Saturday Night Out
David and Penelope go on their first Saturday night date out on the town… and it's not everything either of them expected.
I own no characters or canon of Criminal Minds. Many thanks and blessings to those who created them.
Thanks to my sweet, beautiful beta Sunny. In short order she's become my confidant, brainstorm partner and sister. I am the luckiest girl alive!
XXX
Maybe the date was a bad idea, Penelope thought. Contrary to how people usually courted, they had always went to his house. She wasn't sure why other than David loved to cook (and was so good at it!) and Penelope had come to depend on his home as her refuge. Now, she wasn't sure she understood the urgency in going 'out on the town' per se.
Plus, truth be told, she was struggling a bit with JJ's observation of how smitten she was with David. Moving on to having sex was one thing… she enjoyed that. Bigger feelings weren't necessarily something she was great at with the opposite gender.
However, she knew how much she enjoyed her time with him. Clearly. They ate, drank, laughed and did a myriad of other 'date' activities… dancing, music, movies… and she enjoyed all of those. The addition of amazing sex was the icing on the proverbial cake.
Maybe that was love? How was she supposed to know? She had kept herself blocked off from love her entire adult life. The first time she thought it had happened… it happened big and hard and had a bunch of complicated feelings involved in it. She had practically been a kid still, certainly… but she never saw the draw in repeating the heartbreak.
Then she met an educated, cultured, amazing man in David Rossi. And she probably let herself live in the bubble while not knowing who he was. Once she learned that he was the damn godfather of the BAU, an accomplished author and likely millionaire… he was so handsome and funny and charismatic… how was she supposed to believe he could love her back?
Regardless, late Saturday afternoon Penelope readied herself for their date.
When she asked what she should wear, all David said was 'what you usually wear - you're always beautiful'.
Groan.
Whatever her trepidations, she showered with her favorite bodywash. She conditioned with her favorite conditioner. She shaved and exfoliated and lotion-ed to her heart's content. She should smell like a delightful combination of vanilla, hint of citrus and a bit of sandalwood. She tried to let the scents calm her.
Choosing a lingerie set that was black, she let a tiny part of her hope David planned to see it tonight. The bra and panty set made her feel sexy and desirable… just like she remembered David making her feel last weekend. Sigh.
Penelope chose a dress that was perhaps a slight step above her 'usual' workwear. It happened to be a striking almost-all-black number with red accents. It was still above the knee and along her typical style. She chose black tights and black chunky heels to accentuate her outfit.
She spent an inordinate amount of time doing her hair and make-up that late-afternoon. She wanted all of her curls to be perfect, her lashes and blushes perfectly contoured.
But something continue to nag at her insides. She absolutely felt sexy and desirable last Sunday. She felt like tonight she was trying too hard to convince herself it was still a real possibility.
She continued fussing with her make-up until the doorbell rang.
Penelope startled, even knowing darn well that David wouldn't be late. She glanced at her watch. It was exactly seven o'clock.
She pressed the buzzer and waited the appropriate amount of time between when it was possible for David to have taken the elevator or the stairs. She opened her door.
And there stood David. He held a single red rose in his hand. He looked as if they had coordinated outfits, actually. He was in sleek black dress pants, a deep crimson shirt and a elegantly-soft black leather jacket.
She let him through the doorway, into her apartment and she gasped at how really handsomely-beautiful he was. As flustered as she felt, her apprehension seemed to disappear for a moment.
"Oh my god, David, you are so beautiful."
"You're the beautiful one, Kitten," he whispered.
"Here," David whispered. "I brought this for you." He handed her a single, perfect red rose.
"Why, thank you," Penelope accepting the flower with a smile. She looked down at it, mesmerized by it's beauty for a moment. The red was deep like the accents of her dress, like David's shirt. It really was perfect.
She turned to put it in a bud vase on the counter, adding some water. She placed it on the middle of her table. "Thank you, again. I love it."
"We need to get going, to make our reservation." He kissed her cheek, near her ear and into her hair.
She approached him, feeling almost like a predator. She cupped his ass with one hand and reached around the back of his neck with the other.
"Baby, kiss me, please," she begged.
"Of course, Bella." Dave's hands grasped her waist.
Their kiss was deep and passionate. It was smooth and needy. It was all lips and tongues, dancing without interruption. All four of their hands roamed one another's bodies. It was as though it had been much longer than six days since their last kiss, since they last touched.
Breathless, David broke the kiss. It felt like she was coming apart - like a noodle - in his arms. "Sweet Bella, I have you," he paused. "I want to take care of you… let me take care of you."
At that moment, he hugged her tight. He kept his arms around her but avoided her mouth. His body was aroused and he knew they weren't going to make it to dinner if he kept kissing her.
Penelope breathed in deeply. She caught David's cologne and the faint scent of his soap. She closed her eyes and appreciated it for a moment. Her body's pulse turned from calm to anxious in a heartbeat. She did her best to push away memories and be in the moment.
"Can we go now?" David asked gently. "I've been looking forward all day to having you on my arm tonight, Bella."
The blonde hesitated at that. She found herself folding her hands in front of her and her voice was quiet. There was a part of her that thought she'd be able to distract him into staying in tonight. "Are you sure you want to take me out to a restaurant? We could always just order takeout and eat here."
"Yes, I'm absolutely certain, Penelope." There was an air of question in his voice. He watched her closely and wondered what was behind her concern.
Or maybe it was that Penelope wasn't sure she wanted to go out on a traditional date with him, David asked himself. He didn't think she was just into him for the sex… it's not like they jumped into bed. And once they did, it had been wonderful - he thought - for both of them.
"What makes you think I'm not sure?" He asked.
Penelope breathed. "Nothing." She took a beat, smoothing over her dress and returned to the front entryway.
"Hey… what's going on?" He asked. There was no denying she was upset in some way - he just had no idea why.
"Nothing. Nothing is going on," the analyst protested. "I already said that there's nothing."
"Kitten…"
'God I hate profilers…' she thought and then chose instead a kinder, more-honest response to her date. "I guess I might be nervous for both of us," Penelope spoke softly. "But please, let's go. I don't want to make us late." Recollections aside, she knew she wanted to try to go out with David.
He decided it was best to get going and let any tension dissipate in the car. David reached out for her. Holding her hand, touching her hip as she walked by. He drew her close to him by her small of her back. He turned and opened her front door, pausing for her to lock it again.
Kissing him earlier and these small touches reminded her of the feelings she had last Sunday morning after they made love. And she knew this was where her nervousness was coming from… if this was real, if it was going to last.
They made their way down to David's car, him opening the door for her and giving her a hand inside. When he got in the driver's side, he spoke again.
"Relax, Bella. We have little ways to drive." He did his best to show her a reassuring smile.
"Thank you for being so understanding about this week… it was an ugly one," Penelope offered and sat her clutch in her lap.
"Aren't they all ugly, Bella?"
"Pretty much BAU-style, yes," she agreed.
"Do you want to share more?"
"Well, long story short, we had a case with the CIA. I had to stay back at Quantico, separate from the team… because my name is on…" she took a deep breath. "I'm on a list."
David reflected on that and chanced a look at his companion. He knew damn well her name wouldn't be 'on a list' without a reason.
"Sooo," he ventured. "There must be a story there."
"Oh there is," she confirmed. She didn't really want to share, knowing it was a time of her life she wasn't particularly fond of or proud of. "I'll tell you about it some other time."
"I'll hold you to that," Dave winked.
Penelope's heart was in her shoes right now, having promised to tell David that story at some point. She hoped he wouldn't think less of her for her more mischievous days. "So what did you do this week?"
David shared stories of taking Mudgie for walks and having to meet with his editor about his next book. That story was particularly funny and had her in stitches.
The hour passed quickly and they arrived in Great Falls, Virginia. They pulled up in a large circular driveway to a restaurant. The name on the outside read L'Auberge Chez Francois.
"David!" Penelope squealed and grabbed David's leg. "French food? That's so sweet!"
"Well, I figured since you had the guts to speak to an Italian in French - you might enjoy a French meal. It's supposed to be very good."
"Oh I'm sure it's going to perfect!" Another wave of excitement hit her and again the apprehension from earlier assuaged. She couldn't keep her hands off of David's hands, his arm. She finally hooked her hand at his elbow, as he escorted her to the restaurant.
It was rustic yet charming. Twinkle lights hung from every beam, every surface. The doors were heavy, heavy farm wood with wrought iron hardware. The building was white with red shutters. She couldn't wait to see the inside.
They were sat at a small square table, each on a side of the same corner. Their knees brushed and toes were touching on the floor. He appreciated she wasn't very far away, he loved being close to her - all of the time.
David ordered them wine and they discussed what looked good on the menu. During dinner, conversation was light. They talked more about their families, how they got into the careers they did, dreams for their respective futures.
David talked more about growing up in a strong Catholic, Italian-American family.
"I know your family is large - lots of aunts, uncles and cousins. Tell me more about holidays, dinners and gatherings…"
He laughed. "What didn't happen is more like it. Mamma was always the one cooking and making the food. My Nonna before that."
"That sounds wonderful," Penelope mused. "I never knew my Grandma."
"I'm sorry, Bella," David reached for her hand.
"No, no… I think it's so awesome you have all that history and tradition." She smirked. "And obviously I enjoy all the cooking skills they taught you."
David smiled the kissed the back of her hand. "It gives me great pleasure to cook for you, Kitten."
She smiled.
"This is nice too, though, right? To be out?" He ventured, trying to dig a little into whatever was going on at her apartment.
Penelope looked around and put his hand in her lap. "David, this is exquisite. Really, I couldn't have asked a more beautiful evening out."
Lowering his voice, he asked more directly. "Then, Kitten, what was your discomfort about earlier tonight? Before we left your apartment?"
She let out a long sigh. She looked up and saw nothing but reassurance there. "I don't know, David."
"You must have some idea, Bella."
"I just wondered if after everything that happened last weekend; Gideon and," whispering she added "making love, if we were feeling the same way about things between us."
She let go of his hand while hers remained in her lap.
"And I just thought there wasn't any point in going through all of this trouble," she motioned between and around them. "If we weren't." She felt bad about sounding so wishy-washy herself, but figured it was better if she gave him an out instead of him having to search for it on his own.
He wondered what page she thought they were on. He had tried to be so intentional with all of his words and actions with her - everything from having her in his home to making love to her. However she was feeling was a complete mystery to him. She was clearly questioning, it felt like a lot. It felt like a puzzle he needed to figure out.
Her face looked so sad, was David's primary thought. It was like she had lost all the confidence of the woman he made love to a week ago. The woman from last week was the woman who felt sensual and attractive, and was so sure she wanted to be with him. Now, it's like that woman was gone.
Just then their server brought their salads and asked if they needed anything else. David thanked him and watched him leave. David took her hand again. He bridged the short distance between them and placed a small kiss on her painted lips.
"Sweet Bella," he queried. "Who hurt you, my love?"
Penelope gasped and her eyes teared up. She had practiced this part most of her adult life. So she knew how to deflect. She looked her date directly in the eye.
"David. Can we please, please," she implored. "Enjoy our evening? And I promise we will discuss this later."
With another comforting glance from him, Penelope let out a stuttered breath and gave a forced smile.
"Let's dig in, then. The salad looks delightful," David shared with his own forced course-of-action.
And they did. They ate their salads in silence that actually turned amicable fairly quickly. Soon their entrees were delivered and when their server asked if they wanted dessert, Penelope begged off.
"I don't know that I have room, everything was so good."
David saved her from the situation. "You know, I think I saw a Patisserie assortment on the ala carte menu?"
The server nodded affirmatively.
"We'll take that to go, please." David thanked the server again.
Once they had their dessert and their bill was paid, David sweetly put his arm around Penelope and escorted her from the restaurant. They got into the car and started the drive home.
"Thank you for such a really wonderful evening," Penelope breathed once they were back on the highway.
"It was my pleasure, Bella," David murmured back. He reached over to hold her hand in her lap.
The rest of the ride was quiet. Miraculously, they seemed to get back to Penelope's apartment in no time. David parked across the street from the front door of her building.
Penelope was the first one to speak and she did so quickly.
"Thanks again, David. I'll talk to you soon." She had her hand on the car door and almost escaped.
David reached over the width of the car and gently extracted her hand from the handle release. He turned off the car. His voice was extremely soft when he spoke again.
"No way, Sweet Bella. We got through our date, and it was indeed wonderful. …And, you promised me a conversation after."
Her shoulders slumped and she sighed a deep, lamenting sigh. "You're right," she resigned. She took a moment to weigh her options. Was her measure of fear really worth being alone forever? Or being so afraid of something good that she stayed paralyzed?
