Authors Note: Thank you to every one who reviewed, even those who aren't sure about this parring, Thanks also to Ebony10 for being my beta.
Disclaimer: Not mine, not even close.
It's been six months since I asked her to dinner the first time, a little less than that since she got drunk the first time. It doesn't happen very often, her getting drunk, but it always ends up with me buying her coffee in the morning on the way into work.
I used to just ask her to dinner when we, or rather Jane, had seriously screwed up. Then I started asking her out at the end of every case, even ones where we hadn't caused her a serious head ache. I enjoyed her company and she seemed to enjoy mine.
We're having a slow spell right now. No one was in the mood for murder or mayhem apparently. I had finished all of my paper work and was now sitting at my desk, reading my newest book. I had swapped the dust jacket out with a sci-fi book, but I was really reading one of the Twilight books. It wouldn't look right for me to be reading it—that's why I switched out the dust jackets.
I wasn't really paying attention to the book. I was too busy trying to figure out a way to ask Lisbon out for dinner again. I didn't have an excuse this time. I couldn't ask her out as a congratulations on a job well done and I couldn't ask her out as an apology for screwing up. I was at a loss.
"Cho!" she called suddenly from the door of her office, "I need to talk to you." She looked mad, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out why. I put down my book, careful to mark the page, and went into her office.
"Close the door." She said. This must be serious.
"What's up, boss?" I ask as I take a seat in front of the desk she is sitting behind. Maybe I read the look wrong before because now she looks nervous.
"Come to dinner with me tonight." She says quickly and with no hesitation, but I can tell she's afraid I might say no.
"Yes," I say. She looks as though she waiting for me to say something else so I continue, "I was just sitting out there trying to figure out a way to ask you out without having a case as an excuse."
"Well, I guess I beat you to the punch." She smiles at me now and I notice, not for the first time, that it makes her look young and beautiful. "Would you like to pick me up?"
I'm a little surprised. We usually meet there or on the rare occasion when she is in trouble for something we have done, I drive her to dinner and then to work the next morning. "You mean, like we're going to go on a real date?"
She's looking even less confidant than before, "Well, yeah, but if you don't-"
I cut her off. "Of course I want to go out with you." It was like a six-month long dream come true. "Do you have someplace in mind?"
"There's a really good seafood restaurant that I like. I was thinking we could go there and then maybe to a movie."
"Sound like a plan. I'll pick you up at seven. Is that ok?" I was still in a little bit of shock that we were actually going on a date.
"Seven sounds wonderful." She was smiling now. I loved her smile. She didn't do it often enough.
"Do you mind if I take the rest of the afternoon off?" It was already 4:00, so it wasn't like I was going to be cutting out that early. Besides it has been really slow this week.
"Sure, why?" Lisbon responded. I decided to pull a page out of Jane's book and just smiled at her. She laughed. "I'll see you tonight."
I got up and walked out. This was going to be interesting. I hoped no one asked me any questions about why I was in her office. I don't think I would be able to hold back. I'd probably just tell everyone. I walked slowly back to my desk and gathered up my things. Rigsby looked up from his desk and looked at me with a question in his eyes.
"Hey, where are you going?" He seemed jealous that I was leaving and he was still stuck here.
"I'm going home for the day. It's really slow, and the boss said it was okay."
"Really? Maybe I should ask to leave, too."
"It's worth a shot." I grabbed my coat and started to walk out the door. I was almost out entirely free and clear when I heard Jane call my name. I thought about just ignoring him, but I knew he would know that I had heard him. I turned around and caught his eye.
"Did you need something?" I asked, I was anxious to leave. I had shopping to do and I wasn't very good at it. I would need all the time I could get.
"Let me walk you out." He said, jumping up and following me. We walked in silence for a while. Jane didn't say anything until we were outside of the building, headed to the parking lot. It was a nice day, a gentle breeze was blowing and it made my already good mood just that much better.
"You seem unusually happy this afternoon." Jane commented. "I think I actually saw you smiling back there when you told Rigsby that you were going home for the night. Where are you really going?"
"I've got to do some shopping." I kept walking, hoping he would give up his interest, but he just followed me.
"Really? You don't usually go shopping."
"I know. it's a special occasion." I knew if I kept talking to him he would get out of me that I was going on a date with Lisbon, if he didn't know already.
"What did Lisbon want to talk to you about?" He would know if I was lying, I better not look him in the face. I picked up the pace. I was almost to my car, almost home free.
"Just about taking the rest of the afternoon off." There was my car, I unlocked the door and started to get in but Jane grabbed my arm and looked me straight in the eyes. This was a good a time as any to have a stone face that was difficult for him to read.
"So you aren't going out with her tonight?" His face looked hopeful, but I'm pretty sure he already knows the answer so I don't say anything about it.
"I'll see you tomorrow Jane." Was all I said. I got in the car and drove off, with him looking at me with a crushed look on his face. He knew.