Amanda stood outside the theatre surrounded by people in outrageous costumes and actually felt a little underdressed in her short pink 'Janet' dress with white belt and purse…and uncharacteristic white platforms that she was already regretting.
She saw Olivia walk through the crowd towards her and whistled, "You look amazing!"
Olivia rolled her eyes, "I feel ridiculous, it's been years since I've done anything like this."
"After the last few weeks we deserve an evening of superficial fun," Amanda argued and snatched her gold sequinned top hat."Besides, you look hot!"
The lieutenant looked down at her outfit and winced - she wore dark blue kitten-heeled boots, a black skirt with vertical rainbow stripes (that was just slightly too short for Olivia's liking), with a simple body-fitting black top and matching gold sequinned jacket.
Amanda popped the gold top hat back on over her friend short red wig and plucked at her red bow tie, "Barba's gonna love this."
She laughed and rolled her eyes, "I'm never going to hear the end of it!"
Olivia watched Amanda's jaw drop in a reaction that wouldn't have looked out of place in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon and then turned to look behind her to see what had caught her eye. Nothing could have prepared her for the sight she saw - Rafael and Sonny, walking toward them through a sea of outrageously dressed theatre attendees…looking breathtakingly good. She didn't know where to direct her eyes - they were instinctively drawn toward her best friend, but simultaneously dragged toward Sonny in an act of self-preservation.
"Goddamn!" Amanda gasped, her mouth still hanging open. "I owe Bella drinks, many many drinks!"
Carisi laughed, "Yeah, yeah, get it out your systems. We're going to collect on that bet, by the way, Rafael and I are not going to pay for food or drinks for a whole month, and every crap job that comes our way…"
"Mine," Amanda agreed wholeheartedly, obviously still processing her shock and genuinely impressed by their efforts.
"And no coming to me about warrants that you know are absurd," Barba added, "...one refusal from me and…"
"...we drop it, I hear you." Olivia finished and allowed herself a moment to scan over his outfit. "You look…" she was embarrassed when words escaped her and then even more mortified when her voice caught as she concluded, "…a-amazing."
Rafael looked a little taken aback and smiled awkwardly. "Well, I..you look magnificent too…I love the bow tie..." he reached up to touch it and then inexplicably withdrew his hand.
Amanda and Sonny watched them and then shared a smile - their boss and the counsellor always had an electrifying dynamic, but under these circumstances they were going to be fascinating. Hell, get another couple of drinks down them both and they could turn out to be more entertaining than the show!
In his higher heels, Rafael was actually a couple of inches taller than Olivia and looked at her with a smile as they walked into the theatre.
"At least the heels give me an advantage," he looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled. The little group had naturally split and Rafael and Olivia now followed Sonny and Amanda as they bickered comfortably in front of them.
"It's only the heels I wear for work, we must be…" Olivia smiled at him, "I guess you're a little taller than me, right? In bare feet..."
His mouth turned up at the corner then felt one of his heels wobble a little under him.
Olivia stepped into his side automatically and looped her arm into his to steady him. "How are you even walking in those things? I would struggle and I wear heels all the time."
"Honestly, I feel that I've consumed just enough whiskey for my legs to not realise that they are on my feet," Rafael replied smoothly and Olivia laughed and leaned into him a little.
"At least we have good seats," Rafael observed as they sat down and Amanda covered her smile knowing that where this show was concerned easier access was not always a good thing.
Olivia arrived from the bar with their drinks and handed them out - then after a little awkward shuffling around (where Rafael tried to look casual as he moved to sit next to Olivia), they all settled down.
After a couple of minutes of chatter, the audience whooped and cheered as a member of the cast walked out dressed in a tight-fitting sequined police uniform with knee-high boots and tight shorts that put Rafael's to shame.
Rafael smiled at Olivia and she grinned, making it clear that this was pretty standard.
"Hello, my lovelies!" The man greeted loudly into the audience over the whistles and cheers. "My name is Lieu...and before we get this party going I need to know if we have any VIRGINS in the house?!"
TBC...