Chapter Three
John Doggett stared back at Monica. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…" John said to her, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. Monica was still motionless, unable to move due to the shock at John's sudden appearance. "If you want, I can always go sit somewhere else…"
"Huh? Oh, no, no, no!" Monica replied quickly, finally having found her voice. She started waving her hands frantically in apology, nearly spilling her beer bottle in the process. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. I thought you were someone else…"
John chuckled. "I kinda guessed that. You don't seem like someone who likes shouting at total strangers, ma'am." Monica paused in her actions and frowned, arching an eyebrow at John in surprise. John had never called her "ma'am" before. Monica studied his face, trying to see if he was joking, but it was impassive as always.
"So, why is a lovely young woman like yourself spending Saturday night drinking beer on her own in a quiet bar?" John asked her, his face still remaining serious. He didn't seem to acknowledge Monica's surprised expression. "Are ya meeting someone or are ya just here to drink the night away?"
"Huh?!" Monica stared at John, now thoroughly confused by his behaviour. John knew that she was meeting HIM tonight, after all HE had been the one to send her the note. But now he was acting as though he was only meeting her for the first time and not as a close friend and partner he has known for the past nine years. Just as she was about to question him about it and to suggest seeing a specialist about possible amnesia, Monica caught the sparkle in his clear blue eyes. John was up to something. He had often communicated with her secretly by his eyes when they were on cases and she could see now that he was silently asking her to play along with him. Now curious at what John was thinking, she replied back cautiously, "Erm…I think I'm…err…actually meant to meet someone here…"
"Ah, a boyfriend?"
"Err…no. A friend."
"Well ma'am, do ya mind if I just sit here and chat with you until your friend arrives?" John flashed a charming smile at her. "I'd 'ppreciate the company."
"Erm…no, not at all." Monica stuttered, the smile momentarily causing her heart to ache with desire. She both hated and loved it when John smiled like that. She hated how it always made her feel like a lovesick schoolgirl again while she loved at how it made John look even more handsome than usual. "It…it'll be nice to have someone to talk to, I've never been to this bar before"
"Well, it only opened recently. I only found out about this place from an old friend who recommended it to me. Said the atmosphere was really nice." John studied the drinks list while tossing a few peanuts from a bowl on the bar into his mouth. "You know, if ya don't mind me saying, you don't sound like a New Yorker." John looked at Monica with a questioning glance. "Are ya visiting the city or just stopping by?"
"I…I'm actually just stopping by." Monica played with her silver ring nervously. "I'm on my way back to Washington."
"Well whadda ya know! I'm also travelling back to Washington." John smiled and leaned in closer to Monica. "We may have bumped into each other before, though I'm sure I would have remembered an attractive woman like you." Monica choked slightly on the mouthful of beer she had just swallowed. "Name's John Doggett, ma'am." John held out his hand towards Monica.
"Err…Monica Reyes." Monica shook his hand, still thoroughly puzzled and dazed by John's behaviour. It seemed to Monica that the whole conversation was becoming more and more flirtatious. The last time she had chatted to a man she had liked at a bar was before she had started going out with Brad. Back then, her flirting technique had been perfect at being able to charm her way into the hearts of potential boyfriends. Since then though, her relationship with Brad and then her heavy workload meant that Monica had little time for chatting up strangers in bars. More recently it had been her growing love for John that had made her push away any man that tried to come onto her, whether they were in bars or not. Now though, she had John behaving towards her like all those men she used to flirt with about ten years ago and he had still not indicated to her his reason why. Monica figured she may as well keep up the game with John, curious at where it was eventually going to lead.
"Pleased to meet you Monica. Would you like another drink?" John indicated towards her empty bottle.
"Well, if you insist." Monica answered slowly as John ordered another two beers from the bartender. She took the opportunity to fully take in John's appearance. He was wearing a blue button-down shirt under his navy jacket along with casual beige trousers. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone, making John seem much more relaxed than he was usually when he was in his smart work suits. His brown hair was in its usual spiked style and Monica caught a hint of his familiar cologne that she secretly loved inhaling whenever her partner was close to her. To Monica, John was looking extremely sexy tonight. It was as though he had dressed for a date. Monica's wandering thoughts though were interrupted when John turned back towards her and started the conversation again.
"So Monica, have you lived your whole life in Washington?" John asked with a curious expression on his face.
"Err…no. I was born in Texas but was then adopted and raised in Mexico." Monica chewed on a couple of peanuts, savouring their saltiness with the beer.
"Mexico? Must be quite a culture change for you." John observed.
"It's ok. I've been in the USA since university, so it kinda feels like I've got two homes now." Monica grinned, now becoming more comfortable in the situation. "How about you John? Don't tell me you picked up that accent in Washington…"
John chuckled. "Oh no. I was born in Democrat Hot Springs in Georgia. My parents then moved us to New York when I was still young. I guess I picked up the Georgian accent from my parents and then combined it with the New York accent that I obtained from the other kids I hung out with."
"Ah, so you're from a Southern family but then raised in the mean streets of the city." Monica played with the label on her bottle while looking at John discreetly under her eyelashes. "Does that mean you're a Southern gentleman or a confident in-your-face New Yorker man?"
John smiled smugly. "I guess that's up to you to find out…" John replied teasingly. Monica grinned back, of course already knowing the answer. When it came to work, John was as street-wise and self-assured as a typical man who had grown up in New York. However when it came to women, John was always so courteous and polite as was commonly believed about men from the South. Monica had already experienced first-hand all of these traits from her partner. John was truly a combination of all the good qualities associated with men from Georgia and New York.
"So Monica, what do you do in Washington?" John asked, casually changing the subject. "I'm assuming you're not a hired assassin…"
"An assassin?!" Monica looked at John questionably. "Why would you think that?"
"Well, I saw that gun you flashed before to Mr Pink Tartan Tie."
"You saw THAT?!" Monica's eyes widened. She was sure that John had not been in the bar at the time. She silently wondered whereabouts in the room he could have watched her from.
"Yep, saw the whole thing. I must say though that is an extreme way to get rid of men you don't like. The guy looked as though he had literally pissed in his pants…" John munched on a couple more peanuts. "Anyway, only two main types of people carry guns around with them all the time. Law enforcement officers and hired assassins. Now my first impressions of people are usually pretty accurate and I think that you sure don't act like an assassin, with the exception of that scene involving Pink Tie…" Monica smiled. "So that only leaves law enforcement…"
"How can you be so sure? For all you know I could be a very good assassin who can turn you into a corpse before you even had time to blink."
"Oh I KNOW I'm right. I just do…" John smirked. "So, ya gonna tell me what part of the law you work for? Or should I instead start high-tailing my ass out of this bar before you knock me down for being so damn smug?"
End of Chapter Three
John Doggett stared back at Monica. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you…" John said to her, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips. Monica was still motionless, unable to move due to the shock at John's sudden appearance. "If you want, I can always go sit somewhere else…"
"Huh? Oh, no, no, no!" Monica replied quickly, finally having found her voice. She started waving her hands frantically in apology, nearly spilling her beer bottle in the process. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. I thought you were someone else…"
John chuckled. "I kinda guessed that. You don't seem like someone who likes shouting at total strangers, ma'am." Monica paused in her actions and frowned, arching an eyebrow at John in surprise. John had never called her "ma'am" before. Monica studied his face, trying to see if he was joking, but it was impassive as always.
"So, why is a lovely young woman like yourself spending Saturday night drinking beer on her own in a quiet bar?" John asked her, his face still remaining serious. He didn't seem to acknowledge Monica's surprised expression. "Are ya meeting someone or are ya just here to drink the night away?"
"Huh?!" Monica stared at John, now thoroughly confused by his behaviour. John knew that she was meeting HIM tonight, after all HE had been the one to send her the note. But now he was acting as though he was only meeting her for the first time and not as a close friend and partner he has known for the past nine years. Just as she was about to question him about it and to suggest seeing a specialist about possible amnesia, Monica caught the sparkle in his clear blue eyes. John was up to something. He had often communicated with her secretly by his eyes when they were on cases and she could see now that he was silently asking her to play along with him. Now curious at what John was thinking, she replied back cautiously, "Erm…I think I'm…err…actually meant to meet someone here…"
"Ah, a boyfriend?"
"Err…no. A friend."
"Well ma'am, do ya mind if I just sit here and chat with you until your friend arrives?" John flashed a charming smile at her. "I'd 'ppreciate the company."
"Erm…no, not at all." Monica stuttered, the smile momentarily causing her heart to ache with desire. She both hated and loved it when John smiled like that. She hated how it always made her feel like a lovesick schoolgirl again while she loved at how it made John look even more handsome than usual. "It…it'll be nice to have someone to talk to, I've never been to this bar before"
"Well, it only opened recently. I only found out about this place from an old friend who recommended it to me. Said the atmosphere was really nice." John studied the drinks list while tossing a few peanuts from a bowl on the bar into his mouth. "You know, if ya don't mind me saying, you don't sound like a New Yorker." John looked at Monica with a questioning glance. "Are ya visiting the city or just stopping by?"
"I…I'm actually just stopping by." Monica played with her silver ring nervously. "I'm on my way back to Washington."
"Well whadda ya know! I'm also travelling back to Washington." John smiled and leaned in closer to Monica. "We may have bumped into each other before, though I'm sure I would have remembered an attractive woman like you." Monica choked slightly on the mouthful of beer she had just swallowed. "Name's John Doggett, ma'am." John held out his hand towards Monica.
"Err…Monica Reyes." Monica shook his hand, still thoroughly puzzled and dazed by John's behaviour. It seemed to Monica that the whole conversation was becoming more and more flirtatious. The last time she had chatted to a man she had liked at a bar was before she had started going out with Brad. Back then, her flirting technique had been perfect at being able to charm her way into the hearts of potential boyfriends. Since then though, her relationship with Brad and then her heavy workload meant that Monica had little time for chatting up strangers in bars. More recently it had been her growing love for John that had made her push away any man that tried to come onto her, whether they were in bars or not. Now though, she had John behaving towards her like all those men she used to flirt with about ten years ago and he had still not indicated to her his reason why. Monica figured she may as well keep up the game with John, curious at where it was eventually going to lead.
"Pleased to meet you Monica. Would you like another drink?" John indicated towards her empty bottle.
"Well, if you insist." Monica answered slowly as John ordered another two beers from the bartender. She took the opportunity to fully take in John's appearance. He was wearing a blue button-down shirt under his navy jacket along with casual beige trousers. The first few buttons of his shirt were undone, making John seem much more relaxed than he was usually when he was in his smart work suits. His brown hair was in its usual spiked style and Monica caught a hint of his familiar cologne that she secretly loved inhaling whenever her partner was close to her. To Monica, John was looking extremely sexy tonight. It was as though he had dressed for a date. Monica's wandering thoughts though were interrupted when John turned back towards her and started the conversation again.
"So Monica, have you lived your whole life in Washington?" John asked with a curious expression on his face.
"Err…no. I was born in Texas but was then adopted and raised in Mexico." Monica chewed on a couple of peanuts, savouring their saltiness with the beer.
"Mexico? Must be quite a culture change for you." John observed.
"It's ok. I've been in the USA since university, so it kinda feels like I've got two homes now." Monica grinned, now becoming more comfortable in the situation. "How about you John? Don't tell me you picked up that accent in Washington…"
John chuckled. "Oh no. I was born in Democrat Hot Springs in Georgia. My parents then moved us to New York when I was still young. I guess I picked up the Georgian accent from my parents and then combined it with the New York accent that I obtained from the other kids I hung out with."
"Ah, so you're from a Southern family but then raised in the mean streets of the city." Monica played with the label on her bottle while looking at John discreetly under her eyelashes. "Does that mean you're a Southern gentleman or a confident in-your-face New Yorker man?"
John smiled smugly. "I guess that's up to you to find out…" John replied teasingly. Monica grinned back, of course already knowing the answer. When it came to work, John was as street-wise and self-assured as a typical man who had grown up in New York. However when it came to women, John was always so courteous and polite as was commonly believed about men from the South. Monica had already experienced first-hand all of these traits from her partner. John was truly a combination of all the good qualities associated with men from Georgia and New York.
"So Monica, what do you do in Washington?" John asked, casually changing the subject. "I'm assuming you're not a hired assassin…"
"An assassin?!" Monica looked at John questionably. "Why would you think that?"
"Well, I saw that gun you flashed before to Mr Pink Tartan Tie."
"You saw THAT?!" Monica's eyes widened. She was sure that John had not been in the bar at the time. She silently wondered whereabouts in the room he could have watched her from.
"Yep, saw the whole thing. I must say though that is an extreme way to get rid of men you don't like. The guy looked as though he had literally pissed in his pants…" John munched on a couple more peanuts. "Anyway, only two main types of people carry guns around with them all the time. Law enforcement officers and hired assassins. Now my first impressions of people are usually pretty accurate and I think that you sure don't act like an assassin, with the exception of that scene involving Pink Tie…" Monica smiled. "So that only leaves law enforcement…"
"How can you be so sure? For all you know I could be a very good assassin who can turn you into a corpse before you even had time to blink."
"Oh I KNOW I'm right. I just do…" John smirked. "So, ya gonna tell me what part of the law you work for? Or should I instead start high-tailing my ass out of this bar before you knock me down for being so damn smug?"
End of Chapter Three