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Checking her email, Teresa Lisbon sighed heavily. For being on only her second cup of coffee this morning, an invitation to attend the CBI’s Halloween fundraiser was already more than she wanted to take on. Of course, Hightower included a bit on how her attendance was mandatory at this event. While Hightower had some cutsie language about how their team piqued a lot of interest, she wasn’t entirely sure this didn’t fall under “if I have to suffer, so do you.”
Two days to figure out a costume for this event. The fact that the CBI was throwing a Halloween fundraiser frustrated her to no end. Celebrating Halloween like this was for kids and college co-eds. She sighed once more, catching Jane’s attention. Of course, he was just sprawled out on her couch stuck in what he called his morning reflections. More like he handled mornings about as well as she did, but he didn’t want to admit it.
“I can practically hear you thinking over there, Lisbon. You may as well tell me what’s weighing on your mind.”
“What’s weighing on my mind is that there’s a grown man sleeping on my couch in the middle of the work day.”
“Not sleeping. Contemplating. What’s bothering you? What invite did you just receive to some event that you don’t want to attend?”
“It’s annoying when you do that.”
“You’re deflecting. What is it?” He waved his hand in the air almost like he was trying to conjure up something. “Just tell me. Let it roll off of your shoulders. You’ll feel better once you tell me.”
“It’s an invite to the CBI’s Halloween Fundraiser. My attendance is mandatory.”
He rolled up at the mention of that. “You hate those things.”
She nodded her head. “I definitely don’t like being trotted out like a show pony to raise funds for the agency that has most assuredly underpaid me for the last 8 years.”
“Hey! That’s the number of years I’ve worked with you.”
“Believe me: I know.”
He grinned at her. “Well, what’s your costume?”
“I don’t have a costume because I hadn’t planned on actually going anywhere for Halloween. I’m an adult, and I don’t have any kids. There’s no need for it.” As soon as her word left her lips, she wished she could take them back.
“I don’t think that’s true. Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy Halloween. I think it gets even better as an adult.”
“That may be true for people who aren’t cops and don’t have to try to manage a general public that’s lost its damn mind for no reason.”
“Fair enough. So what are you going to wear?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Whatever the store has available tomorrow afternoon. I really don’t have time to plan some grand costume to impress. Surely, the donors would rather see that I’ve put their money to good use by solving crimes, not costume design.”
“You’d be surprised. Ok, then don’t worry. I will get you a costume when I go get mine.”
“Your costume?”
“Yeah, I will need a costume for the party, too.”
She grinned. “I’m almost sure Hightower would prefer you didn’t attend. You know, less cause for concern that you will offend someone.”
“Nonsense! Besides, you have a plus one on that invite that you’re not going to use anyway.”
“You don’t know that!”
He was off the couch a few seconds later. “No worries, Lisbon. I have it all handled. Your costume will be in hand by tomorrow.”
“How will you know what to get?”
He glared at her for a moment. “I grew up in a carnival. I know costume design, and I know you. Be prepared to razzle dazzle, my dear Agent Lisbon.”
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, but nothing with ‘slutty’ in the title! Or too short! Or too flashy!”
He just kept walking on out of her office as if he paid her no mind. She groaned inwardly. Letting him choose her costume could either be a stroke of genius or cause a stroke if he picked something hideous or too over the top. She would have to wait and see because her case files did not give her the luxury of overseeing this task.
And as he promised, he was in her office with her costume in hand by midday Friday. “You are going as Marvel Girl.”
She spun on her heels to face him. “Marvel Girl?”
“You know? Jean Grey. From the X-Men comics.”
Ah yes. Here, she had her window of opportunity. “Yeah, the redhead who goes crazy. I’ve seen the movies.”
His eyes went wide. “You’ve seen the movies? The movies?! The movies that do zero justice to this character? She’s not just a redhead who goes crazy! She’s very powerful, very feminine. She has a big heart and a lot of spirit. I could think of no better character for you.”
She narrowed her eyes before smiling. “You know, it really doesn’t matter. I just need a costume.”
He interrupted her. “Ok, but I’ll fill you in on her a little bit. She started out as Marvel Girl. That’s the costume you have. She has the power of telekinesis and is arguably one of the most powerful X-Men. She just didn’t get a lot of recognition at the time on account of her being a woman.”
Lisbon scoffed at that. “Go figure!”
He just continued as though she hadn’t said anything. “But she has the power to read and engage with people’s minds. She’s also very intelligent, both book smart and emotionally intelligent. She’s a beloved member of the team, and just a really awesome badass. Then, she was infected with the Phoenix force. The movie you saw portrayed her going dark, but it was all wrong. In the face of darkness, she chooses light. She lets the Phoenix force consume her, but not before she chooses to put on her Marvel Girl costume one last time. But no worries! She’s back now. Now, she’s the leader of the X-Men. Seriously, there’s no better costume for you!”
She had a retort ready to go, but it died on her lips as she saw how serious he delivered his interpretation of this character. Of course she knew who Jean Grey was! She had once read comics, too. Watching this play out, she envisioned a young Patrick Jane tucked away, curled up reading comic books in a secret place only he knew. Obviously, this was important to him, so she would go along with it. “Sure, but the only problem is she’s a redhead.”
“Ah yes.” He handed her another bag.
“A wig?”
“I had to run to a different store. The ones they had were just really cheap. They’ll knot really easy. This one should do well. If I had more time, I could’ve had one handcrafted.”
“Jane, it’s just Halloween. I’m not filming a movie. I’m sure it’s fine. Please tell me you got a wig cap.”
He just pointed to the bag where she found her wig cap. He was nothing if not thorough...when he had his mind set on something.
“So are we pregaming at your house then?”
She laughed. “Jane, it’s a CBI fundraiser. We cannot show up drunk--even if I’d like to. It doesn’t set a good example for anyone, and besides, Hightower would be pissed.”
“A few drinks to loosen the nerves that rubbing elbows with the rich give you…”
“Whatever, Jane! We’re not getting drunk before the fundraiser. I may have a glass of wine during the event, but we’re not going to act like fools at a work event!”
“I didn’t say anything about getting drunk. Though, Rigsby is having an after party. We’re invited.”
She closed her eyes and touched her temples. “An after party? What is this? College?”
He grinned. “People like to enjoy themselves on Halloween. And besides, you want to go. It’s way more your speed than this CBI shindig you’re being forced to attend. So I was thinking that I’d meet over at your house around 6, and we could take a taxi to the Governor’s mansion? Better safe than sorry!”
She grinned at him. “Exactly how much trouble are you planning on getting into tonight?”
“Just enough of the right kind.” He winked at her, and with that, he was out of her office.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As he promised, he was at her house by 6. She’d barely gotten in the door after a quick run when he appeared with his costume in hand.
“So are you changing here, then?”
He shrugged. “Here is as good a place as any. They’ll have food at this thing, right?”
She was also starting to feel hungry. “I don’t know, but by the time I get showered and ready to go, I’m sure we could have takeout here.”
“Sold! What do you want?”
“Considering you have a night of absolute debauchery planned…and Rigsby, who like the typical single male, is likely to have ample booze but only have chips in his house...” He laughed at that. “I would say something that has some lasting power to it. You decide. I’m going to get a shower.”
And 30 minutes later, a chicken burrito from a local taqueria was waiting for her when she emerged from her room wearing her flared, emerald green mini-dress. She felt giddy wearing this dress that looked like it came straight out of the 1960s. Her yellow boots, gloves, and mask were still in the bag he gave her. Maybe she’d have some fun with this afterall.
“Thank you so much for the food. Also, you didn’t do a bad job with the costume either. Though, I am curious how you knew my exact size.” She could’ve sworn she saw a pink tint in his cheeks that was gone almost as quickly as it appeared.
“I just know things.”
“Sure you do.”
“You know, you leave your jackets and boots lying around. It’s not hard to find intel.”
She nodded her head as she took another bite of her burrito. “Ok, but if I ever find you in my closet, or any of my dresser drawers, I will shoot you.”
He laughed. “Fair enough.”
After they both finished eating, he got dressed in her guest bedroom while she finished up on her hair. He emerged wearing a blue and yellow one piece suit that made him look incredibly fit. In his hand, he held a pair of red-lensed goggles.
“So then who are you supposed to be?”
“I’m Scott Summers, also known as Cyclops and leader of the X-Men.”
She doubled over laughing. “Of course, you’re the leader. I’m the most powerful, but you’re still the leader. It makes sense.”
“I did warn you that there was a bit of sexism at play, but you have to admit we do make a good crime-fighting team.”
“You make a lovely mascot.”
He flashed her a very toothy smile. “Teresa Lisbon, you are a funny, funny woman.”
“I know. Should we order our taxi? I can pay our way there, and you get us on the way back?”
He waved his hand. “Already done. I got us a car.”
She furrowed her brows. “You got us a car?”
“I just figured if we’re bouncing around, we may as well have a car service for the evening.” There was a hint of anticipation in his eyes as he smiled slightly at her. For someone who rarely gave nothing away, his thoughts were practically etched on his face this evening.
“Fine. Just let me know what my half is.”
His face fell a bit at that. “You don’t owe me anything. It was my idea.”
“Fine.” He seemed intent on paying. She didn’t want to push too far, so she just resolved to pick up a few more lunches in the near future. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, the car is out front.” He led the way as they walked toward the door. “By the way…” He trailed off, stopping in the doorway and staring at her for a brief moment.
“What?”
“I just...wanted to make sure you have everything.” His expression was odd.
“Yeah, I do.”
“You look nice. The dress brings out the green in your eyes.”
She felt the heat rush to her cheeks. Suddenly, she felt very shy and didn’t understand quite why. “Thanks.”
He nodded toward the Lincoln town car awaiting them. “Let’s get out of here. We have wealthy Californians to charm.”
Like a chain reaction, his smile led to her own. Truly, she hated the idea of being dangled out like bait for the wealthy. However, Jane somehow made the thought of this evening a bit more bearable.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Two hours and three glasses of wine in. She’d spoken to several of the donors, all of whom wanted to know about her costume. No matter how much she resolved to just take it easy and make polite conversation, that did not come easy.
On the first glass of wine, an older woman who was dressed as some kind of maid or nanny--which raised all kinds of flags because who the hell besides a person who’d never worked a day in their life thought that was a great costume?--cornered her.
“Tell me about working at the CBI, my dear.”
She described a typical day of work to her. She also mentioned working with Jane who used his acute abilities to help track perpetrators. Of course, he hadn’t strayed too far. Thankfully, he was behaving.
The woman nodded along, listening intently until she finished. “My dear, it sounds like you have a rather important job.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She smiled. It always felt great to receive acknowledgment from the public.
“So why on earth are you dressed like that? Don’t you think men would respect you more if you were dressed more tastefully? And what do their wives think?”
Lisbon’s jaw was on the floor. Jane, in rare form, jumped in with a joke that immediately charmed the woman. She soon found her way to another group of attendees.
On her second glass of wine, she was stuck in a conversation with Director Bertram and a bunch of other men. He was trying to impress them by talking about murder rates, but of course, they were all staring at her. The costume, which she’d loved at home, was really starting to be the bane of existence. Finally, Bertram turned things over to her to let her talk about her team and their work.
Once again, Jane rescued her. As soon as Bertram saw Jane approaching, he practically shooed her away like a stray cat. More than likely, he didn’t want Jane within 10 feet of the kind of money he was hoping to pull out of this group.
“Thank you so much for getting me out of that.”
He handed her a fresh glass (her third glass) of wine. “You looked a bit bewildered.”
“I was not! I just...honestly had no idea what the hell he was talking about. Then, he put me on the spot to talk. They were practically gawking at me. Did you really have to choose this costume?”
He turned to look at her. “I did not have to choose that costume, but I told you she reminded me of you. More importantly, you like the costume. No one cares what old, rich people think anyway. We’re just putting on a show because we just need their money. It’s all a performance piece.”
She shushed him. “Jane, that’s not a very polite thing to say!”
He shrugged and lifted his glass toward where Bertram still stood. He was now shaking hands with the men in her previous group. “The boss man used you as bait, and he just reeled them in.”
She groaned internally. On that glass of wine, Hightower, dressed as a 70s vampire in an orange vest, white bell sleeved shirt, and orange flare legs and platforms, found her.
“It’s great to see you here tonight, Agent Lisbon.”
“I didn’t think I had a choice in the matter.”
Her boss grinned at her. “You didn’t, but I’m glad you’re here in good spirits. Also, I love the costumes that you and Jane chose.”
Lisbon blinked rapidly a few times. “Thanks. Jane picked them out. I was a bit busy and didn’t have time to really go shopping.” She looked down at her bare legs. “You don’t think it’s...bad...do you?”
Hightower sighed. “Did the old maid get you?”
“Wanted to know what the wives of the men who work with me would think of me being dressed like this. And I can’t be sure, but I think Bertram just pimped me out to get some donations.”
Hightower shook her head. “Of course, he did. As he put it when I was in his office, we are the special interests of the evening. That’s one hell of a way to say ‘diversity.’ It’s unbecoming to hit one’s boss, so I let it go.”
Lisbon frowned. Some of the nonsense she, and undoubtedly Hightower, faced in the CBI seemed limitless at times. “I like to think of Jane as the special interest.”
Hightower laughed out loud. “I said the same thing. Though, he preferred Jane not be around.” She eyed Lisbon with a bit of suspicion.
She just shook her head. “He insisted on being my plus one.”
“Fair enough. He keeps things interesting, but I hope not too interesting tonight. I can’t take much more. I’m ready to get out of here and go watch movies with my kids.”
“You can’t take much more?”
“Well, the old maid thought I was an actual servant. She was confused about when they started letting people like me in the police force at all...and clutched her purse tightly the whole time she was talking to me.”
Lisbon choked on her sip of wine. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry. That’s awful!”
“Look, all I’m saying is: she might have money but no accounting for tasteful social interaction. Your costume looks great. I loved reading the X-Men comics as a kid, too. Storm was an icon.”
“That’s Halle Berry, right?” Lisbon winked at her boss as she furrowed her brows in curiosity. “I’ve seen the movies, but I’ve also read the comics. I let Jane think I’ve only seen the movies just to mess with him a bit. It’s nice having the upper hand for once.”
She giggled at that. She’d never imagined Madeleine Hightower could giggle, but here they were. “I don’t blame you. Take an advantage when you can, but I noticed Jane is Cyclops.”
“He is.”
This time, Hightower flashed her a smile that indicated she knew something that she wasn’t saying. “Well, I’m just glad he’s on his best behavior.”
“He promised he’d be on his best behavior, and he has even been a bit helpful.”
“I’m sure he has. He doesn’t want to upset you. It’s a good thing he’s a consultant and not technically an agent.”
She took a moment to mull over Hightower’s words. Sure, Jane could be a lot to handle sometimes, but she knew that taking him on. “I know he can cause trouble, but…”
Hightower cut her off. “Excuse me, please. I need to go speak to someone.” With that, she was off.
Like she told her boss, Jane was on his best behavior, which meant she was also on her best behavior--even on this third glass of wine. Though, she was about ready to pay the piper.
Not soon after Hightower walked off, a dark haired man of average height approached her. He was dressed as a sailor with a lot of pep in his step.
“Hello there!” He extended his hand. “I’m Walter Mashburn.”
“Hi, I’m Agent Teresa Lisbon.” He held onto her hand for a few seconds longer than appropriate. He just had an air of confidence about him. That should’ve been her clue to flee. Twenty minutes on, and he had not stopped talking to her. Maybe Jane had the right of it and they should’ve started with drinks at her house.
“Have you ever gone up the I-5 in a Maserati? It’s quite the experience. I’ve done it a few times, and…” She started filtering out as much as possible in case she had to marathon this interaction. She wondered where Jane was. With her phone in her clutch, she texted him discreetly to bring her another glass of wine. If anything, at least she’d be well oiled by the time they got to Rigsby’s party.
She politely made to leave Walter to his own devices a few times, but he’d switch topics. The fact that he was flashing his money in her face in a rather poor attempt at flirting with her had not escaped her notice. But on the list of people she didn’t date, CBI donors were nearly at the top of that list. She certainly wasn’t impressed by a man just because he was wealthy. Of course, she couldn’t just tell him that. They needed his check, so here she was, smiling and nodding at a man that she not only had no interest in but also wanted to get the hell away from.
Thankfully, Jane appeared with her fourth glass of wine. “Another Moscato for the lady.”
When he appeared, it was like Walter lost his wits. If she’d known this was all it took for him to be quiet, she would’ve drug Jane over here a lot sooner.
“Ohhhh! Oh.” He looked rather disappointed.
“Sorry?” She noticed that Jane had locked eyes with Walter.
“Hi. I’m Patrick Jane.”
“Walter Mashburn. I’m sorry for talking your ear off there. Marvel Girl and Cyclops? Nice costumes!”
She looked at Jane and smiled. “Thanks!”
Jane never took his eyes off the man. Eventually, he just nodded uncomfortably and walked away. She exhaled a deep breath that she didn’t even know she was holding. “Should’ve called you over sooner! Apparently, just standing there made all of the difference!”
“Was he bothering you?”
She shook her head. “Nah. Just flirting, which is another reason I hate these things.”
“Hmm. Well, how could a man not flirt with you?”
When she looked up at him, she noticed a softness in his blue eyes. It was a bit unsettling, but the gnawing in her belly told her not to pursue it. “Yeah, whatever. What time is Rigsby’s party off the ground? I’ve made my rounds, and I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”
He laughed. “That’s the spirit! I think we’re good to go anytime now. Besides, I think there’s a cutoff for the costume contest!”
She scrunched her nose. “Costume contest? Rigsby organized a party with a costume contest?”
“Well, in part. Yes.” They both knew who the other part was, and she vowed to be cool about it. After all, tonight was on neutral territory. “He throws a rager every year.”
“I’m aware. Even though I’m invited, I usually don’t go because I want the team to unwind and relax without fear of slipping up in front of me.”
He glared at her, not buying a word she was saying. “Is that code for not wanting to see Rigsby and Van Pelt making out?”
She looked around her quickly. “Shut up! No, I just...usually don’t get dressed up. Since I’m already dressed up, I might as well go.”
“It’s a good choice, really!” He downed the brown liquid from his glass. “You should probably drink up. That was not a cheap moscato.”
“Wait. It’s a cash bar?” He nodded affirmatively. “You’ve been buying these all night? I owe you some money!”
“Woman, you owe me no money! If I wanted you to pay for your drinks, I would’ve said something before. Don’t worry about it. Just drink and be merry!”
She couldn’t argue that, so she shrugged her shoulders and poured the moscato down her throat before they headed out to the car.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Rigsby’s party was already hopping by the time they arrived. She giggled at the idea of how early it was for this party to be so lively already. Times certainly change!
“Hey boss! Jane. Great costumes!” Rigsby was dressed as a redcoat soldier. An odd choice, but who was she to criticize someone’s costume idea?
“Please don’t call me ‘boss’ at your house party. Teresa is fine.” He nodded.
“Are we here in time to be entered into the contest?” Jane was like a child, especially when you introduced a rather meaningless prize in the mix.
“You are! We’re really just getting started. Food and drinks are out back. Beer pong and poker are also out back. There’s a bathroom on this floor and upstairs. Please make yourselves at home!”
As he went to mingle with some other guests, she turned to Jane. “Do not swindle anyone out of their money tonight. Promise me!”
He raised his hands in surrender. “I will promise you that...IF you promise to let others win at beer pong.”
She grumbled. “That’s not even close to the same thing, and you know it!”
He just laughed. “It’s ok. I appreciate your competitive edge in all physical pursuits. And I will keep all bets low. Besides, if you really were worried about me getting money from people, you would’ve provided that warning before the last event where I could’ve really made money. Not a lot of money to be made here.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “I’m going to get a drink. Can I treat you to something?”
“I will come out with you. I wouldn’t want you to get in the lists without me.” And that was how she ended up going three rounds of beer pong--winning each one--against Patrick Jane.
“So that was three wins to your...how many rounds did you win?”
“You know, losing to you is its own reward. You really helped me get a nice buzz going.”
She shrugged her shoulders as he placed his arm around them. It felt incredibly intimate. Part of her wanted to shrug away, and maybe it was the haze of alcohol and a good time, but she just stayed put as they shuffled away from the tables. “Spin it anyway you want. I think I’m going to get back on the lists and hope for a real challenge.”
With his free hand, he grabbed his chest. “Lisbon, you wound me.”
“You’ll survive.”
He stopped them in their tracks. He looked into her eyes with a searing intensity. “I suppose will, but you will remember that the next time we are playing poker, right? No mercy.”
“Like you’ve ever shown me mercy.” No sooner than the words were out of her mouth did she realize their heaviness. It seemed to have not escaped his notice either.
Pulling her in closer, with almost no space between them now, and whispered into her ear. “Would you accept my mercy or pretend you don’t want it?”
It never escaped her how they could evade serious conversation by turning intimate moments into analogies and euphemisms. She sighed before mustering her own clever response. “It depends.”
“On?”
“The motives behind your mercy.”
He tapped her on the shoulder and laughed at that. “I can’t argue that. I’m going to find the bathroom.”
With that, he was gone. She happened to find Cho waiting to get in on the poker game. He was dressed as a teacher, which made her laugh when she thought of his curt personality around kids. After saying a few words to her friend, she went into the house where a group of women were congregating.
Van Pelt noticed her immediately. “Hey! Wayne told me you were dressed as Marvel Girl! Great costume!”
“Thank you. What’s your costume?” The younger woman was covered in fake blood that drenched clothing with debris and scratches all over.
“Haunted house survivor.”
She laughed. “That makes sense. Good costume!”
“Let me introduce you to a few of my friends. Hey guys! This is my boss, Teresa.” And with that, Van Pelt made to introduce her to her circle of friends. She was a bit apprehensive at joining the group at first, but she fit right in.
One of Van Pelt’s friends, Megan, who was dressed as a fairy kept eyeing her like she had a question. She was ready to ask her what the question was before she actually spoke up. “So the guy who’s dressed as Cyclops?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you guys like...together? He’s kinda cute.” She noticed Van Pelt start coughing as if to drown out her friend.
She felt a bit...protective at the woman’s question. Of course, she was not with Jane! It didn’t mean she wanted to say that and open the floor to women coming onto him. She smiled slightly before answering. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“Is he single?”
She raised her eyebrows, regarding the young woman. Even in the costume, she could see that she was quite young and beautiful--at least 10 years her junior. “I’m assuming he is.”
Thankfully, Van Pelt moved the conversation in another direction--but that didn’t matter once Jane appeared at her side once again. Megan moved closer to them. “Hi, I’m Megan.” She extended her head and spoke in an incredibly bubbly voice.
“I’m Patrick. It’s nice to meet you Megan.” When she giggled at hearing his name, Lisbon thought she might actually be sick. Even if the sudden wave of jealousy she felt made little sense, she was ready to grab his hand and drag him away.
“So what do you do?” It didn’t escape her attention that Megan was now trying to position herself between the two of them.
“I work with Grace.”
“Oh, that’s cool. So do you like carry a gun and stuff?” The woman was straightening her back, practically trying to get her tits into his eyeline. The whole display just made her stomach churn as she turned her eyes toward Jane. Flashing her a glance, he grinned. Though, not before Megan put her hand on his forearm.
“No, he doesn’t!” With that, she did actually grab his hand and pull him away. She’d had as much of that as she could stand.
“Lisbon, no need to pull me away. The woman was just being nice.”
“The woman was just coming onto you incredibly strong.”
He laughed. “And why would that be a problem?”
She glared at him as she dropped his hand. “You know what? It’s not. Do whatever you want with whoever you want! Go see the pretty fairy. She looked like she might let you fuck her tonight!”
“Lisbon....Teresa, wait!” She stalked away. The man was unbelievable!
She decided to go stand next to Cho and sulk there. She had no real reason to be sulking. Jane was a free man to mingle with whomever he pleased. She didn’t know why that brief interaction was so off-putting. It just was. Thankfully, Cho knew her well enough not to say a word. He just handed her the bottle of Crown Royal he’d been cradling.
A little while later, Jane approached with a plate of nachos and handed her a cup.
“What’s this?”
“Rum and coke...but also a peace offering. Here, share these nachos with me.” He placed the plate on the brick bannister behind them. They ate quietly for a moment.
“So I wasn’t going to go off with her or anything, if that’s what you were thinking.”
“Seriously, it’s none of my business who you spend your time with.”
“She’s definitely not my type. She’s a little young. Her costume would indicate that she’s rather flamboyant. And she’s not...well, she’s not you.”
Her eyes met his. She was waiting for him to laugh at his joke. Instead, he just met her gaze with his own intensity. “What?”
“She’s not you.”
Suddenly, she was lightheaded and her heart was in her throat. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“I assure you it’s not. And you know that. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have stormed off in a jealous rage.”
“So what does that mean? She’s not me?”
Somehow, he softened his voice even more. “Well, what does a girl want to hear?”
She took a moment to contemplate his words. The hopeful look in his eyes suggested that he was sincere but also uncertain about this. She thought about what she wanted to hear: “I want to hear you say you choose me, that you choose a life with me.”
Unfortunately, it was a moment too long as Rigsby started yelling, interrupting her thoughts and giving her a short reprieve. “All right, everybody!!! Quiet down! It’s time for the event of the evening! Costume contest!”
There were a lot of cheers in the crowd before Van Pelt appeared at his side with an envelope. A redcoat and a haunted house survivor. What a couple they made! Even though she certainly couldn’t sanction their relationship, their happiness made her feel warm. Even in darkness, they chose light.
As her own words hit her, she turned completely to face Jane. How could she be so stupid!
“Jean Grey and Scott Summers are married!”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“They’re a fated couple.”
“Yes.”
“That’s why these costumes were important to you? That’s why all night people have alluded to us being a couple?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t say that’s why they’re important to me. Your ability to heal people from trauma while hurting yourself, your commitment to justice, your spirit. It all makes me think of you.” His thumb was lightly tracing her hand that was planted onto the bannister.
She smiled. “Smooth, very smooth. You know, Jean could literally read minds. She always knew what Scott was thinking. She really liked it when Scott said the words, when he chose her. Not sure if sneaking a date night in under her nose is something in the spirit of the costumes.”
“No, but you do agree that this is a date?”
She laughed, earning her a smile from him. She didn’t have a chance to give a cheeky response about sometimes seeking permission first being the best course as Rigsby caught her attention again. The people around them were looking at them and clapping.
Rigsby pointed at them, motioning them over to where he and Van Pelt stood. “Marvel Girl and Cyclops are this year’s couple’s costume winners. Come on up and get your prize, guys!”
She placed her hand in Jane’s as they made their way front and center. Van Pelt placed sashes over both of them and handed them a large heart shaped prop framed in black and orange flowers to hold. She saw Cho snap a photo before she looked up at Jane.
With his arm around her shoulders, he glanced down at her. She wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but when their eyes met, it was almost basic instinct. She couldn’t say if he kissed her or she kissed him, but their lips met. Every passion she had buried deep inside of her was suddenly at the surface. Even hearing people cheering, even knowing she was in front of her co-workers, she didn’t care.
After they broke their kiss, he led them away, back to where their drinks and nachos sat. Turning to face her once again, he said: “By the way, if it’s not clear, I think you are the most gorgeous, fascinating woman. I’d like to spend time getting to know the parts of you that you want to show me.”
“Good.”
“Is that what a girl wanted to hear?”
“Yes. Does a man want to hear that he planned a lovely date night even in spite of his lack of communication?”
He shrugged. “It would be nice to hear, sure. But I don’t need your verbal affirmation when I see that sparkle in your eyes.”
“Sometimes, I hate you.”
He laughed. “No, you don’t. I promise that I will take you on many more date nights where you’re painfully aware of every little detail that you need to know, if you let me.”
She smiled. “I would like that.”
“That’s exactly what I’d like to hear.”
Once more, he leaned in and sealed the promise of a future together with a kiss. Without a doubt, Halloween was most definitely for adults, too. After all, it was their night.