Josh was taken aback for a moment, but managed to cover himself well, not giving away his shock. He hadn't forgotten the reference in her bio to her tenacity and determination when it came to cases, and it seemed like it was particularly true when she was greeted with a mystery. Now, it also seemed that the pendulum had swung, from him having her offguard with his comments about a "date", to her being forward and asking him out to dinner.

"As a matter of fact, I am free tonight. What did you have in mind?"

Josh tossed the comment loosely back at her, for two purposes. One, to cover his being caught on the backfoot, especially with his response to the mention of Smith. Second, he was curious to see where things would lead, not only in terms of he determination about Smith, but also in terms of the enjoyable time he had had thus far in her company.

"Well, I know a little place not far from here. We could meet there if you like? It's called Marino's. Say, 8 o'clock?"

"Sounds perfect. Now, I'd better get back. I'll see you tonight. And I expect to hear that fishing story!", said Josh, rising from his seat at a pace which matched Kate's.

Settling the bill, they headed in different directions from Hoover's Hollow, he toward the Bureau's headquarters, she toward home. Ernie watched the two of them go, and smiled slightly. *Josh my boy, you are well and truly smitten. And good for you. And I'd say that she might just feel the same way. I hope it works out for you, boy. She's a good catch, if her Grandfather's any guide! To think she thought I was fooled. Hurrumph. I stood by Jimmy at her funeral. But she's the spitting image of her mama.* He went back to tending the bar, whistling a romantic little tune in memory of the couple which had just left.

Scene: Marino's
Time: 8pm

Josh had finished off with the class he had been running and took a few moments to change. Thankfully, his apartment wasn't far from the J. Edgar Hoover Building, so he'd been able to duck home and change before meeting up with Kate. He'd dressed casual, wearing an open neck shirt, slacks and a smart sportsjacket. Nothing fancy, reasonably casual, but still a change from his work clothes.

Arriving at the restaurant, he noted from a glance around the room, he'd arrived first. He organised a table for two, a little isolated so that they could have the privacy to discuss the Smith issue when it came up. He took in the restaurant as he was led to the table. It was a quaint little italian restaurant, but unlike many in Washington, there was an air of authenticity about it. He looked in the direction of the kitchen, and was satisfied to see a burly man discussing the running of the business a little loudly, but also adorned in a chef's apron. At the same time, his wife happened to move up to he husband, whisper something in his ear, to which he responded, "Of course Mama, I'll ado it right anow!" He smiled and followed the waiter to their table.

The table lay nestled in the corner, providing privacy and an air of intimacy. He was about to ask about an alternative, realising the intimate nature of it's location, when he looked up from where he was sitting and spotted Kate enter the restaurant. He was, for a moment, awestruck by the vision that greeted him. She had loosened her hair, freeing it from its restraints of earlier in the day and allowing it to flow. The dress she wore was simple, but heightened her beauty whilst also depicting an air of sophistication and mystique. Regaining control, he rose from where he had been seated as she was led to their table.

"You're looking lovely tonight", said Josh, wondering if it sounded forced or not.

"You don't scrub up too badly yourself, Josh!", she answered, the light dancing a little in her eyes in amusement. She hadn't missed the hesitation, something he'd done twice today in her presence. It was a wonderful compliment.

"Shall we sit and order?", asked Josh, emerging from his incompetant stupor.

Kate nodded and he gently eased the seat in behind her and helped her sit, as any true gentleman does! Taking his seat opposite her, he looked at her and smiled, a smile which was reflected back at him. The visual contact was broken by the waiter dropping menus into their laps. Josh ordered spaghetti, a safe meal that couldn't be messed up too easily and was absolutely delicious when cooked authentically.

"Would you like anything to drink, sir?"

"What do you think, Kate? Red wine to go with dinner?"

"Sounds fine!"

"A bottle of your finest red wine. Neapolitan, if possible!"

"Of course sir. Enjoy your meal!"

Kate looked at him for a moment.

"You appear to know your wines!"

"Not really. When I was younger, when Dad served in Europe on exchange, he developed a taste for wine. Always swore by a good bottle of red from the Neapolitan estate. Of course, I think it may have had to do with living with the family for a while."

"What did your father do?"

"He is a fighter pilot with the USAF. From what I hear, amongst the best. Although, the catch to that is I don't really get to see him that much, but last time I heard, he was still flying, even though he susposedly retired from active flight when given his desk job. Of course, as senior instructor at Miramar, retirement from flying never truly happens."

"So, you're a military brat?"

"It's amazing what we can amount to, isn't it? Now, you were going to tell me about this fishing trip, if I recall correctly?"

Josh used the comment to steer the conversation away from him. His relationship with his father was strained at best, and he wasn't overly comfortable with discussing it. Besides, he wanted to learn more about the beautiful woman he was having dinner with.



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