Ticks, kicks and bricks
"So..." followed by a moment of hesitation, a quick glance towards Dimmock, then Lestrade continued: "Molly, how about dinner this evening?" There, he finally said it aloud. After weeks of consideration it was finally out in the open. Dimmock threw him a surprised glance, raising an eyebrow, forming silently the name "Molly?" with his lips. Lestrade raised his shoulders in a gesture that could be interpreted as "What, I can´t ask a girl out?".
She turned around, surprise written on her face. Then she said the words he dreaded to hear: "I don´t think so Inspector". She hadn't even used his name replying. He was just an Inspector to her. It hurt.
"Are you seeing someone? Because I totally understand if your already taken, you being a nice girl and all." Lestrade was babbling nervously. He bit his lip to stop.
"No, not recently". He couldn't help but wonder how closely in the past it was. She had been hurt by that someone, he could tell this by the look in her eyes.
"So you are available, but you don't want to have dinner with me. Right. I see". Lestrade rubbed his forehead with his hand frustrated by the fact that he'd been turned down. Dimmock would never let him hear the end of this. He stared at the floor, trying to figure out a way out of this mess. He had made an total ass of himself. He stiffened.
Molly watched the display in front of her. She suddenly felt sorry for the Inspector. "Look, Gregory..." She used his first name, it got his attention. He looked up at her. She continued: "I'm sorry. Any girl would be lucky to date you. Your quite the catch" she said, trying to make up for the fact that she'd hurt his feelings, his pride.
"Somehow I doubt that" Lestrade said. "Do me a favor and just forget that I said anything at all." Then he left the room.
"What are you looking at?" she asked Dimmock.
"Did you have to be that..." he stopped in mid sentence "...cruel?".
"Greg, wait up!" Dimmock shouted.
"Did you hear her, any girl would be lucky to date you?"
Dimmock catched up with his colleague.
"Don't let her get to you."
"Well, it's a little late for that. I made a total ass of myself."
"No you didn't."
"Didn't you hear her, your quite the catch. She's just not interested in a bloke like me. I should have known."