One Fine Day
Title: One Fine Day
Author: aelora
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Ummm... Real news??? (Although I have trouble considering "Verdict" 'real news' ever since Dan had Kennedy and Pauly Shore on the other night as panelists.... Talk about lose ALL credibility.)
Pairing/Characters: Anderson Cooper/Dan Abrams (also brief drop-ins by Keith Olbermann, Erica Hill, Chris Matthews)
Disclaimer: Any similarity between the fictional version of the person portrayed here and the actual person is purely coincidental. This is a work of fiction. This is not an attempt to defame the character of said person on the basis of libel, as the work is fictional (and not an intently false statement created with the express purpose of misleading others about the actual character of said person). Any mention of 'AC 360', 'Verdict with Dan Abrams', 'MSNBC', 'CNN', any associated entities, or any copyrighted material pertaining therein is reasonably protected by the Fair Use Rule of the United States Copyright Act of 1976, and is not intended to infringe upon any copyrighted material.
Summary: Anderson hates his birthday. Rival Dan Abrams isn’t helping that sentiment.
A/N: This was written for pen_of_jen in honor of Anderson’s birthday. My apologies to the makers of the film, One Fine Day, from whom I totally stole this idea. And I am not ashamed to admit it. Special thanks to fabulous beta sinnrsandsaints!!!
Anderson Cooper hated birthdays. Or rather, hated his. And it wasn’t the kind of hatred that most people had; it didn’t stem from sorrow over his birthday being ignored by his loved ones or growing another year older or any of that ridiculous nonsense. Actually, it was quite the opposite. He knew with a certainty that Erica wouldn’t allow his birthday to go by without mentioning it on-air, and more than likely with some kind of montage to thoroughly embarrass him. He knew his mother would go out of her way to make his birthday special, thereby bringing to mind regrets and past circumstances he’d rather not contemplate. And fans - people he didn’t know and would never meet - would spend too much money to send him gifts that he would never use, which always resulted in him feeling a monumental amount of guilt.
So Anderson hated his birthday. Which meant when he woke up that Tuesday morning, it was with the promise that it would be turn out to be the worst day of the entire year.
He dreaded heading into CNN, where he knew his office would be decorated with balloons and flowers and birthday greetings by well-meaning co-workers. So he took his time getting ready that morning, including finishing off two Cokes before he bothered leaving his apartment building. He had a meeting to get to, and was all ready running late, so his usual attempt at taking his time getting to work - which typically included some walking and a brief trip on the subway - turned into grabbing a cab, which also resulted in the first horrible thing on the beginning of a horrible morning.
Someone else slid into the cab at the same time; someone else who was from a rival network, and the one person who seemed most set on making his life a living hell, Dan Abrams. Just seeing him in that moment caused Anderson to reflect that there might just be one thing he hated more than birthdays. His hand was on the door, ready to get out and find another cab.
Dan rolled his eyes and settled back against the seat. “Relax, Cooper. No need to wait for another. We can be civilized.”
If Abrams was willing to extend an olive branch, then Anderson could accept it. After all, between the two of them, it probably wouldn’t be argued much as to who was the better man. Well, that was if Abrams weren’t involved in the argument.
“30 Rockefeller -“
“10 Columbus - “
They glanced at one another. Attempting to appear magnanimous, Anderson waved a hand for Dan to go first. He was surprised when Abrams leaned forward and gave both addresses. Then he leaned back, pulled a copy of the Wall Street Journal from the leather satchel at his feet, and proceeded to ignore Anderson.
The ongoing silence made him uncomfortable, especially when Dan occasionally flicked his paper, loudly. This was anything but civilized, so Anderson decided an attempt at conversation was in order.
“I thought you lived in the Village.”
“I do.” Dan glanced over at him with a smirk. “My date didn’t.”
So much for that attempt. Anderson bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from commenting. He also ignored the amusement that was so evident from the man beside him.
“Come on, Cooper. Don’t tell me you haven’t grabbed a cab to work from an address other than your own.”
“It may shock you to know this, Abrams,” Anderson responded with a pointed look, “but unlike Jossip and Page 6, I have absolutely no interest in discussing your love life.”
“Ouch.” Dan flashed him an expression that said he was clearly impressed. “Anderson Cooper steps down from ‘on high’ to deal a low blow. News at 11.” He leaned across the seat and in a staged whisper said, “And I’m not the one who happily discussed his penis on Loveline.”
Anderson seethed. Quietly. It wasn’t really in him to say what he truly wanted to say to Dan Abrams. Oh, to hell with that. “Why should you? When the rest of New York is already doing it for you.”
They exchanged mutual glares. Then immediately went back to pointedly ignoring one another.
If someone were to ask Anderson to explain his irrational dislike of Dan Abrams, he wouldn’t really be able to. After all, it wasn’t as if he really knew the man other than what he’d read about him or heard from the gossip exchanged by mutual acquaintances. They’d never actually taken the time to get to know one another, other than the occasional expected pleasantries exchanged at press events. Not that Anderson had any real desire to get to know him; the conversation in the cab was really the first they’d ever had, and it made Anderson more than certain not to have any more discussions like it.
With little else to do, Anderson pulled out his Blackberry and glanced over his schedule for the day. It was filled with meetings; he was barely going to have time to get everything prepped for the show that night. He mentally shook his head. That had to be Erica’s doing - so that she could slip in a birthday surprise without him knowing. He sat the Blackberry down on the seat beside him, fingers tapping against it as he stared out the window. He was developing a headache.
A headache that only worsened when a ringtone that sounded very much like a Coldplay tune went off from the other side of the seat. It was loud and obnoxious and Abrams let it go a little too long, to the point that Anderson identified the tune as Clocks, before finally answering. Anderson was certain he did it on purpose.
“Hello?”
Anderson told himself he was not about to listen in on his rival’s conversation. He focused on the people he saw on the street.
“Oh hey, beautiful. Haven’t heard from you in a while.”
Anderson started chewing on a thumbnail.
“Right now? Sitting beside Anderson Cooper, doing my very best to annoy the ever-loving shit out of him.”
He couldn’t let that one go. He glanced over at Abrams, glaring.
Dan smiled, and went back to his conversation. “Yeah. He’s giving me one of those condescending looks right now, as a matter of fact.”
Anderson was tempted to tell the driver to pull the car over so he could get out, but he didn’t plan on giving Abrams the satisfaction. For all he knew, it would somehow show up on his ‘Beat the Press’ segment for the evening, and Anderson was quite fed up with being regularly featured by Abrams. Not that he ever watched “Verdict”; he’d just heard from others.
He returned his attention to the street and the sounds of the city around him; horns honking, tires screeching, pedestrians shouting at drivers and one another. It served to relax him somewhat, the sights of humanity going about its daily business. It was enough to help Anderson completely block out the conversation taking place across from him. That was until he heard the call ended, and decided to give Abrams a piece of his mind.
“You know, I’d appreciate it, Abrams, if you left me out of conversations with your… dates.”
Dan shrugged, setting the phone down beside him as he leaned over to reach into the satchel at his feet, rifling through it. “I wasn’t discussing you with a ‘date’. That was Phil.”
“Griffin?” Anderson asked, blinking at Dan’s nod. “You call the head of MSNBC ‘beautiful’?”
“When it serves to freak you out? Yep.”
“I’m not - “ Anderson bit his lip to keep from continuing and looked away. He really needed to stop rising to this guy’s bait.
The rest of the ride was silent between them. When the cab pulled to a stop in front of Time Warner Center, Anderson pushed open the door and stood as he reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay for his half of the fare. He glanced in to see Dan regarding him over the top of his paper.
Figuring he should probably say something, he commented, “Well, it’s been interesting, Abrams. But next time you wish to discuss your love life with a virtual stranger, perhaps you ought to just go on Loveline and talk about your penis. I’m sure they’d love to hear all about it.”
“Well, we all know you’d like to find out about it, Cooper.”
Anderson winced internally, though he was careful to keep his expression neutral. It was an incredibly rude and hurtful thing to say, and he was more than certain at that moment that Dan Abrams truly was, indeed, the asshole rumors made him out to be. Anderson sincerely hoped they were never forced to cross paths again.
“You’re welcome to pay my fare, Abrams,” he told him stiffly before slamming the car door behind him and making his way inside the CNN building.
*****
It was the overly loud ringtone of Clocks that signaled, for the second time that day, that Anderson’s birthday sucked as usual. He reached into his pocket with dread, pulling out the Blackberry and staring down at it, head pounding with the realization that this wasn’t his phone.
It belonged to the asshole, Dan Abrams.
Dammit, he thought. He added a few other choice words before answering the call.
“Hey, baby. Last night was spectacular. I can’t wait to do it again.”
Anderson pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Ummm, Miss? I apologize but you have the wrong number.”
“This isn’t 291-5148?”
“Well, yeah, it is but it isn’t… I mean, I’m not Dan. He’s not here. It’s… complicated.”
“Oh.” A giggle. “Well, who is this, then?”
“Anderson Cooper.”
“Oh! Hi there! I’m Gigi. I didn’t know Dan knew you. Well, I mean, sure I figured he’d probably know you but not know you, you know?”
“I’m sure I don’t… know.”
Another giggle. “So what’s up, Anderson?”
He leaned his head against the wall of the elevator, smacking it lightly against the surface.
*****
Dan had just made it into his office, and was sitting down to switch on his monitor when he heard an unfamiliar ringtone. He frowned as he realized it was coming from the phone in his pocket; he reached in and pulled it out, staring at it. It certainly looked like his phone, except that it was in pristine condition and his had a tiny crack in the top right hand corner of the screen. He raised an eyebrow as he recognized his own number across the display.
Well, hell. That must mean…
“Good morning. This is Dan...”
“You have my phone,” Anderson told him on the other end.
“And you apparently have mine.”
“Yes. Apparently I do. By the way, Gigi called to say that last night was ‘spectacular’ and she couldn’t wait to do it again… Of course, I asked her if she had actually meant to call you to begin with.”
Dan chuckled. “Nice one. Did she ask you out? Gigi has a bit of a crush on you. I have no idea why…”
“Look. I really don’t want to continue this. I had my fill of getting to know about you and your life this morning. I have a meeting to get to, but I’d like to get my phone back, if you don’t mind.”
“I have a meeting to get to myself, so I guess we’re going to have to chat later.”
“Dammit, Abrams.”
“Besides, you didn’t say please.”
Grinning, Dan ended the call and slipped Anderson’s phone back into his pocket.
*****
As expected, Anderson had entered his office to find it covered in flowers, balloons, cards, posters and wrapped gifts. It took him a good hour to get through it all and he was continually interrupted with well-wishes from coworkers as they dropped by, thereby leaving him no time to attempt to call Dan again and demand his phone back. He had to run to his first meeting, and he was already in probably the worst mood possible. He tried to calm himself before leaving and considered tucking Dan’s Blackberry - which had a crack on the screen, proving just how much he actually took care of the thing - into his desk and pretending he had never seen it.
God, he hated the thought of having to see Dan Abrams to exchange them. Perhaps he could send someone else… No, that wouldn’t work, either, for obvious reasons. He really doubted anyone from CNN would want to walk into MSNBC.
He glared at the phone in his hand, ignored the temptation to throw it to the ground and stomp on it in a childish fit of frustration, and slipped it back into his pocket.
Later, he would go back to dealing with the Devil.
*****
Dan was heading to pour himself a cup of coffee in the staff room when Anderson’s phone trilled in his pocket. Curious as to who exactly calls Anderson, he took the call, surprised when the familiar feminine voice on the other end began speaking before he could even say hello.
“Hey, I was going to stop by Bouchon and pick up breakfast. Want anything?”
“A bagel with fat-free cream cheese, please.”
“Er… who is this?”
“Dan Abrams, at your service, Miss Hill.”
“Dan… “ Her voice fairly squeaked, and then it took on a slight tone of indignation. “What the hell are you doing with Anderson’s phone?”
“And the lioness reveals her claws…” He grinned as he leaned against the counter, setting his cup beside the espresso machine.
“You… look, where’s Anderson?”
“Probably at CNN. I mean, that’s where I last saw him. Possibly in his office, right at this very moment, staring down at my Blackberry and cussing me out.”
“You’re… I’m not even going to ask how that happened. And I can’t believe I’m asking this, but what’s your phone number?”
“Why, Erica Hill, are you planning on asking me out?”
She grew quiet. Possibly because she was too busy seething. “Are you going to give me your number so that I can call Anderson, or am I going to have to - “
Dan cut her off, laughing. “All right, all right. 291-5148. You can hang on to it, you know.”
“As if!”
If there’d been a way to slam a cell phone down, Dan expected he probably would have heard it right then.
*****
Erica wasn’t happy when she called Anderson. She offered to stop by 30 Rock and get his Blackberry for him, but Anderson knew a confrontation between her and Dan Abrams wouldn’t be pretty. While he could easily let the repeated segments of himself featured on ‘Beat the Press’ by Dan go, Erica was another story all together. She ranted more than once as to who the hell Dan Abrams thought he was - she didn’t even consider him a real journalist. He was just a talk show host who was pretending to be a lawyer pretending to be a journalist, and who the hell was he to correct them?? Her rants always served to put a smile on his face, which was probably why Anderson never really let Dan’s criticisms get to him. The phone thing, though, was another story entirely.
It rang again shortly after he hung up with her. This time, Anderson only answered because he recognized his own number calling him. “What?” he snapped.
“Why hello there, Anderson Cooper.”
“You’re having fun with this, aren’t you?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Considering I keep receiving calls from strange women, no!”
“Hey, I got a call from a strange woman, too.”
“Erica doesn’t count!”
“The jury is still out on that.”
“You’re such an ass, Abrams.”
“Love you too, Cooper.”
Anderson hung up on him.
*****
Dan was in a meeting with Phil and others with the network, when he received his first text message from Anderson.
I want my phone back!
He glanced around the table making certain no one was paying attention to him and then, holding the Blackberry on his lap, he quickly typed a response: It’s not like I’m holding it hostage or anything. Come get it.
A few moments later, the exchange continued: I’m in meetings all morning.
So send an intern…
I’m not subjecting one of our interns to you. I’m not entirely stupid.
There are so many responses I could make to that statement. It’s almost too easy...
You’re an ass, Abrams.
You’re repeating yourself, Cooper.
“Making friends again, kid?”
Dan looked over at Keith with his whispered question. “Anderson and I accidentally swapped phones this morning.”
Keith raised an eyebrow at that. “Accidentally?” he mouthed.
Dan rolled his eyes. “Yes. Though I have to say, if I’d known it would be this annoying to him, I would have arranged for it to happen much sooner.”
“You’re a sick man, Dan Abrams.”
“Thanks, Keith. From you, that’s a hell of a compliment.”
“Ahem.”
They both looked up to find Phil watching them with a raised brow. “Anything the two of you would like to share with the class, boys?”
“I think Dan has a crush on Anderson Cooper,” Keith replied.
Across the table, Chris Matthews barked in laughter. “Tell us something we didn’t know.”
Dan sighed and flipped them all off. This had to be what karma was all about.
*****
“Hello.”
“… Who’s this?”
“Dan Abrams.”
“Dan Abrams? The cute one from MSNBC who always says nasty little things about my son?”
“…. Gloria Vanderbilt?”
“Yes. What’re you doing with my son’s phone, Dan Abrams?”
“Er… Sorry. We had a little mix-up in the cab today. I got his phone; he got mine.”
“A mix-up? What were you doing in the cab with my son?”
“We accidentally grabbed it at the same time. Totally innocent, ma’am.”
“Pity. You sound charming enough… And don’t call me ma’am. Call me Gloria.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Charming only goes so far, Dan. Give me your number so I can call Anderson and wish him a happy birthday.”
“Only if you promise to call me occasionally.”
“Aren’t you a naughty one?" She laughed. "I think I’m probably a little too much for you to handle, darling.”
“Now that’s a challenge I’m more than willing to meet, Gloria.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’d suffer by comparison?”
“Ouch. Gloria, you wound me.”
“I’m more than certain you’re used to it, darling. Now, are you going to give me your phone number? I might even call you later so we can continue this fascinating conversation…”
“I’m sure Anderson would love that. 291-5148.”
“Thank you, handsome.”
“You’re more than welcome, gorgeous.”
Dan grinned as he ended the call. He was more than certain Anderson wouldn’t be too pleased if he’d heard Dan’s conversation with his mother. He probably should have recorded it.
Biting his lip, he stared down at the phone thoughtfully. Gloria had been extremely sweet and enchanting, and he’d always had the feeling that the same could be said of Anderson. He couldn’t explain why he continually targeted the man in his ‘Beat the Press’ segments. He just…. tended to notice when Anderson Cooper screwed up which, he supposed, meant he tended to notice Anderson Cooper. He really couldn’t deny that.
He knew he hadn’t made the best impression on Anderson that morning, either. It was a habit of his, saying things that most people would take as an insult when he really just meant to tease. Dan had always had a problem with conveying that he’s teasing. He actually felt guilty, the longer he thought about it, especially since it was Anderson’s birthday.
He was going to have to make it up to him.
*****
Anderson just finished a meeting and was on his way to the next when Dan’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He sighed at the thought of another ridiculous conversation with some half-witted female. Pulling it out, he glanced at the display, surprised to see a text message from Dan:
What I said earlier… it was rude of me. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.
Anderson frowned a moment, recalling the many comments he’d been allowed to take offense to since sitting with Dan in the cab. He was certain he knew which one Dan meant, though, and decided not to comment on it. Instead, he typed: Which time?
A quick response: I totally deserved that. Let me make it up to you. I’ll buy lunch and we’ll swap phones.
Anderson raised an eyebrow as he stepped into the elevator, leaning against the back wall to reply: I’m not certain my ego could withstand another 5 minutes with you, Abrams.
Come on. Live a little. Say, Landmarc at 2?
He glanced up as the elevator stopped. Wrong floor. Campbell Brown entered and he flashed a warm smile as he contemplated his reply. Well, why the hell not?
Fine. But I’m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu.
I wouldn’t expect any less of you. He smiled at the response.
*****
A call came through on Anderson’s way into the next meeting.
“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”
Anderson groaned. “Hey, Mom. I take it you talked to Abrams?”
“Yes, we had a charming conversation. He doesn’t seem quite as rude on the phone as he does on television.”
Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, wondering just what it was Dan said to his mother, Anderson dropped into one of the chairs surrounding the conference table. So far, there was only one other person in time for the meeting.
“He must have been on his best behavior. He’s actually a lot worse in person.”
Gloria laughed. “You don’t sound as if you’re having a very good day, Andy. It’s your birthday.”
“Precisely why I’ve been cursed with carrying Dan’s phone around this morning, stuck with taking calls from his various… women.”
His mother sighed. “I knew I’d suffer by comparison.”
“Huh?” Anderson frowned.
“Nothing, sweetheart. Never mind. You wouldn’t have time to get away for a little dinner date with your mother this evening, would you?”
“I’m afraid not, Mom. I’ve had far too many meetings, I still have to catch up with Dan to get my phone back, and then I really need to focus on tonight’s show.”
“Very well. But I am taking you away this weekend and spoiling you rotten, is that understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a smile.
There was a slight pause on her end, and Anderson got ready to say goodbye when his mother said, “You know, it’s odd how this happened with your phone swap, isn’t it?”
“Wasn’t exactly a ‘swap’, Mom.”
“No, I mean… wouldn’t it be kind of delicious gossip if Dan had meant for it to happen? I mean, wouldn’t the gossip rags just go nuts for such a rumor?”
“I seriously doubt Dan Abrams’ sexuality can ever be questioned, Mom.”
“It’s always the playboys, honey. Just remember that.”
Anderson bit his lip, trying very hard not to laugh. He should probably be recording this conversation, just so he can play it back for Dan later. He shook his head. “I’m baffled as to why we’re even discussing this.”
“Well, he is attractive.”
“Oh, god, Mom!” Anderson slumped in his chair, a hand to his forehead. “I can’t believe - you’re trying to play matchmaker for me and Dan Abrams, aren’t you? Have you lost your mind?”
“I’m just saying, Andy. Don’t get your shorts in a bundle. It’s not like I’m telling you to sleep with the guy. I’m just saying… keep an open mind.”
“I’m not discussing this with you anymore, Mother.”
Gloria laughed. “Call me later this week, sweetheart. We’ll make arrangements for the weekend. And do try to have a good birthday.”
“Thanks, Mom. I will.”
*****
Dan was late and Anderson was fuming. It was twenty minutes past two, and he was just about convinced that Dan had never meant to show up when he finally saw the man enter the bistro and head for the table. He was grinning, and slightly wet, when he sat down. Anderson glanced over his shoulder to see there was a light rain falling.
“Sorry I’m late,” Dan began, wiping droplets from his shoulders. “Ran into Rachel Maddow on the way out of my office, and we ended up arguing politics.”
Anderson held out his hand not all that interested. “May I have my phone, please?”
Dan hesitated, looking up to meet his eyes. Anderson was a little taken back when Dan bit his lower lip, smiling so that a dimple appeared above the left hand corner of his mouth. “I think I may have to hold it hostage, just so you don’t skip out of here before we even have lunch.”
Sighing, Anderson slumped back in his chair. The look on Dan’s face was far too adorable to ignore completely. He even found his own smile. “What if I give you my word?”
Dan seemed to consider it a moment, then nodded and reached into his pocket, handing the phone over. Anderson took it, and gave Dan’s to him. He checked through the text messages to see if he missed anything important; it didn’t appear so. Most were the ones he sent from Dan’s phone. The phone log was as expected as well - calls from people who turned around and called him back at Dan’s number. He noticed his mother’s name and couldn’t help remarking:
“My mother thinks you’re,” gay, “charming.”
“She was fun to talk to. I’m hoping she finds a chance to call my number again.”
“See, right there. You’re being an ass, again. The last thing I ever, ever wish to hear you say again is that you want my mother to call you.”
Dan smiled, all full of charm in that one look. “I’m just teasing, Anderson. I get the feeling she’s a little too much woman for me to handle.”
“Yeah. Can we like, not talk about my mother? At all.”
“Sure thing. What do you want to talk about?”
Well, that was the crux of the problem, wasn’t it? Exactly what was there for him and Dan Abrams to discuss? They led very different lives, and while they’d both been raised with the wealth and glamour of New York society, they’d never really crisscrossed in social circles. Dan’s family mingled with the rich, Anderson’s the famous. Dan’s name regularly appeared in all of the society rags, hanging out at polo matches and film screenings. Anderson tried his best to avoid any kind of publicity that wasn’t a necessary evil for his job. Besides working for cable news networks, they really had nothing in common.
And Anderson silently admitted to himself that could be the exact reason he took Dan up on his offer for lunch. There was something about Dan Abrams - his arrogance, his public life, his odd career choices, his almost childish playfulness - that piqued Anderson’s curiosity. So that was why he was sitting there. To see what would happen, if nothing else.
“By the way, happy birthday.”
Anderson glanced up at his words. His confusion must have been evident in his expression.
“Your mom mentioned it,” Dan told him. He tapped a long, slim finger on to Anderson’s menu. “Splurge. Kind of a birthday and ‘sorry about the phone thing’ gift from me.”
His mother had once warned him never to trust a man with perfect hands. Dan had perfect hands. Slim and pale, perfectly manicured, not a flaw on them. He must have been staring, and possibly for a while, because when he looked up, Dan was watching him curiously.
“Sorry. Ummm… don’t worry about me splurging. They had a cake for me at the last meeting. I don’t even like cake.”
Dan chuckled. “Coworkers are the worst when it comes to birthdays, aren’t they? It especially doesn’t help when you have to go on-air.”
Anderson nodded in agreement. “I just know Erica is going to do something to embarrass me. She means well, and I love her for it, but I just… don’t like all of that attention.”
“Yeah. Look, Anderson, whatever I said about Erica today… or about you and Erica on my ‘Beat the Press’ segments…you know I don’t mean it, right?”
“Then why do you do it?” Anderson asked.
“I don’t know.” Dan shrugged. “It’s just me. It’s one of the reasons my dad cautioned me against becoming a trial lawyer. He said I’d be in contempt more than anything.”
Anderson couldn’t help but smile at that. “He’s probably right.” They grinned at each other.
The server came by to take their orders and after he left, Dan talked a little bit more about what led him into television. Anderson found himself relaxing as the man across from him spoke. There was an odd contradictory quality to Dan that Anderson couldn’t quite put his finger on. Every time he thought he had him figured out that day, Dan would do or say something to change his mind. He would have said, before meeting Dan for lunch, that he totally had him pegged. But now, as he listened and watched, growing amused by the animated and expressive way Dan spoke - he couldn’t seem to not be playing with something or drumming his fingers against the table - Anderson realized there was a lot more to him than he’d ever expected.
By the time they finished lunch, Anderson found himself opening up and talking; about work and his many reasons for hating birthdays, a few of the places he’d traveled, and some of the things he’d seen. Dan had grown surprisingly quiet, still moving, still animated, his fingers playing with packets of sugar, but obviously paying attention. Occasionally he’d interject with a question, but they were usually short, sometimes one-worded, sometimes just wanting to know why or how or what Anderson thought of a certain situation. The inquisitiveness surprised him; it shouldn’t have, most journalists were naturally inquisitive, but he expected a more confrontational approach from Dan. The more Anderson thought about it, the more he was certain that side of Dan was probably there, he was just behaving in an incredibly reticent manner for the moment. Anderson couldn’t help but wonder why that was.
When the plates were cleared and the bill paid for, Anderson walked Dan out of Time Warner Center. He thought it was the polite thing to do, since Dan had come to him to swap phones. They were both silent for the first few moments, stepping between the crowds to reach the sidewalk.
“I think I’m just going to walk back,” Dan commented, turning to face Anderson. “My next meeting isn’t for another hour.”
“At least it isn’t raining anymore.” Anderson glanced up at the now blue sky before glancing back at Dan. “Thanks for bringing my phone back. And for lunch.”
Dan shrugged, biting his lower lip, something Anderson had noted he did occasionally throughout the meal when he was thinking. “Wasn’t a big deal. Sorry about the phone mishap in the first place.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, well, I could have been a little less of an ass about it.”
Anderson giggled slightly. “That’s true.”
Dan smiled at him. He held out his hand. “Well, it was nice to finally get to know you, Anderson Cooper.”
Staring at the hand before him for a moment, Anderson finally reached out and took it. The skin was as soft as he expected, though the grip firm. They both held on a little longer than necessary.
“You too, Dan Abrams,” he said, and meant it.
They let go and Dan gave him a little half-smile before turning and heading down the street toward Rockefeller Plaza. Anderson watched him go, oddly wishing lunch had lasted a little bit longer.
*****
The last half of the day went a bit more smoothly than the first half. He worked with the crew on that night’s AC360, going over the stories with Erica and keeping tabs on each breaking headline. Occasionally he pulled out his Blackberry, staring at it, a little saddened that it wasn’t trilling with overly loud Coldplay music. He contemplated sending Dan a text, but didn’t know what to say. Hey, it was nice to discover you aren’t really an asshole? Or how about, a part of me wishes we hadn’t swapped phones back quite so soon. No, there was no way in hell he was sending that one.
And it didn’t matter that he found himself unable to stop thinking about Dan Abrams. That he kept replaying their lunch conversation over in his mind, remembering Dan’s many expressions, the drumming of his fingers against the table top, playing with his utensils, tapping his foot in a constant beat. He blamed his mother for all of it. If she hadn’t hinted at the possibility… He sighed. The last thing he needed was to be crushing on a man who was totally and completely hetero.
Even if Dan did seem to be flirting with Anderson over lunch.
“Erica?”
“Hmmm?”
“What do you think of Dan Abrams?”
“I try not to.”
“I’m serious.”
Erica glanced up at him, blinking for a moment, as if catching on that this was more than just casual conversation. “Umm, well, he’s cute. You know, if you like that cocky conceited type.”
“He didn’t really seem that way, though,” Anderson commented, leaning his elbows on his desk. “During lunch. In fact, he was really… easy to talk to.”
“Maybe he was trying to impress you.”
“Why would he want to do that?”
Erica shrugged and got to her feet. “I need to call David real quick before the show. Be right back and we‘ll head down?”
Anderson nodded, silently watching her as she exited his office. He glanced at his watch. “Verdict” would be starting any moment. Worrying his lower lip for a moment, he reached out to grab the remote to the flat panel in his office, switching the channel over to MSNBC. He watched as Keith signed off, and then found himself smiling a little as Dan appeared, rambling off the top stories of the hour and the panelists who would be joining him. He doesn’t pay much attention to what’s said; focused instead on Dan and the mannerisms that he apparently carries over on-air from real life. He’d never noticed before that day, but Dan Abrams was surprisingly hyper.
When ‘Beat the Press’ rolled around, Anderson honestly hadn’t expected to see himself featured. Dan was grinning as he gave the introduction and Anderson mentally cringed, but it was a small snippet from the night before. One in which Anderson had made a joke, calling The New York Times on a story that was wrong with regards to facts. When it came back to Dan, he complimented Anderson on catching the mistake and then wished him a happy birthday.
Erica walked back into find Anderson smiling. She glanced at the TV, and then back at him. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” He switched off the power and got up. “Ready?”
Taking her arm, Anderson led Erica toward the studio.
*****
AC360 had just ended and they were preparing to leave when Anderson’s phone vibrated in his pocket, indicating a new text message. He pulled it out, smiling when he recognized the number.
Just to let you know, I still have your number.
Anderson replied, perhaps a bit too quickly: I knew I should have deleted it from your phone…
Another quick response. Your subconscious wouldn’t let you.
Anderson smiled. You featured me on ‘Beat the Press’ again.
You saw that?
Yeah. And you made me smile. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Anderson Cooper.
“You know, if you had asked me this morning, I would have said Dan Abrams was the biggest walking douche on the planet,” he commented to Erica as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“And now?”
“Now? I think he's kind of wonderful.”
*****
Anderson was tired by the time he got home, and more than glad that his birthday was now, officially over. That meant his day would be good from here on out. When he reached the elevator that would take him to his penthouse, he pressed the button and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. The day had been a surprising one, and perhaps not all together as bad as he had at first made it out to be. If nothing else, it had been the most memorable birthday of the last few years.
“You know, it was a little weird…”
Anderson jumped slightly at the voice, opening his eyes to find Dan leaning across from him, on the opposite side of the elevator doors.
“I got back to my office from lunch, and I found myself wishing I had a reason to call you. Couldn’t think of one, though. Well, not until the text.”
Once Anderson got over his initial shock, he found himself replying, “You know, you don’t have to have one. You can call any time.”
Dan smiled at that, pushing away from the wall to walk up to Anderson. “And, is it okay if I just… drop by?”
Anderson shrugged with nonchalance. "Of course… But, how --?"
"Your mom called."
"Of course." Anderson shook his head, smiling slightly. His mother knew him better than he did.
“You… don’t mind, do you? I mean, now that I’m here...”
“Oddly enough, no.” Anderson held Dan’s eyes, wondering why he never noticed before just how very green they were. “In fact, I’m kind of glad.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Dan smirked, the dimple appearing, and then leaned in and pressed his lips to Anderson’s. It was surprising but not unwanted. Unfortunately, it was far too brief. Pulling back, Dan seemed to be searching Anderson’s face for approval.
Anderson raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think that you... “ He waved a hand between them. “You know."
"I like to keep people guessing."
"You're pretty damn good at it."
Dan smiled again, biting his lower lip. It was entirely too much for Anderson. He wrapped his fingers around Dan’s tie and pulled him in for another kiss, a real one this time, with tongues, and hands tugging, and soft gasps of pleasure. It was a few moments before it ended, and Anderson opened his eyes to find Dan grinning at him, like the cat that ate the canary.
“What?”
“I should have swapped our phones sooner...”
Author: aelora
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Ummm... Real news??? (Although I have trouble considering "Verdict" 'real news' ever since Dan had Kennedy and Pauly Shore on the other night as panelists.... Talk about lose ALL credibility.)
Pairing/Characters: Anderson Cooper/Dan Abrams (also brief drop-ins by Keith Olbermann, Erica Hill, Chris Matthews)
Disclaimer: Any similarity between the fictional version of the person portrayed here and the actual person is purely coincidental. This is a work of fiction. This is not an attempt to defame the character of said person on the basis of libel, as the work is fictional (and not an intently false statement created with the express purpose of misleading others about the actual character of said person). Any mention of 'AC 360', 'Verdict with Dan Abrams', 'MSNBC', 'CNN', any associated entities, or any copyrighted material pertaining therein is reasonably protected by the Fair Use Rule of the United States Copyright Act of 1976, and is not intended to infringe upon any copyrighted material.
Summary: Anderson hates his birthday. Rival Dan Abrams isn’t helping that sentiment.
A/N: This was written for pen_of_jen in honor of Anderson’s birthday. My apologies to the makers of the film, One Fine Day, from whom I totally stole this idea. And I am not ashamed to admit it. Special thanks to fabulous beta sinnrsandsaints!!!
Anderson Cooper hated birthdays. Or rather, hated his. And it wasn’t the kind of hatred that most people had; it didn’t stem from sorrow over his birthday being ignored by his loved ones or growing another year older or any of that ridiculous nonsense. Actually, it was quite the opposite. He knew with a certainty that Erica wouldn’t allow his birthday to go by without mentioning it on-air, and more than likely with some kind of montage to thoroughly embarrass him. He knew his mother would go out of her way to make his birthday special, thereby bringing to mind regrets and past circumstances he’d rather not contemplate. And fans - people he didn’t know and would never meet - would spend too much money to send him gifts that he would never use, which always resulted in him feeling a monumental amount of guilt.
So Anderson hated his birthday. Which meant when he woke up that Tuesday morning, it was with the promise that it would be turn out to be the worst day of the entire year.
He dreaded heading into CNN, where he knew his office would be decorated with balloons and flowers and birthday greetings by well-meaning co-workers. So he took his time getting ready that morning, including finishing off two Cokes before he bothered leaving his apartment building. He had a meeting to get to, and was all ready running late, so his usual attempt at taking his time getting to work - which typically included some walking and a brief trip on the subway - turned into grabbing a cab, which also resulted in the first horrible thing on the beginning of a horrible morning.
Someone else slid into the cab at the same time; someone else who was from a rival network, and the one person who seemed most set on making his life a living hell, Dan Abrams. Just seeing him in that moment caused Anderson to reflect that there might just be one thing he hated more than birthdays. His hand was on the door, ready to get out and find another cab.
Dan rolled his eyes and settled back against the seat. “Relax, Cooper. No need to wait for another. We can be civilized.”
If Abrams was willing to extend an olive branch, then Anderson could accept it. After all, between the two of them, it probably wouldn’t be argued much as to who was the better man. Well, that was if Abrams weren’t involved in the argument.
“30 Rockefeller -“
“10 Columbus - “
They glanced at one another. Attempting to appear magnanimous, Anderson waved a hand for Dan to go first. He was surprised when Abrams leaned forward and gave both addresses. Then he leaned back, pulled a copy of the Wall Street Journal from the leather satchel at his feet, and proceeded to ignore Anderson.
The ongoing silence made him uncomfortable, especially when Dan occasionally flicked his paper, loudly. This was anything but civilized, so Anderson decided an attempt at conversation was in order.
“I thought you lived in the Village.”
“I do.” Dan glanced over at him with a smirk. “My date didn’t.”
So much for that attempt. Anderson bit the inside of his cheek to refrain from commenting. He also ignored the amusement that was so evident from the man beside him.
“Come on, Cooper. Don’t tell me you haven’t grabbed a cab to work from an address other than your own.”
“It may shock you to know this, Abrams,” Anderson responded with a pointed look, “but unlike Jossip and Page 6, I have absolutely no interest in discussing your love life.”
“Ouch.” Dan flashed him an expression that said he was clearly impressed. “Anderson Cooper steps down from ‘on high’ to deal a low blow. News at 11.” He leaned across the seat and in a staged whisper said, “And I’m not the one who happily discussed his penis on Loveline.”
Anderson seethed. Quietly. It wasn’t really in him to say what he truly wanted to say to Dan Abrams. Oh, to hell with that. “Why should you? When the rest of New York is already doing it for you.”
They exchanged mutual glares. Then immediately went back to pointedly ignoring one another.
If someone were to ask Anderson to explain his irrational dislike of Dan Abrams, he wouldn’t really be able to. After all, it wasn’t as if he really knew the man other than what he’d read about him or heard from the gossip exchanged by mutual acquaintances. They’d never actually taken the time to get to know one another, other than the occasional expected pleasantries exchanged at press events. Not that Anderson had any real desire to get to know him; the conversation in the cab was really the first they’d ever had, and it made Anderson more than certain not to have any more discussions like it.
With little else to do, Anderson pulled out his Blackberry and glanced over his schedule for the day. It was filled with meetings; he was barely going to have time to get everything prepped for the show that night. He mentally shook his head. That had to be Erica’s doing - so that she could slip in a birthday surprise without him knowing. He sat the Blackberry down on the seat beside him, fingers tapping against it as he stared out the window. He was developing a headache.
A headache that only worsened when a ringtone that sounded very much like a Coldplay tune went off from the other side of the seat. It was loud and obnoxious and Abrams let it go a little too long, to the point that Anderson identified the tune as Clocks, before finally answering. Anderson was certain he did it on purpose.
“Hello?”
Anderson told himself he was not about to listen in on his rival’s conversation. He focused on the people he saw on the street.
“Oh hey, beautiful. Haven’t heard from you in a while.”
Anderson started chewing on a thumbnail.
“Right now? Sitting beside Anderson Cooper, doing my very best to annoy the ever-loving shit out of him.”
He couldn’t let that one go. He glanced over at Abrams, glaring.
Dan smiled, and went back to his conversation. “Yeah. He’s giving me one of those condescending looks right now, as a matter of fact.”
Anderson was tempted to tell the driver to pull the car over so he could get out, but he didn’t plan on giving Abrams the satisfaction. For all he knew, it would somehow show up on his ‘Beat the Press’ segment for the evening, and Anderson was quite fed up with being regularly featured by Abrams. Not that he ever watched “Verdict”; he’d just heard from others.
He returned his attention to the street and the sounds of the city around him; horns honking, tires screeching, pedestrians shouting at drivers and one another. It served to relax him somewhat, the sights of humanity going about its daily business. It was enough to help Anderson completely block out the conversation taking place across from him. That was until he heard the call ended, and decided to give Abrams a piece of his mind.
“You know, I’d appreciate it, Abrams, if you left me out of conversations with your… dates.”
Dan shrugged, setting the phone down beside him as he leaned over to reach into the satchel at his feet, rifling through it. “I wasn’t discussing you with a ‘date’. That was Phil.”
“Griffin?” Anderson asked, blinking at Dan’s nod. “You call the head of MSNBC ‘beautiful’?”
“When it serves to freak you out? Yep.”
“I’m not - “ Anderson bit his lip to keep from continuing and looked away. He really needed to stop rising to this guy’s bait.
The rest of the ride was silent between them. When the cab pulled to a stop in front of Time Warner Center, Anderson pushed open the door and stood as he reached into his pocket for his wallet to pay for his half of the fare. He glanced in to see Dan regarding him over the top of his paper.
Figuring he should probably say something, he commented, “Well, it’s been interesting, Abrams. But next time you wish to discuss your love life with a virtual stranger, perhaps you ought to just go on Loveline and talk about your penis. I’m sure they’d love to hear all about it.”
“Well, we all know you’d like to find out about it, Cooper.”
Anderson winced internally, though he was careful to keep his expression neutral. It was an incredibly rude and hurtful thing to say, and he was more than certain at that moment that Dan Abrams truly was, indeed, the asshole rumors made him out to be. Anderson sincerely hoped they were never forced to cross paths again.
“You’re welcome to pay my fare, Abrams,” he told him stiffly before slamming the car door behind him and making his way inside the CNN building.
*****
It was the overly loud ringtone of Clocks that signaled, for the second time that day, that Anderson’s birthday sucked as usual. He reached into his pocket with dread, pulling out the Blackberry and staring down at it, head pounding with the realization that this wasn’t his phone.
It belonged to the asshole, Dan Abrams.
Dammit, he thought. He added a few other choice words before answering the call.
“Hey, baby. Last night was spectacular. I can’t wait to do it again.”
Anderson pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. “Ummm, Miss? I apologize but you have the wrong number.”
“This isn’t 291-5148?”
“Well, yeah, it is but it isn’t… I mean, I’m not Dan. He’s not here. It’s… complicated.”
“Oh.” A giggle. “Well, who is this, then?”
“Anderson Cooper.”
“Oh! Hi there! I’m Gigi. I didn’t know Dan knew you. Well, I mean, sure I figured he’d probably know you but not know you, you know?”
“I’m sure I don’t… know.”
Another giggle. “So what’s up, Anderson?”
He leaned his head against the wall of the elevator, smacking it lightly against the surface.
*****
Dan had just made it into his office, and was sitting down to switch on his monitor when he heard an unfamiliar ringtone. He frowned as he realized it was coming from the phone in his pocket; he reached in and pulled it out, staring at it. It certainly looked like his phone, except that it was in pristine condition and his had a tiny crack in the top right hand corner of the screen. He raised an eyebrow as he recognized his own number across the display.
Well, hell. That must mean…
“Good morning. This is Dan...”
“You have my phone,” Anderson told him on the other end.
“And you apparently have mine.”
“Yes. Apparently I do. By the way, Gigi called to say that last night was ‘spectacular’ and she couldn’t wait to do it again… Of course, I asked her if she had actually meant to call you to begin with.”
Dan chuckled. “Nice one. Did she ask you out? Gigi has a bit of a crush on you. I have no idea why…”
“Look. I really don’t want to continue this. I had my fill of getting to know about you and your life this morning. I have a meeting to get to, but I’d like to get my phone back, if you don’t mind.”
“I have a meeting to get to myself, so I guess we’re going to have to chat later.”
“Dammit, Abrams.”
“Besides, you didn’t say please.”
Grinning, Dan ended the call and slipped Anderson’s phone back into his pocket.
*****
As expected, Anderson had entered his office to find it covered in flowers, balloons, cards, posters and wrapped gifts. It took him a good hour to get through it all and he was continually interrupted with well-wishes from coworkers as they dropped by, thereby leaving him no time to attempt to call Dan again and demand his phone back. He had to run to his first meeting, and he was already in probably the worst mood possible. He tried to calm himself before leaving and considered tucking Dan’s Blackberry - which had a crack on the screen, proving just how much he actually took care of the thing - into his desk and pretending he had never seen it.
God, he hated the thought of having to see Dan Abrams to exchange them. Perhaps he could send someone else… No, that wouldn’t work, either, for obvious reasons. He really doubted anyone from CNN would want to walk into MSNBC.
He glared at the phone in his hand, ignored the temptation to throw it to the ground and stomp on it in a childish fit of frustration, and slipped it back into his pocket.
Later, he would go back to dealing with the Devil.
*****
Dan was heading to pour himself a cup of coffee in the staff room when Anderson’s phone trilled in his pocket. Curious as to who exactly calls Anderson, he took the call, surprised when the familiar feminine voice on the other end began speaking before he could even say hello.
“Hey, I was going to stop by Bouchon and pick up breakfast. Want anything?”
“A bagel with fat-free cream cheese, please.”
“Er… who is this?”
“Dan Abrams, at your service, Miss Hill.”
“Dan… “ Her voice fairly squeaked, and then it took on a slight tone of indignation. “What the hell are you doing with Anderson’s phone?”
“And the lioness reveals her claws…” He grinned as he leaned against the counter, setting his cup beside the espresso machine.
“You… look, where’s Anderson?”
“Probably at CNN. I mean, that’s where I last saw him. Possibly in his office, right at this very moment, staring down at my Blackberry and cussing me out.”
“You’re… I’m not even going to ask how that happened. And I can’t believe I’m asking this, but what’s your phone number?”
“Why, Erica Hill, are you planning on asking me out?”
She grew quiet. Possibly because she was too busy seething. “Are you going to give me your number so that I can call Anderson, or am I going to have to - “
Dan cut her off, laughing. “All right, all right. 291-5148. You can hang on to it, you know.”
“As if!”
If there’d been a way to slam a cell phone down, Dan expected he probably would have heard it right then.
*****
Erica wasn’t happy when she called Anderson. She offered to stop by 30 Rock and get his Blackberry for him, but Anderson knew a confrontation between her and Dan Abrams wouldn’t be pretty. While he could easily let the repeated segments of himself featured on ‘Beat the Press’ by Dan go, Erica was another story all together. She ranted more than once as to who the hell Dan Abrams thought he was - she didn’t even consider him a real journalist. He was just a talk show host who was pretending to be a lawyer pretending to be a journalist, and who the hell was he to correct them?? Her rants always served to put a smile on his face, which was probably why Anderson never really let Dan’s criticisms get to him. The phone thing, though, was another story entirely.
It rang again shortly after he hung up with her. This time, Anderson only answered because he recognized his own number calling him. “What?” he snapped.
“Why hello there, Anderson Cooper.”
“You’re having fun with this, aren’t you?”
“Aren’t you?”
“Considering I keep receiving calls from strange women, no!”
“Hey, I got a call from a strange woman, too.”
“Erica doesn’t count!”
“The jury is still out on that.”
“You’re such an ass, Abrams.”
“Love you too, Cooper.”
Anderson hung up on him.
*****
Dan was in a meeting with Phil and others with the network, when he received his first text message from Anderson.
I want my phone back!
He glanced around the table making certain no one was paying attention to him and then, holding the Blackberry on his lap, he quickly typed a response: It’s not like I’m holding it hostage or anything. Come get it.
A few moments later, the exchange continued: I’m in meetings all morning.
So send an intern…
I’m not subjecting one of our interns to you. I’m not entirely stupid.
There are so many responses I could make to that statement. It’s almost too easy...
You’re an ass, Abrams.
You’re repeating yourself, Cooper.
“Making friends again, kid?”
Dan looked over at Keith with his whispered question. “Anderson and I accidentally swapped phones this morning.”
Keith raised an eyebrow at that. “Accidentally?” he mouthed.
Dan rolled his eyes. “Yes. Though I have to say, if I’d known it would be this annoying to him, I would have arranged for it to happen much sooner.”
“You’re a sick man, Dan Abrams.”
“Thanks, Keith. From you, that’s a hell of a compliment.”
“Ahem.”
They both looked up to find Phil watching them with a raised brow. “Anything the two of you would like to share with the class, boys?”
“I think Dan has a crush on Anderson Cooper,” Keith replied.
Across the table, Chris Matthews barked in laughter. “Tell us something we didn’t know.”
Dan sighed and flipped them all off. This had to be what karma was all about.
*****
“Hello.”
“… Who’s this?”
“Dan Abrams.”
“Dan Abrams? The cute one from MSNBC who always says nasty little things about my son?”
“…. Gloria Vanderbilt?”
“Yes. What’re you doing with my son’s phone, Dan Abrams?”
“Er… Sorry. We had a little mix-up in the cab today. I got his phone; he got mine.”
“A mix-up? What were you doing in the cab with my son?”
“We accidentally grabbed it at the same time. Totally innocent, ma’am.”
“Pity. You sound charming enough… And don’t call me ma’am. Call me Gloria.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Charming only goes so far, Dan. Give me your number so I can call Anderson and wish him a happy birthday.”
“Only if you promise to call me occasionally.”
“Aren’t you a naughty one?" She laughed. "I think I’m probably a little too much for you to handle, darling.”
“Now that’s a challenge I’m more than willing to meet, Gloria.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’d suffer by comparison?”
“Ouch. Gloria, you wound me.”
“I’m more than certain you’re used to it, darling. Now, are you going to give me your phone number? I might even call you later so we can continue this fascinating conversation…”
“I’m sure Anderson would love that. 291-5148.”
“Thank you, handsome.”
“You’re more than welcome, gorgeous.”
Dan grinned as he ended the call. He was more than certain Anderson wouldn’t be too pleased if he’d heard Dan’s conversation with his mother. He probably should have recorded it.
Biting his lip, he stared down at the phone thoughtfully. Gloria had been extremely sweet and enchanting, and he’d always had the feeling that the same could be said of Anderson. He couldn’t explain why he continually targeted the man in his ‘Beat the Press’ segments. He just…. tended to notice when Anderson Cooper screwed up which, he supposed, meant he tended to notice Anderson Cooper. He really couldn’t deny that.
He knew he hadn’t made the best impression on Anderson that morning, either. It was a habit of his, saying things that most people would take as an insult when he really just meant to tease. Dan had always had a problem with conveying that he’s teasing. He actually felt guilty, the longer he thought about it, especially since it was Anderson’s birthday.
He was going to have to make it up to him.
*****
Anderson just finished a meeting and was on his way to the next when Dan’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He sighed at the thought of another ridiculous conversation with some half-witted female. Pulling it out, he glanced at the display, surprised to see a text message from Dan:
What I said earlier… it was rude of me. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.
Anderson frowned a moment, recalling the many comments he’d been allowed to take offense to since sitting with Dan in the cab. He was certain he knew which one Dan meant, though, and decided not to comment on it. Instead, he typed: Which time?
A quick response: I totally deserved that. Let me make it up to you. I’ll buy lunch and we’ll swap phones.
Anderson raised an eyebrow as he stepped into the elevator, leaning against the back wall to reply: I’m not certain my ego could withstand another 5 minutes with you, Abrams.
Come on. Live a little. Say, Landmarc at 2?
He glanced up as the elevator stopped. Wrong floor. Campbell Brown entered and he flashed a warm smile as he contemplated his reply. Well, why the hell not?
Fine. But I’m ordering the most expensive thing on the menu.
I wouldn’t expect any less of you. He smiled at the response.
*****
A call came through on Anderson’s way into the next meeting.
“Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”
Anderson groaned. “Hey, Mom. I take it you talked to Abrams?”
“Yes, we had a charming conversation. He doesn’t seem quite as rude on the phone as he does on television.”
Rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, wondering just what it was Dan said to his mother, Anderson dropped into one of the chairs surrounding the conference table. So far, there was only one other person in time for the meeting.
“He must have been on his best behavior. He’s actually a lot worse in person.”
Gloria laughed. “You don’t sound as if you’re having a very good day, Andy. It’s your birthday.”
“Precisely why I’ve been cursed with carrying Dan’s phone around this morning, stuck with taking calls from his various… women.”
His mother sighed. “I knew I’d suffer by comparison.”
“Huh?” Anderson frowned.
“Nothing, sweetheart. Never mind. You wouldn’t have time to get away for a little dinner date with your mother this evening, would you?”
“I’m afraid not, Mom. I’ve had far too many meetings, I still have to catch up with Dan to get my phone back, and then I really need to focus on tonight’s show.”
“Very well. But I am taking you away this weekend and spoiling you rotten, is that understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a smile.
There was a slight pause on her end, and Anderson got ready to say goodbye when his mother said, “You know, it’s odd how this happened with your phone swap, isn’t it?”
“Wasn’t exactly a ‘swap’, Mom.”
“No, I mean… wouldn’t it be kind of delicious gossip if Dan had meant for it to happen? I mean, wouldn’t the gossip rags just go nuts for such a rumor?”
“I seriously doubt Dan Abrams’ sexuality can ever be questioned, Mom.”
“It’s always the playboys, honey. Just remember that.”
Anderson bit his lip, trying very hard not to laugh. He should probably be recording this conversation, just so he can play it back for Dan later. He shook his head. “I’m baffled as to why we’re even discussing this.”
“Well, he is attractive.”
“Oh, god, Mom!” Anderson slumped in his chair, a hand to his forehead. “I can’t believe - you’re trying to play matchmaker for me and Dan Abrams, aren’t you? Have you lost your mind?”
“I’m just saying, Andy. Don’t get your shorts in a bundle. It’s not like I’m telling you to sleep with the guy. I’m just saying… keep an open mind.”
“I’m not discussing this with you anymore, Mother.”
Gloria laughed. “Call me later this week, sweetheart. We’ll make arrangements for the weekend. And do try to have a good birthday.”
“Thanks, Mom. I will.”
*****
Dan was late and Anderson was fuming. It was twenty minutes past two, and he was just about convinced that Dan had never meant to show up when he finally saw the man enter the bistro and head for the table. He was grinning, and slightly wet, when he sat down. Anderson glanced over his shoulder to see there was a light rain falling.
“Sorry I’m late,” Dan began, wiping droplets from his shoulders. “Ran into Rachel Maddow on the way out of my office, and we ended up arguing politics.”
Anderson held out his hand not all that interested. “May I have my phone, please?”
Dan hesitated, looking up to meet his eyes. Anderson was a little taken back when Dan bit his lower lip, smiling so that a dimple appeared above the left hand corner of his mouth. “I think I may have to hold it hostage, just so you don’t skip out of here before we even have lunch.”
Sighing, Anderson slumped back in his chair. The look on Dan’s face was far too adorable to ignore completely. He even found his own smile. “What if I give you my word?”
Dan seemed to consider it a moment, then nodded and reached into his pocket, handing the phone over. Anderson took it, and gave Dan’s to him. He checked through the text messages to see if he missed anything important; it didn’t appear so. Most were the ones he sent from Dan’s phone. The phone log was as expected as well - calls from people who turned around and called him back at Dan’s number. He noticed his mother’s name and couldn’t help remarking:
“My mother thinks you’re,” gay, “charming.”
“She was fun to talk to. I’m hoping she finds a chance to call my number again.”
“See, right there. You’re being an ass, again. The last thing I ever, ever wish to hear you say again is that you want my mother to call you.”
Dan smiled, all full of charm in that one look. “I’m just teasing, Anderson. I get the feeling she’s a little too much woman for me to handle.”
“Yeah. Can we like, not talk about my mother? At all.”
“Sure thing. What do you want to talk about?”
Well, that was the crux of the problem, wasn’t it? Exactly what was there for him and Dan Abrams to discuss? They led very different lives, and while they’d both been raised with the wealth and glamour of New York society, they’d never really crisscrossed in social circles. Dan’s family mingled with the rich, Anderson’s the famous. Dan’s name regularly appeared in all of the society rags, hanging out at polo matches and film screenings. Anderson tried his best to avoid any kind of publicity that wasn’t a necessary evil for his job. Besides working for cable news networks, they really had nothing in common.
And Anderson silently admitted to himself that could be the exact reason he took Dan up on his offer for lunch. There was something about Dan Abrams - his arrogance, his public life, his odd career choices, his almost childish playfulness - that piqued Anderson’s curiosity. So that was why he was sitting there. To see what would happen, if nothing else.
“By the way, happy birthday.”
Anderson glanced up at his words. His confusion must have been evident in his expression.
“Your mom mentioned it,” Dan told him. He tapped a long, slim finger on to Anderson’s menu. “Splurge. Kind of a birthday and ‘sorry about the phone thing’ gift from me.”
His mother had once warned him never to trust a man with perfect hands. Dan had perfect hands. Slim and pale, perfectly manicured, not a flaw on them. He must have been staring, and possibly for a while, because when he looked up, Dan was watching him curiously.
“Sorry. Ummm… don’t worry about me splurging. They had a cake for me at the last meeting. I don’t even like cake.”
Dan chuckled. “Coworkers are the worst when it comes to birthdays, aren’t they? It especially doesn’t help when you have to go on-air.”
Anderson nodded in agreement. “I just know Erica is going to do something to embarrass me. She means well, and I love her for it, but I just… don’t like all of that attention.”
“Yeah. Look, Anderson, whatever I said about Erica today… or about you and Erica on my ‘Beat the Press’ segments…you know I don’t mean it, right?”
“Then why do you do it?” Anderson asked.
“I don’t know.” Dan shrugged. “It’s just me. It’s one of the reasons my dad cautioned me against becoming a trial lawyer. He said I’d be in contempt more than anything.”
Anderson couldn’t help but smile at that. “He’s probably right.” They grinned at each other.
The server came by to take their orders and after he left, Dan talked a little bit more about what led him into television. Anderson found himself relaxing as the man across from him spoke. There was an odd contradictory quality to Dan that Anderson couldn’t quite put his finger on. Every time he thought he had him figured out that day, Dan would do or say something to change his mind. He would have said, before meeting Dan for lunch, that he totally had him pegged. But now, as he listened and watched, growing amused by the animated and expressive way Dan spoke - he couldn’t seem to not be playing with something or drumming his fingers against the table - Anderson realized there was a lot more to him than he’d ever expected.
By the time they finished lunch, Anderson found himself opening up and talking; about work and his many reasons for hating birthdays, a few of the places he’d traveled, and some of the things he’d seen. Dan had grown surprisingly quiet, still moving, still animated, his fingers playing with packets of sugar, but obviously paying attention. Occasionally he’d interject with a question, but they were usually short, sometimes one-worded, sometimes just wanting to know why or how or what Anderson thought of a certain situation. The inquisitiveness surprised him; it shouldn’t have, most journalists were naturally inquisitive, but he expected a more confrontational approach from Dan. The more Anderson thought about it, the more he was certain that side of Dan was probably there, he was just behaving in an incredibly reticent manner for the moment. Anderson couldn’t help but wonder why that was.
When the plates were cleared and the bill paid for, Anderson walked Dan out of Time Warner Center. He thought it was the polite thing to do, since Dan had come to him to swap phones. They were both silent for the first few moments, stepping between the crowds to reach the sidewalk.
“I think I’m just going to walk back,” Dan commented, turning to face Anderson. “My next meeting isn’t for another hour.”
“At least it isn’t raining anymore.” Anderson glanced up at the now blue sky before glancing back at Dan. “Thanks for bringing my phone back. And for lunch.”
Dan shrugged, biting his lower lip, something Anderson had noted he did occasionally throughout the meal when he was thinking. “Wasn’t a big deal. Sorry about the phone mishap in the first place.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Yeah, well, I could have been a little less of an ass about it.”
Anderson giggled slightly. “That’s true.”
Dan smiled at him. He held out his hand. “Well, it was nice to finally get to know you, Anderson Cooper.”
Staring at the hand before him for a moment, Anderson finally reached out and took it. The skin was as soft as he expected, though the grip firm. They both held on a little longer than necessary.
“You too, Dan Abrams,” he said, and meant it.
They let go and Dan gave him a little half-smile before turning and heading down the street toward Rockefeller Plaza. Anderson watched him go, oddly wishing lunch had lasted a little bit longer.
*****
The last half of the day went a bit more smoothly than the first half. He worked with the crew on that night’s AC360, going over the stories with Erica and keeping tabs on each breaking headline. Occasionally he pulled out his Blackberry, staring at it, a little saddened that it wasn’t trilling with overly loud Coldplay music. He contemplated sending Dan a text, but didn’t know what to say. Hey, it was nice to discover you aren’t really an asshole? Or how about, a part of me wishes we hadn’t swapped phones back quite so soon. No, there was no way in hell he was sending that one.
And it didn’t matter that he found himself unable to stop thinking about Dan Abrams. That he kept replaying their lunch conversation over in his mind, remembering Dan’s many expressions, the drumming of his fingers against the table top, playing with his utensils, tapping his foot in a constant beat. He blamed his mother for all of it. If she hadn’t hinted at the possibility… He sighed. The last thing he needed was to be crushing on a man who was totally and completely hetero.
Even if Dan did seem to be flirting with Anderson over lunch.
“Erica?”
“Hmmm?”
“What do you think of Dan Abrams?”
“I try not to.”
“I’m serious.”
Erica glanced up at him, blinking for a moment, as if catching on that this was more than just casual conversation. “Umm, well, he’s cute. You know, if you like that cocky conceited type.”
“He didn’t really seem that way, though,” Anderson commented, leaning his elbows on his desk. “During lunch. In fact, he was really… easy to talk to.”
“Maybe he was trying to impress you.”
“Why would he want to do that?”
Erica shrugged and got to her feet. “I need to call David real quick before the show. Be right back and we‘ll head down?”
Anderson nodded, silently watching her as she exited his office. He glanced at his watch. “Verdict” would be starting any moment. Worrying his lower lip for a moment, he reached out to grab the remote to the flat panel in his office, switching the channel over to MSNBC. He watched as Keith signed off, and then found himself smiling a little as Dan appeared, rambling off the top stories of the hour and the panelists who would be joining him. He doesn’t pay much attention to what’s said; focused instead on Dan and the mannerisms that he apparently carries over on-air from real life. He’d never noticed before that day, but Dan Abrams was surprisingly hyper.
When ‘Beat the Press’ rolled around, Anderson honestly hadn’t expected to see himself featured. Dan was grinning as he gave the introduction and Anderson mentally cringed, but it was a small snippet from the night before. One in which Anderson had made a joke, calling The New York Times on a story that was wrong with regards to facts. When it came back to Dan, he complimented Anderson on catching the mistake and then wished him a happy birthday.
Erica walked back into find Anderson smiling. She glanced at the TV, and then back at him. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” He switched off the power and got up. “Ready?”
Taking her arm, Anderson led Erica toward the studio.
*****
AC360 had just ended and they were preparing to leave when Anderson’s phone vibrated in his pocket, indicating a new text message. He pulled it out, smiling when he recognized the number.
Just to let you know, I still have your number.
Anderson replied, perhaps a bit too quickly: I knew I should have deleted it from your phone…
Another quick response. Your subconscious wouldn’t let you.
Anderson smiled. You featured me on ‘Beat the Press’ again.
You saw that?
Yeah. And you made me smile. Thanks.
You’re welcome, Anderson Cooper.
“You know, if you had asked me this morning, I would have said Dan Abrams was the biggest walking douche on the planet,” he commented to Erica as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.
“And now?”
“Now? I think he's kind of wonderful.”
*****
Anderson was tired by the time he got home, and more than glad that his birthday was now, officially over. That meant his day would be good from here on out. When he reached the elevator that would take him to his penthouse, he pressed the button and leaned against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. The day had been a surprising one, and perhaps not all together as bad as he had at first made it out to be. If nothing else, it had been the most memorable birthday of the last few years.
“You know, it was a little weird…”
Anderson jumped slightly at the voice, opening his eyes to find Dan leaning across from him, on the opposite side of the elevator doors.
“I got back to my office from lunch, and I found myself wishing I had a reason to call you. Couldn’t think of one, though. Well, not until the text.”
Once Anderson got over his initial shock, he found himself replying, “You know, you don’t have to have one. You can call any time.”
Dan smiled at that, pushing away from the wall to walk up to Anderson. “And, is it okay if I just… drop by?”
Anderson shrugged with nonchalance. "Of course… But, how --?"
"Your mom called."
"Of course." Anderson shook his head, smiling slightly. His mother knew him better than he did.
“You… don’t mind, do you? I mean, now that I’m here...”
“Oddly enough, no.” Anderson held Dan’s eyes, wondering why he never noticed before just how very green they were. “In fact, I’m kind of glad.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Dan smirked, the dimple appearing, and then leaned in and pressed his lips to Anderson’s. It was surprising but not unwanted. Unfortunately, it was far too brief. Pulling back, Dan seemed to be searching Anderson’s face for approval.
Anderson raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think that you... “ He waved a hand between them. “You know."
"I like to keep people guessing."
"You're pretty damn good at it."
Dan smiled again, biting his lower lip. It was entirely too much for Anderson. He wrapped his fingers around Dan’s tie and pulled him in for another kiss, a real one this time, with tongues, and hands tugging, and soft gasps of pleasure. It was a few moments before it ended, and Anderson opened his eyes to find Dan grinning at him, like the cat that ate the canary.
“What?”
“I should have swapped our phones sooner...”