I'm not sure about this chapter, but here it is. Thank you so much for the reviews!
Because he wanted to keep the restaurant he'd chosen a surprise, Bobby drove the SUV. He kept glancing over at his partner sitting in the passenger's seat, looking out the window, not doubt trying to guess where they were going.
"Watch the road, Bobby. You'll have plenty of time to look at me when we get there." Alex said without taking her eyes off the window. Bobby smiled. He loved how in-sync they were, that they could almost read each others minds.
They drove for a while, and then he parked in front of a well known Italian restaurant. It was also quite expensive. He hoped Alex wouldn't realize that. Apparently, she did.
"Oh, Bobby. We really don't hav-" he silenced her with a finger to her lips.
"It's your birthday. You deserve it." he smiled at her, got out of the car and went around, opening her door. He held her hand as he helped her down and didn't let go. Their fingers intertwined naturally as the walked in and were seated at a cozy round booth. Surprisingly, the restaurant was virtually empty, so it was a very private setting. Bobby waited until Alex sat, then slid into the booth across from her. She was looking around it awe at the paintings on the walls, the statues placed at the entrance, and the low lighting and candles on the table that set a romantic mood.
"It's beautiful." she said in a soft voice.
"You're beautiful." Bobby whispered.
Alex smiled at him and looked down at her lap. She wasn't used to being pampered like this, and it would take some getting used to, but she was determined to enjoy the evening. And she knew it would be very easy to get used to this from Bobby. She opened her menu and saw the high prices next to every meal. Bobby saw her look and quickly told her to get whatever she wanted. She decided that a protest wouldn't do any good, so she agreed and continued looking. It all sounded so good, but she knew what Bobby was getting. Chicken Parmesan, his favorite. So, while she looked over the menu, he looked over her.
The candles from the table made her face glow, highlighting her lovely cheekbones. Her eyes skimmed the pages of the menu, and he watch the delicate long lashes move every time she blinked. He studied the way she was biting her lip as she read, and found himself wondering again what it would be like to kiss her. The waiter's voice interrupted his happy thoughts.
They gave their orders, and handed the menus back to the waiter.
"Thank you for this, Bobby." Alex said.
Bobby felt his heart swell when he saw how happy she looked. And to think for once that he was the one who made her happy! He wanted to shout for joy, but settled on saying "You're very welcome, Alex."
She smiled even wider when he said 'Alex'. She'd waited so long to hear it, she almost felt like crying. Thankfully, the waiter came back with their drinks and a basket of bread. They each grabbed a piece and nibbled on it as they were lost in their own thoughts. Shortly after, the waiter came with their food.
Throughout the meal, they talked about several things. They tried to keep the serious stuff, such as current work and his mother, for another time. But they talked about her nephew some, and also shared memories of cases they'd done together. Bobby loved the sound of her laugh, and her face as she told the stories. He wanted so much to sit there forever with her.
Well into the night, and long after they had finished their dinner and shared a piece of tiramisu, they still sat in the little booth. Thankfully the next day was Sunday, and they had the day off. Neither wanted the night to end, so Eames' invited Bobby over to her place for coffee.