So, the weekend is here and so is the promised new chapter. I'm having so much fun writing this story and the warm welcome it has received is so encouraging. I truly appreciate each review and alert. Thanks ya'll. :o)

The next chapter is already well under way, I'm hoping that I'll get it done and up here by Sunday.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs, Annie or Auggie.


-3: Getting closer-

Although his workday was extremely busy Auggie's mind kept drifting back to his dinner with Annie Walker. When he finally shut down his computer, closed up the office and climbed the stairs up to his place it was almost 8 at night. After stashing his cane and keys in their place on the dresser in the hallway he headed to the kitchen. He popped a frozen dinner into the microwave and grabbed bottle of water from the fridge. After a quick detour to the bathroom to down a couple of Tylenol he settled down on one of the stools by the kitchen island. He was very tempted to call Annie, but first his hunger had to be taken care of. He'd ignored it for most of the day and the slight pounding in the back of his head was threatening to become a full-blown migraine. A microwave dinner was far from his first choice, but it was late, he was tired to cook and too hungry to wait for a delivery to arrive.

Half an hour later he'd finished his dinner and the building headache had pretty much subsided. He was toying with his iPhone, not able to decide whether he should call Annie or wait 'till the following day as they'd agreed on the previous night. His landline phone ringing, the caller ID announcing Annie's name. He took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Hi Annie. Couldn't wait 'till tomorrow, huh?"

"Nope," she chuckled. "So, how was your day?"

"Busy, just as predicted. Got off work about an hour ago and just had dinner. You?"

"I've been busy finishing the translation I was doing when my computer crashed and a couple of other assignments that had dumped into my inbox. I don't know what kind of magic you did to it, but it's like new. I just had to call and thank you again."

"Glad to hear it. It should be ok for a while, but you really should consider replacing it."

"I know, I just don't have the money right now."

"I'll keep it running for you until you can afford a new one. I'm quite the magician."

"Oh really? Got any more tricks up your sleeve you wanna share?"

"You bet! Listen, as much as I'm tempted to invite you over to my place it's getting late and I'm tired, it's been a long day. I doubt you'll find watching me sleep on the couch very entertaining."

"I don't know about that, you're not too bad on the eyes you know," Annie said playfully, before she continued in a more normal tone. "I'm tired too. These translations can get a bit exhausting, takes a lot of focus."

"Got plans tomorrow night?"

"Nothing, well except from calling you."

"Wanna come over for dinner? I make a killer lasagna."

"Sounds great. When do you want me to come over?"

"How 'bout around 7?"

"Works for me. See you tomorrow Auggie. Good night."

"Night Annie. See you tomorrow."


The next day Auggie left the office a bit earlier than usual. Stu smiled as his boss and friend practically bounced out of the office. He hadn't seen Auggie this happy for years, not since before the accident that had taken his sight away. Stu was curious about what was going on. Earlier in the day Auggie had received a grocery delivery, which was highly unusual during the workday. Auggie normally had his deliveries scheduled so they arrived after office hours. He had a feeling the woman whose computer he'd worked on a couple of days ago had something to do with it. His inquisitive streak made him stay in the office a little while longer than normal, despite Auggie telling him he could take off early, he still had a few loose ends to tie up and maybe he'd catch a glimpse of this woman that had his boss and friend acting like a teenager. Just as he was about to give up and leave a pretty blonde walked up to the front door and pushed Auggie's doorbell. Stu realized that looks didn't mean anything to Auggie, there had to be something else about her that had won him over, but he couldn't help being a bit jealous. She was hot and probably had a great personality.

Auggie had gotten straight to work on the lasagna when he got upstairs. He had to admit to himself that he felt a bit like a nervous teenager with going on a first date and he really wanted to make a good impression on Annie. He was pretty sure that Stu had noticed his good mood, but to Auggie's relief he didn't ask. Not even the grocery delivery in the middle of the workday had raised any questions. When he finished putting the lasagna together he made salad while the lasagna cooled. Fifteen minutes later he put the the oven ready lasagna in the fridge and headed to the bathroom for a quick shower before he put on a pair of clean jeans and a black polo shirt. He'd just turned on the oven when his doorbell rang. It was Annie, he buzzed her in and used the time it took for her to climb the stairs to uncork a bottle of red wine and set that and two glasses on the kitchen island.


Annie had felt like she had butterflies the size of eagles fluttering around her stomach for most of the afternoon and they didn't get any smaller as she climbed the stairs to his loft. She reached his door and knocked. Moments later she heard the sound of footsteps approaching and the door opened. Auggie greeted her with a wide smile.

"Hi Annie, come on in," he said as he stepped aside and let her enter his apartment. She looked around the spacious loft; it was neat, no knick-knacks or clutter anywhere. There were a few select pieces of art on the walls and the furniture was clean and modern in shades of black and grey.

"Nice place you've got here," Annie commented while she slipped her shoes off and placed them under the coat rack next to the door and set her bag down next to them.

"Thanks. A buddy of mine in the construction business helped me fix it up and convert it to be 'blind guy proof'. From what I've been told they building was a mess when I bought it, but I got a good price and the neighborhood is great."

"You own the building?" Annie asked as she followed Auggie into the living area.

"Yeah, bought it when I decided to move back to D.C. after my accident. Want a glass of wine?"

"Yes please." She watched in awe as Auggie poured two glasses of wine without spilling a drop. He offered her one and took the other one for himself.

"Thanks. Your buddy did a great job. The building looks very nice."

"Never doubted it. He's a great guy and I trust him. He was the one that suggested buying the building to me. I'd just planned on moving back to my condo and rent an office space somewhere. Since I obviously can't drive it's great to have my office downstairs. Saves me lots on cabs and car services."

"That makes sense. What's on the floors between here and your office? More offices?"

"On the first floor there's a two bedroom apartment and a shared laundry room. On the second floor there was originally a big apartment, it's been converted into two smaller studio apartments. So far I've been lucky with my tenants, they're stable and pay the rent on time. Are you hungry?" he asked as the oven beeped to signal it had reached the correct temperature.

"Hell yeah. You did say something about making a mean lasagna."

"That I did. I'll just put it in the oven, and we'll eat in about 25 minutes or so."

"Sounds great. Anything I can do?"

"Nope, just take a seat and relax, I've got everything ready." Auggie pointed to the barstools on the side of the island and Annie took a seat.

A couple of hours they were sitting on Auggie's sofa, they were sharing a second bottle of wine and chatting. Conversation had been flowing lightly and Auggie's fascination for Annie was steadily growing. Their backgrounds were miles apart; her rootless upbringing was the opposite of his stable childhood in an affluent Chicago suburb. Whilst he was part of a large, tight knit family Annie's only family were her parents and an older sister. He was surprised at how well they connected, despite the very different paths their lives had taken.

"Did you start your company after your accident?" Annie asked.

"No, it had been up and running for about a year. Stu, my right hand man, and I were co-workers and when our employer went bankrupt a few of our clients wondered if we were interested in working freelance for them. I had some money to get us started. We had it running pretty well by the time that drunk idiot slammed into my car. Me being unable to work for almost a year wasn't exactly ideal, but Stu and a couple of my other buddies managed to keep it afloat. I owe them a lot."

"Now it's only you and Stu, right?

"Most of the time. We have a couple of guys that do project based work for us when we're busy, like when we're setting up systems for new clients. In general the two of us can cope pretty well with the workload. We get the occasional long day, like yesterday, but that doesn't happen all that often." Auggie paused and took a sip of his wine. "You mentioned something about more permanent work when we had dinner the other night. Did you hear anything?"

"I spoke with my main employer today actually. They don't have anything right now, but if I settle down here she'll put me on top of her list when something opens up. I've got enough work to keep me afloat, but something a bit more predictable would be nice. Would make it easier to find a place to live too."

"I thought you had a place?"

"Just for a couple of more months. My friend sublet her place to me while she's working in London for three months." Annie sighed slightly at the end of the sentence.

"Oh. Yeah, I see how that's a tricky situation."

"Mhm… Especially since I can't really afford to travel right now either.

If I could I'd spend some time in Europe again when the lease expires, but now I don't really know what to do."

''I'd offer you one of the apartments here, but none are available at the moment and it doesn't look like any of the tenants are about to move."

"Thanks Auggie, that's really sweet of you. I'll figure it out, I still have a couple of months left of my lease, and it should be ok."

When he walked back to his place after walking Annie home late that night Auggie silently cursed his stable tenants. Both the studios were rented to stable people he didn't think had any intentions of moving anytime soon. But he had friends and connections and he made a mental note to make a few phone calls in the morning. He really didn't want Annie Walker to leave his neighborhood, or his life for that matter. She'd already become too important to him.


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