"You've been here two
weeks and you didn't even try to get in touch with me?" Pia's eyes flashed
angrily.
"Umm, no. Castration is
not on the top of my list of things I want to happen to me."
Pia snorted, and then chuckled,
her eyes dropping to his crotch for a second before returning to his face.
"That would definitely be a waste, I agree. Castratos might be marginally
interesting singers if that's your thing, but they're definitely no fun to play
with."
Kerry's eyes widened as he
started to reply. Then he shook his head, tried to marshal his thoughts, gave
up and just said, "Keeping up with you is going to be interesting."
"Keeping up with
me?" Pia's hands were on her hips
again as she looked at him.
"Exactly. In the last
few minutes you've gone from calling me a cowardly bastard to being pissed
because I said I wouldn't have seduced you to saying what happened was your
fault too, which by the way it wasn't." He put a finger to her lips to
keep her quiet. "Then seconds later you're all business, and finally
you're upset because I didn't let you know I was here. I think that just about
covers it."
"You forgot the
'playing with'," she told him, grinning.
"I figured I'd best
avoid that, just in case you changed your mind again."
Her face turned serious as
she seemed to study him. "I'm not going to jump into bed with you on the
first date, but I think getting to know each other better is worth a shot. We
can't wipe out what happened, but," she paused, nodded, and continued.
"Since I wouldn't have been angry about it if I hadn't had feelings for
you and hoped they were mutual, I think I'd like to explore the –
possibilities."
"I would too; one step
at a time until we're both certain what we're feeling is real."
"Assolutamente! So, as
soon as this job is finished you're taking me out on a date."
"I am? I mean, I am, of
course. Wine you, dine you, and then drop you off at your front door like a
perfect gentleman."
"Like my knight in
shining armor." She stroked his cheek with her fingertips. "But for
right now, we'd better figure out how to do the job without getting
caught."
* * * *
"I'll pick you up at
eight," Kerry said quietly as he joined Pia on her way to the front door
of the bank.
"Seven-thirty, and
don't be late," she told him impishly, still riding the high of a job well
done.
Touching his forehead with
one finger and giving the barest of bows, he replied, "Yes, my lady,"
grinning when she subtly flipped him off.
A few minutes later Pia
walked into the precinct squad room. Harry saw her and raised a questioning
eyebrow. When she nodded, he pointed to the open door of a vacant office.
"Any problems?" he
asked once she was seated.
"Nothing I couldn't
handle." She opened her bag and took out several boxes and two thick
envelops, placing them on the desk. "That's everything."
"Thank you."
Rather than checking what was there, he looked at her. "Everything's all
right? You're not planning on shooting me, or Tito?"
Keeping the same serious,
business-like look on her face that she'd had since she arrived, she replied. "There
were a few moments when I seriously thought about it, yes. But I decided it
wouldn't be worth the bother."
Harry nodded. "I'm
sorry. We were really hoping that maybe—"
"The best laid plans
and all that," she told him, shrugging. Then she grinned. "We're
going out for dinner tonight, and I don't mean you and me, delightful as that
might be."
"I'm crushed." He
chuckled, "And delighted, although Tito's never going to let me live this
down. I didn't really think it would work to be perfectly honest."
"And to be honest in
return, it probably wouldn't have if he'd tried to defend his actions, but he
didn’t."
"He's a smart man, and
a good one from all that I've heard."
"I think so," she
agreed as she stood, putting her bag back over her shoulder. "Thank you,
Harry."
"Just invite us to the
wedding, that's all the thanks I need."
Pia snorted softly. "Let's
see if we survive the first date, and then, who knows."
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