Nick was busy with the first wave of people, mainly wine drinkers. There were lots of what looked like older folks with a bit of money to spare. Perhaps they were art patrons or community organizers, he thought. Vicki had stopped by to make sure he had everything he needed and also to somewhat linger, which made him nervous. He didn't want any complications tonight for Jess. This was her big night and she deserved to have a good time. He owed her that after she helped him last night at the bar.

Jess walked into the ballroom on Teddy's arm more than a bit blown away. Vicki saw her and ran over to give her a hug.

"Vicki this looks amazing! You have quite a knack for fundraising events." She simply couldn't believe how great the room looked and all the people in it. She also wondered where Nick was right now. Probably in a corner complaining about his tux.

She introduced Teddy to Vicki and saw that same spark in her eye she saw when she introduced her to Nick. Perhaps it was just a Vicki thing and men. Teddy turned to Jess asking her if he could get her a drink. Seeing her boss walking towards them she definitely wanted a drink. "Yes, could you get me a pink wine?"

After locating the bar, Teddy stood in line and surveyed the artwork around him. Jess's name scrolled on a pencil drawing caught his eye. It was really well done and he decided he should bid. He saw there was another one already there and was surprised at how high it was. Whoa, rich crowd. He would have to skip bidding for the evening. Too bad. It was nice.

As he approached the bar, he recognized the bartender from last night, Jess's friend.

"Hey, I remember you" Teddy said.

Nick looked stumped. He knew exactly who this clown was. What was the guy Jess was flirting with last night doing here at the auction? Nick said nothing to him so Teddy simply ordered.

"Hey, can I get a beer and a pink wine, I mean rose?" Nick stood there for a second too long. His heart dropped to the ground, unable to breathe. It was then he fully realized that Jess was on a date with this schmuck. His Jess.

Literally the girl of his dreams that he had in his arms less than 24 hours ago was here with someone else. Pouring the drinks and then pushing them towards him, he watched as Teddy stuffed a tip in the tip jar. Nick nodded at him and took the next order, not letting anybody see how he felt.

Jess drank her pink wine and walked around the ballroom looking at all the art her students and fellow teachers had collected, made or convinced someone to give them. Teddy, just as she remembered, was polite and kind and dull as hay. She had brought him hoping she wouldn't look too pathetic in Nick's eyes but she was gonna need more wine to make this night a bit more tolerable. She braced herself knowing tonight was probably gonna hurt.

Where was Nick she wondered? It was time to get her game face on.

Vicki walked by as Jess searched the room and stopped and whispered in Jess's ear that she should go check out her drawing on the stage. Jess had forgotten she had donated her loft window drawing. She lead her and Teddy to the stage through the crowd until she saw her little picture there. It had one bid...for $275. That was a lot of money for a school auction...and then she saw his name. It was Nick. He had bid on her piece. Her heart sunk and she wanted to sob at the gesture. She covered her face with her hands trying to hide the crazy emotions she felt right now.

Teddy asked her "are you OK?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm just touched by all of the art. It's so sweet all of these people want to help our art program, ya know?"

Why would he do that, she thought. That was a lot of money for Nick Miller.

She turned away from Teddy and found Nick Miller staring right at her. He was behind the bar, pouring wine and yet looking right at her. Both of them couldn't move. She had tears in her eyes and he had seen her reading the bids. He knew she had seen his name there.

"Teddy would you excuse me, I need to talk to my friend." She walked over to Nick Miller and smiled up at him. He wouldn't look at her now even though she was only inches away. "Hey Nick" sounding overly peppy.

He couldn't look at her because the sight of her tonight was ripping his heart out. My god was she wearing that dress or what? He wanted to yell at her and kiss her and drag her across the room and back to the loft and his bed. She was so very very close to him right now he could feel her body heat.

"Nick, I am talking to you." He continued to act like a toddler and ignore her. Mainly because he didn't know what to say. "I didn't know you were working the bar, why didn't you tell me?"

"I thought you knew that" he said whinier than he wanted to. "I didn't know you were bringing a date tonight."

"I thought you were coming with Vicki."

"As in her date, no Jess, she asked me to do this and I thought it might help your art program you are always going on and on about."

She was so touched and so stupid. Damnit Jess, she thought. Now he was mad because she came with a date. Grabbing his arm quikly, she turned his head to look at her, into her big blues and at her chest barely covered by her dress. His breath caught in his throat and for a moment he was frozen. "You look very handsome tonight Miller" she whispered to him.

He didn't expect that from her. "Likewise" he smiled back at her with a knowing smile between them.

Well, at least she got him to smile at her.

She turned and walked back to Teddy checking back over her shoulder making sure he was watching. He didn't even try to pretend and smiled at her smugly when she caught his eye. He knew he should be more angry at her for having a date but that dress kept him fairly stupid. Fairly good stupid.

People began to loosen up and making bids for even the macaroni necklaces as the night wore on. The band also got started and the dance floor began to fill up. Jess was standing with Vicki and Teddy for quite awhile but she was getting bored listening to the two of them talk about the future of fire trucks.

Plus she was kind of having fun playing a game with Nick where she would stare at him until he looked up at her and then she would look away quickly. He knew what she was doing.

"Vicki, can Nick get a break for a bit, I'm sure he is getting kind of tired up there."

"Of course he can. I have a Be Right Back sign under his counter somewhere" said Vicki.

As the music changed, Jess excused herself from both of them and walked over to Nick. While he made a gin and tonic, she knelt down as best as she could and located the sign. As she stood up she made sure to brush her chest and its low cut front on his jacket sleeve. Her body tingled when she could smell him and he turned to look at what she was doing with her body on his arm because it felt pretty good.

"Hey" she said "would you dance with me?" Without waiting for a reply she put the sign up on the bar temporarily closing it for those left in line.

Shit she was flirting him into a lather. "Of, of course" he stuttered under his breath feeling her breasts push into his arm.

He held her hand and led her out to the dance floor turning to look at her before moving a hand to her hip. He held her rigidly, formally. She was disappointed.

They began to dance slowly, only occasionally looking at one another. He felt like he should say something to her but he knew if he did, only sarcasm about Teddy would boil out and threaten to ruin the evening.

Her hand began to fiddle with his lapel tracing his shirt with her fingernail. Nick could feel himself getting more worked up and he leaned in closer to her whispering into her hair "stop".

She smiled a huge grin opening her mouth in shock a bit and then ever so gently bending her leg and pushing it up against his just beginning erection. He squeezed her hip tightly with his hand and whispered "don't Jess, please don't tease me."

She looked up at him surprised. He thought she was playing games with him? "Nick Miller, what do you mean?" and pulled him closer to her. His hand slipped around her back and his breathing became deeper.

He looked at her angry now, fire in his eyes "why are you messing with me like this?"

"I thought it was called flirting Nick, I am sorry if I am bothering you. Trust me I can stop at anytime."

"I just think it isn't very nice towards your date, and I am a simpleton sitting here in a penguin suit like a target for you to play with. The problem is Jess, this confuses me. I am not as healthy as you. This literally makes me question my morals right now."

She looked up at him as they continued to sway to the music. She felt ashamed. "Teddy was my first."

Nick stared at her feeling nauseous listening to her words. He didn't want to hear anymore.

"We dated for a small period of time and I broke it off with him because of the same reason I came here with him as only friends...he's just not my kind of guy. He is sweet and kind and all of that but he doesn't have fire in him which is ironic, I know."

Nick squeezed her back and pulled her a bit closer.

"Nick, I had no intention of hurting you. I wouldn't want to do that to you. I thought you were into Vicki which hurt me after last night". They both looked down at the mention of their night together. Memories brought blushed smiles.

Looking back up she thought how handsome he looked in his tux and she wanted him to dance with her all night. She felt her lips begin to tremble. Confusion rang through her head. Teddy was a bad move. Vulnerable and desperate, she could only play this tit for tat with him a bit longer. She was never good at this hard stuff.

Before she could say anything more, before she could ruin this night with her awkward responses and mixed signals, he whispered in her ear "you are so beautiful right now."

His words shot like a firework through her body igniting a physical response in her panties. Her chest turned red hot and a giggled "Nick" came out of her. Instantly

He stared deeply into her eyes with an oh so serious look on his face while they finished the dance. People around them watched as their attraction radiated. It felt to Jess like they were the only two people in the room.

As the song came to an end, he led her off the dance floor as well as the ballroom towards a grand staircase towards the entrance. He turned and brushed the back of his hand against her face.

"Jessica, I want to kiss you."

"Ok" she said shaking her head in agreement. Eyes twinkling as she sucked in her breath.

He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently at first then pulled back and said her name in her ear. "Jessica."

Her body was melting. She felt like she literally was going to melt away and slide down the hallway. His lips were now on hers growing in greediness while his hands tightened their grip on her body.

They pulled away slowly, both of them a bit hot and bothered even more now, both breathing heavily. She had her hands on his chest and kissed his jawline softly.

"I have to get back to the bar" he whispered more to himself than to her. Her mouth on his neck was beginning to cause him some problems with his tux. Pushing her away gently, he adjusted himself back into reality.

Jess was suddenly made aware of her surroundings as he pulled away from her. Shocked by bright lights and other humans, she too adjusted her dress and purse. Get it together Jess, she said to herself. She was basically at work and these people knew her as a teacher She couldn't be making out in the hallway with Nick Miller.

Oh but she wanted to.

Nick started to walk back towards the ballroom but turned to her again. "Later" he said.

"What later?" She asked still a bit foggy from all the kissing.

"Later Jessica Day, you, me, my flannel, my bed, all night."

She bit her bottom lip "all night Nick Miller. You sure?"

He shifted his feet around a bit. "Yeah, I definitely can handle it. Can you?"

She threw her arms around him and held him tight. She could not believe how much she wanted this man in her life. Now it was her turn to whisper in his ear "Yeah."

They held each other for a bit longer before pulling apart. Nick took Jess's face in his hands and said "I'm wearing the tux."

"I see that Nick. You look good in it."

"Yeah, well I can always get it dry cleaned after."

She laughed and squeezed his arm standing on her tippy toes to reach his ear "Yeah, lets do that, whatever that is."

Hands intertwined in eachother's, they returned to the auction to see that Nick had won Jessica's loft drawing, Teddy and Vicki were dancing slow together and the self serve bar was now on auto pilot.

Nick turned to Jess wondering if she was thinking what he was thinking.

Jess nodded a yes and they turned and headed out of the building.