A/N: It was weird how I was watching Too Tough Too Die, on Showcase (Canadian station) and the words just started to come together. Even thought of the summary too. Wow. Enjoy! The drink is an actual drink, haven't tried it, not sure if I want too. Packs a punch. So if you hadn't caught on, this takes place after Too Tough Too Die.
Disclaimer: Only own the bartender, the patrons and the other performers in this story and maybe one or two items. But that's it unfortunately.
Summary: She was told to get a diversion, something to do so she didn't burn out, but what happens when someone finds out what that diversion and will only keep it a secret for a kiss?
A diversion is what she needed so she didn't burn out. He didn't know how close he was to the truth.
But did he ever stop to ask why she got so attached to certain cases and others she dismissed without a second thought now did he?
No he hadn't.
She may have finally decided to take some advice from two of her co-workers, one to get a diversion, the other her singing voice.
It wasn't as nerve racking as she thought it would be, considering getting up on stage in front of people were like solving a high – profile case, you had people watching waiting for a screw up.
One could get her laughed at, one could make her loose her job. They were really the same. Honest.
A few more people and it was here, she had debated coming here for over a week now, and just her luck, tonight was open mike night. She took a calming sip from her beer, never really liking the taste but she could drink a couple of these and still feel sober. Which she had, three and a half to be exact.
Greg Sanders walked into Rush, he enjoyed his night off, have a few glasses of Merlo before he came, treating himself to a wonderful piece of Rack Of Lamb and now a perfect drink to end the night.
He came here quite often actually, his day off always landed conveniently on Open Mike Night and tonight he had an excited feeling he couldn't put off. As he sipped his Get Naked, true what they said the first taste was the killer, but after that it flowed down like butta.
"Greg my man what are you doing here?" the bartender, a friend of his asked as he filled a woman's order who was definitely looking for a good time, and had decided the bartender was it, sorry lady he doesn't like girls. He smiled into his drink as his friend completely ignored the woman who was flaunting her breast by leaning over the counter to pay.
"Night off, couldn't resist a drink"
"Show's supposed to be good tonight, got most of the regulars with a couple of new ones"
"Seems interesting" he took another gulp, he was getting a good buzz. One drink was enough though; he didn't want to have the hangover that followed.
"So how's Dan?" Greg asked, while the crowd talking amongst themselves
"Crabby but he's always like that when his mother's coming to visit, he hasn't come out of the closet with her yet"
Greg nodded, his friends had been together for at least two years now, and Dan still hadn't told his mother, the man was 29 and he knew he swung the other way since he was 16.
"How long do you think the 'just roommates' gonna last when she sees the photo's of you two?"
"He took them all down"
"Momma's boy" they said simultaneously and laughed.
"Okay folks, Stan here, if ya just walked in the music you were listenin to was from Steve Adler, nice man ladies. Next up we have a first timer here what's your name Miss?"
"Lets have a big warm welcome for a Miss Sara Sidle" Greg turned his head so fast, he thought he had whiplash but no pain told him he didn't.
"What's up with you?" his concerned friend asked
"Nothing, name just sounds familiar" he didn't offer anything else
The music started and knew instantly what song she was going to sing, the one she had been singing for the last three days.
"One way or another I'm gonna find ya" his friends words after that didn't resister in his head. He watched his new infatuation sing her heart out. She glanced over in his direction their gazes met and held until the end of the song; applause rang out as she climbed down the stage to find one person that could mean an end to her diversion.
He was gone.
He was a chicken he knew that the moment he gulped down the rest of his drink, now that was something that took guts but he left without telling her how good she was. Amazing really, she couldn't do anything to prove to him otherwise.
She rushed out of the club and glanced around and found nothing. She walked to her car, not paying attention that someone had come out of the shadows and started following her.
She had inserted her key into the door, when she noticed something behind her.
"Your singing was awesome tonight" she turned around quickly and stumbled making him wonder if she was drunk or not but a hand reached out to steady her anyways, his hand pausing a second to long on her arm.
"Glad you think so" she opened her car door, feeling the sudden need to put distance between him and her.
"Have you been drinking?" he studied her, trying to get an answer to his question before she answered.
"How else do you think I would get up there?" she giggled, something he'd never heard her do before.
"Give me your keys" he held his palm out, knowing she would refuse but he'd never seen a drunk Sara either so he was optimistic.
"No" she turned to get in the car but was stopped by him crushing her against the door frame.
"Look, we've both got a pretty good buzz going on, I'd hate to ruin mine, fighting for your keys so hand 'em over" he motioned once again to give him her keys and after a moment's hesitation she did and stepped away from her car, locking it up tight before closing the door.
"Okay smarty pants how do we get home?"
"That's easy, a cab" they walked to the street, the traffic whizzed by not caring that two people were walking by themselves.
"Hate to dampen the buzz, but this isn't a cab" she said after walking a few blocks
"I know but I'm broke" he answered truthfully,
"I am too" she admitted guiltily
"So walking it is, are we going in the right direction?" he found the pavement interesting wondering how many people had walked in the very place he was now, in a day.
"No" he pondered the answer for a moment
"But this is the way to mine" he told her
"I'm not-" he cut her off
"I'm not going to take advantage of you, I just don't feel like turning around, once we get to my place you can call for a cab, my treat"
As strange as it sounded she couldnt help but think that maybe, just maybe she wanted him to take advantage of her.
"Phone's over there" he indicated to the table near the TV, she walked over halfway before stopping.
"You wont say anything will you?"
"About what you seeing my apartment?" he asked too seriously for someone who was supposed to have a buzz, not drunk, just halfway there. But he knew what she meant.
"I wont on one condition Miss Sidle" he held up his finger to emphasis his point.
"What would that be?" she crossed her arms, wondering what possibly he had in mind.
"A kiss, not a kiss on the forehead, cheek or chin, right smack dab on the lips and has to last for more than ten seconds"
Was she laughing? She was bent over doing something and the sounds coming from her direction pointed to laughter. But it soon sobered, she looked sober as she came towards him.
"One kiss I can do" she took his face in her hands and tilted his head slightly to the side to give her a better angle and kissed him on the mouth.
This was definitely more than ten seconds he thought as his arms took a hold of her waist and hers slid to his shoulders, when her tongue met his, he knew this was way more than intended and he wasn't about to take advantage of a woman who wasn't drunk but almost. Thankfully she pulled away.
"That was more than ten seconds" he stated eagerly, hoping for another in the future
"Had to make sure you wouldn't tell" she smiled and moved to the phone.
To this day he hadn't said a word about the bar, her singing or the little blackmail kiss he squeezed out of her, but he could tell she liked, probably more than she should but he would be waiting until she came to her senses that he was her diversion.