A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews (and the Easter good wishes).
He's cute, no doubt about it. My smile widens and I'm rewarded with a cheeky quirk of the eyebrows as he hands me my cappuccino. I recognise the quirk, he wants to know if he can get me anything else, and he's not thinking about the contents of the cafe's infamous dessert cabinet. I ponder for a moment, but decide that I'm not interested in moving our exchange into full-on recreational flirting. I shake my head imperceptibly, he shrugs and shoots me a final grin before walking off.
I watch his retreating back. Damn, I wished I'd gotten I look at his ass before I made what now appears to be the wrong decision.
Ho hum, you win some...
I look at my watch and realise that Tempe should be here imminently. Unless she's got caught up in some skeleton. Or Booth has called in.
I allow myself a mischievous smirk. When are they going to get it together? I know Tempe's got trust issues, but it's getting ridiculous. There are occasions when I think it's positively indecent to be in the same room as them, watching the thing they have right out in plain view, but with them both studiously ignoring it.
Something's got to give - I just wish it would hurry up.
I dump the contents of two sugar packets on the top of the foam. The sugar sits there, unmoving. I stir it in.
In fairness to Booth I have to admit that he has tried. The poor guy has tried every action on the 'how to get the girl list', short of just grabbing her and kissing her into submission.
It's probably only a matter of time before he tries that one too. I imagine that it's fear of getting his butt kicked that's causing him to hold back.
I ponder how he's measured up to the list.
Acted jealous in front of love rivals - check, check, check. In fact, any and all who've gone anywhere near Tempe with getting closer to her on their mind have walked straight into well over six feet of dark-haired, frowning discouragement. With a gun. I mean, it's not just spiky disapproval - he's hauled at least two downtown to the FBI interview rooms! As suspects in a case? I don't think so.
Bent the rules to get her what she wants - check again. His string pulling on Tempe's behalf has demonstrated all the muscular enthusism of a bell-ringer. Everything from getting Margaret Sanders her foster sons back to making Jesse Kane's assault charges go away, as well as all the things he did for me in the desert
Then there was that thing with her earring - that was pretty extreme even for him.
Which brings me onto another item on my list, willing to risk life and limb for her - check - and very protective - uh-huh, another massive check in the box. How many people would, having been blown up by a bomb intended for their partner, drag themselves out of a hospital bed, ripping out IV lines and facing down irate nurses, and charge to the rescue.
That's another one to add to the list, willing to go to extremes to protect her. He didn't kill the disgraced fed who kidnapped Tempe, but I do wonder how far he'd go to protect her from harm...
And all of these things pale into insignificance when you just watch the two of them together. Their body language and conversation is all I've ever needed to know exactly how they feel.
Doesn't she notice the way his eyes are magnetically drawn to her whenever they're in the same room and that his presence can drag her attention from work? And believe me, pretty much nothing else can.
Doesn't she register that he's the only person she really lets into her personal space or that he's forever touching her arm, steering her with a hand on her back. I've seen her almost break wrists when someone else has taken that liberty.
And don't be fooled by all the teasing and bickering either. I have two words for you - verbal foreplay.
I take a sip of my coffee and halt my internal rant. I know it sounds like I'm angry at Tempe, but I'm not. I just want her to see what's right in front of her and be happy. And, okay I'll admit it, I'm a hopeless romantic and them getting together would be the ultimate vicarious swoon moment!
A bell tinkles as the door swings open and my eyes are drawn towards it.
Tempe steps into the cafe.
I wave and catch her gaze, she smiles back.
A waitress brings her over and I wonder briefly where my cute-with-a-nice-ass waiter has gone.
We exchange a quick hug and sit down.
Tempe orders a drink and I look at her curiously. There's something new in her expression - something lighting up her eyes from behind.
I am about to comment, when she pulls out a sizeable chocolate bunny and wishes me happy Easter.
I reach down and hand over my gift. It's a box, well more of a crate actually, of little eggs. Tempe's favourite chocolate.
Her smile widens.
I lean back in my chair and notice that there's something else in her bag.
Looks like another egg.
Which is interesting.
We pause for a moment as the waitress - damn - comes back with Tempe's coffee and to take our order.
After the waitress is gone, I put my elbows on the table and lace my fingers together. I lean on my hands and smile at her, "Well?"
I notice a wary look flash across her face. She doesn't say anything.
Which means that she's not asking what I mean by 'well'.
Which means that she's got something to hide.
Did you know that you can say the words 'Come on Sweetie - spill' and it has the same effect as shining a really bright spotlight in the face of a suspect.
No?
Well it does.
As I slowly begin to extract the halting truth out of her without too many squeals from me, I wonder if the FBI would be interested in my interrogation technique. Come on, if it can get Tempe to confess that Booth bought her a gift, that they're having dinner tonight - oh and newsflash - she thinks she likes him, it's got to be pretty effective.
I lean in closer and inform her to clear her diary for the afternoon. We have a killer outfit to find.
