A/N: Ok, so I promised a longer chapter, and well, I did deliever, but it's still kinda of a short chapter. And I must tell the truth, I'm not very happy with this chapter. Don't like it at all, but I thought I would post it because it gets us closer to the next chapter.
Friday…
Doctor Temperance Brennan looked up from a pile of paperwork to find her best friend standing at her open door smiling at her. "Can I help you with something, Angela?" The artist smile grew bigger as she stepped over the threshold and into the office.
"Actually, you can," Angela said. Brennan watched the other woman closely, as she moved toward a chair and flopped down in it.
"I can't read your mind," Brennan finally said after a long moment of silence.
"Promise you'll hear me all the way out," Angela said, causing Brennan to raise a slender eyebrow at her.
"Hear what out?"
"Promise?" Brennan nodded, and Angela went on. "You see there's a friend of mine is coming in from out of town." Pause. "And he has a friend coming with him."
"Good for them," Brennan said. "That particular sexual preference isn't mine, but I have nothing against it." Angela looked at her friend with slight confusion before the meaning of her words settled in.
"No, no, no, they aren't gay," Angela said. "What I trying to say is that Patrick and I are going out tonight, and well, we need a date for his friend Royce."
Brennan stared across her desk at her friend and then shook her head. "I can't think of anybody," she said. "Have you asked Dr. Saroyan?"
Angela gave her a blank look before blinking and forcing a smile. "I'm asking you, Brenn," she said. "I want you to go on a double date with us."
Brennan shook her head. "No can do, Ange," she answered.
"Oh, come on, Brennan," Angela began to plead. "When was the last time you got out there and did something? Although you have been acting strange lately. Anyhow, when was the last time you had a date?"
"Officially, last Saturday, why?" Brennan asked as she looked up from the papers she had been reading.
"Officially?" Angela questioned.
"I saw someone last night," Brennan clarified with a shrug. "But I wouldn't call it a date."
"Oh my God, you're seeing someone," Angela squealed. "Who? Do I know him? Better yet, why didn't I know?"
Brennan let out a heavy sigh. "See, this is why I didn't bother to tell you. I knew you would go all nosey on me."
"What do you mean, all nosey on you?" Angela asked trying to put on her best 'hurt face'. "We're friends and friends tell each other things.
Brennan leaned back in her chair and pushed back from her desk. "I tell you a lot about my life, Ange. I'm just not ready to tell you about who I'm seeing." Angela clapped her hands together, a smile spreading over her face.
"So you are seeing someone."
"Listen, if you promise, promise not to bug me about it, I'll introduce you to him."
"Really? Wait, that was way too easy." Angela eyed her friend carefully. "What's the catch?"
"The catch," Brennan said with a smile, "is that you can't mention it again until Monday."
"And if I don't mention it?"
"Then you can meet him Monday."
"Why Monday?"
"Because I'm going out of town this weekend."
"Out of town?" Angela asked. "With lover boy?" Brennan smiled up at her friend and then pulled herself back to her desk, deciding not to answer.
XxXxX
"Brennan." Temperance answered her phone with her normal short greeting, her eyes scanning over the remains that lay in front of her.
"Hey there, Gorgeous." Brennan quickly looked around her to confirm that nobody was near, before allowing herself to smile at the smooth voice of Booth.
"Hey, yourself." Brennan waved at Zack and pointed to the remains. She waited for the young man to nod his understanding, before turning and walking to her office.
"You still going to be ready for me to pick you up tonight?"
"Absolutely."
"Haven't changed your mind, have you?"
Brennan locked eyes with Angela, who smiled widely at her. "No," she answered, walking into her office and shutting the door.
"Have you told Angela yet?"
Brennan flopped down on her couch with a sigh. "No, not yet," she answered.
"And why not?"
"Because now I have her promise not to ask about who I'm dating until Monday."
"Oh, sneaky."
Brennan smiled into the phone. "Yeah, I thought so too."
"I should be by your place around six tonight. Is that good?"
XxXxX
"What time does our flight leave tomorrow?" Temperance asked, as they sat on the floor of Booth's apartment, eating take-out food.
Seeley finished off his bite of food before he answered, "Seven in the morning." Brennan nodded and reached out for her beer. "I'm glad you agreed to spend the night."
"Saves time doesn't it?"
"Oh, it saves time," Seeley said, setting his empty plate aside. He leant over toward Temperance, and nuzzled her neck. "But I was thinking that it gives us time to play."
"Play, huh? What do you have in mind?"
"Oh, I think you know." Temperance giggled – surprising both of them- and then turned into his embrace. Seeley found her lips and savored their taste. A loud growl came out of his mouth as he pulled back, the sound of his phone piercing the silence. "Stupid phone," he muttered. Temperance smiled as she watched him climb to his feet, walk across the room and yank his house phone off its cradle. "Heylo. Oh, hi mom." Seeley rolled his eyes and leant back against the wall. "Yes, our plane leaves in the morning at seven." Seeley half listened to his mother, but his eyes were watching Temperance. He watched as she finished her food, and then took a sip of her beer. "I'm sure, Mom, she's coming." That sentence caused Tempe to look up at him- her brows arched in question. "I got her promise." He suppressed a laugh when Tempe stuck out her tongue at him. "I told you I would get her there, didn't I? You'll like her. Yes. Okay, see you tomorrow." Seeley hang up the phone and smiled at Tempe. "What?"
"Just thinking that you're pretty sneaky yourself."
"And why do you say that?" he asked, taking a seat back next to her.
"Somehow I figured your mother knew about me coming long before you asked me."
Seeley shrugged. "We might have talked about it."
Next chapter: Meet the parents...