Path to Elysian

[BeachBum25]

Michael heard the doctor say he was nice and good-looking. "Oh, she actually noticed me as something other than a cop," he thought. That was good because he had definitely noticed her as something other than a doctor. "I guess both of our schedules impact our ability to be involved in a real relationship. No woman I go out with understands why there are days that I cannot go out. If I am working on a Friday night, I can't go out. I realize others work "normal" hours, but I don't. If they cannot accept that in the beginning, I know it isn't going anywhere."

He listened to Dr. Jackson talk about the security in the Emergency Room and that, no matter how good the security was, things were going to happen there. he thought about it and agreed that she was probably right. "I agree that things will happen in the ER, it is important to have people there that know how to diffuse situations when they arise, and if the situation can't be diffused, then they need to know how to find a way of ending it and protecting all of the employees. Of course doctor, employees need to know when they are putting themselves and their co-workers in danger. I watched you do that. Despite saving that man, you risked your own life and several of your co-workers. You could have still saved his life if you had let me go in there first."

He took one last bite of his food. "Damn, I should be the Safety Director for the hospital," he laughed.

He drank his water and watched the doctor finish her meal. He saw the doctor quickly place her card on the check after the waiter brought it. "A peace offering? I thought this was a date," he smiled. "I thought that you asking me about Thompson was just your way of vetting me and trying to figure out if I was dating material. Oh, well, I guess I was wrong to think that a doctor would want to date a cop."

 

[zydrate]

Paige smiled and just shook her head, "If you do become the director and you enforce new rules? You will get an earful from the nurses because believe it or not, they run the place. Not the doctors, not the administrators, its the nurses."

"I know a lot of medical staff, not necessarily doctors, but others who date cops. Some are even married." She signed the ticket and then started to gather both her coat and purse before standing, "As for dating, I am terrible dating material. I've been told many times."

They were outside and the crisp, cold air hit, making Paige gasp. She felt Michael behind her and she turned to face him, "Well, you should get home and get some rest... thank you for coming to talk to me. I didn't mean to make it sound like I was commanding you to come meet me, I just had questions that would have been bugging me."

She held out her hand to him, "And Michael, you can stop calling me doctor."

 

[BeachBum25]

Michael noticed how the doctor had avoided commenting on his joke about this being a date. She did, however, mention that others had told her that she wasn't dating material. That shocked him. Why would anyone say that to such an attractive woman who had an incredible career?

Following Dr. Jackson out of the restaurant, he was shocked by the cold air that hit them as they went through the door. It made him want to get back inside quickly. Suddenly, the doctor turned and faced him. She was in doctor mode again; telling him what he should do for his health.

Standing close to her, Michael looked into her eyes. "Dr. Jackson.... Paige, I just want to tell you that anyone who told you that you are not dating material was either intimidated by you and your profession, or they were just really stupid. Anyone dating you would be very lucky to be in the company of someone so beautiful and so intelligent and dedicated to what they do. I joked inside about this being a date, but the truth be told, I would love to go out with you sometime and not talk about your work, or my head injury or my work. Just go out as two adults who want to have a good time and see if there is more to them."

He had no idea how that would be received by Paige. He was pretty certain she did not expect to hear anything like that, and hearing it now that they were outside in the freezing cold wasn't the perfect setting either, but he had taken a chance.

Her hesitation told Michael to just move on. "Well Paige, thank you for lunch and thank you for once again telling me to take care of myself and go home to get some rest. You take care of yourself. If you need anything from the PD, you know how to get a hold of me."

 

[zydrate]

Did he just ask her out on a date?

Paige was dumbfounded and just stood there, perplexed. Of course, with her hesitation, that probably gave Michael the wrong idea as he walked away, thanking her for lunch.

He was a few feet away when Paige called out, "OK Sergeant! I want something homecooked by you! Doesn't matter if it's breakfast, lunch or dinner... and flowers, don't forget the flowers!" She said before turning, not waiting for his reaction as she walked to her car....

***

By the end of the day, Paige was exhausted as she walked into her temporary place to stay, her grandfather's cabin by the lake, just outside of the city. It was quite a drive, just under 45 minutes but still, it was peaceful. Something she needed after these past hectic few weeks.

As she was airing out the cabin, it was still cold but she would get the gas fireplace going in a few minutes after she put the groceries away.

While she was busy, she thought about what she had said to Michael. She blushed and shook her head, what was wrong with her? She was never bold like that... "Idiot..." she said to herself... he wasn't going to call... or was he...?

 

[BeachBum25]

Michael stopped in his tracks when he heard what the doctor said to him. He turned around and watched as she walked away.

During the drive home, he tried to figure out what had just happened. He knew that the real reason she had invited him to lunch was to question him about Thompson's death and whether he had anything to do with it. He had made a joke about it being a date, and then, suddenly, as they were parting ways, Dr. Jackson called him out on a public street and said that she wanted him to cook her something, and she wanted flowers.

He walked into his apartment and tossed his keys on the counter. He grabbed a glass and poured himself some ice water and sat down. "Okay Dr. Jackson, if you want a home-cooked meal that is what you are going to get, and flowers. Oh, I can do flowers. You just wait and see." He sat there thinking about what he should make. One of his challenges was he did not know anything about the doctor's tastes in food. Was she Vegetarian? Was she Vegan? Maybe she had no restrictions. He had no clue. So he put together a couple of general options, for the time being.

He did not want to seem too anxious, so, he waited until later in the day to call Dr. Jackson. After she picked up the phone and said "hello" Michael let her know who it was, although he realized she already knew that from her Caller ID. "Good evening Dr. Jackson, I am calling to make arrangements for the home cooked meal that you requested. When are you free to dine with me and also, are there any restrictions on what you eat?"

He paused for a second. "Oh yes, and is there a specific type of flower that you like? Also, I guess I should see if there are any flowers you are allergic to." After getting all of that out, he waited for her response. He could feel his heart racing. He almost felt like a teenager asking a girl out for the first time. He really wanted to go out with her, it had been an awkward set of circumstances that finally had brought them to this point.

 

[zydrate]

The cabin was aired out and the gas fireplace was going, warming up the place slowly. She had been in the main bedroom, unpacking several bags of clothes she had had to buy since nothing was salvagable from the fire of her apartment building.

She had gotten some tops and some jeans, also some t-shirts and shorts for bed, her favorite sort of clothing to sleep in.

Paige's mother had called, asking her if she was going to be coming for dinner and Paige told her no, that she would be working on finding a place to live because the drive time from work to the cabin was a lot more than Paige had wanted to deal with right now so, the sooner she found someplace in the city, the better.

In the middle of preparing her own dinner, a burger and baked sweet potato fries, her cellphone sounded. She figured it was her mother calling once more to see if she could get Paige to join her parents for dinner.

Looking at the phone, she saw it was Michael... that surprised Paige... more in the way of maybe something was wrong?

She answered, "Hello...?"

Paige listened to Michael's questions and smiled. She told him that she was free up until Sunday evening, since it was currently Tuesday night. He asked if Thursday was alright and Paige agreed. She let him know she had no restrictions of foods as she glanced over at her burger which was practically dripping with 2 slices of cheese and ketchup.

A specific flower? Wow... no one ever asked her about that before...

"I'm not allergic to any flowers... not that I'm aware of at least... as for favorite? Hmmm..." she thought quickly about it when a flashback of her grandparents and her grandmother's garden, which she loved to plant cosmos, which attracted butterflies to her garden. Paige smiled, "Cosmos," was her answer. So, they time and date were set...

After the call ended, Paige just stood there for a long moment... thinking. She hoped her pushiness didn't make him think he had to ask her out. Of course, that was a fleeing thought. She just smiled to herself and grabbed her dinner, before settling down in front fo the TV to watch a little something while eating dinner. She had done a lot today and knew that as soon as her head hit the pillow, she would be asleep...

 

[BeachBum25]

"Cosmos, what the hell is a Cosmos," he thought to himself. Michael had never heard of it, and, as far as he knew, he had never seen one. Of course, Dr. Jackson couldn't pick something simple like a lily or a rose. Okay, he had some work to do on that end.

"Thursday it is then. How about I pick you up at 6. Of course, I will need to know where I will be picking you up, because of the recent events that took place at your apartment."

****************

After they worked out the details for Thursday night, Michael set out making a plan. When it came to cooking, he was okay with cooking for himself. However, he had never cooked for a woman before, and this was a first date. This could make or break any chance he had of going out with the good doctor in the future.

He wanted to make sure that whatever he made for the doctor was fresh, but he went to the grocery story to get some ideas of what to make for her. He walked around the store, and came up with a few ideas that he liked. Hopefully, the doctor would like what he chose.

His next task was to find out what Cosmos were and where he could get them. The woman at the first flower store had no idea what he was talking about, and had no desire to help him figure out what they were. He had a similar experience at the second flower store. His third stop put him in touch with a woman who was more than happy to help him. Well, she was willing to help him after she laughed a little. She told him Cosmos were something you would plant in your garden, and they would come up every year. She told Michael that he could get them at a Garden Center, or a big box Home Improvement store.

Michael thanked the woman and headed to the garden center of a local big box store. There, he found seeds for Cosmos. Well, he would have to be a miracle worker to get them to grow by Thursday. He looked around and was actually able to find flats of Cosmos that could be planted in a garden instead of using seeds. When he looked at them, he wondered why the flower shops wouldn't have them, they looked like they would be great for cut flowers.

Deciding that he was going to get the flowers here, Michael picked up two flats of Cosmos. He had made a decision that he would place the Cosmos around the apartment on Thursday night. Overkill? Maybe, but he went for it.

***********

On his way home from the store, he got a call from his friend Tommy. Michael figured Tommy was calling because he wanted to get together again. He couldn't have been more wrong. Tommy was calling to let him know that Seamus wanted to talk with him. Seamus was using Tommy to call him to make sure there was nothing tying the two of them together.

Michael drove to Finnegan's Wake and sat down at the bar. The barman told Michael that Seamus was waiting for him. After going into the back room and greeting Seamus and a couple of his friends, several of whom were friends of Michael, Michael sat down across from Seamus. Neither of them said anything for a minute. It was if in the silence Michael was saying thank you and Seamus was saying your are welcome.

Seamus broke the silence. "I need a favor."

 

[zydrate]

Paige insisted that Michael didn't need to pick her up. It was already going to be around 45 minutes out of his way to her lake house. She instead, told him she'd meet him at his place around 7 on Thursday.

After they had ended their call, Paige just sat on the floor in front of the fireplace. She was staring into it and just let her thoughts wonder. Had she been too pushy with Michael earlier that day? She hoped he didn't think he needed to take her out but, it was all over and done and they would be having dinner on Thursday... it was only Tuesday right now so.... her mind started to wonder what she was going to wear...

After a long, relaxing shower, Paige sat on the bed in the guest room. It was technically her room when she would stay here with her grandparents when she was younger. Right now, she didn't feel right sleeping in the master bedroom. She had been scrolling on her phone for a bit, doing a little online shopping. Yes, she was still thinking about what she was going to wear to her dinner date.

*****
The next morning, Paige had gotten dressed and took a walk along the lakeshore. It was early and it was freezing but it was still peaceful. She hadn't taken much time to herself lately... she needed it, that was for sure. Paige wondered what she was going to do about her housing situation. Sure, she was free to stay here but, it was just too far for work, even if she were to be on-call.

Thinking about her old apartment only got her a bit mad. Why did that jerk have to do that to her place? It just baffled her that he had been able to do that all because of something he should have just let go.

Reaching the cabin, Paige made herself a quick breakfast to go, along with some coffee. She was going to go into town and drop in on her parents, let her father know she was doing OK. Maybe she'd look at some apartments or even a condo or two.. she wasn't sure.

She didn't dare tell her mother about her date coming up, her mother would interrogate her like nothing. She'd want to know everything about the guy she was seeing and that was something Paige was ready to face right now. Only because, at the moment, she didn't know too much about Michael... at least not yet.

After she left her parents, she had gone to a few apartments complexes, mostly due to recommendations from the nurses and other doctors.. by the end of the day, she had a pile of pamphlets and her head was literally spinning. She had decided to get some food to go and head back to the cabin.

 

[BeachBum25]

While sitting across from Seamus, Michael was pretty sure that he was going to be asked to repay his debt, at least in part. As Seamus asked him for a favor, he knew that was what was happening. "What is the favor, Seamus?"

Seamus proceeded to embark on a long-winded tale of how he had worked his way up the ranks in his organization and how he had met this cop many years ago, and how that cop began betting money with him. Seamus continued the story, and Michael was tempted to tell him to get to the point. However, he just listened. Seamus had taken care of a problem and Michael had to show him some respect.

As Seamus continued to talk, it became evident that the cop that he was talking about was going to play an important part in the favor that Seamus was going to ask of him. Then it came out. The cop owed Seamus almost $20K.... and the cop was none other than the Chief of Police. Seamus explained the the Chief was not going to pay back the money and threatened to bring the full power of the police department down on Seamus if he didn't stop harassing him for the money.

"Michael, I need dirt. I need something to drop on him that will make his threats stop and will force him to pay me what he owes me." Michael thought about what Seamus was asking of him. Seamus wanted Michael to get dirt on the Chief that Seamus could use to blackmail the Chief. "Seamus, I don't have any dirt on the Chief. I am not in the business of going around and finding stuff like that out, especially when I could lose my job over it.

Seamus reminded Michael of the problem that had been eliminated. Michael nodded his head. "I know, but if there was any dirt to be found, don't you think some of his rivals would have come up with it by now.?"

Seamus just nodded at Michael. Michael knew he was in a bad spot. "I will see what I can find out Seamus. I know that I owe you, so, I will try to find something out." Seamus extended his hand and Michael took it. They shook hands which marked the end of the meeting. Michael walked out of Finnegan's Wake wondering what he got himself into.

***************************************

Thursday was spent preparing for Thursday evening's meal. He wanted it to go well. He had been attracted to the Doctor from early on, but was never sure that the attraction was mutual. He still wasn't, but he figured that tonight he would get some indication, so, he wanted things to go well in case the feelings were mutual.

He placed the Cosmos that he had purchased around the living room, dining room and kitchen. He had gone to the supermarket and picked out two perfect filets. He was going to cook them on the grill on the balcony. He tossed a salad and put it in the refrigerator as he began to peel the potatoes and he put them on to boil. Once the potatoes were in the pot, he put fresh green beans into a pan with some olive oil and salt and let them marinate. He would put them on the grill with the steaks. While the potatoes cooked, Michael went in to shower and get dressed.

Once he was ready, he drained the water off the potatoes and began to mash them. When he started mashing the potatoes, he heard a knock at the door. Is it really 7 already," he said out loud to himself. He moved to the door and opened it and smiled when he saw the doctor standing there.

 

[zydrate]

Paige had spent the rest of the evening watching some meaningless TV as she went through of what she had bought to wear to dinner the next night. She had 3 choices and had finally settled on what she was going to wear the next day.

It wasn't until the next morning that the nervousness had gotten to her. Why was she nervous? She had eaten with Michael before and hadn't felt this way... maybe because that time wasn't something she thought about but this time, this was an actual date...?

Yeah, that had to be it...

She did as she had been doing the past few mornings and taking a walk around the lake, relaxing her mind. She took care of a few things for work, not that she had to but she figured, why not? Even though she was off for the rest of the week, she had settled on looking at a few places by the end of the week. She had wanted to go back to an apartment for the time being. As much as she liked the lake cabin, it was too far for work. Yes, it was great for the weekends, but not for everyday.

Perhaps, later, she would settle on a home and start the process for buying one, but for now, she was content for settling for another apartment.

For the rest of the day, Paige had kept busy, reading up on a few medical articles and trying to make the cabin more of her style as she packed up some things from her grandparents. Soon, it was time to get ready. With that, Paige took a shower and then got dressed. It was still early but with the driving time, she would make it without being too early. Besides, she wanted to stop by and pick up a bottle of wine... would that be too forward? Hopefully not. She was always taught not to come to someone's home without a gift.
*****

Paige found Michael's place easily enough and soon found herself at his front door. She looked at her watch and smiled to herself, it was a minute or so after 7pm. Tonight, she had put her hair up in a loose french twist and had chosen a green dress with brown boots. It was comfortable but not too dressy.

When Michael opened the door, she looked up at him and smiled. She could smell dinner cooking and she took in what he was wearing. He was dressed very nicely. She presented him with the wine, "I hope this is OK? I mean, hopefully it's not too much." She said as he waved her in. She took off her coat and she felt him take it. Taking a quick glance around, Paige turned back to him, "Nice place..." she then noticed the spread of cosmos around the apartment and she laughed quietly, "Oh no... I forgot... they don't come in bunches.. you didn't have to do that you know." She walked to one bunch and touched the petal, "Seriously, you shouldn't have..." she said, flattered nonetheless.

 

[BeachBum25]

Answering the door in a pair of blue dress pants and a light blue dress shirt, Michael looked at Paige, before inviting her in. "Wow, you look amazing. I feel so underdressed right now." Taking the bottle of wine from Paige, Michael closed the door behind her and then helped her remove her coat. "I must say Doctor, you look very beautiful."

He smiled at her as she looked at the Cosmos around the room and commented on how he didn't have to get the flowers. "Well, I asked you about flowers, and you said you liked Cosmos, so, I wanted to get them for you."

Michael moved to the hall closet and hung up Paige's coat. Then, he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the sofa. "Why don't you have a seat and I will pour you some wine." He watched as she took a seat before moving to the kitchen to open the bottle. After he poured two glasses of wine, he walked into the living room and handed one to Paige. "To a nice evening with beautiful company."

Deciding not to sit to close to Paige, yet, Michael sat on the chair next to the sofa. "I am really happy that you agreed to come to dinner this evening Doctor, but I have to be honest, I didn't think you would. I thought your dislike of police over what has happened with you would keep you from joining me. Actually, I thought I would have had a better chance of getting you to join me if I was a member of some criminal enterprise instead of being a member of the police department."

He smiled at her as he gauged her reaction to what he said. "Dinner is almost ready. I just have to put the steaks on the grill and finish up the final touches of everything else. I just thought we would sit and talk for a little before eating."

They engaged in some small talk before Michael brought up what he knew would be a touchy subject. "Have you found a new place to stay yet, Paige? I know it has to be difficult for you after the fire at your apartment."

 

[zydrate]

"No, no... no doctor, remember, call me Paige." She knew it was hard to reiterate that to someone like Michael... and that sense, when she said someone like Michael, she meant it in a way of him just being a gentleman and polite. She watched him take the bottle and then lead her to the couch. Taking a seat, she nodded as he disappeared into the kitchen. While he was gone, she quickly took a look around and noticed his décor. There were some pictures that made her smile.

In her old place, Paige hadn't the know how to decorate her place... Her mother had tried to come in and spark things up but it was no use. Her and her mother didn't have the same taste, but, she liked what she saw here at Michaels. It was neat and tidy. A certain bachelor-type place.

Paige took the glass of wine from him and smiled at his toast, "Thank you." She said before taking a sip.

"Well, as mysterious as a criminal organization seems, it's not my cup of tea. I guess you could say I had time to think things over and realized how I was toward you. Nothing was your fault. If anything, you were helping and I appreciate that."

He asked about her finding a place to stay. Paige shrugged and took a sip of wine before she answered, "No I haven't. Not that I'm not looking. I have been debating between another apartment or a house. Right now, I'm staying at my late grandparents lake house. It wouldn't be so bad but it's too far away should I'm needed in an emergency basis for work. I'm going to continue to look tomorrow." Thinking of her old place made her think briefly of Thompson and she quickly pushed that thought away.

"Did you need help with the food?"

 

[BeachBum25]

Listening to Paige talking about her hunt for a new place to live, and the fact that she hing.is staying at her grandparents' lake house, Kevin took a sip of his wine. "It must be hard to look for a place when you aren't sure whether you want a house or apartment. I bet the lake house is great. I am sure you would really like being there if it wasn't for the long commute."

After taking another sip of his wine, Michael smiled at Paige. "No, thank you Paige. You sit and relax. I am going to put the steaks on the grill out on the balcony and then dinner will be ready. Of course, if you would like to join me on the balcony while I grill the steaks, please do."

Getting up, Michael went to the balcony and fired up the grill. Then, he went into the kitchen and picked up the plates with the steaks on it and walked out onto the balcony. Placing them on the grill, Michael loved the sizzle that came from them.

Once the steaks were cooked to perfection, Michael took them back into the kitchen, and plated everything, potatoes, green beans and steaks. He carried the plates to the table and placed them down next to the salads which were already there.

"M'Lady, dinner is served." He smiled at Paige and pulled a chair out for her. Once she was seated, he slid the chair in for her and sat across from her. "I hope you enjoy Paige." He raised his glass to her. "To dinner with a beautiful lady."

 

[zydrate]

Sit and relax? thought Paige, she didn't know how to do either and right now, even though Michael made her feel comfortable, she couldn't relax... not in a bad way but she was anxious. She had wanted tonight to go well... of course not be too push but again, not be too eager.

As Michael disappeared to cook the steaks, she stood, with her wine glass in hand, and walked around his living room, looking at the décor, as well as the pictures he had up. One could tell a lot about a person on how they decorated their place. Again, like her, she didn't have much to decorate but again, she was always busy.

Slowly she sipped from her glass and continued to walk around, just looking, not touching. She glanced over as Michael presented with dinner. Taking a seat, she thanked him for pulling out her chair. Looking at the meal before her, she smiled at him again, "Wow... this looks really good." He made a toast and she blushed in spite of herself, "Thank you for the handsome company." Paige looked down at the plate again, "I'm seriously, this looks really good."

It had been a while since she had a full sit down dinner... no worries, no needing to hurry... this was really nice. She took a bite of the steak after cutting it... "So Michael... you said you wanted to be a doctor also? Tell me more... if you don't mind."

 

[BeachBum25]

As they ate, Michael gave Paige information on his background. "My mother wanted me to be a doctor. Well, so did I, but she was a single mother who worked two jobs to keep a roof over our head and food on our table. As much as I wanted to go to college and then to medical school, there was no way I could do that to my mother. Yes, I could get loans and financial aid, but it wouldn't cover it all. Mom would still need to have come up with a lot of money, and there was no way I was going to put her in that kind of position. I know it broke her heart, but I enlisted in the Marine Corps right out of high school."

He paused for a minute and took a bite of the potatoes and a sip of his wine. "I did 6 years in the Marines, and when I got out I joined the police department. I thought about using my vet benefits to go to school, but, I decided to take the payday with the department and make mom quit one of her jobs. She agreed to it, but then, two months later, she was run over by a hit and run driver. She didn't make it. The person was never caught."

Cutting his meat, Michael thought about whether he was sharing too much information with Paige. She had only asked him about wanting to be a doctor, not about his life stoiy. He took a bite of his steak and then another sip of wine. Before looking over at Paige.

"Sorry Doc. I know I went beyond the scope of your question. The short of it is that, yes, I wanted to be a doctor, but I just couldn't do that under the circumstances mom and I were dealing with."

After taking several bites of his food, he looked over to Paige again. "Okay, your turn. You became a doctor... is that what you always wanted to be? Are you happy you did it? What has been the highlight of your medical career?"

 

[zydrate]

As Michael talked, Paige realized she was eating too fast. Habit from being on duty so much that when you had time to eat, you had to eat in a hurry. Then Michael apologized, Paige shook her head and gave him a small smile, "Don't apologize... I'm sorry about your Mom. It sounds like you 2 were close." It made Paige briefly think about her relationship with her mother... it was more like her mother tried to be her friend moreso than a mother.

Paige shrugged before taking a bite of her potatoes, which were really delicious. She sipped a bit of wine before answering, "Yes, I became a doctor and yes, it was something I was always wanting to do. Probably because my grandfather was a doctor and he just seemed to pay more attention to me than my parents did. He's a big influence on my life. Like I had said before, my father wanted me to go into politics but that just wasn't for me."

Another sip of wine and inwardly, Paige took a deep breath because what she wanted to say would probably make her seem extremely spoiled and she didn't want to come off that way at all. "My grandfather encouraged me to follow my dreams and even agreed to not only sponsor me, but also pay for my education. I think he did that to spite my father, who many times had stated he was unhappy with my choice of profession."

"So, yes, I worked hard and I will say it was tough at times. The other guys...guys as in the male students, really loved to harass the female students and try to get them to quit. Of course, that didn't deter me. I knew what I wanted and so I went after it." She had wanted to include that her parents didn't even come to her graduation. "I'm just glad my grandfather was around long enough to see me graduate and see his money wasn't going to waste." She said, finishing with a small laugh.

"As in happy? Yes. In the long run, I'm happy. Don't get me wrong, there are days when I could just scream and quit, but I know that's not what I want. It's just, there are days..." Days when she lost patients under her care. It hurt. But it just happened. It wasn't neglect, no, it was just sometimes, not everyone could be saved. "And highlights?" She finished off her wine, "there are so many... want me tell you about the time a patient walked in and said she was in labor and then bam! She gave birth right there? That was during my second week of residency. Or maybe the time a fellow student just froze in the middle of giving stitches? I bet I could write a book of everything that's happened in that ER so far in my career."

Paige stopped, realizing she had been talking a lot. But she wasn't embarassed. She noticed Michael didn't look bored with her talking or stories. He listened intently to her and that was nice. She did have a tendency to talk forever once she was in her comfort zone.

And was she comfortable with him? She had to say yes, she was. And it wasn't just the wine.

"This dinner is really good, I can only cook a few things and live mostly off anything I can take with me. Not the best thing to do but with as much as I work, it's better than nothing."

"What about you? Any career highlights? Any bad guys that got away from you?"

 

[BeachBum25]

Listening to Paige talk was easy for Michael. He enjoyed her company. He liked hearing about her work, and he was somewhat surprised at how much she shared about her family dynamic. Yes, they came from two different worlds; Paige came from money and Michael not so much, but he didn't care about that. Michael just liked being with her.

When Paige complimented him on dinner, he nodded and smiled. "Well, I have been cooking in some form or another since I was young. Mom worked two jobs, so, if I wanted to eat, sometimes I had to cook. It got to the point that I would make dinner and have it ready for her so she could eat something between jobs. Then, living alone, if I didn't cook I was going to have to rely on fast food or some other take-out, so, i kept cooking."

He thought for a minute when Paige asked about career highlights. "Well, you have been a big part of my career highlights." He smiled at Paige. "What I mean by that is as a patrol officer you really don't get a chance to deal with really bad guys on a regular basis. Sure, there are times that you do, and yes, they get away sometimes, but that is usually because you have to worry about other people and making sure they don't get hurt while the bad guy doesn't care about anything but him/herself."

He took a sip of wine and continued. "You, however, have given me things to remember. You were one of my first cases as a detective. You had your bag stolen and your apartment was broken into, you were not going to be able to stay there because the locks needed to be changed. I had a friend change the locks for you. Then, we had the incident in the ER with the prisoner, and of course Thompson issues. So, Dr. Jackson, you are the highlights of my law enforcement career."

Michael raised his glass to Paige. "To my highlights." He chuckled a little before taking a sip of his wine.

watching as Paige ate her dinner, Michael merely pushed his food around his plate a little; nibbling on it from time to time. He was more interested in Paige than he was the meal, so, he focused totally on her. Once he noticed that she was finished, he got up from the table. "Why don't you bring your wine, and we can sit out on the balcony for a little. It is much more comfortable out there than at this table."

Michael moved behind Paige and slid her chair out from the table. Then, after picking up his wine, Michael placed his hand on the small of Paige's back and they walked out onto the balcony. It was cold out on the balcony. "Well, this would be a better idea on a spring or summer evening. We can go back inside where we won't freeze." Michael could have kicked himself for making such a blunder. "Smooth move Michael, asking her to go out on the balcony when it is freezing out. You have no game," he thought to himself.

 

[zydrate]

Paige smiled when Michael referred to her being the highlight of his work. It made her blush slightly but if anything, she would just blame it on the wine.

She was surprised when he mentioned the balcony. Paige didn't mind. She picked up her glass and followed him out. It was chilly but she liked it. It made her feel alive. Besides, it was Boston, as a native of the city, the cold wasn't anything at this time of day. "No, it's fine. I like spending time outside. I've been spending my mornings this past week taking a walk along the lakeshore and remember, I used to walk home in this."

She leaned down, her elbows resting on the wooden railing. They were both quiet for a minute before Paige spoke up, "I had wanted to apologize to you for a while now.." she looked over at him and saw the brief look he gave her, "You know, about asking you if you had anything doing with Thompson's... unfortunate demise. I sometimes tend to act before thinking. I mean, the more I think about it, the more I think what an ass I was for doing so."

It was true, she had jumped to conclusions and had immediately thought of Michael as being responsible for what had happened to Thompson. She shivered... not from the cold but just from thinking about what Thompson had done to her own place and she had remembered he was the reason she was technically homeless.

 

[BeachBum25]

Michael leaned his hands on the wooden railing next to Paige. He listened to her as she apologized for suspecting him of having something to do with Thompson's demise. If she only knew.

"You have nothing to apologize for Paige. If I were in your shoes, I might have thought the same thing , especially with everything that we both went through. And, as for you thinking you were an ass..." Michael paused and pretended to lean back and check out Paige's ass, which he had to admit was definitely worth ch3ecking out. He chuckled a little. "I don't think you were an ass at all."

He bumped his hip into Paige's and winked at her. He felt comfortable with her despite the tough times that they had during the Thompson issues. He found her very interesting and enjoyable to be around in addition to being very attractive.

Noticing her shiver, "Would you like to go back inside Paige. I know it wasn't a great idea to come out here. Maybe the next time you visit it will be warmer and we can sit out here and have a drink." He waited for her response, and then, they went back inside to warm up.

They sat on the sofa for a while and engaged in some idle conversation. It was an opportunity for both of them to get to know each other a little better. They discussed favorite movies (Michael's is Braveheart), favorite music (Classic Rock) and favorite way to spend free time. Michael found himself enjoying Paige's company more and more.

Michael got up from the sofa and went to get the bottle of wine. He poured each of them a little more. As he sat back on the sofa, he smiled at Paige. "It looks like I am going to need to get you an Uber back to your grandparents' cabin with all of the wine you have had to drink."

 

[zydrate]

He asked if she wanted to go inside now. Holding in another shiver, Paige nodded, "Yeah, let's..."

There were no awkward silences between them as they continued to talk with each other, a small laugh here and there... they seemed to have the same level of humor and that was refreshing for Paige. She knew it wasn't the wine, but she was more relaxed than she had been before.

He mentioned Uber and Paige shook her head, "Oh wow... No, no... I think if it does come to that, I can take one to my parents. But where I'm staying now, it's way too far."

She got out her phone as she scooted closer to Michael, bringing up some pictures of her grandfather’s… her place. “See, here is the house, I know you didn’t ask for this, but I want to show you,” she said, laughing as she scrolled through the pictures, showing him the lake (which was frozen over but thawing out), the cabin… “most of it still has snow, of course, but you should see it in the spring and especially the fall-” Paige stopped and realized she was leaning against him. Smiling, she sat up straight, "Sorry..."

 

[BeachBum25]

"I was teasing about the Uber to your grandparent's place Paige. Of course, I am not going to let you drive if I think you have had too much to drink, but we will worry about that when we determine our first date has ended." He made it a point of calling it a first date, hoping that Paige understood that he was enjoying her company and would like to do it again.

Michael looked at the pictures as Paige showed them to him. "Wow, your place is amazing. Well, your temporary place is anyway. I would love to see it at any time of the year. I think it would be great to live out there, even in the winter. You are really lucky to be able to use it."

"Sorry? There is nothing to be sorry about Paige. It was as much my doing as yours. We were leaning together. I must tell you that I liked it." Michael leaned over more to where Paige had sat up. He looked up at her and smiled... then laughed a little before sitting up.

They were still sitting fairly close together, however. "I am having a really nice time tonight Dr. Jackson. I must tell you that I like spending time with you here much more than I liked spending time with you and the prisoner in the Emergency Room." He winked at her.

"I am getting to see a different side of you tonight. At work you were always Dr. Serious. You took your job so serious that, at times, it didn't seem like you had any personality. Then, when dealing with your apartment break-ins and all of that other stuff, it felt that you always harbored angry feelings toward me because you didn't think that I was doing enough for you. Tonight, I am happy to see a different side of you."

He leaned back over toward her. "The side I am seeing tonight makes you even more attractive to me than you were before... and trust me, you were incredibly attractive to me before."

Michael leaned in a little further and kissed Paige on the cheek. Then, he pulled back. "Sorry....."

 

[zydrate]

Paige smiled and took a small sip of her wine as she listened to what Michael was saying about seeing a different side of her... she had heard that before and she just shrugged, "Yes, I take my job seriously because its just how I am when on duty... as for having no personality... well, I don't know what to say about that. I know that I have to show a certain demeanor in the ER and while on duty because I feel that it puts the patients at ease. I mean, would you want someone working on you that didn't look like they knew what they were doing?"

Another sip of wine as she leaned back into the couch, "As for the break-ins...well..." she took a deep breath, "I was scared. I didn't want to show anyone I was scared. So... I may have relied on my anger of the situation. I mean, I couldn't understand why that man was trying so hard to make a nuisance of himself. I... and I took it out on you because...." she shrugged, "I'm sorry about that. I know you were only trying to help and do your job."

When he said he liked this side of her tonight, she blushed, "I like it too... well, I mean, I like this side of you. I mean, what's not to like... you can cook, and that's always a plus for me... I can eat, so that's a plus for you.." she smiled and was going to say something else when he kissed her cheek. Paige stopped and just looked at him as he apologized. Shaking her head, she whispered, "Don't be sorry..." and that's when she leaned toward him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

 

[BeachBum25]

He wasn't certain how Paige was going to take the kiss on her cheek. He wondered if it was too much at the moment. Michael wasn't sure that Paige was feeling the same attraction to him that he was feeling toward her, which was the reason for his apology.

His doubts were wiped away when she leaned toward him and placed her luscious lips softly on his. Michael gladly accepted her kiss and obviously did not pull away. He reveled in her lips against his.

Placing a hand behind her neck, Michael returned Paige's kiss. It was an incredible kiss; one that felt like it was truly meant to be. The kiss deepened and Michael's lips parted slightly. He did not want to rush things with Paige, but the kiss made him want more and more.

After what seemed like forever, but was probably less than a minute, they broke the kiss. Michael did not pull away from Paige, but stared into her eyes from inches away. "I have been imagining what it would be like to kiss you for quite a while, and I must tell you that the kiss was far better than any that I have imagined."

He didn't tell her that in addition to imagining the first kiss between them, he had also been imagining what it would be like to make love to her... what it would be like to explore her wonderful body... what it would be like to pleasure her and hold her naked body to his after a wild love making session. No, he didn't share that... yet. he didn't want to push his luck.

 

[zydrate]

Paige welcomed him returning the kiss. It didn't occur to her that perhaps she was being pushy? No. She didn't think of it like that. Him returning the kiss was wonderful... and man, did he know how to kiss...

When the kiss broke, she had wanted to apologize for being so forward but when their eyes locked, Paige could only smile and hoped her blushing wasn't noticeable. He had said it was everything he had imagined and again, she was flattered, "Well...good..." she was at a loss of what to say. Could it have been the wine?

No, it definitely wasn't the wine... Setting her glass on the coaster that was on the small coffee table in front of them, she looked at Michael... they were sitting close and that didn't bother her. She leaned her arm on the back of the couch as they locked eyes again, "It really was a wonderful dinner, I--" she stopped as there was a knock on the door. She looked at her date and he seemed as confused as her. Was he expecting someone tonight?

He had excused himself and got up from the couch and headed to the door. Paige nodded in understanding, waving her hand at him as if to say not to worry about it. "I'm going to get us some more wine." She got his glass, stood up and disappeared into the kitchen. There wasn't much left but she poured what was left as evenly as she could. Tossing the bottle into the recycle bin, she picked up the glasses and walked about into the living room. There was no one there... they must be out in the hall as Paige could hear talking.

She set Michael's glass down as she held hers and wondered around his living room, looking at the pictures and his decor...

 

[BeachBum25]

"What awful timing," he thought as he heard the knock on the door. As much as he didn't want to answer it, he knew he had no choice. "Excuse me one second, please Doc." Getting up from the couch, he thought, "this better be something important."

Opening the door, Michael saw Paddy, one of Seamus' men. He was not happy that Paddy was at his door. Stepping into the hall, Michael's body language made it clear that he was upset. "What do you want Paddy? Or should I say, what did Seamus send you here for?"

Paddy told Michael that Seamus was waiting on the dirt that he wanted in payment for the fire. "I told Seamus I would get him the information he wanted. He needs to trust me. It has only been a short time. I am working on something, but I need to confirm it. I don't want to give Seamus unconfirmed information. That wouldn't do him any good."

Michael made it clear to Paddy that there would be information coming. The truth of it was that Michael did have some dirt on the Chief, and it would be easy for Seamus to use to get his money. Paddy nodded his head and left. Michael waited until Paddy was on the elevator before going back inside.

Seeing the Doc wandering around his living room, checking out the pictures that he had made Michael stop and watch her as he closed and locked the door. Moving quietly up behind Paige, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck lightly. He whispered, "what are you doing, trying to find something to use against me in the pictures?"