Monday morning, Deidre ate lunch in the cafeteria with Emi. The two friends discussed everything from rumors of the chief finally announcing his retirement, to the current goings on of their love lives.

"How are things going with Miguel?" Deidre asked.

"Things are going just fine. I do feel like I'm missing a lot though. The two of us have not just hung out in a while, and I think I've also missed a few bar nights."

"That you have."

"So I was thinking you and I could do a girl's night Friday. We can go to a bar and then hang out at my apartment, or yours, watch movies. You know do the stuff we used to do before we both became too busy.” Emi suggested.

Deidre looked at Emi and shook her head. "Sorry, but Friday is not going to work. I have a date."

"I thought you and Scott went out on Saturday mornings."

"Well, he's changing it up. We're going to a downtown five-star restaurant."

"Really, then we should go shopping Wednesday or Thursday," said Emi.

"Why do we need to go shopping?" Deidre asked confused.

"You need a killer dress Deidre."

"I have a killer dress. I was planning on wearing the same one I wore on Valentine's Day."

"You’re serious? Didn't you run into him at a bar that night?"

"Yes."

"Were you wearing that dress?"

"Yes."

"So he's seen you in it. You need something that he hasn't seen you in yet Deidre. Are you following me?"

Once again Deidre screwed up her face and looked at Emi. What Emi was suggesting seemed like nonsense to Deidre. Why let a perfectly nice dress she'd only worn once go to waste? "Not really."

"That's okay. Wednesday after work we are going to the store and getting you a dress. No ifs ands or buts about it." Emi said definitively.

Deidre rolled her eyes and got up from their table. "I have a meeting to get to." Deidre smiled.

Wednesday evening, Emi and Deidre arrived at the mall, much to Deidre’s dismay. Deidre did not enjoy shopping as much as most women. There were times when she felt the need to by new clothes or shoes, but she was not going to go out and spend money on a new outfit every time she had a date.

The two women went right to one of the more expensive boutique stores. They perused the overpriced dresses on the racks, in search of the "perfect dress."

"I still don't understand the purpose of us being here." Deidre said pulling a red dress from the rack.

"That doesn't matter. As long as we get you a dress, our mission will be complete. By the way the dress you're holding is hideous."

"I was thinking the same thing. All of the dresses in here look just as hideous."

"On that point, I agree. Time for store number two." Emi said pulling guiding her friend out of the store.

The dresses in the next store were very different from the first. They were more classy and elegant but fun. Emi immediately picked out four dresses for Deidre to try. "Here," she handed Deidre the four dresses, each a different color—red, black, blue, and green—and a different style.

Deidre rolled her eyes. "You really want me to try on all four of these dresses?" She said as she walked to the dressing rooms.

“Yes, Deidre. I can’t understand why you don’t enjoy shopping.” Emi said.

“I guess I’ve just never been ‘one of those girls.’” Deidre said.

Emi sat outside in one of the comfortable chairs and waited for Deidre to finish putting on the first dress. When she came out with the first dress on, Emi shook her head. Deidre tried on the black dress and then the green one. Emi gave both dresses thumbs down. When Deidre came out in the blue dress, Emi smiled. "That is the perfect dress, Deidre. Scott will love it."

"You think so?" Deidre asked looking at herself in the mirror.

"Of course I'm sure."

Friday night came much faster than Deidre expected. She was running late, and she hated running late. At the hospital there was a last minute development to the case she was working on, and Deidre was not been able to leave the hospital until six thirty, which meant she did not get home until seven o'clock, an hour before Scott was supposed to pick her up for their date. She was running around her apartment trying to be ready when he knocked on the door. As she put her other earring into her ear, the knock came. Deidre smoothed out her dress and picked up her clutch.

When the door opened fully, Scott got a full view of the woman he was taking out to dinner. Deidre wore her hair down in the same style she wore to work; she did not have time to try and pull it back. Her dress was a deep dark blue, almost like the night sky. It was a V-neck and appeared to be a halter. The dress was empire cut and flowed nicely out from her body. "You look amazing," Scott complemented.

Deidre smiled, "Emi thought you'd say that."

"Are you ready to go?" Scott asked.

"Let me just grab my coat." She turned around and walked back into the apartment to get her coat, which was hanging in her closet. When she turned away, Scott was able to see the back of her dress was not what he thought. The straps crossed in the back.

After helping her into her coat, Scott took Deidre by the arm and the two walked into the night.

About forty-five minuets after Scott got to Deidre's apartment; the pair arrived at the fancy five-star Italian restaurant. Deidre smirked as the two walked in, "You must have a thing for Italian food Scott. You make lasagna from scratch, last week we had pizza and today we're eating here."

Scott shrugged his shoulders as they followed the maître-d to their table. "Have you eaten here before?" Deidre asked as she perused the menu for something that sounded good.

"No, but everyone I've asked said it's one of the best restaurants in the city."

"Ok then. Do you know what you want?"

"I'm not sure. What do you plan on getting?"

"I think I'll order the Turtei con Aragosta," Deidre said.

"That looks good; do you want to try their calamari for an appetizer?" Scott asked.

"Sure why not."

Shortly after they had decided what they wanted, their waiter arrived and took their orders. The two looked at each other for a while, before either of them broke the silence.

"Are you an only child?" Deidre asked Scott.

"I have a step brother and a half sister."

"Oh, what are they like."

"My sister is twenty-five and she jus finished up with her Master's degree in marketing. I actually talked to her earlier this week; she's received job offers from all over the country. My stepbrother is three year older than me. He is a partner for a law firm in North Carolina. He is also married with three children, a four year old, an eight year old and a ten year old. I don't know how he does it. I've baby sat for them a couple of times and my niece and nephews are not the best children in the world." Scott laughed. "Do you have any siblings?"

"I have a twin brother."

"Really?"

"Yes. He got married two years ago and they are expecting their first child. I think my parents are more excited than they are." Deidre said taking a sip of her water. "You haven’t always lived in Seattle have you?"

"No, actually I grew up in Vermont and Massachusetts. When my parents got divorced, my mom moved to Massachusetts and my dad stayed in Vermont. I spent the school year with my mom and the summer with my dad. And you grew up in Chicago right?"

"Not exactly in Chicago, but in one of the suburbs. It’s easier to just say I’m from the city than to explain."

“I see. Are you a Bears fan then?” Scott asked.

"Born and bred. I've been to quite a few games. I keep telling myself I’m going to buy season passes.”

"If you got them you'd go back for the games?"

"Of, course. I would fly back for every home game."

"You truly are a die hard fan of a pretty sorry team"

Deidre gasped and feigned shock, “Hey that is not true. The Bears are a damned good team. What is your favorite football team anyway?"

"The New York Giants," Scott smiled.

"Really?”

“Yeah, they were my favorite team when I was a kid. The passion I had for them just grew over the years.”

“You must have been devastated when they lost the Super Bowel in 2001.”

"There may have been a few tears that night. I couldn’t bring myself to watch the last half of the last quarter. Thirty-four to seven, that was the score.

"You're kidding? I’m not talking about the score but the fact that you cried." Deidre asked with a grin on her face.

Scott smiled and shook his head. "Not many mind you but a few."

"Wow, the big bad Scott Walker crying over a football game. I have got to tell Emi."

"If you tell Emi, I'll have to kill you." Scott joked.

"Fine I won't tell her."

As they finished their conversation about family and football, their food came. They ate and continued talking about their childhood and favorite sports teams. After they finished and Scott paid for dinner, they got in the car and made their way back to Deidre's apartment.

On the ferry ride home, the two stood by the railing, looking out into the night. "So Dr. Walker, did you always want to be a plastic surgeon?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you were little, did you want go to your mom and say ‘hey I want to be a doctor?’ Or was there something else you wanted to do?" Deidre asked.

"Not really. When I was little all I wanted to do was be a racecar driver. My room was modeled after a pit stop on a racetrack. I eventually grew out of that though."

"Not completely, you still go out to the track and drive the cars." Deidre pointed out.

"What can I say; I'm just a big kid at heart. What about you, what did you want to do?"

"Promise you won't laugh when I tell you."

"I can give you no guarantee."

Deidre rolled her eyes. "All I wanted to do was to be a cashier at a grocery store so I could press the buttons on the register."

Scott looked at her, and tried very hard not to laugh.

"I thought the buttons were so cool. Needless to say, I never worked at a grocery store."

"Do you still want to be able to press the buttons?" Scott laughed.

"Making fun of me will get you no where Scott Walker."

"I can't help it. It's so easy to do."

Deidre punched him in the arm, hard enough to leave a bruise later on. "That hurt." Scott said.

"Yeah well, it's your own fault." Deidre then walked away to the other side of the ferry.

Scott followed her and stood next to her when she stopped. She stared down in the water and watched the waves hit the boat. Even though Deidre felt his presence beside her, she ignored Scott.

"If I apologize will you look at me?"

Deidre continued to ignore him and watched, as the lights on the other side of the shore grew closer.

"I'm sorry for making fun of your love of grocery store buttons." Scott said.

Deidre smiled and turned around, "and…"

"And it will never happen again."

"And…"

"And what?" Scott asked.

Deidre paused for a moment and then laughed to herself, "And the Bears are not a sorry team. In fact, as a franchise, they’re better than the NY Giants”

Scott shook his head, "I don't think I can comply with the last part of this apology. For me to utter those words would be blasphemous.”

“Then I don’t think I can accept your apology,” Deidre said.

Scott move closer and invaded Deidre’s space, “How about instead I do this…" Scott lifted her chin so that their lips met in a tender kiss.

"I think I can live with that, for now. But one day Scott, you will recognize the superiority of the Chicago Bears." Deidre said.

"Whatever you say." Scott laughed as they walked back to the car before the ferry reached the dock.