Thank you so much, everyone. Your comments were very much appreciated. :) I'm glad you seem to like this story. By the way, if there's some grammar wizard with too much time on his/her hands I would love to have a beta for this story.


"Who is she?"

Provenza looked up from the report he'd been staring at for the best part of the last hour. He glared at Flynn who had sat down on the edge of his desk. They were colleagues and friends, but it didn't mean he liked that man planting his ass on his desk.

Finally Flynn got up, rolling his eyes at him.

"Okay, let me ask again, who is she?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

He focussed on the report once more, vowing to finally finish with that thing and go home. Even Raydor had left by now. That woman... If it weren't for her he could be home by now. Yeah, a really appealing thought. His tv, a frozen dinner, wondering if there weren't better things to do with his life.

Granted, it wasn't her fault his brain had had a severe malfunction making him ask her out. Maybe he should see a doctor, have his brain checked.

That or he could stop trying to fool himself. It wasn't pure accident he had asked her out. In the last year she had somehow gotten under his skin. Not that he really liked her... Would he believe finally believe if he told this to himself often enough?

Flynn knocked on his table, making him all but jump out of his skin.

"Damn, you've got it bad, don't you?"

"Are you out of your mind? I don't have it bad for anyone. Weren't you the one who told me I'm ancient only last week, that I should start thinking about retirement homes."

"Who says they don't have sexy older ladies at those retirement homes?"

Sometimes Provenza wondered why he called this man his friend.

"Why don't you go home and ponder the fact you're just a few years younger than I?" he shot back.

"Because for some reason I can't quite explain to myself I'm worried about you. You're not behaving like yourself and the last time it happened, you brought along a very blond, very dumb girlfriend which made us all doubt your sanity."

He called him a friend because Flynn cared. Sighing, he leaned back in his chair.

"I'm not dating any blond. I'm not dating anyone, happy?"

"Nope. I think a healthy relationship could do you a world of good. Although I doubt you'd recognize a healthy relationship if it bit you in the ass."

"Smartass. So how's dating going for you?"

Flynn rolled his eyes.

"I hadn't had a date in ages and looking at you, it must be a good thing. I don't want to end up as distracted as you are."

"What does it take for your thick head to understand that I'm dating no one at the moment?"

"Don't know. But… it's a woman, isn't it?"

He could tell him it wasn't and Flynn wouldn't believe him anyway.

"Yeah, it's a woman."

"One you want to date?"

"Are you crazy?"

At this Flynn raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, let's summarize. You've got trouble with a woman you don't have any intention to date. So where's the problem. She's harassing you? Looking for a love slave?"

Not only did Flynn have way too much fun with this, it was also hard to believe this man was still running around alive and healthy. He could understand if someone had the urge to strangle him.

He stopped this train of thoughts. It wasn't Flynn's doing he had manoeuvred himself into an impossible situation. He still had no clear idea why he had invited Raydor for dinner. Or wasn't it rather he didn't want to have a clear idea? Some thoughts, truths better remained deeply burrowed.

It had definitely not been pity. As much as he detested the man she called husband, he wouldn't go to such length to comfort a woman he had considered a personal nemesis for years. Thinking of Jackson Raydor had his blood close to boiling point. What a sleaze.

He finally turned his attention to Flynn who was patiently waiting for him to say something, although he looked slightly worried by now.

"Okay, there's this woman. I am definitely not in love with her, don't think I like her all that much but she's… well… yeah… rather attractive. I guess. We talked last week and out of the blue I asked her out."

Flynn took a moment to absorb the news.

"You guess she's rather attractive?"

"From all I said just now that's what caught your interest."

Flynn shrugged. "There's no law against desiring attractive women. But to humour you… you're not sure you like her at all? Now it depends on what you're intending to do with her, if you catch my meaning."

Flynn waggled his eyebrows, but it hardly registered with Provenza.

It wasn't true, not entirely. Although he had detested Raydor for years, since their first meeting really, he had gotten to know her better. He could live with her style of running the department, admired her for taking in and fighting for Rusty. Hell, she even had a sense of humour. Of course this didn't mean he liked her. Damn, this was headache inducing. Women. More trouble than fun any given day.

"Earth to Provenza."

"Yeah."

"Shall I really spell it out for you?"

"I was talking dinner, Flynn. Just dinner."

"Says the man who was married how often?"

Too often, although there was a deeply hidden part of him that wondered if he had simple not met the right woman yet. Although if Flynn thought he had one romantic bone left in his body he'd never hear the rest of it.

"A few times. So we conclude dinner is a bad idea and let me tell you, now it might be a good idea if you found yourself something to do. Or go home, for god's sake."

Flynn straightened.

"I will. But hey, this woman seems to drive you crazy, so the best thing is to get it over with, one way or another. Either dinner will turn out to be a bad idea, in which case you'll get her home, move on or it will be nice and you can work on your preconceptions."

He growled out. "Since when are you advising people on relationships?"

"Since you started moping. And hey, it's not as if you asked out Raydor."

It was hard not to react but for a moment he was frozen solid. He could only imagine how Flynn would react if he found out it was exactly what he had done.

"I thought you started liking her better," he finally answered, throwing the ball back into Flynn's court.

Flynn shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't mind asking her out. She's not all that bad. And these legs... did you ever take a good look at her legs?"

The legs. Her petite figure, her thick hair, her soft mouth, her green eyes... But Flynn wouldn't mind asking her out? That would be... He couldn't. No, he refused to go there.

"Why would I?"

"Because they're damn near perfect. But apart of the fact she'd never agree to go out with me, she's still my superior officer."

There was that. It was true for him, too. Yeah, what had he been thinking? Flynn droned on for another few minutes until he finally left for the day.

He remained sitting at his desk for some time longer, lost in thoughts, emotions waging war with his better sense.

What was it about this woman that drove him crazy? He had enough. Or not nearly? Sighing deeply, he admitted defeat. There was only one way this could end... or begin.

Taking up a sheet of paper and a pen, he scribbled a note, put it into her office. She was always one of the first to appear in the office. Chances someone got to see the note before her were slim to non-existent.

'Nate'n al – Saturday, 8 p.m.'

It was time to find out if the road to hell was paved with good intentions or stupid ideas.