They crossed to the park which Sarah was surprised to see was well lit

They crossed to the park which Sarah was surprised to see was well lit. The night was warm and the sky was clear. She could see there were many evening strollers walking off rich, over-priced dinners. They walked and talked. To anyone who saw them they seemed a study in contrasts. He was tall and big. She was short and petite. He hands clasped behind his back, hers in front using both hands to hold onto the straps of her evening bag. He tilting his head down to look at her and her tilting her head up. Again, their conversation light, easy, and unforced, often punctuated with laughter. A study in contrasts, that seemed not to be a challenge.

"So, let me ask you something. I guess, you could say it's kind of related to your work. You're a detective, a homicide detective who deals with things I can't even begin to imagine, and you show up at a book signing for an author who writes about fake crimes. Where's the appeal? I would think you'd find the way I deal with the subject is far from the reality you see everyday."

A Bobby Goren smirk, "That's almost exactly what my partner asked. I'm curious by nature, and that curiosity is nurtured by my work. One of the most important things I need to do though is keep an open mind about everything. Balancing what I think I know against what I don't know that I know and what I don't know yet. You have to make the most of what you have for as long as you have it. I find I can do my job best when I'm open to all possibilities. But then, it could just be I like the way you write."

"Wow. That's a little intense. And quite demanding - at least in regard to crime fiction." Sarah sensed she'd just learned a telling clue about Robert "Bobby" Goren's personality. Especially since he'd become quiet since that last sentence.

"We should probably head back, it's getting a little late and this is still the park…. After dark." His mood seemed to have darkened in the last minute or two.

"So much for a safe area of the park…. After dark. Sure let's go."

Bobby stepped closer to Sarah slipped his hand to the small of Sarah back to guide her as they turned around. After the turn though, instead of clasping his hands behind his back as he'd had them earlier, he slid his hand around her waist to pull her closer. Not so close that she would step away or that would interfere with walking. She looked up at him with the ghost of a smirk on her face that let him know she knew what he was doing, but not objecting yet. After all they had been closer than this while they were dancing.

"So, your friend Angie made it seem like you don't date much. I don't get that. You're intelligent, funny, attractive. You have an interesting occupation. You're easy to talk too. So it has to be your choice. Why is it your choice? I'm more than a little surprised that you didn't try harder to get out of this date. For all your grand talk, you made very little effort to avoid it and you kept accepting my phone calls and you're here."

"Well, you do make me sound like a wonderful catch. I should be out every night of the week. Partying and living it up with all the minor celebrities in town. Honestly, several times I thought about ways to get out of tonight. I'd even only halfway jokingly told Angie that she needed to call you and tell you I'd come down with the plague. But to tell the truth, I was so afraid of what Angie would do or say that I just had to keep the date. She can be downright scary."

Bobby didn't say anything. He knew how to employ silence to get people to talk. He was very good at his job.

"OK…OK. There was a bad relationship involved, an even worse breakup. It really shook me up and it's taken awhile to work through it. It really did a number on me emotionally and I'm just not finished working it all out, but I'm not a really the basket case I play. Plus, when I work, I work. I can be a little obsessive about it."

"I know a thing or two about being obsessive. And the other, well words and attitudes leave a hurt more lasting and scar deeper than physical pain."

"How did you…. guess? No, wait, you didn't guess, you knew. How? Did you check me out?"

"Not the way you mean, but yeah. I told you, I'm very good at reading people. I learned a long time ago how to size up people and situations. You're very careful with what you say. You're always polite, apologizing for minor things. They're such classic behaviors they've become cliché. Characteristics you no longer see in yourself are in the women you write about. Strong, in charge, sure of themselves. Things you no longer see in yourself, but must have been there for you to see or you couldn't write about them so convincingly. They're all still there with you Sarah. You just have to find them again."

"Wow. Ouch. Great, I'm a walking cliché." Nodding her head she stared down at her feet as she continued walking

Another smirking grin, "It's not that bad. But it really wasn't difficult. Anyone with the slightest sensitivity could see it. Plus, you're a very easy read. In casual situations you're very open, but as people get close you become more guarded. Psych 101."

Trying to salvage some dignity, Sarah joked, "Easy to read, huh? Hopefully you're referring to my books and just not my personality flaws."

Backing off a little, to allow her a little room, "Not flaws, quirks. But yes, your books are an easy read, and also quite enjoyable."

"Uh huh. Well, thank you."

From up ahead they both heard the approaching noise all pedestrians had come to fear. The sound of wheels grating on the concrete walkway; that urban plague known as skateboarders careening down on them. Bobby and Sarah stepped to the side to allow the boarders a clear shot around the curve. It turned out to be a group of 4 young kids, one of whom was heading right for them and it didn't look like he was going to be able to avoid them. Sarah went to step back behind a bench to her right. As she did the heel of her shoe broke and she sprawled back onto the grass.

The kid ran into the bench, took off and yelled back, "Sorry."

"Oh no. No, no, no, no. This can't be happening." Cried Sarah, in outrage.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. It's my shoe. My brand new shoes. My 400 pair of new shoes. I don't spend 400 on shoes; they were the only ones I could find that would give me some height that were also comfortable. I can't be-lieve this. Grrr…. Yeah, I think I'm all right. Just embarrassed. I should be getting used to it when you're around though. Sheesh! Help me up?"

Bobby extended his hand and began to pull her up when Sarah let out a shriek of pain. "Oh man, you had to mention physical pain earlier didn't you? OWWW…OWWW…. OWWW. Oh, it's my ankle; I think it's twisted or sprained. Or broken…. Is my foot hanging off at a ridiculously weird angle?"

Bobby knelt down, and unbuckled the strap across her instep and felt around Sarah's ankle. Other than flinching whenever he moved it or gently pressed on it, she didn't make a sound. "Nothing hanging at weird angles. I don't think it's broken, probably just a bad sprain. But I think we'd better get some x-rays of it to be safe. Okay, let's try this again. Give me your hand."

This time Bobby carefully lifted her up and set her on the bench. "Let's sit here a minute to catch our breaths, what do you say?"

"Sure. If you need to." Sarah grinned.

As Bobby returned her grin, he replied, "I need to."

Bobby sat and put his arm around her shoulders to support her. Soon, though she bent forward to start poking and prodding at her ankle. After a few minutes, Bobby asked, "Are you feeling up to getting out of here?"

"I'm fine. If you're sure you don't need any more rest, we can go."

"I'm sure. Smart aleck."

"OK, help me up. I'm ready to hobble back."

With that Bobby help her up to standing and then picked her up, prepared to carry her back to the restaurant. "No you don't, put me down. I can walk."

"Well I disagree. I don't think you can walk, and certainly not as far as the restaurant. Look at your ankle; it's almost twice the size of your other. Just relax and hang on."

With that, he started off up the path, back to the restaurant drawing more curious stares as they went. "What's so wrong with being inconspicuous? Wow… you really have a whole different view of the world way up here, dontcha? "

"I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess I do have a different view of things 'way up here'. And you think you'd be inconspicuous hopping back to the restaurant on one foot? I don't think so. I also don't think you could ever be inconspicuous." To hide her embarrassment, she dropped her head, which meant that she was now leaning onto Bobby's shoulder. Even though embarrassed, she was struck by how comfortable she felt, how safe.

When they reached the restaurant, Bobby set her down at a bench just outside and went in to get some ice to wrap around her ankle. The light was better here and it really didn't look broken, just bruised and swelling, getting larger by the second.

Bobby emerged with Greg and a plastic bag of ice and a towel. Greg seemed most concerned that the accident hadn't happened in the vicinity of his business. "I think once we get you to the car, we can pack the ice around your ankle and wrap it all up in the towel."

Bobby picked her up again, this time Sarah noticed his smell. Soap. Soap and maleness. Greg had gotten the valet to pull Bobby's SUV up and went ahead of them and had the car door open and waiting when they arrived. Bobby got her settled into the passenger seat and thanked Greg for his help.

While Bobby walked around to get into the driver's seat Greg wished Sarah well, and hoped that this turn of events hadn't soured her on the restaurant. Assuring him that her little accident hadn't affected her feelings about the evening, Greg leaned down, said another goodnight to Bobby and closed the door.

Bobby asked Sarah again about going to the hospital.

"Really, I'm fine. It's just a bad sprain, like you said. That's all. Although I would like to get home and get some aspirin."

"There's some aspirin in the glove box and if you don't mind it warm, I've got some bottled water in the back." Bobby hit the release on the tailgate and jumped out to grab the water.

"So what are you anyway? A boy scout. Always prepared." Sarah asked as he jumped back in the car and handed her the bottled water.

"Far from a boy scout. But I am … almost always prepared."

He leaned over and kissed her. Soft and easy. He could tell she hadn't expected it, but she didn't pull back. And after a second her hand went to cradle his face. She didn't deepen the kiss, just allowed it to continue.

"Preparation is key in any situation. And 90 of winning is in the preparation."

"Oh brother, how cliché can you get? It's a good thing that you're a cop, you'd never make any money as a writer."

Laughing, Bobby put the SUV in gear and steered into traffic. Looking back over at Sarah, he laughed again, and this time she joined in.

"I only have a general idea of where you live." He couldn't tell her that he knew where she lived, because he'd followed her home that first night to make sure she got home safely.

"You mean you didn't research that? 2676 81st Avenue."

Sarah leaned back against the head rest and closed her eyes for a second. She woke as Bobby opened the door beside her. "Okay, let me help you out."

"Home already? I guess I must have fallen asleep. But I can make it…. Awww."

"No I don't think so. A twenty minute car ride isn't long enough for your ankle to heal. Give me your keys. Hand them over"

"No keys. Just a pass code."

"What's the code?"

"Uh uh, buddy. I can enter it. I'm not completely helpless. Or stupid."

"But I'm a cop. You can trust me."

"You're still a man I don't know very well. I'll enter the pass code myself." Bobby carried Sarah up the front stoop and stopped at the keypad. Out of general curiosity, Bobby asked, "Is this keypad code the same for every one in the building?"

"No, first you have to enter the apartment number and then each apartment has its own code." As the door opened she motioned up the stairs. Bobby could see the elevator in the corner was roped off.

"Routine maintenance that was suppose to have been finished yesterday. Third floor on the left. Sorry. Now each apartment door has an entirely different pass code that we, the occupants, can change at any time. The outer door can only be reprogrammed by the management company. And inside each apartment is an alarm system. I feel pretty safe.

The door plinked open and Bobby got his first look at Sarah's apartment. It was decorated in shades of beige and gray, punctuated with shades of red. Warm dark wood tones. It looked restful and calming. Not a depressing or boring palette that you might assume beige and gray would be. What was most interesting was that it two floors. The upper floor was an open loft area and took up half as much space of the lower level. It looked like a large living/dining area, kitchen, possibly a bedroom/den and powder room downstairs.

"Um, I guess, you can just set me down over on the sofa. I don't think I'm going to want to navigate those stairs in the morning."

"Nice place. Do you own or rent?"

"Well, actually I own the building. My parents owned it and when they died, I inherited it. I used the insurance money I received to completely demo it and split it into 4 separate apartments. All four pretty much have the same floor plan. I hired a management company to run the day-to-day operations, and take care of the maintenance problems. Usually they are pretty on top of it. Except for this latest elevator jam up."

Sarah was getting settled on the sofa and Bobby gently and carefully lifted her lower leg and placed a pillow underneath to elevate her leg.

"Thanks. Geez, what else can possibly go wrong?"

"Are you sure you want to tempt the fates by asking that?"

Laughing, Sarah agreed. "I'm not sure. You could be right."

"Can I get you anything before I go?

"In my office, just down the hall there is a fluffy throw blanket. In the powder room to the left, in the medicine cabinet there's a bottle with a few Tylenol with codeine. They're leftover from a root canal a couple of months ago. If you could grab those for me too, I'd be forever grateful."

"Forever, huh?"

"Oh yeah, absolutely. Forever." With a big grin and a shooing motion with her hands, she added, "I … I think the bottle is on the top shelf in the medicine cabinet."

He went to get the blanket and pills. By the time he returned, Sarah had fallen asleep again. The wine with dinner, the shock of the fall, the pain and the aspirin she'd already taken were enough to knock her out once she let herself relax a little. Bobby decided he should stay, in case she woke up and needed anything. A trip to the bathroom. More water. Anything. He'd be there to help. At least tonight.

He turned off the lights except for the one from the bathroom so there was just enough light for him to see the outline of her on the sofa. He took off his jacket, loosened his tie and slipped off his shoes. He sat down and stretched out in the chair opposite and put his feet up on an ottoman. It was now after 1:00 am and his day had started 20 hours earlier, he didn't think being tired after a long day like this made him too much of a wimp.