A/N: Jack makes an appearance by telephone in this chapter. I hope that I'm doing him justice. Sorry this took longer than usual to get posted. I'm currently working on the first draft of a companion Father's Day piece to Connie's First Mother's Day for Happily Ever After due to make an appearance around Father's Day and it's taking more time than I have to devote to it, so there have been a few late nights. Have to say that not having new episodes to watch does help with the time factor, though I'd still prefer to have new episodes to watch over time to write. :/ Thank you to those who have reviewed thus far. They are greatly appreciated. :) Thanks as always to my beta, Tripp3235.
Disclaimer: Not mine. All Law and Order characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I'm just playing with them.
Apartment of Consuela Rubirosa, Across from Morgan's Market, Monday, February 8
Mike and Connie wake up a little after three in the afternoon after their exhausting red eye flight from Portland and trip to Connie's apartment. Connie makes them some coffee and Mike takes a look at his Blackberry now fully charged once more. While they are enjoying their coffee, Mike checks his emails and tells Connie that Jack emailed them that he accepted the meeting but wants to know what the meeting is really about. Mike calls Jack and leaves a message asking him to call back when he had a chance as he was back in New York.
"You know, you're technically still on vacation. It probably could have waited until tomorrow." Connie takes a sip of her coffee.
"Probably, but I didn't want Jack speculating with Maureen as to why you requested that meeting," says Mike.
"OK. I had originally planned to cook you dinner tonight, but I didn't expect to sleep in until three in the afternoon. I can only presume that you are as hungry as I am," asks Connie.
Mike nods as he is still going through his email on his Blackberry.
"Then why don't we get cleaned up and head out to a little Italian restaurant around the corner?" Connie suggests.
"Sure." Mike doesn't even bother looking up from his Blackberry.
Connie rolls her eyes, "Then we're going to run naked through New York City burning all the buildings along the way."
"Huh? What are we going to burn?" Mike asks.
"Please put down that Blackberry, Mike." Connie is getting frustrated.
"Mmmm." Mike is still tapping away on the tiny keys of the handheld.
Connie sighs, rolls her eyes again and tries a different tact. She goes up to Mike and starts to kiss his cheek and then moves down to his jawline and eventually ends up at the back of his neck. She continues to kiss him while snaking her hand underneath his shirt front. She can feel the goosebumps rise from the back of his neck and knows that she can extricate the the Blackberry at anytime. She kisses him around the neck, up his jaw and eventually kisses him on the lip as she reaches his lips, she pulls the Blackberry out of his resistless hands and puts it gentle down on the table.
Now Mike is fully engaged and he kisses her back fervently. Something Connie didn't expect. They stand in the kitchen kissing for quite a while before Mike says, "If we want to get to the Italian restaurant before they close, we might want to go shower."
"You were paying attention?" asks Connie.
"Mm-Hmm." Mike grins.
"Then, why?" Connie furrows her eyebrows.
"Because it was nice to see what you'd do to get my attention and you didn't disappoint." Mike smiles.
After shower sex, Mike and Connie quickly dress and head out. They walk hand-in-hand to the restaurant as the winter sun is just setting. Connie was unable to dissuade Mike from bringing his Blackberry as Jack had not returned his call, so it sits in Mike's coat pocket. Without the restraints of the office, Mike is positively beaming as he walks down the street. It is a side of Mike that Connie has rarely seen on this coast and it is something that she will miss when they are back in the office tomorrow.
Mike for his part is positively giddy. Despite the air travel times and conditions, he is well rested, he is relaxed, his relationship with his family is better than it has ever been and best of all, he has Connie to thank for his current state. Connie had spent a weekend with him and his family and she had not left him and that is a positive sign, though the conversation on their flight back still sits in the back of his mind. Mike, being a private person, doesn't often let people into his private sanctum. Connie was the most recent exception and it has thus far proven to be a good choice.
Mike looks over at Connie and then pulls her close. Mike kisses her on the temple and quietly says, "I think this might just be the best weekend I have ever had. Thank you. I love you so much.
Connie looks up at Mike shyly. "I had a good time, too."
Mike then leans over and gives Connie a kiss. Mike is about to deepen the kiss when his Blackberry rings. Mike disengages Connie and answers the phone.
"Mike Cutter."
"Mike, it's Jack. I got your message. You're back in the city," says Jack from the other end of the line.
"Jack. Yes, I got in earlier this morning. Just to keep you from speculating further, the meeting is about Connie's wish to transfer out of homicide as soon as it can work out." Mike takes Connie's hand and gives it a squeeze.
"I thought I told you to work it out?" Jack sounds puzzled over the phone.
"Actually, we did. This is about something else," says Mike.
"Oh. Would this have something to do with the fact that Connie sent the meeting request after midnight on Sunday morning and why she is also off today?" Jack wonders from his end of the phone line.
"It might. Look we can discuss this further on Wednesday. I just wanted to keep the speculation to a minimum," asks Mike.
"Agreed. See you tomorrow, Mike, and say hi to Connie for me." Mike can almost hear Jack smirking into the phone.
"I will. Bye Jack," says Mike.
Mike turns off the phone, looks at Connie who gives him the "and?" look.
"Jack says Hi!" says Mike.
"He knows?" asks Connie.
"He guessed correctly," Mike corrects Connie. "Like I said before, I think he knew the moment I told him you were taking the same time off as I was."
"Hmmm." Connie is uneasy.
"I don't think he has a problem if that's your concern. Knowing Jack, he will keep the knowledge to himself," says Mike.
"I certainly hope so," says Connie.
"Look Connie. Let's just go have dinner, enjoy the rest of the vacation day and worry about work tomorrow, OK? Worrying about it the rest of the day won't help," says Mike. They are in front of the restaurant.
"You're right. Let's go in." Connie is resigned.
After they place their order and the wine arrives, Mike asks, "So you know the owner?"
"I spent my first paycheck as an ADA here and have been back at least monthly ever since." Connie confesses.
"It's that good?" asks Mike.
"Wait until you taste it." Connie smiles.
"It's a good thing that we walked here. Wine on an empty stomach will be interesting." Mike comments.
"OK. I have to ask." Connie broaches the subject that she's been wondering about since Saturday night. "Can you give me at least a hint of where we're going on Valentine's Day?"
"It's a surprise." Mike is adamant.
"At the very least, I need to know how to dress besides casual, formal and provocative," says Connie. "Well, the formal and provocative part should be easy, but I would dress differently if we were to spend the day outside versus a day indoors. Can you at least give me that so that I can plan?"
Mike refuses to give in. "My advice. Dress in layers."
"That is absolutely no help!" Then Connie gets a mischievous look in her eye. "Well, you can't take your Blackberry with you everywhere."
"No, but it is password protected." Mike smirks.
Connie is crestfallen.
Before Mike can say something else, the waiter arrives with their salads.
"This salad is to die for," says Connie.
After taking a taste, Mike says, "It is very good. What do they put in their dressing?"
"I've been asking for years and I've even bought a jar to bring home once to try to figure it out to no avail." Connie shrugs.
There is a slight pause in the conversation as they eat their greens.
Mike finishes first and looking at Connie, he relents and says, "I will give you one hint on the casual Valentine's Day event. It will involve some outdoor activity followed by an indoor activity."
Connie finishes chewing her mouth full of salad and says, "That still doesn't narrow it down much, but at least it's good to know that if I don't dress warmly enough for the outdoor activity that I can warm up with an indoor activity."
After thinking about it a bit, Connie asks, "Does it involve ice?"
"No comment. I said that I would give you one hint and I have."
Their dinner arrives shortly there after. Connie is having chicken parmigiana and Mike is having veal piccata.
"You know, my Aunt Millie used to make the best chicken parmigiana," says Mike. "My grandparents were steak and potatoes people and so were Uncle Charlie and Uncle George. However, my Aunt loved to try a variety of different cuisines and her chicken parmigiana was the best. My mother wouldn't make it so when I got older, I learned to cook it myself so that I could have it year round. It also made my mother very happy because it meant that she didn't have to cook Sunday dinner much. When we have a free weekend, I'll have to make it for you. It's a tad time consuming, so I wouldn't want to rush through it."
"That sounds good. Want a taste?" asks Connie.
"Sure." Mike leans over the table to take a bite of Connie's chicken from the forkful she was holding out. "Mmmmm. Theirs is slightly different than the one I make but very good. Did you want to try the veal?"
Connie nods and Mike cuts a piece for her to try.
"I've tried their veal a number of times now and each time it is slightly different but amazing nonetheless," says Connie. "I didn't know you cooked?"
Mike admits, "I don't do much of it now as I never have time to do the dishes I like right, but when I was a teen, living with my mother, the alternative was roast chicken or some sort of take out every Sunday night. My mother liked good food, but she didn't like spending the time to make it and since she was still establishing her business, we didn't have the spare money to eat out often."
"What about your Dad's child support?" Connie asks.
"That essentially covered my tuition and other school fees," says Mike. "My mother didn't just send me to a private school. She sent me to one of the most expensive ones in Connecticut."
"What else do you make besides chicken parmigiana?" asks Connie.
"I also make a mean Rogan Josh, Palak Paneer, chicken souvlaki, and lemon chicken," says Mike with a bit of pride. "Aunt Millie and Aunt Wanda always had something other than steak and potatoes for dinner and I spent one summer living at their house when I got older, which was when I learned to cook all these dishes."
"Wow! That's a lot of different cuisines." Connie is very surprised by this revelation.
"Well, Aunt Wanda's parents moved about as often as my parents did as a child and she acquired a taste for them. When she settled in small town Oregon, she couldn't find restaurants that served these dishes, so she found cook books and learned to make all these herself. When she moved in with Aunt Millie, once a week they would try to make something new. The ones they like, they would throw it into the repertoire. Sometimes they had to stock up on some of the ingredients when they were in San Francisco because even Portland in the Seventies didn't carry some of the more exotic ones and it's not like they could have ordered it off the internet at the time."
Connie confesses, "After knowing you for two years, I never knew you cooked. I certainly wouldn't have guessed it by the look of your pantry. It's a pleasant surprise and here I thought I'd surprise you with a home cooked meal sometime."
"It's been years since I last really spent a lot of time cooking any one of these dishes," Mike confesses. "All these different cuisines require a different batch of spices and it seems ridiculous to keep spices around, when I never have the time to do the dishes justice as they lose their flavor over time. Not to mention that cooking for one is just plain depressing."
"Are there any other surprise abilities I should know about?" asks Connie.
"I can juggle. Does that count?" asks Mike.
"That I more readily believe than the cooking." Connie laughs.
"Is it that difficult to believe that I can cook?" asks Mike.
"It's not so much difficult as I have not seen any indication in the past two years that would make me think you cooked at all, never mind complicated dishes in a variety of cuisines." says Connie.
"Well, I guess I'll have to make a believer out of you sooner rather than later." Mike is determined.
"And I am looking forward to it." Connie smiles at Mike.
The rest of the dinner meanders into discussions regarding grocers, why certain cultures have odd delicacies, where one can find specific cuisines in New York City and other food related topics.
After dinner, though it is technically breakfast and lunch as well, Connie takes Mike to the local grocer where she picks up a few essential perishables that she didn't stock up on in the last week as a lead up to the weekend away, plus some snack foods for later since they only managed one meal today.
"What do you normally eat for breakfast before work?" asks Connie.
"Fruits when I have time, cold cereal when I don't and occasionally a danish from the coffee cart if I'm running late," says Mike.
"Let's get some fruit salad for tomorrow and a box of cereal for the future," says Connie. "I suspect that you'll be staying here more often in the future."
"I like that idea," says Mike. "In that case, you should stock up on some nuts as well. I find sometimes a small protein snack at the end of the day just hits the spot."
Soon they have all that they can carry back to Connie's apartment.
Walking into the front door of Connie's apartment, Mike says, "The evening is early and I promised that we'd start looking for jobs before the end of the weekend. Did you want to look for jobs online?"
"Let me put the groceries away. You can start up my computer in the spareroom." Connie says over her shoulder as she walks into the kitchen with the grocery bags in her hands.
"All right."
What Mike doesn't know is that Connie has other plans. After she puts all the groceries away and the grocery bags under the counter, she sneaks into her bedroom and changes into the provocative outfit she had brought to Oregon but never had the chance to use. She had promised to show Mike how much she loves him sometime over the weekend and tonight was her final chance.
The outfit is a simple one piece bustier with an underwire bra section to help lift and a really short skirt. Connie puts on a matching pair of bikini panties, some fishnet stockings in garters and a pair of heels that completed the outfit. She quickly styles her hair into a more provocative style and touches up her lipstick.
When Connie walks into the spare room, Mike is focused on the screen. She leans over his shoulder and asks in the most normal voice possible, "So what did you find?"
Mike turns to address her and he gets far as "Well-" before his lips fail to move and his mouth hangs open. Mike feels his mouth run dry. He blinks a few times before he has to readjust his sitting position due to a discomforting bulge starting in his pants. When he recovers enough to regain the use of this mouth. He manages a croak out, "Wow!"
Connie proceeds to sit on his lap and says, "Do you like this?"
Mike manages a slight nod and puts his arms around her middle to keep her there. There was no way he was letting her go.
"I told you I was going to show you how much I love you. Did you think I was going to let the weekend go by without taking care of it?" Connie smiles.
Mike manages to swallow some saliva so that he can speak. "This is more amazing that I ever imagined in my wildest fantasies about you."
"You fantasize about me?" asks Connie.
"Yeah. Nearly every day since the Woll trial. This is putting my fantasies to absolute shame," Mike admits.
Connie leans down and kisses Mike on the cheek. "This is for those beautiful roses last week." Then she kisses him on the ear and proceeds to nibble on his earlobe. "This is for all those love notes you sent." Connie then moves to his neck and says, "This is for all the times you look at me with adoration when you don't think I notice." Connie finally kisses Mike on the mouth and says, "This is for all the compliments you've given me in the last few weeks."
When Connie breaks off the kiss, Mike goes into action and pulls Connie to him for a deeper kiss full of want and desire. His right hand is gently squeezing Connie's left breast through the bustier. His left hand is riding up the short skirt and down underneath her panties to get a squeeze on her behind.
Mike breaks off the kiss long enough to say, "Oh God, Connie. What did I ever do to deserve you?" Mike shifts slightly to keep Connie from touching the distinctive bulge in his pants, which is getting tighter and more uncomfortable in the jeans he is wearing.
When Connie breaks the kiss again, she says, "How about we take this to the bedroom before you shift me off your lap?" Connie smiles at Mike.
Once their breathing returns to normal, Connie shifts a little to look at Mike and asks, "So, did I manage to show you how much I love you?" Connie smiles at Mike.
Mike laughs and says, "All I can say is that you just put my fantasizing to shame. That was amazing. I can't wait to see how you plan to dress for Valentine's Day."
"Well, I just hope that I don't disappoint," says Connie.
"My dearest Consuela, I don't think it's possible for you to disappoint me," says Mike.
"I really do love you, Mike." Connie emphasizes the word "love".
"I know you do and I love you, too." Any doubt he had less than twenty four hours ago has vanished for the time being and Mike kisses her on the temple.
"I think I can stay like this forever." Connie snuggles closer to Mike and Mike hugs her closer.
After a little while, Mike shifts a little and says, "Well, unless you don't mind that I stain your sheets, I think I need to go and clean up. Sorry."
Connie nods in understanding. "Are you hungry? I wouldn't mind a snack right now. Why don't I make us some popcorn and we can go cuddle on the couch and see what's on TV, unless you're ready for bed?"
Mike disengages himself and heads towards the bathroom. "I am tired, but not quite ready for bed yet. Popcorn sounds good. I'll be right there."
Connie gets up and heads to the kitchen to microwave some popcorn.
Connie is in her robe lying across the couch with her back against the arms flipping through the channels. The bowl of popcorn is on the coffee table along side a couple of bottles of water. Mike, in boxers and a t-shirt, comes out of the spare room with his Blackberry in hand.
"I tried to figure out how to print out some postings on your printer but I think it's out of ink. So I had the info sent to my Blackberry instead."
"I was wondering why it took you twenty minute to clean up. What did you find?"
Connie settles for Discovery Channel and puts it on mute.
Mike lifts her legs up to sit down and then places them on his lap. He then presses a few buttons on his Blackberry and hands it to her. "What do you think of that one?"
Connie reads through the posting and says, "Looks interesting, and it's close to here. That reminds me in your grand scheme of things where do you envision us living?"
Mike looks at Connie and says, "I had envisioned a house with a yard and for it to be affordable on our salaries, it would have to be in the suburbs. Why do you ask?"
"I just think that I would prefer not to spend most of my day on a commute," says Connie. "Since we know where you're working, we should look for a job that would be closer to where we want to live."
"What if you remain at Hogan Place?" asks Mike.
"It may not be so bad, if we were to commute together." Connie smiles at the thought and hands Mike back his Blackberry.
Mike pushes a few buttons and says, "What about this one?"
"No, I know someone who worked there and there is a lot of turnover due to managerial incompetence." Connie hands back the Blackberry.
Mike pushes a few more buttons and says, "And this?"
"I saw this one last week and they are looking for someone who's tried cases for between five to ten years. I've never been first chair on a case yet," says Connie.
"I thought you did brilliantly that time when legal aid was on strike," says Mike. His voice full of admiration.
"That was once not five to ten years." Connie reminds him.
"What could it hurt to send your resume?" says Mike. "The worst that can happen is that they don't call you for an interview."
"I thought you were the one who didn't want me to consider positions outside of the DA's office?" says Connie.
"And I thought you were the one who wanted me to help you with this?" counters Mike.
"And I do appreciate it." Connie sits up to give Mike a quick kiss and Mike takes his Blackberry in the exchange.
Mike presses a few more buttons and hands Connie the Blackberry. "What about this one?"
"This is new and intriguing. Is this posting still on my computer?" Connie turns on the couch to put her feet down on the floor.
"All of them are." Mike sits up as well.
Connie gets up and heads into the spare room. Mike follows. Once seated on the office chair, Connie moves the mouse to disable the screensaver and a browser with ten tabs greets her. Mike points to the tab of interest and Connie clicks it with the mouse, reads a bit and clicks to open another tab to show information on the firm in question.
"Looks like they have a number of offices all over the five boroughs," says Connie.
"The position they are looking for though is in the Manhattan office," says Mike.
"Do you think I should apply?" asks Connie.
Mike looks at Connie. "Well, it can't hurt to investigate the potential."
"Let's do it." Connie pulls up a template of an introduction letter in her word processor, inputs the necessary details for the position and saves it. Connie then opens her email and pulls out a template email she has for applying to positions. She attaches her resume and the introduction letter and hits send. "I guess we'll see what happens."
"There's a few more here to look at," says Mike. "Just click the other tabs."
Connie clicks the next tab and Mike explains why he likes it and they continue looking at job postings for the rest of the evening.
A/N2: So did I do Jack justice? What do you think of a Mike who cooks? Is it as unbelievable as Connie states? As always, I would love to hear from you. :) Constructive criticisms and pointing out of typos welcome.
