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“You and Molly…about bloody time,” John said, shaking his coat to get some more of the rain off of it before he hung it up on the coat rack. “I’m honestly surprised she’s even giving you a chance when you thought the two of you have been dating for a month and a half without you even asking her out first.”
“Had dates. Not dating,” Sherlock said, removing his Belstaff. “There is a difference.”
“Not really. Having dates for a month and a half screams exclusivity, which is pretty much dating,” John replied. “When you told me that and I thought to some of the conversations she’s had with Mary things didn’t seem to quite add up. You’re lucky she’s tolerant, Sherlock.”
“You are not the first who’s told me that,” he said, trying not to grit his teeth. It was the popular opinion on the subject of his and Molly’s fledgling relationship, apparently. Lestrade had seen Molly before he had seen him, which meant he heard the story from her, which probably meant Sally now knew it as well as most of Scotland Yard by now. He had told Mrs. Hudson when she inquired why she’d been back at the flat much earlier than he had, and he’d also told John but John had already known which meant Molly had told Mary and Mary had told her husband. Apparently more people knew the circumstances behind his and Molly’s first official date than he had thought would know, and the date itself had only been two days ago.
For having been on very few dates with Janine and none at all beforehand, he had guessed it was a successful date. Molly had seemed content enough, and she had enjoyed the meal. Angelo had been convinced the two of them were working on a case and wondered where Sherlock’s other friend was, with emphasis on friend, and that seemed to amuse Molly. He’d managed to extend the date to include a walk in the gardens he knew Molly enjoyed spending time at near her home, since they'd been having extraordinarily mild evenings lately, and then when it was all done she kissed his cheek and went home. But that was the problem. He wasn’t 100% sure it had been a successful date, and that was why he had asked John to come over. They hadn’t even begun to chat when Lestrade had called them both to a crime scene, but the case itself had been a three and now they were able to actually talk since the case was solved and Lestrade was off rounding up the murderer.
“I just don’t know if the first date went well enough to warrant a second,” Sherlock said as they made their way to the sitting room. “I had an enjoyable enough time, but I don’t know if she did.”
“According to my wife she did, but she’s still a little hung up on the fact you considered all those other times dates without actually asking her. And then there’s the stunt your brother pulled in regards to her personal life. She’s still a bit perturbed at that.”
“But I had nothing to do with that,” Sherlock protested as he went into the kitchen. “I don’t pretend to understand all the nuances in my brother’s brain.”
“Then you’ll just have to make the second date something outstanding to start making up for your brother’s shenanigans,” John said, sitting down in his chair as Sherlock began to make them tea. “You aren’t the type who would do well at the cinema. You’d talk and fuss through the whole film. How are you with plays?”
“Wouldn’t know,” he said. “I haven’t been to one since I was a child. I probably wouldn’t do well, though.”
John thought for a moment. “Concert, then?”
“Classical, perhaps. None of this garbage on the radio these days.”
“You’re making this incredibly hard, Sherlock,” John said, rubbing his temples. “Molly likes modern things. She spends a lot of time watching films of all types, from action movies with loads of explosions to those mind numbing romantic movies all men think women adore, and she sees performances on the West End whenever she can. She’s exactly the type of person to dance in her apartment to some cheesy pop song when she thinks she’s alone and she’ll sing along at the top of her lungs even if she’s tone deaf. You’re going to have to learn to at least tolerate things like that if you want this relationship the two of you are embarking on to have even the slightest chance of working out.”
Sherlock stilled in his movements in the kitchen. “So I have to make all the changes,” he said quietly.
John got out of his chair and went towards Sherlock. “Let me counter your statement with a question: do you want Molly to be happy?”
“Absolutely,” he said without hesitation.
“Do you think she should have to only do things that make you happy and nothing that makes her happy if she enters into a relationship with you? Because keep in mind if you say yes, Molly won’t be happy.”
He was quiet for a moment. “No, I suppose not.”
“Look mate, I’m not saying the two of you shouldn’t do things you’d enjoy. I know for a fact she loves string quartets, and she’s open to experiencing anything at least once, but you need to be the same way with things she likes. At least give her interests a chance, all right?”
Sherlock nodded slowly before going back to making the tea. “All right.”
“You should pick something she’d like to do for a second date that’s moderately impressive,” John said, clapping Sherlock on the shoulder. “And if you trust my judgement, I have an idea. I just need to borrow your laptop, if you haven’t shot this one.”
“It’s by the desk,” he said, finishing up with the tea. He would try. He would try as hard as he could to do things that Molly would enjoy and at least try to enjoy them as well. If he could open himself up enough to romantically care about someone else without faking it, he could open himself up to new experiences as well. He made his way out and saw John had his laptop on his lap and was doing his normal peck and point typing.
“Here we go,” John said. “It’s a bit different, bit off the beaten path. Mary wanted to go but we couldn’t find anyone to watch Lucinda for that long. There’s going to be a screening of old Hitchcock films at one of the local public gardens in three days, if the weird heatwave we've been having holds out and the evenings are still mild. They’ll be showing ‘Rear Window,’ ‘North By Northwest’ and ‘Strangers On A Train.’ There will be snacks and warm drinks provided throughout the night. It says to bring blankets but I don’t know if that’s for sitting on or staying warm.”
“Molly would enjoy those?” Sherlock asked, moving behind him to look at the laptop.
“She likes the classics,” he said. “But that’s almost six hours of movies, I think. Just keep in mind if you start complaining you still have the potential to annoy people.”
He thought about it. He didn’t care much for fiction but Alfred Hitchcock was one of the few filmmakers he’d chosen to remember things about, ever since he heard about behind the scenes stories from “The Birds.” And these movies were supposed to be three of his best. He was sure he could tolerate them. “I’ll take her.”
“I’ve got the page to reserve a spot up now,” John said, lifting up the laptop for Sherlock to take. “Mary and I have some warm blankets you can borrow for the night.”
Sherlock took the laptop to his own chair and began reading the page. “People are encouraged to bring their own food as well,” he said.
“Pack a picnic dinner of Molly’s favorites,” John said when he looked over. “If they allow alcohol take a bottle or two of cider or something. Might make for an enjoyable and relaxed evening.”
“I suppose,” Sherlock said. “I should find out if she’s free first, though. She did say I need to actually ask her on any dates I want to take her on.”
“That’s a very good idea,” John said with a nod. “No use wasting the money on tickets if you can’t actually take her.”
He moved his laptop to the side and shifted to pull his mobile out of his pocket. He dialed her number from memory and then put the mobile to his ear. She answered on the third ring. “Hello, Sherlock,” she said warmly.
“There is an event at one of the local gardens in three days. Three Hitchcock movies viewed in an outdoor setting. Would you like to attend that with me, as a date?”
“I would love to, but only if it starts after six,” she said. “I work until five thirty that day.”
“It starts precisely at six,” he said. “I could give you your ticket and you could meet me there, perhaps?”
“That sounds wonderful,” she said. “Are you sure you’re not going to be bored, though?”
“Alfred Hitchcock’s movies have sounded mildly interesting,” he said. “I think I’ll be fine.”
“All right. Get the tickets and I’ll meet you there. And maybe we could have dinner tonight?”
He frowned. “I thought I was supposed to ask you out on our dates.”
“Well, it’s not a ‘go out and eat’ date. It’s more a ‘me cooking for you’ date. One of my friends gave me a recipe to try yesterday and I thought perhaps you’d like to try and help me make it.”
“And this would be a date?” he asked.
“I suppose we don’t have to count it as one,” she said. “I mean, if you want the outdoor cinema date to be our second date.”
“No, I just thought if it was a date I should bring something.”
“Well, I need a bottle of white wine for the dish,” she said. “You could bring a bottle of good but cheap wine to cook with so I can save my really good stuff for drinking.”
“Anything else?” he asked.
“Flowers would be nice, but they aren’t necessary. And if you do, no roses. I…I’m not fond of roses.”
He filed that tidbit away, making a note to ask her about it later. “I’ll see what I can do, then.”
“You don’t have to bring flowers if it’s too much of a hassle, honest. Just make sure to bring the wine since we’ll be using that to cook, all right?”
“Very well,” he said. “When do you want me over?”
“Six thirty? That way I can pick up the few things I need.”
“I’ll be at your home at six thirty, then,” he said.
“All right. Bye, Sherlock.”
“Good-bye, Molly,” he said before hanging up.
John gave him a grin. “You got a date to see a triple feature and dinner tonight. Not bad for a man who wasn’t sure the first date went well. You should be quite grateful she likes you so much.”
“Believe me, I am,” Sherlock said before he stood and turned towards John. “I need to buy wine and flowers that aren’t roses. Up for braving the weather after tea to help me?”
“I think that could be a productive use of my time, yes,” John said as his grin got wider. “Anything to help keep you from mucking this up.”
Sherlock relaxed for a moment before he went back into the kitchen to check the tea. She had not only seemed enthusiastic for the Hitchcock triple feature but she had also seemed eager to cook for him tonight. Overall he had hope that things were going well and would continue to go well for at least a little while in the future, if not longer.