"Ugh!" Greg could hear Morgan's frustrated groan from the hallway. He peeked into the break room, watching her shake her phone in anger and then bury her face in her hands.
"Problem?" he asked, walking in.
"My mother's coming to visit," came her muffled answer as she pulled up to look at him.
"And that's a problem because? I thought you got along with your mom," he said sitting in the seat beside her.
"I do, from a distance. But ever since I hit the thirty one mark, all she ever does is criticize my personal life. You know, like: Morgan, you're not getting any younger. Morgan, a man is not going to want to marry a workaholic. Morgan, I would like to have grandchildren while I can still enjoy them, not as a frail old lady in a nursing home. You get the gist," she explained. Greg laughed pouring himself a cup of coffee.
"My parents are the same way. In fact, your mom sounds a lot like mine," he said.
"Yeah, well, the problem is I told her I had a boyfriend a couple of months ago to get her off my back, and now she is expecting to meet him." Greg eyed her raising his eyebrow. "What?" she asked.
"You sound like Hodges," he said taking a sip of his coffee. "Doesn't he owe you a favor for that? Maybe he can pretend to be your boyfriend." She shot him a look, her eyes narrowed.
"Yeah, that worked out real well. Anyway, we are not exactly on speaking terms right now after that stupid rumor he spread. I'm liable to murder him halfway through dinner, even if I did ask." She smiled keeping her eyes fixed on Greg. "You, however, I feel less inclined to kill."
Greg froze as he was about to take another sip of coffee. "Good to know, considering our job. Are you asking me to be your fake boyfriend?"
She looked at him pleading. "Would you? Please, just for one day." He drank his coffee, watching her, a smirk spreading across his face.
"Well, that depends. What do I get out of this little arrangement?" he asked. Morgan rolled her eyes.
"A free steak dinner and a date with a beautiful woman," she remarked. Greg sat up straighter, mulling over the decision, enjoying Morgan's tortured expression as she waited for his answer.
"As tempting as that sounds, I have few demands of my own," he said, his smirk growing as he spoke.
"What?" Morgan asked, caution in her voice.
He leaned on the table, setting down his coffee cup. "Well, first things first, how about you buy my coffee for a year? You and Finn are always stealing it." He tapped his cup.
"That stuff is like forty dollars a bag!" she scoffed.
"Then stop stealing it!" he shot back. "That's not all. I also need a date to a friend's wedding next weekend and wouldn't mind showing up with a beautiful woman on my arm. If you can agree to my terms, then you've got yourself a deal."
"Fine," she agreed. "But you better act like the best boyfriend ever. That coffee isn't cheap."
He moved closer to her, close enough to whisper in her ear. "Trust me. I will. In fact, you'll be begging for more." A shiver ran down her spine as his warm breath hit her neck. When she turned to look at him, she caught a glimpse of him leaving through the door, a slight bounce in his step as he walked away.
Greg stood outside Morgan's door, more nervous than he shouldn't been. It wasn't real, after all, but he couldn't shake the apprehension he felt about meeting Morgan's mother. He wanted to impress, and deep down, he knew why and the real reason he agreed to this date. He was in love with Morgan, but he never had the courage to actually do anything about it before. This was his chance.
As he straightened his tie, the door opened. There she stood. Draped in a green dress that matched the brilliant color of her eyes, she smiled and welcomed him in. He took a moment to catch his breath and then followed her inside.
"Greg," she said leaning against him, "these are my parents, Jerry and Judy Brody." She motioned to an older couple who had been seated on the couch but now rose to meet him.
"Nice to meet you," he said shaking their hands. Morgan's mother gave him a tightlipped smile and an once over look.
"Why, Gregory, you are even more handsome than Morgan let on," Judy Brody said watching as Greg gave an embarrassed Morgan a loving glance and a smile.
"Thank you, Mrs. Brody. I can see where Morgan gets her beautiful smile from," he responded. Morgan's eyes went downcast as she blushed, the aforementioned smile shyly peeking through.
"Well, our reservations are at eight. We better get going," Morgan said, moving everyone along.
"So tell me, Gregory. What are you plans for the future?" Judy probed in the car ride to the restaurant, turning to gather the reaction of the awkward couple in the backseat.
"Mother! Please, let's not do this now." Morgan pleaded, fixing her gaze out the window in hopes of decreasing the embarrassment she felt rising up in her.
"I'm sorry, dear. I was just curious about this gentleman in your life," her mother responded.
"It's not a big deal. What do you mean, Mrs. Brody?" Greg asked trying to appease both of them.
"Well, Morgan tells us, you are a CSI like her. That is quite a time consuming job. I should know. I was married to one. Any plans on moving up to a position with a more stable schedule? You know, one that might accommodate a family someday?"she prodded.
"Mother!" Morgan could feel herself sinking lower in her seat, mortified.
"Actually, there is a supervisor position opening up on day shift that I'm considering taking," he said. Morgan stared at him now, surprised etched on her face.
"You are?" she asked, shocked.
"Yeah, your dad mentioned it the other day, and I told him I was interested." Their eyes locked as silence filled in the space between them.
"Oh, that's wonderful. That will make it so much easier on Morgan when she decides to stay home with the children," Judy broke the tension by creating more.
"MOTHER!" Morgan practically screamed, covering her face with her hands.
"Judy, let up on the kids a bit. We haven't even got to the restaurant yet," her husband Jerry tried to reason with her as he drove, entering the parking garage.
Greg and Morgan walked behind her parents, following them to the restaurant.
"Why didn't you say anything before? About the job?" she whispered to him as they walked.
"I just found out yesterday. I'm still thinking it over. Why does it matter?" he whispered back.
"Well we just wouldn't work together anymore. I would miss you." Her voice was soft with an edge of sadness to it.
He stopped walking and grabbed her hand. He spun her to face him and tucked a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.
"Morgan, I -" He leaned towards her, pressing his forehead against hers. She caught her breath, bracing herself for his next move.
"Morgan, Gregory, hurry up! They won't seat an incomplete party," Judy yelled out to them. Greg stepped back.
"We should go," he said walking ahead as Morgan stood glued in place. Her mind raced. What just happened?
Morgan passed her menu to the waiter as he went to place their orders. She took a sip of her wine, trying to calm her nerves. She wasn't sure how to act since her and Greg's strange encounter in the parking lot.
"So, how long have you two been dating?" Jerry asked. Morgan and Greg exchanged a brief glance.
"Um…six months?" Morgan said unsure of anything she said or of anything she felt. Greg nodded, going along with her lie.
"That's right. Six months," he said, drinking a glass of merlot.
"Sounds serious," Judy smiled. "So, is marriage on the horizon?" Greg nearly choked on his wine, coughing as he struggled to breathe.
Morgan patted his back. "Oh my God! Greg, are you okay?" He nodded, still unable to speak. "Mother!" she hissed, shooting her a icy glare. "Can you just stop it? Let's talk about something else. Please!"
"I'm sorry. Greg, forgive me. It's just been so long since we met anyone that Morgan has dated. I guess I forgot my manners. Please, tell us more about you?" Judy said, guilt washing over her.
"Sure. Let's see. I grew up in California. San Francisco. My family still lives there." He took a drink of water. "I went to Stanford and then started working at the Las Vegas crime lab. I've been there about fifteen years now."
Judy nudged Jerry, as she listened. "Well, that's wonderful. You sound like quite the accomplished young man. Morgan has scored herself quite a catch."
Greg took Morgan's hand in his. "Thank you, Mrs. Brody, but I'm the lucky one. Morgan is one of a kind." Morgan looked at him, feeling the heat of his skin against her own. She squeezed his hand, and mouthed the words "thank you" to him.
The rest of the dinner went rather smoothly despite its rough start. Judy told Greg stories about Morgan growing up, and Morgan and Greg talked about some of the crazier cases they had worked on together. Morgan felt a little heartsick reminiscing with Greg, knowing they would be seeing less of each other soon.
The ride home was quieter. Morgan became tired after consuming so much alcohol, steadying her now tranquil nerves. She rested her head on Greg's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. He kissed the top of her forehead, the touch of his lips lingering as she drifted off.
She woke up, feeling the warmth of his body against hers as he carried her in the house.
"Sorry, Greg. Morgan must have been really tired. She normally doesn't drink like that." Her mother's voice echoed in her head as Greg set her down on the living room couch. He moved to leave, but she grabbed his arm causing him to kneel down next to her. She pulled him close to her, kissing him briefly. His lips brushing softly against hers.
"Thank you," she whispered searching his soft surprised brown eyes. She fell back asleep, and Greg slowly moved away. He said goodbye to her parents before exiting. Standing outside her door once more, he leaned against it, his heart beating fast. What just happened?