By Fire

Jake looked around the station, his eyes falling on his very bored partner. In the past few weeks the crime in the city had dropped to almost nothing, they hadn't had a murder or any other major crime in a week. Sure there were still the small time robberies, purse snatchers, and petty thieves. But, nothing for them to work on. Making his way across to Sara, he shook his head when he looked at her computer screen, she was playing solitaire.

"Pez, you want to get out of here?" He asked and she looked up.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked, already rising from her chair. She ran fingers through her long dark hair and stretched the already short shirt she was wearing baring even more of her well-toned stomach than usual.

"Let�s go get a bite," he replied, grabbing his jacket off of the coat hanger on the door.

"Works for me. I feel like I am going insane." Sara smiled and pulled on her leather jacket and they walked out of the station together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forty-five minutes later they were being escorted to a table in one of the finest restaurants in town. Doubtful, Sara glanced at Jake and he grinned.

"Surfing champion, remember?" He flashed a dazzling grin and Sara looked back at the menu.

"As long as you're the one buying buddy," she muttered and he chuckled.

"Madam, Sir, are you ready to order?" The waiter had walked to the table unnoticed by either of them. They ordered and the waiter walked away, casting a suspicious glance at the two. They were not dressed for a place like this. Both had on jeans and casual shirts while the rest of the clientele wore more formal attire.

"Do you get the feeling that we are out of place?" Sara whispered over her wineglass. Jake shook his head and continued to look around the room. He was happy that he had finally got her to go out with him. So what if she didn't think of it as a date? He did, and he had wanted it for a long time. He was planning on making this a very enjoyable evening. Their food arrived and Sara dug into the baked salmon that she had ordered while Jake dove into the huge steak.

Sara looked up from her food and noticed Jake looking at the hostess. She was a pretty thing, the short black skirt and crisp white apron accenting the nicely tanned legs, a perfectly made up face, long blonde hair, and a sweet smile. Grinning she smiled across the table.

"Looks like your speed, Jake," she quipped and he glared at her. She looked back down at her food and suddenly felt something warm and gooey land on the bare skin of her chest. She looked down, there was baked potato, complete with butter, sour cream and chives sliding down into her shirt. She watched it disappear between her breasts and then slowly looked up at her grinning partner. He was slightly laughing his ass off.

She slowly moved her fingers toward the remaining sour cream in a small bowl at the center of the table. Jake picked his napkin out of his lap and wiped away the tears that were running down his face. When he took it away he felt cold, wet sour cream being smeared across his face. Blinking slowly, Jake put his napkin down on the table and looked at the innocent-faced Sara.

"You do know that this mean war?" he asked and her eyes widened. He picked up some butter and reached across and smeared it into her hair, giving her head a pat for good measure.

Grinning Sara tossed her half-eaten salmon into his lap.

"Oops."

Jake picked up his baked potato and looked at it pointedly and then back a Sara.

"You wouldn't!" She gasped as she watched him stand.

"I would," he assured her, putting one hand on her shoulder and waving the massacred potato in her face. Before she could say a word, he was grinding it into her face. That was the last straw! She stood and grabbed a plate of spaghetti off of a neighboring table. The woman gasped but Sara didn't notice. She picked up a handful and flung it in Jake�s direction. It landed with a wet SPLAT across his chest.

Both looked at the passing dessert cart and dove for it at the same time. Soon food was flying everywhere. Sara landed a hard cream pie to Jake�s face and he retaliated with a cherry tart smashed into her chest. A blueberry pie was the next weapon, each grabbing one and flinging it at the other. The beautiful upscale restaurant had turned into a war zone, the patrons were all splattered with food of all kinds.

"EXCUSE ME!" the manager yelled at the two who were at the moment engaged in a wrestling match for the last of the cream-filled pies, each trying to shove the other�s face in the sweet concoction. They both looked up and let go of the other.

"I'm calling the police," he huffed haughtily and Sara and Jake both burst out laughing.

"We are the police." Jake was trying to cover his smile while reaching for his wallet. He finally managed to squeeze it out of his wet back pocket and flipped it open for the sputtering little man in front of him.

Sara was laughing so hard that she was leaning on Jake for support.

"We were just leaving," she managed to say and tried to take a step. She slipped very ungracefully on the mess on the floor and almost hit the floor when Jake caught her in mid fall, his hands under her arms. All but dragging her out of the restaurant, they stumbled out into the street, both laughing.

"I can't believe I was just in a food fight!" Sara gasped leaning against a wall. Jake stood right beside her and leaned back, sliding half way down the wall and into crouching position. Sara did the same and they looked at each other and burst out laughing again.

"You have blueberry in your hair," Sara stated, reaching up and pulling a glob from his hair.

"And you have spaghetti in your shirt." Jake reached out and pulled a strand of pasta that was hanging half in and half out of her shirt.

"I think we BOTH need a shower!"

Jake nodded and stood up extending his hand. She took it and her hand almost slid for his slippery grasp. They both started walking down the street and to the car. They presented quite a picture, both looking like they had been in a fight with a kitchen and lost! Jake slung his arm around her shoulder and glanced down at her.

"We have got to do this again sometime!" he said and Sara slapped his shoulder. They both laughed as they got into the car and drove off, planning on what they were going to tell the captain about the upholstery in the car.

This story ©copyright Fire, September 12, 2001