Back To School
Pt 2/2

Barely had Nicole and her uncomfortable insinuations receded when Sharon's side was taken by Andy. He looked impassive, stern, almost dispassionate. It made her uncomfortable even before his first words.

"So, what did you two chat about?"

She ran her eyes down his arm to the hand resting on the small of her back. Jack always tried that. Making her forgive by forgetting the issue in his hands. She wasn't looking for another reprisal of the pattern. This needed the talk. She hid stepping aside into taking a sip of her drink.

"Just general small talk."

"General small talk about me. Yeah, I saw your synchronized looks."

Opting for playfully returning the accusation, Sharon told him, "Your daughter seems to think you stare at me. She's a romantic young woman," she laughed the whole thing off. Feebly, but did nonetheless. "Refused to believe me when I told her you were just deep in thought."

"But I do stare at you," Andy replied with seriousness. Taking a step closer to her side, he whispered in hollow teasing, "I have to know where my backup is at all times. So says the manual, courtesy of one Captain Raydor."

Sharon couldn't help it, so she dropped her head and giggled. Looking up, she met Nicole's eyes. She flashed her eyebrows knowingly and pointed at her own hip. Sharon glanced down at hers and noted Andy's hand cupping it. This time she disguised the stepping away into a turn to face him.

"You have to talk with her. Again."

"Sharon, we've both told her we are friends." He wasn't going to spill that he had, inadvertently, told Nicole the whole truth the day before. Sharon had insisted on forgetting the lie, and, even if it had been weeks and weeks ago, the fact that he had come clean felt like a betrayal. "You used to be of the opinion that what people think doesn't matter."

"People no, your daughter yes. She's very persistent."

"Hey, at least she gets something from me."

The bitter tone made Sharon tilt her head and give him a studious glance.

Before she had the time to think, her lips started to softly go through the list she was thinking.

"She gets a lot more. You smile alike. Your eyes are of the same dark warmth. You are warm people, relate to others easily. You both have the temper, but are very easy to diffuse. When she adopts the confrontational stance I'm not always sure if it's her or your shadow. And yes, you both are very stubborn. Neither of you listens to me."

His voice was almost just as soft as he laid a tender palm on her arm, "And we both like to surround ourselves with smart, caring people."

Chuckling to shrug him off unsuspected and to get a step away from him, she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah. Well, those crosswords do keep Provenza's brain active."

"You're determined not to hear any sort of a compliment from me, aren't you?"

"Please, Andy," she retreated an inch more to get enough space for a flat palm between them, "there's no need for you to compliment me. We are friends. We both know where we stand."

"Hate to break it to you, but you don't."

No, in the grand scheme of things, she did not really, but now and here wasn't where they should clear the issue.

"A—"

Her protest was cut off by Andy lunging closer and slipping his right hand behind her back.

"Six inches more and you'd be in the pond," he said nodding forward over her shoulder.

Mouth open, searching for words that refused to come, she only stared up at him. When she started to sense uncomfortable tension, she turned to look at his tie and hummed.

Sharon made no move to leave. Andy pulled his left hand to meet the one already behind her back. Looking down at her, he couldn't ignore how easy it would be to just k— No! Friends, you idiot, friends.

Instead he told her lowly, "I'm sorry for my crappy mood."

"Hadn't noticed."

"Yeah," he sarcastically conceded, "and that's why there were none of your concerned looks directed at me."

She hummed again and traced the edges of his tie.

"We need to talk about Friday."

"Do we have to, Sharon?"

"I'd like to think so." She turned to look at his lips. "I think there was some sort of a misunderstanding at play."

"Oh, I understood you just fine. Don't worry, I told her point-blank this was a lie as well as your opinion about us so you're free to go."

"You told her? So... this is it." Sharon had known he wanted to tell the whole truth, but that he had done it without any warning took her by depressing surprise. "Go where?"

"Wherever, Sharon!"

"Don't yell at me. I'm right where I want to be."

"See, I don't —"

"Stop," she ordered with a pat on his chest, "I don't understand your anger, but I don't want you tell me about that now. Not here."

His deep exhale ruffled her hair.

"Fine," he mumbled, "we'll have to fake that too. Reconciliation."

"Only until we make it."

Her eyes rose to meet his and the look in them made him entirely certain she had every faith they would. Although he had no idea how, simply based on that look he came to agree. Things would work out, he knew as his gaze flicked down over her lips, and maybe then the k— Oh, hell.

Andy pulled her closer, away from the pond, and not letting go of her waist directed her to settle against his side. Unawares checking her legs (she had on very nice shoes today, though wholly impractically so — come to think of it, why was she wearing a sexy dress like that for a family dinner in the first place?) under the faint idea of seeing if there was mud or... something, he muttered, "Who keeps kois anyway?"

"I guess your daughter does," she said quietly, still thinking about stepping away from him. Did it matter, really? After all, his hands seemed to find their way around her no matter what. And it kept him calm, without making him think everything was clear, done and dusted.

"She's always been attracted to things that are more trouble than worth."

"Like you?" Sharon asked looking up at him.

"No," he said squeezing her waist, "unfortunately, I'm more attracted to things I seem to get when not thinking."