Talisa and Sonny chose to walk back to her apartment through Morningside Park for a more leisurely stroll. He chatted to her breezily, but noticed she was keeping quiet. "…and then I took my umbrella and pretended to joust the guy and threw mint chocolate chip ice cream at the other dude." He spouted a bunch of nonsense on the end of the story he was telling her.
"Mmm-hmmm." She agreed non-committedly.
He halted them on the path, pulling at her arm in the crook of his to stop her short. "You aren't listening to me, are you? Where are you?"
"What? Oh geez, I'm sorry, Sonny. I was just thinking about something."
"I can tell that. What's up?"
Talisa put her hands on Sonny's elbows and pulled him towards her. "Can we talk about it later?" She asked him in a sultry tone. She stood on her tip toes and leaned into his chest with her own. Sonny leaned down to close the distance and placed his lips over hers in a firm kiss.
He broke the kiss before it could get too intense. "Hmmm… distracting me with more kissing, huh?"
"Is that a problem?" She reached up and threaded her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.
"Not particularly." He murmured against her mouth.
Sonny had offered to walk Talisa up to her apartment after collecting the tapes from the desk attendant. She had politely declined, telling him she would invite him up next time. Sonny had kissed her in front of the elevators and headed out into the night.
Talisa sighed as she kicked off her shoes and hung up her coat when she entered her apartment. She checked her watch. Almost 10pm. She flopped onto her couch and pulled out her phone, selecting Meredith from her favorites list and turning on the speaker. She needed to talk out what she was feeling with a good friend.
"Tal? Everything okay?" Her best friend and colleague's voice answered the line.
"I don't even know anymore." Talisa exhaled sharply, putting the phone on the couch then lying down with her face by it.
"What's up? You need to talk?" Meredith prompted her.
"Yeah. Hope I'm not calling too late?"
"Nah, I'll just wander out into the family room so I'm not disturbing Kevin. He's watching the news."
"Okay, no problem." Kevin was Meredith's husband. They also had two cute little kids, who Talisa was sure were asleep at this hour.
"All right, shoot." Mer said when she sat down in the arm chair in her living room.
"Well, remember when I told you about the two men from Avery's case asking me out last week?" Had it only been a week? Talisa marveled internally.
"Of course. The impressive ADA and the cute detective? How could I forget?! Spill the beans, how'd the dates go?"
"They both went great. Better than great, really. I think that's part of the problem."
"Go on." Meredith urged her.
Talisa let out a small sigh. "My date with Sonny was very nice. Ending with some prolonged kissing on my couch. My date with Rafael… began awkwardly." Tal omitted the reason why and continued, "But ended with a real, how shall I put it… bang." She smirked at the phone and giggled a bit.
"Oh really? Gotta say, Tal, I'm a little shocked to hear that. You haven't been serious with anyone in a while." Meredith replied. "Not that I'm judging you, of course." Talisa almost heard her smile.
"I know, I know. That was pretty impulsive of me. In my defense though, I felt like I knew him pretty well even though that was technically our first date." Talisa smiled back.
"Again, no judgement here." Meredith paused. "So what's the issue? Trying to decide how to juggle them both or what?"
"Ugh. I definitely don't want to do that. That's certainly not my style!" Talisa groaned in frustration, smothering her face in a throw pillow.
"Okay, what's your plan then, girl?"
"I wish I knew. I'm more or less just winging it day-by-day."
"Well, I'm sure things will work out for the best."
"That's a horribly cliché thing to say. How dare you spout such trite remarks at me and call yourself a true friend, Mer." Talisa put on her best offended tone.
"Ha, I'm not even sorry. You poor thing, having the attention of two handsome, stable men at the same time…" Meredith laughed. "This burden is all yours to bear."
Talisa joined her in the laugh and rolled her eyes at herself and how ridiculous she sounded. "Oh my god, you're right." She let their laughter die down and then continued. "Dammit. I think I just like them both and know I will feel awful about ending it with either one of them."
"I get it, but it's only been a week. I don't think you have to decide anything yet." Meredith paused. "Do they know about each other? They work together sometimes, right?"
"I actually told Sonny about Rafael tonight. He didn't seem to mind. Next I suppose I'll have to tell Raf that I didn't break it off with Sonny yet."
"Oh you told the lawyer you were calling it off with the detective?"
"Sort of. Well, yes. In the afterglow I might have said something to that effect."
"But you didn't do it. Why not?"
Talisa kicked her feet on the couch. "Oh shit, Mer, if you'd looked into his baby blue eyes and tried to say 'no' you would know how impossible it is."
Meredith chuckled at that. "Okay, okay, you are totally smitten."
"One hundred percent." Talisa admitted. "Well, I'd better let you go. Thanks for letting me vent."
"You bet, Tal. I'm not sure you figured anything out, but I hope you feel better."
"I do, thanks friend. Good night."
Talisa groaned sleepily into her pillow at the sound of her phone chiming and waking her up. She reached out a hand and pulled her phone to her face to check the text.
SC: Good morning. Feeling better today?
Talisa smiled and typed a quick response.
TO: Much. Any news for me?
SC: Viewing the tapes now. I'll let you know. Dinner later?
TO: Two nights in a row? =)
SC: A man's gotta eat. ;)
TO: So romantic. You've convinced me. Pick me up at my office 8pm.
SC: It's a date.
After her talk with Meredith and making another date with Sonny, Talisa had decided she needed to have a discussion with Rafael – she felt like she owed it to him to fully disclose everything. She swallowed hard as she walked into his building and headed for his office. She hadn't called beforehand and hoped to just catch him working. She greeted Carmen as she entered the outer office. "Hi, I don't have an appointment, but I was hoping to have a few minutes with Mr. Barba. If he's available?"
Carmen looked up from her computer and smiled warmly, "Dr. Oliveira. Nice to see you. He's gone downstairs, but should be right back. I'm sure he'll have a few minutes for you when he gets back. Have a seat if you'd like."
Talisa nodded. "Thanks, I will." She took off her black pea coat and hung it up. Then she headed for a chair and smoothed down her black pencil skirt as she sat. She'd worn a button-up silk blouse in a baby blue color that was tucked into the skirt and had her favorite red heels on. She'd barely crossed her legs when Rafael blustered into the offices.
"Any calls, Carmen?" He was reading a file in his hands and didn't even look up or wait for the answer as he blew right by and into his interior office. Talisa smiled to herself and stood up. Carmen also stood and leaned over her desk, handing Talisa the slips with his missed calls and motioned with her head for Talisa to go on in after him.
Rafael was standing with his back to her leaning over his table when she entered. "Looks like you had three calls while you out." Talisa walked over and put the slips on his desk, turning and leaning against it.
Rafael spun on his heel and his face brightened when he saw her. "Hey! This is unexpected. Did you call?" He strode towards her, stopping in front of her and putting a soft peck on her lips and his hands on her upper arms.
She smiled and brought a hand up to stroke his cheek. "I didn't, I was just hoping to catch you for a few minutes."
"For you I have," he glanced at his watch, "a whole handful of minutes." He grinned and leaned down again, kissing her hard and she reciprocated, allowing his tongue to push in and tease her own. His hands moved slowly up and down her arms, but she placed her own on the desk behind her to brace herself as his weight shifted over her body. The kiss lasted several long, delicious minutes.
Talisa sighed when he pulled back and she stared down at her shoes instead of looking him in the eyes. "Can we sit?"
"Of course, querida." Rafael turned and shut the door and then followed her to his couch. "Is something wrong?" He asked softly, taking one of Talisa's hands from her lap and pulling it into his own as he sat.
He was making light circles in her palm with his thumb while he waited for her to respond. "Not exactly." She paused and finally found his gaze. He nodded at her to continue. "I just haven't been very honest with you and I'm feeling sick about it."
"Oh?" Talisa noticed a small smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.
"What's funny about this?" She demanded, feeling slightly irritated that he wasn't taking things seriously.
"I'm sorry, you are just so sweet. We've only been out twice – no one is completely honest at the beginning of relationships, right? I promise I'm not trying to make light of your feelings." His eyes sparkled at her.
Talisa narrowed her eyes at him. "I guess you're right. But this feels a little different." She sighed again. "I haven't broken it off with the other guy I've been seeing."
"Ah. Well, I have to admit, that stings a bit. You have feelings for him?" Rafael's eyes turned serious now.
"That's the thing, I just don't know yet. How I feel about him… how I feel about you. I mean, I obviously like you a lot." She rambled and found herself staring at her hand in his lap.
"That's okay. I mean, yes, I'd obviously prefer to have you to myself, but I never asked that of you… if I remember correctly, you offered." He squeezed her hand.
Talisa exhaled loudly. "I know, I know. That's why I'm feeling so terrible about all of this. Then there's the other thing."
"What other thing?" Rafael asked, curious.
"Who the other guy is… it's someone you know."
"Well now I'm definitely intrigued." Raf cocked his head and gave that little half-smile of his, "Carry on, I'll be fine. Quién es?"
Talisa scrunched up her nose and shifted her weight on the couch. "It's Detective Carisi. We've been out twice since last week and have another date tonight."
Rafael's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Carisi? Detective Carisi?" Rafael dropped her hand and stood, pacing several times before turning to look at her again. "Carisi." This time it wasn't so much a question as a confirmation.
Talisa nodded and winced when he turned and paced the room a couple more times. "You're pissed off. I should've just told you it was him last week when you both came to me."
Rafael stopped pacing and came back over and sat down next to her. He let out a huff. "No, no, I'm glad you didn't because I probably would have backed off right then." He took her hand again and made eye contact as he continued. "And I don't want to back off."
Talisa sucked in a breath. "I don't want that either, Rafael."
He smiled broadly at her and kissed her cheek. "Okay, then. I suppose our current situation won't remain this way indefinitely. I'm willing to give you some time to come to the realization that you belong with me and only me." He gave her a sly smile.
Oh this man, she thought and grinned back. "Always the confident one, huh?"
As a response, Rafael cupped her face with both hands and kissed her again, sending electricity to her fingertips as she slipped her hands inside his suit jacket and gripped at his sides. A knock at the door stopped their activity before it could get too pornographic. Rafael threw his gaze to the ceiling as if to say, Why God? He stood and pulled the door open as Talisa rose from the couch and grabbed her purse to leave. She figured she should probably let him get back to work.
Talisa immediately recognized the voice she heard as the door opened. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt a meeting, Carmen said you'd be about finished." It was the southern accent of Detective Rollins… with Sonny right behind her. Amanda smiled when she saw Talisa and walked into the office with her hand outstretched. "Dr. Oliveira, right? Good to see you."
Talisa shook Amanda's hand and waved her other one in the air between them. "Please, call me Talisa. It's good to see you too, Detective." Meanwhile, Sonny and Rafael were standing behind Amanda, staring at one another. Talisa was watching them over Amanda's shoulder. They hadn't said a word to each other yet, both of them standing in the doorway. Talisa nodded and smiled at Amanda again and moved around her to stand in front of the two men. Well, this was fucking awkward. After a moment she glanced at Raf and said, "Thanks again, I'll be waiting to hear from you." Unsure of what else to do she cleared her throat and turned to Sonny. "I'll see you tonight?" His face lit up and he nodded as he moved to clear the doorway so she could exit.
Sonny watched her hips sway in her curve-hugging skirt as she left, grabbing her coat off the rack in the outer office before she was out of sight completely. His head jerked back to the two people with him when Amanda broke the silence. "What am I missing?" She asked looking between Barba and Carisi curiously.
"Irrelevant to the case at hand. Now tell me, how can I help the NYPD today?" Rafael was quick to answer, brushing aside the matter with a final hard look at Carisi.