The next day went surprisingly smoothly; there were a minimum of tears and, miraculously, no one went home sick. With the year winding down, each class was preparing for a special concert. Every afternoon, the grades went down in sections to practice their specified song.
It was absolute chaos, but Kensi adored every moment of it. Her students had grown so much over the year each in their own individual ways. The most obvious change had occurred with Caleb Deeks. It amazed her how much he'd opened up in just a few months, going from shy and clinging to his dad to gregarious and curious about everything.
As much as Kensi tried not to play favorites, she couldn't deny that he'd carved out a special place in her heart. Just yesterday, they'd built a lego village together with him while Deeks made dinner. In between creating a dinosaur music store-a music store run by dinosaurs for the other animals-Caleb shared loosely connected stories about his dad, his old school, and a friend he'd made since moving. Playing and talking with him reminded her of what had inspired her to pursue teaching originally.
He'd only mentioned his mom a few times in passing, proudly showing her a stuffed toy she'd brought him during a visit. He'd informed her that "Talking about mommy makes dad sad. Sometimes it makes sad too," while petting the teddy bear sized ladybug with an introspective look. He seemed confused by the whole situation, yet understand that it wasn't a topic Deeks preferred.
Despite her deep curiosity, Kensi didn't pursue the topic. Deeks had told her as much as he wanted to, getting more out of his five-year-old would be highly inappropriate. Still, she'd found herself considering taking a page out of Nell's book and looking Deeks up on Facebook a few times. She held herself back though; she had a feeling that once Deeks' trust was broken, it would be almost impossible to win it back.
Back at home, she started a load of way overdue laundry, briefly considered tackling the mound of dishes in the sink, and decided on tossing a frozen pot pie in the oven while she finished some grading. Her mom would argue that anything frozen wasn't real food, but Kensi considered it an improvement over pop tarts or ramen which made up an embarrassingly large number of her dinners.
Kensi made it through a quarter of her work when her phone buzzed with an incoming call, Deeks' name appearing on the screen. She accepted the call, smiling at the welcome distraction.
"Hey, I didn't think I'd hear from you tonight," she said, sinking further into her seat as she tapped her pen against her knee.
"Yeah, my meeting ended early, thanks to my stunning negotiations skills," Deeks answered smugly.
"And the award for most humble lawyer goes to…"
"I'm just being honest," he insisted, laughter in his voice. "How was your day?"
"Good. We actually accomplished a lot, which is always an amazing feat when you're talking about Kindergartners," Kensi said. "Only one glue incident all day."
"That is truly amazing. It's hard enough wrangling one tiny person, I can't imagine handling a entire classroom of gremlins," Deeks agreed. "Endearing gremlins, but gremlins nonetheless."
Kensi snorted at his amendment, picturing him sitting in his office or at the kitchen table, in a similar position to her own. He probably had shucked off his suit jacket by now, shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. She shivered a little at the thought and quickly straightened before her imagination got any more out of hand.
I also got a little video of Caleb practicing for the end of year performance if you want me to send it to you."
"I'm going to go out on a limb and guess he's being a complete ham. He can be so shy sometimes, but get him in front of a camera and he's a seasoned actor," Deeks said wryly.
"He gave a truly impressive performance. Oscar worthy I would say."
"Sound about right." There were a few seconds of dead air and then he cleared his throat, and Kensi almost felt the shift in demeanor. "So, uh, I actually called for another reason," he continued. "I have this company dinner and I wondered if you wanted to join me."
"Oh," Kensi exclaimed in surprise. She definitely hadn't expected that. "What kind of dinner party?"
"Formal, edging towards gala kind. Black tie. It's to celebrate our clients and all that, so I'm kind of required to attend."
That was a lot more than a simple dinner, and Kensi felt a touch of unease. If it was just a few of his coworkers, she would be less hesitant, but his whole office…she cleared her throat, asking another question to hide her uncertainty.
"When is it?"
"Saturday. This Saturday," Deeks answered quickly.
"Gee, thanks for the advanced notice," Kensi drawled.
"I know, it's super close," Deeks apologized, and she could almost hear him wince. "I thought I could get out of it, but one of my, ah, shall we say colleagues, is threatening to set me up with a friend of hers if I don't list a plus one by the end of tomorrow."
"So I'm the least objectionable option. I see." She let her voice drop to a scathing tone.
"That is so not what I meant," he insisted. He sighed heavily, and Kensi could picture him tipping his head back. "Yes, this is very last minute, but I would love nothing more than to take you to the gala." He was definitely laying on the charm now, but she could tell he was also sincere. She flushed a little at the fondness in in his voice.
"Mm, and what do I get in return?" Kensi asked, playfully.
"Free drinks, overpriced hors d'oeuvres, and my delightful presence," Deeks replied quickly. "Oh, and the opportunity to meet a few celebrities." He paused a second and added, "I get it if you can't. It's a lot to ask last minute."
"No, I think I can pull something together." Mentally, she was indexing her wardrobe, considering anything that would be suitable for a formal event.
"Is that a yes? Because as a lawyer I know how important explicit content is. I can even draw up a contract or a—"
"Yes, Deeks," Kensi interrupted loudly, laughing despite herself. "I will be your date for the gala." Deeks released a small breath she wasn't sure she was meant to hear.
"Alright then," he said more seriously. "I'll pick you up around 6 on Saturday?"
"Sounds perfect."
"Thank you, Kensi."
They hung up a minute later, and Kensi tossed her phone on the table, lightly smacking her forehead. She stood, pacing the length of her living room.
"Oh my god. What were you thinking, Kensi?" she demanded of herself, quickly descending into a state of slight panic as she realized what she'd just agreed to.
Grabbing her phone again, she dialed Nell's number, pressing her lips together, still pacing.
"Nell, I need your help. I have to find an evening gown for Saturday."
A/N: Side note, do you think Kensi will remember her pot pie in all the excitement before it burns to a crisp?