DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING

A/N: I'm writing this story per the request of guardianM3, who wanted a longer story about Carlos and my OC Charleigh Bowdre. Please read and review, folks!

It was a cool fall evening in Dallas. Officer Carlos Sandoval was relaxing with a beer at C.D.'s Bar and Grill.

"Trent," he said, "I can't get this woman out of my head."

"Who?" asked his lifelong best friend Trent Malloy.

"Charleigh Bowdre," Carlos said with a sigh.

"That Border Patrol agent you met on the Molina case?" asked Trent, knowing perfectly well that was who Carlos meant.

"Yeah," Carlos said, nodding. "The mother of my children."

Trivette, who was halfway through a sip of beer, suddenly snorted, spraying the bar. "What?" he sputtered.

C.D. scowled, noticing the beer all over the bar. "Clean up that mess up, Jimmy!" he scolded, tossing Trivette a rag.

"Carlos, you keep talkin' like that and you're gonna have to arrest yourself," Trent warned.

"I'm serious, Trent, I think she's the one," said Carlos.

Trent chuckled. He knew his buddy better than that. Carlos was a serial dater; the last girl that he was serious about was Betsy Neil, whom Carlos had met their freshman year of high school. Their relationship had lasted a grand total of three months.

"You haven't seen her in over two months," Trent pointed out.

"We were on a job," Carlos said defensively. "It wouldn't have been official conduct to ask for her number."

"Since when have you worried about official conduct?" asked Trent. "You fell for the old broken car routine once and that girl ended up stealing my car."

Doggedly ignoring Trent, Carlos continued, "I figured I'd run into her again sometime, you know, when I was off-duty. I mean, Texas is a pretty small place."

"How much have you been drinkin', son?" asked C.D. He snatched Carlos's half-empty beer bottle away and pointed a finger sternly at him. "You are cut off."

"I'm guessing you haven't seen her yet," said Trivette.

"Nope," said Carlos, taking a handful of peanuts from a bowl. "How am I supposed to find her?"

"I got an idea," said C.D. "You know where she works, Carlos?"

Carlos nodded.

"Well, when you get off-duty, just drive over there and wait for her to come out." C.D. suggested.

Carlos immediately jumped up and walked outside to wait for a cab.

"Isn't that kinda childish?" asked Trent.

"It was a joke, Trent," said C.D.

"I don't think Carlos thought so," said Trivette.

Trent decided to wait around in case Carlos came back. When he finally did, C.D. was getting ready to close up. There was a triumphant smile on his face.

"Well, guys, I did," said Carlos.

"Oh, Lord, you didn't," said C.D.

"I did."

"And?" said Trent.

"I missed her. Musta been her day off or somethin'. No worries, I'll just go back tomorrow."

"I don't think that'd be such a good idea, Carlos," said Trent.

"Malloy, I can take care of my own love life, all right?" said Carlos, going outside to get another cab to his apartment. "I'll see you later."

C.D. shook his head. "Whatever happened to a fella usin' the phone book?" he asked.