Logan looked down at the plate that was set in front of him and whistled. "Look at this steak. I can afford maybe one of these a year."

Eames looked at her partner, catching the smile in his eyes, but neither commented. She had stopped drinking with two drinks. After all, she was the designated driver. It certainly wouldn't do to have a cop arrested for DWI after attending a cop function sponsored by the police commissioner. She could probably get by with having another in an hour or so, but none after that. Her companions had no such restriction, and she didn't expect them to. After all, an open bar was set up for drinking. Now that dinner was served, she expected the drinking to pick up throughout the ballroom. "Eames?"

She turned to look at Goren, who had leaned toward her and softly called her name. "What?"

"Logan asked you a question."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was just thinking. What did you say, Mike?"

"I was asking you about these balls, since you have more experience with these than any of the rest of us. I mean, after dinner, what does everyone do?"

"Well, you mingle, talk, swap war stories, dance…whatever."

Barek leaned toward him. "And you behave, or your partner kicks your ass to who wouldn't have it."

Eames grinned. "You have your work cut out for you, Carolyn."

"That's ok. I'm up for it. At least your partner behaves himself."

"You wouldn't say that if you'd ever been to the scene of a homicide with him."

Logan leaned forward. "Hello? We're sitting right here you know?"

Goren took a drink then looked at Logan. "Get used to it, Logan."

Logan looked at his dinner companions before returning to his steak. He signaled a floating waiter and ordered another beer. The waiter looked around the rest of the table. Goren nodded for another. Eames ordered an iced tea and Barek shook her head no.

The dinner conversation was light and friendly. Eames and Barek found they really liked one another, independently deciding a friendship with the other would be a good thing to forge. Eames also found herself liking Logan. When he wasn't being an ass to her partner, he really was a nice guy. Barek, likewise, was warming up to Goren. He was hard to get to know, but she was discovering he had a kind and gentle nature. She wondered how much of his reputation was an act and how much of it was simple misunderstanding.

As for Goren and Logan, they didn't have much to say to one another. Goren was mostly quiet, just eating, drinking and watching. And it was the watching that made Logan nervous. He still wasn't sure what he thought of the big detective, or even whether he liked him or not. He had no idea what Goren thought of him, and that made him uneasy. He found Eames fun and easy to talk to and he liked her a lot; he always had. Goren never objected to him talking to her or joking around with her. So he concentrated his evening on enjoying the company of the women, and simply watching Goren with wary eyes.

Goren was comfortable with Barek, and of course he enjoyed his partner's company more than he wanted to admit. He joined in the conversation when he wanted to, or when it was directed toward him. Mostly, he just sat back and did what he always did. He just watched. He was acutely aware of Logan's discomfort with him. He noticed that when he looked Logan's way, the other detective would become uncomfortable, so he tried not to look his way much. He focused his eyes, and his thoughts, on his partner. Beyond her, he watched Barek, smiling and conversing pleasantly when it was required of him. His eyes would stray beyond their table, and he would watch other couples, other cops, making a game in his mind of determining who was cop and who was not. It passed the time, and kept his mind away from dwelling too much on the woman in the chair beside his.