Chapter 6: Chapter 6
"They lost the DNA evidence!" Burrows shouted as Melissa walked into the precinct. "Some fucking intern mixed up the samples. We've got nothing, Erikson!"
Melissa cursed under her breath, slamming her fist on the desk. "Fuck! We need to start over, Burrows. Talk to the neighbors again, canvas the park, anything."
Burrows nodded, dejected. "Did you get anything?"
Melissa shook her head, "Nothing useful." She lied, pushing away the image of Georgios' face. "I'm going home. I need to change for dinner."
Burrows raised an eyebrow, "Date night with the hubby is it?"
"Something like that," Melissa replied evasively, picking up her bag and heading for the door.
Arriving home, Melissa found Tom playing a video game in the living room.
"Hey, babe," he said distractedly, not looking up from his screen.
"Hi," Melissa replied, her mind elsewhere too.
"A package came for you. Delivery guy was really weird." Tom added, finally pausing his game to look at her.
"What sort of psckage?" Melissa asked, kicking off her shoes. "I wasn't expecting anything."
Melissa picked up the sleek black box from the hallway table, her name scrawled in neat, precise handwriting on the label. In the corner of the face of the box was a small, stamped logo, barely noticable: 'The Velvet Lounge'.
Melissa's heart quickened as she wordlessly took the box upstairs to her bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. She placed the box on her bed and carefully opened it, revealing a black, silken dress, a pair of black lace panties, and a note. The note read, "Wear this tonight. We must keep up appearances."
Melissa held the dress up to herself, admiring Georgios' taste and the way it would cling to her subtle curves. She stripped off her clothes, letting them fall to the floor, and slipped into the panties. They were barely more than a scrap of fabric, the lace rough against her smooth skin.
She slipped the dress over her head, the silk cool against her flesh. It fit like a second skin, the hem falling just above her knees and the neckline plunging low between her little breasts. She examined herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing the woman staring back at her. Her green eyes sparkled, her cheeks flushed with excitement, her mouth dried with anxiety. She felt alive, sexy, dangerous even.
"Oh my god, Georgios." She said to herself, turning in the mirror.
A sensible neuron fired in her brain reminding her that this was a gift from a possible criminal, a man she had just met and was investigating. But there was another argument, accepting the dress and wearing it for Georgios might help elicit more information from him. He had made no secret of his interest in her, she could take advantage of that.
She sat at her beauty table, her blonde hair in loose waves, applying makeup with a heavier hand than usual. She wanted to look good, no, she needed to look good. It was for the case.
Melissa searched for a pair of high heels to match the dress, settling on a pair of black stilettos that made her legs look endless and which she hadn't worn in years. She checked her appearance one last time in the mirror. She knew she looked hot.
As she walked downstairs, the heels clicking on the hardwood floor, Tom looked up from his game, his eyes widening in surprise. "Wow, Mel. You look...different."
Melissa smirked, "Thanks. I have a work thing. Don't wait up."
She stepped out into the cold evening air, her breath misting in front of her. A sleek black town car idled at the curb, its engine purring softly.
The driver, a burly man with a crooked nose, stepped out to open the rear door for Melissa. She slid inside, the leather seats cool against her bare thighs. Georgios was already seated, a glass of amber liquid in his hand. He wore a tailored suit, his eyes gleamed with approval as he took in Melissa's appearance.
"Detective Erikson," he said, his voice a low rumble. "You look...wonderful."
Melissa smiled involuntarily, showing off her dimples. The car began to move, gliding smoothly through the city streets. Georgios poured her a glass of champagn.
"Oh, I can't, I'm on duty," Melissa protested weakly, her eyes drawn to the bubbles in the glass.
"One drink won't hurt, Detective," Georgios said. "Besides, we're celebrating."
"Celebrating what?" Melissa asked, taking the glass from him compliantly.
"Our new partnership," Georgios replied, raising his glass to hers. "To catching Amanda's killer."
Melissa clinked glasses with him, taking a sip of the champagne. Despite the coolness of the drink she felt it warm and relax her as soon as it hit her stomach.
"Thank you for the dress," Melissa said, her voice softer than she intended.
Georgios smiled, "It looks better on you than I had imagined."
Melissa blushed, looking out the window as the city lights blurred past. She felt Georgios' eyes on her, burning into her skin. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, the silk of the dress rubbing against her nipples, making them hard.
The car pulled up outside Syracusa, a valet opening the door for Melissa. She stepped out, her heels sinking slightly into the gravel driveway. Georgios appeared beside her, offering her his arm.
She took it, to keep up appearances, feeling the firm muscle beneath his suit jacket. The restaurant was dimly lit, the tables adorned with flickering candles and fresh flowers. A maitre d' led them to a secluded booth in the corner, tucked away from prying eyes.
As they sat down, Georgios ordered a bottle of wine without consulting Melissa. She raised an eyebrow, but he simply smiled. "Trust me, Detective. You'll enjoy it."
The wine arrived, and they clinked glasses once more. Melissa took a sip, the dark red liquid rich and velvety on her tongue.