Lt. Horatio Caine had not thought to set eyes on Laila Collins again. He had first met her when she was a sophomore at the University of Miami. There had been a sexual assault and stabbing in a dorm. It was one of his first cases. They had caught the bastard, something he always felt proud about.
Speaking of proud, he was currently celebrating with his team after a successful case. He was usually against going out, but when asked he had thought for a moment, then replied "What the hell". The bar was cozy, smelled of booze, and had more people than was comfortable.
Horatio had spotted Laila at the bar. She was flicking the toothpick in her martini. Her blonde hair had been cut off around her shoulders, and was straight as the toothpick she was focused on. He walked over, motioning for the bartender to bring another round.
"Well, Ms. Collins. It's been what, ten years? More?" He said, smirking. Her face showed confusion for a moment, before she broke into a huge smile.
"Officer Caine! Wow, small world huh?" Laila asked. Her brown eyes were large, their lashes elongated by her mascara.
"It's Lieutenant now, actually. It is indeed a small world. What has been going on with you?" Horatio didn't feel as if he was prying. During the case, she had been quite helpful and had spoken freely about her personal life. She had tried to get him to speak of his, but he had always turned her down.
"Not much. Graduated, now an ad exec at a big company downtown. Still single." Laila almost hissed that last part, draining her martini in a gulp. As it happened, she drank it down right as her new one came. "You?"
"I'm in the CSI now. Have been in charge for a while. Still single." Horatio huffed.
"Here's to being single." Laila toasted, holding up her glass. He clinked it, and they both sipped. The night seemed to pass rapidly. They drank, they talked, and before too long it was late and Laila seemed to be stumbling a little. Horatio steadied her with a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" He asked. She looked as if she might reply before she began to laugh.
"No, I'm not. I've got the job of my dreams, an apartment people would kill for, and no one to share it with. I just want a nice guy." She leaned into his arms. "Hey, this might be the vodka talking but how about we meet tomorrow. We're both single, we both met years ago. One of those, if ten years later neither of us are married we'll get together things?"
Horatio shifted her around. He would definitely have to drive her home. She went quiet during the drive, giving him enough time to think. He had been single for a long time, almost too long. Her apartment was in a high rise by a beach. She offered her keys to him as they rode the elevator up. He unlocked her apartment, impressed by the view.
"Can't live without the stars." She mumbled, staggering to her bedroom. Horatio found Laila struggling to remove her heels. He quickly helped her get them off. He pulled a card from his suit jacket, found a pen on her dresser and quickly wrote down his cell number. She'd find it in the morning. Laila lay on her bed, whether asleep or passed out he couldn't tell. He walked over, looking at her. The tension had drained out of her face; he found she was very striking. He placed his lips on her forehead, the closest he had been to a woman outside of work in years.
"I'll see you tomorrow."