Love and Litigation - An Alex Cabot/Law and Order SVU fanfiction

Chapter 4

Alex closed the door to her apartment and set her purse down on the dining room table. She replayed the evening in her head while removing her earrings. Who knew such a serious event could be so much fun? And, contrary to what she'd told Luke, she indeed had noticed the men looking at her tonight. It had been ages since she felt that desirable, and she had to admit it felt good. 

She also couldn't get over how dapper he looked in his service attire. The most dressed up she'd ever seen him was at work in a suit and tie. She conceded that must be the reason why no man approached her tonight. I mean they laughed, they danced. To an unsuspecting stranger, they looked like a couple who had been together for ages. And God knows she could do worse than Luke. He was funny, chivalrous, charming, and undoubtedly easy on the eyes. She'd been away so long that she'd forgotten how much fun he was to be around. 

As she slipped into her nightwear, he continued to consume her thoughts. But why? They'd known each other for years, and had always been good friends. Why should one night make it seem like anything more? She chided herself at the thought. She'd barely been back in town a month, and her workload was just now beginning to level out. She didn't have time for a man, and she definitely wasn't interested in Luke Dawson.

Right? 
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The next morning: 
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After finishing up her early morning at the courthouse, Alex headed back to the precinct. The coffee she'd made at home had done little in terms of waking her up. Truthfully, she hadn't slept much at all last night. She couldn't stop thinking about how much fun she'd at the ball with Luke. She debated teasing him about her getting him to dance. He was actually quite good for someone with little experience. 

As soon as she walked into the squad room, she spotted him near the coffee pot. Deciding to refill her cup, she walked up beside him and waited her turn. 

"Hey, you." He greeted her, turning her way and smiling. 

He then took it upon himself to pour her coffee for her. What a gentleman. 

"Thank you." She smiled, feeling the warmth of the steam as it rolled onto her face.

He slipped the carafe back into its designated spot and stirred some cream into his coffee. 

"Busy morning?" 

"Extremely busy. I just got back from court. This is my third cup already." 

He chuckled and lifted the dripping coffee stirrer to his mouth, sliding it between his lips before tossing it in the trash. She'd never before noticed how attractive his lips were. 

Get ahold of yourself, girl.

"Well, here's hoping the workload gets lighter." He smiled softly, toasting her cup with his before heading to his desk. 

Attempting to quell her feelings, she made a beeline for her office and shut the door. She sat down and allowed the warmth of the coffee to coat her throat. Somehow it didn't taste as bad today as it normally did. 

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door startling her slightly. 

"Come in!" 

It was Odafin Tutuola, one of the veteran detectives at Special Victims. 

"Morning counseler," he greeted her, file in hand. "I need a search warrant." 

As they went over the particulars of gaining a search warrant for a particular case, Alex could feel herself calming down. 

"Anything else I can do for you, Fin?" 

He shook his head and thanked her before leaving the room. 

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and assumed no one had caught onto her ridiculous school girl behavior. Although, Fin had suspiciously arched his eyebrow at her. 

Okay, now she was just being paranoid.