Dani Pearce stood up at her desk and scanned the busy office. No one would notice her departure for lunch this time of day. She usual slipped out to pick up a sandwich at the deli around the corner. Most of her collogues at the DC office worked through lunch hour and ate at their desks. She smiled to herself that she had a lunch date today.
She was surprised by the last minute invitation from Jesse Porter that morning, but she accepted despite her packed schedule. The two agents had trained together over the last two months yet had never shared even a cup of coffee in a public setting. Then today, out of the blue, he called to ask if she was free for lunch. He even suggested they meet at a trendy cafe near her office.
Her heart raced when she cancelled her 12:30 appointment. "Something unexpected has come up that I need to take care of today," she told her colleague. While it was more a sin of omission than an outright lie, she felt a twinge of anxiety as she hung up the phone. "Maybe this isn't a good idea," she thought. She never liked to put her private life on display to those she worked with at the CIA but in DC most of them would not know Jesse ortheir previous work together.
"What's he doing in DC in the first place?" she wondered as she set her phone to voicemail and headed to the elevator.
A few blocks away, Jesse sat at a small table in the back of the upscale bistro and sipped a glass of overpriced mineral water. He stared out the window as his knee bobbing nervously under the table. He was simply not used to being this nervous before a date. "It's just lunch," he reminded himself. "No biggee."
For an event so seemingly insignificant, Porter had to clear a several hurdles and even told a few white lies to make it possible. He had no problem with deception even among friends from time to time. The trick was not to get caught. Yet with someone like Dani, who hunted liars as a profession, it was easier said than done.
Jesse had, in fact, been in New York for a meeting with a client yesterday just as he told Dani over the phone. There was also the layover at Dulles airport scheduled before his connecting flight back to Miami. But he also failed to mention that he bribed the secretary from his travel department with tickets to see Lady Gaga in order to obtain an overnight stop in Washington DC. There was no there was no business meeting in DC today either. When he arrived last night he stayed at a boutique hotel near the Smithsonian and meandered through the Air and Space Museum until around eleven thirty this morning when he finally called Dani for a "last minute" lunch date. He was elated that she agreed to meet him and even recognized the restaurant he recommended.
Jesse checked his watch again, it was 12:20, and Dani was not due for another ten minutes. He browsed the wine list for the fifth time as he wondered again if he should order a bottle. "She probably won't drink during work hours," he thought and then set the menu aside. He looked up just in time to see Dani walk through the front door, survey the room and was rewarded for all his effort with a smile that lit up her face when she saw him. He admired the soft feminine curves of her form that filled her dark blazer and the simple pencil skirt enhanced by her long legs toned by her daily workouts and tanned in the Miami sun.
"Man, that woman knows how to wear a business suit," he whispered just before Dani was within earshot. He felt butterflies in his stomach as his gaze followed her as she crossed the room to their table. "Get it together Porter," he chastised himself. He rose from the table and gave his companion a wide grin.
"Jesse." She greeted him with a friendly kiss on the cheek. "What a delightful surprise to see you. What brings you to DC?"
Grateful to have her within arm's reach, he relished holding her for even a brief moment. "It's great to see you too Dani." He pulled back slowly and smiled his most charming smile. "There's an opportunity here that I am….exploring."
Intrigued, Dani sat down at the table and turned her attention to her lunch date. "I'd love to hear about it."
Another wide grin spread across his face, "Ah…hah..." he laughed."It is still in the development phase but I'll tell you when I have a fully formed … strategy."
"Fair enough," she replied, seemingly satisfied with his answer, and gave him an enchanting smile. She really was happy to see him.
Jesse let out an audible sigh of relief and opened the wine menu. "Would you like to order a bottle?" he asked with a slight reluctance in his voice.
"I'd have to say no, since I am going back to the office later, but maybe I'll have a glass," as she took the menu and glanced at the selection. "I'll try the Chardonnay." She relaxed back into her seat and continued, "This place is great by the way, thanks for suggesting it."
"My pleasure," he smiled as he waved for the waiter to come over to take their drink order.
####
Dani and Jesse were enjoying lighthearted conversation and a delicious meal when her cell rang for the third time. He was in the middle of telling a tale of a night out with a group of Army comrades on Okinawa. "So we were on our fifth round of saki when my buddy Jason decided, stupidly, that he could take on this giant sumo wrestler looking guy." He glanced down at her purse that was audibly buzzing again. He could tell she was anxious to check the phone but for some reason had not done so. "Dani, it's OK," he reassured her as he pointed to her bag, "I understand you're in the middle of your work day."
"I'm sorry," she said as she pulled the phone out and glanced down at the number on the display. She recognized it was from Michael Westen. "I'll need to take this." She excused herself from the table and found a private corner in a hallway that led towards the kitchen.
She read the first text message:
"Mission went sideways. More info to come."
"In a meeting, Can we talk later?" she tapped onto the screen of the phone.
"Call this number when you are available," Westen replied immediately.
"How bad is it?"
"Bad."
"Understood. Talk to you in an hour."
"Thanks."
Dani tucked her phone into the pocket of her blazer and she stepped into the ladies' room for privacy. "Damn, Damn, Damn," she cursed as closed the door behind her. She was having a good time with Jesse, a really good time, even better than she had expected. And now she needed to cut short their lunch well before she wanted it to end.
She pulled a lipstick out of her handbag and reapplied the light rose tinted gloss. "What the hell am I thinking?" she chastised herself. She rarely preened for the men in her life, the few that had come and gone since Jay's death. Dani had never been with anyone besides Jay whom she knew through the CIA. For many years she held strict boundaries to separate her professional and private. This man, Jesse, made those lines blurry but in the most delightful way.
Several weeks after the mission to bring down Anson Fullerton was resolved, she received an email from Jesse requesting a recommendation for a training program on Krav Maga. She was absolutely thrilled to hear from him and acknowledged to herself that she had genuinely missed his company since their case had finished. She volunteered to teach him the basics of the fighting style and introduced him at the school where she occasionally taught classes.
For the last two months they had been engaged in delightful sparring routine, both mental and physical. Jesse was handsome and well built to be sure. Yet he was also extremely intelligent without the pretentiousness of so many men she knew in the CIA. Most importantly, he easy to be with and could make her laugh. It had been so long since anyone in her life had done that. She enjoyed their time together more than any relationship she had since the days of her courtship with Jay so many years ago. If she did not know better, she would have said she was falling in love with Jesse Porter.
Yet she had to remind herself that a serious relationship with someone else in her line of work was a bad idea. Neither wanted their personal lives scrutinized by the prying eyes of the CIA. Plus there were so many risks and complications. Trust in a relationship was difficult enough to develop but nearly impossible for two people who kept secrets for a living. She had accepted these truths and so had Jesse, or so she thought, until today when he showed up in Washington DC, during the middle of her work day, to take her out to lunch. Maybe he saw their friendship as something different. Perhaps she could too but now she had to leave before she uncovered the true intentions for his visit.
"Damn, Damn," she cursed at the gods of incredibly bad timing. She took a deep breath and brushed her hair behind her ears, momentarily satisfied with her appearance. If she had known she was having lunch with Jesse she would have worn a nicer suit she chided herself as she stepped back into the hallway.
She walked back to the table and smiled at Jesse when he stood up to push her chair in for her. "Thank you," she acknowledged the gesture of gentlemanly polish.
He returned to his chair and asked, "Everything OK?" He could see the change in her body language that indicated she was now anxious about something.
"Yes, its fine." Dani tried to put off his question.
He gave her a look that told her in a glance, "It's OK. You don't have to pretend with me."
"A mission went south. I'll need to leave in a few minutes." She looked down at her plate and took a bite of her salad; she hoped she was able to hide the disappointment on her face.
"I understand," as he took another sip of wine. "This is the one with Westen?"
She nodded and took another forkful of lettuce. They both knew that they were not supposed to talk openly about her work but neither had reservations about confiding in each other.
"You two doing OK? He seemed really excited about getting back to work."
"So far. I've got a lot riding on this one." She had not yet told Jesse about the kidnapped journalist or her friendship with the woman's fiancé.
"Well, Mike's one of the best agent I ever met and we both know that he is relentless when he sets his mind to an objective."
"Yeah, well that can be his Achilles heel too."
"Wow! You still haven't let that go," Jesse said in surprise. "Dani, how are you going to work with him if you two haven't buried the hatchet?"
"I know Jesse, you're right. And Michael's your friend."
"So what's the deal?"
"I still don't trust him fully. It's that simple. He is too willing to put other people at risk, even those closest to him."
"Dani, you pulled his ass out the fire a dozen times when we were going after Anson. All those times Raines threatened to send him down to Guantanamo." He laughed in an attempt to lighten the tension building between them.
"He wouldn't have really sent him," Dani smiled. "He was just trying to scare him.
"But there is more to it than that." Jesse insisted. "You still think he's a shithead for what he did to Fiona."
"I can admit that I developed a … uniquely one-sided perspective on their situation. Fi is my friend. But still… she went to jail... to protect him."
"And you don't think your doubts will interfere during as assignment you brought him back into the CIA to work on with you."
Dani's expression soured. She did not appreciate Jesse pointing out the obvious flaws in her reasoning.
"I know what you're saying Jesse," she replied, annoyed. "I shouldn't let my personal feelings cloud my judgment."
"I'm not trying to interfere in your…" he stammered.
"But this mission, there is a connection, a similarity to what he has been through and I need him to bring all of it to this case, the good and the bad."
"Dani if this is just about them. Mike and Fi." Jesse found himself getting defensive of his friends. "Sure, they have had their moments but they seem to be going strong now. You know that, right? They got the house. They got engaged. "
"Yes, I know. And I'm glad for them. I just don't understand..." she hesitated.
"Understand what?" he questioned, genuinely confused by Dani's revelation.
"How she could stand for it so long?"
Jesse was about to speak but waited. He had learned enough about women over the years to know when to keep his mouth shut. So he did.
"Not knowing…where she stood with him," she continued. "I just wouldn't want that kind of relationship for myself, so much conflict and drama."
She looked at Jesse and hoped he understood that her comment was about her needs not a just a gossipy critique of their friends back in Florida.
"No drama?" he said flatly. "Good to know."
"I need to know I can trust the person that I am with," she said softly.
"No secrets?" He stared her straight in the eye until he could see the color rise in Dani's cheeks. "You realize…"
"That's kind of tough in our line of work, isn't it?" she laughed.
"Dani, I need to tell you something." He dropped his napkin into his lap.
"What is it?" she asked with dread in her voice.
"I didn't have a meeting in DC today?"
"Then why were you here? Was your flight delayed?" Her brow furrowed with confusion.
"Well sort of, see I …I flew in from New York yesterday and stayed in some crappy little hotel last night. Then I wandered around a museum looking at airplanes all morning until I finally worked up the nerve to call to ask you out to lunch."
Dani had to hold back a laugh and almost replied, "Is that all?" But she was not sure if she should be angry at his dishonesty or flattered by the over the top gesture to spend time with her. She silently determined that both emotions were appropriate and bit the inside of her lip to hide her amusement at the absurdity of the situation. How could any man be so foolish and charming at the same time?
"Is there anything else you lied about Jesse?" she asked with a chilling coolness in her voice.
"No." Jesse said contrite.
"Okay. Please don't do it again." She glanced up at him with softness in her eyes that told him she had forgiven his lapse in judgment.
"Which? Lying or asking you out?" He smiled optimistically.
"I'd say no to deceptions and yes to last minute plans," she returned the hint of a smile.
"Would you?" he asked with a delightful arch of an eyebrow.
"Yes." She took a sip of her wine.
They both stared at each other for a moment not sure who should speak next. Dani succumbed to the tension that gnawed at the pit of her stomach and choose to break the silence.
"I really need to get back to the office." She stood up quickly and began to gather her coat and bag
"Hold Up. Hold up." He tossed a hundred dollar bill on the table and pulled his jacket off the back of the chair. "I want to … I mean… May I walk you back to your office?"
"Yes, I'd like that that," she nodded.
He helped her to slip on her coat and motioned to the waiter at the cash he had left on the table to cover the check. He thanked the hostess for the wonderful service before they stepped out the front door of the restaurant. The noise from the traffic on the busy street swirled around them as Jesse held out his elbow for a brief moment. Without saying a word, Dani slid her arm through his and they walked for a few blocks.
Jesse long strides slowed just slightly to keep pace with hers as their footfalls synchronized. They slowly acclimated to newly deepened intimacy between them and she felt the tension fall away from her shoulders. Dani decided in that moment that she liked the way it felt when they moved together. She glanced up to see a relaxed smile on his face that led her to believe that he might agree. She recalled their coordinated movements when sparring. When they finished their workouts, sweaty and panting, they would tease and laugh together as they collapsed onto the mats. And now they walked as a couple their bodies, side by side, flowed in a coordinated and rhythmic motion.
"I wonder what else we could do together that might feel this good." Dani's thoughts were about to take an interesting course when Jesse stopped about half a block away from her office.
He turned to face her and said, "So if I asked if I could take you out to dinner on Saturday night?"
"I would say yes."
He stared intensely at Dani, not sure if he should kiss her.
She reached for his hand and held it in her own. Jesse took her cue and he leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the lips.
"Thank you for lunch," she whispered.
"My pleasure," he whispered as he pulled away slowly. He took a few steps backwards knowing that if he stayed a few minutes longer, he would end up canceling his flight home to spend another night in DC. "I'll see you in Miami," he called out as he watched Dani walk down the block and turn to join a small crowd as they headed into the tall gray office building.