Chapter 3: Discovery

Summary: In which Amanda and Liv discover that Rafael is a closet karaoke singer.

The Tinder date rape case proceeded as expected and was nearing closure. Olivia appointed Carisi and Rollins as leads on the case since it was clear that Barba was avoiding her. She still had no idea why or what to do about it.

A few taps on her doorframe drew her attention. "Hey, just wanted to let you know, Barba worked out a plea deal on the Tinder case," Rollins stated.

"That didn't take long."

Taking the response as an invite, Rollins stepped into the office and slid into a chair opposite Lieutenant Benson. "It's always nice to get an easy case. You up for a girls' night after shift? I want to hear more about Paris."

Mulling it over for a moment, Olivia nodded. "Sure, Lucy wanted to spend some more time with Noah since she missed him. I'll just text her and let her know I'll be home late."

"Want to try that new karaoke bar in Tribeca? Could be entertaining," Amanda drawled, already looking forward to the people watching they could do at such a place.

"Interesting choice," Olivia responded as a slow smile spread across her lips. "Are we going as merely spectators, or do you plan to make me sing?"

"I wouldn't dream of doing that, Lieutenant," Rollins laughed. "We'll just spectate, this time."

"No promises next time?" Olivia looked forward to the evening ahead with her friend as they both returned to wrapping up paperwork.

…..

Relieved that the Tinder date perp took a plea deal instead of proceeding to trial, Rafael returned to his office at 1 Hogan Place.

"All go well?" Carmen inquired as he approached her desk stationed right outside his office door. She had a mug of fresh brewed coffee perched on her desk waiting for him. She was by far the best assistant he ever had.

"As well as hoped, he pled out," Rafael responded, a long-fingered hand swiping the mug off the desk. He took a long sip and felt some energy returning. "Any messages?"

"Nothing that cannot wait until tomorrow. Your calendar is open the rest of the afternoon." Carmen eyed her boss, knowing that something was off with him but too professional to inquire about specifics. Maybe a free evening would do him some good.

"Good to know. I might just call it an early evening." As he reached for his door, Rafael called over his shoulder, "You should too, Carmen. Go ahead and head home."

Once in the privacy of his office, Rafael shed his suit jacket, removed his tie, and rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. He even kicked off his designer dress shoes and wriggled his toes beneath the outlandish socks. He always enjoyed being free of confining footwear, along with the rest of his lawyer armor, at the end of a day.

Settling into the chair behind his large desk, Rafael swiftly completed the remaining paperwork for the day, eager to get out of the office. Somehow, he managed to keep his mind off the SVU Lieutenant all day, but he knew his resolve was weakening. He needed to find something to do this evening to keep the momentum going – something to make sure that his thoughts steered clear of that damned ring and what it meant.

Rafael placed a sushi order for delivery from his favorite spot down the block and continued working through his paperwork. He would mull over what to do with the rest of his evening as he ate.

"This place is kinda swanky for a karaoke place," Amanda stated as they followed the hostess to a two-top table near the rear of the dimly lit room. The women asked to sit back from the stage so they could enjoy some conversation along with the music.

"Nicest karaoke bar I've ever been to," Olivia replied sliding into a plush seat at the wooden table.

"Oh, do you frequent them often?" Amanda teased. The two women developed a sincere friendship outside of the confines of the 1-6 and SVU.

"All the time," Olivia snarked. Looking over the menu, she considered what she was in the mood for. Definitely wine, maybe something simple for dinner? Their pan seared salmon dish looked great.

Small talk carried on until their orders were placed, then Amanda pounced. "Tell me all about Paris. I want every detail!"

Her gaze unfocused, Olivia recalled the good memories from the trip first. "The city was truly beautiful, from the architecture to the people. We visited the Louvre, walked along the Seine, sat outside at cafes to people watch, and dined at some of the finest restaurants I've ever seen." Breathless at the memories of the city's beauty and delicious food, she pulled out her phone to share a handful of the pictures she captured. "Even Noah enjoyed it, as much as a young child could."

"Wow! Was the Louvre as majestic in person as it looks in pictures?"

"Even more so," Olivia replied with awe.

Amanda peered at the pictures, peppering Olivia with questions. When she got to the end of the roll, she blurted out the one observation she noted with every picture. "None of these include Tucker. Was he always the cameraman?"

Olivia knew it was coming. Tucking her hair behind her ears with a sigh, she admitted, "Not always. There were a few with us together, but that part of the trip did not turn out the way we expected. So, I deleted some pictures."

"Is that so? What happened?" Amanda had been curious from the moment Olivia entered the squad room at the 1-6 the day before. She, along with the rest of the team and probably Barba too, were sure that Olivia would come back sporting an engagement ring. Why else would Tucker whisk the mother and son off to Paris?

"It was a serious of things leading me to realize that Ed and I were not on the same page with what we wanted from life," Olivia said. "I knew it was over nearly a handful of days into the trip when I realized I was in the most beautiful city in the world with a man I supposedly loved, and I felt… nothing."

Amanda listened with rapt attention as Olivia continued. "I planned to just enjoy the last few days of the trip and let Ed down gently after we returned and settled back into our daily lives. However, in typical Ed Tucker fashion, he had other plans."

Perched on the edge of her seat, Amanda quirked a brow and waved her hand in an impatient motion when Olivia paused for too long.

"Hold your horses, I'm just taking a sip of my wine," Olivia teased, putting the stemmed glass to her lips. Taking a leisurely swallow, she continued explaining the worst part of her overseas trip. "Despite spending the entire day together, we barely said a handful of words to each other that weren't banal small talk. Somehow, while we were finishing up dinner at a lovely restaurant, Ed decided that it was the perfect opportunity to propose."

"He did not!" Amanda gasped, her right hand flying to her chest. At Olivia's solemn nod, she added "What was he thinking?"

Olivia shrugged and watched Amanda glance at her left hand. "I'm assuming you said no since I don't see an engagement ring."

"Your assumption is correct, Detective," Olivia said in a manner reminiscent of Barba. "I let him down as gently as I could, but it still led to quite the heated discussion once we got back to our hotel room. He thought the proposal would reconnect us. Men!"

….

Leaving his briefcase locked in his office, Rafael walked a few blocks to the karaoke place he heard about. It looked pretty busy by the time he arrived, but he did not mind. The sea of faces would give him plenty of scenery as he drowned his sorrows and sang showtunes. He took a seat at the bar closer to the stage rather than waiting for a table.

"What can I get you, handsome?" A blonde bartender about his age asked with a smile and a wink. Her makeup was a bit heavy for his liking, but she wasn't hard on the eyes.

"Scotch, please." He took his jacket off and hung it on the back of the chair as the bartender left to get his drink, his tie already in the pocket.

The tumbler of amber liquid was placed in front of him along with a double-sided laminated sheet as he rolled up his shirt sleeves. "You interested in singing a song tonight, luv?"

"Actually, yes," Rafael replied noting the surprised delight on her face. "Let me just take a look at this."

The list of available songs was robust but geared more toward popular songs and classic tunes. None of the songs from his preferred musicals were on the list, not that he was suprised. There was a spot for special requests on the back of the sheet. Using a dry erase marker provided by the blonde bartender, Rafael scribbled his request under the name Eduardo Diaz. It had been his typical pseudonym for these situations since his days at Harvard. For some reason, he always felt more comfortable singing in public if he could pretend he was someone other than Rafael Barba.

He would see how he felt after that song before he decided on any others. The night was young, after all.

…..

"I cannot believe you just left after that! And Tucker stayed?"

"As far as I know. The room was already paid for so it would be a waste if he did not," Olivia replied. "All I know is that I had to get Noah and myself out of there. I couldn't wait to get back home and have a few days to decompress before coming back to work."

"You should have called me. I would have taken Noah for a sleepover so you could have a moment alone."

The two friends continued chatting as other patrons took their turns singing on the stage. The music was loud enough to fill the air but not so loud to drown out conversation that far back from the stage area. So far, most of the singers were decent, minus the horrible rendition of Landslide.

They barely heard the next singer being announced while they ordered another round. "Next up, Eduardo Diaz singing Being Alive from the musical Company."

The women leaned back in their seats to enjoy their wine, music, and conversation. Neither of them looked toward the stage for a bit. When they did, their mouths dropped open simultaneously.

"Is that Barba?" Amanda shrieked. Olivia stared at the man on stage in wonder as he belted out the lyrics. It was, without a doubt, Rafael Barba, looking about as casual as she ever saw him in rolled up shirt sleeves and ruffled hair. And, damn, could he sing!