A/N: This takes place shortly after High and Low, so, yes, *he* is Hank.
A/N #2: Thanks for your reviews, you really make my day! (I don't think it loses its meaning the more I say it, so once more: Keep on reviewing, before I beg.)
********
It's 3.55 p.m. when the door rings. It doesn't even take five seconds for me to open it; I'm too nervous to pretend to be calm.
"Hey." She smiles brilliantly at me.
"Sara." Again, the sight of her takes my breath away. With her wavy hair falling freely down onto her bare shoulders, her eyes shining like diamonds, she looks like a Greek goddess. I've never seen her wear a black dress like this one before. It has thin straps, revealing the soft skin of her shoulders, and a little bit the skin of her breasts, the smooth fabric hugging her waist gently, waving around her hips. I feel free to let my gaze drift lower. Ending in mid-thigh, the dress exposes the major part of her long legs. I know that I'm staring at her, but I can't help it. She's so beautiful.
"Do you plan to spend the rest of the day staring at me, or can we go now?" she teases me, leaning slightly against the doorframe, stretching herself, obviously flirting.
Inexplicably, my mouth suddenly went dry; I swallow hard before I grab my jacket and my keys. She's still grinning when I close the door, and on the way to her car she holds my hand.
My heart is beating way too fast. I feel like I'm on my first date, even though we're over and above that. Her dress does nothing to calm my nerves. Hell, if she's going to wear this at work, there's no chance I'll be able to concentrate on the evidence.
In front of her car she stops, leaning down to capture my lips in a tender kiss. I feel her hand on my back, and her breath is hot on my face. I don't want this moment to end. I don't want anything of this to end.
Eventually, we both pull back, hands entwined, eyes locked. She's the first to speak, she whispers almost bashfully, "Do you really want to go to this restaurant?"
I softly laugh at her words; a few seconds ago I was picturing a discreet way to get her into my bed once more. But I want this night to last, I want to go out and do all the things we skipped until now. "I think it would be lavish if we spent our time in the house since you're wearing this dress."
She leans forward to whisper into my ear, "Come on, actually you're only thinking about how to get me out of it."
If she thinks this will leave me standing flabbergasted in front of her, with my bottom jaw hanging down to the floor, she's wrong. "It would be lying to deny it, darling, but it has to wait. Come on, I'm hungry. Let's go." With that, I slip into the passenger's seat, waiting for Sara to follow me. Two can play this game.
Moments later she starts the car, glancing at me now and then. I meet her eyes self-confidently, and while she concentrates on the road, I can't fight down the urge to place my hand onto her thigh. I do not even try to hold back.
For a few minutes only the noise of traffic surround us, both of us relishing being together.
Then, "Cath?"
Something in her voice makes me jump. She sounds too serious, and I feel where this is going to end. Anyway, I don't move. "Hm?"
She doesn't answer, and for a split second I hope she might drop the point, but when we are waiting for green lights she asks, "What are we heading for?"
"This new restaurant, remember? We're planning to have..."
"You know what I mean," she cuts me short, obviously no longer in the mood for teasing.
I do know, and yet I don't want to answer. Because I too don't know what's going on between us. "Yes, I know. And I don't know. I mean, Sara..." I really don't. Once again, *his* image crosses my mind, and I feel like tearing out my hair, or swallowing my tongue. How did we get to this point? Only one moment ago, we were flirting, holding hand, kissing, and now I am back facing the monster named jealousy. I'm tired of uncertainty, and I think she is too. But I don't go meeting this guy, do I?
Maybe we should have stayed at home. I somehow reluctantly pull back my hand; there's no way to bypass this. "Do you still meet him?"
I hear her taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it. "Whom?"
"You know who I mean!" This came out too harsh, and I add more softly, "So do you?"
She's considering her next words, sighing, before she asks angrily, "Do you really think I'd do something like that? Do you think I am so rude? That I would f..." She stops herself, inhaling once again to calm down, before continuing, "Cath, I told you he is not my boyfriend, and that is the truth. Believe me." She sounds sincere, and though I didn't believe her the first time, today I do. Something, anything has changed between us, and it's time to trust her.
She even smiles, although wryly. "Actually I'm not like that, I thought you would know that by now."
Sometimes I want to slap myself for being so damn stupid, and so skeptical, and this is definitely one of those moments. "Sara, I... I am sorry."
She shakes her head. "Don't be. We're both a little new at this, I think." The silence begins to extend, before Sara glances at me, softly laying my hand back onto her thigh, covering it with her own. "Do you still think that we should go out for dinner?"
"Well, no." Her fingers feel warm on the back of my hand. "But I am still hungry. We could get some take-away, since we're driving, and eat at home. Like, we still have time before work."
She nods, agreeing, and again it gets silent. I love her for being indulgent, and for not throwing me out of the car and hating me. I just... love her.
Before we leave the car to order our food, Sara holds me back. "You know, Catherine, this morning, what I was saying, I... I wanted to say that I love you." Right now, there's nothing left to say, and I smile brightly as I kiss and love her back.
A/N #2: Thanks for your reviews, you really make my day! (I don't think it loses its meaning the more I say it, so once more: Keep on reviewing, before I beg.)
********
It's 3.55 p.m. when the door rings. It doesn't even take five seconds for me to open it; I'm too nervous to pretend to be calm.
"Hey." She smiles brilliantly at me.
"Sara." Again, the sight of her takes my breath away. With her wavy hair falling freely down onto her bare shoulders, her eyes shining like diamonds, she looks like a Greek goddess. I've never seen her wear a black dress like this one before. It has thin straps, revealing the soft skin of her shoulders, and a little bit the skin of her breasts, the smooth fabric hugging her waist gently, waving around her hips. I feel free to let my gaze drift lower. Ending in mid-thigh, the dress exposes the major part of her long legs. I know that I'm staring at her, but I can't help it. She's so beautiful.
"Do you plan to spend the rest of the day staring at me, or can we go now?" she teases me, leaning slightly against the doorframe, stretching herself, obviously flirting.
Inexplicably, my mouth suddenly went dry; I swallow hard before I grab my jacket and my keys. She's still grinning when I close the door, and on the way to her car she holds my hand.
My heart is beating way too fast. I feel like I'm on my first date, even though we're over and above that. Her dress does nothing to calm my nerves. Hell, if she's going to wear this at work, there's no chance I'll be able to concentrate on the evidence.
In front of her car she stops, leaning down to capture my lips in a tender kiss. I feel her hand on my back, and her breath is hot on my face. I don't want this moment to end. I don't want anything of this to end.
Eventually, we both pull back, hands entwined, eyes locked. She's the first to speak, she whispers almost bashfully, "Do you really want to go to this restaurant?"
I softly laugh at her words; a few seconds ago I was picturing a discreet way to get her into my bed once more. But I want this night to last, I want to go out and do all the things we skipped until now. "I think it would be lavish if we spent our time in the house since you're wearing this dress."
She leans forward to whisper into my ear, "Come on, actually you're only thinking about how to get me out of it."
If she thinks this will leave me standing flabbergasted in front of her, with my bottom jaw hanging down to the floor, she's wrong. "It would be lying to deny it, darling, but it has to wait. Come on, I'm hungry. Let's go." With that, I slip into the passenger's seat, waiting for Sara to follow me. Two can play this game.
Moments later she starts the car, glancing at me now and then. I meet her eyes self-confidently, and while she concentrates on the road, I can't fight down the urge to place my hand onto her thigh. I do not even try to hold back.
For a few minutes only the noise of traffic surround us, both of us relishing being together.
Then, "Cath?"
Something in her voice makes me jump. She sounds too serious, and I feel where this is going to end. Anyway, I don't move. "Hm?"
She doesn't answer, and for a split second I hope she might drop the point, but when we are waiting for green lights she asks, "What are we heading for?"
"This new restaurant, remember? We're planning to have..."
"You know what I mean," she cuts me short, obviously no longer in the mood for teasing.
I do know, and yet I don't want to answer. Because I too don't know what's going on between us. "Yes, I know. And I don't know. I mean, Sara..." I really don't. Once again, *his* image crosses my mind, and I feel like tearing out my hair, or swallowing my tongue. How did we get to this point? Only one moment ago, we were flirting, holding hand, kissing, and now I am back facing the monster named jealousy. I'm tired of uncertainty, and I think she is too. But I don't go meeting this guy, do I?
Maybe we should have stayed at home. I somehow reluctantly pull back my hand; there's no way to bypass this. "Do you still meet him?"
I hear her taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it. "Whom?"
"You know who I mean!" This came out too harsh, and I add more softly, "So do you?"
She's considering her next words, sighing, before she asks angrily, "Do you really think I'd do something like that? Do you think I am so rude? That I would f..." She stops herself, inhaling once again to calm down, before continuing, "Cath, I told you he is not my boyfriend, and that is the truth. Believe me." She sounds sincere, and though I didn't believe her the first time, today I do. Something, anything has changed between us, and it's time to trust her.
She even smiles, although wryly. "Actually I'm not like that, I thought you would know that by now."
Sometimes I want to slap myself for being so damn stupid, and so skeptical, and this is definitely one of those moments. "Sara, I... I am sorry."
She shakes her head. "Don't be. We're both a little new at this, I think." The silence begins to extend, before Sara glances at me, softly laying my hand back onto her thigh, covering it with her own. "Do you still think that we should go out for dinner?"
"Well, no." Her fingers feel warm on the back of my hand. "But I am still hungry. We could get some take-away, since we're driving, and eat at home. Like, we still have time before work."
She nods, agreeing, and again it gets silent. I love her for being indulgent, and for not throwing me out of the car and hating me. I just... love her.
Before we leave the car to order our food, Sara holds me back. "You know, Catherine, this morning, what I was saying, I... I wanted to say that I love you." Right now, there's nothing left to say, and I smile brightly as I kiss and love her back.
