Scully pulled into the parking lot and looked around. Yes, there was his car. She pulled into a space nearby and cut the engine, but didn’t open the door. She should have waited, called him later when he was home.
“Why don’t we go have a beer?” It had been a studiedly casual question he just tossed out. “It’s happy hour.”
She’d given her automatic, “No, thanks.” She knew she was keeping a distance since the disaster at El Rico. She wasn’t punishing him. She wasn’t, but knowing that he had believed Diana . . . “Scully, you’re making this personal.”
She had felt him look at her for a long moment before he finally rose from his chair. “Yeah, well, see you in the morning.” He hadn’t looked back when he left the office, but his steps had seemed a little flat.
There had been no good reason to say no. It might even have been fun. She wasn’t upset with him. She had no reason to be, their relationship was business and when she remembered that, things were . . . fine.
Then Skinner had called and given her this case. He wanted them on an 8 a.m. flight, so she needed to get the file to him.
Scully took a deep breath and opened the car door. There didn’t seem to be a huge crowd, but there were people coming and going, enjoying their own happy hour. She entered and stopped just inside to let her eyes adjust.
It took her a minute, but she spotted him finally at the bar. He had his back to her, but she’d know him from any angle. The woman’s hand that came to rest on his upper arm startled her. Scully stood frozen for a moment, then forced herself to focus on the woman.
She was tall, even seated beside him at the bar, Scully could tell she was 5’8” or more. Blonde, with long thick hair. As she watched, Scully saw her toss that hair back over her shoulder. The blouse she was wearing was cut low to begin with, but she’d unbuttoned the top two buttons. Those couldn’t be natural, no one was that . . . perky.
Scully swallowed as the woman recrossed her legs. That skirt would have been short on her. On this woman it looked like a scene from Basic Instinct.
Scully flushed with mortification even though he couldn’t see her. She’d been right to refuse his invitation. As she stood there, the blonde leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, giving him full view of her silicon. This woman could have been cast in any of those videos he didn’t own.
Had the walking wet dream just happened to be here, or when she’d refused him, had he called her? Damn, she had to get out of here. She’d leave a message on his machine.
Scully turned abruptly, nearly walking into a couple entering the bar. She murmured an apology and moved quickly around them, escaping into the parking lot.
She was only steps from her car when a hand touched her. “Scully?”
She jerked back, startled and looked up at him.
“Scully, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spook you. I guess you didn’t hear me.”
Hear him? She’d heard nothing, trying to block out the voice in her own head.
“I thought you said you weren’t coming.”
“I wasn’t, I didn’t. I . . . Skinner has a case for us. We have an 8 a.m. flight to L.A., so I was bringing you the file.”
“Oh.” The light dimmed in his eyes at those words. “I see.”
“Since you’re here, you can take the file, then get back to your date.”
“My what?” He looked confused.
“Your date. The blonde at the bar.”
“Oh. She’s not my date. She was just sitting there. I don’t even know her name.”
“Well I’m sure when you get back, she’ll give it to you, and her phone number.” Scully turned back toward her car.
His hand on her arm stopped her again. “I don’t want it.”
”What?”
“Her name or her phone number. I don’t want them. She’s not my type.”
“She’s exactly your type.” Scully spoke without thinking.
“No. My type is more like the woman I asked to come here with me. You know, petite redheads who can kick ass.”
Scully’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t seem to speak.
“Listen, my place is closer. If we have a case for tomorrow morning, why don’t we go there and look it over. We can order in and then get familiar with the file. Come on, you can follow me.”
She hesitated.
“It makes sense, Scully. What kind of case is it?”
“Oh, uh,” She knew there was heightened color in her cheeks suddenly. “It’s undercover. We’re supposed to be a married couple in an upscale community.”
“A married couple?” She watched the delight take over his face, and went still, wondering at it.
“I . . . “ She looked back at the bar. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. I only had one beer, and I’m getting hungry. Come on Agent Scully, you don’t want our new neighbors to see me wasting away?”
She tried to glare at him, but his eyes were twinkling now. She shook her head. “This is a big mistake.”
“Yeah, Scully, but we’re so good at making them. Come on, I’ll even spring for dessert.”
She allowed him to lead her to her car. Maybe this was a good thing, and there was no good reason not to enjoy an occasional happy hour . . .
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