Author: Allison L.F
Disclaimer: MONK belongs to the lucky people at USA Network and Mandeville Films. I only own the story itself.
Summary: Adrian and Sharona realize that they have feelings for each other.
Spoilers: A few small ones from the first season.
Rating: PG
"I'm going over to Kenny's house," Benjy announced, putting his plate into the sink.
"Wash that," Sharona ordered, pointing to the dirty dish.
Benjy groaned, then reached for the dishwashing detergent.
Sharona went into the living room and joined Adrian on the couch. "Was lunch okay?"
"Yeah, it was good," he replied with a smile.
Sharona smiled back and then picked up a magazine from the coffee table and
began flipping through it.
Benjy dried his plate and put it in the cabinet above the sink. Then, he grabbed his jacket and started for the door. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Mr. Monk!" he called, waving.
"Be careful crossing the street! Look both ways!" Sharona instructed.
Benjy gave her a 'what am I, two-years-old?' look and was soon out the door.
"He's really something, isn't he?" Adrian commented, chuckling.
Sharona raised her eyebrows slightly. "Something weird. You know, just the other day, he told me I have the coolest job in the world. He used to tell me I have the weirdest job in the world." She paused. "He must really like you."
Adrian couldn't help but smile. "What's not to like?" he joked.
Sharona returned the smile and then refocused her attention on the magazine in her hands. She thought about Benjy's comment. He was right. She did have the coolest job in the world, no matter how much she complained about it. Working for - and, more often WITH - Adrian was pretty exciting. Every time she'd tell Benjy about another one of their 'adventures,' he would listen attentively, his eyes widening in excitement as he hung on her every word. She laughed softly. She was glad that Benjy liked Adrian. After all, Adrian was the most important man in his life . . . . and in hers.
"Sharona?"
Sharona felt a hand gently shaking her shoulder. She snapped out of her thoughts. "Huh?"
"Sharona, are you all right?" Adrian asked her, a concerned expression on his face.
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well, you . . . . you were staring at me," he told her.
She started to feel a little uncomfortable. "I-I was?"
Adrian nodded. "Is something wrong?"
She shook her head. "No. Um . . . . why-why would there be something wrong?" She stood up suddenly.
"Where are you going?"
"Oh, I'm, uh . . . . I'm going to Benjy's room to check on him."
"He's not here, Sharona. He went to Kenny's house," he reminded her gently.
Sharona gave a nervous laugh and smacked her forehead lightly. "Yeah, that's right. I forgot." She slowly sat back down. For some reason, she had been 'out of it' lately. For instance, two weeks ago, Benjy had asked if he could have a sleepover, and she had said: 'No, Benjy. Not on a school night.' Benjy had given her a weird look and replied with: 'Mom, it's Spring Break. There is no school.'
She glanced over at Adrian out of the corner of her eye. He still looked very concerned.
He put his hand on her back. She jumped slightly at his touch, but he didn't remove his hand. "Sharona, are you sure you're all right?"
She turned to him and forced herself to smile. "Yeah, Adrian. I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me, okay?"
He nodded, though they both knew that he didn't believe her. Furthermore, Adrian could never NOT worry about Sharona. Sure, worrying was what he did best, but he cared so much about her. He started to rub her back gently, the way she sometimes rubbed his.
She smiled awkwardly at his nice gesture and, for the third time, tried to devote her attention to her magazine. It was too difficult to concentrate, though, because she couldn't shake her discomfort.
A couple more minutes passed before Adrian broke the silence. "Let's go out for dinner tonight," he suggested.
Sharona looked up in surprise. The last time Adrian had gone out for dinner was when he went on that 'date' with Monica Waters. "You mean like go to a restaurant?"
"Yeah. You, me, and Benjy. It'll be fun."
"Fun? Since when do you like fun?" she teased, slowly starting to relax.
Adrian shrugged. "Well, I just thought I should try something new. Fun is new. Well, for me."
Sharona smiled, nodding with approval. "Wow, Adrian, I'm proud of you. Guess that whole flying thing turned you into a daredevil, huh?"
"Well, I wouldn't go THAT far," he replied, laughing.
She laughed with him. "I'll call Benjy and tell him to come home by six," she said, laying down her magazine.
While Sharona called her son, Adrian sat on the couch fidgeting. He really had no right to ask Sharona if she were okay, because he had been out of sorts, too. He smirked, acknowledging that he was always out of sorts, but he had a feeling that it wasn't about the usual things this time.
Sharona hung up and rejoined him on the couch. "Whatcha thinkin' about, Adrian?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing." Funny how Adrian could always tell when other people were lying, but he himself could never tell a lie.
"Well, anyway, Benjy said he wants to pick the restaurant."
Adrian swallowed hard. "Th-That means we're having fast food, doesn't it? H-Hot dogs? Or-Or French fries?"
Sharona laughed. "No, he promised to pick some place nice. Well, actually, he said 'fancy.'" She thought for a second, then frowned. "I hope by 'fancy' he doesn't mean expensive."
"It's okay. It's my treat."
"Yeah?" That was twice in ten minutes that he had surprised her.
He nodded. "I owe you."
Sharona started to say something, but Adrian cut her off. "You want to go for a walk?"
"Yeah, sure." Sharona got up and went to the coat closet. She pulled out her black jacket and slipped it on. When she turned around, she almost bumped right into Adrian. The shared a nervous laugh as he took a step back and held her purse out to her.
"Here." He smiled.
She smiled back. "Thanks."
Two hours later, Sharona was sitting in Adrian's living room. They had stopped by his apartment so that he could take his second daily shower.
She smiled to herself as she thought about their walk. They had been silently strolling along when, out of the blue, Adrian slipped his hand in the crook of her arm. She remembered the time that she had done the same, when the two had been talking about Trudy and what she had meant by 'bread and butter.'
"I'm all finished," Adrian announced as he came into the living room. Sharona turned around and smiled when she saw him.
"Hey! You're lookin' pretty sharp there, Adrian!" she exclaimed, admiring his outfit. Instead of his usual attire, he was wearing a black suit, white dress shirt, and a black and blue striped tie.
Sharona laughed as she looked over her own outfit, dark blue jeans and a black v-neck shirt. "I feel so underdressed. We'd better get back so I can change." She grabbed her purse from the coffee table and walked swiftly to the door. Adrian quickly checked the stove and then hurried after her.
Back at Sharona's apartment, Adrian sat at the dining room table, tapping his fingers on the wood surface. He was a mixture of anxious and excited. He glanced at his watch for the umpteenth time. 5:45. Benjy would be home soon.
About five minutes later, Sharona emerged from her bedroom. She walked into the dining room and stood on the opposite side of the table. She was wearing a low-cut baby blue dress covered with sparkling sequins. Her hair was completely down, parted almost perfectly down the center, a style she only wore occasionally. She had never looked better. "Well? What do ya think?" she asked, smiling.
Adrian looked up at her. All of a sudden, his throat tightened, and he found himself gasping for breath.
Sharona's eyes grew wide, and she ran to his side, kneeling down next to him.
"Adrian! Adrian, breathe! Breathe, Adrian!"
Adrian took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.
"Adrian, what happened?"
He could see the terror in her eyes. "Sharona, you-you're . . . ."
"I'm what, Adrian? Adrian, what is it?" She put a hand on his shoulder.
He glanced down at it and then up into her face again. "Sharona, you're . . . . breathtaking."
Sharona's eyes widened again, only this time with shock and not with terror. She looked away. After a few seconds, she stood up slowly and walked to the kitchen. She returned a minute later with a glass of water. She set the glass down on the table and took a seat across from him. Adrian took a sip of the water and glanced at Sharona, who averted her eyes. For the next ten minutes, neither one spoke.
Sharona thought about what had just taken place. She had never expected any man, least of all Adrian Monk, to give her that great of a compliment. In the five years that she had known him, Adrian had not once commented on the way she looked. The most he had ever said was: 'That's a nice jacket, Sharona.' Now, however, she wondered if what he had really meant were: 'You look nice in that jacket, Sharona.' Of course, that was a far cry from 'breathtaking,' but it still made an important difference.
On the other side of the table, Adrian was also mulling over what had previously ensued. He couldn't comprehend what had come over him. He saw Sharona every day, and, all of a sudden, she was 'breathtaking'? It didn't make sense. Her make-up was no different, and he had seen her with her hair like that before. Nevertheless, he couldn't have chosen a more perfect word, as he had meant it
figuratively as well as literally. He tried to convince himself that the dress had made all the difference, because this was the first time that he had seen her in that dress, but he knew that wasn't true. He didn't react this way any of the other times he had seen Sharona wearing a new dress.
After what seemed like years, they heard the front door open, and in walked Benjy.
"Mom?" he called. "Where are you?"
Sharona straightened and cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure as best she could. She didn't want Benjy to think that something was wrong. If Adrian looked distraught, Benjy wouldn't think anything of it, but if she did, he would definitely notice. "I-I'm in here, Benjy! In the dining room!"
Benjy walked into the dining room and frowned slightly when he saw them. "You guys are all dressed up. Guess that means I have to get all dressed up, too."
Sharona nodded, though she hadn't really heard what he had said.
Benjy sighed and went into his room.
Sharona glanced up at the nervous man across from her. "Um . . . . are you okay?"
He nodded and met her gaze. "I-I think I'm better now." He took another sip of water and gave her a small smile. She returned it, then quickly dropped her eyes.
"Thank you, Adrian," she said after a few seconds, her voice barely above a whisper.
"F-For what?"
She wanted to look him in the eyes again, but she couldn't. "For the compliment."
She could feel him smiling at her. "You're welcome," he said.
They again sat in awkward silence, waiting for Benjy to get ready. After about ten minutes, Benjy emerged from his room. He had changed into a blue collared shirt and beige dress pants and had combed his hair neatly. "I'm done," he proclaimed, stepping back into the dining room.
Sharona stood up and smiled at him. "You look nice, Benjy."
"Thanks. So do you." He turned to Adrian. "You too, Mr. Monk."
Adrian managed a faint smile. Then, he slowly pushed back his chair and stood up. "So, where-where are we going?"
Benjy removed a folded piece of paper from his back pants pocket and handed it to his mother. Sharona opened it up. "Dine-N-Dance," she read aloud. "That doesn't sound too fancy."
"The name doesn't, but the place is. I read about it on the Internet. It just opened like two weeks ago. The food's supposed to be good," Benjy explained.
"Okay, then. Let's go," Sharona said, trying to sound excited. She headed into the kitchen and grabbed her car keys from the counter. Benjy and Adrian, who had finally started to feel a little more at ease, followed her out the door.
Without being aware of it, Benjy had helped make the twenty-minute car ride to the restaurant pleasantly comfortable. He kept his companions talking about movies, video games, and anything else that came to mind. Even Adrian had enjoyed their conversation.
Inside the restaurant, Adrian surveyed the large establishment from their table near the dance floor. It was a nice place, he had to admit. Simple d�cor, clean plates and utensils. He looked over Sharona's shoulder to the stage at the opposite end of the dance floor. A group of men were setting up equipment and doing sound checks.
"I wonder when the singer will get here," he remarked.
Sharona looked up from her menu. "What?"
He pointed behind her and she turned towards the stage. "The singer. I wonder when he'll get here."
"It's a 'she,'" Benjy corrected politely. "And she'll get here around seven."
"You've really done your research on this place, haven't you?" Adrian commented, smiling at him.
"Yep," Benjy said, taking a bite of his breadstick.
"So, what are you gonna have?" Sharona asked Adrian.
"I think I'll have the Fettuccine," he told her.
The eyebrows went up again. "As in Fettuccine Alfredo? But that's not . . . . plain."
Adrian chuckled. "I'm just going to have the Fettuccine. They can keep the Alfredo."
"Oh, okay. You know, you had me going there for a moment, Adrian," she replied, laughing.
"Well . . . ." he began, reconsidering. "M-Maybe I'll get the Alfredo sauce on the side. Then, I can . . . . taste it."
It was Benjy's turn to do the eyebrow raise. "You mean, you're gonna try something new?"
Adrian nodded. "I'd be making progress," he replied, although he was looking at Sharona as he spoke.
She gave him a small smile. "You already are."
They stared at each other for a moment. Benjy didn't notice. He had directed his attention to the dessert selection on the back of the menu.
"Hey, Mom? Can we get chocolate chip pizza for dessert?"
Sharona's eyes left Adrian's and focused on her son. "What is that?"
"Just a big chocolate chip cookie cut into pizza slices," he told her.
"We'll see."
"Did-Did you know that, if you don't wash your hands for fifteen seconds, you might as well have not washed them all?" Adrian asked, out of nowhere.
"I knew that!" Benjy exclaimed, temporarily forgetting about dessert. "I learned that in health class." Then, he added proudly, "I pay close attention in that class."
"You should pay that much attention in math class," Sharona told him.
Benjy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know, I know."
Sharona reached for a roll, then paused, her hand hovering over the bread basket.
"What's wrong?" Adrian asked her. "Is there a . . . . bug?" He made a disgusted face.
Sharona took her hand away and looked down at it. "No, no. It's just that, um, I think I missed a few seconds."
"What do . . . . Ohhh." Adrian smiled, realizing what she was talking about.
She scanned the restaurant until she found the sign marked 'Restrooms.' "I'll be right back," she mumbled as she got up from the table and headed for the bathroom. Adrian watched her walk away, shaking her head in disbelief.
"You're starting to wear off on her, Mr. Monk," Benjy commented, winking at him.
Adrian laughed softly. "It was bound to happen sooner or later," he said, shrugging.
Benjy's voice turned serious then. "You know, Mr. Monk, um . . . . I don't know if I ever told you this . . . . but I really like you."
Adrian gave him a big smile. "I really like you, too, Benjy."
"Do you . . . . Do you ever . . . ." he shook his head. "N-Never mind."
"Benjy," Adrian prodded gently. "What's on your mind?"
Benjy took a deep breath and put his bread stick down. "Do you ever . . . . think of me like a son?" he asked quietly, afraid to eye contact.
Adrian took a minute to think about the question. "Yes. Yes, I do, Benjy."
The boy's face lit up. "Really?"
"You know I can't lie, Benjy," he replied, smiling.
Benjy smiled back and nodded. "Yeah, I know."
Sharona returned to the table a moment later. "What are you two smiling about?" she asked as she retook her place across from Adrian. She picked up the roll that she had wanted.
"Mr. Monk thinks of me like a son," Benjy beamed.
Sharona was surprised. She knew that Adrian liked Benjy very much, but she had no idea that he thought of him that way.
"Benjy . . . . do you think of Adrian like a . . . . father?" It was a very logical question, but she hoped that she hadn't made either of them uncomfortable.
Benjy didn't even have to think before giving his reply. "Of course," he stated, matter-of-factly. "I've thought about him like that ever since that vacation we took. You know, the one where I saw that murder. He was the only one who believed me. He said that he didn't have to be my dad to believe me, but still . . . . I kind of looked at him a little differently after that."
Adrian and Sharona looked at each, not sure what to say.
"Are you ready to order?"
Startled, the two looked up simultaneously at the smiling young woman holding a pad of paper and a pencil. They hadn't even noticed her walk up.
"Oh, um, I-I'll have the . . . . the . . . ." For the life of her, Sharona could not remember what she wanted.
The waitress's smile faded. She sighed and turned to Adrian. "Do YOU know what YOU want, sir?"
"Fettuccine."
"Fettuccine Alfredo," the waitress said as she scribbled on the pad.
"I want the Alfredo on the side."
She stopped writing and scoffed. "Excuse me?"
"You heard what he said," Benjy told her in his most grown-up voice. "He wants the Alfredo on the side."
The waitress frowned at Benjy and scribbled on the pad again. "And you, little boy? What will you have?"
"Cheese ravioli."
She made a note of that and then looked at Sharona again. "Now do you remember what you wanted?" she asked, visibly annoyed.
Sharona glared at her. She decided she would have a little fun with this bimbo.
"I'll have the manicotti." She winked at Adrian before continuing. "Now, I'd like the noodles served by themselves. Plain, like his Fettuccine. I want the ricotta cheese on the side. To the left of the noodles, not to the right. I'm left-handed. It'll make it easier. And I want the marinara sauce in a separate dish. That way, I can make it just the way I like it. Oh, and no parsley or
other fancy garnish. Did you get all that?" She smiled with satisfaction at the gaping bimbo.
Next to her, Benjy was holding his hand over his mouth, laughing silently. Adrian tried to hold his laughter in but was unsuccessful. He let out a snicker and then quickly covered his own mouth.
The waitress inhaled sharply and shot each of them an angry look. "Will that be all?"
"Anybody want anything to drink?" Sharona asked her two red-faced companions.
They shook their heads.
"No, that's all."
"Very well, then. Thank you," the waitress said through gritted teeth, then yanked their menus from them and walked away quickly.
As soon as she was gone, the three of them started laughing hysterically. They continued like this for several minutes, until they heard a loud crackling sound. They looked over at the stage to see an elegantly dressed woman adjusting the microphone. When she had it positioned exactly the way she wanted it, she cleared her throat and began to speak.
"Welcome to Dine-N-Dance. My name is Melinda, and I'll be your entertainment for this evening." She paused for a second, wondering whether she should give a long introduction, but decided against it. "I'd like to start off with a personal favorite of mine." Melinda turned and whispered to the band members, and they started playing their instruments.
"'For the First Time!' Oh, I love this song!" Sharona exclaimed as she turned back around.
"Well, go dance," Benjy said.
"With whom?"
Benjy sighed. "Mom." He gave her a stern look. "No offense, but, uh, don't you think that's a pretty stupid question?" he asked, pointing to Adrian.
Sharona started to feel uncomfortable again. "I-I don't think Mr. Monk wants to dance."
"Well, he can speak for himself." Benjy looked at Adrian. "Well, Mr. Monk? What do ya say?" He put his hand on his mom's shoulder. "How 'bout a dance with this gorgeous lady?"
Adrian and Sharona blushed. Benjy glanced back and forth at both of them, seeing how uneasy they were. "Oh, go on! You KNOW you want to!" he urged in a voice that seemed to say: 'I know something you don't know.'
After a few more seconds, Adrian's chair squeaked softly against the floor. He stood up and took two steps forward so that he was standing right next to Sharona. He gazed down at her as he slowly reached out his hand. She stared at it for a second, then took it gently. Another soft squeak was heard, as she pushed her own chair back and then stood up.
They made their way out to the middle of the polished wood floor, where four other couples were already dancing. Sharona let go of his hand, and they stood there for a moment, about a foot apart, looking down at their shoes.
"Um . . . ." Sharona patted her hips. "P-Put you hands here. That way, you won't-you won't have to touch me again," she said, noticing that the others were holding hands.
Adrian put his finger under Sharona's chin and lifted her head to meet his gaze. "No, we have to do it right," he said softly, taking her left hand in his right and placing his other hand on her hip. She placed her right hand on his shoulder, and they began to move to the music.
Adrian's eyes bore into hers. She swallowed hard, afraid to form any thoughts, knowing he'd be able to read them. She tried to look at something else. First, she glanced over at the their table. Benjy had turned his seat all the way around and was flashing a cheesy grin. No good. Next, she tried to focus on a painting on the wall behind Adrian. Unfortunately, it was a depiction of a man and a woman kissing, so that was no good, either. Her eyes had nothing else to look at but the man whose hand she was holding.
He gripped her hand a little tighter. "This is a really nice song, Sharona." He wanted to say something to make her feel more at ease, but that was the only thing he could come up with.
She nodded. "Yeah." She tried to smile but failed.
Soon, the song ended, but the two continued dancing. Then, Melinda and the band began a new song, a ballad that neither of them had heard before.
"I don't like this song," Sharona said after a minute.
They were still staring at each other.
"Me, either," Adrian agreed, but they didn't stop moving.
Just moments later, the band played the final notes of the unfavorable song, and Adrian released Sharona's hand. "W-We should probably get back to our table . . . . Benjy might be getting lonely." She nodded and followed him back to their seats. Their meals were already waiting for them.
"Well? Did you guys have fun?" Benjy asked, turning his chair so that he was facing the table again.
Sharona blushed and nodded. "Mm-hmm," she answered, trying not to look at Adrian.
"Did you have fun, Mr. Monk?"
Adrian didn't even hear him. He was too busy thinking about the few wonderful moments that had just passed.
"Uh, Mr. Monk?" Benjy waved his hand in front of Adrian's face. That would have brought practically anyone back to reality, but not Mr. Monk. After a few more seconds, Benjy gave up and glanced over at his mother. She was quietly eating her food, which, amazingly, had been prepared exactly as she had requested. He watched her undetected for a minute longer and then smiled to himself.
An hour later, Adrian was sitting on Sharona's couch fidgeting, even more than he had been this afternoon. They hadn't spoken since they finished dancing, and Adrian wanted very much to talk with her. He had insisted that she drive him home after she had gotten Benjy ready for bed, instead of on the way back from the restaurant, which would have made more sense. Sharona hadn't even argued, so he figured that she must have wanted to talk, too.
A pajama-clad Benjy came out of his bedroom. He walked over to Adrian and sat down next to him. Adrian gave him a weak smile and then began tapping his fingers on the arm of the couch. Benjy watched him for a moment.
"You're in love with her, aren't you?"
Adrian was not as surprised by the question as he had expected to be. He slowly turned to Benjy and nodded. "How did you know?"
The boy simply smiled and folded his arms. "It wasn't too hard to figure out."
Adrian leaned forward and peered down the hallway.
"She's in her bedroom," Benjy told him.
Adrian sat back. He looked at Benjy again. "When-When did you figure it out?"
"Well," Benjy started, "When I called my mom 'gorgeous,' you both turned red. And you were afraid to dance with each other. I mean, I know you don't like touching people, Mr. Monk, but you never really seemed to mind touching my mom before."
Adrian nodded, so Benjy continued. "And the way you were looking at each other when you were dancing. I mean, that was the dead give away. I thought you guys were gonna kiss any second. Then, when you guys came back to the table, you both looked like you were in 'la-la' land. And Mom looked really happy. You did, too." Benjy smiled, signaling that he was finished.
"So, do you-do you think that your mom . . . . is in love with me, too?" Adrian asked quietly.
Benjy nodded. "Yeah . . . . Actually, I kind of figured out that she was in love with you before I figured out that you were in love with her."
Adrian looked up at him. "What do you mean?"
"Well, see, these past few months, I noticed that she wasn't getting frustrated with you as much as she usually does. And she'd say really nice things about you all the time, and by 'all the time,' I mean every day. Stuff like: 'Mr. Monk is a really great guy,' or 'Mr. Monk is such a genius. He's so amazing.' I don't think she really knew, though."
"Knew what?"
"That she was in love with you," Benjy explained. "I mean, I don't think she had realized it yet. But she did tonight. I KNOW my mom realized her feelings tonight . . . . And so did you."
"Wow," Adrian said, very impressed. "You're very perceptive."
"I know," he gloated jokingly. "So, you're gonna talk to her, right? Tell her how you feel?"
Adrian nodded, but he looked very worried. "Wh-What if I can't tell her? What if I can't say what I feel? What-What should I do?"
Benjy felt very important. The brilliant Adrian Monk had asked a child for advice.
"Do you think I should write her a note?" Adrian asked, before Benjy could give him a suggestion of his own. "You know, in case-in case I can't say what I need to say. What do you think of that?"
"Yeah, that might help," Benjy agreed, nodding. "And maybe I could talk to her first."
Adrian considered this. "Yeah, that's a good idea, too, Benjy."
Sharona's bedroom door opened. "Benjy!" she called from the doorframe. She had changed back into the outfit she was wearing this afternoon.
Benjy winked at Adrian and then walked over to his mother.
"Time for bed," she told him.
"But it's early," Benjy whined.
Sharona gave him a 'look' and pointed to his bedroom. "Bed. Now. Go."
While Sharona took care of her son, Adrian decided to clean. He could organize his thoughts while he organized her apartment. He started with the magazines on the coffee table. He arranged them in a neat pile, with the oldest issue on the bottom and the most recent one on the top. After he had finished that task, he headed for the hall closet, where the hand-held vacuum cleaner was stored, and went to work on the couch.
"I have to fix this mess!" Benjy protested, as Sharona tried to usher him into his bed. "Look at this!" he exclaimed, motioning to the heap of comic books and action figures that cluttered the carpeting.
Sharona rolled her eyes. "You can do that in the morning. You sound like Mr. Monk."
"Hey, you're the one who had to wash your hands twice!" he reminded her, and they both laughed.
Then, Benjy's voice turned serious. "Mom, can we talk?"
Sharona had a feeling that this was not going to be a lightweight conversation. "Um . . . . sure," she said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Her son came over and sat next to her.
"Yes, Benjy?"
Benjy wondered how he should go about this. He finally decided that he should just blurt it out. "Mom, Mr. Monk is in love with you."
Sharona was not sure that she had heard him correctly. "Wh-What did you say?"
"Mr. Monk is in love with you," he stated again.
"Mr. Monk is what?"
"Mr. Monk . . . . is . . . . in love . . . . with you," he repeated very slowly, hoping that she would get it this time.
Sharona turned away from him and then stared at the Spiderman poster on the wall. Benjy watched her, not knowing what to say. After what seemed like an hour, she finally spoke again. "Why?" she asked, turning to Benjy with an inquisitive look.
He was a little confused by the question. "Why what?"
"Why is Mr. Monk in love with me?"
"Ohh . . . ." Benjy had to think about how he should answer. "Well . . . . you're nice . . . . smart . . . . pretty . . . . um . . . ." He didn't really know what should come next. "I think Mr. Monk could probably answer that question a lot better than I can, Mom."
Sharona nodded absentmindedly. Then, she got up and started for the door.
"Mom."
She slowly turned back around. "Hmm?"
"One more thing."
"What?" she asked quietly, a little afraid to hear what Benjy was about to say.
Her son looked her directly in the eye. "And you're in love with Mr. Monk."
Sharona blinked. She had had a feeling that those were the words that would come out of his mouth. Without saying anything, she turned around again and left the room, heading into her own. She closed the door and sat down on her bed.
Benjy wasn't sure what to do. Should he go and tell Mr. Monk what had happened? Should he knock on his mom's door and ask if she were all right? He got up and walked to the door. He stuck his head out and looked down the short hallway. Mr. Monk was now washing the kitchen counter and muttering to himself. Benjy sighed and retreated into his room, shutting the door behind him.
Back in her room, Sharona had begun pacing rapidly. A thousand thoughts were running through her mind. Was she in love with Adrian? If she were, why was she in love with him? How long had she been in love with him? Was he really in love with her? He must be. Benjy wouldn't have told her if it weren't true. In fact, Adrian had probably just told Benjy that he was in love with her when they were talking in the living room. She stopped pacing and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She sat down on the bed again and shut her eyes.
"Okay . . . . am I in love with Adrian Monk? THAT is the million dollar question."
Half an hour later, Adrian finished up in the kitchen. The only thing left to clean in the immediate area was the carpet, but he wasn't really up to it. He returned to the couch and began to watch the clock, counting the minutes as they passed. He soon remembered that the last time he had done this, he had given himself a headache, so he decided to write the note. He walked over to the table where the phone sat and picked up the notepad that Sharona used for taking messages. He removed a pen from the drawer and went back to the couch. He spent five minutes deciding what to write but only five seconds writing it. When he was done, he folded the note carefully and placed it in his jacket pocket. Then, he folded his hands in his lap and waited for Sharona.
She re-emerged from her bedroom moments later. Adrian looked up when he saw her standing in the doorway, gazing down at the floor. Sharona sighed and slowly walked over to him, keeping her head down. When she did look up, he could see that she had been crying. He stood. "Sharona, I-"
"Wait," she interrupted, holding up her hand. "Me first. If I don't say this now, I might never say it."
Adrian nodded and sat back down.
Sharona took a deep breath. "Adrian, I need to apologize for some things." She paused. Adrian knew better than to speak. When she began again, she spoke quickly, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. "I'm sorry for all those times that I've lost patience with you. I should've been more understanding, but I wasn't, okay? I was insensitive. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for that time when I met that guy in the park, and he asked me if we were together, and I laughed. And then, when you said: 'It's not that funny,' I said: 'Yes, it is,' and I kept laughing. I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for that time when that idiot comedian was making fun of you, and I just sat there like I didn't care or didn't know what was going on, but I did care, and I did know. And I should've said something or gotten you out of there. But I didn't, and I should have. I know I should have. But I just let you suffer, and I can't believe I did that." Her voice was starting to break, but she kept going. "And I'm sorry for all those times that I quit or threatened to quit. You are always there for me, Adrian. Always. And I'm not always there for you. And I'm sorry for anything else I ever did or didn't do, or-or said or didn't say that hurt your feelings . . . . I'm sorry, Adrian. I am so sorry . . . . And I don't want you to think that I'm just saying all this stuff so that I can get it off my conscience or something. No, I'm saying it because I'm genuinely sorry and because I'm . . . . and because I'm . . . . . I'm . . . ." She realized that the words were not going to come. She sighed heavily and removed a crumpled piece of paper from her front jeans pocket. "I'm . . . . what it says here," she whispered, holding it out to him.
Adrian gently took the piece of paper from her and opened it. "'I'm in love with you,'" he read out loud.
Sharona sighed and sank onto the couch, out of breath. She wiped the tears from her eyes and slowly turned to look at him. "That was really hard," she said, giving him a small smile.
He looked up from the piece of paper and smiled back. "I know. You did great."
She laughed lightly. "Thanks."
Adrian was about to say something, but Sharona cut him off again. "You know, I-I always wondered why I came back every time I quit. At first, it was for selfish reasons. I loved our 'adventures,' what can I say? I still love 'em . . . . But, uh, but over time, I started to realize that there was more to it. I realized that, um, I really care about you. I mean, I've always cared about you, but, um, it became . . . . I don't know . . . . different. I would get excited about seeing you, even if we weren't about to go solve some big case. And-And I noticed that I haven't been losing my patience so easily with you . . . . these past few months. And I'd tell Benjy really nice things about you all the time. Um, and then today . . . . today kinda put everything into perspective for me. I mean, everything that happened in these past like eight hours forced me to think about how I really feel about you . . . . And I realized that I've come to see you as . . . . as more than a friend. I realized that I'm-"
"-in love with you." Adrian finally interrupted her.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"No, no, I mean . . . . I'M in love . . . . with YOU."
Sharona smiled widely and wiped away more tears. Adrian put down her note and pulled out his. He handed it to her. "I wasn't sure I could say it, either." She unfolded the piece of paper, and he watched her eyes sparkle as she read the very same words that she had written to him.
"Benjy thought it would be a good idea . . . . you know, to write the note," he explained. "He must have suggested it to you, too."
She shook her head.
Adrian was a little surprised. "He didn't?"
"No."
"Well . . . . great minds think alike, right?" he said, smiling.
Sharona laughed. "I don't think my mind will ever be as great as yours, Adrian."
He laughed, too. Then, his expression turned serious. "You know, um, every time you'd quit, I used to say to myself: 'I can't live without her.' Then, after . . . . after awhile, I realized that, um . . . . even if I COULD . . . . live without you . . . . I wouldn't want to."
They sat in silence for a moment, and then Sharona got up and walked to the boom box that sat on the table with the phone. It was the boom box that Adrian had helped Benjy win at the carnival. She put his note in her pocket and then thumbed through her CDs until she found the one that she was looking for. She put it into the CD compartment and then skipped to song number three.
As he listened to the first few bars, he realized that he had heard the very same song only hours before. He looked up at her. "This-This is the song that we danced to, the one you said you love. This is . . . . This is OUR song."
She turned around and smiled at him. He stood and walked over to her. "May I have this dance?"
Sharona giggled. "You don't want to dance with me now, Adrian. I look terrible," she protested, but he took her hand and placed his other one on her hip.
He smiled. "No, you don't. You're breathtaking, remember?"
She laughed and put her hand on his shoulder. "This has been some day," she said, as they started dancing.
"Full of surprises."
"LOTS of surprises . . . . But good ones."
Adrian thought for a second. "Here's another," he said, leaning in and kissing her on the lips.
The kiss lasted through the entire first chorus of the song. When their lips parted, Sharona smiled and whispered to him, "And that was the best of all of 'em."
END
"Are those your eyes? Is that your smile? I've been lookin' at you forever, but I never saw you before . . . . It's all so strange. How can it be? All along this love was right in front of me." - "For the First Time"