Megan Wheeler stood in the lobby of the opera house. She was used to going there now, since she'd accepted the job as a liason officer for Homeland Security. Part of the duties consisted of making sure their foreign guests were entertained, and for some reason, that always seemed to involve opera or a play. This time, it was the opera. So, here she stood, dressed in a beautiful gown, while her guests and some of her coworkers mingled before they would go and take their seats. Megan sighed, hard to believe that this was her work now.
She'd quit MCS three months after returning from maternity leave. She had been offered this job, based on her previous work with Homeland Security. Better hours, better benefits and no midnight callouts appealed to her since she'd had her daughter. Reluctantly she'd turned in her badge. Reluctant, because she'd quite enjoyed her time as Zach's partner. Telling him she was leaving was hard, and he'd given her the silent treatment on and off until she'd left. A couple of phonecalls here and there, but they'd fallen out of touch months ago.
As if her mind was playing tricks on her, the man she'd reflected upon suddenly appeared before her. In the time she'd been making these trips to the opera, she'd never run into him before. She knew he had a love for it, so she shouldn't have been too surprised to eventually see him when she had to do one of these runs. But now, here he stood, in his tux, and Megan broke out into a smile.
"Zach! It's so good to see you!" She couldn't help herself, she gave him a hug. She suddenly realized she'd missed him, missed him a lot.
"Megan, you look wonderful. Decided to give opera a try, did you?" He asked, hugging her back. He stood back, giving her the once over. Megan was as thin as she'd ever been, the dress fitting her curves. The green fabric brought out her eyes. She'd changed a lot since he'd last seen her, her hair longer, with a bit of curl to it. She looked terrific.
"Well, I'm only here because of work. I didn't realize part of my duties was going to be coming to these things once a month." Megan frowned.
"Hi, I'm Beth. And you are?" A small brunette suddenly piped up. Megan hadn't even noticed her, but the tone of the woman's voice exhibited a displeasure that Megan had hugged Zach.
"Hi Beth, I'm Megan Wheeler. Zach and I used to work together. Haven't seen him in ages." Megan replied, attempting to be polite.
"Well, yes, and then she got bigger and better opportunities and struck out to the big wide world." His smile took the edge off of his sarcasm. "How's Margot?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.
"She's doing great. Wait, I have a picture." Megan dug into her purse, pulling out a photo. Zach took the photo, looking at the gorgeous little redhead with big green eyes.
"She's looking more like you every day. Less freckles, but just like you." He handed back the picture. "Who's looking after her tonight?"
"My sister. She usually does when I have these opera deals. Less hassle. I'm usually home most evenings with her, but I guess this does break up the routine." Megan said.
"Listen, we should have coffee some time. Catch up. Is your number still the same?" Zach asked.
"Yeah, just give me a buzz. I better get going. It's almost time to go in, and the people I brought are looking for me. It was great seeing you, Zach. I can't believe it's been almost a year."
"Me either, Megan. Coffee it is." With that, Zach reached and gave her another hug. He then took his dates' arm, even though she was fuming. She was obviously unhappy with the little conversation that had just happened, and liked even less that her date had hugged this woman. They went to take their seats.
Megan returned to her party, trying not to be obvious about looking back at Zach. He looked terrific in a tux, just as good as she remembered from all those months ago. She didn't know why she'd lost touch with him. He'd been upset about her leaving, but they'd talked a couple of times after she'd left major case. She found that she missed Major Case some days, never knowing what was going to happen, what mystery to figure out. Now, she passed her days, dealing with homeland security issues. It was interesting, but not thrilling. She found she'd missed Zach somedays, having a partner to talk through things with. She'd made friends in her new job, but it wasn't the same.
Zach caught her looking at him, and gave her that smirk of his. She blushed red, turning to her party, but not before seeing the little brunette fuming by Zach's side. Megan couldn't help but smile that she'd made the woman jealous, although she had nothing to worry about. At least, Megan didn't think she did.
They settled into their seats. Megan found they actually weren't too far away from Zach and his date, so she took the chance to observe them. It was more interesting to watch him than the opera anyway. She'd been to this one before and hadn't been thrilled the first time. God, when did Zach become so handsome, she thought to herself. Wait, where the hell did that come from, she stopped herself in her tracks. She'd always found him attractive when they were partners, but she'd been too embroiled in her own misery to even really think about him. He'd been a good partner, he'd tried to be a friend to her and she'd appreciated his efforts. But when this job had been offered, it was too good an opportunity to pass by, so she took it, barely even giving Zach a thought. But now, looking at him, she found herself missing his friendship. When she got a chance, she was definitely taking him up on the coffee offer. She returned her attention to the opera, trying to get her mind off of Zach.
Zach wasn't having any better a time. Running into Megan here had been the last thing he'd expected to happen. And to be honest, he was glad he had. She looked terrific. He missed her, her dry wit and sarcasm. She'd been a good partner, and when she'd announced she was leaving, he'd been hurt. He'd withdrawn from her in the final days of their partnership, although they'd repaired it somewhat before her final day. But, besides a couple of phonecalls, they hadn't seen or heard from each other since then. Seeing her brought out some feelings he'd apparently had submerged, and it wasn't wanting her back as a partner. His date, however, was picking up on the fact that she was no longer the woman Zach was thinking about. So, that's how he found himself at intermission, having a bit of an argument with Beth. She issued an ultimatum, and when Zach declined, she stormed out, leaving Zach without a date for the rest of the opera.
When the opera was over, standing in the lobby, he watched as Megan passed by again. He couldn't resist, now that cellphones could be turned back on, he phoned her. He watched as she fished hers out, registering the surprise on her face when she seen it was him. He seen her look around for him, smiling when she seen him.
"How about we go for that coffee now?" Zach asked her.
"I'm a little tied up here right now. I have to see them back to their hotel."
"Can't your friends do that? Don't they work with you?" Zach cajoled her.
"Perhaps. What happened to your date?" Megan asked, curious.
"She didn't like the opera. She took a cab home." Zach replied.
"Really? What a fortunate coincidence. You know what, I think I will take you up on this. Give me five minutes." Megan finally agreed.
"Good. See you then." Zach hung up, smiling.
Megan turned to Danielle, her friend from the office. "Can you see them back to their hotel? That was the sitter, Margot is giving her a rough time, and she wanted to know if I was coming soon. Is that okay?" She found she could lie better than she thought.
"Sure, no problem. See you tomorrow, Megan."
Megan headed for coat check, and swiftly made it through the line. She escaped the busy lobby, heading out into the cool night air. It was then she saw him, standing on the steps, waiting for her. Just the way he looked made her do an intake of breath.
"Zach." Megan smiled at him.
"Madam, your chariot awaits." Zach took her arm, helping her down the steps. Megan could only hope no one from work seen her. She felt guilty enough about lying anyway. To be caught in the lie would worse.
Zach had a cab waiting, and they clamored in. He gave the driver the name of a coffee shop not far away, and in no time, the two of them were sitting in the little shop, in their fancy dress, having a coffee.
"So, how's the new partner working out? She used to you yet?" Megan questioned Zach, as they sat with their coffee.
"Oh, I suppose she's fine. Don't know her that well. Didn't want to get too close. Never know when she might quit on me." Zach said, sarcasm tinging his words.
"Zach, it was never a problem with you, you know that, don't you? I was happy with you as a partner. I only switched jobs, because I thought it was best for Margot." Megan said.
"I know, Megan, I know. I just miss you somedays. I really do need someone to keep me in line. You did a fine job of that." He smiled at her, letting her know he wasn't that serious about it.
"If it's any consolation, I've missed you. The job's okay, but I miss having someone to bounce ideas off of." She smiled back at him.
"You miss keeping me in line, don't you? Just admit it."
"Fine, I admit it. You are a thrill a minute, Zach."
"And you, how's Homeland Security working out for you?"
"Well, the pay is better, and so are the hours. But I miss having a partner. I miss you, Zach." Megan smiled weakly, bringing her chin up, meeting Zach's eyes.
"Say, you want to get out of here? I know a little club nearby. That is, if it's not too late for you, and you want to get home." Zach quizzed her.
Megan considered the offer. Her nightlife usually consisted of collapsing in bed, exhausted at the end of the day, she really didn't go out. So far, this hadn't been a half bad evening. And the company was terrific. So, she smiled and agreed to go with him. She found herself walking with Zach down the street, it wasn't too far from the coffee shop. Out of nowhere, he suddenly took her hand, clasping it in his. Startled, her eyes met his. Taking a deep breath, this was slowly becoming more than she thought. However, instead of pulling away, she tightened her grip, telling him that this was okay.
It wasn't long til they were inside the club, seated at a table. The staff knew Zach well, and the trio playing were pretty good. Megan partook of a cocktail, something she hadn't had much of lately. She found herself relaxing in a way she hadn't in a long time. The music slowed down, the tempo slower. That's when Zach asked her to dance, and she found herself agreeing. He took her in his arms on the dance floor, and they settled into a steady pace. To Megan, all this just felt right. His arm wrapped tightly around her waist, he certainly knew how to move. As they twirled around, Megan smiled, enjoying herself. And when she met his gaze, something just clicked between them. She didn't object when his lips met hers. It was a gentle kiss, his lips soft on hers. Just as suddenly, it was over. He tightened his grip on her waist and whispered in her ear.
"Megan, I think we need to get out of here." he said softly.
She didn't answer, leaning her head on his shoulder. She knew what he was asking, and she didn't know what to do. She certainly wanted him, her body was telling her that. But her logical mind was telling her that she hadn't seen the man in almost a year, why would she fall in to bed with him in just a couple of hours? As they danced, she felt herself yearning for him, and wondered what it would be like. Finally, her body won out.
"I think we need to get out of here, too." She agreed, the urge to leave suddenly great. They left the dance floor, his hand never leaving hers. He paid their tab, helped her on with her coat, and they were out the door.