to stop. "Aye, yer right. You haven't-" Reaching for his water, he paused. "Yet." His voice had dropped to that low octave again and he finally broke eye contact as he took a sip.

James, that's not letting this go, mate. Just let it go.

As if this conversation hadn't happened, he spoke again as though they had just been speaking of the weather. "So how long does this seminar of yers last?"

Where was all this coming from? Seriously? Though...She supposed she always had it in her, no one had just been willing to push her buttons in such a way, and she’d never wanted to push back as much as she did now. Lina loved a challenge, and James was going to keep upping the stakes, then so was she. Especially if he kept grinning at her like that. She watched him while she ate her french fry. Her eyes narrowing slightly as he said she hadn’t met someone yet. Was he implying something? She almost wanted to ask, but she also didn’t think she was ready to head down that road yet. She was still trying to wrap her head around her current boldness, and why she didn’t feel like an idiot for doing it. “Oh I’m right huh?” she said with a slight raise in her eyebrow while she picked up another french fry, and a coy smile appeared on her face while she studied him with those roguish black eyes of hers. “How do you know I haven’t already met him?” She bit into the french fry while she watched him take his drink and finally pulled her eyes away. She was feeling warm again, and then there was that little voice asking her what the fuck she was doing. She was setting herself up for a big burn, that’s what. Best to change the topic now.

James was already thinking ahead apparently, which was probably for the best. “It varies.” She answered. “Some go for four hours with a ten minute break between. Some are an hour, some are two. All depends on the type of seminar.” She shrugged her shoulders as she picked up her last chicken strip. “The one you graciously saved me from was four hours. So you rescued me from the second half.” She explained. “Probably will be done by the time we get done here.” She pointed with her strip at their food.

And then there was nothing keeping him here anymore, and they could go their merry ways. They’d done as the All-Seeing had predicted. Lunch would be done, James would go off to probably work or something, and she’d head up to her room before she’d go to her last seminar of the day. And then there would be more tequila shots, maybe a trip to a store to get a bath bomb, a good long bath, and then bed. And tomorrow she’d have to pack and get ready and attend her last seminar before she’d be leaving bright and early at an ungodly hour to fly back home. No more James. He’d be just one of the many memories of San Diego. The thought made her sad, but it was inevitable. It was the way it had to be.

It had been so easy. Just like it had been so easy to talk and joke around with her at the bar, the very reason why he dragged her out to begin with. James liked to believe that meant something, and yet he was still holding back. It wasn't fair to her, and perhaps he shouldn't have even asked about lunch. Well, then again, who's to say she didn't just agree because she was bored? That she didn't have anything better to do? It wasn't so much a conceited thought as it was a...what, hopeful one? Since when did any type of thought like this occur to him? And he selfishly wanted to hold onto it even if for only another hour.

James shrugged a single shoulder, amusement flickering across his face again. "Because...I know," he said so matter-of-factly. He paused then, and his brain was telling him to shut the fuck up. Naturally, he wasn't listening. "Because I haven't revealed that side yet." God dammit, dude. Why do you set yerself up for disappointment?

"So, then, you'll be free." It was more of a statement than a question at this point. He got a small hold on his brain then, and he contemplated on just leaving it there. She was leaving in a couple of days. He would be leaving...at some bloody point...and lord knows what kind of job the agency would have for him. Taking a moment to eat more of his lunch, he was really trying to wrangle himself in. Why did he continue this pursuit? Because she was the first pretty face to smile at him?

No, he happened to like this one a wee bit, and that very fact sucked. Good goin', dumbass.

"Not that I want to hog up all yer time or anythin'," he soon added. Meaning, I'd very much like to hog up all yer time then wallow in my self-pity and sadness later on. James Bishop really had a problem with taking orders sometimes, even from his own brain.

Lina was nibbling on her chicken strip and stopped cold turkey as the words left his mouth. Was he going to listen to the Swayze? Her eyes slowly drifted up to his for a moment, and it would be clear he’d knocked her off course a bit. Because well…why would you say something so brave and yet so controversial Lina?! Look at this mess you’ve put yourself in! It hadn’t been a no, or a deflection. Not a gentle let down. No, if Lina’s brain was working again she’d dare think he was flirting, and she had flirted right back. Without realizing it, of course, she’d just said the first things that came to mind. Where was it going to land her? In hot water? In trouble? Being lifted in the air just like how Swayze did it? Hot and sweaty in a bed? Broken-hearted as she had to say goodbye and take a plane home? She was playing with fire and she was going to get burned.

She had no words for him, mostly the slightly shocked look on her face while she regathered her bearings. She had a decision to make. Leave James after lunch and never see him again, or do something that could be incredibly stupid and worth a risk. And the risk could very well leave her crashing and burning in embarrassment. Have fun, Lina. Elliot had told her when she left. Well, she had fun last night. She was continuing to have fun with this lunch even if it felt like someone had turned the temperature up in the room. She supposed it was time to do something stupid.

She still hadn’t answered him and finished her chicken strips and a few more fries while she sat there having an internal war with herself as an idea struck her. She was either going to be a peacock and let herself fly, or she was going to bite the dust. The next few moments would surely decide. She unfolded her napkin to wipe her fingers clean from the grease of the fries, and then wiped her mouth before she took several gulps of her lemonade before setting it down and then she leaned back in her seat, folding her hands on the table. She took a deep breath and then looked at James. “I still have to claim my prize. Loser has to do whatever the winner wants yeah?” She started out slowly. Her face had been blank before but now it was turning into something that might have rivaled the devil.

“You gave me until tonight to say what I wanted before it was null and void.” She reminded him. She shifted again in her seat, crossing her ankles under her chair. She made sure to look James in the eye so there would be no misunderstanding as to what she wanted, and that mischievous smile of hers only grew. “I want you….” It was her turn for her voice to drop several octaves as she spoke quietly. “To hog up all my time. You have until midnight, when the last hand strikes twelve.” The smile faded more into a smirk. “To be stuck with me.”

Oh. Did he just make her speechless, finally? Was that shock on her face? Well, his expression clearly showed that he was rather proud of himself for bringing that silent, dumbfounded look to her features, and the returning smirk proved it further. Whether he actually intended to try anything or not, the insinuation had been enough to stop her in her tracks after minutes of back and forth and her tending to get the upper hand.

No, that wasn’t allowed. He always had to have the upper hand, and now he had a secret weapon. If he was foolish enough to wield it, that is.

Lina hadn’t said anything for quite a long time, so he was beginning to tell himself that they were going to simply say goodbye after lunch and that was that. She would go back to her seminars and he...to wherever. And that was fine. She was doing something that his stubborn brain refused to. It was good.

Finishing up his lunch, he paused mid-chew when she finally spoke. James was prepared for her to say that she should really get back to the seminar, do her “doctorly things” and put him down easily. It would have been easier. But she was saying something else, and it made him stop. ‘I still have to claim my prize. Loser has to do whatever the winner wants yeah?’ Right, he’d nearly forgotten about that.

Done with that last bite, he wiped his mouth with the napkin before picking up his water, watching her in quiet suspicion the entire time. “Aye,” he began, placing the cup down after a couple of sups. “I suppose.” Was he digging himself into a hole here now? He was trying to figure that out while that mischievous- no, maybe it was evil- look washed over her. His eyes didn’t stray from hers, unable to help that feeling of some sort of dread as she purposely dragged this out. Lina was throwing out her hook and bait, and he was about to be snagged.

And there it was. She was using his own trick against him...and, unfortunately, it was working. Far too well, and more than he’d like to admit. It was easy when she spoke like that, and James was struggling with whether or not to smile, whether to give in as quickly as he actually wanted to. Pushing his plate aside, arms crossed upon the table so that he could lean forward slowly. “So you...want me...to entertain you until midnight.” Just clarifying. James then feigned a soft cringe, letting his blues wander around them before finally settling back on her face. “That seems a bit steep.” Pretending to think about it, his head canted off to the side while he studied her, the smile creeping back to his lips. “Alright then.” He hadn’t the slightest idea as to what to even do, but maybe that was the whole point. Adventure, and all that. Or maybe the real question was: What would Swayze do?

She’d made a terrible mistake. A terrible terrible terrible mistake that was now about to cost her. Cost her what? A hurt pride and ego? That was it, but there was a part of her that felt like a rejection from James was gonna hurt a lot more than just some disappointment. Lina nodded her head for his clarification. Her heart was beginning to race in anticipation, and she found her breath quickening. Don’t fidget, don’t fidget, don’t- She felt herself beginning to twiddle her thumbs and forced herself to stop.

“That seems a bit steep.” Dammnit Lina what did you do! You asked too much! He doesn’t want to hang out with you that long. In all honesty, she figured she’d let him go way before that. Maybe she should have said nine or ten. That seemed like the easier choice, but for whatever reason she had tried to be funny. She was making her own fairy tale out of today, that’s what she was doing. Once midnight hit, she’d turn back into a pumpkin, and return to Alaska with no prince charming. She parted her lips to say he could leave sooner if he needed too, but she had the feeling this was where it was coming. The let down.

She closed her mouth when she saw him studying her. There was no smile, oh boy. Yeah, here it came. She braced herself for doom, when that smirk of his appeared on his face and he agreed. Blink….blink.... Did she hear right? She almost burst into laughter at that moment, but she was too shocked. She’d been prepared for a no, she didn’t even think about what would happen when he said yes. What did this mean? What did this say about him? Did he actually enjoy spending time with her? Or was he bored and still wanting to kill time? Whatever the reason, he was stuck with her now.

The smile that appeared on her face would have rivaled the sun as it lit up the room. And she nodded her head. “Alright then.” She repeated. Her voice soft as her smile turned coy. As if this had been her plan all along, when that was far from the case.