Goren stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, getting ready for the Commissioner's Ball. He wasn't as put out by this as Logan was. He didn't have any other plans, and he welcomed any chance to spend an evening with his partner.

He was shirtless, in the middle of shaving, when the doorbell rang. He frowned at the clock. It was just five; they weren't supposed to be there until seven. Heading to the door, he pulled it open, more than a little surprised to see Logan standing in the hallway, fully dressed in his tuxedo, except for his tie. Logan grinned. "Look at that…you do shave."

"What do you want, Logan?"

He held up his tie on his finger. "Can you tie one of these damn things?"

The big detective frowned at him, but backed out of the doorway. "Come on in."

Logan crossed into the apartment and looked around. It was neat and organized, just like he expected it to be. He nodded his head. "Just one thing missing."

"Missing? From what?"

"From your apartment."

"What's that?"

Logan grinned. "Eames."

Goren just stared at him, and Logan did not know him well enough to even guess at what the look on his face meant. "What makes you say that, Logan?"

"Tie my tie first. I don't want to get choked."

"Talking about my partner like that isn't a smart way to get started, especially if you want a favor."

"Ok, sorry." He slid the tie under his collar and let the big detective tie it for him. "Now can we talk about her?"

"What about her?"

"Don't go getting all bent out of shape. I'd never disparage her. I like your partner." He saw Goren bristle at that. "Not that way! Come on, I'm not stupid."

"So now you're saying it's stupid to be attracted to her?"

"With you around? It sure is."

"Logan, you are going to end up with a black eye…"

"Hold on, hold on. Come on, Goren. You can level with me. You tell me you have no interest whatsoever in Eames and I'll leave you alone."

"She's my partner, Logan."

"So you have no interest in her?"

"I need to finish getting ready."

Logan watched him walk away down the hall. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Goren turned at the bathroom door and looked at Logan. "What was that?"

"Nothing. I'll just sit here and be quiet if that's ok with you."

"I think that's the best thing you could do, Logan."

Twenty minutes later, the door to the apartment opened and Eames came in. She stopped when she saw Logan sitting on the couch, grinning like the cat who ate the canary. He showed no surprise that she hadn't knocked or anything. She just walked in like she belonged there.

Knowing she was expected, she dispensed with the formality of knocking, at her partner's request. He always left the door unlocked for her when he knew she was on her way over. She glared at Logan. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't worry, Eames, I'm not harassing your boy…"

"I thought you were going to sit there and shut up, Logan. Unless you really want that black eye I promised you." Goren came down the hallway, not missing how stunning his partner looked in her curve-hugging sky blue dress. He was now completely dressed and his partner, likewise, did not miss how damn fine he looked in his tuxedo. With difficulty, he managed to take his eyes from her to look at Logan.

Eames looked from one man to the other. "Did I miss something?"

"No. Logan came by because he couldn't tie his tie."

Logan shrugged. "Let's just say this monkey suit has spent its life in mothballs. I think I've worn it twice."

"I'm not surprised, the way you act sometimes," Eames commented. "Where's your partner?"

"I called her and told her to meet us here. She should be here soon."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Eames was the closest, so she opened the door to let Barek in. The dark-haired detective wore a slender mint green gown that complemented not only her figure but the tone of her skin. She smiled at the other three detectives. "Well, good evening…aren't we a nice looking bunch?"

"Wow, Barek," Logan began. "You look…"

"If you value your health, Logan, you won't complete that thought. Remember, this is not a date."

"Yeah, yeah, so you've told me."

"And I'll tell you as many times as I need to, just so you don't forget."

"Ease up, Barek. Eames isn't such a…"

"Don't go there either, Logan," Goren warned.

Eames leaned toward Logan and said, "My partner knows better."

Unfortunately, he did. He knew where the line was, and he had never crossed it. He looked at her for a moment, then turned and went into the kitchen. Logan raised an eyebrow. "Hit a nerve, did we?"

Eames gave him a dirty look. She followed her partner into the kitchen. Keeping her voice low, she said, "Is something wrong?"

He shook his head as he filled a glass with water. "No. Why? Don't tell me you're paying attention to anything Logan has to say."

"I never take Logan seriously." She smiled warmly at her big partner. "You know, Bobby, you look great."

"So do you, Eames."

She reached toward him and gently stroked his smooth cheek. "Nice," she smiled.

Struggling to keep from trembling at her light touch, he asked, "You want a drink before we leave?"

"No thanks. It's about time we got going."

He nodded and finished his water. "Good idea."