Walking into the ambient sounds of the bar on a Friday night soothed her. It had a been a long drawn out week and she needed an escape of sorts. She needed to unwind and she had found herself heading to an unfamiliar part of town. It was exciting to shake up her usual routine of capping her work week with popcorn, wine and falling asleep in front of the television.

Her co-workers Harrison Wright and Abby Whelan had suggested the bar to her during lunch since it wasn't all that far from her apartment. She wondered if perhaps they had some ulterior motive in suggesting this particular place. They knew she was not seeing anyone and had not been involved in some time but she was far from unhappy. She was usually too occupied to notice the lack of a partner, although she did miss some aspects but usually it was not long before that feeling lost out to exhaustion and then she was back at work.

Taking in the patrons and glancing absently at the television to her right, Olivia sat down at the bar not yet ready to order. She turned on her stool and leaned back on her elbows and exhaled. It was finally the weekend after a particularly draining client she and her team had earned the break-brief though it would be.

Was this the norm? Leaving work, getting dressed and going out for drinks? She didn't know since she preferred keeping herself busy. Did she work too much? She supposed that some could say she worked long days but she enjoyed her work. It was not an easy by any means but it was very fulfilling.

She studied the layout of the bar as she relaxed. In front of her was a small dance floor with tables situated around it. To her right there were a few booths that offered some semblance of privacy. A few couples sat in the booths eating and chatting. This was not a dive bar by any means. It was a solid mix of functionality and eclectic.

There were a few HDTVs hanging in different corners with one showing a basketball game and another showing a mixed martial arts match. There was a good mix of people from what she could tell-both professionals and more creative, bohemian types.

The music was nice and not overpowering. The beats were not being pumped out through stereos set on the max volume. There was little distortion and she appreciated the added benefit of relaxing to the music.

She smiled as she people watched before she was jostled by a drunk man on his way to the restroom. She felt herself tipping forward as she was unbalanced and tried to catch herself before she hit the floor when she was caught by a pair of strong hands.

She paused as she shook herself and readied herself to thank her savior. She pulled her gaze upward from the floor and over a pair of large oxfords and up a pair of dark blue jeans. She caught her breath as she reached a simple, well fitting blue dress shirt and she stuck her hands out to get a grip on the forearms that held her. She continued bringing her gaze upward and came across a strong neck, a strong stubbled chin, a lopsided grin and clear blue eyes.

Her gaze was stuck on his eyes and she heard him say something. Locked in his gaze she shook her head to clear it of the explicit thoughts that were starting to take over.

She cleared her throat. "Sorry, could you repeat that," she asked.

His grin grew wider causing a dimple to appear as his eyes crinkled .

"I asked if you were alright. I saw you starting to lose your balance and happened to be in the right place to catch you."

She found herself returning his smile as she replied, " Yes, I'm alright. Thank you for being there to catch me."

She pushed herself up using his forearms as leverage and righted herself on her bar stool. She leaned against the bar as she watched him straighten out. His hair was gorgeous. Thick and wavy brown curls framed his strong face in a way that didn't soften his looks.

"You've got me at a loss, I promise I'm not usually this clumsy. It's just been a long day-"

"No need to apologize, really. I should be thanking that guy for giving me the opportunity to catch you, miss." His voice rumbled out in a smooth baritone. He leaned back and put his left hand into his front pocket.

He studied her for a moment before sticking out his right hand. She automatically placed her right hand in his and was shocked when she felt something. It caused both to widen their eyes briefly in surprise before the handshake concluded. Before she could retrieve her hand, he turned his hand and brought her hand to his lips.

"It's a pleasure to meet you...," he prompted as his gaze continued to bore into hers.

"Pope. Olivia Pope," she managed as she struggled to keep a calm look on her face.

He brushed his lips across the back of her hand once more before turning it over. He closed his eyes and placed a kiss on her palm and released her hand.

"I'm Fitzgerald Grant. Care to dance?"