"I don't want to go," she groaned as Lanie grabbed her wrists and pulled her from where she had cocooned herself on the couch. "You can't make me."

"Okay, first of all: I can make you and I will if I have to," her friend warned as she led her to the bedroom. "And you already promised Karpowski you would go. Please don't make me have to go to this alone."

"You won't be alone," Kate snarked as she plopped down onto the end of Lanie's bed. "Espo will be there."

"No. We are going together; you and I. We are going to drink, we are going to dance, and we are not going to think about boys."

Lanie pulled open the doors of her wardrobe and began sorting through in search of a dress.

"Yeah, until the end of the night when you get to go home with your boy and I get to come back here - alone - to sleep on your couch," Kate grumbled.

Lanie sighed and turned back to face her friend.

"Okay, I get it: you're heartbroken, but I'm really trying to make the best out of this situation. It's been over a week and all you've done is work and wallow."

"We were together for over a year, Lanie. We lived together and made plans for a future... together. And then he just decides to go back to his ex? I think I've earned a week to wallow."

"You're right. I'm sorry." Lanie walked to her bed and took a seat beside Kate, placing her hand on her friend's thigh. "But you promised a colleague that you celebrate her birthday with her. An hour of your time, that is all I'm asking for. It's Illusions: we've been waiting for this for weeks now!"

Kate sighed and rolled her eyes. They had been looking forward to this night out and she did hate the idea of missing out on a good time because she was too busy crying over someone she had already decided didn't deserve her tears (apparently her brain didn't pass the memo along to her heart).

"You never know," Lanie added with a grin. "You might even enjoy getting out for a little bit."

"Fine. But you can't force me to have fun, no matter how hard you try."

Lanie practically leapt into her lap as she wrapped her arms around Kate's shoulders and squeezed. "You won't regret it, I promise!"

She hated that Lanie had been right: a cute dress, styled hair and her signature smoky-eye had her feeling more herself than she had in weeks.

Add a room full of her friends and closest colleagues (that were all just thrilled to see her out and about again) and Lanie's persistent 'hype-girl' demeanour, the night had started off much better than she had anticipated.

They drank, they danced, and they really had tried their best to not think about boys! However, with just enough alcohol flowing through her veins and the deep baseline of the music reverberating through her chest the tall, handsome stranger that had caught her attention from across the crowded room was a temptation she just couldn't resist.

"You know what they say," Lanie said as Kate sipped from the drink he had gifted her. "The best way to get over someone is to-"

"Oh, my God!" She laughed and sat up straighter in the booth, placing her fingertip to her intoxicated friend's lips. "I am begging you, Lanie, please do not finish that thought!"

"Okay, okay! I won't," Lanie promised as Kate dropped her hand back to her lap. "But you know I'm right."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm really not looking for another relationship right now."

"Slow down, girl! I didn't say you have to marry the guy! It'll be like that movie you like."

"Movie?" Kate braced herself; if Lanie was starting to compare real life to movies, this really could be headed anywhere.

"You know? The one where they meet and they have a really great night together but they don't exchange any actual details about themselves so that they can't find one another," Lanie explained, poorly. "They're left with nothing but fond memories of that great night and nothing ruins it."

Kate shook her head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You do! You love that movie! They eat dessert together."

"Are you talking about Serendipity?"

Lanie waved her hand around excitedly. "Yes, that's it!"

"You've never actually seen that movie, have you?"

Her friend shook her head, no. "That's not the point, though. The point is that you are too hot to not be flirting with cute guys at the bar."

Lanie turned to Esposito, who was sitting on her other side, and placed her hand over his to gain his attention.

"What's up?" he asked when he turned his attention to her.

"Can you please tell Kate that she is beautiful and could have any guy she wanted."

Kate's jaw dropped. "Oh God, you really don't have to do that."

"Look, if you're not going to let Mr Expensive Suit over there remind you that you are a desirable woman, I'll just make Javi do it."

Esposito's eyes darted to Kate's, almost pleading with her.

"No, it's fine," she surrendered. "I'll go!"

It had taken every little ounce of confidence she could muster to get this far. She took solace in the fact that he seemed just as out of practice as she was, though.

She was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the feeling of being out of her comfort zone faded, though.

As they swayed together on the dancefloor they fell into an easy rhythm, moving to a beat that was entirely their own.

This stranger felt... safe. And she couldn't understand why.

Determined to ignore the warm, fuzzy feeling inside - the one that (if she tried hard enough) she could pretend was the alcohol coursing through her veins - she allowed her curiosity to lead the way.

"So... Who exactly is Meredith?"

She didn't really have to ask, though. It seemed obvious. The familiarity, the expectation, the slinging of completely unwarranted insults: Meredith was a lover.

Past relationship, present fling or future possibility; that was yet to be determined.

"Ex-girlfriend?" she pried, when he remained silent for just a moment too long.

"Ex-" He sighed. "Ex-wife."

She felt the almost-imperceptible shift in his touch; the way his hands at her waist seemed to hold her just that little bit closer, but even that couldn't reassure her.

Her confidence crumbled.

And then he just decides to go back to his ex?

"Right."

The word seemed to tumble out of her mouth of it's own accord and her hands dropped to her sides.

Why did she seem to be a magnet for guys who just couldn't quit their exes?

Something deep inside was telling her to run, to cut her losses before this went too far: it wasn't worth it.

Yet, she was drawn to him.

As his piercing blue eyes searched hers, he made no attempt to hide the disappointment the newfound space between their bodies had incited. Disappointment she felt compelled to remedy.

The intensity of his gaze sent a chill down her spine that battled with the heat of his palms still pressed to her hips. She leant inward slightly and rested her hand on his bicep.

It's not like she was looking to get attached, anyway, right? Tonight would be a distraction, nothing more. An opportunity to pretend, just for a little while, that her heart wasn't currently in a million tiny little pieces.

She tilted her head and smiled: no, this wasn't over yet.

"She's, like, way out of your league," she joked, forcing the playfulness back into her voice. "Just in case you weren't already aware."

The curve of his lips was instant. "Yeah, well, shoot for the stars, right?"

She glanced over his shoulder, surveying the club for any sign of his ex. Once she was certain the coast was clear, she looked back to him.

"You're safe now," she assured him with a smile. "She's gone."

"Right," he said as his hands slipped from their perch on her waist. "Thank you."

She looked at him confused. "For...?"

"For the dance," he clarified.

"Oh, yeah. You're welcome. It was the least I could do, really. You buy me a drink, I save you from a social interaction you obviously didn't want to have. I feel that's a win-win situation."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah."

"My offer still stands, though, if you want." She tilted her head toward the booth her friends had gathered around. "You're more than welcome to join us."

He looked over to the booth, and considered the offer.

"Don't want to crash your party," he excused.

She could tell he was just trying not to sound too eager.

"It was a colleague's birthday drinks, but she's gone now. Most of the guests are, so you wouldn't really be crashing anything." She waited a beat before continuing. "Come on, it'll be worth your while, I promise."

She grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers through his as she led him over to the booth.

As they approached, four sets of eyes studied him.

"These are my friends," she started, dropping his hand so that she could motion to each of her friends as she introduced them. "Lanie, Espo, Ryan and his beautiful fiancé, Jenny."

He smiled to each of them. "Nice to meet you all."

"This is-" She paused, her smile beaming as she turned to face him. "Ricky."

His eyes locked to hers and she knew he wanted to protest, but he simply smiled and shook his head before turning his attention to her friends.

"Uh, you can just call me Rick," he said to them.

She slipped into the booth beside Lanie and tapped her hand to the space beside her, inviting him to settle in.

"So, Rick, are you here alone?" Jenny asked as she looked around the club for a group he may have strayed from.

"I was," he answered once her attention was back to him. "I had dinner at the little Italian place just down the road and stopped in for a drink but I ran into... an old friend-" He locked eyes with Kate and smiled. "So I've been here way longer than intended but it's looking like that might be a good thing."

"Laying it on thick," Kate mumbled, just for him.

"Like I said: shoot for the stars."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the smile forming. With the shake of her head, she looked away from Rick and re-engaged with the whole group.

"The boys still rambling on about cars?" she asked.

"Yes," Jenny and Lanie groaned in unison.

"You a car enthusiast, Rick?" Jenny asked him.

Kate smiled at Jenny: she appreciated the woman's kindness and how willing she was to welcome the stranger into their tight-knit group.

"Yeah, as much as the next guy, I suppose."

"What do you drive?" Ryan asked him.

"I mean, it's New York City so my everyday is public transport," Rick chuckled.

Ryan looked at him curiously. "You don't own a car?"

"Why not?" Esposito added before Rick could answer.

"Oh, no... I do," Rick corrected. "I own two, actually."

"But you mostly use public transport?" Esposito questioned.

Ryan continued the rapid-fire line of questioning. "Why own two cars if you're not going to drive them?"

"Guys, stop," Kate urged quietly.

Rick held his hands up, feigning surrender. "What is this: an interrogation?" he joked.

"That's an interesting choice of words, Bro," Espo said to him, before turning his attention to Kate. "What'd you flash him your badge out on the dance floor?"

"Wait!" Rick looked at Kate, his jaw slack and eyes wide. "You're a cop?"

"Oh, so now you're interested in what I do?" she questioned.

"Uh, excuse me? I don't recall you asking me what I do," he defended playfully.

"That's-" She sighed. "Fair."

"Yeah, your security team over here seem more interested in getting to know me than you do, just saying."

"Oh, don't be mistaken," she said; her voice low and slow. "I'm plenty interested in getting to know you."