Steve had been in Denver for 3 days. When a US senator's son is nearly abducted, all agencies with initials were involved.
Normally, when he thought of Denver, he thought of Shane, but last year, she'd closed the door on their relationship, admitting that she loved Oliver. They'd recently gotten engaged.
It was Valentine's Day, he thought, and once again, he was alone. Well, alone, with the pretty agent.
Now he was holed up in a small office with the pretty state bureau of investigation redhead, pouring through piles of letters, trying to separate ticked-off constituents from would-be abductors.
He was tired and hungry. The long hours and confined space made him feel like a caged animal.
He looked up at her as she unconsciously tucked her hair behind her ear. She looked elegant, graceful, and fluid. She was efficient and capable and hadn't once complained about the hours or the company. They'd clicked, gotten used to each other's workstyles and preferences. He even knew that like him, she took her coffee black. He'd brought her a coffee this morning. They'd gotten to know each other, and the conversation had been…nice.
His stomach growled. He wondered if she would go out to dinner with him, strictly because they'd been stuck in the room all day, he told himself. They needed to get out.
He called her name. "Dale…" he began. She didn't look up at him. Her mind was somewhere, and she looked like she was wrestling with something…regret? He called her name twice more.
She finally looked up at him and whoa. What the heck? He felt…a spark. She'd felt it too, because she broke eye contact quickly, hiding the color that rose to her cheeks. "Are you ok?" He felt compelled to touch her arm.
She stretched her neck and uttered "Fine,", then said something about people putting hate on paper. Then she said "I need a break."
"I could use a break, too. Want to grab some dinner…out? We can get back to this after." Smooth. It sounded like he was asking her out. Was he?
He saw uncertainty in her. "Steve…you know it's Valentine's Day, right? There's not a restaurant in Denver with an open table tonight."
He'd forgotten already. He suggested Thai takeout.
She'd agreed.
"Spicy or mild," he probed.
"I like it hot," she said, and he tried to remind himself she was talking about food. She blushed again.
As Steve picked up the food, he thought about Dale and her pretty eyes, the laugh that he'd grown to appreciate in the last few days. People needed to laugh more.
When her returned to the office, he'd set the table, wanting this to feel like dinner, not just an assignment. He raised his glass and she did the same. "I never imagined a Valentine's Day like this," he said. "To good food, great company, and solving crime" he said. And whatever else happens, he thought. They clinked their glasses and smiled.