Erza ran through her checklist again as she inspected the contents of the delivery van. The party was a last minute catering job and she would have to make the run herself with only Lucy to help out. Natsu was still across town and Gray had to stay behind to run the retail front of the bakery. Only Levy would be in the kitchen.

"I think that's all of it!" Lucy called from the passenger seat. "Let's get this over with."

"I feel like we're forgetting something," Erza mumbled as she slid behind the steering wheel.

"You're only saying that because this was so rushed. You can't screw up two sheet cakes, and cookies."

"I know, I know." She started up the van and backed out of the ally. "I wasn't planning on going out like this today."

"It'll be fine. It's not like Natsu looks pretty when he does deliveries." Lucy shrugged. "But he doesn't wear an apron, though."

"Oh, damn it! Remind me to take it off when we get out of the van, will you? I knew I was forgetting something!"

Lucy laughed and switched on the radio. The drive would only be ten minutes, but Erza was grateful for the distraction. Lately it seemed that every spare moment she had her mind went right to Jellal. They'd been chatting almost every night for two weeks, but he hadn't made any direct requests to meet in person. They'd both made some off-handed comments about it, but Erza wasn't sure how she felt about the next step. She didn't want him to grow bored, but what if they met and all the chemistry fizzled out? Then she'd be back to square one and her evenings would return to the lonely monotony they had been before she'd found him.

"Erza!" Lucy's voice ripped her from the vicious cycle of anxiety.

"Hm? What?"

"We're here." She opened her door. "Don't forget to take off your apron, Madam Space Cadet!"

Erza sighed and left the apron on the front seat. She and Lucy loaded the cakes and most of the cookies onto a wheeled cart and rolled them into the crowded hall. The large room was decorated for a retirement party, and when Erza saw the enormous blue banner tacked to the wall behind the waiting buffet tables her heart plummeted like a rock into her stomach.

Happy Retirement, Commander Lahar!

Suddenly everywhere she looked the obvious screamed at her. These people were all Magnolia police officers and family! The retiree was a Commander and that meant the possibility of Jellal being in this very room was damn near one-hundred percent.

"Lucy!" She hissed as they unloaded trays of cookies. "Why didn't you tell me this was a law enforcement event?"

"Does it matter? And it's on the order form, Erza. You've looked at the damn thing at least three times since Levy handed it over. What's the big deal? I'm gonna go get the rest of the stuff from the van." Lucy disappeared into the crowd leaving her alone at the food tables.

Erza started to sweat. It's fine. Magnolia is huge. He can't possibly know every officer or be invited to every event. He's probably not even here. It's fine… Oh, god, I should've at least done something about my hair before leaving the van!

A tugging on the edge of her shirt brought her from her thoughts. Erza turned to face the small girl smiling brightly at her.

"Hi!"

"Eh, hi." Erza glanced around for a parent looking for their child, and then back at the little girl. "Want a cookie?" She kneeled down to the girl's level and held one out for her.

"Your friend gave me one already! Thank you for bringing them!" She reached out to touch a stray wisp of Erza's red hair. "Your hair is really pretty."

"Thank you! I think your hair is pretty too. Pink is a great color."

"I like pink! It's my favorite. My aunt says I should try new things, but I don't care."

"Branching out is okay, but sometimes you just like what you like and that's okay too." Erza's eyes surveyed the crowd behind the girl. "Do you think your mom or dad is looking for you?"

"Probably my dad. My mom is-"

"Meredy!" A frantic male voice from behind her interrupted them, and the little girl's face lit up.

"Daddy! There you are! Did you get lost?"

"Meredy, that's not how this works. You wandering off doesn't make me lost." Erza stood, and turned to face the girl's father and her mouth fell open. She found herself completely unable to speak. The man appeared to be just as dumbfounded. "Erza?"

"Jellal, I… wow. This is…" She trailed off and self-consciously brushed the strand of hair Meredy had grabbed behind her ear.

"Jellal, did you find her?" A dark haired woman appeared by his side. She noticed Erza and smirked. Meredy took the woman's hand and began to twirl in a half circle. "Come on, cupcake; let's go get something to drink." The pair disappeared before Jellal could protest. His eyes hadn't left Erza since he'd recognized her.

"Uh, Ultear, she-" He finally looked toward the other woman and seemed perplexed that his daughter had already been whisked away. When he turned back to Erza she couldn't stop the fierce blush that crept up her neck and face. "That was my sister. I'm sorry I'm being incredibly rude, can we talk?" He seemed to suddenly realize they were in a crowded room. "Maybe outside?"

"Um, yeah. Outside is good." Erza allowed him to lead the way to a set of side doors, and tried not to melt into the floor when his hand grazed the small of her back.

"So… this is unexpected." His voice was deep and soothing. She didn't even try to deny that she loved it.

"I had no idea what was going on here until I walked in the door. Lucy swears everything was on the order form, but I've been so spacy lately." Erza knew she was babbling but Jellal only grinned.

"I can't say it's a bad surprise, Erza."

"It's not a disappointment to see me this way? Sweating and smelling of cookie dough?" He took a small step closer to her, and she wished he was both closer and further away. The situation felt surreal. "I'd hoped that when we met in person it would be a little more-"

"Life is just a bunch of unexpected things all jumbled together. I'm glad we met this way. Now I don't have to keep shuffling my feet awkwardly about asking you out in chat." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I mean, if that's what you even want?"

"It is." She blurted. "I mean, yes. That's what I want. What I'd like, I mean." Erza leaned against the wall of the building and all her breath rushed out in an odd combination of a laugh and sigh. "I'd like that."

"Do I make you nervous?"

"Not in a bad way. I'm-" She paused and finally smiled. "Relieved? I was worried that you'd be disappointed when we met in person."

"I am a little disappointed."

Erza raised an eyebrow.

"But only because my daughter got to meet you first. I should've known she'd seek out the source of the cookies. You'd better watch out because now she'll think you can produce sweet things on demand."

"I suppose that's not the worst thing she could think of me."

"Can I take you out this weekend? I'd really love to spend some time together that's not virtual or when you're working." The way the apples of his cheeks turned pink at the request made her smile.

"I don't have any plans on Friday… or all weekend really." Erza bit her lip. She'd just admitted to have no real social life at all. "I don't always not have plans. Sometimes I do… have plans." She sighed heavily. "Can you tell I babble a lot when I'm flustered?"

Jellal stepped into her personal space, destroying her ability to breathe or think at all, and his hand touched her elbow just before he leaned in close to her ear. "I could listen to you babble all day, Erza."

The way her name fell from his lips made her skin feel electric. She turned her head and found him irresistibly close. Would it be so bad to kiss him before they'd even been on a real date? His lips twitched into a tiny grin and Erza thought she felt him move even closer. His hand slid from her elbow to lace his fingers with hers. There was no way he couldn't hear her heart pounding. She opened her mouth to whisper her consent and…

"Erza! There you a-" Lucy burst out of the side door, and stumbled over her words. "Oh. Oh, I didn't… I-"

Jellal jumped back and seemed to snap out of the same trance-like state Erza had been in only a split-second before. It took her a moment longer to recover. The sudden loss of his closeness jarred her.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize-" Lucy was still stammering.

"Uh, no, it's fine. I should… go…" Jellal stepped around Lucy and grabbed the door by the top edge.

"Wait!" Erza called suddenly remembering he didn't even have her phone number. "Uh, here." She pulled a business card from her back pocket and handed it to him. "My mobile number is on here. So you can, uh, call me? On the phone?"

Jellal smiled brightly and slid the card into his own pocket. "I will definitely do that. Today." He paused. "Tonight, I mean."

"Okay. Tonight."

Lucy moved out of his way and next to Erza. There was a curl to her friend's grin that meant she'd be answering many questions on the ride back to the bakery. When Jellal disappeared inside the building Lucy squealed and tugged on her arm excitedly as they walked around the building and back to the van.

"Erza! Who on earth was that?"

"Good grief, Lucy, get ahold of yourself." Her voice was surprisingly steady for all the wobbliness she felt inside. "He's just a guy I met."

"Oh, no. No, no, no. That's a chicken shit answer if I ever heard one. He's not just a guy. I've met dudes you've dated before and unless you have some secret life I don't know about, Erza Scarlet does not get that close to a man's face unless she really likes him." Lucy climbed into the van. "Spill it! Is he the reason you've been in such a good mood lately?"

Erza sighed and pointed the AC vent at her burning face. There was no keeping her activities under wraps now. Lucy had caught her with her hand in the cookie jar and the woman was like a bulldog. She would not let it go until satisfied.

"I didn't just meet him. We've been talking for a few weeks now."

"So he's a police officer? Is that why you freaked out about the event?"

"Yeah."

"Why, though? If you've been talking for a while, why the upset?"

"Because –" Erza took a deep breath. She'd dug her way into a hole and there was no getting out of admitting that Mirajane had pressured her into joining Spark. "Because we haven't ever met in person before today. I've only ever chatted with him online."

"Like twitter?"

"No… on Spark."

Lucy's eyebrows flew up. "You mean the dating app?" Her friend stared at her for a long minute. "Did Mira put you up to that? Because I can't imagine you deciding to do that on your own."

"Is it horrible?"

"Erza -" Lucy smiled and patted her arm. "It's not horrible at all. I think it's great you found someone you like. He seemed really into you, too. Is he the only guy you talked to on there?"

"Yes, but he's not the only guy who ever messaged me. You wouldn't believe the number of crazies out there. This one person told me he wanted to warm his batter in my oven."

Lucy doubled over in her seat laughing. "That is the worst pickup line in the history of pickup lines! Was he serious?"

"Oh, very serious. He still messages me at least once every three days."

"Well, I'm sure now that you and Hottie Cop have met in person, you can delete the app," Lucy winked suggestively as Erza pulled into the alley behind the bakery.

"His name is Jellal and please don't call him Hottie Cop."

Lucy only laughed and left her alone in the cab of the van. She would have to wait for Jellal to contact her since they hadn't had the presence of mind to fully exchange numbers, and she refused to message him on Spark again. It would feel like a step backwards.

As she walked into the back kitchen of the bakery her phone chimed from her pocket. A text message from a new number.

Hey, it's Jellal. I'm really happy we got a chance to meet today even if it was just for a few minutes. I'll call you tonight if that's still okay?

Erza smiled widely and typed out:

I look forward to it.