So this is my first real mentalist fan-fiction. This is obviously not cannon. I never really like Pike's character and personally found him to be a little creepy. I hope you enjoy!
Teresa tugged on her skintight black dress in the mirror and ran her fingers through her hair for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Is this too much? She thought to herself as she finished applying her burgundy lipstick. Her heart was racing and she took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. She's a cop, not a schoolgirl so why is she so nervous? Come on, you talked to him dozens of times, what's different about tonight? She grabbed her clutch and flicked the light off in her bathroom and waited for 7:00. She glanced at the clock and heard the clicking of her heels on the hardwood floor. This is ridiculous. Pull yourself together, Teresa. She sat on her couch, almost hoping her phone would ring, praying that it would be work so she would have an excuse to push the date back another night. A soft knock on the door pulled her back into reality. Her black heels clicked on her floor as she walked to the door to unlock it. She took a deep breath and opened the door, feeling the corners of her mouth turning upward as she saw his jaw drop.
"Hey, you." She scanned his body, dressed in an expensive black suit.
"Wow, you look so...beautiful." He extended his arm to show her out of her apartment.
"Thank you, you look pretty good yourself." She blushed, and took his elbow and walked down the steps. This was quite a change from their first date at the local diner where they ate pancakes and talked to the early hours of the morning. Tonight just felt different.
Pike opened up her door for her and she slid into the black leather seat, releasing a breath as the door closed beside her. Her heart was still hammering in her chest. Pike sat beside her and put the keys in the ignition, he turned the radio on to drown out the tension.
"Are you nervous Teresa?" Pike asked, she normally wasn't this quiet at work. She stopped picking at the clasp on her bracelet and looked up at Pike sheepishly.
"Um, a little. I guess." She felt heat creeping up her cheeks. She laughed it off and shook her head. "Sorry, it's just that I haven't really done this in a while. You know?"
"Well that's pretty hard to believe, Teresa. You're a good looking woman." He looked at her and grinned, and she felt the tightness in her chest dissipating. "But don't worry, I'm a little rusty too." She settled back into her seat, far less nervous than before, and smiled.
Their car rolled up to the restaurant and she went to open up her car door, she stepped out and stood on the dimly lit sidewalk.
"Way to make a man feel worthless, Teresa. I was going to get the door for you." He smiled and she shut the door.
"Oh, sorry. I'm not used to that kind of service." She laughed and walked next to him.
"Well get used to it, because that's the kind of man I am." He opened the door to the restaurant and said the name for the reservation. The cool air conditioning hit her skin, it wasn't that much brighter in there than it was outside. This was the nicest restaurant she'd been in for a while. It was a welcome change from the endless takeout at the office.
The waiter pulled out her chair and she sat down and looked at the menu, she was feeling more at ease. She felt silly for being so nervous earlier and looked up at Marcus who was staring at her from across the table.
"I'm so glad you agreed to go on a date with me Teresa. To be completely honest, I thought you were going to say no." Pike confessed and took a sip of wine.
"Why would you think that?" She asked and mirrored him, taking a drink of her wine and thanking the waiter who placed two salads in front of them.
"Oh, I don't know. I guess I just thought that maybe you and Patrick had a thing."
Teresa almost laughed out loud at the thought. No. Not her and Jane. She could never have those kind of feeling for Jane. Could she? "Oh, no. I don't know why everyone thinks that. We're just friends, really good friends."
"Well that's good to know, because I'd honestly like to get to know you better. I wouldn't want anything to get in the way of that."
She was surprised at his directness but was pleased to know that he was serious with her, that she wasn't just going to be another fling in an office full of hot shot FBI agents. There were plenty of other young agents, impressionable and defiantly more willing than her. This was a pleasant change, to know that she mattered to someone, that she was wanted by someone.
"Me either." She smiled coyly and stared at him. Their newfound tension didn't make her uncomfortable, she rather enjoyed the knots that were tying up her stomach. Their trance was broken by the waiter coming out with their main course and offering them more wine. Marcus happily took it and poured them another glass.
"To us." He lifted the glass and took a sip.
Teresa smiled. She'll drink to that. She took another drink of her wine. Then another and another until she was finishing her third glass. Her cheeks were hot from the alcohol and she felt herself becoming a little more than buzzed. They finished their meals and let the waiter bring the check. Pike grabbed it and insisted on paying. He wouldn't even show her the total. It had to be expensive.
She stood up from her chair and felt a little weak in the knees. Marcus took her elbow and they walked out together into the cooling Sacramento night. Her phone started buzzing and she fumbled with the button on her clutch.
"Sorry, it might be work." She gave him an apologetic look and saw Patrick's face lighting up her phone. She let it go to voicemail and shoved the phone back away, smiling at Marcus. "So, where were we." They continued walking down the sidewalk back to his car.
"Well, I think that we were right about here." He stopped in the middle of the almost vacant sidewalk and turned her towards him. His lips crashing into hers and pushing her back into the entrance of an alley. Her soft skin raked against the brick as he deepened the kiss. She hissed as her shoulder scraped the warm bricks and put her hands on his chest to signal she needed to breathe.
"Oh my, Teresa, I don't know what got into me. Did I hurt you." He stroked her hair and pulled her back into the lit part of the sidewalk.
"No, no I'm fine. It's okay. I think we're both a little drunk. Maybe we should call a cab."
Pike laughed at the thought. "I'm not drunk, I can handle a little wine. Let's just go back to your place." He grabbed her hand and tried leading her to his car but she wouldn't move, her black heels planted firmly on the sidewalk.
"Come on Marcus, this isn't funny. Please, can we just call a cab. A DUI would look very bad on your record." Teresa stood her ground and gave him her most convincing stare.
"Fine, fine. Maybe I am a little buzzed. I guess I can always get my car tomorrow." He pulled out his phone and called for a cab. Within a few minutes, one was waiting for them and they climbed inside. The cab pulled over outside of her house and she unbuckled her seat belt. Pike followed, but she grabbed his hand in order to stop him.
"Sorry, not tonight. But thank you, I had a wonderful time." She gave him a peck on the cheek and gave the driver a tip, watching as the cab pulled away. Breathing in the night air and reaching for her keys, she unlocked the door to her dark apartment. She locked the door behind her and sighed as she took off her heels and walked to her bedroom to undress. The skin on her shoulder burned and she examined it in the mirror, it had already turned an angry red color. She winced when she touched it and pulled a T-shirt over her head to sleep in. She climbed into bead after brushing her teeth and though about the night that had just occurred. It had gotten a bit rough, but it really wasn't the worst date she'd ever had. Marcus was actually pretty sweet she thought to herself, maybe they could really have something.
She checked her phone before going to bed and discovered the voicemail from Jane. /Hey Teresa, I just wanted to make sure your date was going okay. I know these things can get a little uncomfortable. So if you need a call-out buddy, I'm your guy. Really though, I hope you're having a good time. Goodnight, see you tomorrow./ She smiled and laid her phone back on her nightstand and drifted off to sleep.