ONE: Vanilla on My Hands

30: A Dog Should Never Forget Who His Master Is

"And that?" Derek asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at the flowers and Frank merely laughed them off as he tucked in the back of his shirt neatly.

"Just got them for Lindsey." He shrugged, waving a hand, "Thought she'd like them."

"You bought her... Roses?" Derek raised an eyebrow, "Your boss's wife."

"Yeah...? So?" Frank frowned, "Just being nice..."

"There's nice and then there's 'red roses'." Derek shrugged as he took a helping of his ramen noodles from their cup, chewing softly, "Jus' weird..."

"Do you want them then?" Frank asked with a wave to the bunch of flowers, "Considering your keen interest in who I buy flowers for."

"You keep your crummy flowers," Derek nodded, "Alls I'm saying is, is that red flowers are rather suggestive for a woman and I know you're not straight so she might get the wrong idea, man."

"They're just flowers. I'm just being nice considering her husband is a cold miser in an even colder suit." Frank muttered as he snatched the flowers and the packet of food, and walked out towards Lindsey's office door. Frank ran a hand through his hair before knocking lightly, waiting for her to let him in. He heard her call out and he opened the door, peering in with a small smile, "Hey? You busy?"

"Not for you." She smiled back, "Come in, sweetie."

Frank sighed in relief and walked into her office, closing the door before he held out the flowers with a small smile, "Your old ones were dead and they looked so nice in here, so I got you new ones."

"You didn't have to do that." She gasped, standing up as she walked around the desk. She carefully took them from Frank's hand, holding them as though they were gold, "Oh, Frank. They're beautiful."

"Eh, they're alright." Frank chuckled, "Bought us lunch while I was out."

"You're too much." She smiled brightly as she set the roses down on the desk and sat down in her large chair. Frank set the packet on the desk and slid into the chair across from her, unpacking their food before he slid hers towards her.

"I didn't know what juice you wanted so I went with apple-berry." Frank stated as he crumpled up the packet and stuffed it in his pocket, "You can always have my orange juice if-"

"Apple-berry is perfect." She interrupted him, "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing." He waved her off and she looked startled, "I insist. As a payment."

"For?"

"Letting me bitch about your husband that fucked me and acted like it was nothing but a business deal." Frank chuckled as he sat back in his chair, opening the bottle of orange juice and having a large sip as Lindsey laughed and did the same.

"He never tells me anything, really," She began as she opened her sandwich up from its plastic container, "I was quite surprised when he barged into my room last night ranting and raving about you. I was almost asleep watching Extreme Makeover."

"Regular or Home Edition?" Frank asked as he set his juice down on the floor beside his chair and began rolling up his sleeves to save them from the mayo on his sandwich.

"Home Edition," Lindsey scoffed, "What else? He's lucky he didn't walk in on me doing anything else, the stupid ass."

"You're kidding." Frank grinned sheepishly and Lindsey giggled lightly, waving a hand.

"The man has no sense of privacy. Hell, I could have been in a one-woman self-love party and he wouldn't have cared."

"I wouldn't want to be the third wheel to that self-love ordeal." Frank snickered, "He wouldn't barge in on you and your alone time, would he?"