A/N This story has been bouncing around my laptop for a bit. All errors are mine. I did my best to catch the typos, my apologies for any that remain.

This is my take on what might have happened on Sharon and Andy's first date at Serv.

The atmosphere of Serv was very quiet and calm. Ambient light cascaded gently onto intimate tables for two. Serene classical music played a perfect compliment to the almost clandestine quality of the conversations. The room was decorated in neutral tones accented by small pops of colorful flower arrangements.

"This is nice… huh?" Andy sounded almost as nervous as she felt.

Sharon smiled at him, her hands nervously played at her hips before sliding down her sides. She inwardly cursed the absence of pockets. The little black cocktail dress she had chosen for the occasion was one of her favorites. She had worn it the night of the Nutcracker.

Andy had smiled brightly when Sharon opened her condo door to let him in. He had commented several times on her appearance. Sharon had tried to downplay his compliments, only to have him reassure her of his sincerity.

Watching Sharon take in the restaurant's ambiance, Andy smiled and took the opportunity to thoroughly take in her appearance.

When she turned to find him all but staring at her, she blushed and gave him a tentative smile before glancing at the floor.

Thankfully, the maitre'd interrupted announcing the readiness of their table. Andy gently touched the middle of her back.

"After you."

They followed the well dressed young man toward the back of the restaurant. Andy spotted the vacant small table. Upon closer inspection, he also noticed it was directly next to the waitstaff's access to the kitchen. He groaned. He stopped gaining the maitre d's attention.

"That can't be our table. The reservation was for Flynn. Andy Flynn."

"I assure you sir…"

Andy took the young man by the arm. He smiled back at Sharon, who smiled back and tried not to look uncomfortable.

Keeping his voice as close to a hushed tone as he could muster, Andy calmly explained things to the maitre'd, and when that didn't work he slipped the kid a 50. Sharon pretended not to notice.

"Well, Sir let me just check again." The young man quickly scanned a leather bound folder that had previously been tucked under his arm. "Flynn ...hmmm, Andy Flynn you said?"

"Yah, do you want me to spell it?"

Sharon turned slightly to hide her smirk at the sound of Andy's building irritation.

"Oh sir, my apologies. Andy Flynn, it's right here. I inadvertently assumed you were the Flynn reservation initial A." The young man gave a pretentious cluck of his tongue. "Please, please follow me." He showed them to an intimate table by the window overlooking the courtyard garden.

Andy wanted to punch the pretentious little snob when he sidestepped Andy to pull out Sharon's chair.

"Madame."

Sharon ran her hand gently down Andy's arm before taking the offered seat.

"Andy, this is very … nice."

Andy took his seat then accepted the menu he was offered.

"Your server will be right with you. Enjoy your evening."

They politely thanked the maitre'd before glancing at their dinner options.

Sharon couldn't help but notice Andy's repeated glances at her. He looked as though he wanted to say something but couldn't quite voice his thoughts.

She was just about to put down her menu to ask him, when a distinguished gentleman approached the table.

"Good evening sir, m'dame. I am Philip, your sommelier. Please allow me to assist you with your wine selection this evening."

"Thank you Philip," Sharon smiled turning to give Andy a quick glance, "I'm afraid we won't be ordering wine this evening."

Philip actually looked hurt and disappointed.

"Sharon, please have a glass of wine. I'm fine."

When she gave Andy an unconvinced look, he reassured her, "Really Sharon." He took her hand to emphasize his sincerity. She glanced at her fingers captured in his before taking a breath and bring her attention back to Philip.

Andy smiled when she didn't take her hand from his. He watched as Sharon engaged in a rather animated conversation with Philip, half of which he didn't even try to understand. With a nod and an enthusiastic, "very nice choice," Andy and Sharon were finally alone.

Sharon's soft sigh brought his eyes back to her face. He hadn't realized he had been staring at their still joined hands. He had been gently caressing the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Andy?" She sighed again as she spoke his name. He only hummed in response, the rise of his eyebrows mirroring her questioning tone.

"What … what are we doing?"

His brow knit, "Ah, well I think… I could be wrong. I think we're having dinner."

Sharon smirked at him. Inwardly, she willed herself to remain focused and calm, a difficult task due to the word "romantic" running through her head. An inner voice hadn't stopped its incessant whispering, "This is a date. Romantic means date," causing her stomach to feel hollow. Equally insistent was a more rational perhaps skeptical voice, "He never said date." And if she were being honest, he hadn't exactly asked her on a date. He asked her to dinner and they had been to dinner many times. This was most likely no different. That inner voice continued to repeat, "This is not a date."

She couldn't help but smile just a little as she shook her head. The ridiculousness of the moment just struck her.

"Look, Sharon," Andy began. "I know that I … well that." He cleared his throat. "I ...yeah…" he gave a nervous chuckle, "this is harder than I thought."

Sharon's thumb stroked the underside of his wrist. "What? This… having dinner with a friend? With…" She gestured toward herself, "with me?"

Andy said her name with a sigh.

"Ya know, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately … about you."

Sharon hummed giving him a somewhat leery look.

"About me … and, and how our friendship could be only the beginning," he continued. Nerves building as he watched her eyes grow wide.

With a deep breath, he finally said it, date. Sharon pressed her lips together trying to remain calm and listen to what he had to say.

"Could our dating have some challenges… probably… could it risk our friendship ...um sure … I mean could it throw off the balance of our working relationship… it's possible and maybe throw off the whole division …well"

"Andy…" she squeezed his hand, "Andy."

He looked up at her, certain she was about to let him down easy.

"It's just I really… like you Sharon."

She smiled almost shyly at him then suddenly laughed.

His befuddled expression only made her laugh harder. He would have thought she was making fun of him, except it wasn't in her character to be cruel and she was now holding his hand in both of hers.

"I'm sorry. I …" she swept away a tear from her cheek. "I'm not making fun." She swallowed before taking a deep breath, "I really like you too, Andy." Her smile revealed just a hint of the nerves she was trying desperately to suppress.

"So," he breathed, his relief almost becoming a third presence at the table.

"So," she responded, "Rusty was right?We're dating," the little uptick in her inflection emphasizing her surprise.

Andy squeezed her hand, "Yah, I mean if you want to. I mean this could be our … ya know," he shrugged unsure of himself but continued, "our first date."

She nodded surprised at the lump that had formed in her throat. Was she really deciding to date? And someone she worked with, a subordinate no less. Her eyes gravitated to their clasped hands. Andy's thumb instinctively caressed the inside of her wrist.

"We'll have to establish some ground rules."

Again Sharon laughed.

"What?"

"I think that's my line," she laughed again.

A/N Your comments are appreciated. Haven't decided if this is a complete story or not. Thank you for reading.