AN: Sorry it has taken me so long, I work stupidly long hours and all my ideas dried up like the Sahara.

Thanks for all the support. There will be more. Just don't wait up for it xxx

It all started with a post-it note stuck to the door of her office.

Tickled Ivory, 7pm, wear something nice M x

It was a brief and sweet missive that sent Emily in to a tail spin. Something nice?! What on earth does that entail? She thought as she sorted through patient files; she knew from experience that her view on something nice was planets away from what everyone else thought. Which usually meant she stood as a wallflower slightly embarrassed at her newest fashion faux pas. As she idly tapped her pen on the side of her keyboard she thought of the dress she wore to the gala and remembered that it had got everyone's attention in the best way possible, but even she knew it was too dressy for a first date… that and Micah had seen it before.

Thinking about her wardrobe too much just made her sad, so she gave up and phoned the one person she knew would be able to help her out of her clothing rut.

"Well I can say this is not the thing I normally do," Tyra mused as she sat on edge of Emily's desk noisily slurping a milkshake, "I normally dress to impress the ladies, I have little to no idea what men like."

"Ack!" Emily exclaimed as she let her head fall heavily on her desk, "But isn't it the same thing?" She asked her voice muffled by all the files she was resting on. Trya tapped her chin with her index finger,

"In theory… yes. In practice? I have no idea." She stood up and smoothed down her scrubs. "I suppose we don't need to impress Micah as he is already crazy about you." Emily looked up from her desk and glared at Tyra, "What?" she asked in all innocence, "Why mince words?" Emily dropped her head on to her desk again in exasperation. "Anyway you still need to get something nice, so you are going to have to move that cute butt and follow me." Tyra said as she headed for the door,

"I do not have a cute butt," Emily whined.

"Aww hun," Tyra replied in mock soothing tones, "You really are blind aren't you?"

Hours later Emily was stood outside of the Tickeld Ivory and the butterflies were back in her stomach. She knew she shouldn't be nervous, after all Micah was her best friend and everyone knows you are supposed to marry your best friend. Though she had to admit that was jumping the gun a bit since only five minutes ago she was convinced she was going to spend forever with Will. She moved cautiously from one foot to the other waiting for her nerves to settle when Micah came around the corner.

Any fear she had evaporated in the instant that his eyes found hers. His brown eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and his mouth twisted up in to a wry grin. She was waiting for a why Owens you scrub up nice, but instead he put his hand out for her to take and said.

"You look beautiful." Emily felt herself blush violently in response, "You ready?" he asked her a heartbeat later; not trusting her tongue to speak Emily nodded and was gladly led through the art deco doors in to the warm interior of the bar.

Beautiful?! Jeez man that word doesn't even begin to cover it! Micah chastised himself mentally as they were sat at their table near the stage. Out of all the words in the English language he picked beautiful; not that Emily wasn't normally beautiful. She was and he had noticed it the first day he had met her, but in that dress… she was exquisite. She was stunning, breath taking, she was damn right gorgeous and he was going to make her understand that before the night was over. He had no idea where she had found it, or who helped her have enough confidence to buy it, but he would start praising them daily for it.

The dress could stop traffic; literally! It was red and fitted Emily as if it were made just for her. The neck was asymmetric and showed off just the right amount of collar bone as it cut from high on her right shoulder to low on her left. The fabric seemed to mould to all of her curves and from what he could tell anyplace where her body didn't make a curve the darts in the dress made one for her. As she took her jacket off and handed in over to the coat check he smiled as he saw the little sleeves that made the dress just a little more Emily. Her hair was braided down her back and his fingers were itching to feel her hair flow over them as he loosened each twist in the braid.

It was the shoes however that took him most by surprise. He had expected her to wear cute little ballet pumps, but no she matched the red dress with a pair of red heels that meant she was now at eye level with him. Not that he would ever admit it out loud, but he liked it. As he sat in his chair he realised he was staring so quickly looked down at the menu instead.

"How do you know about this place?" Emily asked after a few minutes of silence and Micah looked up in to her blue eyes and couldn't help, but smile.

"I could tell you that," He stopped himself from saying Owens since they were no longer in work, but it took effort, "Emily, but then I would inevitably have to kill you." Emily blushed again and glanced down at her menu, he knew she was about to ask him what was good, but Pierre appeared at his elbow.

"Are you ready big shot?" his old friend asked in hushed tones so Emily couldn't hear.

"As I'll ever be," he murmured back. He looked up and saw that Emily was eyeing them suspiciously and in that moment he would have given anything to be inside that crazy mind of hers.

"I'll be right back," he said to her and stood up to follow Pierre, but before he rounded the stage he looked back and saw the frown creasing Emily's brow and he went back to her. "It will all make sense in a minute." He found himself saying before he placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Okay," she sighed as she looked up at him, "But hurry back." She whispered, "I'll get lonely." He felt the crooked grin that twisted his features as he replied.

"Right you are boss." Emily wrinkled her nose at the statement and Micah thought it was the sweetest thing he had ever seen. He turned to see Pierre glaring at him across the restaurant, "I've really got to go," he said half-heartedly, but when Emily nodded and smiled he felt instantly better so he turned on his heel and headed out of the dining room.

Emily hadn't been on too many dates, but she was pretty sure that leaving your date on her own; was a really big no no. To her mind it was slightly less of a big no no than leaving someone at the altar, but it was up there with stealing candy from children and kicking puppies. She knew she was frowning as the man that had taken Micah away got on stage, but she couldn't help it and she knew she couldn't stop it. This was a mark against him now and he had made such a good promise.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the man who took Micah away said, "We have a surprise here tonight at the Tickled Ivory a friend of mine that hasn't been on this stage in at least five years wants to play for you tonight. Please can I hear it for Micah Barnes." There was a tepid round of applause and Emily sat unable to move as Micah walked up to the sleek black grand piano on the centre of the stage. He sat down on the stool and smiled as he raised the microphone to his lips.

"Thank you for that warm welcome ladies and gentlemen," he murmured huskily in to the microphone the sarcasm barely discernible. "I know I haven't played here at this piano for years, but I do regularly practice, so I'm hoping I don't embarrass myself too much." He touched a key and the sound was clear as crystal so he touched another, in seconds his fingers were dancing over the keys and the restaurant was filled with a jazz piece that Emily didn't recognise, but she couldn't look away as the song turned in to Georgia on My Mind and Micah began to sing. His voice was deep and husky as he sang seemingly in to the piano as if no one else was there. Emily watched in awe as his fingers found the keys with ease as his voice swiftly found the notes and lyrics he needed. As he finished Gerogia on My Mind his fingers seamlessly found the keys to start Cry Me a River and he sang along to that and as Emily looked around she found that everyone else in the restaurant was as mesmerised as she was.

He sat straight at the piano in his black jacket and crisp white shirt open at the collar as his arms moved in perfect motion up and down the keys teasing the most glorious sounds from the instrument. Emily wished it would never end, but soon enough he looked out at the audience and smiled at her.

"Ladies and gentlemen this I am afraid this will be my last song." Emily was not the only one in the house that mumbled in complaint at that statement. "This one is for a very special person to me," he said and smiled at Emily again before he hit the first key and sang, "You can dance; every dance with the guy, who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight…" Emily felt shivers all over her body as the goose bumps started in her scalp and flowed all the way to her toes. She had never had anyone sing to her before and the further through the song he got the more he looked her way and smiled. Each time she saw the flash of white teeth the shivers would start again and as he finished she felt the flush of heat cover her face and neck as he stared at her from the stage before he stood and bowed to a standing ovation.

He stepped off the stage after giving a bow to his new fans and walked straight to Emily as if no on in the rest of the establishment mattered.

"You were wonderful," she stammered, as he approached her; his eyes warm and hungry.

"Thank you," he murmured as he closed the distance between them. "After the amazing cello recital at your birthday I thought I should respond in kind." He said his lips mere inches from hers.

"What do you mean Micah?" Emily asked her voice hitching as she tried to catch her breath from having him so close.

"Well Miss Owens you play the cello so well that you leave men that usually have cool heads; confused as to which way is up. I was attracted to you before you played the cello, but after that I was in love with you Emily. Do you understand now?" he asked and Emily bit her lip not really knowing how to respond, but wishing that he would just kiss her and stop the torment. He closed the distance between them and brushed her lips lightly with his own to yet another round of applause. Emily felt herself go beet red and went to hide her face behind her hands only to be stopped at the last minute by Micah as he captured her face between his hands and kiss her again so passionately she felt it in her toes. "Have I beaten the dream yet?" he asked with soft amusement against her lips. Emily bit her lip again and instead of using words she nodded, "Good," Micah said gently as he cradled her head, "Because I hate to lose."

I'm not sure that it's a competition anymore Emily thought as she leant in to Micah again and felt his practiced and perfect lips mould her own to his. There is no going back now Emily added mentally as I don't like to lose either.