She had been to his apartment some dozen times by now. It always seemed a little sparse. The furniture was lovely, there was pictures on the wall, but it was void of almost all decorative objects as if someone had taken the minimalist memo too far. So Annie was a little surprised one Monday morning to find a half completed puzzle sprawled on the coffee table.
It was entirely black.
"They make puzzles like that?"
Auggie stepped into the room, hair still a little damp.
"My sister in law sent it. Said it was all black, you know, for very serious puzzle goers. Of course, knowing my brother he swapped it with a Disney princess one."
"Nope, all black. I love puzzles."
He smiled a little at that. Puzzles were wholesome and so was she. Pouring a cup of coffee into his thermos and he then ushered her out the door.
"Come over tonight, you can help me finish it."
She smirked, "A Monday? Why Auggie, I thought I was only good for late Friday nights, when you're all drunk and lonely."
"Annie! You are more than my designated driver. You are now also my designated puzzle expert. I'll cook? And maybe get drunk and lonely?"
And she thought very distinctly that it was unreasonable that a blind man could have such nice puppy dog eyes. Still, that sounded better then another night sitting in the guesthouse.
"Alright, but it better be delicious."
He gave her his signature grin then as she placed his hand on the hood. As she started the car the smooth sounds of Mingus filled the car. They spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence. Before long they had arrived at the front door of Langley. He got out while she drove around to park, and as soon as the passenger door shut she missed his presence.
Sighing gently she pulled into her parking space and turned off the car. At least now she had something to look forward to after work.
And look forward she did. For a job that could be so exciting (if that was the right word to describe getting shot at and trying to be exploded) there sure was a hell of a lot of paperwork.
"And here I thought everything was supposed to be buried under the carpet."
Joan paused passing by, "Only the stuff you don't have clearance for yet."
Ignoring the smirk of her boss's face she got back to work. Glancing back at the clock every so often. Five o clock couldn't come soon enough.
Auggie heard her kitten heels gently clicking against the floor before he smelled her. Still, he pretended to be entrapped in his work. He could hear her pause a few steps back from him, and could feel her gaze on the back of his head. It created a sort of tension he wasn't quite comfortable with.
"I know my neck hairs are gorgeous, maybe I could bring you back to my place to study them."
She scoffed as he stood up and gave her his elbow. Maybe it was just her, but his pick up lines had been going down in quality. As though he was afraid to make serious ones. Leading the way out of the building they garnered no curious stares. After months of speculation and no signs of a developing relationship their co-workers had given up hope.
Two hours later Annie was sprawled on the floor of his apartment, a half empty wine glass on the coffee table and remnants of a pasta dish next to the still uncompleted puzzle.
"I have to say Auggie, for being blind you are infinitely better at this than me. Its not fair. I should have some sort of advantage."
"I'd be happy to have you take an advantage. Advantage of me."
"That was really bad. Next thing you know you'll be telling me we fit together like two puzzle pieces."
That was what Annie wanted to find out. She imagined they would, his constantly grinning mouth would meld to hers, and their bodies. Well, that was a line of thought best left for when she was alone. At least he couldn't see her blush.
Continuing on, "You can best me at technology, physical combat, and now puzzles. I mean, Auggie, my self esteem is taking a beating."
"Mmm, you could do one thing better than me. But it's a secret," his voiced dropped to a whisper, "and you have to come over here."
"Okay, I'll bite."
And with a shove against the carpet she was off the floor and curled up next to him on the couch.
"I hope you will."
She shoved him for that one, but he grasped her hands.
Dropping his voice back to a whisper and letting all the tease go out of it. "When I'm blind, and I want to do this, I have to guess."
Before she can ask 'do what' his lips were on the corner of her mouth. He quickly corrected course and then shifted onto her lips. He let go of her hand, as though giving her permission to push him away. But instead she just brings one up to his hair, and another around his neck.
Pulling away for breath she smiles, sure he can feel it.
"Those are rather sexy neck hairs."
"Would you kill me if I said something about a puzzle right now?"
She laughs and then pulls him in again. But he's right, they fit.