DINNER?

WRITTEN BY: REBANUT

I DON'T OWN ANY OF IT, BUT SURE DO ENJOY WRITING ABOUT IT!

Let me know what you think, good or bad… just please be nice about it.

CHAPTER ONE

The bull pen was buzzing with activity. Agents were walking hurriedly to each other's desks, emailing and taking phone calls. To the average outsider it looked as if there were an eminent terror attack. Tara called from her computer for everyone to look at the large screen. With the click of a button, a graph showed on the screen listing the agent's names in one column, and blank spaces for dates in the other. It was a pool chart to see how long it would take Randy to make his newest employee Doris quit.

"I want tomorrow!" Myles shouted from the far end of the office. The rest of the crew laughed.

"Do you think that nice lady is going to last THAT long with Randy?" Sue asked with a giggle.

"Oh, I don't know Luv, she seems like a tough ole cookie." Bobby commented.

"She's a sweet old lady who doesn't deserve to be tortured by the likes of Randy." Lucy added.

"OK, well pick your day and time slots. The one who comes the closest will win." Tara explained.

"Win what?" D asked as he walked into the office late.

"Randy pool. Losers pick up the tab for dinner."

"Oh, not another poor hapless victim… " D started.

"Yeah, Dor.." Jack started.

"Eht… I don't even want to know her name. I will just remember it, and she'll be gone from our lives forever!" D said with a chuckle.

The gang began to fill in the spots available. Sue and Lucy were figuring a strategy together. Sue was laughing at how badly Randy treated his assistants. Lucy was laughing with her, but suddenly stopped and smiled, looking behind Sue. Sue looked up with the question in her eyes.

"Jack." Lucy signed, just as Sue turned around to see who was behind her. She nearly jumped out of her skin, and squealed as their bodies came into contact with each other. The tension instantly could be felt in the room. Their bodies touching, their faces only inches from one another. Their eyes locked for the briefest of seconds, Jack let out a breath, breaking the spell.

"Jack!" Sue scolded. "You nearly scared me to death!"

"I'm sorry!" Jack said, laughing along with Lucy.

"I tried to warn you he was there." Lucy said, laughing at how red her best friend's face was.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Are you OK?" Jack asked, still laughing.

"Yes, I'm fine." Sue scoffed pretending to be upset. "Did you want something, or are you just trying to turn my hair grey?"

He looked past Sue's shoulder at Lucy and gave her the 'get lost' look. Lucy smiled a wide grin, and brushed by Sue humming a happy little tune.

"What's up?" Sue asked innocently.

"Um, I was wondering if you wanted to have dinner with me on Friday night?" Jack asked, nervously.

"I don't think I have anything planned. Sure, sounds like fun." She said. "Where do you want to go? Wu's or Maria's?" She suggested.

"Actually, I made reservations at Lucia's, for 7:00. Is that OK?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Did you say Lucia's? Isn't that the new Italian place that just opened up downtown?" Sue asked, trying to hide her surprise.

"Uh, yeah. I heard the food is incredible." Jack continued. "So, Friday at 7?" Sue was caught off guard and hesitated answering. "If you don't want to go, we can do something else." Jack offered.

"No. Umm, I mean, yes. I would love to go to Lucia's with you on Friday… at 7." She smiled, trying to be cute.

"Good… I'll pick you up for 6:15? I'm sure the traffic will be horrible." Jack smiled and walked away.

From across the room, Sue could see Lucy making a cup of coffee. She was pouring an empty pot into her cup, and missing the cup completely. Sue blushed, but the smile never left her lips. Lucy put the pot down with her cup and walked briskly over to her best friend.

"So….?" Lucy asked.

"What?" Sue asked.

"What? What? What do you mean, 'what'?" Lucy asked, looking frustrated with her blonde friend. Sue smiled coyly and continued to type on her keyboard. "Oh, no you don't! What was that all about?" Lucy insisted.

"He just wanted to know if I wanted to have dinner with him on Friday night." Sue explained, rather boringly.

"And…?" Lucy encouraged.

"What makes you think there's more to it than that? Sue asked smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

"Susan Thomas! Don't you hold out on me!" Lucy demanded. "What did he really ask you?"

"He really asked me to go to dinner with him on Friday night." Sue explained.

"IF that's really all he wanted, why did he make me leave?" Lucy asked raising her eye brow.

"I don't know, you should probably ask Jack that." Sue said smiling, knowing that it was killing Lucy not knowing.

"OK… so, where is he taking you?" Lucy finally conceded defeat on her information quest.

"Lucia's." Sue said, nonchalantly.

"Lucia's? That hot new, very hard to get into, very romantic, very expensive new Italian restaurant down town? That Lucia's?" Lucy asked, surprised. Sue simply shook her head yes. "Do you know what this means?" Lucy asked, getting more and more excited as she spoke. Sue looked at her inquisitively.

"I'm going to have a great meal, at a hot new place?" Sue suggested, not sure where Lucy was going with this.

"Yes… but, more importantly, we need to go shopping!" Lucy said, nearly squealing.

"Shopping? Why?" Sue asked.

"You need a new dress to wear. Something that will knock his socks off." Lucy said eagerly, smiling a suggestive smile.

"I was going to wear that black one that has the belt attached." Sue said.

"No! You need something hot and sexy. We can go right after work." Lucy cheered.

"Lucy! This is dinner… not… anything else." Sue protested. Lucy looked at Sue, raising her eye brow in disapproval. "Girl friend, you are going to go shopping with me for a new dress for your date with Jack." Lucy said sternly.

"Yes, Mom." She said, submissively. "But… can we not get me arrested for working the corner the restaurant is on?" Sue asked sarcastically.

"I said sexy, not slutty." Lucy defended. Lucy smile at Sue and walked back to her desk.

The balance of the day was spent finishing paperwork, and filtering through tips coming into the bureau about possible terrorists. Sue was working on some research when an instant message screen popped up on hers. She noticed right away that it was Lucy. She clicked to open it.

"How close to being done are you?" Lucy's IM asked.

"ehhh… why?" Sue responded

"I just got an e coupon from that little dress shop on Rhode Island. The one that had that yellow dress you liked in the spring. Want to check it out?" Lucy suggested

"Sure. Give me 10 minutes." Sue said, and closed the small cube on her computer. She finished what she was doing, and shut off the computer. "Lucy and I are headed out, if anyone needs anything, call us." Sue said as she grabbed her sweater.

"Where ya headed?" Tara asked.

"Dress shop on RI, wanna come?" Sue answered.

"I'd love to, but I'm swamped. Rain check?" Tara thought.

"Sure… See you." Sue said as she and Lucy walked out.