A week had passed since the accident and Horatio couldn't stop thinking about Jessica Stanley. She had swept him off his feet. There was something about her that just dragged him to her. Horatio sighed as he looked out the porch window of his beach house. He had wanted to share this house with someone for a long time, since Marisol's death to be exact. Something inside Horatio told him that he shouldn't think about Jessica, because it was a betrayal to Marisol. He worried about what Marisol's family would say, they were a part of his family as well. Especially Eric.

Horatio decided to not think about the girl he could never have and the wife he had lost. Instead he went to the kitchen and took a look in the fridge. Nothing was in it.

"Horatio, you have to start buying more food." He said to himself.

Since he was hungry and he had nothing to cook, he had to go shopping. Horatio hated grocery shopping, because it was only for himself. Usually he loved to cook too, but he wanted to cook for more than just himself.

It didn't take long to reach the supermarket that was closest to Horatio's home. He walked lazily to the entrance and grabbed a basket. The first thing he decided to pick up was bread, although he rarely ate breakfast, he needed it at home just in case.

It was when Horatio reached the diary products that he bumped in to a familiar person.

"Sorry sir." The woman said.

"Jessica?"

Jessica turned around to face Horatio and chuckled lightly. She had never imagined she would bump in to him ever again. She had dreamed about him for a week now.

"Lt. Caine, nice to see you again! How are you? How is the hummer? I hope I didn't get you in trouble at the department, because if I did, then…"

"No, no, you didn't. It was an accident remember?" Horatio smiled, Jessica was cute when she was rambling.

Jessica blushed and mentally smacked herself for rambling like a fool.

"I am fine, the hummer is fine." Horatio answered her questions, "And it's nice to see you again as well. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay, sir."

"Horatio. You can call me Horatio rember?"

"Horatio. Nice name, but unusual." Jessica smiled, "Did your parents name you that for a specific reason?"

"My mother named me after her favorite author, Horatio Alger."

"Oh he is a good author!" Jessica exclaimed and then blushed again.

Horatio was surprised to know that she had read his books. Horatio had done so himself, but never met anyone else who had.

"You're the first person, besides my mother that is, who have read his books." Horatio smiled.

"It's a shame not more people read his work." Jessica said, "Well, I shouldn't keep you from your shopping, sir… I mean Horatio, it was nice seeing you again."

Jessica quickly left and Horatio got no chance to say goodbye. He laughed softly as he watched her hurry down the aisle with a red face. He felt like a teenager and it could only mean one thing… he was falling for the young blonde woman with blue eyes. He felt safe looking in to her eyes and it wasn't something many people could make him feel.

Horatio sighed and quickly bought all that he needed before heading to the cash desks. He could see her in another line, she had way too many bags for only person to carry. Jessica was out of the store before Horatio had even paid for his things.

He didn't know why, but he felt rejected. She had been in such a hurry to leave. Maybe she had a husband waiting for her at home, although he hadn't seen her wearing a ring. When Horatio walked towards his hummer across the parking lot, he heard someone curse and looked to his right. He saw Jessica trying to pick up food that had fallen out of a broken bag.

"Need help?" Horatio asked as he came to stand by her.

"I can manage this myself, I'm a grown woman." Jessica said rather firmly, without looking to see who had offered help.

When she stood up with the groceries in her arms, she almost dropped them when she saw who was standing next to her. She blushed furiously.

"Sorry Horatio, I um, just got a little angry at myself."

"It's okay, you're right. You are a grown woman." Horatio smiled.

"Doesn't mean it's wrong to accept help." "Jessica grinned widely.

Her heart skipped a beat every time the red head smiled.

"You can open the trunk if you want." She smiled.

Horatio nodded and put his two bags down on the ground, he opened the drunk and helped Jessica organize everything inside. She had six bags of food and only five of them were still whole.

"Well, thank you for your help." Jessica smiled and slowly walked to the driver's side door. She looked down at her hands and noticed her flat tire.

"Shit!" She cursed and then winced, she had just cursed in front of the man that made her act so giddy. She knew she was falling for him.

"What is it?" Horatio asked.

"I got a flat tire." Jessica sighed, "This is not my day. First I run out of shampoo while I'm still in the shower, then I burn my dinner, then I get here and the shopping bag breaks. Now I got a flat tire." Jessica whined, "And I'm not sure why I'm telling you about my problems today."

"It's okay. Maybe I can give you a ride home?" Horatio suggested.

Normally Jessica wouldn't accept, but the red head was a cop after all and her brain refused to let her mouth say the word no.

"Really? It would be so nice." Jessica grinned.

"Absolutely. I can't leave you here by yourself, it's getting dark too." Horatio smiled widely.

He could not believe that he was going to see where she lived! He hadn't expected her to accept his offer.

"My hummer is right over there." Horatio said and pointed at the big car.

"You got a new hummer?"

"Yeah, until the old one is completely fixed." Horatio said, "So, I'm going to drive it here and we'll pack your things inside it."

Jessica nodded and as she watched Horatio leave, she blushed again when she noticed she was looking at his ass.

"Get yourself together, he's just giving you a lift home." Jessica muttered to herself, "Like a gentlemen."

-I-

The drive to Jessica's home was quiet at first, until Jessica called a tow truck company and told them where her car was. After the call she thanked Horatio again for the lift.

"It's not a problem Jessica." Horatio smiled.

"Isn't this far away from your home?"

"Not very much, just about ten minutes longer drive." Horatio said.

"So you're a cop?" Jessica asked, she wanted to know who the man beside her was, what his personality was like. Other than what she had seen so far.

"CSI actually." Horatio said.

"Really? That's a tough job isn't it?"

"It can be from time to time, but it's rewarding as well. To help put bad guys behind bars." Horatio said, "What do you work as?"

"I'm a coach for a figure skating team." Jessica smiled.

"Then I guess you can do figuring skating as well?"

"Yeah, I've been doing it since I was seven."

"Have you ever competed?"

"Lots of times in small competitions." Jessica said, "I like coaching more than competing myself. I guess I just have that kind of personality that goes well with coaching others."

"I bet you do." Horatio smiled and chuckled when Jessica blushed.

When they reached Jessica's apartment, they both sighed heavily. None of them wanted to part ways yet.

"Um, home sweet home." Jessica chuckled nervously.

"Um, would you like to… um, maybe some night go you with me?" Horatio asked, he was so nervous to ask women out.

Jessica was stunned at first, she hadn't thought he had felt a connection between in the way she had.

"Um, yeah absolutely!" She grinned, "When?"

"How about tomorrow?"

"Great, at seven?"

"Seven it is. If I don't get any calls to work that is." Horatio said and hoped Jessica wouldn't have a problem with his kind of work.

"Sure. My dad was a cop too in Orlando, so I know how hard it can be sometimes and how much you have to work overtime from time to time." Jessica smiled, "Tomorrow at seven it is."

"Yeah, oh let me help you with your things." Horatio said.

He helped Jessica carry her groceries inside her apartment and then they parted ways. As he drove back to his house, Horatio couldn't wipe the smile of his face. He had a date!

AN: Please review!