Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of CSI: Miami. Unfortunately. Am just borrowing and they will be returned undamaged and in their original packaging.
Okay, this started out as a one-shot fiction. Then I thought it would be fun to expand it and then it turned into angst. Lots of angst. I like writing angst at the moment. Hope you like. This fic starts off straight after the first chapter of Finally. Note: there are references throughout to my previous Miami fics.
I know I said I wasn't going to post this up before Trail of Blood was finished because I wanted to keep some semeblance of chronological order going. I decided to forget it, because I've got writer's block over Trail of Blood and I wanted to post this up. The fact that it should come after Trail of Blood is NOT particularly important, though. Enjoy reading!
Tell Us More
It was the next day, early evening. Valera was at her mum's house with her mum and her cousin Jessica who was at college in Miami and had come to stay for a couple of days. Maxine and Jess were quite close, despite the difference in their ages. Usually, she was more than happy to talk to her cousin, but today she had other things on her mind. One thing. Namely, a certain dark haired CSI.
She wondered briefly what would happen next. Whether he would call her, ask her out, or whether she should make the next move.
'So,' Leah Valera said to her daughter, 'tell us more about this boy you're dating.'
'He's hardly a boy, Mum,' Valera said, smiling. 'He's the same age as me.'
'You mean Luke?' Jessica said, curiously. 'I thought you were seeing him.' She thought for a moment. 'I don't like him. But you know that already.'
'She dumped him,' Leah said with a smirk. 'Not a moment too soon, if you want my opinion.'
'I didn't say anything about another man,' Valera pointed out. She handed her mother a cup of coffee and made herself comfortable on the sofa. 'Well, not until just now.'
'Tell us about him,' Jess said eagerly. 'Is he hot?'
Valera smiled. 'Very. You have no idea.'
'Who is he?' Leah wanted to know.
'Ryan Wolfe,' Valera said. 'He works at the lab. Criminalist. He's nice.'
'Nice?' Leah said, lifting an eyebrow. 'You don't usually go for nice, Maxine. You've always seemed to have preferred – '
'Bad boys,' Jess said with a wide grin. 'So what's he like?'
Valera looked uncomfortable. 'We're not exactly seeing each other,' she said. 'I just decided I didn't want to see Luke anymore.'
'Because you like this Ryan Wolfe?' Leah said.
'Partly,' Valera admitted, sipping her coffee. 'Luke wasn't right for me. Ryan's very different.'
'He'd better be,' Leah said darkly. 'That Luke, I didn't like him at all. He's rung here three times since you broke up with him. Good riddance, I say.'
'Wait until you meet this Ryan before you say that,' Jess warned her.
'You'll like him,' Valera told them both rather sharply. 'Like I said, he's nice.'
'Nice means boring,' Jess said.
'He's not boring.'
'Good, because you really don't go for boring guys.' Jess sniffed her coffee and drank it slowly. 'When do we get to meet him?'
'You don't,' Valera said decidedly.
'Oh,' Jess said. 'I want to meet this guy.'
'No,' she said firmly.
'Is he just a rebound?' Jess persisted.
''No!' Valera said sharply.
'She besotted,' Leah said, gazing at her daughter with a knowing smile. 'Aren't you dear? He must be something special.'
'He is,' she said reflectively.
'I want to know when we all get to meet him,' Jess said. 'We all met Luke pretty early on in your relationship.'
'You're not meeting Ryan yet,' Valera said.
'Oh.' Leah looked at Jess. 'Yeah, she's definitely besotted. It's only the ones she really likes that she keeps hidden. Come on, dear, when do we get to meet him?'
Right on cue, as far as Valera was concerned, the telephone rang. She heaved a sigh of relief that the subject was about to change.
'I'll get it.' Leah got up and went to pick up the phone. 'Hello?' she said cheerfully.
'Hi, can I speak to Valera – um, Maxine, please?'
'Who is this?' Leah said.
'I'm a friend. I'm sorry, I tried her cell phone but she didn't answer – '
'That's okay, she's here,' Leah said. She called over her shoulder, 'Maxine, it's for you.'
'Who is it?' she said, getting up and coming to the phone.
'Didn't say. Sexy voice, though.'
Valera frowned and picked up the phone. 'Hello?' she said uncertainly.
'Hey. It's me,' Ryan's voice said.
'How did you get my mum's number?' she asked curiously. 'Not that I mind.'
'Alexx gave it to me.' He paused. 'I've been trying to get you on your cell phone. I'm going out tonight, wondered if you wanted to come.'
'Where were you thinking?'
'There's a bar just opened two blocks down from my place. It looks a good place, I wondered if you wanted to go for a drink?' He paused again. 'I don't think we'll see anyone we'll know.'
'What time were you thinking?'
'About eight? That okay with you?'
'Sure. Um, I'm at my mum's – '
'That's okay, I'll pick you up from there. See you at eight!'
'Um, sure,' she said.
'Bye!' He hung up.
She blinked and set the phone back. Then she went back to her mum and Jess.
'Who was that?' Leah asked curiously.
'Just a friend,' she said. 'They're all going out tonight, wondered if I wanted to go. I said yes.'
'Did you really?' Leah said, interested.
'They're coming here to get me at eight,' she added.
'Better start getting ready,' Jess joked. 'You've got some things here, right?'
'Of course she does,' Leah said. 'She brought a heap of her stuff over a few days ago. Make sure you get a lift home, though,' she added.
'Hopefully, tonight that won't be a problem,' Valera muttered.
It was almost eight. Valera checked her watch time and time again, knowing that Ryan would of course be on time. She couldn't remember the last time he was late for anything. She had fretted over what to wear and decided on a dark purple top with a pair of jeans to make it more casual. Quick make-up, not too much, and just brushed her hair rather than fuss with it.
She looked out of the window and saw his car pulling in. Grabbing her bag, she hurried down the stairs. Leah and Jess were looking out of the window curiously.
'Who's that?' Jess asked, peering out of the window. Fortunately, as far as Valera was concerned, they couldn't see him clearly. If they could, he probably would be hauled in for coffee and an interrogation.
'Bye!' Valera called, running out before they could question her further. Also before Ryan could get out of the car and get caught in a series of questions by her mum and cousin.
'Hey!' she said to him, jumping into the car. 'Drive, quick.'
He did so. 'What's the hurry?'
'My family are eager to meet you,' she said, smiling. 'Apparently my ex has been pestering my mum to get me to ring him, and he told her I dumped him. Now she wants to meet you.'
'You told her about me?' he asked.
'A bit. You know what families can be like.'
He shrugged.
'So, what's this place like?' she asked.
'Quiet,' he replied. 'Private and we're unlikely to meet anyone we know.'
'Is that good?'
'Yeah. Means we can talk.'
She smiled. 'Talk?'
He grinned. 'Sure. Talk is good.'
They reached the bar and Ryan parked the car. They went in. It was very nice, tables and chairs scattered around, a few private booths with table, chairs and candles. It was indeed very quiet, quite a few people but still quiet. And, indeed, no one that either of them knew.
They sat down in one of the slightly more private places. Ryan went up to the bar to get them drinks. He wasn't drinking much since he had to drive. He came back, set the glasses down and sat down opposite her.
'This is a nice place,' he said.
'Is that all you can think of to say?' she asked.
'Just be grateful I haven't mentioned the weather yet.'
'What's to mention? It's been hot and sunny for ages.' She sipped her drink, eyes holding his. 'Is this a date?'
'At the moment, it's two friends having a drink together,' he said.
She raised her eyebrows. 'At the moment,' she corrected, 'it's two friends who find each other very attractive having a drink together.'
'Despite one of them having contributed to the other almost getting fired,' he commented.
'Who should know that the other doesn't hold that against them,' she said. 'And who should also know that the other was almost beside themselves with concern when they almost got killed.'
Ryan blinked. 'Can we drop the third party act?' he asked. 'I'm getting confused.'
'Sure.' She drained her glass. 'This is nice. The drink, the place and the company, I mean.'
There was a short paused.
Ryan smiled. 'You look lovely,' he said.
She fiddled with her hair. 'Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself.'
He looked down at his glass, which was now empty. 'I mean it. You look amazing. I mean, you look amazing anyway…'
She laughed. 'Thank you again.' She touched the back of his hand gently. He turned his hand over and tangled his fingers with hers. They looked at each other silently for a minute, only their fingers touching. He lifted his other hand and touched her face, brushing her hair softly away from her face. His smile had faded and he looked very serious and intense. She found she liked that expression. He always concentrated intently upon what he was doing at any one time and right now he was concentrating upon her. The intensity in his eyes sent shivers down her spine, even as his hand on her hand and on her face sent warm flushes through her. His touch felt as if it were burning her, although the feeling was pleasurable.
She desperately wanted him to kiss her and closed her eyes in bliss as he lent forwards and kissed her, very slowly and tenderly.
Nothing like Luke. Nothing like Luke.
Sheer relief that he wasn't Luke flooded through her. She lent forwards, returning the kiss fiercely, untangling her hand from his and rested her hands on his shoulders, one moving up into his hair, the other trailing down his back, feeling the slight curves of backbone and shoulder blades under his shirt. He was smaller, slighter, than Luke. Not as intimidating, not as rough. Ryan was gentle but intense, whilst Luke had been rough and aggressive. She didn't want to compare Ryan to Luke, didn't want to think of him in the same thought as Luke. She hadn't let herself think about how wrong Luke was for her, to her, not until she realised that Ryan had feelings for her, that she didn't need to keep hiding her feelings for him from, not just him, but from herself.
Ryan broke away. He was breathing quickly. 'Wow,' was all he managed to say. 'That was – incredible.'
'You think that was incredible, you just wait,' she said, smiling archly. 'But in the mean time, you can go get us some more drinks.'
He smiled, picked up the glasses and went back to the bar.
'Don't walk me to the door,' she warned. 'Not unless you want to be dragged inside and interrogated.'
'Okay,' he said. 'Why are you staying at your mum's, anyway? I thought you had your own place.'
'I'm in the process of moving,' she explained. 'I can't move into my new flat for a few days, so Mum's putting me up. I'll see you at work tomorrow, Ryan.' She gave him a kiss that was supposed to be brief but turned into a much longer one.
'Goodnight, Ryan,' she said several minutes later, and got out of the car and walked to the house, turning and waving quickly. He waved back and then drove out.
'Who was that?'
She jumped violently and saw her Mum and cousin peering around a door. They were both in dressing gowns and wearing identical expressions of curiosity.
'One colleague gave me a lift back,' she said, walking past them both. 'I had a nice time, thanks for asking.'
'Was it your boyfriend?' Jess asked, following her up the stairs. 'Ryan?'
'Ryan is not my boyfriend,' Valera said, going into her room and closing the door firmly in Jess's face. She heard Jess laugh. She kicked off her shoes, dropped her bag and collapsed onto her bed, tired, but very happy. It had been a great night.
