Death and Dinner Drabble
Since we seem to have a running theme of drabbles and I can't seem to write much more than a drabble these days, well, here's a drabble.
Olivia and Alex sat in the dimly lit restaurant, Alex perusing her menu and Olivia running her finger around the rim of her wineglass. Since they arrived neither said much beyond the usual ‘How was your day’ pleasantries. Alex noticed a storm brewing under the surface of Olivia and wondered if she was brave enough to ask what was going on with her new friend. She didn’t have to wait long to find out what was troubling the detective.
“My mom died today.” Olivia stated flatly as she tipped her wine glass to her mouth.
“What?” Alex asked whipping her head up from her menu.
“My mom…”
“No, I heard you the first time.” Alex replied shaking her head, “How?”
“She fell down a flight of subway steps outside The Velvet Room.” Olivia paused, “She was drunk.”
Alex looked into the older woman’s eyes trying to get a read on the woman sitting across from her, “You okay?”
“Yup.” Olivia replied taking another sip of wine, her eyes never leaving the fork she had been fingering since she began talking.
“We can go, we, I don’t know, I don’t think we should be having a friendly dinner out considering…”
“Considering what Alex? My mom was a drunk who took a tumble, sooner or later I knew this was going to happen.” Olivia finished with a shrug.
“Liv, look at me.”
Olivia looked into Alex’s blue eyes, clouded with compassion and she thought maybe tears.
“You don’t need to be nonchalant on my account. We should go.” Alex said putting her menu down and grabbing her purse.
“Alex I’m fine, really. Since the Captain told me this morning about it, well, let’s just say this is the only good thing that happened today. I want to stay here and enjoy this dinner. Okay? Please?”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes, absolutely certain.”
Alex was stunned that Olivia could be so complacent about her mother’s death. She always had the impression the detective was close to her mother. There was the happy picture of the two on her desk and she had overheard several conversations she had with Elliot about her. The woman sitting across from her acted like she didn’t care the least, acted like someone she’d barely known had died, she certainly wasn’t acting like someone who’d just lost her mother.
“Have you made arrangements yet?” Alex asked, not looking away from her menu.
“Pre-planned. All I have to do is show up and pay my respects.” Olivia signaled the waiter for another glass of wine.
Olivia didn’t want to talk about her mother or the impending funeral. She wanted to take her mind off the events of the day and decided to get to know Alex Cabot a little better.
“So Alex, why are you having dinner with me instead of some handsome, rich attorney?”
Alex chuckled, “Because it was a beautiful, underpaid cop who asked me.”
“Are you implying you don’t often get invitations?”
“That’s exactly what I’m implying. My ‘Ice Princess’ persona must scare men. Of course you wouldn’t be afraid because you carry a gun and can easily dispense of me if I get on your nerves.” Alex retorted trying to lighten the mood.
“Oh come on Counselor, I’d never waste a bullet on you.”
Alex had to look at Olivia to make sure what she thought was a joke was in fact one. She was relieved to see it was before allowing a grin to spread across her face.
“That’s good to know Detective. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I make you angry.”
Alex placed her menu at the edge of the table and began running her finger along the base of her wineglass.
“I should ask you the same question you asked me.”
“And I’d answer that I am having dinner with a beautiful, rich attorney.”
“Got me there didn’t you?”
“I believe I did.” She replied with a smile.
Olivia and Alex sat in the dimly lit restaurant, Alex perusing her menu and Olivia running her finger around the rim of her wineglass. Since they arrived neither said much beyond the usual ‘How was your day’ pleasantries. Alex noticed a storm brewing under the surface of Olivia and wondered if she was brave enough to ask what was going on with her new friend. She didn’t have to wait long to find out what was troubling the detective.
“My mom died today.” Olivia stated flatly as she tipped her wine glass to her mouth.
“What?” Alex asked whipping her head up from her menu.
“My mom…”
“No, I heard you the first time.” Alex replied shaking her head, “How?”
“She fell down a flight of subway steps outside The Velvet Room.” Olivia paused, “She was drunk.”
Alex looked into the older woman’s eyes trying to get a read on the woman sitting across from her, “You okay?”
“Yup.” Olivia replied taking another sip of wine, her eyes never leaving the fork she had been fingering since she began talking.
“We can go, we, I don’t know, I don’t think we should be having a friendly dinner out considering…”
“Considering what Alex? My mom was a drunk who took a tumble, sooner or later I knew this was going to happen.” Olivia finished with a shrug.
“Liv, look at me.”
Olivia looked into Alex’s blue eyes, clouded with compassion and she thought maybe tears.
“You don’t need to be nonchalant on my account. We should go.” Alex said putting her menu down and grabbing her purse.
“Alex I’m fine, really. Since the Captain told me this morning about it, well, let’s just say this is the only good thing that happened today. I want to stay here and enjoy this dinner. Okay? Please?”
“You’re certain?”
“Yes, absolutely certain.”
Alex was stunned that Olivia could be so complacent about her mother’s death. She always had the impression the detective was close to her mother. There was the happy picture of the two on her desk and she had overheard several conversations she had with Elliot about her. The woman sitting across from her acted like she didn’t care the least, acted like someone she’d barely known had died, she certainly wasn’t acting like someone who’d just lost her mother.
“Have you made arrangements yet?” Alex asked, not looking away from her menu.
“Pre-planned. All I have to do is show up and pay my respects.” Olivia signaled the waiter for another glass of wine.
Olivia didn’t want to talk about her mother or the impending funeral. She wanted to take her mind off the events of the day and decided to get to know Alex Cabot a little better.
“So Alex, why are you having dinner with me instead of some handsome, rich attorney?”
Alex chuckled, “Because it was a beautiful, underpaid cop who asked me.”
“Are you implying you don’t often get invitations?”
“That’s exactly what I’m implying. My ‘Ice Princess’ persona must scare men. Of course you wouldn’t be afraid because you carry a gun and can easily dispense of me if I get on your nerves.” Alex retorted trying to lighten the mood.
“Oh come on Counselor, I’d never waste a bullet on you.”
Alex had to look at Olivia to make sure what she thought was a joke was in fact one. She was relieved to see it was before allowing a grin to spread across her face.
“That’s good to know Detective. I’ll have to keep that in mind the next time I make you angry.”
Alex placed her menu at the edge of the table and began running her finger along the base of her wineglass.
“I should ask you the same question you asked me.”
“And I’d answer that I am having dinner with a beautiful, rich attorney.”
“Got me there didn’t you?”
“I believe I did.” She replied with a smile.