you don't have to be alone to be lonely, you might as well give in/Flirting
It was always nice at first, the flirting, the smiles, and the genuine fun that came from exchanging sexually charged looks with a beautiful woman.
Eventually, though, it went beyond the fun and the flirting and you had to decide if it was every going to be more than that.
Jen and him definitely were nothing going to be more, at least not based on the few coffees and drinks and that one movie they'd caught together. They'd tried and tried again, but at some point, they just accepted that there was nothing more substantial between them than attraction.
They could probably have turned that into a few hot weeks; maybe even months in bed, but since they worked together and respected each other, they just kind of…drifted away. Their lunches together became friendly instead of flirty, and their post-work drinks grew to include Messer, Rodriguez, Smith, or whoever was around at the time. It was always fun and a good time.
But at the end of the day, he was still alone.
And he was tired of it. He realized that he wanted something more than a string of physical relationships. He wanted what his parents had for so many years. He wanted what Mac had had with his wife, what Sid had with his, what Danny had with Lindsay.
He wanted someone to come home to at the end of the night. A woman who loved him, someone to snuggle up on the couch with during a horror movie marathon. He wanted a woman that would challenge him, push him, stick by him no matter what happened.
He didn't care how girly it might sound…that was what he wanted.
And deep in his heart, he knew exactly who he wanted that woman to be.
Now, all he had to do was get up the nerve to ask her out.
Which wasn't going so well. She was just so…amazing, so gorgeous and smart and tough, and one of his best friends. He didn't want to lose her or make things awkward and uncomfortable. How could he even stand it if she turned him down? He didn't know if he could.
So he didn't ask…he just sort of invited Stella over for a date without ever telling her it was a date.
"Are those candles?" Stella asked as she entered his apartment.
He nodded, "And champagne and dinner and roses."
Stella turned slowly, a full 180 degrees and just stared at him for a full minute before finally speaking, "Is this a date, Donald Flack?"
He smiled weakly and nodded, "Yes."
"You didn't ask me."
"No, I didn't," he said, trying to stay calm. He moved between her and the door in case she tried to bolt, "you might have said no if I asked."
"So you just decided to be a caveman then and kidnap me?"
"Well, you did come here of your own free will and I won't make you stay if you don't want. I was just kind of hoping you'd find it romantic and maybe…give me a chance. One date, that's all I'm asking Stel."
She sighed, "We work together, Don and we're friends and…"
He moved closer, his body almost touching hers, "And I want more than that. You can't tell me you've never thought about us being more than just friends."
She meets his eyes, "Of course I've thought about it, but…what about Jen?"
"There was nothing there. Its you, Stella, it's been you for so long I can't remember when it wasn't. Maybe it always was."
Stella's eyes closed, "You just had to say that, didn't you? How the hell can I possibly say no when you say the perfect things?"
Don smiled, a real true smile, "You can't? Or at least you shouldn't."
Stella opened her eyes and smiled at him, "Don't ruin it by being cocky and arrogant. Just shut up and kiss me."
"I can do that."