A/N Hello my friends, you see, I told you I'd be back with the Brick. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this new story and please share your thoughts :)
He had a date with Andrea Harrison, just cocktails and listening to music at that new club, the Starlight Lounge. He didn't want to feel pressured to make conversation with her, he didn't know if he could. So music would get him off the conversation hook.
Andrea was a good looking woman with a great body, but he wasn't sure how he felt about dating her. He liked sex as much as the next guy, but damn, she was aggressive. He'd like to at least get to know her before hopping in the sack.
And there was just something a little strange about dating an old friend of your ex-wife's. But she'd come onto him, asked him out that first time, and he'd taken the bait. Hell, he wasn't doing anything else, and if he was being honest, he'd admit he was lonely.
This was the second time they were out and depending on how things went tonight, he was going to decide if there would be a third time. He just wasn't really feeling that comfortable with the situation.
They'd just gotten their drinks when the singer took the stage. She looked terrific, and damn, the woman could sing. He took a hard look because something about her was real familiar. Then he realized who it was. Why that was Beth Greene, that uptight woman from the First Industrial Bank job he'd work.
He'd only seen her dressed for her job. Dark business suits, starched white blouses, sensible pumps, and her hair up in a very prudish looking bun. And those big black horn rimmed glasses.
Yeah, she was a woman who didn't exactly look like a good time.
Oh he knew she was pretty. It didn't matter how she dressed or did her hair, she was a beauty. But shit she'd been so serious, so prim and proper. She gave off a vibe that said, "I'm all business and no pleasure."
Well she sure looked different now. Oh yeah, way different right now, a hot, sexy and inviting kind of different.
He almost forgot he was with someone else.
She'd been so excited for this job at the Starlight. Singing was her first love. Oh sure, she had a successful career, youngest bank officer in the State of Georgia, blah, blah, blah. And she was grateful, she really was. She'd been blessed with a head for numbers, finance, and detail, and she was so organized it even bugged her sometimes.
But what she just loved was making music.
And when she was performing it was her big chance to let herself go. To really be herself. Fun, chatty and full of life. Instead of dry, dull and boring.
But that's what people expected a bank officer to be. They didn't want to entrust their money to some fun-loving lounge singer.
She'd sung two songs, and was just telling the very receptive crowd a joke when she spotted him. Oh great, it was the U.S. Marshall that had worked the big multi-agency fraud and money laundering investigation at her bank.
His name was Rick Grimes. He was undeniably handsome she sure couldn't argue that. He had stunning eyes, and although she didn't care at all for facial hair. His beard was crazy sexy, no getting around that little fact either.
But he'd never been very friendly to her. He acted like it was a big pain in his butt that he had to work at the desk next to her.
She always got the sense he was somehow irritated with her. She was certain it was one of those things where he'd had an instant dislike for her, and she just resigned herself to that bitter little fact.
She and Rick Grimes were never going to be friends, much less anything else.
Well and anyway, he appeared to be having a nice enough time tonight. Dressed up and drinking with some sexy looking woman in a dress that was so tight Beth wondered how she could breath.
The bank was classic old school, with a huge reception area and lobby leading to the main banking operation.
Her desk was positioned first when people entered that main banking area. And because he was working undercover security for the Marshall's service, while other agencies investigated the crimes, they'd positioned him at Ted's desk, right behind hers. He'd be able to see everyone that entered or exited the building without being obvious.
Poor Ted had been moved to one of those cubicles in a far corner.
And as it turned out, Deputy Marshall Grimes was the one who'd seen the escaped felon that was running the crime ring.
Grimes had spotted him the minute he set foot in the bank. And he'd gotten him in a hold, searched him, and sure enough he had a phony I.D., phony documents and a gun.
The Marshall had arrested him on the spot, and the guy had copped to everything. He'd named all the others involved in an attempt to get a lighter sentence.
What she'd noticed was how hot the Marshall looked when he made that arrest.
But then he was gone, and all she really cared about after that was getting things back to normal at the bank.
Although, yeah it was true, she did kind of miss having that good looking man sitting at the next desk. Even though he was a standoffish ass, he sure was nice to look at. He may not find her appealing, but there was something about him she thought was very appealing.
Ted was a nice man, but he was no Deputy Marshall Grimes.
He'd been thinking about her a lot since the other night. How could he have been so blind to the woman she really was? And it wasn't just the way she looked. He'd always known she was attractive under that straitlaced, almost puritanical style. But damn, she'd seemed anything but full of personality.
Now though he saw and wow, that personality had really come through when she was on the stage. Not in some oversexed way either. Nah it was definitely a different vibe than he got from Andrea.
Beth had more of a fun and sweet vibe. Someone a guy would enjoy hanging out with, chatting with, getting to know.
Yeah well hell, how was he going to accomplish getting to know her? He knew he hadn't been especially friendly or pleasant with her at the bank. She probably thought he was an asshole. And dammit, thinking back, he probably was an asshole. Yeah, he was definitely an asshole.
Tuesday his boss had asked him to check out a story one of his informants had brought to him. He'd been told there was a fugitive staying in seedy hotel downtown. They'd been looking for the guy for nearly a year, the boss asked him to get right on it.
And that seedy hotel was only about four blocks from her bank.
The lead had come up mostly dry. The desk clerk recognized the fugitives photo, but told Rick it had been at least a couple of months since he'd been there. And being the high class establishment it was, there was no paper trail.
The only bright spot was, it was only 11:15, and he was only four blocks away. He said to himself, "Do it Grimes, get your ass over there and ask her to lunch. The worst thing that can happen is she'll say 'no.' But hell, maybe she'll take pity and say 'yes.' Only one way to find out."
When she saw him walk in she couldn't have been more surprised. The investigation was over, and she knew he didn't bank with her bank, so what could he be up to?
She had no idea but darn he looked so good. Too bad he didn't have any interest in her.
He was nervous, but there she was sitting at her desk and looking just like he'd always remembered her looking. Starched.
Before he could chicken out he walked himself right over to her, "Hey Ms Greene, how have you been?"
"Hello Deputy Marshall, I've been well thank you. I'm so glad to have all the crime drama over and to just get the bank back to the business of banking. Is there something I can help you with?"
"Actually, this is more of a social call. I just wrapped up an investigation not too far from here, and since I was close by, I thought I'd see if you might be willing to have lunch with me. There's a nice little Italian place right around the corner."
She was taken aback to say the least. She hadn't seen this coming at all. What about his girlfriend? What about her salad in the break room fridge? And she quickly reprimanded herself, just like Maggie would do if she was here, "it's lunch Beth, just lunch, with a handsome man!"
"What a pleasant surprise, that would be very nice. Please just give me about 10 minutes to clear something off my desk."
"Terrific," and oh my God he smiled that million dollar smile and she swore those ice blue eyes were twinkling, "Not a problem, I'll wait out in the reception area."
Holy shit, he was kind of surprised she'd agreed, he had himself prepared for a no. And he couldn't deny he was damned excited. Ha, he felt like a teenager. Well, don't get ahead of yourself Grimes, it's just lunch, not the senior prom.
She quickly took the papers off her desk and locked them in her desk drawer, grabbed her bag and rushed to the bathroom.
She took her glasses off and put them in her purse. She took her suit jacket off and put it in the closet, and she unbuttoned those top two buttons on her blouse.
Then she took her hair down, brushed it out and all those crazy curls were everywhere. But crazy was better than that ugly bun she wore to look serious and professional. She put on a little lipstick, and she was on her way to have lunch with a handsome Marshall.
He was playing on his phone when she walked into the reception area. It put a smile on his face when he saw her and he quickly stood to greet her. Wow, that hair, no wonder she wore it in a bun. It was way too sexy for a bank officer.
"Are you ready for lunch Ms Greene?"
"Only if you call me Beth." She smiled a broad smile that made his own smile spread.
"Okay and please, call me Rick." He surprised himself when he held out his hand for her to take. But it just seemed to come naturally. He already felt comfortable with her.
They were seated at a small table by the window, perfect for people watching. "This place smells delicious Rick. If it tastes as good as it smells, I'll be coming back every day."
"It is very good. I ate here a few times when I was working the undercover job at the bank." It was then the waiter brought the menus.
When she opened hers he asked without thinking, "Don't you need your glasses?"
And she laughed the sweetest little laugh. "Oh those ugly things? I bought the worst looking pair I could find! No, they're just for show like the terrible hair style, and the terrible clothes and shoes. I'm just trying to look like a serious bank officer instead of a 22 year old lounge singer."
Now they were both laughing. "Well I have to say, when I saw you the other night at the Starlight it took me a minute or two to recognize you. By the way. You're a terrific singer and quite the comedian. I enjoyed your performance very much."
There was her opening and she jumped on it, "Was that your girlfriend you were with? She's very pretty."
He was glad she asked he'd wanted to clear the air about that. "No, that was our second date. There isn't going to be a third."
She look in his eyes and she was astounded at what came out of her mouth, "Well that's very good news." And she felt the fire come to her cheeks and she wanted to slide under the table and die.
But he reached his hand across to hers, gave it a little squeeze and said, "You're right, it is very good news." And he smiled that killer smile of his, and he sort of cocked his head to the side, and she was glad she'd said what she said.
A/N Well there you have it! I know I say this every time I write a Brick fic, but I swear, this time I mean it! This is going to be a very short one :) Thanks so much for reading, please review / comment. xo