So sorry! I'm not sure if its ever taken me this long between chapters. But the laptop is up and running again. This is a bit of a snap shot chapter, not my best, but I think you will enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Teen Titans, but I own the plot line and a few bottles of Grgich Hills wine.

Chapter 25

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A Week of Dates

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The week was practically a blur. Richard and Kori spoke frequently and saw each other everyday, growing closer and closer.

Monday

As promised, Dick called Kori in the early afternoon and they made dinner plans. Nothing further had been said, but Dick was concerned that Kori thought things had been getting out of hand the night before in the car, so he had Alfred drive them. Kori being Kori, she chatted up Alfred on the drive to and from the restaurant and Dick just sat back and watched her. She was so good with people and it was nice to see how she was to Alfred. He hated it when anyone treated Alfred as 'help'.

Dinner was in a popular bistro-style eatery that offered California style cuisine and an impressive wine list. Dick ordered a bottle of Grgich Hills Chardonnay while they looked over the menu.

"Oh, Richard, this wine is wonderful!" Kori exclaimed taking a sip of the robust white wine.

"It's my favorite. I always visit the Grgich Hills Estate when I am in the Napa Valley area. The vineyard is a fantastic place. I'll have to take you sometime," Dick said the last bit without thinking, realizing right after he said it that Kori might not find it appropriate to discuss such things this early in the relationship.

Kori's eyes flashed wide in surprise, blushed a bit and smiled, "I think I would like that when the time comes."

"I look forward to it." Gazing into her eyes, Dick reached over and took her hand and brought it up to his lips to kiss it. Kori's blush depended.

They just looked in each other's eyes for a bit, and then Kori said softly, "We better figure out what to order."

"I'm busy," Dick replied with a very sexy smile.

They finally ordered and continued there conversation, which included a lot of flirting. Unfortunately, Dick had promised to talk to Kori about what was going on with Babs, having not gotten much of a chance to discuss it the day before.

"I did speak to Barbara today, but unfortunately she seems to be more resistant to getting help than I had hoped. Yesterday, she told me about getting dependent on Percocet after having a bad back injury and then having her nose done back to back, but today she insisted it wasn't a problem. She said she was still taking them, that her back was still that bad, but then she wouldn't tell me who's prescribing them or how much she was taking."

"How long has she been taking the Percocet?" Kori asked.

"Probably four to six months total."

"She could easily be dependent," Kori was careful not to say addicted. "She's never asked you to prescribe anything for her, has she?"

"Fortunately she hasn't, but I wish I knew where she could get them for that long,"

"It's actually not that hard. Multiple doctors, ER visits, the Internet, but I know you know that."

"Yeah I do," Dick said sadly, "I just wish I could help."

"You are helping Dick. She knows you cared enough to help her yesterday and that you care enough to keep asking her about it. I am sure she will come around."

"I'd like to think that I would have helped yesterday, but you were the one that asked me to."

"Yes, but you surely would have had you seen her in the state she was during the match and the change from when we saw her during the tailgate party."

"Kori, honestly I don't know if I would have intervened without your prompting me too."

"No Richard, you would have done the right thing, I am sure of it," Kori replied emphatically.

"You have more faith in me than I deserve."

"No I do not. You should have more faith in yourself."

Dick smiled at her and considered it. Kori certainly was bringing out the best in him.

Alfred drove them from the restaurant back to the embassy and was careful to park far enough from the embassy's front door so Kori and Dick had a chance to have a moment or two alone. Half way to the door, in a spot on the walk between lights, Dick stopped and turned to Kori. He said nothing as he pulled her into a kiss. It was shorter than either of them would have wanted, and after pulling apart they stood there forehead to forehead, full of desire for each other.

"Can I see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," Kori replied still a bit out of breath, trying to process the feelings she was having.

Dick pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. He then turned and lead her toward the front door. When they reached the door, again, Galfore was there to meet them. Dick shook Galfore's hand and they said their goodnights.

Tuesday

Dick had a fairly busy day working horses and doing some work for one of Bruce's foundations but his mood was great and he was looking forward to seeing Kori. He couldn't believe the effect that she had on him nor could he believe that he didn't mind, but the fact was he didn't, in fact he loved it.

Kori had a wonderful day. She was happily caught up in the fledgling romance but able to concentrate on her research and writing. She got in a long run and felt on top of the world.

That night they again went out to dinner. Alfred drove them again, which Dick had mixed feelings about, but he worried about Kori feeling any pressure. The date pretty much went as it had the night before with good conversation, a great deal of flirting and wonderful food and wine. There was no discussion on the Babs situation as there was nothing new on that front for which Dick was very grateful.

Galfore had been out for the evening, so Dick got to say goodnight to Kori in private. When they got out of the car, Alfred gave Dick a wink, reassuring him he could take his time. Kori let them into the embassy and they stood in the foyer, facing each other, holding hands. Dick touched her cheek and leaned in for a kiss which she happily returned. She opened her lips and gave a small suck to his lower lip requesting that the kiss deepen. As they kissed, he pulled her close. He was concerned about how she would react to feeling his hardness against her belly, but if anything she pulled closer once she noticed it.

Again, they had to end their exchange far to quickly as far as either of them was concerned. Kori inwardly smiled at the effect she had on Dick, knowing that the attraction was mutual. They made plans for Thursday night as Dick was scheduled to work on Wednesday, although Dick asked if he could see her on Wednesday if it worked out with his schedule and he promised to call.

Wednesday

Dick was scheduled to work 7P-7A at the ER, but he did manage to visit Kori at the embassy. They sat out in her beloved garden and sipped ice tea on a particularly hot and humid May day. Galfore joined them for a bit, and although they cherished their time alone, at least it seemed like he was warming up to Dick.

Thursday

Dick did not want to get too thrown off his schedule of working overnights, so on Thursday they decided to have have dinner and then take in a late movie. He was none too disappointed to find out that Bruce needed Alfred to drive and Kori did not seem displeased with the news either.

Dinner was at a homey Italian place that they both enjoyed very much.

When they got to the movie theater it was Kori who suggested the last row so she could "see the entire screen" and Dick suppressed a smirk when he realized she was probably thinking what he was thinking. The movie was a thriller which Richard was very pleased about – not only was it the kind of movie he enjoyed, but during the suspenseful scenes Kori practically crawled into his lap. There were some slow scenes too, and during those they got to sneak in some fairly passionate kisses.

When they got home, Galfore had waited up. He invited Dick into the den for a brandy and Kori took this as her cue to go up to her bedroom so the men could talk.

Friday

Dick was scheduled to work his usual 7P to 7A Friday night shift in the ER. After finding out that Kori also played tennis and Galfore actually belonged to the same country club as Bruce and Dick did, they decided to meet at the country club in the late afternoon so they could get in a few sets before Dick had to work. There were courts at Wayne Manor, but Dick thought that Galfore might be more comfortable with them meeting at the club, and there was no way he was going to risk upsetting Galfore as he was beginning to accept Dick in Kori's life

Dick knew how athletic Kori was but could not believe how she kept up with him in tennis. Although he had to leave the tennis team at Princeton to concentrate on his studies, he had kept up his game and was no slouch, and had competed to the semifinals or the finals of the country club's tournament consistently over the past few years. Although he had originally planned to let her win some points, once he realized how well she played, there was no way he would give her a break, he was just that competitive. She had incredible endurance and great instincts and could anticipate his shots even though this was the first time the played each other.

And how Kori looked was driving him to distraction. She looked fantastic in tennis whites and he adored the look of concentration on her face and how great she looked with a sheen of sweat. Then there was the grunts and growls she let out with her effort and frustration. How he would like to hear some of those noises in a very different setting...

Time was getting late and Dick had to get to work, so they agreed to stop play and call it a draw. They each showered and changed in their resective locker rooms at the club and met outside in the parking lot before departing.

"This was really poor planning." Dick said, walking with Kori to her car.

"What was?" Kori asked for clarification.

"Two cars. How am I going to kiss you properly?"

"What difference would one car make? We are in the country club parking lot in the daytime," Kori replied with a coy smile.

"But I really need to kiss you!" Dick insisted, only sort of joking.

"Can you not wait until tomorrow?"

"No," Dick said firmly.

"No?"

"Kori it will be over 24 hours before I see you again!"

"Poor Richard," Kori placed her hand on Dick's cheek and looked deep in his eyes. "I am certain you will survive." Kori gave him a quick peck on the cheek and then turned and reached for the door handle.

Dick grabbed her arm and spun her back to him, planting his lips firmly on hers. She let out a short 'eep' in surprise and took a few beats to relax in his arms. He broke the kiss and pulled her into a hug.

"Sorry, but I didn't think I would make it another day without a kiss." he whispered in her ear making her shiver. He chuckled a bit at that and kissed her again on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes," she replied dreamily, under his spell once again. He helped her with her car door and Kori found herself having to shake her head to clear it before she was steady enough for the drive home.

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Next chapter up soon! Thank you for reading! Please review!