AN: So I'm going on holiday on saturday and won't have much access to internet, which is why I'm hurrying out updates. I'll keep writing while I'm away and update whenever I can get a bit of WiFi. Thanks for the review :) Would love to see some more reviews, it helps with motivation, but to be fair this story is flowing pretty easily at the minute.

Eathan waved his hand in my face, "Earth to Jess?"

I shook myself out of my thoughts, "Sorry, what's up?"

"What do you want to drink?" Jake asked.

"Um…dry white please," I answered before turning to look at Eathan.

He raised his eyebrows and as soon as Jake had gone to the bar he asked, " What's up with you? You keep going miles away, you have been for weeks."

"Sorry, I just keep thinking about that case with the VHF," I replied, lying. I wasn't thinking about the case I'd been on with Greg, but about Sherlock. That strange, aloof man had me wondering all sorts of questions and I just couldn't seem to get him out of my head.

Eathan narrowed his eyes at me, "It's a guy. Who is he?"

"There is a guy, but it's nothing like that. He's just really weird and I can't figure him out."

"Weird like kinky or?"

"Eww babycakes, just weird full stop. You'd have to meet him to understand."

Jake returned with the drinks and we all started chattering about work, soon joined by Eathans wife Lucy, and a few other people from work. Lucy and I get on enough. We'll never be best friends but she's married to my best friend in the world and she was good to me over Bens death so we're always friendly and chatty.

My phone vibrated on the table, everyone stopped talking for a second, wondering who it could be since the whole group was here, then carried on. I picked it up and read the text.

"Meet me. SH" the text read and I exhaled sharply.

I tapped out a reply, "how did you get this number?"

The answer was almost instantaneous, "not important or difficult. Are you coming? SH"

"Why?" I answered.

"Case, your input would be appreciated. SH."

"Where"

"Teashop on Shirley Street, called Rosies. SH."

"Give me half an hour," I replied then looked up to see people looking at me with interest.

"I have to go," I said regretfully, "there's a case they need me involved in."

"A case of the hots for a weird guy?" Eathan teased me.

"You're the only weird guy in my life, dear," I slapped his shoulder and said goodbye to everyone before heading outside and hailing a taxi.

On the way there I checked my makeup, more as a reflex than anything else. I looked down and realised I was wearing a lowcut silk top, tight jeans and heels, not exactly the attire for casework but then again we were meeting in a tea shop.

When the cab arrived I paid and got out. Sherlock was stood outside, his eyes darting everywhere, as they always are. They zeroed in on me and he nodded in greeting. He was smoking. I'd never noticed he smoked before.

I stood and waited for him to finish his cigarette.

"It's freezing," I noted and headed inside.

He followed me without a word and we ordered. I had a coffee to clear my head from the drinks with my work friends. He had a pot of tea.

We sat at a table and I took off my coat. His eyes flickered to my cleavage, which made me raise my eyebrows. I didn't think of all people he'd notice my large chest, but then I guess all men are the same in some ways.

His eyes came to my face then, "What do you know about Ricin?"

I shrugged, "Most things I imagine, why?"

"A clients husband was poisoned with it," he poured his tea.

"Poison is a womans weapon, it's said," I replied.

He nodded, "It was the wife."

"But why would she call you in to investigate if she did it?" I was confused.

"Ultimate show of innocence, she doesn't know who I am, and that I will always get the truth," he smirked.

"Cocky again," I said, "How do you know it was her?"

"Just got a text about that actually," he showed me his phone.

She's pregnant was all the text said.

"That's no reason to kill her husband."

"It is if the baby weren't his," he countered.

"How could you know it isn't at this stage?" I stirred two sugars into my coffee.

He drank his tea, "They slept in different beds. I saw it at the house. They have never shared a bed. I don't think she ever slept with him. She didn't show the intimacy in her grief that I would expect from a couple who had slept together."

"A modern day Severine," I remarked, drinking my coffee.

His eyebrows quirked, "What?"

"Severine, the protagonist of Belle Du Jour? Prude wife who never slept with her husband who was very understanding of course, but she secretly wanted depravity and became a prostitute," I answered.

"I don't think she was a prostitute," he said.

"Not saying she was, just saying that she had been sleeping with someone else."

"That much was obvious from the fact she's pregnant and her husband is not the father."

I groaned, "I'm aware of that."

We sat, not speaking and drank our drinks. I looked at him coolly while he assessed the room. Those eyes are quite something. Eathans words came back to me and I sighed, maybe I was getting some kind of attraction to Sherlock. Oh god if I end up like Molly I will pitch myself of Tower Bridge.

"Does being around me irritate you?" he asked, another flash of his eyes at my cleavage.

I shook my head, "No, but you can be agitating, why?"

"You seem annoyed, your face is always slightly red when you're with me and I wonder if it's irritation."

I blushed then, had I been blushing this whole time?

"No, I'm not irritated, I just feel like a replacement for your skull right now."

"You are. The real question is why you left your friends to come and see me instead."

"Charming. Because you said it was case related."

"In a tea shop, you didn't honestly believe it was an actual case I'd called you for?"

"I did. I thought it was strange, but you're strange so…"

"You calling someone strange is interesting, from someone as odd as yourself."

"Odd?" I asked, my nostrils flaring.

He nodded, "You love your friends dearly but you make no effort with them. You dislike or disapprove of your best friends wife, but not out of jealousy. Your relationship with your father is the most interesting one."

I narrowed my eyes and stood up, "Sherlock."

"Yes?" he looked up at me.

"Piss off." I left the tea shop and called a cab, texting Eathan to see if they were still out.