Chapter 19

When John awoke, he walked downstairs to find his two flatmates asleep on the sofa, hugging each other. He smiled and made to back out of the room when a voice stopped him.

"And where do you think you're going?" He turned to find Erika standing up, moving herself out from under Sherlock's arm. John shifted awkwardly in his place.

"I thought you were asleep."

"He is," she answered, motioning to Sherlock who was lying on the sofa. She moved into the kitchen and questioned back at John. "Coffee?"

"Uh, sure." He sat down and she handed him a cup of coffee and taking a sip from her own. They both sat down at the kitchen table. "Shouldn't we keep our voices down?"

"No," Erika said with a smile. "In the state he's in he could sleep through a hurricane."

"I thought I heard him walking about last night." Erika flinched before answering.

"Yes, he heard me…and woke up. But he'll sleep now." John was about to question her but the expression on her face indicated that the conversation was over. Instead he moved on to other matters.

"You made an excellent dinner last night." Erika smiled at him.

"It's not that hard. Anyone could have made it. But thanks none the less."

John smiled. "Sherlock's a lucky man."

"Oh," Erika asked, putting her mug down and leaning forward with her face in her hands, a teasing grin on her face. "How so?"

"Well while I was alone he was being cooked brilliant food, being well taken care of and he could spend all his time with a beautiful woman."

Erika paused for a moment before laughing. "For a moment there, I thought you were going to propose."

They both laughed a little at that. "If you weren't Sherlock's I'd have snapped you up already."

"Well it's good for me to know that if Sherlock leaves me I have a back-up plan," she said with a laugh. They both drank their coffees and Erika's curiosity got the better of her. "What do you look for in a woman, John?"

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she smiled innocently. With a quick look over to his sleeping friend, he answered. "I don't know really. Pretty would be nice. And smart. Passionate about what she does and happy; also, as strange as it sounds, someone who won't mind if I distance myself a little. With Sherlock as my best friend it's kind of necessary that they don't need me around all the time."

Erika smiled at him before a though crossed her and she turned to look at her bag hanging by the door where Mary's number still remained. She smiled cunningly. "Strange."

"What?"

"That's exactly what a friend said to me she wanted." She took a sip from her coffee cup before putting it down again. "Maybe I could set you up."

"Wait," John said, leaning forward. "A blind date?"

"Sure, why not? You both seem like the kind of people who'd get on. You'd have a great time!"

"I don't know…" John said, hesitating. "It just seems a little awkward. Going out with someone I've never even met before."

"I'll come if you want. It might help ease the tension." She watched as John thought it through and eventually decided on an answer. A small smile spread across his face.

"Sure, I'm game."

"Great," Erika said, leaping up. She grabbed Sherlock's mobile from his pocket and Mary's number from her bag and dialled it. It wasn't long before she answered.

"Hello, Mary speaking."

"Hi Mary, it's Erika. Got a second?"

"Hey, yeah sure. What is it?" Erika smiled as she spoke.

"You know how you were describing the kind of guy you wanted. I think I've found one who might just fit the bill. He's agreed that, if you want to, I can set you up."

"A blind date?"

"Yes. I'll come if you want. Interested?"

"Absolutely!" Erika could hear the enthusiasm and could practically see the grin spread across her face. Then she asked the question she was well prepared for. "What's he like?"

"Nu-uh. No hints, otherwise, what will you have to talk about. You free on Friday night?"

"Humph, fine. Friday night."

"Okay, I'll text you the place. Bye."

"Ciao." They hung up and Erika turned to face John with a grin across her face. "Friday night."

"Okay," John said with a smile. She was about to say something when the phone in Erika's hand vibrated and made a noise neither were expecting.

"Aaah." The sound echoed through the walls of 221B and Sherlock's eyes blinked open. He jumped up and reached for his phone, only to find it was no longer in his pocket. He turned to see Erika and John both looking at the phone in her hand. Sherlock held out his arm for it but Erika shook her head.

"What is this?" she said, looking down at the phone. She opened the message and read out the text. "I'm back in London. Let's have dinner. Who is this Sherlock?"

"Irene Adler. I thought she was dead," John said from behind them and Sherlock glared at him. Erika smirked and typed a quick text message. Sherlock reached for the phone, grabbing it off her in time to see the words message sent glow across the screen. Quickly he went through his messages and found the reply:

Yes. –SH

He looked up at his girlfriend's smug face with a look of shock. "You answered yes?"

"I answered yes."

"You what!" John's reaction got both their attention for a brief moment before Erika turned back to Sherlock, grinning.

"It's not nice to lead a woman on Sherlock."

"Erika, you don't understand," Sherlock said, walking closer to her. "When Irene says dinner, she doesn't mean dinner."

"No, she means sex." Erika's upfront knowledge shocked to boys momentarily and she let out an exasperated sigh. "Oh come on, every woman knows that."

"So…why...no…what…?" Sherlock's confusion was of great amusement to her but she hated to leave him without an answer.

"Just because she means sex, doesn't mean you can't have dinner." Sherlock was about to say something else when the same orgasmic moan echoed through the room and he looked down at his phone.

Friday, 7.30. The Royale

Erika looked down at his phone and smiled. "Sounds like a nice night."

Sherlock looked at her and glared, she smiled childishly. "You're coming with me."

"Can't," she said, putting her arm around John's shoulder. "John and I have a date."

"You what?"

"Oh calm down, I'm setting him up with a friend. I'm just going to ease the tension. Besides," she said with a wicked grin, "surely you can handle a dominatrix by yourself."