Chapter 9

The sky was overcast on Saturday as McCoy drove to the address on the business card in his hand. He arrived at an older building that looked as if it had been recently remodeled. The sign outside revealed that its three stories held several suites of offices, including those of several accountants and a real estate firm, in addition to Morgan's. He checked in at a security desk in the small lobby before taking the open staircase in the middle of the building up to the third floor. When he reached the top, he saw one glassed-in suite in front of him and two more on either side. The only one with lights on was straight ahead, so he opted for that door. "Calea Morgan, Attorney at Law", was stenciled in neat black letters on the glass. When he entered, he saw a comfortable sitting area with a desk in one corner, facing the door. An attractive young woman with short blond hair was sitting at the desk. Looking up from her work as he entered, she smiled pleasantly.

"May I help you?"

"I'm Jack McCoy. I'm here to see Calea Morgan."

The woman nodded as she stood up. "Mr. McCoy, I'm Melissa, Calea's receptionist. She's expecting you, so I'll take you back." As she stepped from behind the desk, he noticed she was dressed casually. She led the way down a hallway flanked by a couple of well-furnished conference rooms, to an office at the end. Stopping in the doorway, she looked inside.

"Well she was here a minute ago," she said, turning to face him. "She must be in the library."

Since she didn't indicate that he should wait, he followed her as she walked down another shorter hallway and entered a room on the right.

"You have a visitor," she announced.

As McCoy stepped in he saw a conference table in the middle of the room with ceiling to floor book shelves on each side. Morgan was standing on a chair, trying to retrieve a book on a shelf above her head. He glimpsed a sliver of well-toned flesh between her sweater and jeans as she reached.

"Who is it?" she asked without turning.

Before she could answer, he stepped around the receptionist, saying, "Someone tall."

Morgan turned in surprise as he stopped in front of the chair.

"Can I help?"

She stepped off the chair. "Yes, as a matter of fact. I need volume five, third shelf from the top."

He stepped up and pulled the book out, then stepped down and handed it to her.

"Thanks. I have a ladder but it's being used at the moment." She took the book to the table and laid it beside several more, opened to various pages.

"Where's Jace?" the receptionist asked quietly.

"Hiding," Morgan smiled. "Don't worry, he's okay."

Giving her boss an unconvinced look, the woman turned to walk out. "Call me if you need me to come and get him."

"I will," she promised. Turning to McCoy, she said, "You're early. I'm not quite finished with my other work." She didn’t seem irritated, only a little cool.

"I know. I don't mind waiting while you finish up," he offered, trying to sound sincere.

"All I need to do is mark some things for Melissa to copy for me. It won't take long. You can wait in my office if you'd like."

"All right," he nodded, starting for the door.

"Jace," Morgan called, "I'll bet Mr. McCoy would love to see your tent. Why don't you take him to my office and show it to him?"

McCoy had stopped to meet her amused look with one of puzzlement. After a few seconds, he saw a chair move and a small blond haired boy crawled out from under the table.

He looked up at McCoy with big brown eyes.

"Do you want to see my tent?"

Giving the boy a warm smile, he said, "I'd love to."

The boy walked to the door, his eyes never leaving McCoy. "You're big."

McCoy looked at Morgan, but she had turned back to her work with a little smile.

He was kneeling on the floor, stacking books on a corner of a blanket that was draped over a ladder when Morgan came into her office. When he heard the door close, he looked up to see her watching him carefully.

"Looks like you missed your calling, Counselor. Maybe you should have been an architect."

"I think I'll keep my day job," he replied, securing another corner. "How's that, Jace?" he asked, sitting back and surveying his work.

A blond head poked out from under a fold in the blanket. "Good!" he said, and ducked back under.

McCoy got up and walked to a chair in front of a simple oak desk. Morgan was sitting in a green leather chair behind the desk with one leg tucked under her and the other foot dangling, making notes on a legal pad. After a second, she sat back. "Have a seat," she offered.

With the exception of their first meeting, he had yet to see her in anything but below-the-knee skirts and dresses. Her dark green sweater and jeans were decidedly more casual. And her hair was more tousled, held back with a green hairband. He liked the change.

"So, who is this new witness of yours?" she asked seriously.

"A woman named Tina Ackerman. She used to be the bookkeeper for your client's firm."

Her eyebrows shot up. "She's your last-minute addition?"

"You know her?" he asked.

"We've met," she nodded. "What does she have to say?"

"She claims to have heard the partners argue and Fairchild threaten Carpelli."

"What did she hear them argue about?"

"She says she was having an affair with Carpelli and when Fairchild found out, they argued about it, almost coming to blows over the matter."

She leaned on the armrest with her chin on her knuckles. "What does any of this have to do with Evan's murder?"

"It shows your client's propensity to violence against his partner," he replied.

"And did she happen to tell you why she was fired?"

"She said it was because of the affair, and that Fairchild settled a personal harassment suit with her over the incident."

Morgan shook her head in disbelief. "That's quite a story. I guess the part where she helped herself to a large bonus just slipped her mind."

He regarded her for a moment. "Then how do you account for the harassment suit she filed? We have documentation for that."

"Oh, I'm very familiar with it. I'm the one who drew up the settlement papers. The charges Tina brought against Peter were false. But even though it wasn't the reason she was fired, she was having an affair and that affair was a factor in finding out about her misappropriation of funds. So unless Peter had been willing to file criminal charges against her, she could have won a harassment suit. Since he wasn't willing to file, I urged him to settle. There was no truth to her claim; she only wanted money. She isn't going to make a very credible witness."

"I think a jury will buy her story and I think we can use her to show Fairchild's true character," McCoy argued.

"Be my guest," she smiled. "But I suggest you prepare her well for what to expect. I know this woman, and I'm going to rip her to shreds on cross."

It was hard for him to imagine her capable of doing that as she sat tucked into her chair.

The intercom on Morgan’s desk sounded. Excusing herself, she touched a button. "Yes?"

The receptionist's voice came over the speaker. "Tony is here to see you. He wants to know if he can come back."

She glanced at McCoy. "Send him in."

"Is Jace bothering you?" Melissa asked.

"Not at all. He's playing in his tent. He's been so quiet, I almost forgot he was here."

She sounded a little skeptical. "All right."

Turning her attention back to McCoy, Morgan said, "I hope you don't mind, but my assistant would really like to meet you. It isn't every day a second year law student gets to meet an E.A.D.A. It would give him something to brag about in class on Monday."

He smiled at her. "I don't mind at all. I only hope he's not disappointed. I left my magic suit at home."

"I'm sure he'll be impressed anyway." At the knock on her door, she straightened in the chair and sat forward. "Come in."

A young man walked in, coming to a stop beside Morgan's desk.

"Tony, this is Jack McCoy. Jack, this is Tony Alvarez."

McCoy stood up and shook the younger man's hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Tony."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. McCoy. I've read a lot of your case histories. Some of them are legendary."

"In the legal world, flattery will get you everywhere," McCoy noted. He looked at Morgan as he resumed his seat. "If you ever decide to let him go, send him my way."

She smiled at the two. "I think I'll keep him for a while longer, at least until he gets tired of this small office and moves on to bigger and better things." She gave Alvarez a meaningful look.

Taking his cue, he said, "Mr. McCoy, I'm glad I got the opportunity to meet you. I hope I get a chance to watch you work sometime."

Standing, McCoy shook his hand again. "Maybe with this trial coming up, you will."

"I'll let the two of you get back to your meeting," Alvarez offered, glancing at Morgan as he turned to go.

"I'm going to be leaving in a few minutes," she informed him. "If Melissa isn't finished by the time I get ready to go, I'd appreciate it if you would stick around and wait for her. I'd rather she not be here alone. And if you help her watch Jace, she could probably get your paycheck to you before she leaves. I've already signed it; she just needs to log it in."

"I’ll be glad to," he answered. "Do you want me to take Jace now?"

She turned toward the tent. "Jace, do you want to take a walk with Tony?"

The blond head poked out. "Okay," he said, crawling out from under the blanket.

"Will you stay with him and mind him?" she asked sternly.

He nodded his head solemnly.

"Okay. Then you can go. And I'll see you next week."

The little boy held up his arms and Morgan bent to give him a hug. Before he let her go, he planted a wet kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you! I had a lot of fun today. Be good for your Mom."

"I will. Bye," he called as he took Alvarez's hand and followed him to the door.

"Bye, Jace," she answered. "See you Monday, Tony."

When she turned to sit down, she caught McCoy watching her. She shrugged a little self-consciously.

"Sorry about that."

"No need to be." He had enjoyed seeing an unguarded side of her.

"Are we all set with the trial?" she asked.

"As far as I'm concerned," he agreed. Sensing that their meeting was at an end, he figured it was time to make his move. "So, are you actually going to take the rest of the day off, or do you have plans for this afternoon?"

She leaned back in the chair, stretching. "A little of both. I'm going to take some notes home with me and try to work on my opening statement. I've had enough of being cooped up in an office this week."

"Still sounds like work, Counselor. I have a better idea," he suggested.

"Oh? And what would that be?" she asked a little warily.

"A friend of mine from college is a director over at the zoo. He called the other day, looking for volunteers. They have an extensive breeding program there for, among other things, Siberian Tigers. It seems one of the mothers rejected her cubs, so the zoo personnel are bottle-feeding them. He wanted to know if I knew anyone who might be willing to help out. It takes about an hour or so, and I was wondering if you would be interested in going with me."

Her eyes were wide. "Tiger cubs? Are you kidding me? I would love the chance to just touch one, let alone feed it."

"Is that a 'yes'?" he asked, pleased with her enthusiasm.

She looked at her desk and for a second he thought she was going to turn him down. But when she looked up, although her expression was more reserved, she asked, "When would we need to be there?"

"He said if we got there around 4:00, he would have time to explain what to do."

She glanced at her wrist out of habit. "I didn't wear a watch today. What time is it?"

He checked his own. "It's almost 3:00. It will take us about thirty minutes to get there."

"Okay. All I need to do is collect the copies I had Melissa make for me and take down a tent before I can leave." She stood up and walked across the office.

"I can help with that," he offered.

"I would leave it up, but it doesn't quite give my office the professional look I was hoping for."

He glanced around the room. He had looked it over pretty carefully when he had first come in with Jace. The colors were warm and there were several paintings on the walls, but other than the tent, everything in her office was "professional". A single ficus sat by the window behind her desk, but he had noticed immediately that there were no personal mementos or photos of family or friends.

They picked up books, returning them to the bookcase beside her desk. While she folded the blanket, he picked up the ladder.

"Where does this go?"

"In the library, behind the door," she answered, stashing the blanket in a cabinet in the corner.

When he had deposited the ladder in its place, he returned to find her gathering files from her desk.

"Finished?" he asked.

She nodded and walked out, turning off the lights as she left. He followed her down the hallway to the receptionist's desk.

"I'm leaving, Melissa. Is there anything I forgot to do?"

The woman handed her a stack of papers. "Not that I can think of. As soon as I log in the payroll checks, I'll be finished too."

"Tony is going to stay with you until you leave. Make sure he walks you to your car."

"Thanks for keeping Jace last night and taking him to lunch. He told me he had a lot of fun. I really appreciate your help."

"I'm glad I could do it. I had fun too. Call me at home if anything comes up. I'll be in the office early Monday before court," Morgan said as she retrieved her coat from a hook on the wall.

McCoy opened the door for Morgan. "Nice to meet you, Melissa."

"You too, Mr. McCoy," she answered as they walked out.

"When you told me you had a lunch date, I didn't know he was five," McCoy teased on their way down the stairs.

"Melissa is taking some courses at the university and she has an exam on Monday. I offered to watch Jace so she could study. She's a single mom and sometimes has a hard time balancing everything."

"I don't know many employers who would baby-sit for their employees," he observed.

"I enjoyed it. I like kids and Jace is adorable. Melissa has done a great job with him."

When they reached the lobby, Morgan stacked her files on a chair and put on her coat while McCoy signed the security sheet.

"We can take my car," he offered. "Will yours be all right if we leave it here?"

She nodded. "I would like to dump this stuff in it though."

He held the door for her and they stepped outside, into a light rain.

"I parked around the corner," McCoy said, zipping his jacket. "If you want to wait here, I'll get the car."

She looked up at him. "That's okay, I like rain. My grandfather used to tell me, 'You're not made of sugar; you won't melt'."

He chuckled as they began walking. "Do you still want to go to your car?"

"No, it's around the other way. I'll take this with me."

"I should have worn a heavier coat," he commented, hunching his shoulders. Giving her a sideways glance, he asked, "Do you mind if we stop by my place so I can grab one? It's on our way."

He was sure he saw hesitation on her face, so he added quickly, "It will only take a minute for me to run in and get it."

She shrugged. "I don't mind."

"I like your office. Everyone seems relaxed."

Morgan smiled. "Don't let our casualness fool you. This is Saturday. Monday morning, we're business as usual. And we make a great team. I'd be lost without Melissa, even though she is a little outspoken at times. Tony is going to be a great attorney, when he grows up a little. Ann, whom you didn't meet, is a third year law student. She has an incredible gift for learning. Unfortunately, she and Tony think if they don't learn something in law school, it doesn't pertain to being a lawyer. I've been trying to show them how to incorporate their natural abilities and interests into their work with the law."

"Not an easy task, I imagine. As I remember, law school didn't exactly stress individualism."

"From what I've seen things haven't changed much. But as they get more experience and observe other attorneys, I hope they will realize that we all draw on our strengths to help us in our work. Tony is a people person. He's comfortable talking to anyone. Ann is my computer whiz."

He looked at her. "And what are your strengths?"

She seemed to be caught a little off-guard by his question. After thinking a moment, she answered, "I guess my main strength is that I really like what I do for a living."

Looking ahead to his car, he smiled. He liked her simple answer. "I sure wouldn't mind working in an atmosphere more like your office. Ours could use a little less formality sometimes."

"Oh, come on," she said teasingly. "I heard Adam Schiff is a real teddy bear to work for."

His eyes were twinkling. "Most of the time," he agreed, reaching to unlock the door for her. "But he sure doesn't look like Tony's boss in a pair of jeans."

Morgan stopped, staring at him.

Noting the flash in her eyes, he held up his hand apologetically from behind the open car door. "Sorry."

She glared at him for another second before getting into the car. When he got in, she had placed her files on the seat between them and was buckling the seatbelt.

After pulling away, McCoy glanced at her. She looked as if she were wondering if going with him had been such a good idea. But since she had, he figured he might as well speak his mind.

"You know, you really should learn how to take a compliment, Counselor." His voice was kind.

He saw her turn to look at him and half-expected an angry outburst like the one she had delivered when he had commented on the color of her eyes. But her tone was calm.

"I guess you're right." She sighed. "I just don't like my competence as a lawyer being judged by my appearance."

McCoy looked over at her, confused. "I don't understand."

"I'm sure you don't understand," she said pointedly. "I doubt that you've ever had a problem with other lawyers taking you seriously. But it’s frustrating to be judged, or rather misjudged, simply on gender or appearance."

He shook his head. "A compliment is not the same thing. Noting your appearance doesn’t mean I’m assessing your abilities as an attorney."

"So you're saying that when we first met, you didn't judge my abilities by my appearance, at all?"

He thought back. "That had more to do with your actions than your appearance. And I distinctly remember you saying something about counting on that sort of response. It seems to me, you use it to your advantage."

"Only out of necessity; I don’t have to like it. It’s annoying to have some attorney talk down to me or present a substandard proposal just because I don’t wear a suit and tie."

"Well, we’re not all like that," he assured her. "And you can’t hold me to an opinion I held as a result of our first meeting; that was before I knew you."

"Exactly."

He glanced over to find her giving him her usual teasing smile.

Looking at the road, he said, "Well that's another mistake I won't make again. But as for the compliments, I can’t make any promises."

When they reached his building he pulled in front, stopping in a loading zone. Noticing that Morgan was looking up curiously, he pointed out, "I'm on the ground floor, to the right. I'll only be a minute." He waited for a break in traffic before getting out, and then returned quickly, zipping his comfortable, well-worn coat.

"Much better," he noted as he pulled back into the line of cars.

Morgan sat quietly looking out of the window.

"How far from your office do you live?" he asked.

"Not too far, but in the opposite direction from your place."

"Sometimes I wish I lived closer to my work," he admitted. "But then again, the drive gives me a little time to unwind after a long day."

"As far as I'm concerned, riding a motorcycle in New York City traffic could hardly qualify as unwinding."

He glanced over at her, wondering again where she had gotten her information about him. It certainly seemed to be thorough.

"Have you ever ridden one?"

"A couple of times when I was a kid, with one of my brother's friends. He drove like a maniac."

"Well, I don't drive like a maniac, but I do enjoy it, even in the traffic. I'll have to take you sometime," he offered.

"I don't think so," she slowly replied. "The thought of nothing but air between me and some of the drivers in this city is not a comforting one. At least in my car I'm surrounded by a layer of metal."

"There are places to ride where there isn't much traffic. I think you would enjoy it." He sounded confident.

"Right," she said, sounding very unconvinced.

She grew quiet again as they drove on. There were so many things he wanted to know about her, he didn't have any trouble thinking of things to say.

"You mentioned your grandfather. What did he do?"

"He was a farmer. He gave my parents part of his land to build a house on when my grandmother passed away. Since we lived so close, we spent a lot of time with him. My Mom helped take care of his house and my Dad helped with the farm. My brother and I helped out too."

"What did you do?"

"We helped in the garden and with the livestock. My grandfather used to take me to auction with him. He taught me how to choose good cattle."

He sounded skeptical. "You know about buying cattle?"

"Everyone needs a back-up career."

McCoy returned her smile. "And what else did your grandfather teach you?"

"All the important things in life: good manners, the proper way to shake hands, and how to whistle, very loudly. That sometimes comes in handy when I'm having trouble getting a cab. And he used to have all of these really great sayings."

"Like, 'you're not made of sugar'?"

"Yes. And if we put our elbows on the table when he was eating with us, he would bang them with the handle of his butter knife and say, 'We're not having soup bones tonight.' He also used to say that dogs and kids are good judges of character."

"Your grandfather sounds like a remarkable man. Is he still alive?" Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn to look back out of the window.

"No. He died when I was ten."

"I'm sorry. You certainly learned a lot in ten years."

"Yes, I guess I did," she agreed, still looking out the window.

He was about to ask her another question when she beat him to it.

"You've known this friend of yours at the zoo since college?"

"Yes. His name is Alex Crawford."

"I think men are better at keeping in touch with college buddies than women are. I lost touch with all the people I knew a couple of years out of school."

"I lost contact with most of mine as well, but Alex was different. He's a really nice guy. His whole family is nice. I even dated his sister for a while."

"I'm looking forward to meeting him."

When they arrived at the zoo, it was still raining and there were few cars in the parking lot. Once inside the gates they headed to the administration building the woman in the ticket booth had directed them to. Upon entering, they were greeted by a man wearing khaki slacks and a warm smile.

"Jack, it's good to see you. What's it been? Two years?" he asked, clapping McCoy on the shoulder as the two shook hands.

"Something like that," he agreed. Turning to Morgan, he said, "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Calea Morgan, Alex Crawford."

Crawford shook her hand. "Jack tells me you're an animal lover, Ms. Morgan."

"It's Calea, and I am," she responded.

He began leading them down a hallway. "Well I really appreciate both of you coming out today. We can use all the help we can get."

He explained a little about the zoo's breeding program, particularly that of some of the endangered animals.

"We've had a great deal of success. We're especially pleased with the progress we've made with the gorillas. And the tigers," he added.

He led them into a brightly lit room that looked something like a cross between a kitchen and a laboratory. Several people were assembling an odd variety of meals intended for various animals. A large box sat on the floor off to one side. Plaintiff mewing sounds were coming from it.

Crawford walked over to the box. "These are our newest babies. They're barely a couple of weeks old."

Morgan and McCoy looked over the edge of the tall box. Inside were two small cubs, moving around on unsteady legs.

Crawford scooped one up and handed it to Morgan. She took in her arms, cradling it carefully. "It's adorable," she exclaimed. The cub squirmed, sniffing and mewing.

"They're hungry," Crawford noted. He walked to one of the staff and returned with two bottles of milk.

Setting them on the table, he picked up the other cub.

"What do you think, Jack? Are you up to trying your hand at feeding this one?"

"I think I'll just observe for now," McCoy answered, stroking the cub in Morgan's arms.

"You can make yourself useful by bringing those bottles for us," Crawford nodded. "We have a special room for feeding animals like these little guys."

They followed him to a door where they entered a small, softly lit room scattered with a few chairs.

"Would you grab a couple of those aprons for us, Jack?" Crawford asked, indicating a row of hooks mounted on the wall.

After setting his cub on the floor, Crawford took one of the aprons from McCoy and put it on, tying it behind him. "This job can get pretty messy sometimes," he explained, picking the cub back up.

Morgan reluctantly set hers down as well, stroking its soft fur before standing. McCoy held the apron out for her and she slipped her arms in, turning for him to tie the sash at the back. Thanking him, she picked the cub up and found a chair.

Crawford took a chair beside her, showing her how to hold the small bundle of fur and the correct way to feed it. McCoy pulled a chair up facing Morgan and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. After a few seconds, both cubs were smacking and purring happily.

McCoy watched Morgan as she settled back in the chair. While the cub was otherwise occupied, she took the opportunity to examine it carefully, touching its small ears and large paws, tracing its faint stripes with a finger. She looked up at McCoy, eyes filled with wonder. He decided he had definitely made a good choice in bringing her.

When the cubs finally had their fill, they were decidedly less squirmy and both McCoy and Morgan scratched and petted both. All too soon, Crawford indicated it was time to return them to the nursery.

"Like all babies, they need plenty of sleep."

Before returning it to the box, Morgan held hers up and brushed her cheek against it. "You smell like milk." After one last look, she placed it carefully in the box and trailed her fingers down its back as it snuggled up to its sibling.

Turning to Crawford, she said, "They're so beautiful. It's unbelievable that people still hunt them. I can't imagine anyone being callous enough to kill one."

Crawford removed his apron and waited while she did the same. "People in other countries see things differently. The market for many of the endangered animals is still very good. A poacher can feed his family for a long time on what he makes on one capture or kill. As long as the demand is there, someone will be willing to take the risks to supply the goods."

When Morgan had given each of the now sleeping cubs a few final strokes, she and McCoy followed the other man back the way they had come. Passing a door marked "women", she excused herself. The two men continued toward the door leading outside.

"I was surprised to hear from you, Jack. All those times I tried to get you involved in our work," Crawford said, shaking his head sadly, "I should've known it would take trying to impress a woman to finally get you down here." He looked at his friend and grinned.

"I'm not here to impress anyone, Alex," he replied innocently. "I'm here to help out an old friend."

"Sure," he scoffed. "Well, I like her. She's sweet. How long have the two of you been together?"

"We're not exactly 'together'. We only met a few weeks ago."

"A few weeks? Really? Surely you're not slowing down."

McCoy gave him a warning look as they came to a stop near the door.

"How's Elizabeth doing?" he asked.

"Good. Her youngest started college this fall. I think she and David are enjoying having the house to themselves. They've had Helen and me over several times recently."

"Tell her I said 'hello'." McCoy looked over his shoulder to see Morgan coming towards them.

"I will," Crawford agreed as she came to a stop beside McCoy. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Calea. Anytime you want to come back, just let me know. I can always find something interesting for special people to do," he added with a smile, enveloping her offered hand in both of his.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I really enjoyed it and I would love to come back."

Crawford held out his hand to McCoy. "It was good to see you, Jack. Don't be a stranger."

"That works both ways. You know where to find me. Thanks again, Alex."

When they exited the building, the rain had stopped, although the sky was still overcast.

"I like your friend," Morgan commented. "He is nice."

"Yes he is. And he said the same thing about you." He gave her a sideways smile.

They walked in silence until they were out of the gates. When they reached the car, she stopped, looking up at him. "For as long as I live, I will never forget this, Jack. Thank you for inviting me."

As he looked down at her, he was touched by the sincerity in her eyes and voice.

"You're welcome, Calea."

She continued slowly around to the passenger door, eyes on the ground. "You know I have a rule that I follow when someone buys me lunch. But I don't have anything that covers reciprocation for an experience of a lifetime."

He gave her a surprised smile. "Well," he said thoughtfully, "you could go to dinner with me tonight." He unlocked the car, adding hastily, "Of course, it wouldn't be a date; just two friendly lawyers getting together to trade war stories."

She paused before getting into the car and he could see the hesitation in her eyes. After a few seconds, she shrugged apologetically. "I'd better not. I try not to eat out more than once a day."

"Another rule, Counselor?" he asked teasingly. Seeing that she was serious, he suggested, "Maybe another time?"

She stood looking at him intently. Finally she said, "Maybe," and slid into his car.

When he got in, he could smell her perfume.