Yes, I am back. I am so sorry to all of you for taking so long, I couldn't find my USB key with all my story files on it. That and work was driving me nuts, you all know how that is. Anyway, I hope to have more chapters out soon, I've just been running into a bit of a Death Valley syndrome when it comes to this story. I'm talking total blank the last month or so. But I'm starting to get some new ideas now. If there's anything you guys want to see in this story (Aside from a lemon scene, I will decide if I want to include that later) please let me know.

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Jessie sighed, leaning back in her chair. Opening night had gone well, not perfectly, but well. There had been a few lines that had been missed, a few cues that needed to be tightened up, but other than that, she really couldn't have asked for more. Now the only thing she had left to get through was the gala.

Jessie smiled softly as she reached for the 'talk' button on her headset. "Nice job boys and girls. Now let's rock this reception shall we?"

"You know it Jess. And you are going to slay them in that gorgeous red gown of yours. It looks so good on you; it's amazing someone didn't try to pick you up when you tried it on in the store."

Jessie laughed aloud. "Lauren, you know you can always tell me that to my face." She removed her headset and walked into the next room where her sound tech was waiting. Jessie smiled at her rainbow-headed friend as she leaned up against the door. "Besides, I don't think Don would have approved of me hooking up with some random guy while I was dress shopping."

"You've been dating this guy all of a month Jess, what's wrong with having a little fun?"

"See, now that's the kind of attitude that keeps you single Lauren." Jessie shook her head as the two made their way backstage to change. The limo would be waiting for them outside to take them to the gala and, she hoped, to Don. It had taken an extreme amount of wrangling, but she had eventually gotten him to agree to come to her gala. 'But only to save you from being bored to death. I like you too much to let that happen.'

Jessie slipped her phone out of her pocket, turning it on and proceeded to check her messages. "Besides, things are going good between don and me. I don't want to mess things up." Jessie frowned as her phone blinked up at her, letting her know she had a new voice message. Checking who it was from, she groaned. "Damnit!"

Lauren paused at the door to the change rooms. "What's up?"

"It's from Don." Jessie replied, holding the phone to her ear. "He's working a case right now and apparently he's just caught a big break that might help him solve it."

Lauren wasn't getting it. "So?"

Jessie sighed, closing the phone with a snap. "So, he left this message an hour before show started, which means he probably missed the show and he's probably going to be really late to the gala, if he can make it at all." She shrugged as she made her way into the change rooms and over to where she had hung her dress. "But, I knew this was what I was getting into when I started going out with him."

"That doesn't mean it doesn't still stink though, right?" It wasn't so much of a question as it was an observation. Lauren grabbed her white and gold number and began slipping out of her tech clothes.

Jessie smirked. "Yeah, it still stinks. But I can hardly fault him for his job. I mean, it's because he's a cop that I met the guy." She began to quickly slip out of her rumpled black clothes. She wanted to get to the gala quickly so she could get home soon. One of the problems about being a stage manager... one was expected to mingle. "Besides, he's been trying to stay on time for me. Problem is that crime isn't exactly working on his schedule. Zip me up?"

Lauren came over and pulled Jessie's zipper up before turning around so Jessie could do the same. "Well, at least he's trying; I've got to give him that. But if he hurts you, I will personally rip off his balls and feed them to him with a fire hot spoon."

Jessie laughed, rolling her eyes at her friend. "And you wonder why you're still single?" she snickered as she applied her make-up. Light, smokey eyes with a soft red lipstick. Once finished she stepped back from the mirror, adjusting her halter-top slightly. Glancing over at Lauren, she grinned. The two had gone dress shopping together a few weeks ago and had both settled on halter tops while branching off into different colors. "I am so glad I convinced you to get that dress, you're hair looks great against the white."

"Convinced nothing. I wanted this dress the instant I had it on." Lauren shot back as she slipped on a pair of gold high-heeled sandals.

"And who convinced you to try it on?" Jessie asked as she slipped on a pair of chandelier earrings. "I seem to recall you saying you hated to wear white. That it didn't look good on you and you didn't want the boys to think you were a virgin."

Lauren punched Jessie's arm playfully. "Yeah, well the embroidery and the length make it look too ravishing to be innocent, so thank you."

Jessie laughed and gave her good friend a once over. The gold thread decorated the trim and under her bust line, accentuating the curve of her breasts along with the plunging V-neck. "You're welcome. Now let's get out of here. I want to get this mingling over with so I can go home and sleep."

Lauren smiled gently, linking arms with Jessie as the two made their way out to the limo. "No fun times with your boy? He might still make it you know."

Jessie smiled, a little sadly. "I doubt it Lauren. He's probably off interrogating a suspect or running down some lead or another. I'll see him tomorrow."

What Jessie didn't know was that at that very moment, Don was racing across the city to the hotel where Jessie's gala was being held. He had missed the performance and didn't have a hope of catching her at the theatre, but it he hurried; he might be able to meet her at the door. He thanked his lucky stars Jessie said he didn't have to wear a tie with his suit. As it was, he was close to the hotel, but cursing the red light ahead of him, sorely tempted to flick on his emergency siren. But if he did, he knew the captain would hand him his ass on a plate. Growling quietly he drummed his fingers on the wheel, praying quietly that he would beat Jessie to the party.

He let out a breath as traffic finally began to move. Checking the clock, he grinned, he had ten minutes before Jess would be arriving at the hotel, enough time to get there, have the valets park his car and be waiting as she pulled up. He hated having to miss her opening, hated even more that he probably made her think he wouldn't make her gala. He really disliked criminals, but it was moments like this that he cursed their horrendous timing.

Finally pulling up to the curb, he hopped out of the car, giving a mental cry of victory when he saw that he'd made it with five minutes to spare. Tossing the keys to the valet, he grinned widely as he positioned himself next to a pillar near the curb. He wasn't about to risk missing Jess going in, he had promised her.

He felt the anticipation fluttering in his chest as he waited. Jess had refused to let him go with her to buy her dress and further refused to even give him a single hint as to what it might look like. Mind you, in his opinion, Jess would have looked good in a burlap sack, but he couldn't wait to see what she had dolled herself up in for this gig. Mind you, he wasn't looking forward to how annoyed she would be for making her think he might have had to bail on him promise tonight. He winced slightly at the thought of what her reaction might be. He'd had to cancel their plans for the last week and a half due to some aspect of the Mary's case. If he had been able to tell Jessie, he knew she'd be more than accepting of the hours he needed to put in. She still understood, but he couldn't help but feel she might resent the fact that she would always come second to his case load. Don fidgeted at the thought of Jessie resenting his work. He didn't want to have to choose between the two.

So lost in thought was Don, that he nearly missed the long red stretch limo that pulled up to the curb. Don grinned, Jessie had mentioned wanting to stand you in the crowd but he hadn't expected her to go to this kind of extreme. But then again, this was Jessie. Smiling, he stepped forward from the pillar as her friend Lauren stepped out, readying himself to help Jessie from the limo and surprise her all at the same time. Winking briefly at Lauren, Don walked to the side of the door and took Jessie's hand to pull her gently from the car.

As Jessie's lithe form unfolded itself from the limo's interior, Don couldn't help but feel his heart leap up into his throat. First came her legs, pale, smooth, and clad in strappy red heels, surrounded by a sheath of flowing red silk. He couldn't help it as his eyes travelled up her legs to the perfectly tailored waist, defined by a thick belt of glimmering jewelled embellishment. It was here the silk split in two, travelling upwards like a pair of red rivers before they once again met at the base of her neck. The bright red of the dress made Jessie's skin look lusciously pale and set off the hidden golden notes of her hair as it curled down her back and over her shoulders, now shrouded in a black velvet wrap. He had never seen her look so stunning.

Jessie was also quite shocked. She hadn't expected Don to be there at all, let alone looking so handsome in his black suit paired with the deep red shirt she had gotten him about a week ago when he had agreed to come to the gala. He had forgone the annoyance of a tie and left the top button of his shirt undone so that the tanned, toned muscles of his chest just barely peeked through. 'Just enough to drive me mad.' She thought to herself as the small smile on her face swiftly widened. "I wasn't expecting you until later." She murmured, uncaring that Lauren had already gone in without her.

Don flashed her that trademark smile, so full of charm and flirtatious advances it made her weak in the knees. "Well, I couldn't exactly miss seeing you like this could I?" he replied, gently pulling her away from the curb as he spoke. "You refused to tell me what your dress looked like and I had to see how incredible you looked for myself." Slipping her arm into his, his smile softened somewhat. "Besides, I promised you I'd be here."

The sweet smile that graced Jessie's face at that moment was more than worth any punishment he might receive from Vicaro for sticking him with that night's paperwork. "Thank you Don." She whispered, curling her arm around his. "I know this isn't really your thing... but I appreciate it."

Don smiled gently as the two began their walk to the hotel's entrance. He slowly brought her free hand to his lips, gently kissing her knuckles, never once letting his gaze drift from her eyes, breathing in the intoxicating mix of her perfume and her own scent. "I promised you I would come, Jess. With you here, doesn't matter what it is... it's my thing."

Jessie laughed softly. "Come on you big cornball." She said, curling closer into his form. "We've got a party to get to." With that, the pair entered the glittering world of the artistic elite, not really caring what this party would bring. If they were with each other, they were happy.