"I really appreciate you staying late," Grayson says smiling tiredly. He looks about as exhausted as I feel.

I nod, putting my things together. "Of course. I'm happy to help."

"You won't be saying that when you find out how many nights we stay late around here," He's gathering his own things together. We gathered the last of the files tonight and it sounds like everything will be over with by the end of the week.

"Exactly how many nights do you stay late around here?" I ask curiously because I can't imagine doing this on a frequent basis. Dinner on the company was nice, but I don't want to live at work.

"It varies from week to week and case to case. After too many stressful weeks, Tess and I like to go to Italy. I'm hoping I'll have a break in cases soon so we can go."

I shake off his comment about Italy. I think my parents would kill to go there. "That sounds like a lot of fun so I hope you guys get to go soon."

"Thanks Lacey. I appreciate it." Grayson says pulling on his jacket, "Can I ask you something not as your boss?"

The wording catches my attention, "Yes?"

"Are you and Dean together? I know I missed some stuff at the family dinner when I had that call and I feel bad for not knowing. Tessa was no help when I asked her."

"Nope, we're just friends."

Grayson looks skeptical but doesn't question it. "I think you're good for him. He's a bit hard to read sometimes, but he seems to like you."

"As a friend," I clarify causing him to chuckle.

"Yes, as a friend. Dean doesn't let a lot of people get close to him so you're already doing better than the rest of us." He says grabbing his suit jacket from off the back of his chair.

The rest of us? You mean his family? "I don't think I quite understand what you're saying?"

Grayson shrugs motioning for me to follow him out, "He's a nice guy, but I don't know much about him other than what Hayes has told me. Dean is a partier and a play boy of sorts. Just... be careful. You seem like a nice person so I'd hate for you to end up hurt."

It feels like we've been waiting forever for the elevator to come. I stay silent until I'm certain of what I want to say. "I think Dean just wants someone to notice him."

He doesn't respond after that and I take it as the conclusion of the conversation. However, I do believe it to be true. He said that's what he liked about Paige. I haven't met the person Grayson just described, but I don't quite know if that is the same person as the Dean I've started to get to know.

But I guess that Dean doesn't know me, so how can I expect to know him?

*********

Chase notices me first, smiling wider when he spots me. "Lacey? What are you doing here?"

"I had the morning off and I knew you guys were on shift. It's freezing outside so what better way to warm up than with cookies?" I say, holding up tuber ware that contains three dozen chocolate chip cookies. It was more so stress baking because I wasn't quite sure what to think after the conversation with Grayson last night.

Linc comes out of nowhere and pulls the lid up, snatching his cookie quickly. "You are the absolute best."

His eagerness to eat causes me to laugh when the rest of the guys follow suit. "Guys come on, let her put them down," A man that I haven't met says holding his hand out to take them from me. I pass them over quickly while Chase laughs and I shoot him a look.

"You wouldn't be laughing if you'd been the one being swarmed by a bunch of hungry men. Where's Dean? Isn't he supposed to feed you guys?" I ask him, taking off my hat to put in my bag.

"Barbie's in the bunk room, beware though. He's in a horrid mood." Vince warns, answering for Chase.

"Maybe you can cheer him up? It's back past those doors and on the right," Chase suggests and I shrug.

"Might as well try. Send help if I'm not back in five minutes."

So far the only thing I know that could send Dean into a 'horrid' mood would be Paige, but last I knew they hadn't spoken in over a week and a half. I really have no idea what I'm walking in to.

The bunk room is right where Chase said it would be and I send a quick prayer that Vince was exaggerating it.

Except you can hear Dean arguing from outside the door and it only gets worse when I open the door. "No! I'm not going. Maddox, I don't get what you don't understand about I'm not in the family business anymore so therefor I'm not contractually obligated to go."

Okay, not about Paige.

Whatever Maddox responds with is not what Dean wanted to hear though and he paces angrily between two sleeping areas. "I don't care if Hayes wants me to go. I don't want to and I'm not budging on it. You of all people know just how insufferable those events are," Dean scoffs, not noticing me yet.

He's silent for a little longer this time and I take a few steps closer. Dean laughs harshly, still not noticing me, "I'm not going to subject her either to everyone there. Do you forget how often you and Cass are swarmed by cameras? Hayes and Sephine? They've been torn apart by the media before and you've seen what it's done to her addiction. Lacey isn't used to that lifestyle and I'm certainly not going to throw her to the wolves because it would be good optics for the family if I went."

Dean's hair is standing straight up from how many times I'm sure he's run his hands through his hair. It's an interesting look, but I can't say that mine is faring any better after I took off my beanie.

And then he turns around, his blue eyes widening as he sees me. "Look, I'm at work so we're just going to have to talk about how I'm not going later." Dean says, hanging up quickly.

"You okay?" I ask hesitantly and he gives me a half-smile.

"I've been better, but I've also been worse." He says vaguely and I want to ask so badly why my name was brought up into the conversation. "What happened to your hair?"

"What happened to yours?" I fire back and his smile this time seems more real.

It's lopsided while he tries to comb his hair down correctly. "Just my brother refusing to listen to me."

"Well are you listening to him?"

Dean rolls his eyes, "Of course I listened to him. All I heard was that he needs me to go to the annual Benson Pharmaceuticals gala where we pick some charity to donate to. Apparently it sends a bad message if I don't show. Paparazzi, red carpets, sitting through speeches. It's insufferable. "

I attempt to smooth my own hair, "How often does he ask you to go to these?"

"I don't know, not very often. I think I've only attended four or five since graduating from the fire academy." He shrugs and I reach up to adjust where his curls are falling.

"So would one night really kill you?"

The scowl on his face tells me that he gets where I'm coming from. Dean knows that I'm right and is not quite ready to hear it. "How do you do that?" He asks carefully.

I look at him confused, "I'm not sure what you mean."

"How do you make everything just seem so simple. I mean you simplified whatever the hell Paige and I were in a matter of minutes and you just made going to the gala seem so... easy."

"Because it is. Boo hoo Dean, your brother asked you to go to a gala for your family's company and you're throwing a fit like a toddler." I tease lightly because he is acting like a toddler that isn't getting his way.

He makes a quick turn to resume his pacing from before, "Lace, I wish it were that simple. One event turns into 'oh come stop by the office' and before I know it, I'm back working there."

I can see where Dean's coming from, but if he's already aware of that possibility then I have a hard time believing that he's going to fall for it. "So don't go then. I think you'll regret it if you don't, but it's your decision. No one can make you go."

Stress is radiating off of him in waves, "I don't know."

"It seems like there's a lot you don't know," I mumble under my breath. I shouldn't have said it because his life is not my business. I also didn't expect him to hear it. My god I should not be letting what Grayson said get into my head.

"What?"

I cross my arms over my chest, "I don't think it's my place to say."

Dean takes a step closer to me, "No, I want to hear what you think. Honestly."

Except before I can open my mouth which I really don't want to do, the intercom of the station clicks on. "Truck 47, Engine 39, Ambulance 58, 9 Beaver St, Brooklyn."

He doesn't hesitate to grab his jacket from the cot he had tossed it onto. "We'll talk later okay?" Dean says quickly, stepping into his boots. "I promise I'll think about what you said."

I bite my lip to keep myself from smiling because I'm ninety percent sure I got through to him.

The place has cleared out since everyone was called away and I head out on my own. With the sun shining, the chill in the air is hardly noticeable. Or maybe I'm just getting used to the weather here.

The walk back to my apartment isn't too far and I still have a while before I have to go to the office. I pull my phone out and call Ruth who answers immediately. "Hey are you busy?" I ask her trying to gauge how much I tell her.

Ruth tends to be over the top sometimes and I like to think I know her well enough to know how she would react if I told her everything. "Pfft, not at all. I'm on a break, what's up?"

I let out a groan, "Ruth, there are so many things up. But I didn't call to pile everything onto you, I wanted to hear about what you've been up to."

"Well Xavier and I went out last night to celebrate our one year anniversary. It was super romantic and we drove to Kingsport for a local restaurant there." Ruth gushes and I instantly feel bad that I didn't remember their one year was yesterday.

"That sounds amazing. I'm glad you guys are together," I say truthfully. They are a good couple. Xavier is a few years older than Ruth, but he really cares for her which is all that matters. Age is just a number.

"It was amazing. I was going to call you, but I forgot in all the craziness of trying to get ready. Seriously though, we can talk about Xavier and me later. I want to hear more about your new friend."

"Honestly Ruth, I don't know what to think. One minute he's this fun down to earth guy and the next it's like Dean's a child I have to spell everything out for."

Ruth snorts, "So he's a guy."

Her response gets me to giggle, "Definitely a guy. They really suck."

"Agreed. Except for Xavier, he hasn't pissed me off this week. But refocusing on Dean, you just met the guy. You're not supposed to have him figured out right away."

"I don't even want to have him figured out! I want him to see that you can't live life always afraid of what everyone else is going to think and to let the small things go." I kick a rock across the sidewalk as I at least attempt to pay attention to my surroundings. The nice weather has not gone unnoticed by the local community.

"Lace, not everyone is you. He doesn't need to have it all figured out. I have no doubt that you'll get through to him at some point; it will probably be later than sooner, but from how very little you've told me so far, he sounds like a good guy."

The fact that Ruth is for once giving me good advice is scary. She has her moments like this but they're few and far between. "He is a great guy, I don't know though. I'm worried for no reason. Dean will figure out his shit with Maddox eventually. He likes to make it complicated on himself."

Ruth starts to laugh, "Just a little advice, all men like to make it complicated for themselves. How's your new job going? I talked to your dad and he said it was as a secretary."

"Yep. It's for Dean's cousin's best friend's law firm. Grayson was at the dinner we went to and asked if I'd be interested. We stayed late last night so he gave me the morning off. It's actually going really well."

"Hold on, you're working at Dean's older brother's best friend's law firm?"

"No, his cousin's best friend's law firm," I correct Ruth while crossing the street quickly.

She hesitates before responding, "Lace just be careful okay? You don't know this guy that well and you're intertwining your life in New York with his."

I don't know how to respond to that because she's right again. My job is from Dean's connections, he's pretty much my only friend that I would want to hang out with here, and I can't even be honest with him.

"I know Ruth. I'm being careful."

I am so not being careful.