Cho's Date
Meeting

The dim light was soothing, though the musty smell was slightly irritating. The space between the rows of shelves was narrow and confining, but necessary to accommodate the number of books that had been crowded into the used book store. From the outside, it would be easy to miss the small plaque that read, "Kang's Used Books." You'd not find it listed in a search engine, nor would you find it in the yellow pages. Kang's was discovered by accident or by being referred to it by someone who knew of it. Cho considered it his primary resource for adding to his growing collection of books.

The tiny penlight in his mouth allowed him to aim the surprisingly bright beam at the books in the dim aisle while permitting him the use of both hands. He was near the back of the store, a remarkably long distance, considering the width of the establishment. One of the first impressions the store would make upon entering is that of a book lined cave, extending into unseen dimness. There was some degree of organization to the stacked books and Kang seemed to know where every book he owned was. Cho was in the science fiction area and was just browsing. Today, he had nothing special in mind. This Saturday, he was hoping to have the entire day off. He was, of course, on call, but it was possible to get lucky and have the entire day with no crimes ruining the relaxation.

He'd learned to bring a small, soft brush with him to dust of the spines of some of the books in more obscure corners. Dusting apparently was not one of Kang's strong points, at least not back in the far recesses of "the cave." He was, almost sub-vocally, humming and hearing in his head a Korean version of "The Phantom of the Opera." He didn't really speak Korean, but he liked love the sound of the language, as it brought back some pleasant memories of his mother. He brushed one particularly dusty book and froze. The jacket was torn, with a small stain on it, but the title, "I, robot." and the author, "Isaac Asimov." He felt his heart skip a beat as he carefully pried it from between the surrounding books. He opened the jacket and braced himself as he saw the ornate signature of the author. "A signed edition," he whispered, nearly dropping the flashlight from his mouth.

"Excuse me," a soft, female voice said. "May I get by you?"

He turned to face the voice, shining the light from his flashlight directly into her eyes. He quickly reached up with his free hand and snatched it from his mouth, but not before he noticed the deepest, bluest eyes that he'd ever seen. "Excuse me," he apologized. He paused, not sure of what to say next, but she saved him the trouble.

"Oh, no! You have it." She looked like she was about to cry. "I've been looking for that book for over a year, now, and I thought I finally had one." Her eyes were focused on the book in his hand. "Please say that you're just browsing and not going to buy it."

Cho looked at the book in his hand and got a vision of that book sprouting wings and flying away from him. He really loved Asimov and would dearly love to have a signed edition by him.

She was crestfallen. "You're going to buy it, aren't you?" She shifted from foot to foot. "I just know you're going to buy it." She stared into his eyes, looking very sad, but not pleading. For her, looking into his eyes was easy. She was almost as tall as he, maybe an inch or less shorter, very dark hair, in striking contrast to her deep blue eyes and a pale complexion. "You are going to buy it, aren't you?"

Come on Cho, don't mess this up. Speak in sentences, like Jane said. She's beautiful! Cho smiled. "That was my plan, but I'd hate to cause you pain." He smiled. "Would it cause you pain?"

She smiled, hope showing in her eyes. Then she grinned. "Sir, it would absolutely cause me a myriad of agonies!"

Cho solemnly shook his head. "Sir? Sir?" He smiled. "My commanding officer was Sir. I'm simply Cho, but you can call me anything you want to."

She grinned. "Except late for dinner?"

Cho nodded and in his normal deadpan manner: "Except that. I'm a growing boy." How do I ask her out? What do I say, next. I hate this. I really hate not knowing what to say.

"I'll make you a deal. Since you are a growing boy, and don't want to be called late for dinner, if you let me have that book, I'll treat you to a home cooked, really good dinner. AND it will be ready on time, not late at all!"

Cho felt his stomach lurch. "You drive a hard bargain."

Before he could continue, she put her hand on his arm in an imploring manner. "I'm a really good cook, and I can be really good company. I'll tell you funny jokes and maybe even sing a song or two."

She amazing! Things like this don't happen to me. "You are making a very convincing case for your position. Just when would this dinner be?"

"Any time of your choice. Tonight, now, any time you want! Will you do it, please? Will you?"

Cho couldn't help himself. He laughed.

He expression quickly changed and she delivered one of the cutest pouts that Cho had ever witnessed. "Now, you're laughing at me."

Her expression was so forlorn that he wondered if she was actually that sensitive or if she was just kidding. Let's not take any chances here. "I can't imagine ever laughing at you. I'm laughing with you!"

"But I'm not laughing," she started as he handed her the book. Her eyes lit up and she did let an exclamatory laugh. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight enough to make him grunt. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she whispered into his ear causing him to quiver with suppressed excitement. "I really do owe you big time. Now, when do you want your dinner?"

oOo

The day had passed very slowly for Cho, each hour seeming like an eternity filled with the potential for the disastrous phone call that would call him back to the CBI office and fill his evening with a case and not the company of an exciting lady who clearly loved books and claimed to be an excellent cook.

When eight PM approached, he was freshly showered and dressed, ready to make the short walk to Lisa's apartment. He glared at his cell phone, daring it to ring, before he put it into his belt holster. He slipped on a sweat shirt, the evening was cooler than expected. For some strange reason, he felt butterflies in his stomach as he exited his apartment building.

oOOOo

A/N: It's been awhile since I've done a Cho story. It's been rough getting this one going. I hope you all enjoy. Now, offer some encouragement. I suspect I'm going to need it. Now, Donnamour1969, you promised!