A/N: Please let me know what you think of this story! I would appreciate it much. Thanks!

"I have learned not to worry about love; but to honor its coming with all my heart."

- Alice Walker

Why was this so difficult? She was a simple person, enjoyed the simple things. But he knew he couldn't greet her at the airport, holding a bouquet. She hated "cut-up" flowers. He knew he couldn't wait at her place and surprise her. She kicked people who surprised her.
'This will have to do'
Spencer made sure the tablecloth was even on all sides. He had managed to make his apartment look presentable. The evening had to be perfect. Monica deserved perfection.

The doorbell rang, nearly making him jump. He quickly checked his own appearance. Bubbly watched him fidget with his tie from the drawing room floor.
'Breathe'
He advanced towards the door and looked through the peep-hole. There she was. He couldn't help but smile. She looked smaller somehow. Tanned. How he had missed her.
Triiing.
At the sight of her, he had momentarily forgotten to open the door. He soon did and greeted her with a smile. Spencer's heart swelled with male vanity on seeing her.
"Hi", he said, mesmerised.
Monica grinned at him.
"Hey"
"Come in, please"
She did and he closed the door behind them. Monica took a look at the apartment and said,
"Somebody's been..."
He clasped her to his heart. It took her a moment to relax in his tight embrace, but she hugged him back.
"I missed you too", she said.
Spencer held onto her for another moment, unwilling to let go. But he feared he would never let go if he didn't any soon. Monica was looking up at him with such adoration. He lowered his head to kiss her.
'Sweet as always'
They kissed in a tender fashion, like friends would. Spencer smiled when they drew apart. He said,
"Let me take your coat"
He helped her out of it.
"Thanks"
Revealed to him were her bare arms and back, the rest cruelly covered in red fabric. He looked at it and wondered why he hadn't noticed before how beautiful her neck was. It looked...
"There's my boy!"
Monica was down on her knees, beckoning to Bubbly. The dog actually made the effort to walk into her arms. Spencer wondered rhetorically if it was the same dog who hated having to chew food.
"Oh, wee boy. I missed you too. You were good to Dr. Reid? Were you?", she took his paw and waved it at Spencer, "Say 'Thanks, Dr. Reid'. He took such good care of you, didn't he?"
Bubbly licked her hands with his tired tongue, making her giggle. It made Spencer resent him a little. Monica let go of Bubbly and rose.
"Don't worry", she smiled at Spencer, "I'll wash my hands"
"Take your time"
When she went in towards the bathroom, he looked down at Bubbly.
"Couldn't wait to slobber all over her, could you?"
Ignoring him, Bubbly drooled over the floor and made it his bed. Spencer sidestepped him, walking to the table. Monica returned to the drawing room and stood next to him.
"Allow me"
He pulled out her chair for her.
"Why, thank you"
Taking the chair across from hers, he said,
"I know you're not a wine person, so..."
He made a show of pouring the vodka into their glasses. Monica couldn't stop smiling. Spencer raised his glass.
"Za nas"
She clinked it with hers,
"Za lyubov"
"You never told me you speak Russian", he smiled.
"What can I say? I am an international woman of mystery", she winked.

Dinner had been another of his worries. Chicken tikka looked a little incongruous on a romantic dinner table, but he knew she loved it.
"Not that I'm complaining, cause this is really thoughtful", Monica said, "But normally, your idea of a romantic date is doing magic tricks for me in bed. Literally. I quite like magic. Why this... step up?"
He forked a piece of chicken.
"I wanted to give you a proper welcome"
"Then you should have been naked when I got here"
"Monica..."
"Yeah, yeah. When you used the word "date", I knew you were up to something. I got out of my parents' welcome party early to get ready"
"You look lovely"
"Thanks. It took some effort"
He caught a glimpse of her chest and found himself saying,
"Are you wearing your date bra?"
The look on her face made him want to bite his tongue. Before he could apologise, Monica smirked.
"I'm not wearing any, actually"
It was his turn to choke. She poured him some water.
"Thank you", he coughed.
When he looked better, she asked,
"So... what are we doing after this?"
"Mm. Dancing"
"You're serious?"
"Yes"
"You know I'm a terrible dancer"
"You will enjoy it, I promise"
She shrugged and had another helping of chicken tikka.

After dinner, he brought Monica to the centre of the drawing room.
"Bubbly, get up"
He wouldn't.
"Come on, Bubbly. Up"
Spencer made a face and lifted Bubbly out of their way. When he faced Monica, she seemed confused but excited.
"I'm guessing this is the dance part"
"Yes"
He touched some buttons on his phone and kept it within hearing distance. Monica looked at his outstretched hand and placed her own in it. Spencer drew her close and waited for her to hear it. From the phone, Eva Cassidy's ethereal voice reached them -
'For you, there'll be no crying...'
Monica looked up at him in surprise, as he slowly swayed with her.
"How dare you?"
He smiled in answer. He could feel her relax as the music progressed. Holding her - it had become one of the comforts in his life. But she seemed thin in his arms now. Hardened by toiling in Australian forests. He got a whiff of freshly shampooed hair when Monica rested her head on his shoulder. His slice of a familiar heaven.
'And I love you, I love you, I love you... like never before'

They stopped dancing long after the song ended. Monica still had her arms around him.
"This was the sweetest, most wonderful date I've ever been on. Thank you"
He beamed with pride, glad that he had treated her to a romantic evening. Monica was getting close to his face when he said,
"I wrapped some leftovers for you to take home. I know you love chicken tikka"
She stopped.
"I... I do. Did you say you wrapped it for me to take home?"
"Yeah"
"Thanks"
He felt bereft as her arms left his body. Monica looked around.
"I guess I grab Bubbly and get going then"
"Yeah. It's getting late", he offered, "Do you want me to drop you?"
There was actually a line visible on her forehead. Spencer was doing his best to not burst out laughing.
Monica exclaimed,
"What I need you to drop is your frigging pants!"
She was laying into him right away.
"I shoved myself into this tight dress, which is havoc on my boobs! I had to watch like four videos until I could get these motherchucking smoky eyes right! I don't get to see you for a month and you offer me chicken tikka as a substitute for sex?! Don't even bother pretending that you're awkward about it. We both know you love it! But you... where do you think you're going?"
Spencer stood by his bedroom door, holding it ajar. He wanted to watch her reaction to the scene within. Monica stepped closer.
His bed was made up, ready. Not his usual set of sheets, but rich-coloured linen that she would like. There was a canopy surrounding it as well. The bed itself was empty. None of the nonsense she hated, flower petals or candles. Just room enough for two people to make love all night.
"I missed you", he whispered into her ear.
He placed a firm kiss on the nape of her neck. Trailing one hand down her shoulder, along her back, Spencer unraveled her neatly done-up hair with the other hand. Monica stood transfixed in place. He didn't mind. They could start right where they were.
"How could you..."
Her chatter stopped abruptly as he lay kisses on her bare skin. His soft lips found the crook of her neck. Monica held his hands as they grazed her waist. Spencer dipped his head over her neck, pausing long enough between kisses to say,
"In you go"
She did, and he wasn't far behind. The door made a telling sound as he closed it. He approached her, making her walk backwards right up to the bed.
"Dr. Reid...", she said in awe.
He heard her gasp when he got close. Reaching a hand into her hair, Spencer slipped his fingers past her earlobe. She looked at the result of his "magic trick", and laughed in relief.
Monica took the condom foil from his fingers, looking relaxed for the first time that evening.
"There's the man I fell in love with"
Now it was a perfect date.