The Date
By Dark_Angel
Sara walked into the homicide department, heading for her office. She rounded a corner and ran straight into someone. A stack of papers went flying all over the floor.
"Sorry."
"It was my fault."
She looked up to find herself staring into the eyes of Jake McCartey. He knelt down and began gathering the papers. Sara knelt next to him and began to help.
"I am really sorry Detective Pezinni."
"Its all right rookie." She said, handing him some papers, "Just be
more careful next time."
Sara stood slowly and began walking towards her office. Jake fell in step beside her, trying to straighten the stack of papers. As Sara reached the door, Jake said "Would you like�Maybe if you aren't busy tonight�"
"I have plans."
"Oh�sorry I asked."
He started to walk away when Sara said "Danny and I going to shoot some pool. You're more than welcome to join us."
They reached her office. Sara could see Danny inside, already working on something. She opened the door and stepped inside just as Jake said "Maybe I will. Thanks Sara."
"All right Jake. See you later."
Sara stepped into the office and closed the door. Danny looked up from the file he was reading
"What was that about?"
"Jake just tried to ask me out."
"On a date?"
"Yeah on a date."
"What did you say?"
"Told him I was busy." She said, then added softly, "And invited him to play pool with us."
"What?"
"I invited him to play pool with us."
"Why?"
"I felt bad for him Danny. He's new, people aren't going out of their way to be nice, he's getting all the grunt work."
"He's a rookie Sara, that's what we do to them."
"Well I�I was being nice."
"I think you like him."
"Jake?"
"Yeah and he likes you."
"Not even possible Danny."
Sara picked up a file from the desk that she wanted to show Captain Siri. As she was walking out of the office, Danny said, "Sara's got a boyfriend� Sara's got a boyfriend� Sara's got a boyfriend."
Sara slammed the door and headed down the hall.
That night
Sara leaned over to take her shot. Danny watched, knowing that he was going to lose yet again. Sara took her shot and watched the ball sail into the left corner pocket. She stood up, smiling. "Loser buys the next round." She said
"I know I know." Danny mumbled, setting his cue down, "Rack em up and I'll get the beers."
"You got it."
Danny wove his way through the crowd. Sara got the balls together and picked up the rack. She had just set everything up when she heard. "Can I play."
She spun around to see Jake standing behind her, holding a beer. "Sure, but the loser buys the next round." She said, "And I never lose."
"First time for everything." He said, taking a long drink from his bottle. He set it on the table beside the pool table and picked up a cue stick.
"You want to break or should I." Sara asked
"Ladies first."
Sara nodded and raised her cue stick. She lined up her shot and took her first shot, breaking the pyramid.
"Stripe or solid."
"Doesn't matter."
"I'll take solid." Sara said, moving around the table to take her first shot.
She took her first shot, making it easily. After that she made the next couple shot while Jake watched in Amazement. Danny walked up carrying 2 more bottles.
"Hey McCartey."
"Does she never miss."
"Rarely." He said, "Hey Sara!"
Sara looked up, missing the shot. Danny held out a bottle of beer, which she accepted. She moved over to stand beside Danny while Jake took his turn. He easily sunk 2 balls, then missed on the third. As he stepped to the side, Sara whispered to Danny. "This shouldn't take long."
Sara sunk the remaining ball and smiled victoriously. Jake moved forward to, ready to buy the next round when Sara stopped him. "I think its time to call it a night."
"But we're just getting started."
Danny looked at his watch. "Yeah, I gotta get going." He finished the last of his beer and put his cue stick back on the rack. Sara set her beer on the table and put her cue stick on the rack too.
"See ya Danny."
"Night."
Danny walked out, leaving Sara and Jake still by the table. Jake leaned against his cue stick.
"Thought the loser bought the next round."
"Another time."
Sara started to walk away when Jake said "How about dinner."
She turned back to him.
"What?"
"How about dinner�tomorrow night."
She thought for a moment, then said "I�I don't think so Jake."
"Its just dinner�Its harmless Sara."
"All right. Dinner tomorrow night."
Sara started to weave through the crowd. Jake watched her leave, then whispered,
"It's a date."
Part 2
Sara walked into the station Saturday afternoon, heading for her office. As she passed by Jake's desk, she was surprised to see him there. He looked up but didn't say anything. Sara continued to her office and opened the door. Danny was sitting at his half of the desk. She closed the door and sat down." Afternoon partner." Danny said, "Ready to start on these reports?"
"Not really but we should."
Sara pulled the next file off the stack. She read the information in the file and began to fill out the report. After a minute she looked up.
"How mad was Anne?"
"Words can't measure. She was upset that I had to come in this afternoon."
Sara went back to work. After another minute, she looked up again. "Go home Danny."
"What?"
"Go home, spend some time with you wife and son. I'll take care of the reports."
"Are you sure Pez?"
"Go�before I change my mind."
Danny finished up the file he was working on and added it to the small stack of complete reports. He stood slowly and said, "Thanks Pez."
"Just go."
Danny grabbed his jacket and slipped out of the office. Sara finished her case and reached for another one. As she opened the file, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in." she said, not looking up. The door opened slowly
"Pez?"
Sara looked up to see Jake standing in the doorway. He stepped into the office, looking around. "Where's Danny?"
"Sent him home to be with his wife and kid."
"Can I talk with you for a minute?"
"Sure."
Jake approached the desk, pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket. "I wanted to give you this."
Sara opened the paper to see an address. Looking up, she said, "What's this?"
"My address." He said. "Remember�dinner tonight�in exchange for not buying the last round last night."
"You said you were going to buy me dinner."
"Actually I just said How about dinner. I never mentioned going out for dinner."
Sara stood slowly, handing his back the paper. "Jake, when you mentioned dinner, I thought you meant going back to Sal's and getting some food�maybe shooting a little more pool." She said, "So I think that I will pass but thanks for the offer. It was really sweet."
She sat down and picked up her pen. Jake watched as she reread what she wrote, then began writing again. Jake waited for a minute but she didn't look up. Slowly he turned around and walked out of the office. Sara continued to write after Jake walked out of the office. After a few minutes, she threw the pen against the desk. She refused to look up, knowing he was out there.
What was he thinking? Dinner at his apartment�He has to be insane� but it was kind of sweet�No guy has ever offered to cook for me�
Sara looked up to see Jake sitting at his desk, looking through a file. His head started to turn, causing her to look away. She finished up the report she was working on and set it on the stack of completed reports.Several hours later
Sara closed the last folder and put it on the stack of completed reports. Slowly she stood up, stretching her aching, tired muscles. She looked out her office window saw the department was dark. Looking at the clock, she was it was 7:45.
She pulled her jacket on and grabbed her keys. After locking up her office, she made her way through the department. As she was about to walk out the door, a dim light at the back of the department caught her attention. She made her way to the back of the department and peeked over a partition to see Jake next to a filing cabinet, looking for something.
"Need some help."
Jake jumped at the sound of her voice. He looked over his shoulder to see Sara smiling at him.
"No, just filing some cases that Detective Johnson left on my desk."
"You know you don't have to do that."
"I'm a rookie�we get the grunt work."
"Well I say its quitting time. You are officially off duty Detective McCartey."
He slipped the last file in the cabinet and stood slowly, stretching. "Good because I just finished." He moved around to the other side of the desk.
"Jake�about what I said earlier�"
He interrupted her by saying, "You're right Pez. I was out of line."
"I was out of line. I shouldn't have been so rude."
"Pez�Sara�I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. The offer still stands for dinner, if you want to go to Sal's."
"Actually if the offer for dinner at your apartment is still open�"
"Well I�I'm not sure what I have to eat?"
"You invited me to dinner and you don't have anything."
"Well I have some leftovers�Some chicken and pasta." He said, "I was going to leave early and go shopping for some groceries."
"Chicken and pasta sounds great."
"Well then, let's go."
Jake switched off the light and together they walked out of the building. When they got to his car, he said, "You want a ride with me or are you going to follow me."
"I'll follow you."
"Okay."
Sara slid onto her bike and started the engine. Jake climbed into his car and did the same. He backed out of his space and headed down the road. She followed behind.
About 10 minutes later they pulled up in front of a large building.
Jake pulled into the lot and parked his car. Sara followed him, slipping into a space across from him. She slid off the bike and walked over to meet him. Looking up, she said, "Nice place."
"Thanks�well let's go."
They walked up to the building. Jake opened the door and said, "Ladies first."
"Thank you."
They walked into the building and headed for the elevator. He pushed the button and the door opened. They stepped inside and he pushed the button for the 6th floor. The elevator creeped slowly up, stopping on the floor. Jake stepped off and turned to the left, heading down the hall. Sara followed him until he stopped. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of key. After unlocking the door, he pushed it open,
allowing her to step inside. She looked around the loft, which was easily bigger than hers.
Passing by the kitchen, she pulled off her jacket and set it on a chair. Her eyes studied everything as she moved through the loft. Turning back to him, she said
"How do you afford this on a detective's salary." She whispered. Jake was in the kitchen, looking through the refrigerator. He glanced at Sara, who was still looking around the loft.
"Its gonna be a few minutes. Take a look around if you want."
"Okay."
Sara started walking towards the back to the loft. Jake waited until she was out of sight before he started to put his plan in action. Quickly he pulled some containers out of the refrigerator and set them on the counter.
Sara walked down the hall, looking at different things, trying to get an idea about who Jake McCartey was. She rounded a corner and came face to face with a huge post of Jake. His hair was longer and he was holding a surfboard. Looking down, she read the caption at the bottom of the poster.
JAKE McCartey�US SURFING CHAMP�1995
That explains a lot.
Turning away, she continued on her tour. She walked through the apartment, and found a wall with some framed pictures. Stopping, she began to look at them. The first one was of Jake wearing a cap and gown standing in from of a sign that read North Crest High School. High school graduation. How cute. The next picture was of him with two older people, his arms around each of their shoulders. Probably the parents. He looks like his dad. There were a few pictures from what appeared to be family gatherings. She looked at all of them, felling a little lost because it was something she never had.
A little further down was a picture of Jake with a girl with long red hair. They were facing each other, smiles on both of their faces. Sara stared at that one for a few minutes, a slight twinge of jealousy. Where did that come from? Why do I care about Jake's�past? "There you are."
Sara turned to see Jake standing at the end of the hallway. He walked over to where she was standing. His eyes studied the picture.
"Cassie, the high school love of my life."
"Where is she now?"
"Don't know�probably married to some business man." He said, "We broke up after I got hurt surfing."
"She couldn't handle it?"
"She couldn't handle the money not coming in." he said, turning away, "I mean there's still money but not the kind she wanted."
"Sorry Jake."
"After I recovered, I joined the police academy. Then I transferred here and the rest is history." He said, "Anyway, dinner is ready."
"Let's go."
They turned, walking down the hall towards the kitchen. Jake placed his hand on her lower back and she felt a shiver go up her spine. They rounded the corner and Sara gasped. The lights were dimmed, the table was set, complete with candles. In the background, she could hear music playing. Turning to Jake, she said, "What is all of this."
"Just trying to make things nice."
"Nice�sure Jake."
Sara moved towards the table. Jake pulled out her chair for her. She looked up. "Thanks."
"No problem." He walked around to the other side of the table and sat down. Sara looked at her plate.
"Chicken, pasta salad, vegetables."
"Mom made sure we are right."
"Make sure you thank you mom for me."
Sara picked up her fork and dug in. They ate in silence, neither sure what to say. Sara looked up, watching Jake out of the corner of her eyes. He had his head bent, staring at his plate. Why is it so hard to talk with him now? When they finished their meal, Jake stood up and began gathering the plates. She stood slowly, picking up the silverware and glasses, carrying them to the sink. As she set them in the sink, she said, "I'll wash, you dry."
"You don't have to do that."
"It's the least I can do to repay you for such a great dinner."
"It was my pleasure."
Sara reached over the turned on the water. She added some soap to the water and waited while the sink filled. The she turned the faucet so it was over the other sink and let the water run. Grabbing a sponge, she reached into the water and picked up the first dish. She scrubbed the dish, then handed it to Jake. He rinsed it off and set it in the rack. They continued along until all the dishes and containers were done. She reached into the water one more time and pulled out a handful of silverware.
Dropping it in the other sink, she let the water run over it until all the traces of soap were gone. Jake picked them up and set them in the rack. Sara reached into the sink to let out the water when she let of a cry of pain.
"What happened?"
Sara pulled her hand of the water. Jake saw dripping off her palm. He grabbed a clean towel off the counter and wrapped it around her hand. "I guess I missed one of the knives."
"Guess so." He said, "well let's get this cleaned up."
"It will be fine."
"Don't argue with me Sara."
Taking her good hand in his, he pulled her towards the bathroom. Flipping on the light, he pointed to the edge of the tub. "Take a seat." Sara sat down, holding the towel against her hand. Jake opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out what he needed. He turned to her and knelt on the floor in front of her. Taking her hand in his, he unwrapped it carefully.
He wiped away the blood so he could see the cut. It was about an inch long but he couldn't tell how deep. Reaching down he picked up a bottle of peroxide. He poured some on gauze pad and pressed it against the cut. "Ow." She hissed. "Don't be a baby Pez." He pulled the gauze pad away and blew on the cut. "Better."
"Yeah."
He picked up some antibiotic cream and spread it carefully over the cut. Then he placed another pad over the cut and taped it in place. "All done." Sara closed her hand carefully. "Thanks Jake." They both stood up. Sara walked out of the bathroom and Jake put everything away. He joined her a minute later. She was sitting on the
couch. "Want something to drink?"
"Sure, what do you have?"
"Soda, water, beer."
"I'll have a beer."
"Coming up."
Jake walked into the kitchen. He returned a moment later with two bottle of beer. Setting on down, he twisted the cap off the one he held and passed it to her. Then he opened his and sat on the couch, staying close to the other end. Again they lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. She took a long drink from her bottle Slowly she turned, leaning against the edge of the couch. She kicked her shoes off and drew her knees up towards her chest.
"Jake?" He turned to her. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?"
"This�doesn't it feel weird to you."
"A little."
"I can talk to you all day at the precinct but ever since we walked through that door, I can't think of anything to say."
"Sometimes they say that actions can speak louder than words."
"What do you mean?"
"Close your eyes Sara."
"Why?"
"Just do it."
Sara closed her eyes. A moment later, she felt a hand on the side of her face. It brushed her hair back. She held her breath as she felt his lips brush against hers gently. Opening her eyes, she saw Jake leaning over the edge of the couch, staring at her.
"Was I out of line?" he whispered
Sara sat up slowly. In response, she grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her. Their lips met again, this time with no hesitancy. Sara backed up against the edge of the couch. Jake broke the kiss long enough to slip over the back of the couch. He pulled her into his arms, kissing her again.
Jake wrapped his arm around Sara, her head resting against his chest. She listened to the sound of his heartbeat. Her fingers entwined with his, rested on her thigh. "Its getting late." He whispered.
"I know." She said, "So I guess I should be going."
"Maybe you should�"
"Should what Jake?"
"Maybe you should stay here tonight." He said, "I don't want to see you have an accident or something."
Sara looked up, meeting his eyes, "I think we can work something out." She said, standing up Jake stood slowly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He led her towards the bedroom. She slipped through the doorway, then turned to him, pressing a hand against his chest.
"This is as far as you go."
"But I need some clothes."
Sara flipped on a light and disappeared in the room. She returned a moment later with a pair of sweat pants, a t shit, a blanket and a pillow. As she handed them to him, she said, "Good night Jake."
"But Sara�"
"You didn't really think�"
When Jake didn't say anything, she said, "Sorry Jake, not on a first date. Enjoy the couch."
With that, she closed the door.