Chapter Fifty Four: Date Night

Bellini was a gorgeous little hole in the wall restaurant located just around the corner from Molly's. The signage outside was wrought iron and discreet, Maggie had walked past it a million times over the past few months and had failed to notice it. It was only when she stepped inside the small locale did she come to appreciate it's true beauty. There were strings of small rustic fairy lights lining the walls illuminating them with a stunning burst of light. Her fingertips ran across the rivets in the almost black mahogany wood furniture, you could already feel the thrum of life in this place. The atmosphere was inviting and exclusive, the sweet serenade of jazz flooding her ears as the server greeted her with a welcoming smile.

Upon giving her name she was guided through the rows of tables to a reserved space alongside the lit up window. Already on the table was a bottle of chilled white perched along side two half full glasses. Antonio stood up as she approached, a devilish twinkle in his dark eyes as he took in the midnight blue, off the shoulder dress she was wearing. The sleek material clung to every contour of her athletic frame, accentuating her petite curves as she strode towards him in those sexy silver heels of hers, the matching clutch tucked demurely under her arm. That chestnut colored hair of hers fell loose in waves past her chin, making her face look softer in the light from those pretty lanterns. His heart was beating even harder in his chest as he pulled out her chair for her and waited until she was seated comfortably before returning to his own seat and prodding the glass of wine towards her.

Her cobalt blue eyes were on him drinking him in as she perched her chin upon her left hand reviewing him with delighted look in her eye. He knew she loved it when he dressed up, it was why he had worn his best black suit tonight, the one with the pale blue shirt and the regal looking red and purple tie his kids had gotten him for father's day this year. His dark hair was parted on the left and slicked back into a neat style that suited his clean shaven, handsome features. The way she looked at him made him feel revered, he reached out for her hand compulsively, threading his fingers through her as that beautiful smile of hers graced her pert pink lips.

"I must have walked past this place a million times." Maggie said, her gaze straying to the beauteous artwork on the opposite wall as she studied it.

"I found it a couple of days ago." Antonio explained as he followed her eye line and smiling at the painting that had captured her interest. "I asked Al to recommend somewhere to take you with good wine and good food and he told me about this place."

"You both have exceptionally good taste." Maggie told him as she raised the glass of wine to her lips and tasted it for the first time.

Antonio thought as he watched the enjoyment creep across his lover's pale features. Not only had Al recommended the restaurant, he had also specified a particular wine which he thought would cater to Maggie's unique tastes. Antonio had taken his advice gratefully, he wanted to make tonight special for Maggie. He wanted her to know how much he loved and appreciated her.

"Can I ask what prompted this?" Maggie asked him as his thumb caressed along the curve of her delicate hand.

Antonio raised his dark, smoldering gaze until their eyes met before speaking.

"Do you know we've never been on a date?" Antonio asked her lightly.

There was silence for a moment as Maggie stared back at him blankly, the cogs inside of her head turning as she considered his words.

"That can't be right." she murmured thoughtfully. "We've been to Molly's and had lunch..."

Antonio shook his head as she trailed off, looking at him dumbfounded.

"The only time we've ever come close to anything like this was that case where we were tracking El Culebra, a few years ago." he informed her causing Maggie to tip her head back and laugh at the memory.

It was a divine sound, it made his whole world light up hearing it. It was like God had taken a little piece of heaven from the sky above and put it inside of this beautiful woman.

"I completely forgot about 'The Snake'." she told him using her fingers to make quotation marks as she cracked up.

"It wasn't until we caught him in the john that I realized the reason he was nicknamed that." Antonio recounted, trying to smother his own snigger behind the palm of his hand.

"I didn't know what to do. Poor guy just standing there with his pants down by his ankles." Maggie spluttered trying to stifle her own musical giggle. "It just popped out of my mouth."

Antonio cleared his throat in an attempt to imitate her voice.

"I guess we know why they call you 'The Snake'." he howled with laughter, his hand banging nosily on the table causing the silver cutlery to vibrate.

"I honestly thought it was because he had a tattoo of one somewhere." Maggie said holding her hands up as if to own her past mistake.

"You have this way of making me laugh no matter what's going on in my life." Antonio informed her, shaking his head.

"I am aim to please." she returned, her eyebrows arching in that teasing manner of hers, nearly setting Antonio off all over again.

"Shall we order before we get ourselves thrown out of this place for being too boisterous?" he asked her knowingly before pushing the leather bound menu towards her.

Maggie reached out and placed her palm down on the menu preventing Antonio from opening it.

"Actually there's something else we need to talk about first." she told him, her tone becoming more serious as he rose his head to look at her.

He could feel that dread twisting in his stomach as her words filtered through to his ears. Antonio clasped his hands together on top of the menu, his lips pursed together grimly as he waited for Maggie to speak. He had spent over twenty four hours avoiding this conversation but he knew Maggie would force him to have it eventually. She wasn't the type of person to let things slide.

"You benched me." Maggie said calmly, her cobalt blue gaze meeting his with a sultry pout.

"For your own good." he pointed out, with a knowing look in his eye.

Maggie frowned, she hadn't expected him to play ball. If he thought he was in the right he would stick to his guns but he had to know although it may have been for a good reason in his own mind that she wouldn't let him get away with it. They're relationship was meant to be a partnership, it didn't work when one pulled rank over the other.

"You can't just go over my head and expect me to be ok with it." Maggie told him, her voice hitching in exasperation.

Antonio straightened his spine at the challenge, his voice struggling to stay controlled as he spoke despite the fact every single emotion that he had experienced through out the Gish case was warring inside of him threatening to erupt.

"If I had asked you to step back and spend the rest of your shift behind a desk would you?" he asked her, making it very clear that he already knew the answer to the question.

"Antonio, it's my job to be on the streets..." she barely got the words out before he cut her off.

"Maggie he blew up your Squad car." Antonio reminded her, his tone full of ire as he spoke, those dark eyes of his blazing. "By some small grace of God you and Roman weren't in it."

"When the two of us got together we promised that it wouldn't be like this. That our relationship wouldn't effect our jobs." Maggie reminded him, her tone firm as she spoke. "I feel that you wouldn't have done that if it was anybody else."

"I know your using words from that negotiator course." he informed her, giving her a direct look. "You forget I took it too."

"Is it working?" Maggie queried, leaning back in her chair and displaying open body language for the first time since this conversation had begun.

Already he could feel his defensiveness beginning to subside. She had called him on his shit and he had reacted the same way a cop would to a perp. He struggled with that side of himself sometimes, it was protective and assertive especially when it came to Maggie but the man in him rationalized he couldn't be like that with her.

"Yes." he responded wearily before he put his hands on the back of his head, rubbing it with his palms. "I feel like you may be right but you have to understand how it feels to be in that position. You were a clear target for him."

"Antonio." His name rolled of her tongue as she spoke softly, willing him to look at her once more. "How do you think I feel every time you throw yourself into a case with Intelligence? You've been shot twice while I've been away and I would do anything to make sure it doesn't happen a third time but I know it's part of your job and part of who you are."

Her words were honest, he could see the truth of it shining in her cobalt eyes as he reached out for her hand, curling his fingers around it so he could clasp it gently.

The shoe was on the other foot now and that was what his problem was. With Laura he never had to worry but with Maggie, she was always in the firing line the same way he was. Twenty four hours ago he had reacted out of fear and he needed to work on that, he knew he did. He couldn't afford to be this overbearing man, it would push her away and he needed her in his life as much as he need oxygen to breath.

"I'm not perfect." he warned her, conceding to her point finally. "But I will do my best."

Maggie smiled at him tenderly before raising his hand to her lips and placing a kiss upon it before she spoke.

"That's the only thing I can ask."