One Night Changes Everything

Natalie steered her car with both hands as she stared straight ahead. Feeling the tension in the car only making her more nervous – not expecting what happened back at the crime scene. Monk of course had said nothing for the past half hour. He hadn’t even looked at her, let alone made any indication of John talking to him – even though both new he had.

The traffic of course being as horrendous as it was, was making the journey home twice as long. At the moment Natalie would have done anything to be able to run away from Mr. Monk as fast as she could. Unfortunately for her, she didn’t have the backbone to leave Monk in the middle of rush hour traffic and no way to get back home. Never mind the fact that he couldn’t drive – more to the fact that she didn’t think he knew the streets enough to actually find his way back.

She would never just abandon him. Not now…not after what happened…not after what she now felt.

Closing her eyes briefly she let out a sigh and opened them again. They hadn’t moved for the past five minutes, and she didn’t know if she could stand sitting in this car with him for much longer if either of them didn’t say something soon.

Monk though – he was going over the look on the officers face when he answered him. The smile in his eyes, the way his voice sounded happy at the victory that he had achieved. Monk relived in his mind a thousand times in the past forty minutes since the moment itself. All he could think about was that one minute in time, nothing about the crime scene itself was actually being processed in that time. He didn’t know why……but the fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about the man…bothered him.

He didn’t even know the man’s name!! For the first time since that moment he realized that he didn’t know anything about the man. When were they going out?! Where would he take Natalie?! What if he was a serial killer disguised as a cop??

A million questions rattled through his mind. Rationalizing why he actually didn’t trust the man or why he felt soo uncomfortable with the man going out with Natalie?

Monk knew one thing though…he needed to find out what happened. He needed to see what had occurred to cause Natalie to even want to go out with this man. If he found out that then maybe…just maybe…he might figure out what was causing him to not like this person.

“So…” Monk began startling Natalie causing her to jump slightly, “sorry…I hear you have a date Friday night.” Monk said lamely, he really hadn’t known what to say and just blurted it out. He always tended to do that when he had an issue with Natalie. Not really knowing why though – he continued to always make situations worse when he didn’t think before speaking to her.

Why is that? I can solve murders and talk to criminals but I always mess up talking with her.

After he had said the words both of them winced.

He really needed to watch what he said.

Natalie had felt her heart in her throat as Monk had spoken out in the silence that had enveloped the both of them for the past hour or so. Expecting him to just ignore her the whole ride home – she never expected him to ask the question he had asked.

Pulling herself together she spluttered out the words as she responded.

“Ye…Yeah…I ah…I don’t know how it happened…just………one minute I was standing by the car – sipping on my coffee and……the next he had walked up to me and asked me out.” She said as calmly as she could with a wildly beating heart.

Wanting him to understand – she had done nothing to instigate contact with John at all was the most important thing. In no way had she been flirting with him or anything. Swallowing down roughly, she continued to stare straight ahead, as Monk had.

“Ah!” Monk said in means of saying he understood – but really he didn’t. Inside questions brewed a mile a minute. Somehow the list became longer with her answer.

Monk looked over at her.

“So what’s his name?”

“Oh ah…John…John Night.” Natalie stumbled out.

“Night?? What kind of name is that?!” Monk said as he tried to understand if he heard the name right, then after processing it couldn’t fathom the name.

At that second the car in front of Natalie began to move, and quickly she put the car in drive and followed swiftly.

A small smile came to her face. “Well Mr. MONK…not everyone has such a unique name as you.”

After a few moments of silence Natalie voiced a thought.

“You Mr. Monk, a lot of people that immigrated to the country changed their last names. Maybe that’s why the name.”

Monk didn’t say anything, he just continued to stare out in front of him as they finally began to really move.

“So where are you going? On your date I mean.”

“Ah…” Natalie hadn’t a clue, “ I don’t know…he ah…he said he would pick me up at 9 on Friday……but I ah…I didn’t tell him where I lived or my number so I doubt I’ll…”

At this Monk let out a humorless laugh and lifted his hand up in the air.

“Natalie…(waving his hand for emphasis) he’s a police officer…he obviously knows who you are and I doubt that even if he didn’t have your address…he won’t have any trouble finding it out.”

Natalie almost slammed on the brakes at the stop light as Monk’s words.

Oh God NO! Why didn’t I think of that??

Until that moment Natalie had just been worried about what Monk would think about a hypothetical date. Now she realized that John was really going to show up at her house expecting to go on a date.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, for the first time she turned to look at him, as he recovered from the shock of Natalie stopping so abruptly.

“Oh my God! (removing her hands from around her mouth) Mr. Monk I hadn’t even thought of that!!”

Monk twitched as he blinked his eyes several times, body still reacting from the rocking of the car. His brain was trying to react to her words but he still twitched as the car continued to move slightly.

Natalie turned back around trying to control herself. Dating someone was not what she wanted at the moment. Not with just anyone at least.

“So you said yes to go out with him?” Monk asked Natalie as he continued to stare at her.

Natalie stared into his eyes and then looked away. She didn’t know what to say, because in all honesty - she was flattered by John. Plus John had been so assertive that she hadn’t gotten the chance to say no. Even with that though - she knew how she felt - and what the man next to her meant to her. But Monk didn’t see her like

"I don't think I really have a choice Mr. Monk. If he shows up at my house what am I suppose to do?"

"Well- you could say no! (shaking his head no) It's not really that hard."

Natalie didn’t know what to do.……in the end she just shook her head.

“I don’t know Mr. Monk. Sometimes things aren’t that easy.”

Monk said nothing – just stared at her as she kept her focus on the stop light in front of her. The whole way home wondering why the thought of one John Night going out with Natalie…bothered him so much.