[[ downtown lexington, kentucky ]]

[itwasjustified]

[ "it's not like a change of scenery would hurt." ]

"And that's the only skyscraper -- and I use that term loosely -- you'll see while you're here," Raylan says, pointing out Fifth Third Bank, its black glass and blue detail standing out like a nun in a strip club against the empty skyline.

The city built out, not up; Lexington sprawls to every border of Fayette County, and Fayette County is Lexington.

"It's really just a big town that thinks it's a city," he adds, and points toward the corner of Limestone and Barr, where his office is, before they hang a left off Main to double back toward Ramsey's Diner.

Comments

[notenlightened]

"Oh, it's okay," she answers, covering her mouth to hide a bite of chicken still being chewed.

"I don't mind it at all - but I'm sure there's other things you want to know about me besides my job, right?"

Reese smiles crookedly.

[itwasjustified]

"I do," he says, returning the smile.

"Tell me what you want me to know, Dani Reese."

[notenlightened]

"Oh, isn't that just opening up a potential can of worms," she jokes - though, really, there's more truth to it now than he likely realizes.

"I like black coffee. I go nuts if I can't use my mornings to run. And I'm actually really enjoying this fried chicken."

A moment of studying, and then she adds:

"And I may not be a hat person, but it looks good on you."

[itwasjustified]

"Thank you."

He thinks of Rachel, and what she told him on the way back to LAX.

"You get away with just about anything."

"What do I get away with?"

"Look in the mirror. How do you think it'd go over if I came into work one day wearing a cowboy hat? You think I'd get away with that?"

He refocuses on Dani.

"Don't let me forget to show you the better places to get coffee nearby. They're within joggin' distance of your hotel."

[notenlightened]

Her jaw doesn't drop, but the expression on her face makes it very clear that she's impressed.

"You're three-for-three, Marshal," she murmurs, reaching for her water glass.

[itwasjustified]

"I do recall a promise I made -- something about showin' you a good time."

[notenlightened]

"That only proves your word is good."

Still, it's a rarity these days, and her gaze lowers to her plate with a brief smile.

[itwasjustified]

He catches that smile before his eyes return to his own plate, and he spears a forkful of mac and cheese.

"You sound surprised over there."

[notenlightened]

"People like that are sometimes hard to come by," Reese points out, her own fork nudging her mac and cheese around a little on her plate.

"You know."

[itwasjustified]

"Well, yeah."

A pause.

"I try not to think about the number of people who lie to me on a daily basis, though. It's bad for the blood pressure."

[notenlightened]

"I hate to break it to you," Reese adds, "but your diet may not be that great for the blood pressure, either."

Not that it isn't delicious, but she's starting to get why Crews chooses to eat fruit at all hours of the day.

"I hope you've got ways of keeping the weight off."

[itwasjustified]

He snickers softly.

"Traipsin' around the eastern part of the state, all those mountains and hollers filled with meth labs and ne'er-do-wells? That'll do it."

[notenlightened]

There's the grin again.

"You can take the boy out of the country."

[itwasjustified]

His expression turns wry.

"I haven't been back all that long -- I was workin' out of Miami before I got reassigned."

[notenlightened]

"Just the same."

The grin doesn't disappear.

"Not a bad fit."

[itwasjustified]

"Like the hat?"

[notenlightened]

"Like the hat."

Reese pauses.

"Did you have to get that sized, or was it all a matter of trying on the right one first?"

[itwasjustified]

"I tried on a few before I gave up. Then -- and I'm sure you're gonna laugh me out of this place, and I'm all right with that -- "

A beat.

"I had this one custom made."

[notenlightened]

"You're not serious," Reese breathes, partly in an effort to keep from laughing.

"You are serious," she adds, moments later.

It's difficult to tell whether she finds it endearing or just plain hilarious.

[itwasjustified]

He smirks, which could be in agreement or disagreement (though the former is more likely).

"I think you're singularly interested in my hat, Reese. I think you want to try it on."

[notenlightened]

"What?" Reese asks, visibly taken aback.

She even straightens up in her seat.

"Oh, no. No, no, I'm good. I'm not in the habit of, um, trying other people's hats on - "

- and now she's trying to figure out why that sounds so dirty in her own head.

[itwasjustified]

That smirk morphs into a full-fledged grin.

"If you say so, detective."

[notenlightened]

Reese resorts to the distraction of shoving a forkful of mac and cheese into her mouth.

It only partially works, if the recent pinkness on her cheeks is any clear indication.

[itwasjustified]

Gentleman that he (mostly) is, Raylan turns his focus back to his food to spare Reese any further embarrassment.

He's nearly finished when he speaks again.

"Should I get real predictable and ask why you became a cop?" he asks, reaching for his water glass. "Or is that a topic you'd rather slide right by?"

[notenlightened]

If she were to say she'd gone into law enforcement because of her father, that'd be a lie.

(Mostly.)

"My father was a cop," she answers, done with her own plate's contents by this point. "He's retired, now, but - his partner back then, she was just a real model for me, you know? Proof that women could handle the job."

She doesn't mention that Jack Reese's former partner later became her boss - as well as the person who singlehandedly thrust her into rehab when things took a pretty bad turn - but if the subject comes up, it's going to be danced around.

For now.