"Danny, over here." Lindsay waved. She gave Danny a once over as he walked to the table. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt that looked freshly starched and a thin black tie. "Nice suit."
"Thanks. I bought it for my cousin's wedding. Had to get something real spiffy cause I was the best man and all. It's been in the back of my closet since then. Too nice for work and I don't get out much." He nodded as a waiter brought him a menu. Danny flipped it open, used his cursory Italian to translate the menu and choose something while Lindsay placed her order.
"I thought you had a girlfriend." Lindsay asked after the waiter had walked away. "I mean until the two of you broke up last month."
"Sabrina was happy with slacks and a shirt. Which was fine with me cause I don't really like wearing a suit at work even. If I could wear jeans and a t-shirt, I'd be in heaven."
Lindsay laughed. "I don't mind the clothes all that much. You get used to them. It's the shoes that kill me. The nice looking ones are totally uncomfortable and the comfortable ones look like something my grandmother would wear."
"We had a girl, worked the DNA lab when I first came to the squad. She'd wear sneakers all the time. Kept a pair of nice shoes in her desk for court days and spot inspections. And anytime she had to go to Mac's office. So then he couldn't bust her chops for breaking dress code."
"And he never knew."
"Of course he knew. He didn't care. As long as no one higher up mentioned it to him, what did he mind? Especially since her choice of shoes didn't change that she was a hell of a DNA analyst."
"Where's she now?"
"Working in Seattle. FBI."
The waiter returned with their food and they ate in silence for several minutes.
"This is good." Danny grinned. "My mother is full blooded Italian and cooks every thing from scratch so I know good."
"I was a little worried about picking something italian, but it kind of fit with the opera."
"Marriage of Figaro. That's Mozart right?"
"Right. Do you know the story?"
Danny shook his head. He swiped a piece of shrimp out of Lindsay's pasta with a playful grin.
"Help yourself." She said laughing. "Do you want me to give you the short version now or would you rather try to figure it out?"
"Short now. Then I can just sit back and enjoy the music. That's how you do it right?"
"It's what I do. Too many puzzles to solve at work as it is.
"Okay, it's been a while since I've seen it but I googled the basic story to remind myself. Figaro is the manservant to this Count. And he's about to get married to Susana, the Countess' lady in waiting. But the Count has a crush on Susana. So he decides that he's going to bring back this old rule that says that a nobleman can sleep with a peasant woman on her wedding night before her husband."
"Terrific rule."
"That's pretty much how Figaro feels. He finds out, gets pissed, decides he's going to do something about it. Meanwhile the local doctor and his housekeeper show up. Figaro pissed off the doc by helping the Count hook up with his wife, who the doctor had a thing for. So the doctor, wanting to stick it to Figaro, agrees to help his housekeeper force Figaro into keeping his promiise to marry her in exchange for money to pay off a big debt."
"Kind of twisted." Danny waved at the waiter and asked for the check.
"It gets worse."
"Of course it does." Danny laughed.
"Cherubino, the Count's page, comes in. He's your typical love sick teenage. He's gotten in trouble for trying to make out with the gardener's daughter."
"Count probably wants her for himself."
"Probably I don't remember. So he comes to Susana for help. But then the Count shows up so Cherubino hides. And gets to hear the Count trying to seduce Susana."
The waiter returned with the check, which Danny grabbed before Lindsay could pick it up. "Uncle Freddie paid for the tickets. Only fair that I treat for dinner."
"But I asked and I picked the place."
"Don't worry, Lindsay. I can afford it. One of the benefits of having no life. And I'm not letting you say no. You can pay for dinner next time."
Lindsay's ears perked up. "Okay. But you get to pick the place. That makes us even."
"It's a deal." Danny counted out several bills, added a generous tip and left the money with the check on the table. "Shall we sally forth to our entertainment?"
"Certainly." Lindsay said standing.
"Nice dress." Danny said, casting an admiring look at the simple black dress Lindsay was wearing.
"Why this old thing?" Lindsay laughed as she draped a simple black pashmina over her shoulders. "Had it in the back of my closet. Figured why not pull it out and take it on the town."
Danny laughed as they left the restaurant and walked the short distance to the theatre. "So where were we?"
"The count was trying to pick up Susana while Cherubino is hiding from him."
"Right."
"So then the music teacher turns up and the Count hides."
"So we got the page and the Count both hiding in Susana and Figaro's room. Where's Figaro?"
"Avoiding the doctor and plotting to get the Count."
"You know, most of our cases aren't this complicated."
"No joke. So the teacher starts talking about how Cherubino has been trying to make a move on the Countess,"
"Let me guess, the Count gets angry, comes out hiding . . ."
"Finds Cherubino and sentences him to join the army. And at that same time, Figaro shows up with a gang of peasants that want to thank the Count for getting rid of the rule about sleeping with the peasant girls."
"Nice."
"So Susana admits everything to the Countess, who is saddened by the news that her husband is a bit of a leach. She agrees to help Susana find a way to stop the Count. Figaro gets in on it and they plot this whole thing to get the Count in the garden, by having Susana pretend to wait to meet him. But it's really Cherubino in drag. They get Cherubino to come to the Countess's room to get dressed in Susana's clothes. Only the count shows up. Cherubino hides in the closet and locks it and when the Count leaves to go find a key, he and Susana switch places. So then Figaro shows up to start the wedding, only the doctor shows up and demands that the Count make Figaro keep his promise to marry the housekeeper."
"yep, we definitely investigated this one before." Danny laughed. "I'm guessing there's more."
"Of course.
"So the Count is trying to figure out what to do because of course he's already married but he wants Susana. And he doesn't want her to married to someone else. So he decides to hold a trial to decide what to do. Figaro argues that he can't keep his promise because he is of noble blood and the housekeeper is not. When Figaro explains that he was taken as a baby, the Doctor and the Housekeeper realize that he is the baby that was stolen from the housekeeper as a baby. oh and the doctor was the father. So son and mother are reunited --"
"And he can't marry his mother."
"Nope, the doctor agrees to marry the housekeeper. And Figaro and Susana get married and Cherubino manages to get the gardener's daughter."
"did he get sent off to the army."
"He got out of it. I don't remember how."
"So what about the Count trying to mack on Susana."
"The Count shows up in the garden thinking Susana is going to be there. But it's really the Countess in her clothes. Figaro thinks that it's really his wife and is pissed. Figaro's mother warns Susana and she tries to have some fun, singing a love song that Figaro thinks is for the Count. But then Figaro figures out that he's been played and pretends like he doesn't know that it's Susana's in the Countess' clothes. And Susana gets mad and hits him. but then they kiss and make up. And then Figaro pretends to have a thing for the Countess right as the Count walks up. The Count gets mad and tries to have Figaro arrested. But the real Countess comes in and busts him for trying to go back on his word about the sex rule."
"And let me guess, everyone says they are sorry, laughs it off and they live happily ever after."
"Pretty much." Lindsay laughed as they made their way inside and to their seats.
Halfway through the first act, Lindsay glanced over at Danny. He was watching the stage entranced.
Danny realized he was being watched and leaned towards her. "It's not Star Wars, but it's not bad."