A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews, I am pleased so many people are enjoying it. This chapter follows directly on from the last one and sets up their coffee meeting. I'm not totally happy with it, so please let me know what you think.

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Chicago, Fall 2009

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Will wiped his cell phone on his jeans, eager to remove any remaining perspiration. He shook his head and chuckled to himself as he walked through the bedroom door. He didn't have long before he had to leave to meet Alicia, so a shower was out of the question. However, a change of clothes would freshen him up sufficiently for coffee.

He didn't know why he was so nervous. After all, Alicia was an old friend and this was simply coffee by the courthouse. It wasn't anything more, yet he felt a little guilty for going out during the afternoon – ducking his 'Man About The House' duties for a quick java with a new colleague. He didn't know why he felt such self-reproach. Was it because he would be spending time with an attractive female other than his wife or was it because he wouldn't be home when the kids got back from school? He shook his head to try to remove the anxious thoughts from his mind as he scanned his wardrobe for a suitable shirt. He sighed and pushed the fingers of his right hand into his pocket. Looking at the options in front of him, he decided on a pale blue one and hung it on the outside of the closet.

He quickly disrobed, folding his jeans and placing them over the chair by the bed – ready to be put back on when he got home, as he couldn't make dinner in smart trousers and a dress shirt. Huh, he sighed to himself, who would have thought that this legal eagle was concerned over splashes and ketchup stains. Certainly not the young graduate student that first met Alicia Cavanaugh!

Moving quickly, he went into the en-suite bathroom, flicking on the switch light as he crossed the threshold. He brushed his teeth, splashed some water on his face and sprayed himself quite liberally with deodorant. Rubbing his palm across his chin he felt the stubble that highlighted the fact he didn't shave that morning. That was one benefit of not getting up at six to head to the office. He smiled at his reflection in the mirror as he remembered Alicia finding a little stubble sexy; she used to say it added to the ruggedly handsome baseball player persona he flaunted at Law School. He chuckled to his reflection as he continued to run his hand across his face. He decided to skip a shave and instead splashed some Serge Lutens' Borneo 1834 cologne on his face. He loved the warm, spicy scent but again, currently he didn't have need for it everyday.

Turning off the light as he returned to the bedroom, he grabbed a pair of freshly laundered suit pants from the dry cleaning bag he'd brought home earlier that day and slipped them on. As he fastened the fly he scanned the bedroom for a belt; he saw an old brown leather one hanging over the back of his bedside chair and leaned over to reach for it. He felt the soft calfskin in his hands and efficiently threaded it through the belt loops, taking care to slot the tang through the small loop at the fly to keep it in place. He slid his carefully chosen shirt off its hanger and put it on – recoiling a little at the coolness of the fabric.

Opening Jenny's closet, he took a long look at himself in the mirror on the back of the door – he was wearing a pair of navy wool pants and a pale blue long-sleeved shirt, with the top button undone. He looked smart, but, he sighed, was he trying too hard? Was he trying to look too business-like for a coffee shop, or was it simply that he could calm his nerves by wearing an outfit that had echoes of his office wear – effectively his armour?

His concerns were sufficient to change his mind and he unbuckled his belt, unzipped the pants and slid them off – creating a static charge that bristled as touched the hanger. He looked at himself again: he was wearing a shirt and boxers – Alicia would laugh if she knew how on edge he was over meeting her and how he had agonised over his outfit like the stereotypical woman 'I have nothing to wear!'

He decided a casual, or at least a semi-casual outfit was better. He took a clean pair of jeans from his closet and put them on instead of the suit pants. Completing the outfit with a sports jacket, he grabbed his wallet, cell phone and keys and nodded at his appearance in the mirror – reassuring himself he was doing nothing wrong.

Before he exited the apartment, he left a quick note for Catherine saying where he had gone. He didn't think lying to his daughter was a good idea, so he simply told her he'd gone to meet a friend from Law School for coffee. He also promised he would be back in time for dinner – with a treat!

…

Alicia put her cell phone into her purse and smiled to herself in anticipation of meeting Will. She decided to go to the ladies room, as having spent the day in court she could do with freshening up a little. She couldn't do anything about her outfit, but brushing her hair and reapplying her lip colour would revitalise her.

As she walked towards the bathroom, the heels of her stiletto pumps clicked on the marble floor, causing many people gathered in the lobby to look in her direction – she simply smiled at them, rather than looking at the floor and quickening her pace as she usually did, just to get away from the glares. Today she enjoyed the attention the patent Christian Louboutins gained and she hoped the effect they had of drawing the eye to, and elongating, her slim legs would not be lost on Will Gardner. Even though she knew he was committed to his family, today she would enjoy flirting with him. What could be the harm in that, she asked herself as she pushed open the door to the ladies? A little fun for old times' sake, after all, she felt something last night outside the bar and, surely Will did too? As she walked into a cubicle and locked the door she remembered him cupping her face and stopping himself form leaning in to kiss her; her fingers darted to her lips and she felt the corners of her mouth turn up at the thought. It was wrong to have such feelings about a married colleague, unethical even, but Will wasn't just a future colleague, he was an old friend and somebody that she had been attracted to. No, she corrected herself, he was somebody she WAS attracted to.

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Will smiled to himself at the good grace of finding a parking spot directly outside the courthouse - no chance of finding that on Monday morning! As he locked his car, he looked up at the Cook County courthouse and his smile widened – he was really looking forward to getting back into the courtroom.

Will waited for a Ford Ranger to pass then quickly crossed the road to the coffee shop. It was a small, independent café that he mused probably sold much better coffee than Starbucks. He chuckled quietly as a bell rung when he opened the door: old school charm. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he inhaled the wonderful concoction of freshly ground coffee beans as he scanned the room for Alicia. He smiled as he spotted her engrossed in a file at a table in the corner. He felt his heart quicken as he walked towards her, exciting his senses for the second time in less than twenty-four hours.

….

Alicia had chosen a table that was out of the main thoroughfare through the café so they would have some privacy. Although they had nothing to hide, she did want to talk about what happened, or more correctly, what nearly happened last night; that could be awkward and she didn't want any of her colleagues or opponents to overhear their conversation.

From her vantage point she noticed Will walk through the café door; he was smiling and she felt her mouth turn up to reciprocate the sentiment. Not wanting him to find her eagerly awaiting him, she busied herself with the brief in front of her.

"Hey," Will said softly as he arrived at her table. Alicia looked up and smiled at him – her heart beating a little quicker in her chest too.

A/N: OK, so the next chapter will involve their conversation. What do you think they will talk about? Should they talk about what happened outside the bar?