Idiot Adventures in Utah, Year 2 continue...thanks for all the great reviews! I've really been enjoying borrowing these characters.
"Care for something to drink?" Andy asked breaking the silence. They had been walking for several minutes, just window shopping and enjoy the night. The cool night air felt good, even with the slight tension in the air. Sharon still hadn't spoken; she hadn't yanked her hand away either, Andy had noted.
Sharon got a look of panic on her face, that sitting down with Andy was the worst idea ever.
"Sharon, look, it's just me, Andy. I'm the same guy you invited here, the same guy with whom you've spent hours in the car, the same guy you even work with everyday at the station. We've spent hours and hours, days in fact, talking about our lives, our families. I adore your family. I'd really like to just sit and talk to you. We can either do that here or back at home with an audience," he said softly standing outside the coffee shop.
Sharon finally spoke, "This is fine," she nodded, and Andy returned the nod when he opened the door for her. He ushered her inside, and then he pointed toward a table.
"Go ahead and have a seat; I'll get our drinks," he offered.
Sharon looked up, "How do you-how do you know what I want?" she asked, finding her voice.
Andy rolled his eyes, "Besides being a detective, I have paid attention, Sharon."
He didn't give Sharon a chance to respond, but instead went to the counter to order their drinks. Sharon sat there, watching him, admiring him really, and she tried to figure out exactly what she was going to say to him.
Andy returned a few minutes later and sat the cups down, along with a cranberry muffin, "Here you go," he said, as he smiled and sat. "Nice little place," he nodded as he looked around. At this hour, the shop wasn't particularly busy.
"It's hot chocolate," Sharon said after she took a sip, "and, you bought my favorite muffins this time of year.
"It is hot chocolate, and I know about the muffin," Andy gave her a warm smile, as he blew on his hot chocolate. "Seemed like a good 'date' drink," he added.
Sharon eyes flew up to him, "It's not a date."
Andy shrugged, "Okay, that's fine. We're spending the evening together, well, the whole trip, really. I brought you here, bought you food. It's not a date," he shrugged.
"Andy, I can't date; I'm a married woman," Sharon said.
Andy rolled his eyes, "So, that's why you haven't gotten divorced. That gives you something to hide behind, but knowing you, you haven't had to use it much. You keep yourself so guarded, you don't let people in. Then, suddenly, you like me, and it's a great reason to keep me out. The married card, even though you've been legally separated for almost 20 years and haven't seen your husband in a year. Oh, I forgot-you spoke to him this year. So, he drops into town, where you've told me you kick him off your couch after a couple nights, and yet, the married card. Okay, it's not a date because you are married. Fine," he offered.
Sharon pursed her lips, "Why do you keep kissing me?"
"Because I like you!" Andy said happily. "More importantly, why did you kiss me last year, and why do you keep letting me kiss you? The Captain Raydor I know wouldn't stand for that unless it was welcome."
Sharon threw a glare at him, and he leaned in, waiting for her response. She looked over at him, and even though she knew what he was waiting to hear, she said, "Yes," and drew it out as she said it.
"Sharon," he said softly, as he leaned in, "It's okay to like each other. We are adults, and whether you care to admit it or not, you have no marriage. This doesn't have to be a thing at work at all. No one ever heard about the trip up here last year, and they won't hear about this year's trip. I really like spending time with you. I like kissing you," he smiled at her. "I'd like to kiss you more. I'd like to talk about this. Sharon, I'm interested in you, and I haven't acted on anything this past year because I respect you and the position it puts you in at work. I haven't gone on a single date all year, much to Provenza's irritation. He thinks I've been keeping him in the dark; he's convinced I'm just dating and not telling him anything. Truth is, I haven't seen anyone else I want to date. What does all this have to mean? Whatever you want. If you want to keep this simple, I'm willing to do that. If you want to just be colleagues at work and then invite me up here each winter, where I'm allowed to kiss you then, I think I can even handle that. I just want you to admit you like me too."
"I do not like you like that," she started to say, but his glare stopped her.
"Sharon, it's just been a few kisses. Relax. I'm not proposing marriage or something. Admit you like me. You invited me here after you told your family I was already coming. You've said a few times no friends have ever come here to your family's place, and yet, I've now been here twice," he smiled softly. "I know your family likes me. You can admit you do too."
Sharon was quite for a moment, looking down at her hot chocolate, "I do like the hot chocolate," she said, as she sat there, her eyes finally meeting his.
"I knew you would," he smiled sweetly. "Too late for coffee, and you already had three cups of tea today. I told you; I pay attention because I like you."
"I like you too," she finally admitted, returning his small smile. "more than I maybe should," she shrugged. "I guess I don't want to admit that because I am still married. I'm not ready to deal with Jack. I've assumed for years that he would be the one to divorce me, that he would get tired of things and move on or that he'd find some young thing to marry. He's not, and I'm not at the point yet I can admit that I'm ready to file. I'm completely done with him, but it's more complicated in my mind. I guess my initiating it without some great reason makes me feel like I gave up, I failed, and I haven't wanted to do that. Plus, I've told you about my faith, so finally divorcing him feels like a slap in the face to my faith; it's the sure sign I failed, and without a reason to do so, I haven't been ready. So, it has been easy to use all that as my shield."
Andy nodded and reached across for her fingers, playing with them in between his, "Okay. Well, I'm not placing any pressure. I just want to see where you see this going at all. You're a good friend, Sharon, and even though we haven't spent much time together over this last year, I haven't stopped thinking about you, about the great time we had here last year. You're amazing, and your family is too. Honestly, if you just tell me we can hang out here this year and that's it, I'll accept that. I'm not sure what I'm suggesting, but I'm willing to listen."
"You caught me off guard, but I have liked our innocent kisses," she said softly as she felt the red rising in her face.
Andy grinned at that, "I've liked them too. Can I keep kissing you, at least here on the trip?"
Sharon looked away and nodded to him, and she felt him squeeze her hand. He squeezed it again, tugging it for her to look at him. She did and finally said it out loud, "You may," she shrugged, "but, please, not in front of my kids or family at all."
"That's not a problem," he smiled. "When we leave, what do you want?"
Sharon sighed, "I don't know. Can we just enjoy this trip for now? Maybe we'll discover that we are better as friends, that it's weird for anything else."
"Okay, Sharon," Andy said sweetly. "We don't have to discuss that now, but I already know I'd like to keep kissing you."
"I can't handle-" she started to say and stopped.
"You can't handle anything else right now?" he finished for her, "Sharon, I'm okay with that. I'm delighted you didn't throw a hot drink in my face or slap it for kissing you," he grinned at her, finally earning the first smile back from her this evening. He scooted his chair around near hers, and he put his arm on the back of her chair, "I like this," he nodded to her.
Sharon looked to him and nodded, "I do too," she said easily, easier than she'd said anything since they'd been there. "Just, keep my family out of this, please. It's hard enough to explain our friendship. I can't try to explain we are friends here who kiss on this trip, or whatever," she nodded.
Andy squeezed her shoulder, "Fine by me," and he took another sip of hot chocolate.
The two sat next to each other, sipping their drinks for awhile. "Chief and Provenza would have heart attacks if they were here now," Sharon giggled.
"They would," Andy smiled smugly. "They'd never believe it, even if I told them."
"Ready to head back?" Sharon asked, as she looked to him.
"I am if you are," he admitted, standing to clear their trash.
Sharon stood, reaching for his hand, the first move she'd made this evening, "I can show you a different way home?" she suggested.
Andy's eyebrows rose, "Okay," he drew out, trying to figure out why it mattered.
Sharon pushed open the door with one hand, while she held his in her other, "There's a spot where I want you to kiss me, and it's on this way home," she smiled brightly. "Maybe when I invited you again this year, I had thought about kissing you another time," she offered.
"Hmm," Andy nodded, "just one more time-that's what you had thought?" he asked.
Sharon shrugged, "It's what I allowed myself to think-kissing you one more time seemed logically okay, unattached, but things change," she grinned.
Andy nodded, "Why don't you show me this spot," as he winked to her.