#sorry i take any chance i can to complain about this fuckwit

[dragons-and-yellow-roses]

Last ADHD evaluation: Had to wait about six months to get in, "doctor" was a man, he told me I'm "too smart" to have ADHD

This ADHD evaluation: Doctor is a woman, I can get in within two weeks, already a much more pleasant experience

[lovemesomerafael]

El Amor Todo Lo Puede           Chapter 45:  The One You’ve Been Waiting For

Chapters 1-40  Chapter 41  Chapter 42  Chapter 43  Chapter 44

The squad room was buzzing with the news that Olivia Benson had been chosen to receive the very prestigious SHE ROSE Advocate of the Year award.  The women’s rights organization presenting the award was founded by three New York Congresswomen who had each risen above a history of some sort of abuse.  The name SHE ROSE was an acronym, but the group had achieved so much that no one paid much attention to what the letters stood for anymore.  The award was to be presented at a gala which would be attended by all sorts of celebrities and dignitaries.  Because the gala was also a fundraiser for SHE ROSE, Chief Dodds had arranged for NYPD to sponsor a table and instructed all the members of Olivia’s squad at SVU to attend, and to bring a date.  They each took that news in their own way.  

Surprisingly, Fin was excited.  Not because he was necessarily a tuxedos and cocktails kind of guy, but because he had been seeing a woman recently whom he thought would be impressed by attending an event like that with him.  Amanda rolled her eyes, complaining confidentially to Laura that her daughters had her too tired in the evenings to think dressing up and going out would be fun. Still, she had her eye on a Sergeant in Computer Crimes and thought this might be a good opportunity to explore that connection.  Carisi had an existential meltdown about the whole idea of having a date for the event. Olivia, of course, would be attending with Captain Tucker.  He kept trying to get the squad to call him Ed when they weren’t on duty, but that was never going to happen, probably not even if he ever left the Rat Squad.  Not that they didn’t like him, but he was IAB, and that was that.  Captain Tucker he remained.

And then there were Laura and Rafael.  Laura profoundly wished the event wasn’t happening, or that she didn’t have to go, or that there was no such thing as a plus-one.  Because being required to get a date for this fucking fancy-ass gala put her squarely in high school again, trying to figure out if her crush would ask her to Homecoming, or whether she should ask him, or whether she should just set fire to the school to avoid the whole mess.  She would kill to attend the gala with Rafael.  But would that happen?  Did he want it to?

Rafael was simply nauseated.  At first, he’d been happy to think there was a chance Laura might ask him to go with her, even if just as friends, as he had asked her to attend the Bar Association awards dinner almost a year before.  That had ended very well.  He liked the idea that, this time, he would be able to simply sit back and wait to see whether she invited him.  Until Olivia made a point of asking him to attend the damn thing to see her get her award. Now he had to figure out how to navigate the Escher-like landscape of his relationship with Laura, whatever it was, and decide whether he should ask her.  

*******

Carisi was sitting on one side of the table in the break room, with Amanda next to him.  Both were looking expectantly at Laura, who was on the other side facing them.

“So, I’ve been seeing someone, and…” Carisi began.

Laura smiled.  Not only because Sonny was as wonderful as he was ridiculously attractive and she wanted him to have a love life, but also because of his adorable discomfort discussing it.

“The thing is, that’s who I’m bringing to the gala.  And, um, he’s a guy.”

“Mmm-hmm.”  Laura said, nodding. 

There was an odd, expectant pause, while Laura waited for Sonny to tell her what the problem was.  After a few silent seconds, Amanda burst out laughing.

“I told you, Carisi!  You dumb shit!  You’re the only one who feels like you have to make a big coming-out speech.”

“Oh, shit!”  Laura cried.  “Was that… were you coming out to me?  I’m such a moron!  Sorry, um…  no one ever came out to me before.  What should I say?”

“Say ‘isn’t that interesting’ and then ask about his boyfriend.  Because the guy is a stone fox,” Amanda offered.

“So you knew.”

“Of course I knew.  Carisi knew I’d be all over it.”

“Wait – are you bi, too?”  Laura knew she was botching this terribly.  

“Me, no.  I’m just a slut,” Amanda laughed. 

Laura laughed, too, and reached a hand out to cover Carisi’s.  “Sonny, thank you.  Thanks for trusting me.  Tell me the most supportive thing I can say, and I’ll say it.  Cuz I’m there.”

The smile on Carisi’s face made his eyes crinkle in that way that always made Laura feel like he was her little brother.  She didn’t know who was older, but it didn’t matter.  He’d definitely be the little brother, no matter how old he was.

“Say you’ll come to the gala and be totally nonchalant about it. That’s all I really need.”

Rafael walked in at that moment.  Apparently, he was already aware that Carisi was bi, because neither Carisi nor Amanda made any move to stop the conversation.

“Well, can I meet him first?”  Laura asked.  “I mean, if he’s as good looking as Amanda says, I definitely want to meet him, but also then at the gala, it won’t be so much like a blind date.”

“Oh, sure.  That’s a good idea,” Carisi agreed, his eyes brightening now that he’d come out to Laura and enlisted her help in coming out to the rest of the world.

“How about tonight?  Come over for dinner.  Carisi will cook, and the girls would love to see you.”

Carisi looked at Amanda in mock irritation.  “Was anyone going to ask if Carisi will cook?”  The women ignored him.

“I want to see them!  I’d love it.”

The three detectives had finished their lunches, and began to get up from the table as Rafael pretended to study the snacks in the vending machines.  They said hello to him, but his response was subdued.  He seemed as though he had something on his mind.

Laura took a deep breath.  Now or never, she thought.  Just suck it up and ask him to go to the gala with you.  When Carisi and Rollins left the room, she stayed behind, getting progressively more nervous as she leaned with her back to the vending machine next to the one Rafael was staring fixedly into.  “Um… Rafael, I wanted to ask you…”

He continued to stare into the vending machine, as though mesmerized. She faltered.

“I wondered if you would… um would you…”

“Yes?”

He turned to her, looking at her strangely, almost scowling at her.  Immediately upon him turning to her, Laura was aware of those eyes, that smolder, how desperately she wanted him to say yes… and completely lost her nerve.  

“Would you say that the Angelli case is first-degree rape, or second?”

Fuck.

“I’ll charge first, he’ll get convicted of second.  Why do you ask?”

“I just… wondered.  Just curious. See you later.”  Laura hustled into the squad room, her face burning, feeling like a complete fool.  Parker, you hopeless loser.  You got no game.  None.  

Rafael watched her go.  So.  That’s the end of that, I guess.  So much for “she’s in love with you.”  Women who are in love don’t accept blind dates.  Especially to events that will be attended by the one they’re supposed to love.

The worst part was, now he’d have to find himself a fucking date for the gala.

By Monday of the next week, the week of the gala, Rafael still had not asked Laura to go with him, and she had tried three more times to ask him.  Twice she had been unable to find the courage to actually form the question, once she completely freaked out and claimed she had forgotten something as an excuse to rush out of the room.  She cursed herself roundly and told herself she was going to die alone in a cave after she got kicked out of the human race for being such a fuckwit.  She tried desperately to think of a way to force herself to ask him, but she also began to ask herself why he hadn’t asked her.  The gala was on Friday.  It had seemed like he might ask her, things seemed to be heading toward Rafael at least wanting to be friends again, but…  

And then she found out.

Rafael and Olivia had been meeting in Benson’s office for the past hour.  Even through the closed door, their raised voices could still be heard.  Aside from a few amused smirks when one of them would yell particularly loudly at the other, the squad paid little attention. Rafael and Olivia argued all the time. It was just part of their working relationship.

When they finished their bout, Olivia opened her office door to walk out with him.  As they walked, Olivia said to Rafael in a voice she thought couldn’t be overheard, “What’s this I hear about you taking Molly Strandwood to the gala?”

Where Rafael was concerned, Laura had the radar and surveillance capabilities of an Aegis cruiser.  She heard every word Olivia said.  And she heard Rafael reply sharply, defensively, “That’s right.”

She didn’t hear what Olivia said back, because they turned the corner toward the elevators.  

Laura had once been kicked full-force in the solar plexus when sparring with another student during a krav maga class.  The sharp, throbbing, radiating pain was so excruciating she felt like she could sense each separate internal organ.  Long, terrified moments later, when she could actually begin to hiccup small breaths again, the pain was joined by a restlessness and agitation she had never experienced before or since.  Her heart pounded and she could only sit, sweating, as she fought the nausea.

Hearing Rafael confirm that he had asked someone else to the gala felt exactly like that kick.  Maybe a little worse.  She tried to appear normal as she made her way to the bathroom, where she could be alone to begin to absorb the blow and wait to be able to breathe again.  

*********

The gala was held in a gorgeous hotel Laura had never been to before. She had only seen photo spreads in high-end magazines showing its sumptuous rooms and extravagant public spaces. As she walked into the ballroom with her date, she looked around at the opulence of the massive space, the glamorous people in spectacular gowns and perfectly-tailored designer tuxedos, and the sparkling crystal on the tables.  She could smell the huge floral centerpieces, each in a high silver vase that held it above the level of the diners’ eyes so that they could converse without it in the way.  The lighting was a bit subdued, and there was a live band playing swing-era music.   The dais was already peopled with several celebrities she recognized, as well as a number of well-known politicians. The whole thing was like a dream.

All she wanted was to wake up.  She did not want to be here.  She did not want to spend an entire evening having to look at Rafael in his tux, dark and sexy and elegant, sitting with another woman.  She had spent long, weary hours shopping for the perfect dress, all the while berating herself for seeking a gown to please a man who didn’t want her.  But she was determined that, if she was going to have to endure the gala watching Rafael with someone else, she would try to find a dress that made her feel like a little less of a jilted hag.

She had at least succeeded there.  The entire bodice of her soft, champagne-colored gown was beaded with pearls, intermixed with tiny crystals that reflected the lights and gave the bodice shimmery, sparkly life.  The beading ended in an asymmetrical waistline that gave way to a long fall of champagne-colored satin that flowed when she moved and puddled just a bit on the floor.  She had particularly chosen the gown because it had two audacious features.  The bodice was a low-cut V, with the beading becoming less dense until it softly gave way to an expanse of exposed décolletage that Amanda had had to talk Laura into daring to show.  The skirt had a slit that rose to mid-thigh and showed a shocking amount of her left leg when she walked.  Amanda had had to talk her into braving that, too.  

Her date was a very nice guy from her blue-belt class at the gym. Glen Harrison was a huge man, with unruly black hair, a permanent five-O’clock shadow, and an abundance of black hair covering his arms, legs, and chest.  He worked as a longshoreman and his body showed the hard manual labor he did every day.  Glen’s dark eyes were the best feature in his handsome face, glinting from under long lashes. He looked good in his rented tuxedo, although perhaps a little like a fish out of water.

Glen had initially thought Laura’s presence in the krav maga class was some kind of joke.  He made a number of comments to that effect, wondering aloud what that woman was doing in a serious martial arts class with men twice her size.  Their instructor, Avi ben Yaakov, demanded that his students behave toward everyone with respect, in class or out, and he had not been pleased. So he had sat the class down, as he did when he was going to have students demonstrate something, and let Laura loose on Glen.  Glen soon learned that she had earned her place in the class.  He and she had been friends ever since.  

Glen may have misjudged her based on his initial impression, but he now respected that she could give as good as she got with anyone in the class, including him.  There was nothing romantic about their relationship – he liked his women a whole lot heftier than Laura was - but he liked her well enough, and had been excited when she asked him to come to this gala with her.  He thought spending a glamorous evening at a table full of cops sounded like fun.  

Laura found their table and noted that most of the group was already there and had staked out their seats.  She couldn’t help but see Rafael first, looking even better in his tux than she’d been afraid he would.  She wasn’t sure which woman standing in the group talking with him was his date.  She didn’t want to know.

The first thing she and Glen did was choose seats for themselves, then she led Glen to the other side of the large table, where Carisi and his date, Dean, were chatting with a group of people.  She’d promised to lend them support with her presence, and it wasn’t hard to spot them.  Dean was probably the best-looking guy in the room.  When Laura had met him earlier in the week, she had been surprised that Sonny hadn’t mentioned he was black, and still more surprised that he was even better looking than Amanda had indicated.  It was no shock to Laura when she learned that Dean was a sometime model, but what was more impressive was that he modeled to put himself through the engineering program at Fordham.  Laura fully approved of him as worthy to date Sonny, and she was a tough critic when it came to people who dated her friends.  

She exchanged hugs with Sonny and Dean, and introduced them to Glen. Amanda and her date, the Sergeant from Computer Crimes, joined them and they enjoyed a pleasant half-hour mingling with others they knew, teasing Olivia about being a celebrity, and generally reveling in the fairy-tale atmosphere of the gala.  

Eventually, the lights dimmed and the master of ceremonies, a talk show host who Laura thought might be a little edgy for this particular crowd, announced that it was time for the guests to take their seats.  Laura couldn’t help but notice that Rafael hadn’t come to join the group she’d been talking with, but had stayed on the other side of the table, mingling with other people.  She wondered whether he was avoiding her, but also questioned whether she even rated that much of his attention anymore.  The thought made her angry.  What the hell had she been thinking, having her hair done professionally for this stupid costume party, to impress a man who had apparently entirely deleted her from his thoughts?  Being irritated by it was easier than admitting how it really felt to be irrelevant to the man she loved.  She had an entire evening to get through.

She and Glen moved around the table to their seats and he pulled her chair out for her, a surprisingly gentlemanly move that made her smile at him.  She then turned to step around the chair and came face to face with Rafael.

Whose seat was right next to hers.

They stood for a second, too stunned initially to disguise the horrified looks on their faces, before each artlessly, transparently, struggled to cover their discomfort.  Rafael spoke first.  

“Are you going to introduce me to your date?”

When Laura stiffly, formally introduced them, Rafael greeted Glen so heartily and cheerfully that Laura knew at once he was mocking her.  Oh, this was gonna be a long night.

He then introduced Laura to the woman standing next to him. Fortunately, Laura was already struggling with the nightmare of unexpectedly coming face to face with Rafael and realizing she was going to have to sit next to him all evening, so she was actively working to control her expression.  Because the woman was a trainwreck.  

Her hair was huge.  Massive. A tower of lacquer and abuse.  Her tight, royal blue dress squeezed her breasts to an extent that appeared to Laura to be both painful and ill-advised, compressing them so that the large majority of them spilled over the neckline.  Her makeup had probably taken a long time to put on, not least because there was so much of it.  She had eyeliner drawn out in curlicues at least an inch from the edges of her eyes, and her glitter lipstick accentuated lips that had clearly been injected with something.  She was… a lot.  

Laura immediately and intentionally forgot the woman’s name as she said hello to her, followed by raising an amused eyebrow at Rafael, who tried to maintain a pleased expression.  Normally, he had a perfect poker face.  Not tonight.  He was sure she could see the wince he was trying to hide.

The group at the NYPD’s table sat and began to settle in for the event. Glen pushed Laura’s chair in for her, while Rafael did the same for his date.  

As Rafael took his seat, he reached for his napkin, which was on the side of his place setting nearest Laura.  He muttered out of the side of his mouth, “Does the ape house have a curfew?  Did you bring some emergency bananas, just in case he gets restless?”

“Says the guy who brought Snooki.  How are things on the Jersey Shore?”  She matched his annoyed, scornful tone and tried to be discreet as they growled to one another in Spanish.

“I’m surprised,” he observed quietly.  “Gorillas are an evolutionary step down from troglodytes, and we know you don’t like them.  I wouldn’t have thought they’d be your type.”

“Yeah, well, you’re kind of known for making wrong assumptions about me,” Laura snarled, turning pointedly away from Rafael to move closer to Glen. 

The program began and dinner was served.  Neither Laura nor Rafael could have said what it was.  They were too intensely aware of one another, too keyed up, and too busy trying to act as though none of that was true.  At least the program and dinner gave them something to pretend to focus on, and something to do with their hands.

At one point, Laura had to ask Rafael to hand her a dish of butter, which was served in pats sculpted into medallions with the hotel’s initial on them.  She took advantage of the opportunity to quietly address him while appearing entirely focused on the butter medallions.

“You know, I might have misjudged Snooki.  Given your penchant for getting into trouble, it was actually pretty brilliant of her to preemptively wear a compression bandage on a date with you.”

“I don’t want to judge,” he responded, muttering softly in a falsely nonchalant tone, “but I don’t think you’re supposed to dress gorillas up and feed them. You’re just supposed to watch them from behind a bush while they forage for leaves and grubs.”

Laura huffed quietly, concentrating on buttering a roll to conceal the fact that they were having this clandestine conversation.  “Just because we’re sitting next to eachother, doesn’t mean you have to talk to me.”

“You talked to me,” he retorted.

“My mistake.  I should be talking to Glen.”

“He talks?  He doesn’t just make signs with his hands?” 

That one was hard for Laura not to laugh at, but she was determined not to give him the satisfaction.  Napkin in front of her mouth, she whispered, “Turn around and pay attention to Snooki.  She seems like a girl who needs that.  You don’t want her exposing the small percentage of her boobs that aren’t already popping out of that dress.”

“Now who’s making wrong assumptions?”  

There was a break in the program while dessert was served, during which those sitting around the table began to chat with the people nearest them.  It was then that Laura heard Rafael’s date’s voice.  It was a honk.  There was no other word for it.  A loud, nasal honk with a grating local accent Laura couldn’t identify.

The woman began to tell a rambling story about someone falling down, dropping a bunch of packages and spilling her purse.  It was hard to follow, because every other sentence, she stopped to ask, “You know what I mean?”  

When it was over, Laura was still waiting for the punchline as the woman looked expectantly at those around her.  

“I’m sure it was the talk of the salon,” Laura said, when she realized the woman’s story was complete.  She immediately wished she hadn’t said it out loud.  She shouldn’t be mean to Snooki; the woman hadn’t done anything to her.  This was all Rafael’s fault.

“How’d you know I work at a hair salon?”  The woman asked, astounded.

“Lucky guess,” Laura smiled sweetly, holding back a startled laugh and sure she could feel Rafael scowling at her.

“Wow you must be a great detective.  Wasn’t that smart, Ra-fay-ell?”  The woman poked his arm with a long, red fingernail. 

“Deduction like that is what separates us from the apes.”  He said.  “Some of us, anyway,” he added sotto voce, in Spanish. 

Glen, who had enjoyed Snooki’s story, then began to tell about a time when he had struggled mightily to carry a full tray of drinks to his friends’ table at a club.

“Yeah, that’s a tough one,” Rafael said sympathetically.  “Thank God for opposable thumbs, huh?”

Laura sighed audibly.

Snooki then announced that she was going to the restroom. Laura thought that was a good idea, actually, so she said, “I’ll go with you.”  She couldn’t resist whispering in Spanish so only Rafael could hear, “and show you how indoor plumbing works.”

Laura returned to the table without Snooki, and Rafael looked inquiringly at her.  

“She said she needed to freshen up,” Laura shrugged, then moved down the table to talk briefly with Carisi and Dean.  

Rafael couldn’t take his eyes off her.  He was bewitched by the way her dress flowed around her, giving him the occasional flash of most of her leg, and that sparkly, teasing bodice gave him enough of a glimpse to remind him what she looked like with her chest completely bare.  He groaned inwardly.  He had to fight to stop himself from going to her.  It was clear that she was no more romantically interested in her date than he was in Snoo- Molly, he reminded himself.  This situation was ridiculous.

As he was thinking these thoughts, filling his eyes with Laura and wishing he could touch her softly curled hair, she turned back toward him to return to her seat, catching him mid-gawk.  At that moment, Snooki returned to the table.  He actually flinched.  She had refreshed her makeup and it was, if possible, more grotesque than it had been previously.  Laura gave Rafael a significant look as she sat down next to him.

“Shut up,” he muttered.

At that moment, Glen knocked over his water glass, causing a commotion and making quite a mess.

“Uh-oh” Rafael muttered.  “Now he’s gonna have to make the hand sign for another one.”

Laura laughed.  She couldn’t help it.  Rafael’s deadpan delivery, coupled with the excitement she felt at having caught him looking at her appreciatively, and the overall absurdity of the whole evening, bubbled up from within her before she could stop it.  She tried to cover her laugh with a cough, but Rafael wasn’t fooled.

The lights dimmed and the program began again.  

“Did you just laugh?”  Rafael whispered, leaning just slightly toward her so she could hear.

“Not intentionally.  I’m mad at you.”

Surprised, he turned to her.  “What did I do?”

She stayed facing forward, still trying to hide the fact that they were whispering together.  Could he really not know?  Was that even possible?  She decided, right then, with him sitting inches from her looking so good it hurt, to put her cards on the table.  “I thought we were friends again.  I’m supposed to be your go-to for these kinds of events.”

“You are!”

“Then what’s with Snooki?”

“You were bringing the Gorilla.”

“Not until after I heard about Snooki.”

“No, I heard you say – Laura.  Enough.  Let’s get something straight.  I want you to be my go-to for every event.  Ever.” 

There was a loud burst of laughter and applause at something someone on the dais had said, making it impossible for Laura to respond.  The other thing that rendered her mute was that she couldn’t believe he had said what she had heard.  Could he really have said…  She was instantly electrified.  Soon enough, the cheering began to subside.

“What did you say?”  Her loud whisper was insistent, demanding.

“I love you.”

Laura froze, her body alive with electric shocks shooting everywhere.  All she could do was sit rigid, staring ahead and blinking back tears, swallowing the joyful shriek trying to escape from her overflowing heart.  She couldn’t look at Rafael.  She knew that, if she did, she would burst into tears and throw herself on him in front of her date and his.  Not to mention a ballroom full of womens’ rights advocates, the press, a host of celebrities, and the Lieutenant Governor of the State of New York.  There was absolutely nothing she could do about the radiant smile beaming from her flushed face.  She took a long, unnecessary drink of water to try to gain control of it, but she suspected it might be permanent.

At that moment, whoever was speaking said something that received a standing ovation.  The loud applause and opportunity to stand up gave Laura and Rafael a chance to stand shoulder to shoulder and talk without being obvious about it.  Although the rest of the squad were starting to be aware that something was going on between them.  

“Did you say-“

“You heard me.  Now dump the Gorilla and let’s get out of here.”

“Liv hasn’t accepted her award yet.”

“Mierda.[1]  That’s right.  Fake a heart attack.  She’ll forgive you.”

“You fake a heart attack.  She likes you better.”

For the first time that night, they turned and smiled at one another. As the ovation ended and the crowd returned to their seats, Rafael and Laura tried to be inconspicuous as they moved their chairs toward each other so that their legs were touching.  Hidden by the long tablecloth, Rafael took Laura’s hand under the table. 

Fin noticed their closeness and elbowed Carisi, who elbowed Amanda, who elbowed Liv.  Suddenly, what was obviously developing between their friends was much more interesting than what was going on in the front of the room.

“This is not happening,” Rafael chuckled under his breath.

“It’s happening, Harvard.  We’re stuck.”

Rafael sighed a few Spanish swear words, although he was grinning broadly.

“Say it again,” Laura whispered, squeezing his hand.

“I love you.”

She felt a rush of heat that added a flush to her face.  Combined with her mostly unsuccessful attempts to hide her smile, Laura was practically screaming with joy for those who understood what they were seeing.  

“I love you, too,” she murmured.

“Tell me you want to be with me.”

“More than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

Rafael was glad for the long tablecloth that hid his reaction to that, but his face clearly showed his elation.

Laura began to giggle.  Rafael loved her!  He had said it, and he was even now holding her hand and beginning to rub her fingers with his thumb.  The euphoria she felt had to escape somehow, she simply couldn’t contain it.  She didn’t want to.  She wanted to run up to the dais, grab the microphone from whoever that long-winded guy was, and scream it to the crowd.  She wanted to turn to Rafael and kiss him stupid.  She wanted to make him tell her he loved her until he was hoarse.

Instead, she had to behave, to sit quietly and somehow get through whatever was left of the program before Olivia received her award.  It was a ludicrous situation, and there was nothing she could do about it.  Which caused her to giggle uncontrollably.  She tried to cover it by holding her napkin to her mouth, but it didn’t work very well.

Rafael quickly caught the giggles, too, and for the same reasons. Through the entire rest of the speech they weren’t listening to, they fought to control their laughter and keep from drawing attention to themselves.  Although the rest of the team were trained observers and knew all that had happened between Rafael and Laura, even Snooki and Glen could now tell that something was going on. Not knowing the situation, however, they simply thought that their dates were quite rudely whispering and joking privately in Spanish.  

At long last, the speech ended and the Master of Ceremonies announced that the President of SHE ROSE would now present Olivia’s award.  Rafael and Laura began to pay attention, although they still held hands under the table and Laura was teasingly running her foot up his ankle under his tuxedo pants.

The speech was very well-written and well-delivered.  The Congresswoman speaking obviously knew Olivia’s work, and was speaking from her heart rather than simply reading a speech. It was a lovely tribute and there were many pauses for applause.  Olivia blushed and fidgeted uncomfortably through the speech until, at last, the Congresswoman introduced her and she made the long walk from their table to the dais.  Everyone stood to give Olivia a rousing ovation, celebrating all of her work and sacrifice over a career seeking justice for victims of sexual crimes.  It was a very special moment, even as distracted as Rafael and Laura were with their own unfolding joyful drama.  

Once Olivia had accepted her award, and the Master of Ceremonies began to conclude the program, Rafael stood and left the ballroom without a word. Laura and his date, whatever her name was, exchanged glances and shrugged.  

He was gone for a while.  He didn’t return until the MC had almost finished thanking everyone on the dais and congratulating Olivia, and he didn’t explain where he’d gone.  

The program finally concluded.  The lights came up, the swing band began to play, and most of the crowd stood and began to move about, finally released from the need to sit still and quiet. No one was more relieved than Rafael and Laura.

As they were getting up with the rest of their table, both Rafael’s and Laura’s phones began to ring within seconds of each other.  Laura frowned with the beginnings of concern, wondering whether yet another inescapable barrier was going to keep them from finally being able to be alone together.  She took her phone out of her evening bag and answered it, stepping a bit away from the rest of the table in an effort to limit the rudeness of taking the call.

“Hello?”

“Laura, it’s Ramón.  Rafael’s cousin?  I’m supposed to tell you not to say anything.  Just act like I’m giving you a serious message and follow Rafael’s lead. So say you understand and then hang up.  Have fun, whatever you two are playing at.”

“I understand,” she replied, working very hard not to smile, and succeeding only in looking mildly squeamish.  She ended the call and looked up at Rafael.

He immediately put a hand out and pulled his date over to stand next to hers.  He handed Glen a small piece of paper.

“Molly, Glen, the two of you have something in common.  And I’m hoping you’ll accept my offer to go somewhere, have a drink, and talk about it.  This is the address of a very nice place called Forlini’s.  I’ve called the bartender and he’s going to put anything you want on my tab.  Eat. Drink.  Bond.  It’s easy walking distance from here.”

“Wait… what’s happening… what do we have in common?” Rafael’s date asked in her nasal honk.

“You’re both about to be abandoned by your dates.  I’m sorry.  But it’s a national emergency.  We can’t talk about it.  Go.  Go to Forlini’s.  Have a wonderful time.  Goodnight.”

Rafael took Laura by the hand and called out, “Congratulations, Liv, we’ll talk later!”

“Sorry, Glen.  I’ll see you in class-”  Laura said, barely having enough time to snatch her purse from the table before Rafael began pulling her toward the door. They all but ran out of the ballroom. 

The SVU team, all standing together as the members congratulated Liv, smiled knowingly and clinked their drink glasses.  It was about damn time.

[1] Shit.