A "Fine" Romance
This is my take on one possible direction of last week's episode in Season 4's Episode 5 "Snitch." Since Andy didn't specify his invitation for dinner was actually for a dinner "date," what happens if Sharon didn't realize that's what she'd agreed to? Her careful response to the word "romantic" was assuaged when Andy pointed out that was in reference to what others had to say about the restaurant. Quite plausible.
This is what happens when Lt. Andy Flynn asks his boss out to dinner but Capt. Sharon Raydor doesn't realize his invitation is going to be any different from their past outings. The confusion over whether this invitation is an official date is, like everything else about this pair, adorably awkward.
On the drive home that night, Sharon reviewed Andy's dinner invitation once more and started giggling again. Poor Andy, the nervous look on his face when she questioned him on the use of the word "romantic" to describe this new restaurant Serve he obviously wanted to try out. It was so new Sharon hadn't even heard of it and from Andy's description, it clearly wasn't the kind of place Andy and Louie would ever visit together, especially if it were an expensive type of upscale place.
Rusty glanced over at Sharon. "What's so funny?"
"Oh, nothing, just something someone said – it struck me as humorous. Where do you want to grab dinner?" Sharon deflected.
"I'm not picky as long as it has burgers or pizza. You decide, Sharon," Rusty said as he slumped down in his seat and stared at his cellphone screen reading texts.
Poor Andy! Sharon thought as she drove. Obviously Andy hadn't been to Serve yet or he would have described it in his own words rather than using its own advertising hype. Most romantic restaurant in the city, huh? I guess we'll see. Sharon shook her head.
"Well, I did it, Louie. I asked Sharon out!" Andy said gleefully into his cellphone on the drive home.
"Good for you, Andy. Deducing from your happy tone, I take it she said yes?" Provenza said as he sat waiting behind two cars in a drive-thru restaurant lane.
"Yeah, … I mean, she said 'fine.'" Andy hesitated.
"Fine? Just 'fine'?" Provenza asked sarcastically. "Is that how she usually responds when you invite her to dinner … like all the other times before?"
"Yeah, usually, why?" Andy didn't understand what Provenza was getting at.
"Something's off."
"What are you getting at, Louie? I asked her out on a date for tomorrow night and she said 'fine.'"
"Did you actually say on. A. Date?"
"Well… kinda. I mean I didn't actually say it was a date but I did ask her out and...and I did say people say it's the most romantic restaurant in the city," Andy stated. "She got the idea."
"What is wrong with you?" Provenza snapped. "May I remind you the Captain is your boss! Right now she's probably got absolutely no idea your dinner invitation was any different than your usual so-called platonic invitations! How could you forget to mention that one small detail!" Provenza sounded disgusted. "Man! You really are out of practice. The Flynn I knew would never have messed that up. What's happened to you?"
Andy felt an odd sense of panic in his chest. "Of course she knows it's a date. She …."
"Really? Hey …yeah, can I get a straw and some extra napkins with that? Good, throw some ketchup packets in the bag too. ….Ok, thanks."
"What the hell are you talking about, Louie?" Andy was getting upset.
"Shut up – I'm getting my dinner - in the drive-thru. Just hold on a minute," Provenza snarked as he drove his car into an empty spot inside the fast food chain's parking lot and began digging out his meal.
"You done yet?" Andy said sarcastically.
"Yeah, …so how… exactly is this 'date' any different than … any of your other outings with the Captain?" Provenza said in between bites. The man was not a quiet eater.
"Uh… cuz … well, uh. Shit!" Andy said as he pulled into his own driveway and thru the engine into park. "I guess I didn't actually say it's a date. Shit. I gotta go."
"Idiot," Provenza said as he rolled his eyes and turned off his cellphone.
Andy sat still in the drivers seat for several minutes as he mentally reviewed the conversation he had with Sharon outside her office not half an hour earlier. Had he really forgotten to make it clear this was an actual, honest-to-goodness formal date and not just another dinner invitation between friends? According to his partner, Sharon was probably under the impression this was just dinner as usual but at a fancier place.
"I've got call her!" Andy said out loud suddenly. He got out of his car and into his home quickly where he began pacing a little between rooms as he tried rehearsing how he might make the point clearer in a phone call that night. "Screw it! I'm just going to text her."
Pulling off his tie, Andy headed to his bedroom to get out of his work clothes and into something more comfortable. Within a few minutes he was situated on his couch with a glass of water by his side as his fingers were poised to text. This was going to take some planning. His fingers froze above the buttons. How do I make it clear without her changing her mind?
Rusty had gone straight to his room almost immediately after arriving home with Sharon.
Probably working on his vlog, Sharon reminded herself. She loved seeing her son so passionate about finding out Alice Herrera's true identity. Sharon headed to the kitchen and was pouring herself a glass of white wine when her cell phone vibrated in the pocket of her blazer.
Smiling at the name on the screen, Sharon took a quick sip of wine before reading Andy's text. His message made her choke in surprise as the wine went down the wrong pipe causing a short coughing fit.
"Sharon, can't wait for our first official date tomorrow night. Pick you up at 7? - A"
"Oh god!" Sharon sputtered. "A date? An official date?" Sharon's stared at the message and reread it twice more just to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. "Ohhhh, so that's why he used the word 'romantic!" Sharon said to herself.
Sharon suddenly froze at the realization that she had agreed to a date with a subordinate officer! "How did I miss this?" Sharon whispered to herself.
Provenza was none too happy to have to answer his cellphone in the middle of a pre-taped sci-fi episode he was enjoying from his lazy-boy recliner. "What did you do now, idiot?"
"Hey … so I texted Sharon like thirty minutes ago and she hasn't responded yet."
"So?" Provenza replied dripping with sarcasm.
"No, see I texted her that I can't wait for our first official date and that I'd pick her up at 7 o'clock," Andy said worriedly. "She usually answers her texts within a few minutes, Louie."
Provenza could tell Andy was slightly freaking out and took pity on his pitiful partner. "Calm down, Flynn. She's probably watching a movie with the kid …or maybe she's asleep already."
"You think? I mean its not even 10 o'clock yet."
"Or maybe you freaked her out, you know, with the words 'official date'?" Provenza couldn't resist stating the obvious.
"You think I should call her?"
"Good Lord, no! That'd only give her a chance to change her mind!" Provenza advised. "Just sit tight and see what happens in the office tomorrow?"
"Lou, today's Friday! We're off tomorrow!"
"Well, then show up at 7 and bring flowers! Nice ones, romantic ones, if you know what I mean. Go big or go home as they say." Provenza added. "Don't forget breath mints if you're think you're gonna kiss her at the end of the night. Ewwww. I don't even wanna think about you two ki…ugh!"
"You think she might kiss..."
"Flynn! I just ate! Don't make me throw up!" Louie ordered.
"Whatever! Good idea about the flowers, Louie! Yeah, okay, I'll just play it by ear then, I guess. Okay, well. Good night."
"G'night, idiot," Provenza murmured before turning his attention back to his TV show.
Sharon had been pacing across her living room for the past forty minutes and was on her second glass of wine before she had the nerve to respond to Andy's text that night. Still circling the couch for what must have been at least a hundred laps, Sharon found her mind pinging from one thought to another as she tried to figure out whether or not she wanted this to be an "official date" or not.
Andy had become her closest friend, best friend, in all truth. They were each other's confidante on personal matters and insightful sounding boards at times. Relationship that grew out of friendship were renown for long-term happiness but was she ready to date someone just yet? Granted she was only recently divorced but reality was she'd been separated and basically single since her now ex-husband and she began living single lives for over twenty years during the marriage. Dating wasn't something that even entered her mind with all that was going on in her life. Now, here she was facing the fact she'd somehow unknowingly agreed to a 'romantic' date without realizing the personal ramifications.
Of course, Rule-book Raydor was concerned about how it would affect her career and his. More so, the impact this could have on the Major Crimes department. Chief Pope and Assistant Deputy Chief Taylor would enjoy toying with her but she could handle them. At least,the good news was Andy had been the one doing the asking - that was clear - so there could be no grounds for supervisor misconduct. Andy's text sort of proved that. Ironically, the potential for accusations of sexual harassment against her would have made Taylor's tiny cold heart jump with glee! Sharon realized her bases were covered where her job was concerned but that didn't stop her from re-reviewing the rules anyway to actually consider what it meant to date a man who reported to her. Then there was the possibility of ruining a wonderful friendship if dating didn't work out.
She sat down on the couch and grabbed a pillow to hold tightly against her pounding heart. Sharon closed her eyes and let her mind drift back to the conversation with Andy. How did she not see he was asking her out on a date? Andy never actually said it was a date-date but apparently that was implied when he said it was a romantic place.
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Sharon said to herself as she put the pillow back, pulled her phone out of her pocket and began to text Andy.
"Andy, 7 is fine."
Provenza glared at his cell phone vibrating across the end table alongside his recliner. Reaching for his reading glasses, he picked up the cell and read the lit screen. A smug smile spread across the senior lieutenant's face as he read the brief text from Andy. Provenza texted back a simply response back: one disgusted-looking smiley-face emoticon. Apparently Sharon and Andy were going on a date after all.
Despite feeling nervously excited from head to toe, Andy knocked confidently on Sharon's front door promptly at 7pm.
Rusty answered with a bemused expression on his face. "Nice flowers, Lieutenant!"
Andy grinned. "Call me Andy, kid."
Rusty grinned back. "Sure, Andy. Call me Rusty, please? Sharon will be ready in a minute, c'mon in."
Sharon could hear the two chatting as she stared at her reflection in the bedroom's full-length mirror. Her hair looked great. When did it not? Her make-up was a tad smokier around her eyes and her lipstick just a little redder than her normal subdued hue. Glancing down, Sharon inspected her dress once last time, a soft, forest-green silk dress that clung to her hour-glass figure while complementing her reddish hair and big green eyes. The modest three-inch slit in the front of the dress stretched up over her right leg where the hem came to rest almost three inches above her knee giving the sophisticated dress a classy, yet edgy, appeal. She slipped on her favorite black 4-inch heeled Prada platform pumps before dabbing perfume on her wrists and behind each ear. Oh why not, Sharon thought to herself as she slowly dabbed an additional two drops of perfume between her breasts.
"Okay, here we go-o-o-o-o," Sharon told herself in the mirror before drawing and exhaling two deep breaths. Stuffing her phone into her evening clutch she paused once more and reminded herself to stay calm despite her nervousness.
The look on Andy's face instantly put Sharon at ease. Andy decidedly ignored office protocol and allowed himself the pleasure of surveying his date, staring overtly as she entered the living room. His eyes slowly swept up from her slender legs, across her curvaceous figure with its appealing décolleté to finally making eye contact. It was a rare thing to see what Sharon was hiding under her office business blazers. Andy could see why. A body like that would only distract people from doing their jobs.
"Wow." Andy said blankly. Sharon blushed and glanced away from Andy's face only to see Rusty nodding at her with a goofy grin.
"Uh, these are for you, Sharon," Andy said as he stepped forward holding a lush bouquet of peonies, lilies and roses.
"Thank you, Andy. They're beautiful. You didn't have to …" Sharon could feel herself blushing again.
"Well, I've wanted to, many, many times," Andy said with a crooked grin. Was he still talking about flowers?
Sharon reached out and took the wrapped flowers from him with an appreciative smile. "Really? I'll just put these in water before we go…"
"Let me do that for you, Mom. You two need to get going or you'll be late for your reservation," Rusty said playfully. Sharon tilted her head at Rusty with a cocked eyebrow but handed him the flowers as asked.
"Thank you, son," Sharon said sweetly before turning to Andy. "Shall we?"
Andy smiled and held out his arm for Sharon to take before reaching for the doorkknob. "No need to wait up, Kid - uh Rusty," Andy said with a wink.
"Ha. Ha. Just remember what we talked about, Andy!" Rusty said firmly.
"I certainly will," Andy said as he closed the door behind them.
"What was that all about?" Sharon asked once they began to walk down the hall to the elevator.
"How about I tell you over dinner?" Andy asked.
"um …Fine."
"Aw, there's that word again." Andy laughed as they stepped into the elevator.
Sharon blushed. This evening was already off to a good start even if it was totally nerve-wracking. Standing alone together in the small enclosed elevator, Sharon felt fluttering butterflies in her stomach as the full impact suddenly hit her. She was on a 'romantic' date with her best friend. She stole a quick peek at his profile and her knees suddenly felt wobbly. The elevator silently opened and the two stepped forward together.
Both were quiet on the drive to the restaurant as if either was afraid of saying the wrong thing. Andy looked over at Sharon with a confident smile and waited for her to relax. He could tell she was tense by the way both her hands gripped her small clutch tightly. Normally Sharon's long legs would stretch out comfortably before her in the passenger space but this time she kept her knees pressed together with knees sharply bent. Her shoulders were slightly hunched as she leaned against the door and away from him ever so slightly.
"You gonna make a break for it at the next red light?" Andy quipped.
"What?" Sharon seemed startled.
"You can relax, you know."
"I'm fine… I mean I'm relaxed."
"Coulda fooled me," Andy grinned. His right hand landed on her left hand and gently pulled her hand gently away from her purse. Sharon gasped lightly. He was holding her hand! This night was full of firsts. First, flowers? Now hand holding? What was next? Sharon felt herself blushing again at the thought of how dates usually end with at least a kiss at the end of the night. Sharon's eyes widened and audibly gulped causing Andy to chuckle.
"Well, this is a first!" Andy said cheerily. "I had no idea I made Sharon Raydor so nervous!"
Sharon's smiled uneasily. "I'm not nervous, I mean we've been out to dinner many, many times, Andy."
"True, but tonight is a little different, isn't it?"
"I suppose it is, …" Sharon admitted. "I just didn't realize it at the time that you were asking me on a date."
"Yeah, I could have been clearer about my intentions but I got a little nervous when you questioned the word romantic.
"So I made Andy Flynn nervous?" Sharon teased back.
"Oh, many, many times! You have no idea, lady," Andy's eyes twinkled as he squeezed her hand. Sharon smiled back at him and glanced down at their clasped hands.
"I'm glad you didn't back out, you know, when I texted you last night," Andy's face seemed suddenly somber.
"I started to…"
"You did?" Andy looked surprised. "Why didn't you?"
"I … oh, is this it?" Sharon perked up in her seat as Andy slowed down to turn into the restaurant's parking lot. "What a beautiful place," Sharon's said in awe. The timing was perfect and afforded her a chance to deflect the conversation momentarily. Perhaps it had been the two glasses of wine that made her willing to take the risk. Whether or not that was the reality, Andy didn't need to know that.
Andy released Sharon's hand to turn off the engine. "Wait here," Andy said softly as he unbuckled his seatbelt. In an instant he had exited the car and circled around to her door, opening it gallantly before extending his hand to help her out of the car. Sharon smiled and glanced down shyly before taking his hand. Andy couldn't help but smile back at the flash of freckled leg thanks to the well-placed slit over one knee.
"Shall we?" Andy asked as he closed the door and extended his elbow for her to take.
Sharon surveyed the darkened restaurant with delight. The candlelight and elegant décor with its recessed cozy seating provided just enough privacy for intimate conversation. A pianist played softly at a sparkling grand piano near the entrance to the patio offering a spectacular view of the ocean. A light breeze wafted through the sheer curtains lining the floor-to-ceiling windows left ajar.
Andy smiled at the expression on Sharon's face. "Well, they were right."
"They?" Sharon asked.
"They, the people who said this was the most romantic restaurant in the city," Andy said softly next to Sharon's ear, his warm breath along her neck sending goose bumps down her arms.
Sharon nodded with a nervous smile just as the maître d came forward and led them to a table not far from the pianist. Two sumptuous chairs were set closer together than directly across from one another providing the Sharon and Andy close proximity to one another over the white table-clothed round table. Sharon surveyed the room and smiled to herself.
"The view is spectacular," Sharon murmured to Andy as she noticed the rolling surf beyond the patio.
"Yes. It certainly is," Andy replied never once taking his eyes from her face. Sharon looked at Andy only to notice he was ignoring the room and gazing at her. Sharon blushed at the full meaning of his words. His hand reached for hers and held it warmly across the the table. More butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
"Enjoying yourself?" Andy asked. Sharon nodded with a small smile, afraid to say something that might give away her private thoughts. "Me, too. I'm glad we're doing this, Sharon. Finally."
Well? Should this be continued or a one-shot? We'll know tomorrow night what did or didn't happen if the lovely James Duff throws us Shandy fans a clue or two in the following episode. What we ALL need is a moment of clarity since Andy's not too good at it and Sharon won't assume anything without all the facts in front of her
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