Title: Lucky
By: Jessica
Pairing: Eric/Calleigh
Rating: K+
Timeline: Pre-series. Post certain scenes in 8x01, Out of Time.
Summary: It's never worked before. Until now. Looks like his luck is finally turning around.

A/N: Something short, fun, and flirty. A scene that was begging to be written since 8x01 first aired.

It's a bold move.

Bolder, perhaps, than what Calleigh Duquesne is even used to herself. She's never been shy, always been the type to go for what she wants despite all opposing forces, but this…she's not sure it qualifies for bold quite as much as it does for crazy.

The Miami sun beating down upon her, she glances down at the strip of paper in her hands – simple white, marred by bold, navy blue ink. A short note and a series of numbers…and quickly Calleigh folds it up again before she has the time to lose her nerve.

She loves the heat of the South, and right now she's thanking it and the blinding sunlight, because in an obvious attempt to stop the heat from gathering in his truck without anywhere to go, he has left the windows down. He, who has been on her mind since the quick, flirty encounter in the garage. He, who she'd walked away from with color in her cheeks and the flutter of butterflies in her belly. He, who had stood before her, looking so, so good that Calleigh couldn't help but imagine what was underneath that snug shirt of his.

Calleigh Duquesne has never been the type to lose her mind over a man, but from just one conversation, one encounter, she can't deny that there might just be a first time for everything…after all, Eric Delko did already have her reconsidering her strict policy on socializing with coworkers – though in her mind, she's certain she's found a loophole for that.

Those thoughts and the butterflies driving her, she extends a hand and drops the simple sheet of paper into his truck, watching as it flutters down to the seat below. Perfect. And then, with a smile at her lips, she turns away.

Turns away to leave…and nearly collides into six-plus feet of gorgeous Cuban, the owner of the truck she'd just snuck her phone number into. "Whoa there," he says with a chuckle, and his palms instinctively find her upper arms, setting her skin aflame with just that simple touch. They linger until he's sure she has her bearings; when he drops his hands, Calleigh's surprised at just how much she misses his touch.

Slightly embarrassed that he'd caught her, Calleigh lifts a hand and tucks her hair behind her ears, summoning up the most coy smile she can muster. "Hey…"

"What are you doing?" he asks, a sparkle of amusement dancing in his eyes. And oh, those eyes…it's her first good look into them, deep pools of chocolate brown that Calleigh thinks she could just drown within.'

She resists the urge though; clears her throat and attempts to find her voice. "I, uh, saw your truck…"

Eric grins, interjecting as she falls silent. "You didn't have to sneak around my truck, you know," he quips, and quickly Calleigh realizes with a jolt that he must've been watching her the entire time – nothing about her covert operation had been covert at all. He glances over her shoulder then, his grin widening as his eyes fall upon the paper she'd slipped through his window, the one that contained her phone number. "Second thoughts?"

"Wh-what?" she stammers, her stomach turning a little flip in response to that grin – oh, she'll definitely be seeing that tonight in her dreams.

"That little rule of yours," he clarifies with a small wink. "You know, the one where you don't even socialize with people remotely related to your job?" he adds, repeating her words nearly verbatim. "To which I replied, 'we'll see' – I have to admit, I didn't think 'we'd see' quite this fast, though."

She shakes her head slightly, fighting the urge to roll her eyes at herself. "Let's just say that maybe I did some thinking today…"

"Oh yeah?" he chuckles. "Couldn't get me out of your head?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's exactly it," Calleigh laughs, this time indulging herself in a playful eyeroll. Truth is, while she'd been able to rationalize this just moments ago, Calleigh can't bring herself to acknowledge the truth in front of Eric, and she's not sure whether that's because he's got her so on edge, or because she knows the truth would sound so silly if actually vocalized.

And yet, Eric merely waits for her to explain, moving to her side and leaning against the truck. "I – I'm new to Miami," she says finally, turning her own body toward his.

"Yeah? Where from?" he asks, a genuine interest in his voice.

"New Orleans. By way of Jacksonville."

He nods, a knowing smile on his lips. "Jacksonville too quiet for you, coming out of New Orleans?"

"Something like that," she says, pursing her lips. There's a deeper story there, but now's neither the time nor place for that. Shaking it off, she smiles. "I don't know that many people here yet, so I thought maybe I could…bend my little rule just a bit," she says, playfully fluttering her lashes. "Especially since this technically doesn't break the rule anyway."

She doesn't elaborate, and Eric lifts a brow. "Yeah? Why's that?"

"Well, other than today, you're not exactly related that closely to my job. I mean, I'm going to be working in the lab, and you…" Calleigh nods her head slightly toward the truck, the one against which Eric is leaning oh so sexily - never, ever before has she been so very turned on by nothing more than a casual lean. "You're a tow truck driver –"

He clears his throat, effectively interrupting her. "Automotive recovery expert, you mean," he corrects, crossing his arms.

Calleigh gives a half-shrug. "Same thing."

Eric scoffs, pretending to be deeply offended. "No. Not even close to being the same thing."

"Oh, come on, Eric," she chuckles, using his name for the first time and enjoying the way it tumbles so easily from her tongue. "You get a call. You drive somewhere. You hook up some disabled vehicle and take it somewhere. That's a tow truck driver's job."

With a smirk, he shakes his head, and Calleigh's breath catches as he takes a step just slightly closer to her. "You would be right, but my job, the job of an automotive recovery expert, is so much more than that…"

Returning his smirk, she sweetly issues him a challenge. "Fine then. Give me one good, valid difference between the two."

He grins, flicking his tongue over his lips. "Well, anybody can be a tow truck driver," he says smoothly. "But automotive recovery expert…you gotta know your stuff for that." Calleigh gives another playful roll of her eyes, though Eric defiantly ignores it. "And I…well, I know my stuff."

"Oh, do you?"

With her in front of him now, all coy and flirty and just all around gorgeous, there's no doubt in his mind that, even though this counts as only their second conversation, this is the kind of woman he could quickly get to know, and possibly quite easily fall for. Gorgeous, fun, sassy…all positives and nothing even remotely negative in his all-important first impression of her.

And, if he's not mistaken, there's a definite spark. At least, he feels it. "Of course I do – that's why I'm the expert," he replies smoothly. "Plus…"

He pauses, and Calleigh lifts an eyebrow in expectation. "Plus?"

"Plus…automotive recovery expert?" A devilish smirk dances upon his lips, and Calleigh waits, knowing that this has to be good. "It's sexier."

It's a similar declaration to the way he'd all but demanded her phone number earlier, and Calleigh gives a full laugh, amused by and incredibly attracted to – she can't deny that – his confidence. He's sure of himself and isn't afraid to show it, an all-important trait that all the men she'd been involved with had shared. "Fine," she relents, letting her eyes travel unabashedly over his clearly muscular body – there was no denying the sudden cascade of thoughts that burst their way into her head. She certainly wouldn't mind being locked within those strong arms of his…among other thoughts that aren't quite so innocent. She hides it well, though; aside from a slight heat in her cheeks, she's pretty sure the lust in her thoughts is known only to her, and a good thing too because she's not sure she could handle the mortification. Licking her lips, she attempts to clear her mind, tucking her hair behind her ears as she speaks again. "I'll let you have that…if only because everybody should have one thing that makes them sexy," she teases.

At that, Eric gives a faux groan of pain, lifting a hand to his heart. "You wound me," he complains, though he can't quite keep the grin from his lips. "I don't think I've ever heard something so hurtful."

Again Calleigh laughs, letting her inner flirt spill forth before she could think to rein it in. She steps closer to him, boldly reaching out to playfully pat his chest – once she realizes the action, she's surprised at how completely not awkward it feels. "Poor baby," she coos teasingly, her eyes sparkling. "I'm sure you'll get over it."

"Oh, I think I'll get over it tonight," he says quickly, a devilish glint in his dark eyes. He doesn't give Calleigh a chance to question, elaborating just as she opens her mouth. "When you have dinner with me."

Suddenly, her clandestine mission to get her number into his truck doesn't seem quite so bold anymore, not compared to that, anyway. "Dinner?" she repeats incredulously. "Who says I'm having dinner with you?"

"You, of course." He tilts his head, grinning suggestively. "You said it yourself – you were thinking about me all day –"

"I didn't say that –"

He smirks. "You can't resist me."

"Now I know I never said that!"

Undeterred, Eric persists with that disarming grin of his, knowing by the look in her green eyes – gorgeous green, if he's completely honest – that he's winning her over. "Come on, let me buy you dinner," he says quietly, his velvety voice wrapping around her like she wishes his arms would – quickly she banishes that desire though; that's too dangerous right now. "It's the least I can do…after you went to all that trouble to slip me your number…"

Thoughtfully, Calleigh tilts her head, unable to hold back her own smile as Eric's widens – he's sure he has her. And truthfully, he does – he's had her from the very first smile he'd offered her in the garage earlier. Dinner, though…that's a fine line, and one Calleigh isn't sure she wants to walk so quickly. "I think…that you can buy me a drink," she suggests instead, praying that the heat she feels in her cheeks is merely a part of her imagination – the last thing she needs right now is for playful and self-assured Eric Delko to catch her blushing because of him.

He nods, a victorious grin tugging at his lips. "Guess I'll just have to work my way up to dinner, huh?"

Calleigh gives a bubbly giggle. "We'll see what happens," she replies, returning his nod. "You'll just have to call me this evening."

"Oh, I will," he assures her, hand reaching for the door. Taking the cue, Calleigh steps back, watching discreetly as he opens the door, hesitating for a moment. Suddenly he's overcome with the desire to lean in and kiss her cheek – the desire is so strong that all he can do to resist it is to climb into his truck, taking Calleigh's folded slip of paper into his hands as he sits. With a grin he unfolds it, mildly surprised to find not only a short note, but an actual number. "How do I know you didn't give me a fake number?" he teases, resting his arm on the windowsill as he gazes out at her.

Calleigh quirks a brow, offering a flirty smile. "Like I said…you'll just have to call me." With that, she turns to walk away, calling back over her shoulder. "And you'd better, because I'm holding you to that drink."

"Good," Eric calls back with a grin. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

The giddy smile upon her lips refuses to be erased as she walks away. And why should it? She feels giddy; it's just an offer for a drink, but she can't deny the flutter of her heart, nor can she ignore the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. And it all only intensifies; she's six, maybe seven steps away when Eric calls out to her, entrancing her with the sound of her name in his smooth voice. "Calleigh!"

As she turns, he lifts his hand, his fingers still clutching the slip of paper she'd left in his truck. "I told you it always works," he says cockily, referring to the playful conversation they'd shared in the garage earlier. "Every time."

Calleigh smirks. "I believe you said that it never works," she reminds him sweetly before heading on her way once more. Eric chuckles as she walks away, not at all surprised that she'd remembered that small detail. With a smirk, he puts the key in the ignition, calling out to her one more time before turning it.

"Guess it looks like my luck is finally turning around, then!"