"Who is that?" Ethan whispered to Curtis.

"Nobody you need to worry about," the Deputy Chief assured.

"No, seriously. Is that Dani's replacement?"

"She look like a driver to you?"

"I mean, the leather jacket, just…"

"She's a lawyer," Curtis finally answered.

"She's way too hot to be a lawyer," Ethan scoffed.

"Ethan, I'm surprised at you," Megan shook her head, entering the lab. "I thought you were more evolved than that."

"What?"

"Can't someone be attractive and intelligent?"

"I wasn't saying…obviously…"

"Quit while you're ahead," she patted him on the shoulder.

"Got it."

"But really," Megan turned to Curtis. "Who is that?"

"Not you too," Curtis shook his head. "She's one of Kate's clients."

"Huh," Megan put a hand on her hip as she leaned against a table and watched the woman make her way down the hall. "Didn't realize Kate was consulting these days."

Erica Rodriguez flashed her brightest smile to the receptionist at the front desk, like they were old friends. Her raven hair swished as she tossed it over her shoulder, shiny layers flowing down the back of her white leather jacket. She walked purposefully into Kate's office, sticking her hands in her pockets as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Can I come in?" she asked, knowing Kate was expecting her.

"Ms. Rodriguez," the blonde rose and shook her hand. "Good to see you again."

"Kate, you keep doing that," the slightly younger woman kept Kate's hand, shaking her head a little as she narrowed her chocolate brown eyes. "You gotta call me Erica."

"Erica," Kate smiled. "Shall we?"

They sat on the couch by the window, where they began going over the details Kate had worked out for Erica's case. She had put together an incredibly detailed portfolio for the lawyer to take back to her firm, and was scheduled to appear on the witness stand for her trial at the end of the month.

"You're really something else, you know that?" Erica smiled, leaning back against the sofa, crossing her legs, letting one of her Loubitains dangle off her foot.

"Thanks," Kate smiled as they wrapped up. "I'm sorry, I should have offered you something. Can I get you a drink? I don't have much here, just…"

"Nah, I think we're good for today," Erica responded. "How 'bout I take you out to dinner tonight instead?"

Kate stopped in her tracks. She turned around slowly, smiled a little and shook her head.

"Thanks, but…"

"But…?"

She took a deep breath and sat on the edge of her desk. Erica had been flirting with her for weeks. Every time they met, she stayed longer than necessary, finding subtle ways to touch her as they worked, complimenting her on her brains and fashion sense. Although most people didn't know it, Kate had some experience with women, so she knew it wasn't all in her head. Still, she was reluctant to make the first move.

"Last time I went out to dinner with a client, things got…complicated."

"How so?"

"We started dating," Kate didn't know why she was telling her this. The woman somehow managed to loosen her up. She definitely had a knack for getting people to relax, which was not a bad trait for a lawyer.

"I see." Erica raised an eyebrow. "How long?"

"Couple months. I should have known better but…it's over. It's been over."

"Well, I'm not gonna lie. It would be a date," Erica confirmed, locking eyes with Kate as she played with her necklace. "But it doesn't have to be complicated."

Kate blushed, shifting from one leg to the other as she appeared to search the air with her eyes, trying to decide whether she should really do this.

"You're seriously asking me out?"

"Is it such a shock? Don't act like you don't get asked out all the time."

"I don't," Kate swallowed.

"I'm sorry," Erica shook her head. "You don't like women. I shouldn't have assumed…"

"I didn't say that," Kate cut her off.

Erica continued to hold Kate's gaze. Kate stared back.

"I realize it was a little bold of me," Erica admitted. "You just seem…I don't know. Open."

"I am open," Kate quickly confirmed. "To dinner."

"I'll take it," Erica smirked. She rose, crossing the room to where Kate was sitting.

"Tonight actually won't work," Kate told her. "Friday?"

"Perfecto."

Kate extended her hand. Erica accepted it, shaking it firmly. There was something deeply enticing about Erica. Her eyes, her strength, her confidence. She had a lot of admirable qualities—much like Megan—but different, obviously. Kate tried her best not to make comparisons. The point was to get her mind off Megan, after all.

Erica let go of her hand and moved in closer. Kate's breath caught a little as Erica leaned forward and kissed her very softly on the cheek.

"Call me," she whispered. "We'll set it up."

Kate nodded and watched as Erica left, hips swaying a little as she made her way to the elevator.

An easy distraction, she thought, though something within tugged at her not to do this again. She let her eyes wander towards the lab, watching through the glass as Megan slapped Curtis across the head. The man glared at her, then laughed as Megan scrunched up her nose at him. Kate shook it off and returned to her desk, determined to call Erica the next day.

Friday evening, Kate met Erica at Cabo Blanco, a Cuban restaurant downtown. Apparently, the place had a great reputation for being authentic, and the live band brought in quite a crowd. Still, it was pretty casual. Kate was afraid she'd overdressed.

"Stunning, as always," Erica looked over Kate's navy silk dress, greeting her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks," Kate smiled, taking in Erica's low-rise jeans and black tank, which showed off her exquisitely tanned and toned shoulders. The shirt was lower cut than she'd seen her in before, revealing that Erica was just as curvaceous as Kate, if not more so.

"You look…amazing," Kate continued.

"I try," Erica joked. To some, her confidence may have come off as cocky, but Kate found it to be very genuine, almost comforting.

After ordering dinner and being served their first round of margaritas, the two started to slip into easy conversation.

"So how'd you become head honcho over there?" Erica asked.

"I climbed the latter. Worked my way up from M.E.," Kate explained. "It wasn't easy. Plenty of good people wanted the job."

"But you got it," Erica smiled, taking another sip from her drink. "I have a feeling you're very good at getting what you want."

Kate rolled her eyes a little, but the color in her cheeks told Erica the flattery was working.

"You could say that."

"Where'd you grow up?" Erica continued.

Kate's demeanor changed. She took a large gulp through her straw, licking a little salt from the rim.

"Nowhere interesting," she tried to play it off.

"Don't worry," Erica shook her head. "My childhood wasn't a fairytale either."

Kate paused. She hadn't felt comfortable telling anyone about her past in quite some time, but she suddenly felt ready, thinking it might be a relief to talk to someone who could relate.

"My mother left when I was six," Kate spoke softly. "Drugs. My father didn't know what to do with me. Actually, he didn't know how to do much of anything, except drink."

"No wonder you climbed that latter so fast," Erica smiled, leaning a little closer across the table. "You're a survivor. Like me."

"Yeah?"

"I came from nothing too. Well, not nothing, just less than I knew I wanted," Erica told her. "Parents came over from Cuba, no education, poor neighborhood. It was my mission in life to make it out."

"And here you are," Kate smiled.

"That's right," Erica raised her drink. "Here we are."

They clinked their glasses together and each took another sip. Soon, their food arrived, which Kate had to agree was some of the best Latin cuisine she'd ever tasted. As the evening grew later, the band really started to strike up. When they played "No Es Una Novela," Erica threw her napkin on the table.

"Damn, I love this song," she sighed. "Come on. Dance with me."

Kate turned beet red and shook her head adamantly.

"I don't think so."

"Come on," Erica insisted. "Don't be nervous. I'm not that good."

"Yeah, right," Kate scoffed.

"What? You think every Cuban knows how to dance, don't you?"

"I…no…"

"Racist," Erica smirked.

Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."

"It's okay," Erica laughed. "If you dance with me, I'll forgive you."

Kate took a deep breath and looked at her, still a little unsure. Erica finally stood and reached out her hand. Kate swallowed, then accepted, trying to tell herself she'd hopefully never see any of these people again as she followed Erica to the dance floor. The brunette locked eyes with her and smiled brightly, assuredly. She wrapped her right arm around Kate, placing one hand on her lower back, and kept their left hands clasped.

"I know you're not used to following anyone, Chief, but you're gonna have to let me lead."

Kate couldn't help but laugh. The situation was so preposterous. She looked around for a moment to see if anyone was staring at them. She wondered how many other women Erica had brought to this place, then quickly let it go, needing to pay attention to how their feet were moving.

"Good," Erica commended. "See? Not so bad. I'll probably step on you eventually, though. I apologize in advance."

Kate laughed again. She hadn't laughed this much since she was with…

Don't, Kate told herself, chasing away all thoughts of the redhead, focusing instead on the woman in her arms. Almost as if she were reading her thoughts, Erica chose that moment to pull her closer, bringing their bodies flush as they continued to move to the Bachata beat. Kate felt Erica's fingers sliding ever so smoothly over the small of her back, and she brought her chin to rest on the crook of Erica's shoulder. Their cheeks touched as they swayed, shifted, danced like it was only the two of them there. Erica pulled back a few seconds after the song ended.

"You were great," she whispered.

"Likewise," Kate smiled, still holding the brunette's hands.

"Ready to get out of here?" Erica asked.

Kate nodded. She fought with Erica about splitting the bill for a good five minutes before letting her pay this time. When they got outside, Kate leaned against the door of her car while Erica stood in front of her.

"I hope that wasn't too far out of your comfort zone," Erica mused.

"I had a great time," Kate told her. It was true.

"So you'll come back with me then?"

Kate nodded.

"In that case," Erica stepped closer, letting her denim-clad thighs just barely rub against the front of Kate's silk dress. The blonde took a look around again before lacing their fingers. Erica smiled famously, then closed the distance between them, kissing Kate once, very softly, which surprised the blonde. Kate went for it, bringing a hand to the back of Erica's neck and pulling her in for a much harder, full-fledged lip lock. Her juicy lips slipped over Erica's, and the brunette brought her hands to Kate's waist, squeezing before pulling away.

"Until next time," Erica kissed her once more before letting go. "Sweet dreams, Chief."

"You too."

Back home, Kate thought about how easy tonight had been, shockingly, as opposed to the fireworks she was used to. She couldn't remember the last time things were this easy. In fact, she was sure they never were. She drifted off to sleep thinking about how nice it was to feel wanted.