![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
severity-softly.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
geekystudmuffinTitle: When Dave Met Emily (1/3)
Authors:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
innerslytherin and severity_softly
Pairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: 22,100
Summary: When Dave set Emily up with his friend, he didn't think they would hit it off quite so well. Not that it's a problem or anything. Really. Dave wants Emily to be happy. Just...not with someone else.
Notes: This fic is our Rossi/Prentiss version of When Harry Met Sally.
"This is a horrible idea," Emily muttered, glaring at her reflection. Her hair was a wavy mess and she'd found a stain on her favorite red dress and she'd had to reapply her lipstick twice because of smudges. She was nervous and rushed, and all because she'd agreed to do David Rossi a favor.
"My ex is coming to town," he'd said apologetically. "The second one, who didn't do anything wrong except hate my FBI job. Every once in a while she does this thing where she visits, goes to dinner with me, and starts reminiscing. Then she asks if I ever think about getting back together." He shook his head. "My pal Joe's a nice guy. You'll like him, and maybe having you guys there will keep her from trying that one again."
Emily rolled her eyes. "You could just tell her you don't want to get back together," she'd suggested.
Dave grinned at her. "I tell her that every time. Becky's a nice lady, but I never said I married her for her brains."
So now Emily was stuck going on a double date with Dave, Dave's second ex-wife, and Dave's 'pal' Joe from ATF. She had faith in Dave to set her up with someone decent, but even her curiosity about Dave's ex-wives wasn't enough to convince her this was a good idea.
She'd bribed Garcia with coffee to check Joe out for her, and she'd found out only that the guy's name was Joe Martelli, he was Catholic, recently divorced and forty-five. He was supposed to pick her up, but he'd called from the west side and said he had a flat and was going to be late. He'd already called Dave and asked Dave to pick her up instead.
"Nothing about this is going to go right," she predicted grimly. Her reflection seemed convinced.
She was just slipping on a pair of heels to go with the cobalt blue dress she'd chosen in place of the red, which was currently soaking in Woolite, when the doorbell rang. And that would be Dave. She fastened her necklace as she went downstairs, and checked the peephole, still slipping in her earrings.
She took a deep breath, straightened her dress, and wished she could go change into sweats quickly and pretend she'd gotten terribly sick in the couple of hours since he'd seen her at work. She didn't think that would work, though, so she unlocked the deadbolt and slid the chain open.
Dave was in a black suit with a charcoal gray button up shirt. Of course he was in his usual boots, but even those looked handsome when he was dressed like this. His eyebrows went up as he looked her up and down, and Emily felt her face heat just a little. "You look wonderful," he told her.
She smiled and shook her head. "This is a crazy idea," she informed him, brushing off the compliment even though it made her feel good. "You clean up pretty good too. You sure you aren't dressed up because you want to get back together with Becky?" she teased.
"I'd rather give up my badge," he said, then held up a bouquet of mixed flowers that he'd had behind his back. "It's just a thank you," he said, shrugging in an 'it's nothing' sort of way. "So thank you."
Emily tipped her head to one side, touched by the gesture. "Well, you're welcome. Thanks for the flowers." She took the flowers and grinned down at them. "You'd better come in so I can get these in water," she told him. "And I need to grab my purse, then I'll be ready."
"No woman is never ready on time, so I'd planned to come in," Dave said. When she turned to glare at him, his grin wouldn't allow her glare to retain its heat.
"I consider it discourteous to not be ready when my date arrives," she informed him, leading the way back to the kitchen to get a vase. "Even if it's just you instead of my real date." She smirked as his grin slipped off.
"Your real date's a nice guy, but he's nothing compared to a Rossi," Dave said, leaning against her counter and watching her.
She laughed. "Well, you obviously thought he was good enough for me," she retorted. She arranged the flowers in a vase and smiled down at them. It had been a long time since anyone had given her flowers. It was nice. She leaned in and sniffed one of them.
"Yeah, well..." Dave gave her a lopsided smile. "Get your purse, Miss Considers It Discourteous to Run Late."
"That's Ms. Considers It Discourteous to Run Late to you," she said, smiling back at him. She grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter. "Tell me you're in the Bentley. I feel sexy, rich, and powerful in the Bentley."
He snorted. "You don't need the Bentley for that." She felt her face heat a little again, but reminded herself this was just Dave. He cleared his throat and held the door.
"Such nice manners," she commented. She headed for his car and opened her door herself. She appreciated the courtesy of a man holding the door for her, but she wasn't going to demand it. Emily felt another surge of nerves. She really wasn't sure what it was about this 'double date' that had her on edge, but she could feel her heart pounding a little harder than necessary.
The drive to the restaurant was quiet. Dave had some classic rock that Emily didn't recognize playing on the radio, and they made casual conversation. When they got to the restaurant, Emily was surprised by how casual it seemed in atmosphere, even if she was by no means over-dressed. She could tell Dave picked it, since it sort of reflected him, somehow polished while still completely down to earth.
Dave gave his name and then they went to wait in the bar until Becky and Joe were there. Emily was nervous enough to order a beer without thinking, then she wished she'd either stuck with water to keep from drinking too much out of nerves, or at least ordered something a little more sophisticated than beer.
She casually watched the people around them, then finally asked, "What's Becky like?" Of course, the moment she asked, she realized she should probably have asked more about Joe.
Dave's eyebrows lifted, and then he took a sip of his drink. "Insane?" he said, then grinned and shook his head. "Sweet, pretty, opinionated, which was sometimes really an obstacle, given I'm not exactly a doormat. I still love the woman, but it's just platonic now. I need someone who understands me and my job a little better."
Emily tilted her head, studying him. "I wasn't aware that you were looking for someone," she teased. "You know, I'm pretty sure I know a lot of women who would be interested." She sipped her beer, then tried to correct her mistake. "And what about Joe? You said he's ATF, right? What else?"
He watched her for a moment, then said, "He's 5'1" and listens to the Starland Vocal Band." God, she hoped he was kidding.
She sipped her beer, smirking. "You're going to owe me bigtime then, Rossi," she said, and arched an eyebrow in challenge.
He snorted. "I think I'm up for it."
"Okay, seriously." She folded her arms. "What's he like?"
"I was being serious," Dave insisted, but now there was a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
Emily nodded. "Right, well, I'll just be in here finding someone else to hang out with for the next hour. Have fun with your ex-wife and Joe," she teased.
He put his hand on her arm when it was resting on the bar, as if to stop her, and said, "You'll like him."
She flickered a glance down at his hand, then looked up, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose if you like him, he must have some redeeming qualities," she said, as if making a huge concession.
"I only spend time with the best of the best," he told her, giving her a little nod and then moving his hand away to sip his scotch.
That made her laugh, but she would take the compliment. "Anything else I should know before they get here?"
He grinned at her for a moment, then snorted and looked away, shaking his head. When he looked back, his expression was affectionate. "Emily. Relax."
Relax. He'd basically set her up on a blind date and she was meeting one of his ex-wives. Why that made her nervous she wasn't really sure, but it did, and it was mildly annoying that he seemed to think she should be so blase about the whole thing. She made a face at him and sipped her drink.
Before she could think of any response, a woman's voice said, "David, there you are. So sorry I'm late. Time just got away from me." Emily glanced at Dave, then turned to meet Becky.
"Rebeca," Dave said, and Becky paused and glared at him.
"I will smack you if you call me that again," she said.
Dave snorted and looked away. They'd obviously had this conversation before. "I have no doubt," he said, then leaned in to hug her, kissing her cheek lightly. Then he turned toward Emily. "Becky, this is Emily. Emily, Becky. Emily and I work together."
Becky's eyebrows lifted, and Emily noticed how perfectly manicured they were. In fact, everything about the woman was polished, and Dave was right, she was very good looking for a woman her age. "You're far too beautiful to run around chasing serial killers," Becky announced, apparently considering that a compliment, and held out her hand to Emily.
Emily laughed faintly. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you," she said. She gave Becky a firm handshake and smiled at her. Suddenly she found herself hoping Joe would arrive quickly too. It was ridiculous to be intimidated by Dave's ex-wife. Emily had met foreign dignitaries all over the world, and had grown up with at least one prince. But Becky was intimidating somehow.
"You too," Becky said, watching Emily for a moment. It was almost as if she could see right through her, but then she flagged down a bartender and ordered a scotch. She looked back after that and said, "So how long have you been with the FBI?"
That required some thought. After a moment, Emily said, "I've been with the BAU for almost three years now, but I've been in the FBI just under fourteen years." She smiled. "Sometimes it's hard to believe it's been that long."
Becky had just opened her mouth to reply when a nice-looking man approached and slapped Dave on the shoulder. "There you are. I'm so sorry about the change in plans." He was definitely a lot taller than 5'1", with dark hair and hazel eyes and a thin white scar that ran down his left cheek. Emily assumed it was Joe Martelli, and wondered if Joe knew Becky.
A moment later, Emily got his answer as Joe leaned down a little to hug Becky. "How have you been?"
"Same as usual, only a bit older and wiser," Becky said. "And with a nicer ass." She smacked Dave and Joe's arms after Joe pulled back. "Neither of you said a damn thing about the weight I've lost," she complained.
Dave looked affronted. "I hadn't noticed."
Becky stuck her finger in his face in mock warning, and Dave just arched a brow in return.
Emily raised her eyebrows and bit her lips together, wondering if this was playful or not-so-playful, and just how much Becky used to weigh. Women always seemed to place more emphasis on weight than men. She decided to ignore the issue. Sticking a hand out, she smiled at Joe. "You must be Joe. I'm Emily."
"Yeah, hi," Joe said, taking Emily's hand. "Dave's told me a lot about you."
"Yeah, and I told her you were an Icelandic gymnast, so you two will just have to get to know the real yous," Dave said, grinning. Becky's expression had grown amused again too quickly for her to have been really upset a moment ago.
Emily let her mouth drop open. "You mean you don't really have two gold medals and a silver?" she asked, and pouted at Dave. "I swear, I used to think I could trust my colleagues."
Joe laughed and Dave said, "You'll live," just as the hostess came up to tell them their table was ready.
Emily and Becky preceded the men as they followed the hostess to their table, and Emily had to admit she was pleasantly surprised at how Joe pulled her chair out for her without making a big deal about it. She smiled her thanks and tried not to let herself watch too closely how Dave and Becky were interacting. She was curious, yes, but she didn't need to profile her best friend's dissolved marriage.
Still, she couldn't help noticing that Dave was kind but rather inattentive, a half beat behind Joe in pulling out a chair for Becky, and he gave Joe a wry look in response to that. Emily wondered if Joe was showing off for her.
They took a while to get settled and place their orders. Emily had never been here before, but the others all had recommendations. She ended up going with Joe's, even though Dave's sounded a little better. She didn't want to hurt her date's feelings.
Dave watched Joe for a moment, then his gaze flickered to Emily before he looked back at Becky. "So what have you been up to lately?"
"Oh, a bit of this and that. We had a charity fundraiser in my hometown to preserve one of the historic buildings, and I spent a lot of time working on that. We managed to get enough for the renovation to begin too! They're going to turn it into a community center, which is nice. There are a lot of kids who don't have anywhere to go in the afternoons, you know." Becky seemed enthusiastic and, to Emily at least, just a tad bit fake. But she did her best to look interested as Becky went on about the project.
Their drinks had arrived by the time she was finished with her story. Dave had been watching Becky, but he didn't look overly interested. Emily had to wonder if he did this on purpose when he saw her to try to lessen the likelihood she'd bring up the idea of them dating again. He must have found her interesting if he had married her, though she could have changed quite a bit since they were married.
After they ordered, Emily turned to Joe. "I guess you're not a big-game hunter in Africa or a champion sailboat racer either, if Dave's stories can't be believed," she said, smiling as he laughed. "Actually, he tells me you're with ATF. Have you been doing that long?"
"Too long," Joe said. She sort of liked the way he was looking at her. She could tell he found her attractive without it making her uncomfortable. He smiled and shook his head. "Nine years," he said. "Or thereabouts. I was on SWAT for a while before then, but that wears on you a little too much sometimes."
She nodded, leaning a little closer. "Where were you when you were with SWAT?" She liked the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
"Nashville, believe it or not. My aunt was ill for a while, and my mother needed help taking care of her. Never really adapted, though. There are only so many cowboy hats I can see before I feel like running." Dave and Becky were having their own conversation, but Joe wasn't paying them any attention.
Emily laughed. "I know what you mean," she said. "So is that where your mother's family is from, or just where they ended up?" She was impressed by the idea of his adjusting his career to help his mother be a caretaker. She didn't know many people who would be willing to do that sort of thing. Not that she was really surprised that Dave's friend was a good guy.
"We're originally from Georgia," he said, with an exaggerated southern accent on the last word. "Dad's job took them to Nashville when I was about twenty-four, and I moved here."
"Ah, a Georgia gentleman," Emily said. "What are you doing hanging around with someone like Dave then?" She realized with a shock that she was actually flirting with Dave's friend. It felt weird, but she couldn't seem to help herself. He didn't seem to take himself too seriously, and she liked that about him.
Joe grinned. "He's persistent and I ran out of excuses," he said.
Emily raised an eyebrow and glanced from Joe to Dave and back to Joe. "Wait a minute, that sounds like it sort of reflects on me too," she teased.
"Not really," Joe said easily. "Even if he can be trying, anyone can see he has excellent taste."
She laughed. "Nice save." She brushed her hair back from her face, smiling at him. God, it couldn't be this easy, could it? There had to be something wrong with him, even if he was Dave's friend. He was handsome, funny, kind... She glanced over at Dave again and found his gaze on her.
His eyebrows lifted, like he hadn't meant to be caught, but then he grinned. "I may be talking to Becky, but I'm not deaf."
Emily arched an eyebrow at him and shook her head. "He hasn't said anything wrong, has he?" she asked, giving Joe a conspiratorial glance.
Dave stared at her for a long moment, and then just turned back and started talking to Becky again. Joe started laughing. "Wow. I've only ever seen his mother and Wife Number One do that to him. I'm impressed, Agent Prentiss."
She was sort of impressed too, but she was also suddenly unsure of herself. Catching him speechless was one thing. Hurting his feelings would be something else entirely. She watched Dave for another long moment, then turned to lean in and murmur to Joe, "I'm not entirely sure what I just did, but don't tell anyone that." She smiled at him, then wondered if she was flirting too much.
"Your secret is safe with me," Joe said, then mimicked locking his lips and throwing away the key.
Emily laughed and sipped her drink. "Good to know," she said. She glanced over at Dave again, hoping she hadn't really hurt his feelings. Sometimes, as well as she felt she knew him, he was still hard to read. Not to mention she knew she overcompensated sometimes in an attempt to feel accepted; it was easy to cross the line from teasing to hurtful without meaning to.
The conversation continued easily throughout dinner. Emily would have sworn she'd caught Dave watching her a couple of times, and she worried maybe she really had hurt his feelings. When Emily heard Becky start reminiscing, however, she did her duty and butted into their conversation to change the topic.
Either Dave had flat out told Joe why they were along, or Joe just knew Dave and Becky that well, because he rose to the occasion and jumped in to carry the conversation off into the realm of law enforcement, which Emily figured was guaranteed to remind Becky why she and Dave divorced in the first place.
Becky was a very nice and interesting person, and as the dinner progressed Emily could begin to see why Dave had married her. But she could also see why Dave had divorced her, too. She almost felt guilty for having so much fun talking to Joe, considering the circumstances.
When dessert was offered, Emily glanced in temptation at the hot fudge brownie sundae, but regretfully decided she didn't have room for it all. Joe just requested a refill of his coffee, and Becky shook her head. "Got to watch what I eat," she said lightly. "I want to keep this weight off."
"Yeah," Dave said, and at Becky's glare, he seemed to realize what he'd just implied. "I meant the not wanting dessert part. Don't give me that look," he said defensively.
Emily glanced down at the table, but she ended up having to lift a hand to cover her smile. They requested the check and started wrapping up the conversation. It occurred to Emily that she didn't know if she was riding home with Dave or with Joe. She glanced over at Dave, wondering if he would want the excuse to not linger with Becky.
When they headed out of the door, Joe put his hand on Emily's back, just near her shoulder blade, and Emily felt herself flush. Then he opened the door, and she heard Dave snort, but she thought it was rather charming. When they stopped outside the door, Dave looked at her and inclined his head towards Joe. "You two want to go with who you were supposed to go with?" he asked. He was smiling, but Emily could tell by the absence of crinkles at the corners of his eyes that he really wasn't inclined to go with Becky.
She pressed her lips together and flickered a glance at Joe, then said, "Actually I wanted to ask you something about the Marsdan case, if you don't mind talking a little shop..." She hoped Joe would realize she wasn't trying to get away from him so much as she was trying to rescue Dave from Becky.
"Nah," Dave said, his smile looking a little more natural. Joe still looked okay, so she thought they were okay.
Becky was doing a bad job of not looking put out. "You FBI types just really can't let go, can you?" she asked, obviously trying for a light tone of voice even though she wasn't entirely successful. Emily had to give Becky credit for the attempt.
Emily shrugged and gave her a rueful smile. "The job kind of gets in your blood," she said. She glanced over at Joe and held out her hand. "I really enjoyed dinner," she told him honestly, meeting his eyes.
"I did too," Joe said, taking her hand. He held it, hesitated, then leaned in to lightly kiss her cheek.
Okay, she might be bad at this, but even she knew that was a good sign. Emily's smile widened, even though this felt a little awkward in front of Dave and Becky. She slipped her free hand into her purse and fished out one of her FBI cards. It wasn't her home number, but it was easier than awkward fumbling while serving as after-dinner entertainment for Dave and Becky. "We should do this again," she told Joe, holding out her card.
Joe's smile widened, and he agreed, and then they were all parting ways. Dave kept silent until they got away, and then he shook his head. "What a piece of work."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "To whom, exactly, are you referring?" she asked archly.
"I didn't see any indication you were as awkward as you say you are, Miss--sorry, Ms. Flirty," he replied.
Emily shrugged. "He's easy to talk to. I think it helps that we were both trying to protect you from Becky." She grinned at him.
Dave made an unimpressed noise and hit the key fob to unlock the Bentley.
"God," she said, mildly annoyed that he was dampening her enthusiasm. "After as long as you've been after me to 'get out there more' and not be so picky about my dates, I would think you'd be happy." She huffed and got in the car, glaring at the dash.
"I am happy," Dave said. "You just made a pretty quick turn around from awkward to vixen."
She stared at him, feeling a little like she'd been slapped. She just pressed her lips together and looked out the window. "At least I asked you to take me home," she muttered finally.
Dave sighed. "Sorry."
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked. She didn't understand what was going on. He ought to have known she would do her best not to appear awkward or unsophisticated in front of his ex-wife. She wouldn't want to embarrass Dave.
"No," Dave said quickly. "I didn't mean that how it sounded."
She sighed and decided maybe it would be easiest to just change the subject. "Becky's nice."
"Yeah, she is," Dave said.
Finally Emily gave up on conversation and just looked out the window. She was disappointed by the way Dave was acting, even if he'd apologized. Something was bothering him, but she didn't know what, and he obviously wasn't going to tell her. Maybe if she kept quiet, he would. Or maybe they would just ignore this. At least Emily had managed to keep Becky from making her habitual suggestion. She didn't like the idea of Dave and Becky, anyway. The FBI was important to Dave. Whatever reason he'd had for leaving, he'd come back, and Emily couldn't see him leaving again any time soon.
When they got to her house, she almost got out with nothing but goodbye, but at the last minute she said, "Want to come in for a while?"
Dave paused for a moment, then said, "Yeah, sure." A smile slid slowly across his face which seemed genuine. He turned the car off, and got out, then followed her to her front door.
Given his mood, she was surprised that he'd accepted, but maybe it meant he wasn't angry at her at least. She unlocked the door and led him inside. "Something to drink?" she offered.
"Only if you're having something," Dave said, glancing at the flowers he'd brought, then back at her. "Really, I'm glad you and Joe like each other."
"I thought I'd have a cup of tea," Emily said. She filled the kettle and started it going. "I can see why the two of you are friends." She smiled teasingly. "I hadn't realized he knew you clear back to your first wife."
Dave chuckled. "Has hasn't. But he's been to my mama's house around the holidays, and my first wife still comes by for a while." He paused, then added, "His dad died a few years before his aunt, and the year after his aunt died, his mother spent the holidays with her former in-laws. Joe stayed behind, so I brought him home with me."
Her smile grew more genuine. "He's a really good friend, then, isn't he?" she murmured. She moved closer and rested a hand on his arm. "Dave, are you sure you're okay with me and Joe...I mean, you know, if things work out?" She wasn't sure why she felt the need to make sure now. After all, it had been his idea. But she felt like she had to ask.
He nodded, covering her hand with his own. "Yeah."
She swallowed, the warmth of his hand pleasant over hers. "Okay," she said, searching his gaze.
"Okay," he said, and squeezed her hand again.
***
It wasn't okay that Emily was interested in Joe. Dave had wanted to invite someone to the dinner with Becky that Emily would like, but not like. Dave hadn't reacted well to that, but he thought he'd recovered before the "double date" night was over. He almost wished he hadn't, because Emily and Joe started seeing more of each other after that, and Emily looked happy. Dave hated it.
Funny thing was, he wasn't sure why. Except maybe that Joe and Emily were totally wrong for each other. For no good reason.
At least she wasn't too busy for her old friends now that things were working out, as she had put it, between her and Joe. She still made Dave have coffee with her at least once a week, and she didn't really flaunt her new relationship. He checked his watch and glanced out at the bullpen. They were supposed to be having coffee after work, but Emily was apparently running late from whatever she'd had going on this afternoon.
She finally showed up, chatting animatedly with JJ and looking ridiculously pretty. Maybe it was his imagination, but she seemed to be wearing skirts more often and wearing more makeup than she used to. Not much, but enough that it was noticeable.
He sighed and tried to turn his attention back to the work on his desk, but only moments later she knocked on his door.
"Hey. I'll be ready to head out in five minutes. Sorry I ran over. You want to meet me there?"
He smiled faintly as he looked up. "Sure," he said. Her smile widened before she nodded and headed away again.
When he got to their usual place--a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that played quiet jazz over the speakers and knew what they both ordered--he went ahead and got both their drinks. She arrived a few minutes later and gave him a wide smile as she slipped into the seat across from his.
"Thanks," she said, gesturing at her cup. "Long day. I really needed this."
"That bad?" he said. "We could always get these to go, and add a shot of bourbon at one of our places," he teased.
She laughed. "Not really bad, it just felt like time was dragging out horribly at that lecture." She tilted her head. "Though that isn't really a bad idea."
He chuckled. "Next time." He took a sip of his coffee and sat back. "So can you tell me what kept you away, or is it top secret? And if it is, tell me anyway."
To his surprise, she blushed. "Oh...I just ran into Joe at the ballistics lecture. I didn't know he was going to be there." She shrugged. "He wanted me to go to dinner with him, but I told him you and I have a standing coffee date."
Dave felt a little flash of temper, but he shoved it down with some difficulty as he took another long sip of coffee. "Glad I still rate," he said.
She frowned at him. "Of course you 'still rate', you idiot," she said. Her frown faded and she leaned across the table, curling her fingers around his free hand. "You're my best friend. I wouldn't stand you up just for a date with some guy." She squeezed gently and then sat back, smiling.
Some guy. That made Dave feel a little better. It was ridiculous that Emily's opinion of Joe had Dave all bent out of shape. He chuckled. "I'm your best friend and he's 'some guy'?"
Her smile went crooked and she shrugged. "Well, I mean, he's a really nice guy. But that doesn't change that you're my best friend."
He chuckled and scratched at his temple, then picked up his cup again. "You're not so bad yourself."
"Gee, thanks," she muttered, but she didn't look upset.
"You're welcome," he said lightly, a grin spreading across his face. He liked the way her expression went affectionate when she looked at him, the corner of her eyes crinkling. "Well, seeing as how you're out a free dinner, wanna pick up some fast food and watch football tonight?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Joe wanted to take me to Trevantino's and you're offering fast food and football?" She shook her head slowly and added, "Further proof that you still know me better than he does. If you make the fast food Italian takeout, you're on."
He made a face, then sighed. They'd been through this before. "That's not real Italian," he complained, but they both knew she always got her way.
"Well, you could always cook, but then you wouldn't have time to watch the game," she pointed out, grinning at him.
"Oh, fine, fine," he groused. He took another sip of his coffee, then lifted the glass. "Should we get this to go?
She shrugged, though he saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "Whatever you want." She knew damn well that conceding something to him after winning the Italian argument always made it hard for him to be annoyed at her.
"Well, we don't want to miss kick off," he said, attempting to look put out and failing.
The grin spread across her face again and she nudged his foot under the table. "Definitely not. We'd better get these to go."
He lifted his foot and caught hers under it, then belatedly hoped she wasn't wearing anything open-toed. She didn't complain; she just giggled, so he figured she wasn't. God, he loved her giggle.
He flagged down their waiter and asked for their drinks to go. Emily insisted on getting their drinks, since Dave was getting dinner, and then they headed outside. Dave sort of wished they'd driven together. He handed over his house key, as he knew she'd beat him home, and made sure he knew what he wanted to eat before they left.
The wait at the "Italian" restaurant wasn't that long, but by the time he got home, she'd obviously been there a while. The lights were on in the living room and kitchen. When he went inside, he could hear her talking and had to wonder if she'd called Joe since she had time to waste. He pushed down the odd jealousy and realized as he went into the kitchen that she was kneeling on the floor talking to Mucci. The dog's tail was thumping hard against the floor as she rubbed his belly.
Emily looked up and smiled. "I already let him out, and I started the fireplace. I hope you don't mind."
He smiled. "Makes less work for me," he said, and carried their fake Italian food to the counter. He started pulling the Styrofoam boxes out of the bag. "Shall we have wine with our crap?" he asked, still smiling. It wasn't really that bad, even if it was no comparison to real Italian, but he liked giving her a hard time.
She snorted. "Wine and football?" she teased, standing. She washed her hands, then moved to help him. "I'm totally making you cook me a nice real Italian meal one of these days."
"It'll put you off this stuff for good," Dave said, going to pull two beers out of the fridge.
"So you're saying if you cook for me once, I'll have to keep you around to cook for me forever, huh?" Emily tilted her head and put a hand against her chin in a thoughtful pose. "I guess I can live with that."
He laughed and handed her a plastic fork. When she gave him a teasing disappointed look, he sighed. "You want me to sully my good silverware with this?" he asked, gesturing at the Styrofoam containers.
"David Rossi, you're a snob," she declared, but she took her fake Italian and beer and headed for the living room.
Dave chuckled. "Maybe." He followed her to see her slipping off her shoes and flopping comfortably onto the couch. He liked how relaxed she was here. "But if I always surround myself with the best, that's a hell of a compliment to you, so shut up."
She grinned at him. "And you're so nice about it too." She took a few bites of her food, then asked, "So have you heard from Becky lately?"
Dave shook his head and twirled his fork in the pasta to wrap it around the tines. "Nah. She usually doesn't call for a while after I shoot her down. I think she may have got the hint."
After a while Emily snorted. "You know, if you'd really wanted her to get the hint, you should have invited some guy she didn't already know, and you could have played it off like you were setting her up with him, instead of me."
"I figured you'd be less inclined to pretend to be my girlfriend than have a much needed date." And didn't figure you and Joe would wind up the happy couple, he thought.
"Well, I mean, it did work out pretty well for me," she admitted, giving him a warm look. "So I'm not complaining or anything. But I would have done it." Mucci wandered in and nosed at her ankles, then flopped down by her feet.
Dave just nodded and turned on the TV, flipping the channels until he found the game. They were just in time for kick-off, and for some time they watched the game without making much conversation. Just before halftime he glanced over at Emily and realized she was stretched out on the couch with Mucci snuggled up against her. Petting the dog absently as she stared at the TV, she looked completely content.
He found himself smiling, but decided he didn't want to disturb her, so he went back to watching quietly. He glanced over again about ten minutes later to see she hadn't moved, except for the hand now stroking Mucci's ear.
She must have felt his gaze on her, because she shifted and glanced over at him. She smiled slowly at him, her expression warm, but she didn't speak.
He lifted his eyebrows in greeting, then glanced at the TV. Halftime was starting and he looked back. "Need another beer?" he said quietly.
"Sure." Her expression went thoughtful, then she nodded. "If you're getting up."
"I don't mind," he said. "I'd like another." He took their Styrofoam containers with him and trashed both of them, then grabbed two beers from the fridge. He sighed silently. He sort of wanted to ask about Joe suddenly. But he also really didn't. He headed back and headed her a beer before settling in his chair again.
"Thanks," she said. She sat up and scooted to the end of the couch closest to him. Mucci made a noise of protest but settled on her feet. "You seem like you have something on your mind."
Dave shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "Nah," he said, which was a total lie.
She tilted her head, just watching him.
He held another sigh. "I was just thinking that I enjoy it when you come over."
She smiled. "So do I. You're really good company." She kept looking at him though, like she was expecting he was just leading up to whatever he was thinking.
He shrugged and gave her a small smile. "That's it," he said simply.
Her eyebrows went up. "That took so much thought?" she asked. She smiled back at him, but he could tell she was trying to understand, and that she expected something more than the fact that he enjoyed her company.
Dave watched her for a moment, and then what was bothering him struck him like a bolt of lightening. Shit. I'm attracted to her. His expression remained smooth, but his heart suddenly thumped hard in his chest. "Hey, I want to weigh all my options before I say something like that." Shit.
She watched him for a moment more, then narrowed her eyes slightly. "What options do you think you have here, Rossi? Come on, it's pretty obvious I'm good company, since you keep hanging around me." She waited a moment, then winked at him and took a swig of her beer.
"Shut up. I want to watch the cheerleaders," he grumbled, turning back to the TV. They weren't exactly anything that excited him, but he wanted to not keep talking about this.
She laughed and poked his arm gently, but didn't give him any more grief about it. They both watched the cheerleaders for a couple of minutes, then she said, "You're really good company too, you know."
She sounded slightly distracted by the TV, but more serious than she had been a moment ago. It made his heart tug a little. He might have to make Joe mysteriously disappear. "I know. But it'll go to my head if you keep encouraging me," he said quietly.
"Yeah, like anything could possibly give you a bigger ego," she said. She glanced over at him, her expression teasing, then seemed to look at him more closely. "Dave, this isn't about me and Joe, is it?" she asked quietly. "You know whoever I'm dating doesn't change us."
Dave wanted to tell her yes, it was about her and Joe, but knew he couldn't. Instead, he shook his head. "I want you to be happy." It was the truth, even if he was just now realizing he wanted her to be happy with him instead of Joe.
She watched him for a moment, then reached over and curled her fingers over his forearm. "I can't be happy if I hurt you," she said quietly.
He snorted. He wasn't hurt. Mostly just annoyed. Mostly. "I wouldn't have set you up if it was going to hurt me. What brought this up again?"
"What brought this up is you being grumpy earlier when I mentioned running into Joe," she said, "and then avoiding the issue just now." She tilted her head, studying his face. "You can't really blame me for wondering if that's the problem. I don't think anything else has changed."
"I wasn't grumpy, and I'm not avoiding the issue. For that matter, there's not an issue," Dave grumped. He was a pretty good actor and he knew all the tells from profiling. He only hoped this was working. "Women need to learn to stop reading so much into what men say."
She stared at him for a moment, then her lips tightened. "Fine. Sorry." She took a sip of her beer and turned her attention back to the TV.
Dave frowned at her in confusion for a moment. What the hell caused that reaction? It certainly wasn't the reaction he expected. He thought, if anything, she might laugh. His lips twisted, and he turned back to the TV, letting silence fall between them. It was better than saying anything else that might get him in trouble.
Emily seemed grumpy for a while after that, but partway into the third quarter she seemed to be relaxing. When she finished her beer she stretched and got up. "You need another? I'm going to help myself to a Coke from your fridge."
"Yeah, I'll have another. I don't have to drive," he said. For that matter, he might start on scotch when she left.
"Lucky you," she said lightly. "Next game's at my place." She came back with his beer in one hand and a bottle of Coke in the other, then settled back down to finish out the game. By the time their team had won, she was snuggled up with Mucci again and looking sleepy.
"You spoil my dog rotten," he said. She knew Mucci really wasn't supposed to be on the couch, but Dave had finally made an exception on the nights Emily came over.
"He loves me," she said, smiling at him. "And you know I always wanted a dog."
"Get a dog of your own and spoil it," he complained, but there was no heat. He loved how much Emily loved Mucci, and how much he obviously loved her back.
"I like spoiling your dog better," she said, then grinned. "His owner's pretty fun to hang around with most of the time."
Dave sighed. "Go home. You look like you're gonna pass out."
"Trying to get rid of me now, huh?" she asked, but her voice was light. "This has been fun, Dave. I'm glad you suggested it."
"Yeah," he said, getting up to let her out. "Anytime."
Part Two
Authors:
innerslytherin and severity_softlyPairing: Rossi/Prentiss
Rating: NC-17
WC: 22,100
Summary: When Dave set Emily up with his friend, he didn't think they would hit it off quite so well. Not that it's a problem or anything. Really. Dave wants Emily to be happy. Just...not with someone else.
Notes: This fic is our Rossi/Prentiss version of When Harry Met Sally.
"This is a horrible idea," Emily muttered, glaring at her reflection. Her hair was a wavy mess and she'd found a stain on her favorite red dress and she'd had to reapply her lipstick twice because of smudges. She was nervous and rushed, and all because she'd agreed to do David Rossi a favor.
"My ex is coming to town," he'd said apologetically. "The second one, who didn't do anything wrong except hate my FBI job. Every once in a while she does this thing where she visits, goes to dinner with me, and starts reminiscing. Then she asks if I ever think about getting back together." He shook his head. "My pal Joe's a nice guy. You'll like him, and maybe having you guys there will keep her from trying that one again."
Emily rolled her eyes. "You could just tell her you don't want to get back together," she'd suggested.
Dave grinned at her. "I tell her that every time. Becky's a nice lady, but I never said I married her for her brains."
So now Emily was stuck going on a double date with Dave, Dave's second ex-wife, and Dave's 'pal' Joe from ATF. She had faith in Dave to set her up with someone decent, but even her curiosity about Dave's ex-wives wasn't enough to convince her this was a good idea.
She'd bribed Garcia with coffee to check Joe out for her, and she'd found out only that the guy's name was Joe Martelli, he was Catholic, recently divorced and forty-five. He was supposed to pick her up, but he'd called from the west side and said he had a flat and was going to be late. He'd already called Dave and asked Dave to pick her up instead.
"Nothing about this is going to go right," she predicted grimly. Her reflection seemed convinced.
She was just slipping on a pair of heels to go with the cobalt blue dress she'd chosen in place of the red, which was currently soaking in Woolite, when the doorbell rang. And that would be Dave. She fastened her necklace as she went downstairs, and checked the peephole, still slipping in her earrings.
She took a deep breath, straightened her dress, and wished she could go change into sweats quickly and pretend she'd gotten terribly sick in the couple of hours since he'd seen her at work. She didn't think that would work, though, so she unlocked the deadbolt and slid the chain open.
Dave was in a black suit with a charcoal gray button up shirt. Of course he was in his usual boots, but even those looked handsome when he was dressed like this. His eyebrows went up as he looked her up and down, and Emily felt her face heat just a little. "You look wonderful," he told her.
She smiled and shook her head. "This is a crazy idea," she informed him, brushing off the compliment even though it made her feel good. "You clean up pretty good too. You sure you aren't dressed up because you want to get back together with Becky?" she teased.
"I'd rather give up my badge," he said, then held up a bouquet of mixed flowers that he'd had behind his back. "It's just a thank you," he said, shrugging in an 'it's nothing' sort of way. "So thank you."
Emily tipped her head to one side, touched by the gesture. "Well, you're welcome. Thanks for the flowers." She took the flowers and grinned down at them. "You'd better come in so I can get these in water," she told him. "And I need to grab my purse, then I'll be ready."
"No woman is never ready on time, so I'd planned to come in," Dave said. When she turned to glare at him, his grin wouldn't allow her glare to retain its heat.
"I consider it discourteous to not be ready when my date arrives," she informed him, leading the way back to the kitchen to get a vase. "Even if it's just you instead of my real date." She smirked as his grin slipped off.
"Your real date's a nice guy, but he's nothing compared to a Rossi," Dave said, leaning against her counter and watching her.
She laughed. "Well, you obviously thought he was good enough for me," she retorted. She arranged the flowers in a vase and smiled down at them. It had been a long time since anyone had given her flowers. It was nice. She leaned in and sniffed one of them.
"Yeah, well..." Dave gave her a lopsided smile. "Get your purse, Miss Considers It Discourteous to Run Late."
"That's Ms. Considers It Discourteous to Run Late to you," she said, smiling back at him. She grabbed her purse off the kitchen counter. "Tell me you're in the Bentley. I feel sexy, rich, and powerful in the Bentley."
He snorted. "You don't need the Bentley for that." She felt her face heat a little again, but reminded herself this was just Dave. He cleared his throat and held the door.
"Such nice manners," she commented. She headed for his car and opened her door herself. She appreciated the courtesy of a man holding the door for her, but she wasn't going to demand it. Emily felt another surge of nerves. She really wasn't sure what it was about this 'double date' that had her on edge, but she could feel her heart pounding a little harder than necessary.
The drive to the restaurant was quiet. Dave had some classic rock that Emily didn't recognize playing on the radio, and they made casual conversation. When they got to the restaurant, Emily was surprised by how casual it seemed in atmosphere, even if she was by no means over-dressed. She could tell Dave picked it, since it sort of reflected him, somehow polished while still completely down to earth.
Dave gave his name and then they went to wait in the bar until Becky and Joe were there. Emily was nervous enough to order a beer without thinking, then she wished she'd either stuck with water to keep from drinking too much out of nerves, or at least ordered something a little more sophisticated than beer.
She casually watched the people around them, then finally asked, "What's Becky like?" Of course, the moment she asked, she realized she should probably have asked more about Joe.
Dave's eyebrows lifted, and then he took a sip of his drink. "Insane?" he said, then grinned and shook his head. "Sweet, pretty, opinionated, which was sometimes really an obstacle, given I'm not exactly a doormat. I still love the woman, but it's just platonic now. I need someone who understands me and my job a little better."
Emily tilted her head, studying him. "I wasn't aware that you were looking for someone," she teased. "You know, I'm pretty sure I know a lot of women who would be interested." She sipped her beer, then tried to correct her mistake. "And what about Joe? You said he's ATF, right? What else?"
He watched her for a moment, then said, "He's 5'1" and listens to the Starland Vocal Band." God, she hoped he was kidding.
She sipped her beer, smirking. "You're going to owe me bigtime then, Rossi," she said, and arched an eyebrow in challenge.
He snorted. "I think I'm up for it."
"Okay, seriously." She folded her arms. "What's he like?"
"I was being serious," Dave insisted, but now there was a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
Emily nodded. "Right, well, I'll just be in here finding someone else to hang out with for the next hour. Have fun with your ex-wife and Joe," she teased.
He put his hand on her arm when it was resting on the bar, as if to stop her, and said, "You'll like him."
She flickered a glance down at his hand, then looked up, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose if you like him, he must have some redeeming qualities," she said, as if making a huge concession.
"I only spend time with the best of the best," he told her, giving her a little nod and then moving his hand away to sip his scotch.
That made her laugh, but she would take the compliment. "Anything else I should know before they get here?"
He grinned at her for a moment, then snorted and looked away, shaking his head. When he looked back, his expression was affectionate. "Emily. Relax."
Relax. He'd basically set her up on a blind date and she was meeting one of his ex-wives. Why that made her nervous she wasn't really sure, but it did, and it was mildly annoying that he seemed to think she should be so blase about the whole thing. She made a face at him and sipped her drink.
Before she could think of any response, a woman's voice said, "David, there you are. So sorry I'm late. Time just got away from me." Emily glanced at Dave, then turned to meet Becky.
"Rebeca," Dave said, and Becky paused and glared at him.
"I will smack you if you call me that again," she said.
Dave snorted and looked away. They'd obviously had this conversation before. "I have no doubt," he said, then leaned in to hug her, kissing her cheek lightly. Then he turned toward Emily. "Becky, this is Emily. Emily, Becky. Emily and I work together."
Becky's eyebrows lifted, and Emily noticed how perfectly manicured they were. In fact, everything about the woman was polished, and Dave was right, she was very good looking for a woman her age. "You're far too beautiful to run around chasing serial killers," Becky announced, apparently considering that a compliment, and held out her hand to Emily.
Emily laughed faintly. "Thanks. It's nice to meet you," she said. She gave Becky a firm handshake and smiled at her. Suddenly she found herself hoping Joe would arrive quickly too. It was ridiculous to be intimidated by Dave's ex-wife. Emily had met foreign dignitaries all over the world, and had grown up with at least one prince. But Becky was intimidating somehow.
"You too," Becky said, watching Emily for a moment. It was almost as if she could see right through her, but then she flagged down a bartender and ordered a scotch. She looked back after that and said, "So how long have you been with the FBI?"
That required some thought. After a moment, Emily said, "I've been with the BAU for almost three years now, but I've been in the FBI just under fourteen years." She smiled. "Sometimes it's hard to believe it's been that long."
Becky had just opened her mouth to reply when a nice-looking man approached and slapped Dave on the shoulder. "There you are. I'm so sorry about the change in plans." He was definitely a lot taller than 5'1", with dark hair and hazel eyes and a thin white scar that ran down his left cheek. Emily assumed it was Joe Martelli, and wondered if Joe knew Becky.
A moment later, Emily got his answer as Joe leaned down a little to hug Becky. "How have you been?"
"Same as usual, only a bit older and wiser," Becky said. "And with a nicer ass." She smacked Dave and Joe's arms after Joe pulled back. "Neither of you said a damn thing about the weight I've lost," she complained.
Dave looked affronted. "I hadn't noticed."
Becky stuck her finger in his face in mock warning, and Dave just arched a brow in return.
Emily raised her eyebrows and bit her lips together, wondering if this was playful or not-so-playful, and just how much Becky used to weigh. Women always seemed to place more emphasis on weight than men. She decided to ignore the issue. Sticking a hand out, she smiled at Joe. "You must be Joe. I'm Emily."
"Yeah, hi," Joe said, taking Emily's hand. "Dave's told me a lot about you."
"Yeah, and I told her you were an Icelandic gymnast, so you two will just have to get to know the real yous," Dave said, grinning. Becky's expression had grown amused again too quickly for her to have been really upset a moment ago.
Emily let her mouth drop open. "You mean you don't really have two gold medals and a silver?" she asked, and pouted at Dave. "I swear, I used to think I could trust my colleagues."
Joe laughed and Dave said, "You'll live," just as the hostess came up to tell them their table was ready.
Emily and Becky preceded the men as they followed the hostess to their table, and Emily had to admit she was pleasantly surprised at how Joe pulled her chair out for her without making a big deal about it. She smiled her thanks and tried not to let herself watch too closely how Dave and Becky were interacting. She was curious, yes, but she didn't need to profile her best friend's dissolved marriage.
Still, she couldn't help noticing that Dave was kind but rather inattentive, a half beat behind Joe in pulling out a chair for Becky, and he gave Joe a wry look in response to that. Emily wondered if Joe was showing off for her.
They took a while to get settled and place their orders. Emily had never been here before, but the others all had recommendations. She ended up going with Joe's, even though Dave's sounded a little better. She didn't want to hurt her date's feelings.
Dave watched Joe for a moment, then his gaze flickered to Emily before he looked back at Becky. "So what have you been up to lately?"
"Oh, a bit of this and that. We had a charity fundraiser in my hometown to preserve one of the historic buildings, and I spent a lot of time working on that. We managed to get enough for the renovation to begin too! They're going to turn it into a community center, which is nice. There are a lot of kids who don't have anywhere to go in the afternoons, you know." Becky seemed enthusiastic and, to Emily at least, just a tad bit fake. But she did her best to look interested as Becky went on about the project.
Their drinks had arrived by the time she was finished with her story. Dave had been watching Becky, but he didn't look overly interested. Emily had to wonder if he did this on purpose when he saw her to try to lessen the likelihood she'd bring up the idea of them dating again. He must have found her interesting if he had married her, though she could have changed quite a bit since they were married.
After they ordered, Emily turned to Joe. "I guess you're not a big-game hunter in Africa or a champion sailboat racer either, if Dave's stories can't be believed," she said, smiling as he laughed. "Actually, he tells me you're with ATF. Have you been doing that long?"
"Too long," Joe said. She sort of liked the way he was looking at her. She could tell he found her attractive without it making her uncomfortable. He smiled and shook his head. "Nine years," he said. "Or thereabouts. I was on SWAT for a while before then, but that wears on you a little too much sometimes."
She nodded, leaning a little closer. "Where were you when you were with SWAT?" She liked the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.
"Nashville, believe it or not. My aunt was ill for a while, and my mother needed help taking care of her. Never really adapted, though. There are only so many cowboy hats I can see before I feel like running." Dave and Becky were having their own conversation, but Joe wasn't paying them any attention.
Emily laughed. "I know what you mean," she said. "So is that where your mother's family is from, or just where they ended up?" She was impressed by the idea of his adjusting his career to help his mother be a caretaker. She didn't know many people who would be willing to do that sort of thing. Not that she was really surprised that Dave's friend was a good guy.
"We're originally from Georgia," he said, with an exaggerated southern accent on the last word. "Dad's job took them to Nashville when I was about twenty-four, and I moved here."
"Ah, a Georgia gentleman," Emily said. "What are you doing hanging around with someone like Dave then?" She realized with a shock that she was actually flirting with Dave's friend. It felt weird, but she couldn't seem to help herself. He didn't seem to take himself too seriously, and she liked that about him.
Joe grinned. "He's persistent and I ran out of excuses," he said.
Emily raised an eyebrow and glanced from Joe to Dave and back to Joe. "Wait a minute, that sounds like it sort of reflects on me too," she teased.
"Not really," Joe said easily. "Even if he can be trying, anyone can see he has excellent taste."
She laughed. "Nice save." She brushed her hair back from her face, smiling at him. God, it couldn't be this easy, could it? There had to be something wrong with him, even if he was Dave's friend. He was handsome, funny, kind... She glanced over at Dave again and found his gaze on her.
His eyebrows lifted, like he hadn't meant to be caught, but then he grinned. "I may be talking to Becky, but I'm not deaf."
Emily arched an eyebrow at him and shook her head. "He hasn't said anything wrong, has he?" she asked, giving Joe a conspiratorial glance.
Dave stared at her for a long moment, and then just turned back and started talking to Becky again. Joe started laughing. "Wow. I've only ever seen his mother and Wife Number One do that to him. I'm impressed, Agent Prentiss."
She was sort of impressed too, but she was also suddenly unsure of herself. Catching him speechless was one thing. Hurting his feelings would be something else entirely. She watched Dave for another long moment, then turned to lean in and murmur to Joe, "I'm not entirely sure what I just did, but don't tell anyone that." She smiled at him, then wondered if she was flirting too much.
"Your secret is safe with me," Joe said, then mimicked locking his lips and throwing away the key.
Emily laughed and sipped her drink. "Good to know," she said. She glanced over at Dave again, hoping she hadn't really hurt his feelings. Sometimes, as well as she felt she knew him, he was still hard to read. Not to mention she knew she overcompensated sometimes in an attempt to feel accepted; it was easy to cross the line from teasing to hurtful without meaning to.
The conversation continued easily throughout dinner. Emily would have sworn she'd caught Dave watching her a couple of times, and she worried maybe she really had hurt his feelings. When Emily heard Becky start reminiscing, however, she did her duty and butted into their conversation to change the topic.
Either Dave had flat out told Joe why they were along, or Joe just knew Dave and Becky that well, because he rose to the occasion and jumped in to carry the conversation off into the realm of law enforcement, which Emily figured was guaranteed to remind Becky why she and Dave divorced in the first place.
Becky was a very nice and interesting person, and as the dinner progressed Emily could begin to see why Dave had married her. But she could also see why Dave had divorced her, too. She almost felt guilty for having so much fun talking to Joe, considering the circumstances.
When dessert was offered, Emily glanced in temptation at the hot fudge brownie sundae, but regretfully decided she didn't have room for it all. Joe just requested a refill of his coffee, and Becky shook her head. "Got to watch what I eat," she said lightly. "I want to keep this weight off."
"Yeah," Dave said, and at Becky's glare, he seemed to realize what he'd just implied. "I meant the not wanting dessert part. Don't give me that look," he said defensively.
Emily glanced down at the table, but she ended up having to lift a hand to cover her smile. They requested the check and started wrapping up the conversation. It occurred to Emily that she didn't know if she was riding home with Dave or with Joe. She glanced over at Dave, wondering if he would want the excuse to not linger with Becky.
When they headed out of the door, Joe put his hand on Emily's back, just near her shoulder blade, and Emily felt herself flush. Then he opened the door, and she heard Dave snort, but she thought it was rather charming. When they stopped outside the door, Dave looked at her and inclined his head towards Joe. "You two want to go with who you were supposed to go with?" he asked. He was smiling, but Emily could tell by the absence of crinkles at the corners of his eyes that he really wasn't inclined to go with Becky.
She pressed her lips together and flickered a glance at Joe, then said, "Actually I wanted to ask you something about the Marsdan case, if you don't mind talking a little shop..." She hoped Joe would realize she wasn't trying to get away from him so much as she was trying to rescue Dave from Becky.
"Nah," Dave said, his smile looking a little more natural. Joe still looked okay, so she thought they were okay.
Becky was doing a bad job of not looking put out. "You FBI types just really can't let go, can you?" she asked, obviously trying for a light tone of voice even though she wasn't entirely successful. Emily had to give Becky credit for the attempt.
Emily shrugged and gave her a rueful smile. "The job kind of gets in your blood," she said. She glanced over at Joe and held out her hand. "I really enjoyed dinner," she told him honestly, meeting his eyes.
"I did too," Joe said, taking her hand. He held it, hesitated, then leaned in to lightly kiss her cheek.
Okay, she might be bad at this, but even she knew that was a good sign. Emily's smile widened, even though this felt a little awkward in front of Dave and Becky. She slipped her free hand into her purse and fished out one of her FBI cards. It wasn't her home number, but it was easier than awkward fumbling while serving as after-dinner entertainment for Dave and Becky. "We should do this again," she told Joe, holding out her card.
Joe's smile widened, and he agreed, and then they were all parting ways. Dave kept silent until they got away, and then he shook his head. "What a piece of work."
Emily raised an eyebrow. "To whom, exactly, are you referring?" she asked archly.
"I didn't see any indication you were as awkward as you say you are, Miss--sorry, Ms. Flirty," he replied.
Emily shrugged. "He's easy to talk to. I think it helps that we were both trying to protect you from Becky." She grinned at him.
Dave made an unimpressed noise and hit the key fob to unlock the Bentley.
"God," she said, mildly annoyed that he was dampening her enthusiasm. "After as long as you've been after me to 'get out there more' and not be so picky about my dates, I would think you'd be happy." She huffed and got in the car, glaring at the dash.
"I am happy," Dave said. "You just made a pretty quick turn around from awkward to vixen."
She stared at him, feeling a little like she'd been slapped. She just pressed her lips together and looked out the window. "At least I asked you to take me home," she muttered finally.
Dave sighed. "Sorry."
"Did I do something wrong?" she asked. She didn't understand what was going on. He ought to have known she would do her best not to appear awkward or unsophisticated in front of his ex-wife. She wouldn't want to embarrass Dave.
"No," Dave said quickly. "I didn't mean that how it sounded."
She sighed and decided maybe it would be easiest to just change the subject. "Becky's nice."
"Yeah, she is," Dave said.
Finally Emily gave up on conversation and just looked out the window. She was disappointed by the way Dave was acting, even if he'd apologized. Something was bothering him, but she didn't know what, and he obviously wasn't going to tell her. Maybe if she kept quiet, he would. Or maybe they would just ignore this. At least Emily had managed to keep Becky from making her habitual suggestion. She didn't like the idea of Dave and Becky, anyway. The FBI was important to Dave. Whatever reason he'd had for leaving, he'd come back, and Emily couldn't see him leaving again any time soon.
When they got to her house, she almost got out with nothing but goodbye, but at the last minute she said, "Want to come in for a while?"
Dave paused for a moment, then said, "Yeah, sure." A smile slid slowly across his face which seemed genuine. He turned the car off, and got out, then followed her to her front door.
Given his mood, she was surprised that he'd accepted, but maybe it meant he wasn't angry at her at least. She unlocked the door and led him inside. "Something to drink?" she offered.
"Only if you're having something," Dave said, glancing at the flowers he'd brought, then back at her. "Really, I'm glad you and Joe like each other."
"I thought I'd have a cup of tea," Emily said. She filled the kettle and started it going. "I can see why the two of you are friends." She smiled teasingly. "I hadn't realized he knew you clear back to your first wife."
Dave chuckled. "Has hasn't. But he's been to my mama's house around the holidays, and my first wife still comes by for a while." He paused, then added, "His dad died a few years before his aunt, and the year after his aunt died, his mother spent the holidays with her former in-laws. Joe stayed behind, so I brought him home with me."
Her smile grew more genuine. "He's a really good friend, then, isn't he?" she murmured. She moved closer and rested a hand on his arm. "Dave, are you sure you're okay with me and Joe...I mean, you know, if things work out?" She wasn't sure why she felt the need to make sure now. After all, it had been his idea. But she felt like she had to ask.
He nodded, covering her hand with his own. "Yeah."
She swallowed, the warmth of his hand pleasant over hers. "Okay," she said, searching his gaze.
"Okay," he said, and squeezed her hand again.
***
It wasn't okay that Emily was interested in Joe. Dave had wanted to invite someone to the dinner with Becky that Emily would like, but not like. Dave hadn't reacted well to that, but he thought he'd recovered before the "double date" night was over. He almost wished he hadn't, because Emily and Joe started seeing more of each other after that, and Emily looked happy. Dave hated it.
Funny thing was, he wasn't sure why. Except maybe that Joe and Emily were totally wrong for each other. For no good reason.
At least she wasn't too busy for her old friends now that things were working out, as she had put it, between her and Joe. She still made Dave have coffee with her at least once a week, and she didn't really flaunt her new relationship. He checked his watch and glanced out at the bullpen. They were supposed to be having coffee after work, but Emily was apparently running late from whatever she'd had going on this afternoon.
She finally showed up, chatting animatedly with JJ and looking ridiculously pretty. Maybe it was his imagination, but she seemed to be wearing skirts more often and wearing more makeup than she used to. Not much, but enough that it was noticeable.
He sighed and tried to turn his attention back to the work on his desk, but only moments later she knocked on his door.
"Hey. I'll be ready to head out in five minutes. Sorry I ran over. You want to meet me there?"
He smiled faintly as he looked up. "Sure," he said. Her smile widened before she nodded and headed away again.
When he got to their usual place--a hole-in-the-wall coffee shop that played quiet jazz over the speakers and knew what they both ordered--he went ahead and got both their drinks. She arrived a few minutes later and gave him a wide smile as she slipped into the seat across from his.
"Thanks," she said, gesturing at her cup. "Long day. I really needed this."
"That bad?" he said. "We could always get these to go, and add a shot of bourbon at one of our places," he teased.
She laughed. "Not really bad, it just felt like time was dragging out horribly at that lecture." She tilted her head. "Though that isn't really a bad idea."
He chuckled. "Next time." He took a sip of his coffee and sat back. "So can you tell me what kept you away, or is it top secret? And if it is, tell me anyway."
To his surprise, she blushed. "Oh...I just ran into Joe at the ballistics lecture. I didn't know he was going to be there." She shrugged. "He wanted me to go to dinner with him, but I told him you and I have a standing coffee date."
Dave felt a little flash of temper, but he shoved it down with some difficulty as he took another long sip of coffee. "Glad I still rate," he said.
She frowned at him. "Of course you 'still rate', you idiot," she said. Her frown faded and she leaned across the table, curling her fingers around his free hand. "You're my best friend. I wouldn't stand you up just for a date with some guy." She squeezed gently and then sat back, smiling.
Some guy. That made Dave feel a little better. It was ridiculous that Emily's opinion of Joe had Dave all bent out of shape. He chuckled. "I'm your best friend and he's 'some guy'?"
Her smile went crooked and she shrugged. "Well, I mean, he's a really nice guy. But that doesn't change that you're my best friend."
He chuckled and scratched at his temple, then picked up his cup again. "You're not so bad yourself."
"Gee, thanks," she muttered, but she didn't look upset.
"You're welcome," he said lightly, a grin spreading across his face. He liked the way her expression went affectionate when she looked at him, the corner of her eyes crinkling. "Well, seeing as how you're out a free dinner, wanna pick up some fast food and watch football tonight?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Joe wanted to take me to Trevantino's and you're offering fast food and football?" She shook her head slowly and added, "Further proof that you still know me better than he does. If you make the fast food Italian takeout, you're on."
He made a face, then sighed. They'd been through this before. "That's not real Italian," he complained, but they both knew she always got her way.
"Well, you could always cook, but then you wouldn't have time to watch the game," she pointed out, grinning at him.
"Oh, fine, fine," he groused. He took another sip of his coffee, then lifted the glass. "Should we get this to go?
She shrugged, though he saw a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "Whatever you want." She knew damn well that conceding something to him after winning the Italian argument always made it hard for him to be annoyed at her.
"Well, we don't want to miss kick off," he said, attempting to look put out and failing.
The grin spread across her face again and she nudged his foot under the table. "Definitely not. We'd better get these to go."
He lifted his foot and caught hers under it, then belatedly hoped she wasn't wearing anything open-toed. She didn't complain; she just giggled, so he figured she wasn't. God, he loved her giggle.
He flagged down their waiter and asked for their drinks to go. Emily insisted on getting their drinks, since Dave was getting dinner, and then they headed outside. Dave sort of wished they'd driven together. He handed over his house key, as he knew she'd beat him home, and made sure he knew what he wanted to eat before they left.
The wait at the "Italian" restaurant wasn't that long, but by the time he got home, she'd obviously been there a while. The lights were on in the living room and kitchen. When he went inside, he could hear her talking and had to wonder if she'd called Joe since she had time to waste. He pushed down the odd jealousy and realized as he went into the kitchen that she was kneeling on the floor talking to Mucci. The dog's tail was thumping hard against the floor as she rubbed his belly.
Emily looked up and smiled. "I already let him out, and I started the fireplace. I hope you don't mind."
He smiled. "Makes less work for me," he said, and carried their fake Italian food to the counter. He started pulling the Styrofoam boxes out of the bag. "Shall we have wine with our crap?" he asked, still smiling. It wasn't really that bad, even if it was no comparison to real Italian, but he liked giving her a hard time.
She snorted. "Wine and football?" she teased, standing. She washed her hands, then moved to help him. "I'm totally making you cook me a nice real Italian meal one of these days."
"It'll put you off this stuff for good," Dave said, going to pull two beers out of the fridge.
"So you're saying if you cook for me once, I'll have to keep you around to cook for me forever, huh?" Emily tilted her head and put a hand against her chin in a thoughtful pose. "I guess I can live with that."
He laughed and handed her a plastic fork. When she gave him a teasing disappointed look, he sighed. "You want me to sully my good silverware with this?" he asked, gesturing at the Styrofoam containers.
"David Rossi, you're a snob," she declared, but she took her fake Italian and beer and headed for the living room.
Dave chuckled. "Maybe." He followed her to see her slipping off her shoes and flopping comfortably onto the couch. He liked how relaxed she was here. "But if I always surround myself with the best, that's a hell of a compliment to you, so shut up."
She grinned at him. "And you're so nice about it too." She took a few bites of her food, then asked, "So have you heard from Becky lately?"
Dave shook his head and twirled his fork in the pasta to wrap it around the tines. "Nah. She usually doesn't call for a while after I shoot her down. I think she may have got the hint."
After a while Emily snorted. "You know, if you'd really wanted her to get the hint, you should have invited some guy she didn't already know, and you could have played it off like you were setting her up with him, instead of me."
"I figured you'd be less inclined to pretend to be my girlfriend than have a much needed date." And didn't figure you and Joe would wind up the happy couple, he thought.
"Well, I mean, it did work out pretty well for me," she admitted, giving him a warm look. "So I'm not complaining or anything. But I would have done it." Mucci wandered in and nosed at her ankles, then flopped down by her feet.
Dave just nodded and turned on the TV, flipping the channels until he found the game. They were just in time for kick-off, and for some time they watched the game without making much conversation. Just before halftime he glanced over at Emily and realized she was stretched out on the couch with Mucci snuggled up against her. Petting the dog absently as she stared at the TV, she looked completely content.
He found himself smiling, but decided he didn't want to disturb her, so he went back to watching quietly. He glanced over again about ten minutes later to see she hadn't moved, except for the hand now stroking Mucci's ear.
She must have felt his gaze on her, because she shifted and glanced over at him. She smiled slowly at him, her expression warm, but she didn't speak.
He lifted his eyebrows in greeting, then glanced at the TV. Halftime was starting and he looked back. "Need another beer?" he said quietly.
"Sure." Her expression went thoughtful, then she nodded. "If you're getting up."
"I don't mind," he said. "I'd like another." He took their Styrofoam containers with him and trashed both of them, then grabbed two beers from the fridge. He sighed silently. He sort of wanted to ask about Joe suddenly. But he also really didn't. He headed back and headed her a beer before settling in his chair again.
"Thanks," she said. She sat up and scooted to the end of the couch closest to him. Mucci made a noise of protest but settled on her feet. "You seem like you have something on your mind."
Dave shrugged and took a sip of his beer. "Nah," he said, which was a total lie.
She tilted her head, just watching him.
He held another sigh. "I was just thinking that I enjoy it when you come over."
She smiled. "So do I. You're really good company." She kept looking at him though, like she was expecting he was just leading up to whatever he was thinking.
He shrugged and gave her a small smile. "That's it," he said simply.
Her eyebrows went up. "That took so much thought?" she asked. She smiled back at him, but he could tell she was trying to understand, and that she expected something more than the fact that he enjoyed her company.
Dave watched her for a moment, and then what was bothering him struck him like a bolt of lightening. Shit. I'm attracted to her. His expression remained smooth, but his heart suddenly thumped hard in his chest. "Hey, I want to weigh all my options before I say something like that." Shit.
She watched him for a moment more, then narrowed her eyes slightly. "What options do you think you have here, Rossi? Come on, it's pretty obvious I'm good company, since you keep hanging around me." She waited a moment, then winked at him and took a swig of her beer.
"Shut up. I want to watch the cheerleaders," he grumbled, turning back to the TV. They weren't exactly anything that excited him, but he wanted to not keep talking about this.
She laughed and poked his arm gently, but didn't give him any more grief about it. They both watched the cheerleaders for a couple of minutes, then she said, "You're really good company too, you know."
She sounded slightly distracted by the TV, but more serious than she had been a moment ago. It made his heart tug a little. He might have to make Joe mysteriously disappear. "I know. But it'll go to my head if you keep encouraging me," he said quietly.
"Yeah, like anything could possibly give you a bigger ego," she said. She glanced over at him, her expression teasing, then seemed to look at him more closely. "Dave, this isn't about me and Joe, is it?" she asked quietly. "You know whoever I'm dating doesn't change us."
Dave wanted to tell her yes, it was about her and Joe, but knew he couldn't. Instead, he shook his head. "I want you to be happy." It was the truth, even if he was just now realizing he wanted her to be happy with him instead of Joe.
She watched him for a moment, then reached over and curled her fingers over his forearm. "I can't be happy if I hurt you," she said quietly.
He snorted. He wasn't hurt. Mostly just annoyed. Mostly. "I wouldn't have set you up if it was going to hurt me. What brought this up again?"
"What brought this up is you being grumpy earlier when I mentioned running into Joe," she said, "and then avoiding the issue just now." She tilted her head, studying his face. "You can't really blame me for wondering if that's the problem. I don't think anything else has changed."
"I wasn't grumpy, and I'm not avoiding the issue. For that matter, there's not an issue," Dave grumped. He was a pretty good actor and he knew all the tells from profiling. He only hoped this was working. "Women need to learn to stop reading so much into what men say."
She stared at him for a moment, then her lips tightened. "Fine. Sorry." She took a sip of her beer and turned her attention back to the TV.
Dave frowned at her in confusion for a moment. What the hell caused that reaction? It certainly wasn't the reaction he expected. He thought, if anything, she might laugh. His lips twisted, and he turned back to the TV, letting silence fall between them. It was better than saying anything else that might get him in trouble.
Emily seemed grumpy for a while after that, but partway into the third quarter she seemed to be relaxing. When she finished her beer she stretched and got up. "You need another? I'm going to help myself to a Coke from your fridge."
"Yeah, I'll have another. I don't have to drive," he said. For that matter, he might start on scotch when she left.
"Lucky you," she said lightly. "Next game's at my place." She came back with his beer in one hand and a bottle of Coke in the other, then settled back down to finish out the game. By the time their team had won, she was snuggled up with Mucci again and looking sleepy.
"You spoil my dog rotten," he said. She knew Mucci really wasn't supposed to be on the couch, but Dave had finally made an exception on the nights Emily came over.
"He loves me," she said, smiling at him. "And you know I always wanted a dog."
"Get a dog of your own and spoil it," he complained, but there was no heat. He loved how much Emily loved Mucci, and how much he obviously loved her back.
"I like spoiling your dog better," she said, then grinned. "His owner's pretty fun to hang around with most of the time."
Dave sighed. "Go home. You look like you're gonna pass out."
"Trying to get rid of me now, huh?" she asked, but her voice was light. "This has been fun, Dave. I'm glad you suggested it."
"Yeah," he said, getting up to let her out. "Anytime."
Part Two
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-07-18 11:12 pm (UTC)OMG! I am all aflail! Poor jealous Dave! And oblivious Emily!
Just so you know, it took tremendous self-control to stop to comment before moving to part 2.
I love this!
no subject
Date: 2010-07-18 11:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-19 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-11 11:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-12 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-12 01:52 am (UTC)