The music washed over Alex as her eyes adjusted to the casually dim lighting of the club. She took a deep breath, easing out of her day and walked inside doing a mild double take at recognizing someone at the bar.
Alex considered the woman before her who was deep in thought and staring at the melting ice in her almost empty glass. She watched her for a moment before deciding to join her. She motioned to the bartender, "Two more," she said, indicating the woman sitting under the dim lights at the bar.
Casey Novak looked up and raised her eyebrows in question.
"Can I buy you a drink, you look like you could use another," Alex said as she gently placed the fresh drink in front of the redhead. "It's nice to you, Casey."
"Thanks," She said, almost a hint of question in her voice. Casey raised her eyebrows but motioned for Alex to sit down next to her. "Fancy meeting you here."
Alex tilted her head and considered the atmosphere. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a jazz fan."
"Well, I am," she said, and then smirked. "But, Granger picked the place."
"Lionel Granger?" Alex's eyebrows quirked slightly.
"You just missed him," Casey's smile revealed her chagrin.
"I'm hoping it was a business meeting? That's a hell of a dress."
"Thanks," Casey laughed. "He's been trying to talk me into a few things," she started and paused to gather the gist of the conversations. "The paramount of which would be appealing the censure that I'm sure you've heard about. Apparently the only thing he hates more than prosecutorial misconduct is when said prosecutor has been excessively raked over the coals for that misconduct - you know, instead of just being slapped. I guess he really is into fairness, but he also wants me for his firm's white collar clients. He's relentless."
"Well, God knows I don't want to agree with Granger, but he's right about the appeal. You should let him represent you. He'd be good."
"He loves hearing that he's right. I'll be sure to let him know you think so." She finished the last of her initial drink one long gulp.
Alex finished hers one moment later and motioned toward the new ones waiting for them on the bar.
"You trying to catch up with me?" Casey asked.
Alex simply smiled.
"Casey," she said, her tone somehow shushing. "I've been on the bad side of Donnely's temper. You were used as an example. They hit you with the maximum penalty on your first offense. You should absolutely appeal. You do know that half of all BAR discipline appeals are granted anyway. Half. That's better odds than you'll find should seriously consider it."
"Consider it?" Casey sighed and started on the drink that Alex had bought for her. "It's all I can think about. It's all anyone wants to talk to me about, even more than the weather or the world series."
"You need to expand your social circle," Alex said, holding her glass up.
"That's certainly true," Casey toasted, clinking her glass to Alex's. "Well, that's my story, let's talk about you. Was it the music that brought a girl like you here, straight from work tonight?" She motioned vaguely at Alex's suit jacket.
Alex laughed. And Casey was surprised to really like the clear, bright sound of it.
"Just a long day, and I wanted to relax. I found this place before I -went away." she trailed off. She took a large sip before continuing. "I'm just happy it's still around."
"You seem to be doing amazingly well. You've made un-erasing your life look positively effortless."
She rolled her eyes. "Coming back from the dead is mostly paperwork," she smirked. "But calling off a sudden engagement is hardly an indication of smooth reintegration to society."
"Well, other than that," Casey winked and lightly bumped Cabot's heel with her own, moving slightly on the stool, exposing just a bit more of a smooth, toned thigh.
Alex laughed and looked down at the offending leg and shook her head. "You are all legs," she commented. "I forgot how tall you are."
Casey smirked and looked at their feet. "I think we're a similar height, but your heels have a good inch or two on mine."
Alex tsked. "Shoes make all the difference."
"How are you enjoying Appeals?"
"I have been more stimulated," Alex said. She was suddenly tempted to brush a long lock of red hair that had fallen in front of Casey's eyes back, but stopped herself. "However, it is nice to have a reprieve from supervising baby ADAs."
"I heard Jim Steele up and resigned."
Alex smiled. "It was a rough time, but he's the type that would benefit from being his own boss."
"He always did have trouble with authority," Casey said, not hiding a smirk.
"I wasn't the one who said it." Alex said, smiling in response.
"It was good to see him finally taking some responsibility." She swirled the ice in her drink in thought. "If Kibre goes out on her own are you going to go for her position? I hear you're good for it."
"I didn't realize the rumor mill had gotten around to that yet."
"Like you said, I probably should expand my social circle."
"I'm thinking about it." Ales smiled "A homicide bureau would have fewer brand new ADAs to monitor."
Casey shook her head. Alex was a beautiful, composed woman, and her everyday expression was inscrutable. Making her smile or laugh seemed to bring out so much more in her.
- — -
"Would you like another round before it gets too late?" Alex said. They'd been there a while but she was having a good time and it was surprisingly easy conversation.
"Oh, I don't know, any more drinks and I'm likely to start drifting into less safe conversational territory."
"And pray tell, what would that entail?"
"Well, probably something to do with how amazingly blue your eyes are," Casey said, the alcohol in her system delaying the blush that should have accompanied such an inadvertent admission.
"Interesting limit." Alex smirked and the pleasure of it shown in her eyes.
"Damn," Casey smiled and her dimples deepened. "I must have missed the warning signs a drink ago."
Alex tilted her head and slowly smiled. She didn't know if it was the setting or if it had just been previous circumstances when they last met, but the woman was prettier than Alex remembered. Porcelain skin, bashful smile. She was wearing a simple black dress with a neckline that hinted at cleavage, and thin straps made the most of Casey's toned arms and shoulders.
"You really do have the shoulders for that dress," she said, running a finger gently across the top of one of the smooth arms she was admiring.
Casey swallowed in surprise as goosebumps raced along her skin, and she knew that her reaction (the surprise as well as the desire) was evident.
As was the fact that Cabot was able to get the upper hand every time she met with the woman.
Casey has suspected earlier in the evening that she was being flirted with. But it was artful and subtle and she just couldn't quite bring herself believe it. But then again, she had been off her game lately.
Alex was beautiful. Stunning actually. And there was a look in her eyes tonight. A challenge. The woman seemed to have every intention to bat her around like a cat with a toy, and she never liked to back down from a challenge. At least, that is what she would tell herself- but she did feel something akin the competitor inside start to wake up.
Alex did in fact, take advantage of the mildly-stunned moment to stand, closing the gap between them and gently ease into Casey's personal space. Close enough to know the light scent Casey wore suited her, and to feel the warmth radiating from her body.
The part of Casey that felt a little too good, a little too relaxed from the alcohol and the music became amused, and it was that part that made Casey's eyebrow rise in challenge as she looked back at Alex with an expression that could only be read as -I dare you.
Alex thought Casey should have known better. That she wouldn't back down from a challenge, not from some strange game of flirting-chicken. She leaned in, assured that Casey wasn't backing away and kissed her with a hard meeting of their lips - for a moment- then it turned softer, deeper, open mouthed and highly suggestive, but not showy.
Alex pulled back before they get too far into it, letting the sounds and the setting come back into their reality. She looked at a stunned Casey with equal parts smugness and pleasant surprise that morphed into resolve.
"Do you want to get out of here?" and nodded toward the door with her head. Casey followed her without another word.
- — -
Casey couldn't seem to get herself on equal footing, even though she tried. She had been pretty sure that for a split second she had surprised Alex in the bar. However, Alex knew that she'd come home with her when she asked. She was able to read Casey that well.
But what she wasn't expecting, once she was inside her apartment, was for Alex to push her up against the wall and pin her with hands and legs and hips. By the time Alex tugged off the dress she seemed so fond of, Casey was already panting softly against Alex's cheek.
And then she was backed toward a bed until she could feel it against her legs and being kissed breathless. Her hands were Alex's hair and her back, pulling her tightly.
Casey was enthusiastic and her hands were deft, teasing and fast on the buttons of Alex's shirt. She became incredibly fond of a couple of ticklish squirms she caused along the way. So much so that her dimples flashed in her amusement.
Alex pushed her onto the bed in retaliation.
She just laughed and raised herself up on her elbows, waiting.
The body crawling up over her was glorious and sensuous. All amazingly soft skin and curves that she could not stop running her hands over.
Alex maneuvered her leg between Casey's causing her to roll her hips and pull her tightly. Casey made a noise between a growl and a moan and wasn't able to be more articulate than that for quite a while.
- — -
Casey rolled over and hummed. Alex laughed and brushed a long lock of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. She gave a small smile and sighed in satisfaction and quietly enjoyed the moment - for about ten seconds - and then said, "You've been on Donnelly's bad side since you asked her to recuse herself."
Casey laughed, highly amused at the pillow talk and that the conversation picked up right where it left off earlier. She should have known that Cabot would never let a point drop. "How do you know that?"
"Like you said Casey, take your pick… the courthouse, the office, thin walls, we all tend to get lunch, coffee, and alcohol in the same places." She let that sink in, pulling up the sheet a bit over her now cooling body. "It's a small community if you think about it."
"Asking her to recuse herself, that wasn't from me. It was on the behalf of the DA."
"It always is. By the way, I know of at least two Brady violations that our current DA wiggled out of himself."
Casey sighed. "Yeah, but he was at least able to wiggle out."
"You never did play the power game."
"I don't have the patience for it."
"Evidently," Alex smirked. "SVU warped your perspective. It happened to me too. You do know I've been suspended before."
"Not your license," Casey said, prevaricating. She got up and fished around for her purse.
"Going already?"
Casey smiled at her. "I was just," she bit her lip and looked away, "I had the urge for a cigarette."
Alex grinned unabashedly, her ego preening fully.
"The who damn suspension has me started again."
"Go ahead and stick with that answer if it makes you feel better," she said, and then winked.
Casey laughed silently.
"You can do that here, you know."
"I'm not smoking over your 1,300 thread count sheets."
"The balcony is right through there," Alex motioned. She got up, walked to her closet and threw Casey a robe.
Casey found the door, nestled amid the architectural flourishes of the building and stepped out into the cool air.
- — -
"I would never have taken you for a smoker. You have always had that whole athletic vibe going on." Alex had given her minute or two before following her out.
"On and off in law school," Casey said. She waved her fingers in lieu of a shrug. "Before the censure it had truly been just every once in a while, one or two a year at most."
Alex leaned on the iron railing next to Casey, motioned for the cigarette, and took one drag before handing it back.
"This is not a balcony, by the way. This is an entire terrace. I can't believe you have a terrace," Casey said, watching Alex, "In Manhattan."
"Comes with a garage parking spot and an option for a second too."
Casey smirked and shook her head but her chest moved with silent laughter.
"You know, if you do leave SVU, or if your suspension continues… you're going to be okay. Some things will even be better than okay." She looked out into the blinking, beautiful cityscape. "It'll be easier to fall asleep and it is much easier on dinner conversation."
Casey remained silent and just looked at her.
"You should find something to keep busy."
"Yes, because I'm currently very employable."
"Casey, you do know we went to the same school." It was not a question. "'Cast a wider net.'" She flourished with her hand, indicating the city before them.
"Alex, I am an adult and capable of making grown up decisions myself, you know."
Alex smirked at her and waited a beat.
Casey rolled her eyes but sighed and nodded her head. "God, maybe I should just leave well enough alone. Start over somewhere new."
"That does not sound like a decision a capable adult would make. No one leaves New York willingly."
"I know." She sighed. "I have a legacy apartment too."
"People would smack you for even thinking about leaving a legacy," Alex said. "You can't tell me you don't have a contact or two that could help you out."
"I don't want to go begging for a random job just to have something to do." She leaned on the railing and looked back out a the city.
"You wouldn't help one of your old classmates, a friend- if they had a problem? If you could?"
She didn't answer.
"Besides, if I remember right, with your particular strong suits- you could easily do research, analysis, writing."
"What did you look up my law review articles too?"
"I am nothing if not thorough," she said, letting the shameless self confidence into her voce to add levity to the conversation. "I had to give those baby ADAs something to do and the right prosecutors to emulate."
Casey sighed.
"There's no need to tie yourself up in knots about what happened. You can only focus on what's in front of you. What is your next move," she motioned decisively with her hands. "So- what is it you want? Right now. What do you want next?"
Casey shook her head and gave a silent laugh before turning toward Alex and grinning lasciviously.
Alex moved to stand closer. She brushed aside her hair and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. She liked this spot and added nips of her teeth in between the pulsing of her tongue. "Good," she said. "That's what I wanted too."
She let her hands wander until Casey started breathing harder, flicked away the cigarette, and finally leaned her head to allow for more access.
"Be careful there," Casey said. Even though she said it softly in-between breaths, her voice had gotten deeper and rougher. "Don't start something you can't keep up with."
Alex smirked then said, "See, I knew you still have some fight left in you," and pulled her back into the apartment before she could say anything else.