Sammy & Ilna - as always, thanks for being you!

REALMcRollers & Readers - You never cease to make us smile. Love & Hugs

Sammy thanks for the great Danny line!

Worst and Best

Carrie raised her hand and said, "oh, please, me first." And Catherine laughed.

"Clearly you know the story," Danny grinned and motioned for Carrie to go ahead. "Absolutely, ladies first."

The blond stirred her drink and took a sip before she began, an amused smile already on her lips. "Okay, so it was right after plebe summer and John and I weren't a couple yet." She patted her husband's hand. "I had a date with a townie for a dinner and movie and of course I said I'd meet him at the restaurant."

John chuckled and she shot him a mock look. "Don't ruin my story," she chuckled, then turned back to the group. "So we have dinner, he ordered surf and turf a beer and dessert. I had a nine dollar bowl of pasta and a coke - I wasn't old enough to drink yet - and when the check comes he announces my half will be $54.73.

"Seriously?" Gabby rolled her eyes. "Ugh, didn't he get that going dutch requires warning the other person?"

"It gets better," Carrie pointed around with her straw. "He looked me dead in he eyes and said while he expected me 'pay my way' for dinner, he'd very generously picked up condoms for later, his treat.

Danny snorted, "What a complete jackass. What'd you do?"

"I told him my half of the meal should be compensation for putting up with his sorry ass for two hours." Carrie shook her head. "And maybe the CVS would refund his investment because he sure as hell wouldn't be needing them that night. Then I left. "

"That dude probably still has the same box of condoms." Danny smirked. "Unused."

"You're probably right." Carrie grinned. "So, on the way to the bus stop I bought a huge chocolate cherry cheesecake to split with my roommate." Her eyes danced with mirth as she high fived Catherine across the table.

"And ran into us and Freddy when you were fuming your way through the halls." John indicated himself and Steve.

"Freddy said he smelled chocolate and it was his birthday." Carrie smiled fondly at the memory of their friend as a boisterous young middy.

"Which was total bullshit, his birthday was six months away." Steve pointed out.

"Which I called him on." John wrapped an arm around his wife and kissed her temple.

"Carrie said that earned you all cake." Catherine was smiling ear-to-ear as she gestured between the long time couple. "And the rest is history."

"Awww," Gabby said with a smile. "How many years are you married this summer?"

"Eighteen," they said together and chuckled before Carrie lifted her glass toward Danny. "You next, because somehow a bad date story with a New Jersey twist is something I need to hear."

Danny rubbed his hands together and laughed. "If this was a contest, I might actually win."

"Worse than mine?" Carrie grinned.

"You tell me," the detective answered. "Okay, I meet this girl at Barnacle Bill's down the shore…"

Steve snorted. "Of course you did."

Danny shot his partner a look and continued unfazed. "Pretty girl, seemed nice, we talked for awhile and so we decide to leave and go grab some dinner." He paused for effect. "She says since I'm just outta the police academy she figures I'm trustworthy so she'll let me drive. We got in my car and she asks if we can make a stop in Seaside first. 'Okay,' I say. And we make a stop." He glanced at the group. "At an abandoned warehouse."

"Oh, I can just see your expression," Gabby chuckled.

"And it was this expression," He pointed to himself, an exaggerated look of surprise in the widened blue eyes. "Because she was … are you ready for this? Meeting her dealer. Her dealer." He shook his head. "I mean, I said I was a cop. A rookie, for chrissakes. I could have lost my badge."

Catherine grinned at her friend's flailing gestures. "What'd you do?"

"I called for backup on my giant, 1990's cell phone and had them arrested."

"Seriously?" Carrie smiled.

"Hell, yeah, seriously. Crazy lady thought I was going to risk my career." He took a breath. "Then I called my partner. Great guy, we're still in touch. He was about forty at the time." He looked around the table. "Which I thought was ancient, by the way. He busted me for a minute, but then he told me, 'Ya did the right thing, Williams, good job, kid.' " Danny took a sip of his beer. "So my date sucked, but that made me feel like I made the right call."

"Of course you made the right call," Catherine was smiling. "Now, I've got one."

"What did my animal partner do to ruin a date?" Danny teased his best friend.

Catherine patted Steve's arm where it rested over her shoulder in the booth. "Nothing. This was high school." She stole a fry from her husband's plate and ate it. "I was a junior and he asked me to one of those sports complex places. You know, batting cages, mini-golf, laser tag." She shrugged. "I beat him."

"At what?" Gabby smirked.

"Everything." She grinned when Steve snorted a laugh. "And he was pissed. Like seriously angry. Then he proceeded to tell me how guys don't like competitive women who secretly practice to show off at sports." She rolled her eyes. "As if I needed to practice to beat him. I listed five or six female olympic gold medalists then pointed out putt putt golf isn't exactly something I needed to practice. When he sulked and offered to take me home early I told him not to bother." She shrugged. "I called mom for a ride and we laughed about it over ice cream."

"Total idiot," Steve commented, then his eyes lit in a familiar competitive gleam. "What'd you beat him by?"

She gave him a smile. "A bunch of hits and about ten strokes. And I totally kicked his ass at laser tag."

"That's my girl." His pride was unmistakable, even for an event twenty years past, and she squeezed his hand.

Just then, the waitress came by asking about anyone wanting coffee. Catherine nodded since they needed to get home. Danny agreed and sighed once again at Grace being old enough to be Angie's sitter for the evening. They'd all met up early for dinner and planned to be home before dark so she could drive herself to and from Uncle Steve and Auntie Cath's to watch her cousin.

Later that evening, after Angie was fast asleep, Steve and Catherine sat on the outside balcony deck of their bedroom. "You know…" He started as she stood from her lounge chair and joined him on his. "Those stories tonight…"

She settled into a comfortable position and laced their fingers. "Yeah?"

"I know some people just suck, but I hope Angie …" He took a breath.

"Doesn't have to deal with too many idiots?"

"Exactly." He smiled softly at her ability to read him as always. "No matter how well we prepare her for everything, I wish I could keep the jackasses away." The smile morphed into a smirk. "Maybe with a howitzer."

She chuckled. "I know, but we can't protect her from everything." She pecked his lips. "And we've got a little while til she dates."

"Thank God," he said and kissed her temple.

They were quiet for a bit until she lifted her eyes to his. "Hey, you got a worst date story?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Mostly just stuff like one date and I knew, or they did, it wasn't going anywhere." His eyes lit. "Then there was this girl drinking a milkshake in a diner who ruined it for anyone else, ever."

"Awww." She stretched to kiss the corner of his mouth. "Ditto."

Steve shifted until she was lying over him. "I'd rather talk about best dates." He ran his hands down her back and up under her t-shirt. "Recreate a few, maybe."

Her smile was playful and saucy before she kissed him. "Ohhh, sounds interesting. Do tell?"

"Not much to tell." He kissed her again, until they parted to breathe. "You know all the scenarios. 'Cause very good date, ever?"

"Hmmm?"

"Was with you."

# End thanks for reading

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