A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the first chapter! Here is the second chapter! I do hope that you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: Me own Mentalist? Do I look that rich?
Monday morning came all too soon for her liking. There hadn't been enough time to think, to figure out how to act. She hadn't talked to him; hadn't discussed the possible consequences. There had been no planning on how to keep it a secret from everyone else. She knew that she could keep her emotions in check. It really wasn't that hard to hide them. Yet, she knew Jane was different. She didn't have time to figure out how different post-Red John Jane was from pre-Red John Jane. She didn't know if he had thought out his actions from the weekend. The only thing she knew was that she hadn't thought out her actions. That in itself scared her.
She purposely went to work an hour before she usually did to try and beat him there. If she could somehow manage to get into her office before she saw him, she would have more time to think. The situation was far from under control and that bothered her more than the situation itself. Having control was a must for her, losing it meant relinquishing it to someone else. In her case that was definitely not an option. She was the boss. The boss always had control.
The sun had not yet come out when she walked into the building. It was truly much earlier than she cared for it to be. She had never been a morning person; being here this early only solidified how bothered she really was. The hallway was dimly lit as she walked through them. Her car was also the only car in the parking lot when she had arrived. That fact gave her more confidence than it probably should have. The man she was trying to avoid was a master at disguise in every sense of the word. He could hide an elephant if he wanted to (she wasn't positive he hadn't growing up). His car could be hidden discreetly down the road somewhere. She knew all of this, but she still hoped.
Her office beckoned to her when she walked through the bullpen. She didn't even bother to glance at his couch. She was confident that even he wouldn't be here this early. In fact he shouldn't be here because he was not employed here currently. Her office looked exactly as it had when she left on that fateful Friday night. The blinds were drawn and the lights off. Nothing looked out of place, the door was shut, and none of the blinds were moving conspicuously. Only then did she chance a look at the bullpen. His couch looked dusted. That made her chuckle.
She felt rather than saw him lying on the couch due to the darkness of the room. She tried in vain to see if she could make out his silhouette on the couch. Her hand hesitated to flip the light switch almost as if she was afraid to prove herself wrong. It was odd once she realized that she had recently acquired a physical reaction to his presence. It wasn't one of anticipation or of fear. It also couldn't be described as guilt or shame. Something inside her simply informed her that he was near, even if she couldn't see him. That thought should have scared her, instead it comforted her more than she liked.
She heard him sit up, and that's when she decided to flip the switch. They studied each other for an instant before she broke eye contact. It was too much for her to take in right now. She had hoped that she could get to work before him to think in an environment that wasn't tainted with an emotional presence. Her place was currently humming with emotional turmoil after the weekend. She hadn't been able to think coherently there.
"Teresa…," he said, but she shook her head. Yes, she wanted to talk to him, but she wanted to do the talking. Unfortunately, Jane had other plans.
"Do you want me to talk to Hightower?" he asked her softly. He was currently asking her permission for more than the job, that much she knew. His words were laced with a double meaning she couldn't begin to translate. Her skills at reading between the lines were foggy at best. Her mind was trying to figure out what he wanted in that moment. She couldn't do it.
"Do what you want Jane. You are very good at your job. The team will take you back, no questions asked," she told him calmly. She didn't allow her words to have a double meaning. She wanted him to understand that this conversation was about work, about the job only. She needed to keep personal and work separate. There was no possible way for her to mix them and stay sane at the same time. There was only one problem. She couldn't tell him no.
"Do what you want Patrick," were the next words out of her mouth. She saw his confusion, but it was only there for an instant. Shortly, his features turned to one of understanding once he comprehended the name difference. He had always been able to read her, no matter how vague she left the statement.
He cracked a smile at her and leaned back against the couch cushions. He obviously wanted to talk now, rather than later. She needed a physical barrier between them to have this conversation. Slowly, she circled her desk and sat down. She gave him her full attention and he smirked at her response. She knew that he knew how uncomfortable she was with having this conversation at the office. Yet, he had manipulated her into it without saying a word. She wished that she could be less readable.
"Hightower won't be here for another hour, Teresa," Jane said knowingly. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at his tone. She should have known that he would guess she was coming in early. He had probably also known she wanted time to think before she talked to him. He had given her that by not bothering her for the rest of the weekend. He smiled a genuine smile as she sat thinking. She couldn't help, but smile back. Somehow, he had managed to lighten the mood in the room, and for that she was thankful.
"What do you want Teresa?" he broke concentration. Obviously, there was something he didn't know. The problem was, she didn't know the answer either.
"Jane…," she started.
"Patrick," he interrupted.
"What?" she almost shouted in confusion. She didn't try to hide the irritation in her voice.
"For this conversation it's Patrick. I know you want to keep work and personal separate. So if we are having a personal conversation it's Patrick. If the conversation is about work I am the pain in the ass consultant Jane," he told her easily. Damn him for being able to read her mind. How was she supposed to have a serious conversation with a man that knew her thoughts? It was more than a little unnerving.
She cautiously watched him as he moved from his position on the couch to the chair across from her. Thankfully, he left the desk as a physical barrier. He probably knew that she would be more comfortable that way. It did irk her for a minute, but she also saw the advantages of his abilities. Most of the time it was annoying, but sometimes, it could be a blessing.
"What do you want Teresa?" he repeated his previous question. She didn't miss the emphasis on the word "you" either. She felt him studying her, seeking her eyes. She wouldn't allow him to find them. She looked down at her desk, then at her feet. The meaning of meeting his eyes had changed over the last few days. There was something oddly intimate about the mundane action. She also knew that it would have a calming effect on her, much like their close proximity. So much had changed in such a short amount of time.
"The team wants you back Jane," she said.
"Teresa, what do you want?" he asked for the third time. Against her better judgment she finally met his gaze. She knew the instant he understood her decision. She didn't have to utter a word. There was a light in his eyes she had never seen before. He gave her his second genuine smile of the day. Usually, she would be lucky to receive a smile a week, and even that was pushing it. She studied his eyes with a new fervor. To her, his eyes actually gleamed with delight. For the second time that day she smiled back at him. She couldn't help it, his smile was infectious.
"We take it slow, I mean it," she said.
"Oh really?" he said as he laughed out loud, "Do we even know what slow is?" His smile got wider. She couldn't quite believe that anyone could smile that big. She saw the playful light in his eyes. It was something that she hadn't seen in a long time. It was also something that made her want to tread with caution. He was up to something…she just didn't know what.
"So Lisbon, who should talk to Hightower?" he asked. She watched as the light sparkled brighter in his eyes. He wanted her to guess something. He wanted her to be confused. If confusion was really what he wanted, then he had successfully achieved his goal. There was no doubt about it, she was confused. They had basically agreed that he was going to talk to Hightower. She was not stepping into that office until she was told she had to.
"What?" was her eventual reply.
"Patrick or Jane? I figured that since I am going by two different names I should have two different personalities," he said as he stood and left her office. All she could do was roll her eyes and smile as she started to work.
A/N: Don't forget to tell me what you think!