Summary: Heymans and Grace enjoy a lunch date.

Chapter 3 Rating: PG

Breda had been talking on the phone with Grace every evening after work for about a week now. Their conversations covered a wide range of topics, but never quite strayed past playful flirtations. Nonetheless, it was something he looked forward to every day.

"So…" drawled Grace into the phone. They had milked dry the subject they had been discussing for twenty minutes.

"Sooo…" Breda mimicked, smiling at hearing her giggle on the other end. "When do you think I'll be able to see your pretty face again?"

"Well, with my big exam coming up, my pretty face is going to look like a pretty stressed out crazy old hag," said Grace. "So it would be safest to see me some time before all of that craziness happens."

"Ya know, I could help alleviate some of that stress..."

"H-Heymans Breda!" scolded Grace. "Behave yourself! I am a lady!"

"Uh-uh, that one's on you, Grace! I was just gonna offer to help you study," he said, chuckling as he heard her making a growling noise at him. "How about I take you out to lunch tomorrow?"

"As long as you behave yourself," she said, putting on a strict voice.

"I will if you will," he said.

"Meet me at the park, alright? I'll have to walk Mitzy before lunch." A cold chill ran down his spine as he suddenly pictured a crazed border collie in his mind with angry red eyes and sharp fangs bared. "...Heymans? Are you still there?" Breda jerked himself out of his bizarre thoughts.

"Yeah. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay. Toodles!"

Breda hung up the phone and ran a hand over his face, thinking of what was in store for tomorrow.

"What the hell am I doing getting involved with a dog owner?" he muttered to himself, shaking his head.

"Pssst."

Both Grace and Mitzy looked behind them to see Breda peeking from behind a tree. Grace's eyebrows rose. They had agreed to meet in the park before walking to the restaurant together. She stared at him for a moment. Mitzy looked at her and gave a small ruff. Grace scratched the border collie's head and blinked to reassure her that all was well.

"What are you doing just standing there? Come sit with me," she called to Breda, scooting over on the park bench and patting the space beside her. Breda, who had flinched when Mitzy ruffed, stood frozen. "C'mon. Will you trust me?" She sat watching him, compassion in her eyes.

Breda heaved a sigh before putting on a brave face and inching toward the bench little by little, looking as if he were trying to walk a tightrope and step around landmines at the same time. He finally approached the bench and sat on the edge, eyeing Mitzy uneasily. The dog did nothing but sit and spare a look at them occasionally, tilting her head. Grace reached over to grasp Breda's clammy hand.

"Honey, if we're going to start seeing each other like this, we need to help you get over your fear," she said seriously. He listened intently, her jade gaze putting him at ease. "Mitzy is a part of my life that goes beyond just being a regular pet. She's a lifeline. I don't think I can cure your fear completely, but it would be a nice start to just try to not be afraid of just the sight of Mitzy. Because in a way, accepting her will be like accepting all of me. And no matter how much I may grow to like you, it just wouldn't work out if you and Mitzy are incompatible."

"I understand," said Breda, nodding. "I've always had this fear. At least Mitzy doesn't seem to care if I'm here or not, unlike some of the other dogs I've come across."

They both looked at the dog in question. Mitzy lounged on her stomach in the grass, watching squirrels prancing through falling leaves. If she had been off duty, she'd have likely tried to go play with them.

"What were these other dogs like?" asked Grace.

"I was maybe six years old and I was walking home from school. There was this gang of street dogs, four of them, that chased me for a couple of blocks. Two of them caught up with me and shredded the hell out of my shirt. The others that caught up were bigger, with one foaming at the mouth. That one latched on to my arm, thrashed me around and gave me this souvenir." He rolled up his sleeve and showed her a jagged scar on his bicep. "I tried to fight the others off, but I was only six. Some older kids finally chased them off and then got me help. I was bleeding bad." Grace covered her mouth with her hands.

"That's awful!"

"Yeah. It really messed me up, I think. I can't even look at a damn puppy without getting scared of it biting me," he sighed. "I must seem pretty pathetic guy to date, huh?"

"No. Don't say that," said Grace, brow furrowed. "It's only reasonable to have a phobia of something after you've had a traumatic experience. All I'm asking from you is to work on accepting just my dog. Can you try to do that?"

"It's going to take a lot of effort, but I can at least try," he said finally. Grace squeezed his hand and leaned her shoulder against his. His heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you for that. I'm not giving up on you yet, Heymans." The sound of his first name sounded good coming from her lips. It was a pleasant change after being called Breda all of the time.

Heymans couldn't help but stare as Grace diligently polished all of the meat off the bone of her chicken breast. He was caught when her green eyes met his after she had finished her meal.

"That's how you eat a piece of chicken. Nicely done," he said, sounding impressed. She giggled as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Thank you!" Grace said, grinning wide. "I love chicken. I could probably eat a whole one if given the chance."

"Where would it even go?" he wondered aloud, eyes darting over her figure.

"I've got a secret compartment for that," she said cheekily. He chuckled.

"I need to get me one of those," he said, patting his stomach. It was her turn to check him out.

"I disagree. You look pretty good to me. I like guys with sturdy builds." He found himself blushing. No girl had ever been this straightforward with him before.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she replied bashfully. She bit her lip while smiling at him. He forgot to breathe for a second. "You're hot."

"...You're just saying that to sweet talk me," said Heymans, teasing. He felt his face burning up.

"Well, it's working, isn't it?" Her response was so unexpected that he burst into laughter as she grinned coyly.

"Thanks for that. I haven't laughed like this for a while." He let out a deep breath and looked at her, noting that her face was as red as his felt. "And yeah, I guess it is working." They shared a smile. A furry head peeked up from under the table beside Grace. His eye twitched and he became very still.

"She's just begging for scraps," explained Grace, noting his uneasiness. She gently tucked Mitzy's nose back under the table. "Stop trying to scare away my date, pup." The dog whined quietly.

"Can she have salami?" he asked. He peeled off a slice from his sandwich.

"She loves salami. Do you want to try to give it to her?" Heymans fixed her with a look as if she were insane. Grace held back a laugh. "It's okay. I'll help you do it. She won't hurt you."

"Hnng," voiced Heymans, shivering involuntarily as he pictured his fingers being bitten off. Suddenly Grace was standing behind him massaging his shoulders. "Hnnng," he repeated softly, for a completely different reason.

"Relax," soothed Grace, her long black hair lightly grazing his left ear as she leaned down to whisper. Mitzy was still seated by Grace's chair, watching them curiously and eyeing the sliver of salami dangling from Heymans' fingers. Her brown eyes were wide with hope. Grace repositioned his hand so that the meat was dangling off the edge of the table. His hand shook lightly in hers.

"I keep feeling like she's going to bite me," Heymans whispered. "I don't want to do this." At those words, Grace pulled his hand back but didn't let go.

"Okay. You don't have to do it," she said quietly, patting his shoulder. He let out a sigh of relief. He cleared his throat and straightened up.

"She can still have the salami, though," he said, handing it off to Grace. She gave him a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, kind sir," she said, taking it and returning to her seat where Mitzy was waiting. He watched as Grace easily slipped the treat into the dog's mouth as if she were just feeding a regular human child. Mitzy chewed happily, even peeking up at Heymans.

"You make it look so easy," he said, watching her. Their eyes met and she reached for his hand.

"Just take it one day at a time," said Grace. "I'm happy that you acknowledge her. It gives me hope that you can get used to her."

Heymans closed his hand softly around hers, his thumb caressing her palm.

"I hate to go so suddenly, but I have a meeting to prepare for in half an hour," she said, checking her watch. "Time gets away from me when I'm with you."

"I'll say. You be safe out there," he said, laying out payment on the table for the waiter and swatting her hand away when she tried putting down a few cenz. She stood and leaned over him.

"Of course. Thank you for lunch, honey." She slipped a hand under his chin and lay a lingering but chaste kiss on his lips. "Call me tonight." He could only nod in response and admire the shapely view as she walked away.