"He is sooo cute." Sofia sighed.

"He is sooo interested in you." Sara grinned.

"I know. Do you think I should give it a try?"

"Oh no, don't ask me. If something goes wrong you'll be mad at me. I won't tell you anything when it comes to men. Give him a chance if you want, send him away if you don't want him. It's all your choice, honey. I'll leave you here and call Ryan. If he wants breakfast with me I'll get prepared for that, if not I'll go to bed. Anyway I'll see you tonight."

"Have fun with the sexy lieutenant."

"I won't meet you for breakfast, Sofia." Sara blinked at her and left.

Sofia sighed. "I love this woman, she always knows what to say to make my day." With a smile she turned her attention to her half full cocktail glass. It was after four in the morning, she had no idea how many hours she and Sara had just sit here, talking. She even couldn't remember what they were talking about. Thinking of it, she had no idea how they always managed to talk for so long without being bored.

"Your friend left?" Marco came back to her.

"Yeah, she tries to get a breakfast date."

"A breakfast date? What about you?"

"Me? No, she doesn't want me as her breakfast date." Sofia grinned.

"Not? I can't understand that."

"Somehow she's more into my colleague."

"What is your job?"

"Police."

"A cop? An officer was sitting the whole night at my bar, lucky me I was a good boy and didn't do anything wrong…on the other hand I can imagine worse things than being handcuffed by you."

"Can you?"

"Yeah, a lot of things."

"It's lieutenant and not officer."

"A woman with power, no that's even more tempting. Can I book you for some…securing the scene?"

"Depends."

"On what."

"The scene."

"Sunrise in the desert with a breakfast?"

"What happens to the sunrise on the Stratosphere Tower?" Sofia laughed.

"Too cheap. A breakfast in the desert is more personal. I'm done here, we could get some bagels, coffee and go to the desert, wait for the sunrise."

"What makes you think I want to do that?"

"You didn't leave with your friend."

"I haven't finish my cocktail."

"Oh I know I make great cocktails but they are not the reason why you still here."

"You are arrogant."

"And?"

"And? You don't want to tell me I'm wrong?"

"Why should I lie to you? You have to be arrogant to be a bartender, otherwise you're bad in your job and I'm good. That's make me arrogant, I'm fine with that. There are worse things than being arrogant."

"Like what?"

"Like not knowing what your name is, lieutenant."

"Sofia."

"From the Greek word for wisdom. I'm sure you live up to your name, Sofia."

"I do. So why should I say yes to a breakfast in the desert with a totally stranger? That wouldn't be very wise, would it?"

"Because you're a lieutenant and you will be in control. You've got the gun, I've got the bagels."

"Sounds interesting. Shall we go?"

"Sure." He smiled and took his jacket from behind the bar.

Being not allowed to drive anymore Sofia took a seat next to Marco and let him drive. She wasn't sure where all this would end but she felt good and she was sure, there would be no regret, no matter what would happen next.

Marco stopped at a drive through and got them coffee and bagels before he took of in the desert. He seemed to know his way because he got them straight to a mountain that offered them a great view to the east. With a blanket to sit on and one to cover up they sat down on the hood.

"Are you impressed, lieutenant?" Marco asked with a smile.

"Why? Because you got me to this spot? No, I'm sure you got a few other women to here too. I'm not that easy to impress, sorry to ruin your day."

"You don't ruin it, you make it. I don't like it when women are too easy to impress, means everybody can impress them. Like mixing a good cocktail, some girls are melting only because you make a show out of mixing a cocktail, that's cheap. Getting a woman on a mountain in the desert is also something every guy can do. Means I have to do something special for you to impress you, a challenge. And I will impress you, Sofia, no matter how long I've to think about what to do and how hard I have to try to do so."

"Really?" Sofia smiled amused.

"Really."

"So, what is your next plan after coffee, bagel and sunrise aren't the thing that got you to your goal? Any other ideas?"

"I could try roses, but that's boring. Same for chocolate. You should never send a girl roses and chocolate and expect her to be impressed. You should give her both with something special. And the thing is, do you even like roses, Sofia?"

"They are not my favorite."

"What would be your favorite flower?"

"Orchids."

"Are you a Jeep?"

"What?"

"A yellow creature from Africa…"

"I can't disappear, no." Sofia laughed. A jeep. She had thought of a car but when Marco started to explain and his eyes were full of mock, she understood what he meant.

"You watched Popeye?"

"I did and I liked Eugene."

"Now you've impressed me." He confessed.

"And you impressed me." She chuckled. A man who talked with her about old cartoons, she couldn't remember that she ever had a date like that. This was definitely an interesting meeting.

"Do you like any other kind of cartoons?"

"I loved to watch 'She-ra'…"

"The sister of 'He-man', the old show-off."

"Yeah. I liked her horse, she was kind of cool. And inspector Gadget."

"Can you make your arms as long as he could, lieutenant?"

"No, sorry. What did you like?"

"Not important."

"Oh come on, tell me. Turtles? Ghostbusters?"

Marco mumbled something she couldn't understand.

"What?"

"urf."

"Alf?"

"Smurfs."

"The Smurfs?" Sofia couldn't hold back and started to laugh out loud. It was hard to believe that this man was sitting in front of the TV as a child and singing the 'lalalala' of the Smurfs. She wanted to ask what Smurf was his favorite but she couldn't stop laughing.

"You are a mean person, Sofia." Marco started tickling Sofia, which made her laugh even more.

"Papa Smurf? Or Hefty Smurf? Who was your favorite?"

"Stop it."

"Clumsy? Jokey?"

Instead of telling Sofia to shut up Marco simply leant over and kissed her until she stopped laughing because she was too busy to kiss back. Maybe it had something romantic and nice being in the desert and kissing in the sunrise. Fact was, Sofia enjoyed this very much and had no intention to stop.

"You think this is a good idea?" She asked when they stopped kissing to get some air.

"It felt good."

"It did, but I'm not interested in a one night stand." Was she really not? Right now she wasn't that sure about it.

"It would be a one day stand in our cases."

"The same."

"I can't promise you I'll be with you for the rest of my life but I can promise you I won't betray you. And I won't call you tonight and tell you it's all over. You're way too special to lose contact with you after a few hours. Besides, you know one of my secrets now, I have to have an eye on you. Can you live with that? No 'Until death do us apart' but a promise I won't lie and cheat?"

"That's a start and more than most guys do."

"Give us some credit, we're not that good and women aren't saints either."

"No, we're not."

"See. Another thing you have to consider: I'm a bartender, I have to talk to women, I have to be friendly and I work nights! Six nights a week."

"I'm a nightshift lieutenant, I do the same."

"Well, that's what I call handy…don't you dare to call me Handy Smurf."

"I didn't." Sofia grinned. She as about to do so.

"I don't believe that." He got up. "Come on, lieutenant, I'll bring you home."

"And then?"

"Then I'll kiss you good…morning and go home. No need to hurry with anything."

"I like guys with time…but I think I'd prefer to come to your place and stay awake for a little bit longer."

"You are straight forward, lieutenant."

"I am. Always remember that and imagine what I do if you do anything stupid. I shoot first and ask then questions."

"I'll get a bullet proofed vest for our next date." Marco offered Sofia his hand and helped her from the hood.