Chapter 4

God's greatest gift to man is coffee, Samantha thought ruefully as she set about brewing another pot. She rubbed her eyes and sighed, taking a delicious moment to rest her weary eyes. She was getting old, not able to keep up with her active lifestyle they way she used to. Admittedly, the urges had been coming on pretty strong, stronger than she could ever remember.

She felt strong hands on her shoulders as they slowly squeezed her aching muscles. She sighed in content, visibly relaxing at the wonderful feeling until she realized where she was and what was going on. She spun around to find Danny standing behind her.

He lifted his hands in surrender. "Sorry," he said, "you looked kinda tense. Thought I might help."

Samantha smiled. "It's okay, it's just not every day someone gives out a free massage around here."

Elena breezed in at that moment. "Good morning, how is everyone?" the strikingly beautiful woman sang cheerfully, her strong accent lilting pleasantly to the words. Without breaking a stride, she grabbed a bagel and gracefully spun back towards the door. "I need to get over to 124th and Lex to meet up with Jack, Sam can you start calling the morgues for me?"

She was already out the door before Samantha could respond, so she raised her coffee cup in assent with a small smile. Danny chuckled. "Now there's a woman who knows how to make an entrance," he said. Samantha laughed.

"Looks like more work for you," he observed, turning his attention back to her.

"Yeah, great," she said in mock annoyance. "I'll never get out of here tonight."

Danny cleared his throat. "Well…if you do…you know…" Samantha stared at him, waiting for him to get to the point.

"I mean, I know your busy, and I'm busy too, but you know you have to eat. I eat, it's great, you know. And you don't look like you have been eating much these days-"

"Danny, what the hell are you trying to say?" she snapped, offended. She self-consciously folded her arms over her stomach.

"Would you like to go to dinner with me?" he blurted out. He shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling like a complete fool.

Samantha raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Uh..you…hmmm," she stammered. "Are you…you're asking me out on a date?"

Danny mentally kicked himself. After what she went through with first Jack, then Martin of course she wouldn't want to. "I'm sorry, I don't-"

"Okay, sure"

"-know what I was thinking…." Danny blinked. "Sure? You mean, sure you want to go to dinner?"

Samantha rocked on the balls of her feet. "Well," she said in a low voice, "dinner is pretty harmless and how could I turn down such good company?"

Danny smiled wide, the sight warming Samantha's heart. "Okay. Okay, is Thursday too soon?" he asked, realizing too late he sounded to eager.

Samantha laughed. "No, Thursday is fine."

"Good, Thai sound alright?"

Samantha looked up, thinking. "I can't remember the last time I had Thai." Actually, she couldn't remember the last time she went out on a date…not since Martin.

"Thai it is," he decided. He looked into her eyes. "I think we'll have fun together Sam. Away from here."

"Yeah," she whispered. She felt the first seeds of guilt forming in the back of her mind, but she ignored it.

"I'm gonna go run these files upstairs. I'll catch you later."

"Later," she said, as she watched him happily spin on his heels on the way out the door. Samantha's smile quickly died as Martin passed Danny, looking over his shoulder at the jubilant detective.

"What's he so excited for?" he asked, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards Danny. "He have a good night or something?"

No, but he willon Thusday, she thought, but bit back the retort. She shrugged, non-committal. "Who knows, probably," she drawled.

Martin looked at her, as he poured his coffee. "How are you sleeping these days?" he asked finally.

"What do you mean?"

"You look like you haven't slept in a year," he said absently, tearing open a packet of sugar. "Everything alright?"

Samantha pursed her lips in annoyance. "Why do you bother Martin, seriously?"

He looked up from stirring his coffee. "Come again?" he asked.

"Why do you…never mind," she said huffily, pushing off the counter. "I need to look up morgues on the upper East side, and I'm not doing it alone so hurry up," she snapped.

Screw you Martin, she thought as she marched back to the squad room. He was such an asshole sometimes. She dug out two phone books from under the bookshelf and headed back to her desk. Seeing Martin approach, she tossed him one of the phone books, which he barely caught, sloshing some of his coffee in the process. He looked at the irate woman and just rolled his eyes. He was feeling pretty irate himself.

"Any word yet on Jennifer's body?" Vivian called out, entering the pen.

"Good morning, Viv and no, nothing yet," Martin said, taking a seat. "Sam and I are going to start calling morgues to see if any Jane Does have been picked up in the last 24 hours."

"Good, keep looking, she's bound to turn up. Jack and Elena are on their way to the scene of the shooting to hunt down some more clues." The team had turned up an eyewitness that sawTony Rinella shoot Jennifer Watson in the stomach when she threatened to go to the police about the prostitution ring in exchange for getting out. He was currently sitting in a cell, refusing to cooperate and the team was desperately trying to locate her body.

"I really thought we would find this one alive," Samantha said softly, staring at the woman's picture on the board.

"Me too," Vivian agreed. "Keep me posted, I'll see you two later."

The office was quiet as Samantha began making calls, diligently working down her half of the list. After about twenty minutes, Martin spoke up.

"So why didn't you just say so?"

Samantha put down the receiver. Martin had his head down, writing. She almost wasn't sure if he had spoken. "Why didn't I just say what?"

He looked up and met her eyes. "That you were going out on a date with Danny?"

Samantha's face belied her shock. "I…what do you mean?" she asked, clearing her throat.

Martin set down his pen and crossed his hands together. "Save it, Sam. I overheard the two of you in the break room," he admitted.

Samantha nodded slowly, trying not to panic. "It's nothing, just dinner, you know, nothing special-"

"So are you trying to make your way through the office?" he asked innocently.

Samantha gasped. "What?" she squeaked.

"That's your plan right? See how many of your co-workers you can sleep with? I mean, that's what it has to be, because we both know that it has nothing to do with your feelings," he finished coldly.

Samantha sat back in her chair, stunned as if he had slapped her across the face. She was speechless at his nerve.

"Who I choose to have dinner with," she shot back, "is none of your damn business."

"It is when you want to blatantly get involved with my co-worker, right in front of me," he said angrily. "How could you think that wouldn't upset me? We haven't been over for a month and you are already ready to fuck someone else."

Suddenly, she stood up. Pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she walked over to Martin's side of the table and stood next to him. Arching his eyebrow, he looked up at her.

"I'm done with this," he snapped.

Smiling sweetly, she grabbed his coffee cup and poured its contents into his lap. Yelping, he jumped out of his chair, the hot coffee searing his skin through his slacks. Slamming the coffee cup down, she got right up into his face.

"Don't you ever talk to me like that again Fitzgerald," she threatened, fighting for control. "Stay out of my life." She pushed away from him and stalked out of the office, a stunned Martin staring after her.

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