The Raven's Nightingale

#4 Part 4: Club Casanova

I waited until she had closed the door before turning around to check on Mac. He still had his face buried in the papers but pulled out a remote from somewhere on his desk. Slowly the blinds on the glass walls began to come down from a rectangular box that I hadn't noticed was above them before.

Mac closed up the file after signing something and then looked up at me. He gestured for me to come closer as he got up from his chair and sat on the edge of the desk. Confused, I slowly walked over until I was standing in front of him. I stiffened when Mac rested his hands on my hips.

"Mac," I warned him as he got that look in his eyes that I knew all too well. Mac sighed and closed his eyes. Head hung low. I vaguely felt Mac's hands tighten on my hips as he let out a shaky breath.

"They couldn't find who created the breach, whoever it was really cleaned up after themselves when they left," Mac commented through gritted teeth. I glanced over to the file and saw that it was from their communications and security departments. They must've completed their investigation already. "This is a first, and I don't think that I've felt this frustrated in a long time. I still have a bit of work to do but I just really need a moment to clear my head."

"Okay," I murmured as I relaxed into Mac's grip. He always did get really stressed out when things didn't go his way. It had been a while since I had seen him be this stressed out though that he needed to be physically calmed down. "Maybe, you're right, maybe its just some harmless stalker that's just trying to freak you out and get you to react."

Mac sighed and nodded slowly. Even with his eyes closed I could tell that he was still thinking too much with his skin crinkling slightly at the edges of his eyes. I reached up and gently massaged the wrinkles and crinkles that were starting to form around his eyes and on his forehead. Mac slowly opened his eyes and looked down to me.

"But what if you're right? Maybe we should move dinner to a different day until we can get this guy?"

"No, you are not getting out of this dinner that easily," I cut Mac off as I gripped more tightly to his face so that he would look right at me. I was probably being a bit more aggressive than I needed to be, but I was actually looking forward to going out tonight.

"No, I don't mean that, I want to go out with you tonight I'm just not sure if it'll be safe. If you really feel like you'll be okay and safe enough with me then we can still go, but if you have any doubts, I need you to tell me now."

"Mac, I'll be fine. Besides the photos that the guy could've gotten from anywhere, nothing else has really happened, right?"

"As true as that may be it doesn't make me feel any better, however, you are right and I shouldn't let some rando spoil the night that I had planned for you."

"Oh, so you did have something planned? How long had you been planning something like this?" I asked trying not to sound too cheeky. I slipped out of Mac's grasp and sat down on one of the chairs that was in front of his desk. Mac chuckled as he returned to his chair on the other side of the desk.

"It wasn't anything like that, though I can't say that I didn't want toplan something so elaborate as to get you to come to me on your own," Mac saidas he laced his fingers together and leaned back in his chair. "The only thing that I tried for, was to get youto come out to dinner with me. And then maybe a second date?"

"Well, let's see how tonight goes, but we aren't going to get to it if you don't finish your paperwork by the time that you made for the dinner reservations," I commented trying to get Mac back on track.  Mac gave me a small smile before sitting back up in his chair and resuming his paperwork. Going through them like a machine, but still taking the time to read through each of the contracts and papers. I tried my best to busy myself around the office or on my phone, trying my best to not distract Mac.

After what felt like forever, Mac finally put down the pen, sighed and leaned back in his chair. Stretching his arms up over his head and beyond the head cushion of the chair. With a loud groan Mac slowly dropped his arms back down on to his lap. I watched from where I lay on the couch towards the side of the office as Mac closed his eyes and leaned his head back over the edge of the head cushion on his chair. He absently rubbed at his right shoulder while scrunching up his face in pain. I sighed before I got up from where I was on the couch and walked over to where Mac was sat in his chair.

"You don't need to overdo yourself, Mac, or you're just going to be needlessly stressing yourself out," I murmured as I stood just behind the right side of his chair. I hesitated a moment before reaching out and gently grasping Mac's shoulder and the lower part of his neck in my hands. I slowly began to massage small circles into Mac's back, neck, and shoulder on the right side of his body. He made small noises as I rubbed the knots and tension out of his shoulder and neck. I was so immersed in what I was doing that I didn't hear the door open until someone cleared their throat. I froze and looked up to see Julie standing in the middle of the office with her tablet in her arms. I immediately dropped my arms and could feel my face start to burn. Mac just grunted before sighing as he looked over to Julie.

"You're early," Mac stated flatly, he seemed to be almost pouting at the fact that she had interrupted what I had been doing. Julie didn't say anything for a moment as she glanced between the both of use before glancing to the stack of finished papers on the desk.

"If I had known that he was going to be such a good influence on you I would've suggested that you bring him in sooner," Julie commented, completely ignoring what Mac had said and what she had just walked in on. "I'll go and distribute these to the proper people and make sure that everything that needs to be filed away gets taken care of. That was all that I needed from you for today, there aren't other things on the docket today other than that meeting that we discussed. Did you want me to just turn them away since they came in here unannounced and with such a dismal offer?"

"Please, I have told them more than once that I don't want to deal with their company, especially with their background and history with the tabloids," Mac replied as he sat up straighter in his chair. "If they give you any trouble get security to escort them out of the building."

Julie nodded before briskly walking up to the desk and, after tucking the tablet under her arm, took the stack of papers off of the desk and just as quickly as she entered the office she left.

"So, are you ready for our dinner reservation?" Mac asked as he looked to me over hisshoulder.

A/N: Sorry this part is a bit short! Next part should be a bit longer :)