Then Came You

Chapter 4 -- The Date

Sonja  Percy must have pulled out every dress she had which really did not amount to that many. She finally decided on this sky blue after five but then wondered if it was too much. She had to run back into the living room to ask Chris just how 'dressed up' she should be.

Would it help if I wore a suit and a tie? Yeah. That settles it.

He was surprised at just how beautiful she actually was. Percy had begged out of the only formal affair that the team attended during her time in New Orleans so he had never seen her dressed up. He pulled her close to him but she broke the kiss retorting "If I don't stop you we may never leave here".

He had a raised eye brow as she turned away wondering just what that meant. He knew Sonja Percy and he knew enough not to press her about anything. He had day dreamed the day before about getting on the other side of her bedroom door but he did not allow himself to dwell on the thought.

The night went better than he could have ever dreamed. Then again he could not read Percy's mind. She spent the entire night surveying his face. One eye brow was higher than the other. His blue eyes matched her dress. His laugh was more subdued in the intimacy of their one on one close conversation. And his lips? Well, she tried not focus on them because she found herself wondering what else they could find beside her lips.

The dancing was great. The band played a number of her favorites. She held back off the drinks no knowing how much LaSalle would drink that night. She had seen him drunk beyond walking or driving and she needed to insure that they got home okay. LaSalle had ordered the car that night not knowing that she had a regular firm that she worked with. As a woman she knew she had to be careful. Raymond Isler had referred her to a friend of his who son had a car service. She did some investigation and found out that he had a contract with a federal agency as well. Knowing that he had been through an FBI background check solidified her selection.

Sonja was still reluctant to get too attached to Chris. He had a long history of as a love 'em and leave 'em' kind of guy and she knew he would be returning to New Orleans in a few weeks. She kept telling her self that she would settle for a good time and leave him on the other side of her bedroom door.

Saturday night they went to a Wizards basketball game with some of the agents that she worked with. The waitress at the restaurant was so obvious. Yeah girlfriend I know that that drawl is interesting but he is with me. Needless to say, Sonja was quite put out that LaSalle seemed just a little too friendly.

She sulked during most of game and then left Chris at the front door to lock up the safe. She made a beeline to her bedroom leaving him standing there. She went into the bath room and turned on the water and stood there with tears in her eyes cursing herself for allowing him to stay with her. Yes she loved him but she knew she could not do this. He lived on the other side of the country. It just couldn't work.

Sonja had no idea that LaSalle had knocked softly a couple of times on her bedroom door. He finally gave up and went and got another beer out of the fridge and went to his room as well. "Shit, now what? I knew she'd run but this is a little ridiculous Percy" he said out loud.

LaSalle found a note on the fridge when he got up on Sunday that she had gone out for a run. He decided to go downstairs to the weight room and lift but got sidetracked on the 'bag' and beat it senseless for a good thirty minutes. He did not feel any better when he came back upstairs to take a shower.

He found Percy a little later in her office buried in a report. "Hi Country Mouse. I have some reading to do before tomorrow. Hope you don't mind".

"No Percy" he replied, "I know you have an intense job too".

Dejected, he turned on the TV to find a show or sporting event that he could enjoy. He got up when the formula race was over to find himself something to eat for dinner. There was some hamburger left from what he cooked on Thursday and he thought he could make some spaghetti which was something that Percy could eat as well.

"Hey Percy, I thought I would make some spaghetti. What do you think" he said as he peeked through the office door.

"Hey that sounds good. I have some of my cheese in the fridge that I could put on it. I think there are some frozen rolls up in the freezer."

LaSalle returned to kitchen and quickly found the rolls. He had just turned the oven on when he felt Percy putting her arms around his waist. "I'm sorry Christopher" she said softly. To his silence she continued to speak. "You scare me Christopher. I moved here partially to get away from you. I couldn't stand the fact that you did not want me."

He gently moved her arms and turned to face her. "That was then Sonja. I'm here now. I confessed that I made a mistake. Give me a chance to fix it."

With the tension broken, they were able to enjoy the evening finding theirselves back in front of the TV watching a movie but this time with her in his lap. Chris woke up about 3 a.m. and eased himself out from underneath her. He had awaken to a nocturnal erection and was little reluctant to do anything else but go to his own room. He draped the coverlet from the sofa over her before departing.

The next week was brutal for him. Staff from NATO flew in and the team worked twelve hour shifts for four days. They were all given Friday off. Isler had planned to hold a little social hour at his home and invited LaSalle as well telling him that he could bring a plus one if he wanted.

Isler was extremely pleased with himself when LaSalle showed up with his plus one. "Well Sundance we meet again" he stated as he greeted Sonja. The evening went very well. Chris had an opportunity to speak with him one on one when Sonja got into a conversation with one of the agents from Spain

"Hey Isler, you got a moment"?

"Sure LaSalle, what's up?"

Looking at the floor LaSalle says "I just wanted to let you that you were right.

"Right? Right about what"?

"Remember about three months ago when you called looking for King"?

"Yes."

"You mentioned your encounter with Percy".

"Yes".

"You were right. And that doesn't even begin to tell the story. This assignment has allowed us to talk and over the course of a few weeks we have been able to both confront and confess our feelings for each other. I just hope she'll still be around for us to solidify something."

"Well LaSalle I'm glad that you chose to act on what I thought that I saw. And by the way it's not out of the realm of possibility to extend your duty here couple of weeks if necessary."

LaSalle looks at Isler in shock realizing what he was telling him. He gave him that classic Christopher LaSalle grin and told him "so saving your ass had an upside for me as well".

Chris extends his hand to Isler realizing that no additional words were needed between the two at that moment. Chris quickly leaves the room and finds his princess stuck between two ornery looking characters.

They had taken Sonja's usual service that night so she knew that they could take a detour if they needed to. Sonja stopped Chris just as they stepped outside the door of Isler's house. "Look I don't know how to say this. I went to the doctor Thursday to get a long term birth control device inserted. I didn't know if we needed to stop somewhere on the way back to the condo to allow you to take care of yourself." Chris was more than a little stunned. " Well, no he mumbled out. I think I'm good for one weekend at least."

They didn't bother getting dressed Saturday. Sunday they went out for brunch and then ended up right back in her bed. Sonja thought only one thing could mess this up. So she stayed concerned the next two weeks that she would pull a mission.

A couple of weeks later Isler pulled LaSalle aside. So how's it going? With Sundance?

Oh it's going well. I don't what I'm going to do with just a week left.

How about I fix that. I think I can find a few more things for you to do for two or three more weeks.