Chapter 3:

I'm Sure

Jess stood in the break room and poured herself a much needed cup of coffee. She smiled as she let the warm liquid flow down her throat. "Is the coffee that good?" Don asked walking in, "'Cause it usually sucks."

"Oh, it does," Jess replied, "but it's 4:48 on Friday and I'm off at 5 until Monday morning. And my case just wrapped up and all my paperwork is in."

Don chuckled as he got himself a cup of coffee, "You still have 12 minutes, and a lot can happen in 12 minutes."

"Why would you say that? You just totally jinxed me," she laughed.

"I have the late shift," he said, "and it would be more fun if this hot detective was around…to flirt with."

"I think Martinez will be around," she joked.

"Well that's just wrong," Don chuckled. He leaned against the counter and his expression turned serious, "So I haven't seen you much this week, how are you feeling?"

"Busy week," she replied. It wasn't a complete lie for her: her week had been hectic, but she had been secretly avoiding Don. That night in his apartment with the almost kiss had scared her, "I'm fine. My ribs are healed and bruises have faded."

Don smiled, "I'm glad you are okay." Don bit his lip, "Listen about the other night… I didn't mean to…" he started to say, but Jess cut him off waving her hand. "It's okay," she said. "We're good."

"Cool," he said. "So are you coming to the basketball game tomorrow?"

"I'll mention it to Emma," Jess replied. "No promises through, Em isn't really into sports."

"Fair enough," Don replied.

Jess looked at her watch, "Look at that, I'm off. Guess your attempts to keep me here failed," she laughed

"Guess so," he said.

"So then you're stuck flirting with Martinez all night…" Jess snickered; she waved and exited the room.

"Wrong Angell, so wrong," Don called after her.

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"Dinner was great," Jess told her sister-in-law, Renee, as Angell placed her plate into the sink.

"Of course, it didn't come in a takeout container," Renee joked. Jess laughed, their relationship went beyond the normal sisters-in-law. Renee had been in Jess's life since Angell was ten years old when Renee first started seeing Jess's oldest brother Christopher. Renee had been there when Leanne Angell got sick and held Jess's hand when her mother passed on. After Leanne's death, Renee had become sort of a surrogate mother to Jess; Renee was the one person Jess could tell anything to and could always count on.

"Very funny," Jess said.

"What's funny?" Chris asked walking into the kitchen to join his wife and sister.

"Your wife was making fun of my culinary skills," Jess retorted.

"What culinary skills?" Chris joined the teasing, "You can't cook."

Jess rolled her eyes, "You can make fun of my cooking, but Emma isn't starving."

"Because I'm smart enough not to eat anything you make," Emma said coming into the kitchen with her cousin Mikayla, "and I eat here three times a week."

"Well it's time for you to earn your meals," Jess said. "You and I are going to do the dishes."

"Mom!" Emma whined.

"See what happens when you make fun of your mother," Jess said.

"Fine," Emma stated, "only if Mikayla can sleep over."

"Oh yeah." Mikayla said remembering she was suppose to ask her parents, "Can I sleep over Emma's?" Despite the ten-year age difference between Christopher and Jess, their daughters were the same age.

"It's fine with me," Jess said. "I'm off all weekend and I'm not on call."

"It's fine with me," Renee said.

"Yes!" both girls squealed.

"Umm…there is a basketball game at the park tomorrow," Jess started, "a friend from work wanted us to go. If you girls are interested that might be something we can do tomorrow."

A grin started to form across Emma's face, "Oh we're interested."

"We are?" Mikayla questioned.

"Yes, we are," Emma repeated.

"Are you sure?" Jess asked. She had been so sure that Emma wouldn't want to go.

"We're sure" Emma grinned.

"Jess over here," Don called when he spied Jess entering the park. Jess and the two girls wandered over to where Don and his YMCA kids were gathered. "Hey, I'm so glad you could make it," Don said when they reached him.

"Me too," Jess said. "Don, you've met Emma, this is my niece Mikayla," Jess introduced.

"Hi," Don greeted both girls. "Let's get settled"

The basketball game was an exciting one; once it was over the basketball players had taken the kids onto the court to show them some moves. Jess and Don sat watching. "I'm glad I came," Jess said taking a bite from the nachos they had bought. "I'm having fun."

"Good," Don said looking over at her; she looked amazing sitting there, her cheeks red from the wind. "Emma is up," he pointed out.

Jess watched as Emma took a shot and missed the basket by a mile. "You weren't kidding when you said sports aren't her thing," Don stated.

Jess grinned, "Emma is smart, beautiful, artistic, musical, perfect…but yes the athletic gene skipped a generation."

"It really did," he replied as Emma took another shot missing the basket.

"Yeah," Jess said. "Oh… did you get anywhere with Martinez last night?" she said cracking up and playfully shoving his shoulder.

"You're evil," he laughed.

"Na-uh" Jess said, "I'm an angel."

Emma and Mikayla came up to where Jess and Don were laughing at Jess's lame joke.

"Mom?" Emma asked.

"Yeah."

"Can I sleep over with Mikayla tonight?" she finished her question.

"Umm…I'm off this weekend," Jess said. "I figured we could do something."

"Please, pretty please," Emma cajoled.

"Yeah, Aunt Jess, please," Mikayla joined in the begging.

"With a cherry on top," Emma pleaded.

"How do you say 'no' to a cherry on top?" Don demanded.

"Yeah," Emma said. "We can still do something tomorrow."

"Oh alright," Jess gave in.

"Yay!" The two girls yelled heading back to the field to play with the kids.

"I feel abandoned," Jess remarked.

Don chuckled, "I have to drop the kids back in an hour, but then I'm free. Want to grab a beer?"

Jess thought for a second, "Sure, sounds great."

The door to Don's apartment swung open and Jess and Don entered, lips pressed passionately against each other. Don pulled apart from Jess long enough to shut the door before placing his lips back on hers. Jess pulled back from Don; she turned up that seductive grin, slid her hand down to join in his, and started to pull him towards the bedroom.

Jess fell back onto the bed with Don falling down with her; he leaned down and kissed her sweetly. This was not the hungry way he had when they left the bar; or, as he had in the cab ride home; or, like he had the whole way down the hallway into his apartment. Jess moved her lips to deepen the kiss; she wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly started to run her fingers through his hair.

Don pulled back a little and looked down at her lips, swollen from their kisses and her cheeks flushed with desire…she looked amazing. "What?" Jess asked: Don realized he had been staring, "Sorry you look amazing," he said causing Jess's cheeks to turn even redder. "Are you sure about this?" he asked; he needed to be sure that they both wanted the same thing, after all they both had been drinking.

"I'm sure," Jess said moving her head up to meet his lips again.

Don pulled back again, "I mean are you really sure?"

Jess giggled; she could see where Don was going with this so she locked her deep brown eyes with his piecing blue ones. "Yes, I have alcohol in my system but I'm completely lucid and I'm sure," she said, "just kiss me."

Don leaned down pushing his lips against hers. Both gave into their desires.