A/N: I'm so not fluent in Spanish, so if there are any mistakes in the Spanish below, forgive me. And if it says something crazy like 'The hot dog dances yellow house." Let me know! ;-)

Chapter 2

Connie and Harper started their night at The Convent, a martini bar in Murray Hill. They didn't usually frequent such trendy nightclubs, but it was exactly what they were looking for to start the night. The bar, dimly lit with a constant pulsing backbeat, was decorated with ornate sculptures, wooden crosses, and candles much more reminiscent of a Catholic Church than a fashionable hot spot. The walls were draped with black and red georgette and other fabrics. The first time Harper came here she immediately thought of Dracula's castle.

Both Harper and Connie ordered martinis, of course. Watermelon for Harper and apple for Connie. Harper surveyed the room. Her mood certainly wasn't one for bar hopping, unfortunately she'd already made plans with Connie and she knew if she cancelled she'd just sit around her apartment alternating between moping and being pissed. She'd tried all night to be a good companion and not let Connie in on her foul mood.

Once they were on their second martinis Connie decided to broach the obvious. "So," she began, "what is up with you?"

She tried, but evidentially failed. "What do you mean?"

"You should be over the moon! Jimmy DiCillo is out of the picture for a very long time, your protection detail is gone for good, and pretty soon you'll be back on your regular case rotation."

"I'm very happy." She took a big gulp of her watermelon flavored drink.

Connie looked at her solemnly, "Harper… talk."

Girlfriends, she thought, you can't hide anything from them. "No, I don't want to bring the evening down." Connie didn't waver and Harper sighed. "I met someone, awhile ago and… he's great. He just confuses the hell out me, you know? One minute I think he's into me, the next he's not, then he is again." Harper smiled and shook her head. "We slept together last night. And it was… amazing, but now this morning it's like he thinks it was a mistake."

"Did he say that?"

"No," Harper groaned. "He didn't say anything. Well, no, scratch that. He talked about his laundry, which by the way in case you were wondering he has sent out." She looked at Connie incredulously.

Connie laughed. "OK, first of all, back up: 'He's great', 'It was amazing', I need details." Connie's smile was devilish.

Harper blushed and took another drink her martini.

"Don't give me that. You're the only one of us getting any, so you've got to give up the goods!"

"Like what?!" Harper's squeal reminded her of her teenage days. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation.

Connie narrowed her eyes and she thought intently on the question. "Alright, you said it was amazing. How many orgasms did you have?" Harper gaped at her. "Facts, Harper. Facts are necessary for me to give you accurate advice on the man in question. This would be an important fact." Again a devilish grin swept across her face.

Harper was mortified. If it hadn't have been for the glass of wine at dinner and her two martinis she never would have dreamed of answering. Too embarrassed she couldn't bring herself to say the number out loud. She simply and shyly held up her hand and wiggled five fingers.

Connie laughed. Harper's resolute look stopped it immediately. "Seriously? Five times?!"

Harper blushed, nodded and tried her damnedest not to giggle like a school girl.

"Well, you've just got to set him straight, because he is keeper!" Connie laughed and raised her glass. The two women toasted and laughed frivolously. "So, tell me about him. Who is he? What does he do?" She waited expectantly.

Harper cringed. She knew she shouldn't have said anything. She skillfully avoided answering Connie's questions. Though Connie didn't like her reply she respectfully complied with Harper's request to keep that to herself - for now.

After leaving The Covent, Harper and Connie decided on Wilder's, a classic bar with a small dance floor. It was definitely more their speed. Connie and Harper had regressed from fruity martinis to beers - also more their speed. They found a booth out of the way, only getting up for drinks, and the occasional dance.

"It's… it's not Mike, is it?" Connie asked out of the blue. Her face's seriousness saying more than she wished.

Harper was caught off guard. She reached across the table and took her hand, "I wouldn't do that."

Both women, while not trashed, were more than a little tipsy.

Connie chuckled dismissively. "I don't care if it is… I just, you know… wondered."

Harper knew better. "Where is Mike tonight?"

Connie shrugged, giving her a 'Why should I know?' look.

"Doesn't he live in this neighborhood? You should call him, invite him over." Connie was, again, dismissive to the idea, so Harper took action. She reached across the table and picked up Connie's blackberry. "OK, then. I'll call him." She smiled teasingly as Connie snatched it from her hand.

"Fine." Connie started to dial Mike's number, secretly delighted.

She hung up as Harper was coming back from the ladies' room . Harper looked at her expectantly. "Well?"

"He'll be here soon." Connie smiled openly, as did Harper. "Shut up," she rolled her eyes. "He was just finishing dinner with Jack, actually."

Harper's breath caught at the mention of his name. "Jack?"

"Yeah," Connie looked at her sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind, I invited him, too. It seemed rude not to."

Harper was dumbfounded. "Of course not." She took a swig of her beer. Karma, she thought.

Twenty minutes later Jack and Mike walked into the warmth of Wilder's. They scanned the semi-crowded bar for Connie and Harper, finding Connie in the corner booth as promised. Jack, unsure as to why he accepted the invitation, felt nervous. He'd spent all day pondering on his and Harper's situation. All day and he was no closer to a solution than he was this morning.

When Harper returned with another pitcher of beer Mike and Connie were seated on one side of the booth leaving her to sit next to Jack. Karma, she thought again. She slid into the booth next to Jack. His smell and the warmth of his body coupled with her slightly inebriated state effected her more than she'd anticipated.

The conversation began to flow. Mike told a story. Something comical about a case he tried in Narcotics. Harper couldn't concentrate. She felt disoriented by Jack's presence. She was jolted back to the table by everyone laughing at Mike's story. Her lack of interest was noticed by all. She smiled nervously. When Mike excused himself to men's room the table fell silent. She hoped she hadn't offended him.

Connie sighed. "Don't mind Harper, Jack. Her new boyfriend's giving her fits," she giggled lightly.

"Connie." Harper blushed. She looked over at Jack, looking away in embarrassment. "I didn't… I didn't say he was my boyfriend."

"OK, he's not your boyfriend, but either way, there's no way five orgasms is a mistake." Connie looked at Jack, "He thinks it was a mistake."

"¡Aye, Dios mio, Connie! Eres bebida. ¡Cállate!

"What?" Her tone was that of a teenager caught in a fib. Harper shot at her as realization spread over Connie's face. She looked at Jack sheepishly and whispered, "Did I say that out loud?"

He smiled with his eyebrows raised and nodded sympathetically.

Connie turned to Harper, both women had mortification written all over there faces. "I'm so sorry," she chuckled lightly.

Jack, more than a little shaken by the comments, sought quickly to change the subject. He looked skeptically at Harper, "You speak Spanish?"

Harper could feel the warmth of her blushing cheeks. She reluctantly looked at Jack and nodded.

"Who speaks Spanish? Connie?" Mike interrupted as he slipped back into his seat.

"No, Harper…" Jack said with an amused grin.

"My grandfather made sure we were all fluent." Their looks told her more explaining was necessary. She told them about her grandfather, Ignacio. Her mother's father, whom she affectionately referred to as 'Abuelito'. He was a first generation Mexican-American, born in San Antonio in 1921 just 10 days after his parents hitchhiked their way north from Coahuila.

"Pardon me for saying so, but you don't look Mexican." Mike added as he took a drink of his beer.

"Yeah, well it's just a quarter, I guess the five-eighths white girl overpowered it."

They laughed. "What kind of white girl would that be?" Jack asked. His interest baffled her.

"My father's people are German and Irish. One side came to Texas from Pennsylvania in the early 1800's. My Dad's parents came from Oklahoma during the Depression looking for work. My great-grandparents went to Oklahoma right off the boat, for the Land Run."

Jack was impressed. Harper seemed to take such pride in her family's history. "And the remaining eighth?"

Harper looked at him intently. After this morning she couldn't understand why he would care. "Native American, Comanche." Harper, broke their stare, smiling at Connie and Mike. "I am the face of the American melting pot," she chuckled lightly. Her mind continued to reel. She needed to get away from the table, to breath. With ulterior motives she asked Mike to dance. "But I must warn you," she said to him, but looking at Connie with a sinister smile, "Dancing makes me awfully chatty."

Connie's eye got wide.

Jack chuckled, planted his elbows on the table, and rested his face in his palm. "Don't looked so worried Connie."

________

Harper clung to Mike as they swayed on the dance floor to the Dire Straits' "Romeo and Juliet."

"You're not a bad dancer, Mike."

"You act surprised," his voice laced with pretend offense. They both laughed as the song continued playing.

"Are you seeing anyone, Mike?" He tried to keep his composure, but the panic in his eyes was unmistakable.

"N-No, not, not at the moment."

Harper chuckled, "Relax, Mike. It wasn't an invitation. It was just a request for information."

"Why?" He scowled at her skeptically.

"Just wondering," she shrugged. "You know, funny thing, Connie isn't seeing anyone either."

Mike stiffened and sighed. He started to tell her it would never work. That they're working relationship was too important. Unfortunately, the idea had entered his thoughts on more than one occasion. Connie was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman. Beauty and brains as that juror had said. He told himself it wasn't proper because of their working relationship, but he knew he didn't stand a chance with a knock-out like Connie. He scowled at Harper again. "What is this? You playing Cupid?"

Harper shrugged.

"She's out of my league. She's The Big Show and I'm… "

"You're what?" Harper interrupted with a chuckle, "Double-A? Funny thing about "leagues" Mike, people usually tend to rank themselves below where they should be."

___________

Connie tried not to stare at Mike and Harper on the dance floor. She was fighting a losing battle. She couldn't keep her eyes off of them. She nibbled nervously on her thumbnail.

"You're going to draw blood soon if you don't stop."

She looked at Jack anxiously. "You don't think she'd say anything too bad… do you?"

"Harper's not spiteful."

Connie nodded trying to reassure herself.

"Or at least you better hope she's not," he smiled.

Connie groaned. "Jack, quick! Go cut in."

"What?"

"You heard me. Go cut in. More than half the song's still left, who knows what could be said."

Jack laughed out loud. "Connie, what are you so worried about?"

Of course she couldn't tell him. "Please, Jack."

_____________

"Do you mind Mike?" Jack asked with a smile.

Mike turned his dance partner over to Jack without question. He was eager to return to the table and it's soul inhabitant.

Harper's insides turned. For a few minutes she was actually able to get her mind off of Jack. Now here he was and worse yet, she glided effortlessly into his arms causing chills to run up her spine.

"I hope you don't mind. Connie was about to resort to autocannibalism soon if I didn't come and interrupt." He smiled down at her. She couldn't help but laugh at the image he'd conjured. He loved the way she felt in his arms, like she was made for them.

"Had her nervous, did I?"

"You certainly did." He paused and evaluated the situation. He decided to take a page from Harper's book and make like of the whole thing. Jack pulled back and looked Harper in the eyes, a smirk affixed to his face, "Five times, huh?"

Harper laughed incredulously as a warm blush spread across her face. "Shut up…."

They swayed in silence. Their breath and heartbeat the only sounds between them.

"I never thought it was a mistake, Harper. Not once."

Harper looked up at him in shock. His eyes overflowed with sincerity and told her all she needed to know. Her head began to swim with the possibilities. Possibilities she'd written off, but now, in this moment those possibilities seemed endless. "You didn't?" She sounded so meek to herself.

For once Jack let go and let himself say exactly what was on his mind. "I don't know how this can work Harper, but I want it to. It won't be easy. I.. I don't want you to get hurt."

Harper's heart broke and exalted all at the same time. She looked up at him with a big smile. "You've got it bad for me, don't you McCoy?"

He smiled her favorite smile, one that touched his eyes, "Yes, I do."

Her teasing smile turned shy and sincere. "Good. I kind of like you, too."

They danced for a little while longer, reveling in one another's presence. Finally, Jack asked Harper if she'd like to go. She nodded thankful that their spat seemed to be over.

They strode over to the booth where Mike and Connie sat enjoying their conversation. Harper noticed they were sitting a little closer than they had been and hoped she'd gotten through to Mike earlier.

Jack grabbed their coats and handed Harper her bag. Mike and Connie looked up at them questioningly. "We're going to go." He helped Harper with her coat.

"OK…" Connie said not even attempting to hide her confusion. "Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Then Jack took Harper's hand into his. It was warm and soft and in that moment she felt completely whole.

"Harper…" Connie called after her in a loud whisper. Harper turned to Connie. Connie held up five fingers and silently mouthed, "Five times?"

Harper blushed, rolled her eyes, and waved goodbye.