A date. A real date. It had been far too long since she’d done something like this, and the anticipation was exhilarating. Quin was humming tunelessly to herself as she put the finishing touches on her ensemble for the night and trying to ignore the tummy butterflies that always accompanied a first date. Nate had said that she didn’t need to dress up, but the redhead still wanted to look her best and needless to say, her outfit tonight was a far cry from the running shorts and t-shirt she’d been wearing when they’d met.

She wore jeans, but they were skinnys and the legs disappeared into soft black leather boots that stopped just above her knees. Her shirt was black and white stripped with a low cowl neck and belted at the waist so it didn’t look like an ill-fitting dress that stopped at the top of her thighs. It was also sleeveless and the night was going to be cool, so Quin had slipped into a cardigan that was just barely longer than her shirt. The effect wasn’t bad, she decided, holding the curling iron for a count of five to set the last loose curl into place before releasing the hair so it bounced around her shoulders with the rest. Simple hoop earrings, and a simple silver necklace later, the redhead was as ready as she was going to get. This date had been postponed once already, and as soon as she met Nate on the steps of her apartment she was shutting her phone off. There would be no interruptions tonight, especially not to chase non-existent pink elephants.

Not even if they were cannibals.

Quin glanced at the clock and gave herself one more cursory glance in the mirror. She’d gone easy on the makeup, but at this point it was the best she was going to do. It simply wouldn’t do to leave a southern gentleman waiting on the steps, so Quin grabbed her purse and keys, then made her way out of the apartment, locking it behind her.

As she walked outside, the redhead took note that she had beaten her date to the steps, but that was alright, he still had five minutes before he was late. She leaned against the stone railing and waited, anticipation building all over again.

Nate left his phone atop the dresser in his apartment; there would be no distractions tonight for him, even if the phone was the cause of his first encounter with Quin. They were keeping things low-key for the evening; Quin was not the sort of girl who would be more taken by intimacy and romance than flashiness and a money show. He had cleaned up his beard, bought a nice new pair of glasses, and even trimmed his hair, which had grown admittedly unkempt in recent months. He picked out a nice pair of jeans and a button-down shirt he had ironed and re-ironed. He had found himself pacing around the apartment nervously, as well as stress painting. As with many modern romances, Nate's text inbox was monopolized by Quin's name in recent days. He was thrilled when the clock finally told him it was time to head out, so he grabbed a light brown coat and bolted out the door.

He was originally setting himself up to reach her doorsteps early, but on the way, he stopped at a nearby florist. It was while waiting to pay for his selection that he realized his wallet was still on his bed in the apartment. He groaned in frustration, feeling nervous and scatterbrained. He ran back, grabbing his wallet, double-checking his pockets twice before leaving, and returned to the florist. Nate selected a single red rose and was back on his hurried walk to Quin's apartment.

Nate kept glancing at his watch, slightly uncomfortable with how close he was cutting it to their meeting time. He had always been the type to be punctual to a meeting, whether business or pleasure. Thanks to his original early departure and his quick strides, he reached her apartment just in time, though she had beat him to the steps. She was gorgeous with her hair done up in curls "Evening, Quin! Sorry if I kept you waiting, hun." He offered her his rose. "Rest assured though, I'm yours for the night."

He was on time, and he’d brought her a flower. A flower, not flowers. As odd as it seemed, that was a mark in the positive column. A bunch of flowers were contrived, a single flower meant something.

A single rose of any sort meant devotion, and a single rose of red meant passion. Quin took it with a smile, ”Thank you.” she said. ”And I came down early to wait. You’re right on time.”

She gave him a quick once-over out of the corner of her eye. It appeared that she hadn’t been the only one to take a little more time with her outfit tonight, Nate looked great. ” And that’s good. I don’t like to share.” The redhead grinned some more.

Her horoscope for September had said lots of things about the new moon on the 25th, and New Moons had power, especially this soon after one appeared. Plans needed to be made. What did the plans involve? That had yet to be determined.

”So.” she said, standing in that awkward moment before a date truly started. ”You sure clean up nice.”

When she took the rose, he kissed her hand; Nate liked greetings that began with a kiss, and they had not reached the point where he would kiss her on the cheek, let alone the lips. They did have a long night ahead of them, so he was hoping they would end the night on closer terms.

She complimented him, in an awkward voice, trying to truly get things started. "And you're looking lovely, but I was expecting that.

"I spent some time looking around for the right place for tonight, and I finally settled on a nice little place. I hope you like Italian or that'll be quite a setback for the date." He almost offered her his hand for her to take but hesitated. It was too early to try walking hand in hand, but maybe afterward if dinner went well. Nate was feeling more nervous than he would care to admit, conscious of not making the wrong choices. "Shall we be on our way?" He did not want to rush the date at all, but if dinner finished up when he was expecting it might, nature could assist him in the second step of the night.

Why was she blushing so easily? She could stand in a group of male officers and joke like one of the guys, her quips as ribald and dirty as the ones they made. There was no reason a simple compliment should make her cheeks pink. Maybe that was just it, though. Nate didn’t try to make those jokes with her, and he’d kissed her hand like a lady. Had it really been that long since something like that had happened?

”I love Italian food.” Quin admitted when Nate said that was where they were headed for dinner. ”And I like family owned places even more.” Even if money wasn’t an issue, Quin always felt awkward ordering somewhere like that.

He asked if they should be on their way, and Quin nodded her head as she came down the stairs and fell into stride next to Nate, walking almost shoulder to shoulder with him. This was nice, and hopefully it would get even nicer as the night went on.

”How goes the painting?” she asked, thanking small talk for being a balm for awkwardness.

He seemed to be coming up aces with his decision making, which relieved some of the tension he entered the date with. He had gone around to as many nearby restaurants as he could find; since the first day in the park, Nate had not cooked a meal. If anything, he was running for "leading economic contributor to small businesses." He mulled over his favorites and settled on an intimate Italian restaurant with the sweetest old couple running it.

She asked about his painting and he laughed involuntarily. Maybe there was no harm in telling the vulnerable truth here. "Well, I get very antsy when I'm anticipating something, so waiting for tonight might have turned my apartment into a small art museum." At this point, Nate was considering actually selling his work to free up space. If he followed through with that, it would make one more thing he told Quin the truth, which made him feel better. He felt displeased with himself when he did have to lie to her.

Walking so closely with Quin, on occasion, her shoulder would lightly nudge his, or his hand would just barely brush against hers. The moments of contact, however brief, were nice. "It gave me something to do while waiting for my girl in blue," he teased. If not for his checkered past, he would have no qualms with the law; even as a thief, he respected their job, while praying he was slightly better at his. "How long have you been interning?" She was hesitant last time to bring up her job, but she was asking about his "trade," and he was interested in what she was devoting her life to.

Quin grinned at Nate’s admission that he’d been anticipating their date, and that it had inspired him to paint. ”I’d love to see your work sometime….” she said. Quin had never known a career artist before and she wondered exactly what Nate’s style was. ”And I’d love to ask more, but I don’t know very much about art, other than it’s nice to look at…”

The walk was nice, and the proximity even nicer. Something about the almost deliberate brushing of their hands and shoulders was even more exciting than if he’d grabbed her hand. This spoke of comfort and no need to rush things. Quin could appreciate that.

He called her his ‘girl in blue’ and as much as Quin wanted to giggle at the possessive, she wrinkled her nose a bit at the rest of the moniker. The redhead hated cop stereotypes, but Nate had just been being sweet. And he wanted to know more. Quin took a moment to think, and ended up slightly surprised at what she realized.

”Almost five months.” she said, ”But I’ve been with the force almost two-and-a-half years. You have to be on the beat for a while before they’ll let you work towards getting your shield. I was just eligible in May.”

Nate was flattered by her interest. "I'd like that, but if I'm going to be giving you a show, you have to let me make something worth you seeing." The artist personality trait most prevalent in Nate was certainly pride. If he was going to show off to the girl he was smitten with, he wanted to show her his best. "It'd be a shame if I disappointed you."

Law and justice certainly seemed to be her passion; if he could cheer for anyone to gain their shield, Quin might be the one. "Well then, when you're officially Detective Quin Archer, I'll certainly be ready to take you out to celebrate." Hell, maybe I could be the bust that earns you that shield!

They finally came to the door of a small brick building, with a wooden sign above the door that read "Bianchi's." Nate opened the door into a restaurant dimly lit, with a candle on each table. Circular tables around the middle of the floor, surrounded by cushioned booths. Mr. Bianchi, an old man with short white hair and half-moon spectacles, was behind a small bar cleaning wine glasses. Mrs. Bianchi, a stout old woman with grey hair and a warm smile, greeted them at the door. "Nathaniel, welcome back!" This may have been Nate's third trip to Bianchi's. "Is this the young woman you were talking about last time?"

Nate's cheeks reddened. "Yes, yes, this would be Quin," he answered hastily. "We would appreciate a seat for the evenin."

"Of course, dears. Follow me." Mrs. Bianchi took two menus and walked them over to a candlelit corner booth.

” I’m sure you’ve got plenty of good things to show me.” Quin said when Nate artfully dodged her request to see his work. ”In fact, I’d rather see the things you made before I was interested in seeing. But I’d be willing to wait too.”

They made it to the restaurant and Quin was a little shocked that she’d never stumbled on the place before. Strictly speaking, she cooked for herself. Police salaries weren’t exorbitant, and New York was an expensive city. The redhead treated herself every now and then though, and prided herself on her good taste in restaurants. This one, however, was new, and Quin immediately liked it when they walked in.

Nate had apparently been there a few times, and he’d apparently talked about her. The bartender/host led them to a table, and Quin sat. There were breadsticks on the table, not the nasty crunchy ones, the soft and delicious ones.

Once the old man walked away, Quin grinned and grabbed a bread stick to tear it in half and start eating. Yeah. Delicious.

”So you were talking about me.” she said. ”I hope it was all good.”

Nate grabbed his own breadstick, grinning at her comment. "I would have told her some bad things if you had given me any. The most I could do was tell her about this great girl who was keeping me waiting." He took a bite of the breadstick, savoring the soft, warm treat. "Even then, there's something attractive about a girl with dedication. So yeah, all good things."

Nate scanned his mental image of the apartment, remembering what paintings were on the easels. To his knowledge, there was his take on the Chrysler Building as many artists before him have captured in their own styles, a recreation of one of Van Gogh's Sunflowers and a painting of a riverside in North Carolina that remained in the back of Nate's memory. All his forgery and thief equipment was securely stowed in a wall safe behind a painting of Wrigley Park, and the paintings that were out were actually worth showing off, so he offered, "If you are really curious about my paintings, you are more than free to come by tonight after dinner. Like I said before, I was a creative whirlwind leading up to tonight, so if you don't mind a little mess, I won't mind showing off a little."

A young waitress came to their table, introducing herself as Alexis and asking if they would like to start off with a drink. The waitress was pretty, but standing so closely to Quin, Alexis was nothing special. Nate smiled politely and ordered, "Could I have your Cabernet Sauvignon?" His eyes left his menu to look at his dining companion. "Is that fine with you, darlin' or were you thinking something else?"

”What makes you think that there is anything bad.” Quin said, pushing her hair back over her shoulder so it stayed out of her way while they ate.

Nate thought for a few moments, then offered to show her some of the work he’d been speaking about earlier. Quin smiled and thought about that for a second. She still didn’t know Nate very well, and she’d be going into his apartment alone with him. Still…she was far from helpless and he had been nothing but a gentleman. Besides, she wanted to see the paintings.

”I think I’ll take you up on that if it doesn’t ruin any other plans you have for the night. I’d really like to see your work. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two.”

The waitress arrived then, and Nate ordered them win. Mmm, wine. He was batting a thousand so far, and Quin’s mouth watered a bit at the thought.

Speaking of which. ”I’ll take a glass of water too.”

Quin had the right idea, with wine not being the perfect drink for anyone who was actually thirsty. "I'll take a water as well, thank you." The waitress nodded and left to fetch their drinks.

With the waitress departing, Nate returned to their conversation. "Well, when you travel enough, you assume everyone has some good and some bad. You may very well be that first exception," he added. There was truth to the statement; she was just, clever, dedicated, sincere, and did not seem to notice their attractive waitress, unlike so many insecure, self-conscious women.

Quin played with the thought in her head before accepting his art show offer. "Sugar, I made plans with you tonight, so I have no where else to be." It was a weight off the mind to be away from his cell phone; no business to worry about and no distractions to keep him from enjoying the night. "I'd be more than happy play art teacher too, if you'd like," he said with a laugh.

Nate had his hand resting on his closed menu. He knew what he was craving so there was no need to skim through the options. He would rather just enjoy the company he was sharing.

Once she and Nate had given the waitress their drink orders the girl had moved off and they’d been able to continue the conversation they’d started before they’d been interrupted. Quin had to smile and shake her head a bit at what her handsome companion said, though.

”I’m anything but perfect.” she admitted candidly, ”I was just being coy.”

It seemed as though the impromptu after-dinner art show was a go, and Quin nodded her pleasure at Nate. ” You’re definitely on. Maybe I’ll turn out to be some kind of savant and won’t need the whole cop thing for an income after all...”

Nate didn’t seem to be too interested in the menu, but Quin was new to this place so she opened hers and glanced over everything with the most critical eye she could manage. Her eyes settled on one mean in particular, though, and she smiled.

”Definitely ready.” she said, re-folding the menu and smiling across the table.

”This place really is charming.” she admitted, truthfully. The little tables, the candles…the atmosphere was wonderful and romantic, all in all, an excellent start to the evening.

[color=919191"Coy or not, I'm likin' you just the way you are."[/color] His smile widened; truly, a perfect girl for him on paper would probably be on the other side of the law. Who knows? Maybe in some weird way, it was Quin being a cop that he liked.

Nate did not often play his hand at teaching, but a basic art lesson could be fun."If you end up being that good, I might end up having to call you my competition!" To be frank, he would not mind having Quin as a subject of art either. Maybe if the date went really well...

No sooner had Quin chosen her meal for the night, that Alexis returned to the table, wine bottle in hand. The service here was fantastic and quick, which was almost a flaw when his goal for the night was to talk more with his dining partner. Alexis poured their glasses and placed the bottle on their table, awaiting their order. "I would love the Chicken Marsala with linguine. Thank you!" He handed the waitress his menu, giving Quin her turn to order.

Quin laughed outright at the mere idea that she would be competition for a professional artist. The ruse was fun though, and she fixed Nate with a look, one eyebrow raising slightly.

”You wouldn’t want to call me competition.” she admitted shamelessly. ”See…I hate to lose at anything. One of those many flaws I was telling you about before.” She glanced to one side, then to the other, as if to make sure nobody else was listening. "I'll do anything to win...I've even been known to cheat on occasion." It was shameful, but it was true.

As if on cue to interrupt the flow of conversation, the waitress arrived. She brought wine with her, so Quin forgave the girl and waited patiently while Nate ordered his food. A solid choice, Quin decided, but her mind had been made up the moment she’d seen her item on the menu.

”Eggplant Parmesan please.” she said, smiling as the girl walked away.

”Now where were we?” she asked, mocking forgetfulness.