Steve sat at the counter in Bob's, stirring his soda with a straw. Jesse
was behind the counter, filling the condiment jars. Steve had deliberately
put off telling him for here and now. Monday afternoons were seldom busy,
and he knew there was little chance that they would be interrupted.
"Then what?"
"She made me dinner. We talked a while. Then we made love."
Steve was amazed that three simple sentences could sum up so much.
"But all that was six years ago, Steve. Don't you think this is a little sudden?"
As Steve looked up at him, Jesse suppressed a grin. He wasn't the only one who had been hoping for years that Steve and Cheryl would finally get it together.
"Six years is *not* sudden, Jess. Yeah, she went on. I went on. Nothing worked for either of us, but we had each other there *every* day."
"Then there was Ellen."
Steve smiled sadly.
"Then there was Ellen," he agreed. "That worked for a while, but she deserved better, and she and I both knew it."
"Have you talked to Cheryl yet?"
Steve grinned broadly and nodded…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Congratulations, *Captain* Sloan."
"Cheryl! Hey, thanks."
"So, how does it feel to be chained to a desk?"
"Believe it or not, I kind of like it."
"I'm glad, Steve, you deserve it. It's about time."
She got a distant look in her eye.
"Cheryl?"
"I miss you," she whispered.
"I miss you, too," he said softly.
"Remember that night…"
"Every time I see you," he interrupted with a smile.
"Me, too." A pause. "We're not in the same squad any more…"
"I don't see you nearly enough." His smile was turning into a grin.
"Me, either." Another pause. "Do you think maybe now would be a good time?"
He came around his desk and took a seat beside her. Turning to face her, he said, "I don't want to date anymore, Cheryl."
He was expecting her to be crestfallen. He was expecting to be able to surprise her when he asked the question he'd been dying to ask for ages, but she beat him to it.
"Then marry me."
His grin nearly split his face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"*She* asked *you*." Jesse laughed aloud, and Steve just grinned.
"And I said yes. Now, what do you say? Will you be my best man?"
"Betcherlife!"
"Then what?"
"She made me dinner. We talked a while. Then we made love."
Steve was amazed that three simple sentences could sum up so much.
"But all that was six years ago, Steve. Don't you think this is a little sudden?"
As Steve looked up at him, Jesse suppressed a grin. He wasn't the only one who had been hoping for years that Steve and Cheryl would finally get it together.
"Six years is *not* sudden, Jess. Yeah, she went on. I went on. Nothing worked for either of us, but we had each other there *every* day."
"Then there was Ellen."
Steve smiled sadly.
"Then there was Ellen," he agreed. "That worked for a while, but she deserved better, and she and I both knew it."
"Have you talked to Cheryl yet?"
Steve grinned broadly and nodded…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Congratulations, *Captain* Sloan."
"Cheryl! Hey, thanks."
"So, how does it feel to be chained to a desk?"
"Believe it or not, I kind of like it."
"I'm glad, Steve, you deserve it. It's about time."
She got a distant look in her eye.
"Cheryl?"
"I miss you," she whispered.
"I miss you, too," he said softly.
"Remember that night…"
"Every time I see you," he interrupted with a smile.
"Me, too." A pause. "We're not in the same squad any more…"
"I don't see you nearly enough." His smile was turning into a grin.
"Me, either." Another pause. "Do you think maybe now would be a good time?"
He came around his desk and took a seat beside her. Turning to face her, he said, "I don't want to date anymore, Cheryl."
He was expecting her to be crestfallen. He was expecting to be able to surprise her when he asked the question he'd been dying to ask for ages, but she beat him to it.
"Then marry me."
His grin nearly split his face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"*She* asked *you*." Jesse laughed aloud, and Steve just grinned.
"And I said yes. Now, what do you say? Will you be my best man?"
"Betcherlife!"