They sipped their drinks and talked about nothing in particular when suddenly the lights began to dim.
"It's almost closing time." Taylor said. "We'll be closed in five minutes."
"All right, we're finished." Roz said. She took their paper cups and tossed them into the trash. "Thanks Taylor."
And then she followed Bulldog outside. They stood face to face in the darkness.
"Are you okay, now Roz?" Bulldog asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go on home. The babysitter's probably wondering where I am."
"If you don't mind my asking, why are dressed so…."
Roz rolled her eyes. "Like a streetwalker? Well, Frasier wanted me to go to his reunion and both times when I went over there, he stood med up! Can believe that?"
"What?" Bulldog yelled. "That stinks! That's total BS!"
Roz couldn't believe it; she actually laughed at his obnoxious trademark outburst. "I agree. But that's how I ended up here; where I was humiliated yet again. Until you showed up."
"You don't look like a street walker at all. You look amazing, Roz. Really. I mean-."
She put her arms around him, drawing him close to her body. Her lips pressed against his, giving him a kiss that made her heart race. He moved even closer, his slim body flush with hers and the kiss deepened. After several seconds they drew back from one another. Had the kisses lasted any longer, she was certain that they'd have ended up at her apartment or his, where more than kissing would follow.
But then she remembered her obligations.
"Well, I… The babysitter's waiting for me." Roz said, as she shivered in the cold air.
Bulldog removed his jacket and put it around her shoulders. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen him do. Had it been Niles or Frasier, Roz might not have been so stunned. But this was Bulldog of all people.
"Thanks." Roz replied. "But don't you need this?"
"Nah, you can give it back to me on our next date."
Her eyes narrowed. "What date? Wait a minute; you think this was a date? Because this was most certainly not a date! I don't care what you-."
He was kissing her again, drawing her close, making her mind reel with every emotion imaginable. Her hands were moving up and down the back of his neck, and she wanted to touch every inch of him. They kissed until they were breathless and then kissed some more. When he finally drew back, she was staring at him in amazement. Even Bulldog seemed a little unsteady.
"I-I should be getting home. Alice is-"
"Oh sure. No problem." He stammered. "Um, do you need a lift?"
"Um, no… I've… I've got my car."
"All right, well…"
"Call me tomorrow, okay?"
His eyes widened in disbelief at her words. And she could hardly believe she'd said them. "C-call you? Like-."
She couldn't help but grin at his boyish confusion. "On the phone, Bulldog. Yes."
"But what-."
"I'll give you my number tomorrow at work."
"Oh-okay, well…"
She kissed him once more. "Goodnight."
"Um…Goodnight, Roz."
But she turned and walked to her car, eager to get home to see her daughter. The night might have started out as a disaster, but it turned out to be the best date that she'd never had.
~THE END~