Hi I'm back! Your comments really motivated me to write a sequel. So here we go with the 'maybe-date'

Just tell me if I should continue this, because I haven't wrote another chapter yet. I'm alway a bit unsure about new stories... ^/^

lysjelonken is also back as my beta! So thanks to her my strange stentences are gone ;)

Disclaimer: I still do not own The Mentalist (but I wish I would)

After breaking all speed limits – she didn't think any car, not even his metal death trap, could go that fast – and all other thinkable traffic rules, although she was yelling all the way for him to slow down and stop at the lights, they finally reached their destination.

When the car came to a stop, she literally fell out the door, almost hysterical. Maybe she was just overreacting a little because of this so called `maybe date'… But really, she was a grown woman! She's been on plenty of dates before, why was she getting so wound up?

The fact that she was feeling so nervous was making her even more nervous!

It was just a dinner. With Jane, for God's Sake. Her arrogant, infuriating, childish, pain-in-the-ass consultant who just happened to be the cause of her racing heartbeat.

She was way past denying that he had an influence on her; he did, and she hated it. With the simplest little non-action, he made her heart flutter and her brain go fuzzy.

"Please Lisbon, relax! We're both still alive. No one else got hurt…" He said grinning from ear to ear.

"Don't even start with me!" She growled and started walking.

"Where are you going, my dear?" He asked.

She stopped immediately realizing that she had no idea where they were actually going. So she looked around, realizing for the first time that they were standing in the parking lot by the beach. It was far away from any restaurant of building of any kind; there was just white sand, stained warm orange from the setting sun. The water shone bluer than blue, the same blue as Jane's eyes… Ugh, I thought I was getting over these thoughts!

As she tried to oppress the embarrassing blush that crept up her neck she turned around to face him. Of course he was smiling smugly as he eyed her with a raised eyebrow, waiting for her answer.

She decided she really needed to calm down these bipolar feelings, because if things were going on like they were, she was either going to kiss him senseless or punch him in the nose.

"I'm waiting for you to take the lead." She answered smiling, feeling awkward.

"You let me take the lead? I really feel honored Lisbon." He commented excitedly.

"Just tell me where we're going!" She demanded, throwing him a glare.

"We have to walk a little to get there." He said simply, smiling cheekily.

"You do know that we walked like two miles just yesterday?" She mentioned with annoyance.

"Of course my dear, but I assure you that you don't have to walk another two miles. Besides this place here is lovely; nothing like that nasty old desert we got stuck in. Although there are almost equal amounts of sand…"

"Jane, I got it! Just shut up and start walking!" She interrupted his interminable babble.

"You get really grumpy when you're hungry. Has anyone ever told you that?" He asked slightly offended, walking ahead.

She immediately felt guilty.

This was actually pretty sweet. This place was really beautiful and the effort to impress her was heartwarming. In his own Jane-like way, she could tell that he really tried hard to make the night special for her.

It was just that she was so damn edgy; coming out of such a traumatic situation as being stuck in a desert with no way out, and then going on a date she never imagined in a million years would happen was a pretty unreal 24 hours. The pressure was intense and it made her grumpy…

Furthermore, there was the entire situation of the man in front of her being Patrick Jane. Patrick Jane who is still hopelessly in love and emotionally married to a dead woman; still bent on exacting his revenge on the bloody serial killer, Red John. She didn't know if it was good for her to fall for him. If she would survive the inevitable fallout.

That she was falling for him was scaring the hell out of her. She wondered to herself why it was that she always fell for all the damaged, secretive heartbreakers.

Still she couldn't stop her feelings for him growing. She couldn't stop believing in him, couldn't stop thinking that he could change, that he could let go some day. Maybe for her. She knew these were dangerous thoughts; normally she was extremely realistic when it came to love, but Jane made her go completely irrational.

She caught his eye and gave a soft, apologetic smile, feeling very aware of the embarrassed blush rushing to her cheeks. This time not because of inappropriate thoughts, but because she was painfully ashamed of her grumpiness. But he smiles back, it's genuine and his eyes are understanding. Sometimes it was scary how well he knew her. Even when she did her best to shut him out, he saw right through her…

They walked in silence along the beach. It was like entering another world. Everything here was just so peaceful and beautiful. The beach was mostly empty. Most of the people they found along the way were dozing in the warm sand, and some couples were snuggled together enjoying the sunset.

The hot sun was just about to drown in the depths of the sea, coloring the world in gold and red. Did she mention that Jane's blond hair was glowing in the warm light? The urge to touch those angel like curls of him was right now was getting really hard to fight.

So she forced herself to look away from him. Instead she looked down at her feet, concentrated on the feeling of the fine white sand under her feet and tried to gain back control over her mind and body. What the hell was wrong with her? She was a grown woman; a man shouldn't be making her feel like a giddy, tongue-twisted teenager!

"Lisbon?" She heard Jane's voice, a light chuckling in it.

She looked up and noticed that he wasn't next to her anymore but now standing a few feet away in front of a little wooden building right on the beach.

"We are here, but if you would like to finish those two miles first…" He trailed off and grinned.

In any other situation she would have been annoyed by his remark, but she was just so grateful that she hadn't offended him.

"Maybe after dinner." Was he imagining it, or was her tone flirtatious?

Like the gentleman he is, he held the door open for her and lead her to their table on the terrace lightly touching the small of her back.

Innocently of course… No ulterior motives there…

She shivered slightly under his touch and he smiled in this knowing way. But before he could tease her, the waiter came and gave them their menus.

Jane ordered the house wine that he swore was delicious and gave her a teasing smile instead of saying anything.

The restaurant was nice and cozy. The terrace was right on the beach so you had a wonderful view over the ocean. The tables were simply made up, white tablecloths, crimson placemats, tea lights flickering. The combination of that candlelight and the torches lighting the white sand around the terrace made the entire scene seem unbelievably – dare she say it? – romantic.

The restaurant's name, Alfredo's, led her to the conclusion that it was Italian and the other guests were wearing elegant clothes – jewel-colored cocktail dresses, suits. So in summary, Jane brought her to an exclusive, romantic, Italian restaurant on the beach for their first 'maybe-date'.

She realized that she was still wearing her work clothes and shifted uncomfortably. She felt terribly out of place. Even Jane looked like he fitted in with his usual three piece suit (not that the man could ever, in her opinion, look out of place). Nervously she pulled at her shirt. As if this would change anything. It was still just a normal work shirt.

"Something wrong?" Jane asked, concerned, over the menu he was pretending to study.

"You didn't tell me we were coming to a place like this… I feel out of place." She said nervously.

"Well, I offered you to buy the sexy underwear first." He reminded her with a mischievous grin.

"Jane, seriously? Neither the underwear, nor that comment would've made any difference." She growled with a warning look. What was it with him and her underwear?

"For me it certainly would have." He said suggestively.

"Pervert." She said dryly, throwing him a teasing smirk and an amused gaze through her lashes.

"C'mon, Lisbon. You know I just like to mess with you a little." He said smiling. The banter was back. Back and supercharged with teasing and smiles.

"I still look like a mess. The waiters are dressed better than me…" She mumbled, looking uncomfortably over her shoulder once again before looking down at herself.

"Relax. You look beautiful. As always…" He said in his smooth, calming voice.

She looked up at him and their eyes met in unbelievable intensity; a rare, genuine smile played on his face and she almost lost her breath. And then his fingers were brushing hers – When did his hand move closer? – and she felt electricity coursing through her veins and goose bumps spreading over her skin. The most she could manage between trying to keep her heart from jumping out of her throat, was a weak smile and she turned her attention to the menu for the first time since she sat down.

"See something you like?" Jane asked her after a while.

Seriously? She'd barely looked at the menu, and most of the time she'd been looking at it had been spent trying to get her breathing and heart rate back under control. Apparently her ability to gracefully take compliments wasn't what it used to be. And especially not when the compliments came from Jane. Speaking of Jane, didn't he ask her something?

"Sorry?" She asked.

"If you've decided what you'll like to have? The menu?" He repeated, amused. She briefly wondered if he read her mind…

"Why don't you tell me, psychic man?" She challenged him. If he didn't know how she'd been trying to save herself from another embarrassing moment, then she didn't want to give him any clues. He was too good at what he does on his own.

"There's no such thing as psychics, you know that. I'm just observant." He said, smiling that smile of his that made her knees buckle.

"So you admit you can't tell what I'm having?" She teased him.

"Of course I know…" He said, chuckling as if she was saying the silliest things on earth and waved to the waiter closer.

After Jane told the waiter that he would have something he called filetto pizzaiola con tagilatelle– she really had no idea what that would be – he grinned at her and ordered for his so called lady the pastasciutta fredda. The waiter nodded friendly and poured them the wine in the glasses before leaving again.

Lisbon stared at Jane like he was from another planet what he responded with a proud smile.

"I didn't know you speak Italian." She said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Like the man doesn't have enough going for him already?

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, dear." He said mysteriously.

"Like what?"

"You'll have to find that out on your own." He said with a wink.

This answer provoked her to roll her eyes but she just had to smile. Jane really was a big mystery sometimes; fascinating and attention-owning, but also pretty unnerving. She'd never felt so many opposing feelings for one person. It confused the hell out of her, but it was like she was addicted to the confusion. Like she couldn't get enough of the delicious strangeness.

Jane eyed her stare, which was calculating like she was solving a problem. "I know you want to discover all my dirty little secrets, Teresa." He said salaciously.

She chuckled and took a sip of her wine – he was right, it was delicious. "That's not what I was thinking about. Besides I have my secrets as well."

"Of course you have. But let's face it, my dear, when it comes to secret-revealing we're not an even match. I'll reveal yours much faster than you mine." He said smugly.

"Oh really? I think you underestimate me, Patrick Jane. I might not be an all-seeing mentalist, but I am a detective after all." She mocked. This was just like Jane, charming and romantic the one moment, smug and challenging the next. For some it would probably be annoying, but it kept her on her toes. Arguing with him was fun.

"Sure. For example, I know that in all of those three minutes you were staring at the menu just now you didn't read a single word." For a moment she just stared at him. Damn him and his observing skills!

"Fine. That's one. You could also be just guessing…" She mumbled and distracted herself by fiddling with the napkin.

"We both know I wasn't. Just admit it: I'm the superior." He said, smiling wickedly as he watched her long, slender fingers play with the napkin. For a moment he was hypnotized and his grin fell off his face. He didn't even see the death-glare she threw him, but when she rebutted, he brought his attention back to reality.

"I'm not planning to feed your already blown-up ego, Jane!" She said, laughing mirthfully.

"C'mon Lisbon. Just say it." He teased.

"No!"

"You know it's true…"

"Never!"

"Well, if you'd like me to prove it again, I'll be more than happen to reveal a few more secrets until you believe me. Why don't we start with today at the office when you were secretly thinking of me instead of working, or…"

"Okay, okay, that's enough! If you're not going to take a rest…" She hesitated before adding begrudgingly: "Fine, I admit it: Patrick Jane, you are superior at surreptitiously luring secrets out of unsuspecting victims." She said, smiling at his outraged expression at her twist of words. She was just grateful that she could make her witty remark without him revealing to her exactly how many embarrassing things she hoped he didn't know he indeed knew.

"You're a mean little minx, you know that?" He says, winking as he takes a deep sip from his wine and couldn't help the smile from returning when he saw the teasing sparkle in her eyes.

To outside ears they would probably sound like they were bickering, but this was what they did. Teasing and light and fun; it was a nice change from the darkness that often hung over both their lives.

For a few moments they sat in silence, drinking their wine and looking deep into each other's eyes. Sparks were practically flying between them and shy smiles were exchanged. The intensity in his eyes was consuming her; butterflies were tingling in her belly.

If this was supposed to be a 'maybe-date' she wondered how a real date with him would look like…

Tbc