One Night Changes Everything

For the next two days, Natalie didn’t hear the end of the so called ‘date’ that she was suppose to be going on. Julie – for some odd reason - was curious as to why she had to go out with ‘this guy’. Natalie of course did not inform Julie of her fears as to why she thought she needed to go out on a date with Night.

Monk had not been any better – if anything he had been worse. Really she didn’t understand why. After what had happened she had hoped that Monk was actually jealous of Night. Of course Monk had opened his mouth and made it very apparent that the only reason he didn’t think she should go out with the guy was because it would ‘distract her from work’. He had even brought up the time she had quit because she liked the attention she had gotten by being the lotto girl.

Of course she would never admit to him how much it had hurt her to say that she quit. How she never could have pictured herself with him before - how impossible it seemed that she would want to be with him. Now though...now it seemed that even if she felt this way, he never would. How could she blame him really? The last couple of months had had many ups and downs for both of them. Both had the 'potential relationships' suddenly pop up...and both had been let down because of them.

Things had changed...and she just now realized how much. Monk had been a friend - a best friend - for the longest time. It had never crossed her mind for him to be more than just a friend. But right now, thinking back on all that they've been through together, she honestly could say that it had been inevitable.

With a raised brown one eye squinting she remembered how he had said he wasn't use to being around attractive women. Staring at herself in the mirror at the moment she wondered if he really didn't see her as attractive. Wearing a white and blue dress that came down to a few inches above her knee, and blue high heeled shoes, and a complete set of pearl jewelry she stared at herself and thought that she at least was pretty. Letting out a sigh she continued to stare into the mirror at herself. If there was one thing she felt at the moment it was unsure.

Unsure of what all of it meant. At the moment her feelings on one Adrian Monk were confusing at best. She knew she cared for him more than she should...but she didn't know if he could ever feel the same about her. Tonight, she resigned herself to go out with Night, telling herself that it was to protect Monk. Knowing that reinstatement into the force was what he still dreamed of - she wouldn't want to jeopordise any possibility of him not being reinstated because of her.

One more sigh left her body before she decided to brave the storm that she knew would come the second she stepped out that door. Knowing that Julie and Monk would be on her immediately.

Touching up her make up one last time, she quickly resolved herself to not tell either of them the true reason she was doing this. Quickly she walked out her bedroom door and found Julie leaning against the doorway to the kitchen, the second she saw her mom she quickly straightened and smiled.

"Nice dress. Is it new?" Julie asked with a large amount of teasing in her voice.

"No! I just haven't had any chance to wear it."

"SURE!!" Julie said as she nodded her head, still smiling she walked away.

Monk was in the kitchen reorganizing the pantry. It wasn't that it was a mess or unorganized, just that the labels didn't all go in the same direction - which drove him insane.

Smiling she stepped into the kitchen. "Mr. Monk are you sure you'll be ok here with Julie?" Seeing Julie about to protest about to protest she pressed on quickly.

"I know you don't need a babysitter but I still feel better if someone were here with you-especially after what happened last year!!" Natalie exclaimed.

Julie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes as she let out a sigh, "Fine!"

Monk turned to stare at her and noted that she was dressed ‘up’…his mind quickly added that she wore pearls and a white blue dress, her blue eyes sparkled and her smile reminded him somehow of Trudy’s…snapping his eyes away he nodded his head with a shrug of his shoulders, turning his eyes back to the pantry. He didn’t say a word…knowing that it was Friday night and the inevitable was about to happen.

“Mr. Monk’s happy reorganizing the cabinet’s mom.” Julie said next to her mother.

Natalie pulled her daughter aside. “Be sure he doesn’t eat anything after ten. He gets grumpier than a two year old. And please don’t make a mess just to see how clean he can make it!!”

Julie quickly pulled away from her mom holding up both hands to ward off any further instructions. “Mom! I know! And I haven’t done that since the first year we met him.”

Natalie gave her a patented ‘you better not’ look.

The door bell rang causing all three to turn and stare at the door. All not believing that Night actually came…still not surprised that he had.

Monk and Julie walked behind Natalie as she went to open the door. What greeted them was one John Night with a huge mega watt smile with white shiny teeth and gleaming brown eyes.

“Wow! Natalie! You…..you look great!!” John exclaimed as he studied Natalie head to toe. John wore dress pants and dress shoes topped off with a black dress shirt and tie. His forearms bulged out from his shirt, showing how truly fit he was. Not to mention the fact that he indeed was tall. Natalie was a foot shorter than him.

Monk though was not intimidated though. Brawn was nothing compared to brain. Yet Monk knew that looks always outweighed all things. He should know…sight was one of his main tools, and while he had gone without it for a short period of time- he had learned just how important it was to him. If something attracts the eye it’s harder for other things to attract the person to an object….or in this case - person.

“Thanks. You…you look good yourself!” Natalie said with far less enthusiasm. Really she couldn’t help it. By all accounts John was a very good looking man, and even though a little over two months ago she would have been ecstatic to go out with him – now…now she felt like she was pretending that he was another man…the one that was currently standing behind her and could feel his eyes boring into the man in front of her.

Turning she began “Uh…John...I think you know Mr. Monk.”

“Hi.” John said with a shameful smile, “I um…I’m sorry about what happened Wednesday Mr. Monk. I know (raising his hands with a bouquet of flowers in one hand) how unprofessional it was but ah…(glancing back at Natalie and smiling) you can’t really blame me for wanting to go on a date with her could you?”

Monk shrugged and muttered “Sure I could…” and resulted in Julie elbowing him slightly.

“This is my daughter (grabbing Julie and placing her in front of John) Julie.” Julie extended her hand with a small smile.

“Hi.”

“Hi Julie! I’ve heard a lot about you. Everyone down at the station told me how protective of you everyone’s become. You must be some special kid…” John said, still with a smile on his face.

Suddenly Julie understood why in the past few days Mr. Monk had been irritating her mother about going on a date with this guy! At first glance he seemed ok…but the more he talked…the more deceived she felt…….why was that?!

Julie gave a fake huff laugh and quickly stated “Yeah. It happens when you practically live at the precinct.”

With that Natalie pulled Julie back into the house and gave her a glance, as Julie made a face, turning back to John she was about to speak when Monk chimed up.

“So I hear you were just transferred from New York. (Fake grin with a tilt of his head) Quite a big change huh?”

Natalie and John looked at Monk kind of shocked.

I should have known he’d check up on him. This is Monk after all!

Natalie should have known all right. She should have also known that Monk was very suspicious of the man. Monk trusted few people in his life…and instinct was telling him that John Night was not one of those people.

“Yeah ah…the ‘Big Apple’ ( he said laughing) what can I say! It just got to be too much for me.”

Monk nodded his head as if he understood, when in reality he was wondering why certain files of John’s were sealed.

Both men stared into the other’s eyes……speaking without words…the meaning in both eyes clearly understood to both of them. Men had that communication between them on certain issues…and this one in particular…this one of ‘I don’t believe you and if you hurt her I’m coming after you’ was surprisingly found in Monk’s eyes.

Monk didn’t know he had done this though. He had only thought he had communicated that he didn’t trust him…but John had read the other message loudly, and had slowly let a different smile grace his lips. One that showed self confidence and certainty that he was not in the least threatened by Monk.

“Well…where are we going tonight? I hope I didn’t dress up to much…”

“No no…(John interrupted her as he turned his gaze from Monk) your dressed perfectly.”

Monk had turned and retreated back into the kitchen. For some reason he had found his hands in tight fists and was now trying to get blood circulating back into them.

Julie again stepped beside her mother and butted into the conversation.

“Are you going to dinner somewhere?” She asked semi casually. Saying the words as if she didn’t care what the answer was.

“La Via.( John said with a nod of his head) It’s a little Italian restaurant I found downtown…the foods great and the atmosphere is incredible.” John said making an ‘ok’ symbol with his hand.

Before Julie could respond to John in any sarcastic way Natalie quickly kissed Natalie goodbye as she grabbed her purse from the coffee table near the couch.

“I have my cell if there’s an emergency, and be make sure…”

“I know! I know! Make sure Mr. Monk gets to bed before eleven or he’ll be useless tomorrow!!” Julie said exasperated.

“He never makes it passed ten twenty……I really don’t know why you even bother warning me…” Julie continued as she walked her mother out the door.

Natalie turned and grabbed Julie’s head once more and kissed her forehead as she stared into her daughter’s eyes again.

“Just in case you forget and something happens.” Natalie explained. With another kiss she turned and said “Be good…” as she and John walked to his car.

Natalie closed the door and locked and leaned against the door as she stared up to the ceiling.

Julie didn’t understand why her mom was going out with this guy, but understood now why Mr. Monk didn’t seem to like the idea of them going out at all.

Walking into the kitchen she watched Mr. Monk continue to organize the cabinets for fifteen more minutes before she faked coughed to get his attention.

“Do you want to go spy on them?” She asked casually.

Monk turned to find Julie looking up at him with a strange look on her face.

Yet the thing that struck him the oddest...was how to answer her question.