"So…Where do you want to go?" Charlie asked when Amita came out the building and joined him in the parking lot. Amita thought for a while before she answered him with a big smile on her face.
"Oh, I know! Last week they opened up a new diner not too far from here. They make the best blueberry pancakes. Come on, I'll show you." She said and started to walk away from the car.
"Okay, lead the way." He said behind her with a grin on his face. The thought of Amita being so excited over pancakes was amusing.
It took about twenty minutes to walk over there. Normally it would have taken them almost half that time but today was an unusual warm day. On the news last night they had been talking about a heat wave over the Los Angeles area, and it sure was a heat wave! It sucked the strengths right out of them.
Charlie updated Amita on the FBI case and asked her if she could take a look at it when they came back from their lunch. That is to say we don't die from a heat stroke on the way back. He thought as soon as the words left his mouth.
Thankfully it was a bit cooler in the diner. They found a table in the back by the window. When the waitress asked for their orders both of them ordered blueberry pancakes and a glass of cold lemonade with extra ice.
Since math was a common interest they chose not to avoid that specific topic. Neither one of them wanted to relive their first date. So what if it was hard to talk about anything besides math? As soon as they started to talk they realized it was easier today. In fact it wasn't hard at all. Their discussions were conducted in a very relaxed atmosphere.
After a while they were able to leave out the math-part and they started to discuss other topics like first dates, favourite movies and travels. Amita had a hard time not to laugh when Charlie told her about the prom-incident. It felt good and they really enjoyed each others company.
They found Don and Colby in Charlie's classroom when they came back from their lunchdate.
"Hey Charlie, I was just about to call you. Where have you been?" Don asked as soon as he saw his younger brother walk through the door.
"We went for lunch and then we took a walk before we headed back here. You know Don, people actually eat sometimes," Charlie responded.
"Sorry I didn't mean…wait, you went for a walk in this weather?"
"Yeah. why?"
"Why? It's like a freaking sauna out there!"
Charlie and Amita exchanged glances.
"Really? We didn't notice." Amita answered. She smiled at him and Charlie couldn't do anything but to smile back. Amita had that affect on him. She had always had that affect on him. Ever since he met her on that wonderful day a couple of years ago.
He had been seeing her around school and when he found out he was going to be her thesis advisor he was a bit disappointed. Not because he didn't enjoy working with her. Amita was a very smart woman and one of the few people who understood him but whenever he was in a room with her she would hypnotise him with her smell or with that beautiful smile of hers and he was never allowed to do anything about it. How many times didn't he wish they would have met under different circumstances? How many nights didn't he have that dream where…
"Earth to Charlie." Don forced him out of his thoughts and when Don knew he had his attention again he continued. "Have you taken another look at the case? You know the girl with the memory loss?"
"We were just about to do that." Charlie took the files out of his bag and handed it to Amita. She was already familiar with it since Charlie informed her about it before.
"How is it going? You got a suspect?" Charlie asked and started to scribble something on the blackboard.
"No, no one yet." Colby answered and tried to follow Charlie's thoughts on the board. God knows he never was the one who loved math in school. In third grade he said to his mother that his math book was cursed. He told her that the book gave him a terrible headache every time he opened it, which wasn't a total lie. His mother just laughed and told him that everybody felt like that sometimes. When he met Charlie he realized how important math is today. Never in a million years could he have guessed that math could be used in so many different situations.
While Charlie was occupied with explaining his math to Don and Colby, Amita was sitting by the computer when she noticed something that caught her attention.
"Hey guys. I think I found something."
Charlie put down his chalk and the three of them went over to her and looked at the screen.
"This is a map of the wood and here…" She pointed at the screen. "…is were she was found. Right?"
"Right." Don confirmed.
"Well, the map shows that there is a house over here." She continued.
"Yeah, but we already talked to the owner. He said he neither saw nor heard anything suspicious the night the girl was found and we have no reason not to believe him."
"Yeah, but Charlie and I used to hike here sometimes and over here…" She pointed again. "…here is a small brown shed. It's not on the map but it's not too far away from the place where the victim was found."
"That's right." Charlie remembered. "It's covered by trees and bushes. Easy to miss if you don't look for it."
"Okay, let's check it out." He said to Colby and picked up the phone to inform the others about the new information. "Thanks guys. I'll keep you two informed." He said before the two FBI agents exited the room.
Amita and Charlie were again left alone.
"Good work. I can't believe I forgot about it though."
"Nah, you would have remembered eventually." She smiled at him. She always knew how to make people feel better.
The two of them sat in silence for a while.
"You know…" Charlie started. "I really had a good time before."
"Yeah, I did too. We should do it again some time."
"Definitely."
It was just the two of them now. All alone in his office…well for a while anyway.
"Charles! There you are. I've been looking everywhere for you." Larry forced Charlie and Amita to break eye contact. Larry stopped when he noticed the look on their faces. He realized he stepped right into something he shouldn't have.
Amita got up from the chair and handed the files back to Charlie. She touched his hand a little bit longer than she usually would have. She could almost feel the electricity between them and the look on Charlie's face showed her he felt it too. Amita went to gather up her things before she headed for the door.
"Well, I'm going to take off. I'll see you later." She said and waved before she left.
"Did I interrupt anything?" Larry asked when he knew Amita was too far away to be able to hear him.
"No," Charlie lied.
"Oh, okay…good. I actually wanted to ask you something."
"Okay, shoot."
Two hour later Amita found Charlie in his office. He was just about to leave when he heard a knock on the door. Before he got a chance to answer Amita popped her head in and gave him one of those huge smile she saved just for him.
"You knew," He said in a composed voice.
"What?"
"You knew," He repeated.
"Knew what?" Amita walked into his office and closed the door behind her.
"What he wanted to talk to me about." When Charlie saw the confused look on Amitas face he continued.
"I was in my classroom with Larry for 55 minutes, not ten or fifteen, 55!"
Amita started to laugh.
"That's not funny." He had a hard time not to laugh himself. "He wanted to talk about women. You know…what to do, or not to do, on a date."
"Oh, come on. It couldn't have been that bad. You know how much he likes Megan and he really don't want to mess things up by for example saying the wrong thing."
"Hmm…I got to say, I can see how that would be a problem for Larry."
"I think it's cute. He knows what he wants and he goes after it."
Charlie was quiet for a moment and continued to pack his bag.
"What would you say if I told you that I know what I want?" He asked and looked at her.
"I would ask you what it is you know that you want." She answered and took a step closer to him.
He followed her move and soon they stood face to face. Charlie caressed her left arm before he took a hold of her hand and drew her closer to him. She was now only about an inch away. Amita shivered under his touch and when she felt his breath against her cheek she closed her eyes and held her breath. Charlie leaned in and whispered into her ear.
"I want you."
His hand moved up from her arm and covered her left cheek. He looked into her eyes and moved the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Before she knew it he placed the hand back on her cheek and caressed it with his thumb. Not once did they break eye contact. She didn't know if the heat between the two of them was a result of the heat wave or the physical attraction she knew existed between them.
Charlie came closer. Their lips were almost touching. Wait, what was that noise? They broke apart and Charlie put his hand in his pocket and took out his now ringing cell phone. On the display he could se he brother's name.
"It's Don," He told her and she could swear she heard disappointment in his voice.
"You should take it," She whispered. "It could be about the case."
Charlie nodded and answered.
