Disclaimer: Written for fun, not profit.

Author's Notes: For Ifreet.

Story Notes: AU set in the Leather Kisses 'verse.

Like a Gentleman Would

There were a handful of the club patrons still hanging around the station. Chelsea Watkins had managed to get nearly everyone, except for those who had dime bags on their persons at the time of the raid, off with only a small fine to pony up before getting released. Ms. Kowalski had a really good attorney.

Ray sat up and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. Benny, fingers flying all over the keyboard, was typing up the report. Had this been a regular night--not that he had had a regular anything ever since he started to liaise with Fraser--he would have felt lousy. Fraser was no one's secretary.

It was three in the morning, however, and the sooner he could hand over his report, the sooner he could get a chance to talk to her.

He had caught a glimpse of Stella Kowalski while escorting Ms. Watkins to Interrogation One. Huey and Gardino were the lead detectives, which meant that they got to spend some time asking Stella all kinds of questions. The lucky bastards.

In an ideal world, Ray would have been able to finagle something so that they could talk. Unfortunately, between asking Welsh to brush off Fraser's arrest and dealing with the young girl's diplomat dad, the best Ray could do was to keep glancing at the door, hoping for just five minutes with Ms. Kowalski.

A loud zip shook him out of his thoughts.

"Here you go, Ray," Fraser said while sliding some papers toward him. "I took the liberty of correcting some of your misspellings."

Ray gave Fraser a smile, scribbled his signature on every other page and turned it in. He was walking back to his desk, whistling an off-key version of Strangers in the Night, when he came face to face with Ms. Kowalski.

Now, the Vecchio men had always had the kind of easy-going charm that melted the coldest of women. Usually, Ray Vecchio would have been able to deliver a line worthy of Dino Martini himself.

Still, he was speechless as he stared into Stella's pale blue eyes.

She looked up to him. "I was just on my way to offer my thanks to your Lieutenant, Detective . . .? "She raised her eyebrows.

And just like that, Ray's charisma woke up. "I'm Detective Ray Vecchio, Ms. Kowalski." He held out a hand and did his best to ignore Fraser's puzzled look.

"A pleasure."

They shook hands.

Chelsea cut in. "Let's go, Stella. I still have to drive you back to the club so that you can pick up your car and, unlike others, I have to be at court in," she checked her watch, "six hours."

Ray wasn't completely aware of how did he do it exactly. But, as soon as he saw a flicker of disappointment in Stella's face, he asked her out for an early breakfast at the Iguana Caf on Halsted Street, slid himself into his camel coat, drove Benny home and still made it to the front door of Leather Kisses with five minutes to spare.