"Dating just isn't a good idea. It's not the right time. I have been a mess; you've been a mess. We're both divorced. We both have kids who come first," Sharon said, hearing all of that as she said it, ticking off the points on her fingers. She closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, wondering how it would be reciprocated, how he would react. She opened her eyes to survey the scene. Still the same. The scene hadn't changed in the 10 minutes she'd been sitting there with Ricky at the bathtub saying the same thing to herself quietly while he finished playing in the tub. Her little boy loved bath time, well, maybe just getting her wet, but he did love it nonetheless. She looked down at her sweet boy. He was splashing and giggling again. She couldn't help but laugh. It helped with her uneasiness. Why oh why had she agreed to dinner? It was just dinner she told herself, smoothing her hands over her jeans. She'd opted for jeans tonight. It wasn't a date if she just wanted to be friends; it was just dinner out WITH a friend, not a date. She had to make it clear. It wasn't the right time. It just wasn't right, not at all.
The shrill sound of the phone had her scooping up Ricky and wrapping him quickly in a towel. As she moved quickly toward the kitchen where she had the phone, she called to Emily in her room, "Emily, get your things and get ready for your bath."
Sharon carried the dripping wet and giggling toddler toward the phone. Evidently, Ricky thought this was some game, so Sharon made a couple of nosies, almost like she was a train running through the house with him.
"Hello," she said in a breathless tone, Ricky there trying to wiggle out of her arms. Her shirt was wet now; she might have to change.
"Sharon, hey," she heard Andy's voice. "Ahh, listen, it's going to be later than we planned. I'm near my place, but with Provenza. We were wrapping up questioning a witness, and that ran longer than we planned. I am going to have to go back to work and get my car before I can head out, not to mention I need to change."
"Oh, ahh, okay," Sharon said as she shuffled Ricky from one side to the other while balancing her phone.
"I guess, hey, wait," he said to her, and it sounded muffled then on the phone. Andy was more than likely speaking with Provenza, not that she was thrilled he knew about this "outing" or anything because it wasn't a date, but she tried not to get too worried about it because it wasn't a date; it was going to be merely two friends catching up.
"Hey, Sharon, Provenza said he could drop me at my place right now. I can change, and if you don't mind, maybe you could pick me up? I'm sorry; it's not how I wanted to start the evening."
"That's fine," Sharon said quickly. She had a babysitter coming, and she didn't want to be out extremely late because she'd promised the lovely woman who normally kept the kids for her nights she had to go into work that she wouldn't be out late. She was just catching up with a friend. "Don't be silly; I'll pick you up tonight, Andy. I'm just getting the kids into their pajamas. My sitter should be here any minute."
"Okay, great!" Andy said in an extremely cheerful tone. "I'll see you soon. I'll be home in 15 minutes. Come by whenever you can."
Sharon hung up and looked down at Ricky who was giving her a big smile. She rolled her eyes, not at anything he'd done, but she was just a little out of sorts with the evening. The conversation would be good. Catching up would be enjoyable, but Andy had made things complicated by suggesting anything more than friendship, and that had her feeling self-conscious.
"Let's get you ready for the evening," she looked to her little boy and kissed him on the head as she walked toward his room. Holding Ricky close was helping to calm her, and she needed all the help she could get.
45 minutes later, she found herself standing on Andy's doorstep, here at his new apartment. She hadn't been here yet, which she silently scolded herself for being a terrible friend. She needed to do better. It was now the end of May, the Wednesday evening before Memorial Day weekend. Both she and Andy had to work the weekend which was why they'd decided to catch up this evening. It wasn't a typical "date" night, which was perfect for Sharon, and she was going to make it clear that yes, they could hang out at times as friends, catch up and all, but that was going to be it. She raised her hand to knock and looked down at her appearance-jeans, a peasant-style solid black top, and then her favorite sandals. It was casual, perfect for the evening.
"Hey," she heard and snapped her head up to find Andy standing there, freshly dressed. He flashed a smile at her, and she started to chuckle at his appearance. "What? That's not giving me any confidence. I open the door to my place, and a lady starts laughing."
"No," she nodded toward him, where he looked at himself, almost expecting to see some practical joke. He looked to her, a puzzled look, and then, he got it; he started laughing too.
"Great minds," he chuckled and threw a shoulder shrug, as he gestured for her to walk inside. "If you come in for a minute, I'll change. We would look a little odd, both wearing jeans and a solid black shirt. You look very nice, very comfortable," he added, gesturing for her toward his living room area. "Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, and don't feel you have to change," Sharon offered.
"Sharon, if you laughed, others will do the same. It's no trouble. I'll just be a second," he explained and disappeared down the hall. She sat down on the edge of the couch, looking at it as she looked around the apartment. It was small, but he didn't need much. The living room area wasn't much bigger than a large closet, but he'd found a couch for it. His television, which she remembered from the house, was set up. He had a small coffee table and an end table that matched it. She glanced toward the kitchen area and saw a small, round table next to the galley-style kitchen. It was clean; she was impressed with that. Her eyes didn't travel further because she heard him coming and looked as he entered the room.
"I just realized I've been a terrible friend and haven't been to your new place," she said quietly. "Everything looks very nice."
Andy nodded and shrugged, "Thanks, but it's just a basic apartment. It isn't much, but I'm glad to have it. I got the couch not long ago. Provenza gave me a few things too, a couple of lamps and all. Everything is paid for, which I'm proud of that. It's my fresh start, but it doesn't feel that exciting," he chuckled.
"Well, it looks nice, and I'm sorry I haven't been by before now. That's on me, and there is no excuse. I'm very proud of your hard work, Andy," she said with a small smile. Andy met her smile and gave her a slight nod. Their eyes met, and he then, gestured around the room.
"Let me show you around the mansion," he chuckled. "Stay close so you don't get lost."
Andy spent the next couple minutes showing her around. It was a modest two-bedroom apartment, the second bedroom a place for the kids to stay. He had air mattresses in their now with sleeping bags and had told Sharon that the kids were thrilled because he'd also put up a tent, an old one from Provenza, and he'd told the kids it was their place to camp.
"You know, until I can get beds, they love the idea," he smiled brightly. "Besides, Provenza had never used it. It was a wedding gift back in his second marriage. It stayed in a box. Can you ever see Provenza camping?"
Sharon started to laugh and covered her mouth. She shook her head, "That is quite the image. Thanks for the laugh." She stood there, still chuckling and took in Andy's appearance again. He'd changed his shirt and now had on a deep green t-shirt. She'd never seen him wear that color, but it really was a good color on him. She snapped her eyes up, and she blushed, realizing she'd been caught staring.
"Ready to go?" Andy asked, trying to act like he hadn't noticed her wandering eyes.
"Sure," she said with a small smile. "I love the camping theme. I'm sure the kids do too."
"Yeah," he nodded. "I get a pretty good check on my next payday, from my second job," he told her. "I've had my eye on a set of bunk beds. I think I'll get them. Camping is fun, but at some point, the kids need real beds. Provenza was great to let me borrow the tent and even the air mattresses."
Sharon nodded as she listened. He gestured for her to walk ahead of him, so she moved toward the door. At the door, she opened it, and she turned to him, "You're lucky to have a good friend like Provenza."
"Sharon," he frowned, "you've been just as good of a friend to me too. I don't think you realize that. I cannot tell you what you have done for me and what that means to me."
Sharon, who didn't know what to say, just met his eyes and shook her head. She finally opened her mouth to speak, "Ahh, well, let's catch up over dinner, right?"
"Right," Andy grinned. "Mexican okay? I thought it was casual and kind of our speed for the evening."
"Perfect," she said with an almost breathless tone. "My car is just at the bottom of the stairs."
The two spent the drive to dinner talking about the kids. Once they were in the parking lot, Andy looked over at her and gently put his hand on her arm, "Hey, let's talk about anything else besides the kids at dinner, deal?"
"Ahh, deal, sorry," Sharon sighed. "I'm afraid outside of work and the kids, I don't have much of a life, and I never do anything like this."
"That's why we are here," andy winked. "Let's eat."
The restaurant wasn't busy for a Wednesday evening, and it was now after 8:00, so the place wasn't at its prime dinner hour either. There was an international soccer game on the television, and that had the two kick off a discussion on sports. Talking about something so generic helped the two relax. They'd spent almost a year living under the same roof, but still, they hadn't spent a lot of time just hanging out with each other. When they had been around each other before, they'd always had the kids as somewhat of a buffer.
"I have to confess I miss our late night chats," Sharon said after she finished eating a tortilla chip. Andy sat forward slightly, across the booth from her, his arms crossed on the table, and he commented.
"Me too," he said in a low tone. "I did pick up a bad habit of balancing my checkbook late at night. I saw you do it countless times."
"I'm still trying to convince myself that money magically appears late at night," she grinned. "My meal was delicious," she added as she snagged another chip out of the bowl.
"Mine too," Andy said quietly as he sat back. He held eye contact with her, and he gave her a small, almost sad smile.
Sharon took a deep breath, "I appreciate your interest. It's flattering, but I think we just need to keep our friendship."
"Okay," Andy said, holding up his hands slightly almost as if in surrender. "I'm not asking, nor am I pressuring. I hope you know that. I put it out there the other day, but this has to work both ways; it can't be one-sided. I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable."
"Just, just," Sharon gestured with her free hand as she held a chip in the other. She shook her head, unable to verbalize her thoughts, "I don't date."
"Okay," Andy said again, as he nodded. The waitress dropped off the check, and he reached over for it. Sharon started to dig for her wallet.
"My treat," Andy said. "I suggested it."
"I thought we agreed-" Sharon started to say. Andy held up his hand.
"You've been wonderful to me, Sharon. Paying for your quesadilla is the least I can do," he chuckled.
"I know things are tight-" Sharon offered and stopped speaking. "Sorry, I don't mean to always bring up money. I want you to know I think you are doing well with everything. I just don't date."
"We're good, Sharon," he nodded. "I appreciate you coming out with me tonight. I know you had to get a sitter. Your dinner is the least I can do."
The two made small talk the next few minutes, and then, the started toward the door. Sharon glanced back at Andy and watched as he threw a small wave to the waitress. His smile seemed to light up the room. Once the two were back in the car, she started it, but then, she looked over at him.
"Thank you for dinner," she said quietly, her eyes meeting his. "It really was nice to eat with you, outside of the kids running around screaming."
"Yeah," Andy chuckled. "I really enjoy your company. Maybe we can do this again?"
"I'd like that," Sharon said. "Thank you for not pressuring me or making this some big deal."
"Just enjoy being with you, Sharon," Andy said, reaching over to squeeze her shoulder. "Let's get me home. I'm guessing you are paying your babysitter by the hour."
The short drive back to Andy's place was light and enjoyable. A song came on the radio that both started to sing the melody. That had them both laughing. As they pulled into Andy's complex, Sharon grew quiet. Andy looked around the car, almost as if he was making sure he hadn't left anything behind. Sharon parked in the same spot she'd parked in before.
"Well," Andy said, turning slightly toward her. "Sorry you had to drive, but I appreciate the change in plans. It kept dinner from being even later."
"Sure, I didn't mind at all," Sharon said, growing quiet then, not sure how to end things. "Well," she said and nodded.
"I'll get going. Thanks again," Andy smiled at her. "It was nice, fun, this evening. Good conversation with a wonderful person."
"Agree," she nodded.
"Night," he said, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Be careful going home. I'm sure I'll see you at work sometime."
"I'll make time," Sharon clarified. "Night."
Andy stepped out of the car, and Sharon looked out the front windshield to watch him walk to the staircase. It had started to rain on the way back to his place and was raining more now. She could barely see him and turned on the wipers. He was a grown man, but she found herself there, watching and waiting for him to get to his door. He still had two flights of stairs, but she wanted to wait.
She wasn't sure what pushed her, but she found herself opening the car door and standing there at her door, "Andy?"
"Sharon?" Andy asked, turning toward her from where he was on the steps.
"I tell myself that this is my life," she called out to him. He stood there, a puzzled look. "I'm 30 years old, two small children, divorced, a cop, and this is my lot in life."
Andy, he thought for a moment, and then, he turned and walked back down the staircase and toward her. She still stood there, the rain still coming down. He walked toward her, and she continued.
"I realize I was put here to raise two wonderful kids," she added.
"Sharon, there's so many things in life, many things to come," he told her. "I've had those same thoughts. I promise. I'm 35, divorced, a drunk, and I have less in my savings now compared to when I graduated from college."
"I just sometimes question everything, and then, I see people like Jack, people like the suspects we arrest-sometimes, it seems like others have no responsibility and can walk away, carefree. I just-" she paused. She looked down, and Andy finally reached her at the car.
"Sharon, you, for one, have told me there is so much more to life. I've been in my share of rough times. I'm always here for you too."
Sharon looked up, gave him a small smile, one that he returned. She acted quickly, throwing her arms around his neck, and locking her lips with his. It seemed to take him by surprise, especially after their clarification of their friendship, but he didn't waste time. He quickly had his arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight, the two kissing there, enjoying the moment. His hands rested on her hips. The two kissed for several moments, and Andy pulled back.
"You're getting soaked, and I'm sorry I crossed the line. You've been very clear about things," he said, his head leaning against hers.
"I've wondered what that would feel like, kissing you," she said quietly, not looking at him, but putting her hands up on his chest. She looked at her hands and continued, "I keep telling myself this isn't a good idea."
"Yeah, I'm an alcoholic," he sighed.
"That's not the only reason," she said quietly again, her hands still there as she continued to look at them.
"You're getting wet. It's raining harder," he told her. "We aren't going to fix all of our worldly problems tonight."
"You're right," she nodded. She stepped away from him, pulled her keys, and closed her car door. He gave her an odd look, and she gave him a small shrug.
"You didn't think I was going to go home this second after that, did you?" Sharon asked, tilting her head.
"Your sitter?" Andy asked.
"Is used to being at my house," Sharon said with a nod. "A little longer won't bother her. I can always tell her we stopped for dessert."
Andy smiled at her and gestured to the stairs, "I'm sure I can find something for dessert. Let's work through this."