The next day, Catherine was at the hotel getting ready to go to the Pentagon when Steve called her.

"Hey, sailor. It's still too early there, and you're already up?" she said smiling.

"Hey, Cath. Actually I couldn't sleep. This bed looks so big without you here."

Catherine smiled as she heard his words. "Yeah, I know what that's like. I missed you by my side, too, and I didn't sleep at all. I even needed some makeup to disguise my dark circles."

"You don't have dark circles under your eyes," he replied.

"Oh, I do," she answered. She combed her hair and held it back in a hair bun while she talked to him on speakerphone. She grabbed her purse and was ready to leave. "I have to go now, Steve. The sooner I finish the job, the sooner I'll be home.

"Okay, Cath. Have a nice day at work and come back as soon as you can."

"Okay, sailor. Have a good day at work, too."

"Thank you. Bye bye." Catherine closed the call and left. She was especially happy that day and it even scared her. "I'm so happy lately, Mama, and it scares the hell out of me," she had told her mother the night before.

"Afraid of what, Catherine?" Carol asked.

"That it will end," Catherine answered.

"Don't be like that, Catherine. You're great at your job and that's why things are going well. And Steve likes you, and that's why your relationship is going great."

Some time later, a cab left her in front of the Pentagon. Catherine identified herself and waited for authorization to enter. After authorization, she went to the sector where she would work. She was welcomed and was given a desk where she could work. Catherine took everything she needed with one of the agents responsible for the sector and sat down to begin her work.

Greer watched Catherine from afar as she cultivated a grudge because Steve had not looked for her again after the mission in Marrakech. "What did Steve see in her? I'm sure I'm much better than her at everything."

Catherine was focused on her work and didn't realize Greer was watching her for several minutes. She didn't notice Greer's angry looks and how much the happiness she radiated bothered the other woman.

Greer couldn't help but watch her from afar and approached Catherine with haughtiness. "Lieutenant Rollins?"

Catherine was reading some reports and raised her face when she heard her name. She saw a woman elegantly dressed and with an arrogant and cynical look.

"Listen carefully so as not to sound strange. I hear you're dating McGarrett. I just want you to know that I'm very happy for you," Greer said to Catherine and Catherine realized that Greer wanted to humiliate her in some way.

"Thanks," Catherine answered.

"A little advice: it's good to lower your expectations. Even though you really want him to be, he's not the guy who stays with just one woman".

Catherine's world collapsed, but she didn't let it show. She looked at Greer's ID badge and kept her class. "Thanks for the advice, Agent Greer. But that's an opinion I'll have to form for myself."

"Well, then don't say I didn't advice you," Greer walked away after throwing all her poison.

Catherine returned to her work, but the harm was already done. She could no longer concentrate as she needed to and her work has not progressed much that day. At the end of the day she went back to the hotel and took a long and relaxing bath while thinking. She knew Steve for a long time before they started dating, they were always together, one knew a lot about the other's life and the fact that he went out with another woman hurt her a lot. Her phone rang three times while she was in the bathtub and she ignored the calls. She did not want to talk to anyone.

A few minutes later, she got out of the bathtub, dried herself with a towel, opened the suitcase and took a dress. She got dressed and went out to dinner at the hotel restaurant. She was very upset and wanted to leave the room. The waiter pointed her a table and she sat down and looked at the menu, but her thoughts were on Steve... and Greer.

She made the order and waited for her dinner to be served. A waiter approached her with a bottle of wine, but she hadn't ordered any wine.

"Our client at table five is offering you this bottle of wine as a courtesy," he told Catherine and pointed to table five.

Catherine looked at the other table and saw a very handsome young man, elegantly dressed, and owner of a vibrant smile. He was tall, black hair combed back and looked very charming. "And cheeky," Catherine thought. He looked at Catherine with expectation and for a second she thought if she should pay Steve with the same coin. "No thanks," she said to the waiter. "I'm not like that," she said to herself in thought.

PS: Thanks for your review in the previous chapter.