Chapter 6

A sudden brisk knock on her apartment door diverted Sara's attention away from checking the time remaining on the loaf of bread currently rising in her new breadmaker. With a quick glance around her apartment to see if everything was in order, Sara swiftly made her way over to the door.

Even confident as she was that she knew the identity of her caller, habit had her checking her assumption via the small peephole located on her door. Satisfied, Sara took a step to the side so she could undo the chain.

She hesitated only long enough to breathe in and expel one deep breath. Swinging the door wide, Sara had no problem summoning a welcoming smile as she caught sight of a flower-bearing Jim Brass.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Sara and Brass stood looking at one another, their smiles as genuine as the slightly hesitant look in each of their eyes.

Sara shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "You came," she said.

"Yeah," replied Brass. Then he leaned in towards Sara as if to departing with some closely held secret. The volume of his voice almost at a whisper, Brass continued, "I thought that was the general idea of the invite."

Sara's smile widened in appreciation of Brass' attempt to lighten the mood, which had been swiftly moving towards awkward.

"Yes, yes it was."

Sara stepped back and beckoned Brass into her apartment with the wave of her hand. Brass, brave police detective that he was, stepped boldly over the threshold with no hesitation. He continued a few feet into the apartment as Sara closed the door behind him.

Swinging around to face Sara, Brass presented her with the bouquet of daisies he held in his hand.

"For you."

Sara hesitated for a second before taking the flowers from him. "Thanks, Brass, but you didn't need to get me anything."

Brass nodded his head wisely. "Yes, I did. Back in Jersey, my old man always told me that if I ever got my ugly mug invited anywhere by a beautiful woman, I damn well better not show up empty handed."

Sara laughed, even as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the complement. "I don't think this is quite what he was envisioning when he imparted that pearl of wisdom."

"Hey, this may not exactly be a real date," protested Brass, letting Sara know he had no illusions of a romantic evening ahead, "but every man has the right to dream a little. Besides, I gotta flex my old moves every once in awhile so they don't get too rusty."

"Moves?" smirked Sara, "You had moves? I'm almost compelled to ask what they were, but I think ignorance is definitely bliss in this case. I don't think my constitution is strong enough to deal with that knowledge…And just how do you know this isn't a real date?"

"Uh oh," Brass sighed in an exaggerated fashion, "I was afraid this would happen. You're 'Joansing for Jim.' Don't worry about it; I have this effect on a lot of women of the female persuasion. You're not the first one to have it 'Bad for Brass.' Really, it was bound to happen sooner or later."

Sara stood staring at Brass in open-mouthed wonder for a few seconds before she almost choked on the laughter that started pouring out of her mouth. Brass, whose expression up until that point had been a pretense of serious contemplation, couldn't no longer hold back a mischievous smirk.

His smirk soon bloomed into a full blown, cheek splitting smile as Sara continued to laugh uncontrollably. Bent over slightly with her arms wrapped tightly around her waist to help combat the shudders racking her slender body, Sara continued to laugh until tears started streaming down her face.

It took a few minutes for Sara to regain both her breath and her composure, but the effort was wasted when she looked back up at Brass. The wiggle of his eyebrows, accompanied by a wink, set her off again. This time Brass joined her in the laughter.

When the laughter eventually subsided this time, Sara was partially supporting herself with a firm grip on Brass's right arm with her left hand. Both grinning, Sara and Brass looked at one another with merriment in their eyes. On impulse, Sara stepped forward and hugged Brass. With one arm curled around his back, the other up over his shoulder, and her chin tucked behind the opposing shoulder, Sara whispered into Brass' ear, "Thanks, I didn't know how much I needed that." Sara's voice cracked as she finished her sentence, tears once again forming in her eyes.

Brass, who had been caught offguard by the sudden hug and so had not responded, couldn't help but put his arms around Sara when he heard the break in her voice and felt the slight shudder that went through her frame. He cautiously ran his big hands up and down her back in what he hoped was a soothing manner as he whispered to her, "Hey..Hey…It's alright...It's okay." He repeated this refrain over and over until Sara leaned back away from him, wiping her eyes with her hand, her head lowered.

When Sara attempted to take a step backwards, away from Brass, he kept a hand loosely on her waist and put another hand on her shoulder to keep her from running away. When Sara's head remained down, Brass rubbed her shoulder and stated firmly, one last time, "It's okay."

Sara nodded her head and finally looked up at Brass. She tilted her head slightly and gave him a small, weak smile. "Thanks."

Brass nodded his own head as he replied, "Yeah, well, you've had a tough year. If anyone deserves to let go a little, it would be you. I just glad I could be here for you." Brass let his arms drop to his sides.

Sara smiled her appreciation for his words of comfort, then her smile dissipated. Her eyes held more than a hint of vulnerability and hesitancy as she looked searchingly into his eyes. "I wasn't too sure you'd still feel that way. The last time you tried to look out for me, I wasn't exactly 'cooperative.'" The corners of her mouth briefly quirked upward at the memory.

Brass nodded wisely. "Maybe you just weren't ready."

Sara toke a deep breath and then spoke before she lost her nerve. "I'm ready now. And I think I could use a good friend."

Brass replied without hesitation and with complete conviction.

"You have one."