This is in response to requests from people to have Sharon try to flirt with Andy. I've set this early Season 4, just after the first episode. This first chapter, in particular, is supposed to be a little choppy and harder to read because it's meant to reflect Sharon's current thought process. I came up with the title from several phrases that will continue to go through Sharon's mind. Hope you enjoy!


"Several times a month," Sharon sighed to herself as she sat at her desk looking out over the LA skyline and ran that phrase through her head once again. Her life had become a list of technicalities. Since she was looking out her window, she wasn't technically at her desk, but her chair was still in its same spot, just turned toward the view. She thought about shifting her chair, to another view in another direction, but that view would only get her in trouble. She threw a glance toward that alternate view, one of a certain lieutenant. Yes, that was a view alright, but sitting with her chair poised in that direction was a bit obvious, and right now, Sharon couldn't do obvious.

Oh, she wished she could be obvious right now, but it just wasn't who she was, at least not with dating. Yes, she was very straightforward at work, but with men, that was another story. Without a second to think about it and talk herself out of it, she picked up her cell phone.

"Hi, Andrea. It's Sharon. I wanted to see if you would like to go out and do something this week, you know, to catch up." Sharon finally took a breath, desperately hoping that Andrea would agree. Sharon didn't have a lot of female friends, but over the last few years she had been spending more and more time around Andrea at the office and could tell they had a lot in common. They'd been out shopping twice in the last year, and Sharon knew another outing was long overdue. Besides that, Sharon was determined now to move on from the Stroh mess. She'd put everything in her life on hold the last few months, and now that she was determined to move on, she knew she needed to repair a few friendships she'd let slide as well.

"No, I don't have plans this week," Sharon told Andrea. Sharon waited while Andrea checked her schedule. Truth be told, Sharon could and probably would have plans every single night this week if she would allow it, but Rusty's phrase from last Christmas kept replaying in her head like a record, "Several times a month." Rusty's comment, of course, was in reference to the number of times she and Andy would go out for the evening, or the afternoon, or really, who was she kidding, sometimes the whole day. They were just outings, she'd told herself over the months. Rusty always argued, calling them dates. Dates several times a month, in fact, Rusty had clarified over and over to her. He'd told her that phrase about dating several times a month as they had walked out the door on their way to the ballet back in early December, and she'd replayed that phrase over and over; it wouldn't go away. Sharon needed it to go away. The scary truth was that indeed, she and Andy were spending all their time together, and yes, she could see why it looked like they were dating.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

To date, you had to be romantic, something Sharon was certainly not with Andy. She'd kept him at her arm's length these past few months during the Stroh ordeal. It wasn't fair exactly, but life wasn't really fair at the moment. He'd just cornered her the other day asking what she needed him for. She'd explained the Julio situation, that she needed him to deal with Julio appropriately at work, but he'd pressed her for more. She'd relented with she needed him to be a friend, to get her mind off the past six months. They'd spent every evening since together, mostly going out to dinner. That phrase, Rusty's phrase, had snuck up on here again. Here they were, starting to pick things up again, not that Sharon had completely stopped spending time with Andy over the last few months, but it had definitely not been as frequent as it had been before the Stroh mess. If the last few nights out to dinner were any indication, Sharon could easily spend every evening out with Andy and not bat an eye.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

"You're free tomorrow?" Sharon questioned, making sure she could hear Andrea. She'd started to daze when Andrea had said she needed to check her schedule. She needed to focus and pay better attention. "Tomorrow is great, yes. You'll stop by the office, after work? That sounds great. See you then," Sharon smiled and hung up, happy that she'd made plans for at least one evening of the week that wouldn't include Andy. Except now, she was a little worried about that. She enjoyed Andy's company, and the two had talked about going to a movie this week. Now, that might not happen.

She should cancel her plans with Andrea because she'd already talked about a movie with Andy. She couldn't do that; it would mean Rusty was right. No, she'd keep her plans with Andrea, and she'd find a night to see the movie with Andy, or two nights, or maybe three. No, they wouldn't see the movie three times, but she was sure over the next week, she'd find three nights, no four, to spend with Andy. That's what friends, did, right?

Sharon shifted her chair slightly and caught Andy working on his computer. Oh, he was handsome, she had to admit that. He hadn't heard Rusty's comment that night, so he had no clue Sharon was stuck on the idea. In fact, Andy seemed to think the evening had gone well. It had gone well, actually, but Andy had thought the evening was going to be a disaster. Andy liked it when everyone was happy, and before the dinner that night at the ballet, no one had been happy. Well, Sharon knew she'd been happy, but things had been tense at work, partly because she enjoyed making Andy squirm. Andy was so uncomfortable about the awkward ballet plans, as well as her suggestion of dinner at the condo before the ballet. She'd enjoyed that evening, until Rusty's comment, but prior to that, she'd enjoyed spending time with Andy, of course, along with Rusty and Nicole as well. Over the last few months, the one place Sharon had been going with Andy had been Nicole's house, partly because she could take Rusty with her and keep an eye on him. That had not been the outings they had been doing prior to the Stroh mess, but Andy knew that Sharon had been on edge and wouldn't go anywhere without Rusty. So, they'd been spending time at Nicole's house. No, it wasn't family time because they weren't family. They weren't even dating. They were just friends spending time together. Sitting here now thinking about it only reminded her that Rusty wasn't off about his comment. Yes, indeed, they were spending time together several times a month.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

Sharon dragged herself out of her thoughts and turned back to her work. She couldn't focus and instead decided to make a shopping list. If she and Andrea were getting together for dinner, shopping would most definitely be involved too, and she might as well get some shopping done. She mainly needed to focus on Ricky's birthday, which was coming up soon. Luckily, he'd sent her a list, and she'd ordered the expensive items he wanted, but she still needed to get him a few clothing items she knew he needed, but hated to shop for himself. So, she made her list. Her eyes drifted to Andy. His birthday was coming up too, not too long after Ricky's, but everyone knew that she told herself. It was normal for the boss to know her lieutenant's birthday, right?

Sharon's phone rang, and she picked it up, "Andrea, hi again," she smiled. "Oh, tomorrow, dinner and shopping-at least that is what I was thinking. Anything in particular, no," she shook her head. "I do need to get a couple birthday presents."

Sharon hung up a couple minutes later. Andrea had called her back, apologizing for getting off the phone so quickly earlier. Now, with plans confirmed, Sharon decided to focus on work. That was proving to be a losing battle, as now Andy was turned slightly in his chair and talking to Provenza across the room. He had his hands on his head, and Sharon could see the muscles of his shirt. Maybe dating him wouldn't be that bad.

But, they weren't dating. Were they?

Sharon wasn't oblivious to Andy's affection. She knew he cared for her deeply, and if she really could be honest with herself, the feeling was mutual. Andy had tried to get more information out of her the other evening with his "need from me" comment, but she'd tried to keep things as professional as she could. The truth was Sharon didn't know how to approach Andy and suggest anything more. He'd waited for her, now for years, and while the rest of the world could joke with her about dating Andy and how obvious it was, the truth was it was no laughing matter.

They weren't dating, but maybe Sharon wished they were.

So, she sat, wondering how to make that clear. How could she convey to Andy she would like to date him without it looking like she was harassing her lieutenant? She couldn't be THAT kind of boss. No, she had to be subtle, while getting him to notice her. Well, alright, he noticed her, but she needed him to pursue her a little and not just wait as he'd told her that too. "I'll wait in case you need me." That was another one that kept flashing through her mind. Umm, hello! She needed him to wake up and see what was right in front of him, a Sharon who was a confused mess, but a confused mess who maybe wanted to date Andy.

They weren't dating, but Sharon did wish they were.

What was wrong with her? No wonder Andy was clueless; she was causing a battle in her own head and unsure of anything she wanted. She'd started out this reflection by pushing out any ideas of them spending so much time together, even going so far to schedule an evening out with a friend so she couldn't say they'd spent every evening together. Truth was now, she just wanted to spend the evening with Andy.

Surely, she would have to discuss all this with Andrea. She just hoped that Andrea wouldn't suggest an insanity defense by the time the evening was over. Because, Sharon had decided that she truly was insane. She was insane for everything, for thinking that they weren't dating all those months, because they really were. Now, she was insane because all she seemed to want was to date Andy, but she couldn't figure out a way to entice her lieutenant without winding up in a harassment seminar herself. Andrea had no idea what was coming her way, a totally confused, insane Sharon Raydor. It was probably going to be a long evening.