simplewords | A chance to start over (for hellsbestlaywer)

[ Lindsey arrived punctually, just a few minutes early but not enough to appear overly eager or excited. That was Sam's job as the new intern, although considering they were having lunch first, an early arrival may merely indicate hunger.

The spot was near the main offices, making it a short trip over for when they were done. ]

Sam. [ Lindsey walked up with a smile and a wave. ]

I hope I didn't keep you waiting? I have reservations for us.

Not at all. [He smiled pleasantly at the other man and took a step towards him to follow.]

So, where are we going?

[ Looking over Sam, Lindsey was satisfied that the younger man was dressed up for the occasion. They were visiting Wolfram and Hart after lunch after all. ]

There's a wonderful Italian restaurant just around the corner here.

So, how did your exams go?

Sounds great. [He smiled a little bit and went to follow Lindsey.

He had dressed up since he knew they'd be checking out Wolfram and Hart after they were done with lunch, in his best suit. He was looking to make an impression here definitely.]

Great. A lot of work, but I did well.

No less than what I expected. When are results out? Two weeks?

[ The early summer weather with a light breeze made it a great day for walking outdoors. It was a short walk just around the corner, and given that it was lunch time, there were several people waiting inside the restaurant for a seat.

Lindsey navigated through them easily and addressed the server by name. He didn't even need to announce himself, the server already recognized him with a wide smile. ]

Mr. McDonald! Your table is ready. Please, follow me.

Yeah, two weeks.

[But he's pretty sure he did well. One thing Sam didn't lack confidence in was his brain. He worked out to keep his grades up, studied more than anyone he knew.

And hopefully that would pay off.

When they got inside the restaurant, Sam followed him to their table when they were shown. Nice place really... nicer than any place Sam usually went to, that was for sure]

[ It was something Sam would need to get used to sooner or later as he could hardly be seen eating in fast food dumps when he represented Wolfram and Hart. ]

And when do you want to start your new job?

[ Settling into their seats, Lindsey smiled as they were handed menus. ] But we can discuss that later. Let's eat first, business after.

[Sam was about to answer but the menus were in his hands and he glimpsed over it curiously.] Food sounds great... anything you recommend?

Well, their stone oven pizzas are great.

[ He browsed over his own menu. The place had the typical selection for an Italian restaurant, pasta, pizza, and some miscellaneous things. ]

I think I'll have that, their house special.

Pizza sounds great actually...

[Everything on the menu looked good and the restaurant smelled fantastic...]

That looks good too. [he pauses and glimpses up.] So, uh... how have things been anyway?

[Maybe that was too personal, but after their last encounter? They'd kind of crossed the line already.]

It's been pretty good. [ If it was meant to be a personal question, Lindsey steered it off towards a more professional bent. ] Our department's just starting a new project, so it would be the perfect time for you to come in.

[ It was even a relatively low supernatural involvement project, the perfect way to introduce Sam Winchester into the fold. ]

Are you ready to order?

Sounds great. Can you tell me something about it? [He smiles and at the next question, nods. Actually, he's kind of starving.

Breakfast hadn't seemed nearly as important as getting ready when he was rushing around this morning.

When their waiter checked with them, Sam had already decided on the special he'd been recommended.]

I'm afraid I can't tell you more until you have signed your confidentiality agreements and swore away your soul. [ Lindsey's grin was kind though and for all appearances he was simply joking.

And with perfect timing, the waiter's arrival interrupted any more questions and Lindsey placed his order for the special as well. ]

Let's not talk about work. You'll have a whole afternoon of that coming up.

[he gave a laugh at the joke -- well, he assumed it was a joke -- and nodded after they'd both given their orders.]

Sure, alright. [he gave a curious look.] What would you like to talk about then?

[ Sam will find out eventually that the joke was on him. Not now though, that would ruin their lunch. ]

Exams just finished for you, didn't they? I'm surprised you wanted to make the meeting so soon, no getting drunk and hungover from celebrations for you?

[ Then as if realizing that he inadvertently touched on their last awkward time together, Lindsey gave Sam a quick glance. ]

[If it was awkward, Sam didn't show it. It brought back plenty of memories -- but he really wanted this to work out and it couldn't do that if he couldn't even be in the same room with Lindsey, could it?

So all he got was a bit of a headshake.]

Guess I've never been big on parties. I am relieved to get a little bit of a break though.

[ Seeing that reaction relaxed Lindsey into a pleasant smile. He really was getting to like this Winchester boy, and in a way, was glad that he got this assignment. It might be challenging, but it seemed potentially rewarding. ]

Being eager for work's good, but as someone used to tell me, you need to know when to relax and enjoy things in life.

[ Lindsey beamed when the waitress returned with their salads. ] Like the excellent food in this restaurant.

I guess you're right... [He shook his head, smiling. How weird would it be to say that he was actually enjoying doing mundane things? Like go to school, come home, go to work... these were things he'd never had growing up and he was finding himself settling in quite well.

He thanked the waitress when she put down his salad.] It smells great in here... I really can't imagine the food being disappointing.

[ Lindsey, in a way, could understand that. He didn't have those things growing up either, but that was probably because he came from a dirt poor family that he was embarrassed about that he never mentioned. ]

Only one way to find out. [ He gestured to their salads. ]

Dig in.

[ Following his own advice, he dug in, literally digging his fork into the small porcelain bowl that held his salad. As expected, it was excellent, and he made little small talk as they ate. ]

What kind of hobbies do you have, Sam?

[Sam dug in when Lindsey did. It really was great -- not that he hadn't expected it to be or anything.

He gave a glimpse up at the question and hummed thoughtfully.]

I do, sure. [Growing up on the road hadn't let him explore too many really, but...]

I'm not all that exciting though... I'm afraid reading is my main hobby. How about you?

[ Lindsey wasn't all that interesting either as his life pretty much rotated around his work. He had to put in the hours, and to remain impressive in his standing that meant he had to put in more than the required hours.

That was how he made junior partner so quickly and how he got assigned this important case.

But he had to tell the kid something. ]

I like music... [ As if realizing how vague that was, he smiled and tried again. ] I mean, I write some and have a guitar at home.

Really? [He returns the smile at that. He could understand, being so dedicated that you lost sight of things like hobbies. But that one? Sounded like a good one.]

That sounds great. I always wanted to learn something... Hey, maybe I could hear you play sometime?

[ Lindsey smiled a bit at that, almost looking boyish in his expression. ]

Uh, yeah, sure. I mean, I play at a bar sometimes... [ Except the place was a demonic karaoke bar and he doubted he could take Sam there. At least, not until a lot later. ]

Though not lately.

[The lunch went well -- they chatted, spoke about the job and Sam's responsibilities before he they headed back for a tour. Maybe if Sam had been paying more attention, he'd have realized it felt like he got a clipped version, wasn't shown a lot, but... it was understandable, right? Probably plenty that they wouldn't trust him with for awhile.

But he'd work his way up. He'd always been ambitious and driven and when he put his mind to something? He had no doubt he could get it. After all,t hat stubborn determination had gotten him into law school and away from a life that he hadn't wanted.

After the tour and getting acquainted with the place, Sam was put to work. He'd thought it would be awkward after their first encounter, working under Lindsey, but he couldn't complain much. The work was... well, work. He didn't get to slack off, not that he would have, but Lindsey wasn't a bad guy. He actually really liked him, actually. He was glad they had managed to keep things civil, friendly even.

It was the end of his third day and Sam was just grabbing his things to head home for the night when he saw Lindsey approaching him. He paused, giving a short nod.]

Hey. [His expression turned a little more curious.] Hope I didn't forget anything.

[ All in all, the carefully planned tour, introduction of Sam to some of the other employees at Wolfram and Hart —Lilah was coolly cordial, Holland was fatherly and smooth, most of the others were friendly and smiled like they knew something—, and getting Sam eased off into some general work.

The Winchester boy had only signed the conditional contract after, on the first day, with the official one to follow when the results of the exams came out. It was standard procedure, and if they hired him without going through at least that, it would be suspicious.

For two days it all went well, then the random mind reading happened and Lindsey was mortified. He knew it had to come out sooner or later, he was merely hoping on later, They found out about his night with Sam, yet instead of punishing him, they added a new part to his assignment. Lindsey was aghast, but with the alternative being something so painful and lethal as to not bear imagining, he chose to follow instructions.

It lead him to approaching Sam after work on the third day with a disarming smile. ]

Oh no, not at all. Your work's impeccable. Actually, I was wondering... you have plans for tonight?

[Sam pauses at the question, a little caught off guard by what was apparently an invitation. Not that he didn't like the guy enough to hang out with him socially, but he hadn't exactly expected. He'd kind of figured they were keeping it strictly business after the last time...

But after the surprise wore off, Lindsey was met with a smile in return.]

Not unless you count going home to a TV dinner. [One day, he might learn to make more than just a salad or how to warm something over, but that would have to wait.] Why?

[ That was a step in Lindsey's direction. But what did he expect, the kid was a student up until a week ago. ]

I was thinking if you'd want to head out to dinner. [ He smiled. It was very different from the lawyer Sam had seen the last two days but closer to the man who drank with him in his apartment. ] You're a lawyer now, TV dinners should be of the past.

[ Then his smile turned into a conspiring grin. ] At least order take-out.

[He gave a short chuckle, ducking his head down. Yeah, this was definitely unexpected... but not unwelcome.] I'm afraid I'm not much of a cook, so TV dinners have always been a go-to if I want something warm.

[Plus, growing up? They'd been easy and cheap. Not that he was going to get into that...

Besides, the grin on Lindsey's face got him to arch his brows, just a little surprised. Huh...] Takeout... yeah, that's definitely a better option.

[Man, what was he doing? Probably just being friendly and Sam should definitely not be thinking back to a drunken mistake.] Did you have a place in mind?

[ Lindsey hadn't actually expected Sam to agree to the take-out option. He had meant to throw it in as an alternative for tv dinners, but fully intended to take Sam out. However, now that Sam agreed to the idea, Lindsey couldn't take it back.

What the hell, he was supposed to be seducing the man, right? Going back to the scene of crime where they made out last time would be the best option.

If not horribly awkward. ]

Sure, there's some great places around here we can order out from. We're in the high end business quarters, they expect people to not have time to eat in.

[ Lindsey grinned at the idea. ] You supply the beers and I'll buy the dinner? [ It was a Friday night after all, and Lindsey got weekends off for this assignment. One of the perks of this entail. ]

[It was awkward. Maybe he shouldn't have umped on this, all things considered. What happened last time... he really was worried if something got out of hand again, it might bleed over into his work, make things awkward there.

But the grin set him at ease and he told himself to just let it go. Lindsey wanted to hang out and there wasn't anything wrong with hanging out with people you worked with socially, right?

God, he hoped so.]

Sure, just stocked my fridge. [He smiled a little.] What are you int he mood for?

[ Lindsey would probably point out that social hanging out wouldn't be inviting your supervisor over to your place for beer and dinner, and in this law firm, it was an especially bad idea, but he had no grounds to say those things on. And since it would interfere with his own plans horribly, it wasn't something he would say anyway. ]

I don't know... Italian? [ He chuckled softly after that. ] I don't mean pizza.

[ Grabbing his hanging jacket, he put it back on. ] You drove, right? I can meet you at the place, or if you trust me with your dinner, you can head back first and I can show up with delivery after.

[ The latter might be a good idea to give them both a little time to calm their nerves, Lindsey hoped Sam would go for that option. ]

[Either way you looked at it, this was a bad idea, but Sam had already kind of put his foot in his mouth and it was happening. Hopefully, it'll work out in the end though.

He nodded at the suggestion, pushing down any nerves or any urge to kick his own ass for a pretty poor spur of the moment decision. That wouldn't help at all.] Yeah, sure, I trust you.

[And it gave him a minute to cool down on top of it all.] I'll see you in a little bit then?

[ Perhaps Sam wouldn't have been so trusting had he known of Lindsey's agenda, or all the things the other lawyer wasn't telling him. But in this at least Lindsey was as nervous as Sam, though his smile showed more confidence than he felt. ]

Alright, I'll be by in half an hour or so. It's hard to say since they're usually packed for the weekends.

[ With agreements made and temporary good byes said, Lindsey went to pick up their dinner, some wonderful seafood pasta thing, along with a bottle of white wine to match. Wine was better than beer, right? And he assumed Sam would have restocked his beer if they really wanted some of that.

About forty five minutes later, Lindsey showed up, still in his work clothes, with take out in one hand and a the wine bottle cradled in the other. ]

Somebody called for delivery?

Edited 2013-08-12 20:20 (UTC)

[If he'd known what was really going on here, he would have been running the other way so fast and possibly calling Dean and Dad for help... but he was oblivious for right now.

Although when Lindsey showed up with pasta and wine? He was starting to wonder just what tonight was supposed to be about, where it was going.

But he had sense and tact enough to not ask, so the man got a welcoming smile as Sam stepped aside to let him in.]

Smells great. Come on in. I'll, uh, get us some glasses for that.

[ What a person didn't know kept them safe. Sometimes. Probably the case in Sam's situation. Although, there was nothing overly nefarious planned tonight but an opportunistic dinner and, if things went smoothly, they could spend more time together. Nothing what they hadn't done before. ]

Yeah, thanks.

[ Lindsey walked in smiling brightly and placing the items on the table. He had been here last time and still remembered the layout. It was there that they signed the contract, on those couches that they got plastered, and that hallway where they sauntered off...

He turned his eyes back to Sam. ]

I got seafood linguine and I thought a bottle of white would go better with it than beer. I hope you don't mind?

I don't mind at all.

[Sam honestly wasn't a big wine drinker, but he'd give it a try. Besides, his mind was still racing a little too much with the fact that Lindsey was back in his apartment again and he had no idea what to do or how to handle it.

Maybe a drink would relax him.

He'd just have to remember to cut it off before he got smashed again. He didn't want to embarrass himself.

Once Sam had glasses for the wine, he went to place them on the table.]

Smells great, by the way.

[ In their profession, one better learn to drink wine with the occasion, although what that occasion was here was a good question. It certainly wasn't what it looked to be, and as Lindsey moved to set their dinner out on the table, he wasn't sure he knew what it was either.

He wasn't sure he knew what he was doing either. ]

It's a good place. A lot of our employees eat from there.

[ At least last time he wasn't at the table, but was only on the couch. Thinking about it now, his eyes strayed briefly to that couch space before turning to look back at Sam. ]

I just thought it'd be nice to have company on a Friday night... Better than eating alone. [ He smiled up a little awkwardly at the younger man. ]

Sam could drink it, even if he wasn't familiar with it typically. He'd likely had worse, stealing his dad's rotgut whiskey.

Mostly, he was still focused on this. It wasn't just a friendly dinner... at least it didn't feel like it. He wasn't entirely sure how to approach this. Did he ask? Did he pretend to not notice and keep it friendly?

Maybe he should just focus on eating. Right, that was easier.

He gave a smile and moved to take a seat now that the table was. "It's true. I don't usually have weekend plans, but... they're nice."

"You should more," Lindsey said as he took the spot at the table across from Sam. "While you're still new. You'll learn that later on, we won't have much opportunity to when we start getting immersed in cases."

Since it was take out, there wasn't much serving of the food required, but he did work to open the boxes so all that he got them was spread before them.

"Take it from someone who's been there," Lindsey said with a conspiring grin as he heaped his plate with generous portions. He had got a lot, more than two people's share just to ensure that they had variety. "The time between getting out of school and before I start piling work on you is probably the most you'll get for anything. Give it a few weeks and you'll be taking work home on weekends."

"I guess I've never really been the type." He shrugged as he picked up his glass to take a drink from it.

"I don't mind working on weekends." He's used to it. Research instead of partying, making up homework in between hunts like he used to do when he traveled with his family. Sam was pretty okay with it, for the most part.

"But I'll try to take your suggestion and get out more. I guess it would be nice."

"You're not a student anymore," Lindsey reminded him as he too took up his own glass as well. The wine went down smoothly, a good choice with the food as the slight fruit flavor covered the alcohol well. "Some things should change."

He ate a bit before continuing, "Like getting yourself a girlfriend... Although, I'm one to speak." He chuckled lightly, wondering if he was being too bold or obvious, but figured that he could just say Holland told him the same words when he first got into the business. Was actively telling him the same thing too, up until the Winchester boy entered the picture and now they told him to get a boyfriend instead.

"Don't mind me, Sam. I got the same spiel when I entered the firm." He smiled, "Although admittedly, it wasn't over dinner." And as an abrupt change before things could get awkward, Lindsey asked, "So, what do you think of the shrimp?"

"I had a girlfriend, actually..." He shrugged. And Jessica was still perfect, still amazing... but even he had to realize that a relationship built on so many lies wasn't going to be good for either of them. It was too dangerous for her, to stay involved with him.

"Didn't exactly work out though."

And he was grateful for the subject change. He gave a laugh and took another drink from his glass. "It's great. You've got good taste in restaurants... I think I'll have to hit you up for more recommendations sometime."

Nowhere in the files did it say Sam Winchester had a girlfriend. Lindsey tried not to look surprised by the news, and hoped he didn't look relieved either when Sam said it didn't work out. Not that it put his own position in a good one but it did allow him to pursue his task easier.

"I'll be glad to show you to some of them," Lindsey said with a friendly smile, his choice of word purposeful in this case. Not recommend, not tell, but personally show.

"Maybe we can eat out together for lunch sometime next week," he continued easily, ignoring anything that wasn't a positive reaction from Sam. "I eat by myself most of the time at lunch anyway." He didn't used to, but ever since getting the assignment, he had to, just to give Sam a chance to approach him.

"Uh-" There was surprise on Sam's face and then he was quiet as he considered this. Sam might not be as big of a flirt as his older brother, but he wasn't clueless either. Lindsey's talk tonight hadn't been exactly professional and it felt like he was aiming for something.

Getting involved with someone he worked under could be a really bad idea and he knew it. It'd be frowned upon, it was in a lot of places anyway.

But he actually did like Lindsey. He felt comfortable with him, enjoyed it whenever they got together. Maybe he was misreading signals here. He didn't think so, but... he already knew his decision before he opened his mouth anyway. "Yeah, sure. That'd be great. Just let me know when you want to go?"

When Sam answered in positive, Lindsey's expression lit up with a truly boyish grin. It wasn't only the assignment, though that was certainly in the forefront of his mind, but that Sam was a nice guy. They weren't that different in age, Lindsey was at most a few years older than him and it was nice to be around someone who wasn't as jaded as the rest of Wolfram and Hart's employees were.

"Really? I mean, that's great. Sure, we can decide sometime next week." He smiled and chuckled, motioning to their half finished meal. "One meal at a time, right?"

It was as if some sort of barrier was broken down and though they weren't really formal before, but Lindsey became even less formal now. He loosened his tie with a rueful grin then said with a soft laugh, "I hope you don't mind. We're not at the office anymore, there's no need to stand on ceremony."

"That sounds like a good plan." One meal at a time. He could wonder what the hell he as doing with the guy he worked under later, but for right now? It was nice to just have someone to hang out with. Sam wasn't exactly lacking friends or anything, but he enjoyed Lindsey's company.

He shook his head. "I don't mind at all. Make yourself comfortable."

He could tell the shift in Lindsey almost instantly, how things relaxed even more between them. It was easy for Sam to relax too, to forget whatever tension was in him earlier.

So far so good, and the rest of the meal passed with pleasant, casual conversation. Lindsey inquired after some of Sam's hobbies, interests, sports, some of which he already knew from files, but a lot of the stuff wasn't actually covered. Despite how thorough Wolfram and Hart were, they didn't exactly know their targets down to their favorite baseball team.

Before long, the meal was finished and Lindsey was enjoying his last glass of wine. The bottle was empty between them, and Lindsey couldn't tell who actually drank more, Sam or himself. But it was a Friday night and, quite honestly, he brought the wine for this reason.

"That was a good meal. I always loved their seafood linguine." He sat back, swirling the bit of golden liquid left in his glass with a sated smile to his face.

A chance to start over (for hellsbestlaywer)

Sorry that this took forever.

No worries!

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Sorry, I've been on hiatus for a bit. Back now.

No worries! Welcome back :)

And yet I'm still slow as heck...

Haha, it's no problem!

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Hope you don't mind me skipping ahead