Title: Was It A Simple Conversation?
Author: Roxanne Kowalchuk
Feedback: roxette@ilos.net
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them.
Category: Romance
Rating: PG
Summary: Joe and Westlake work things out.
**********
He kicked himself, mentally. Right after she had told him that it was him, they had been interrupted. Interrupted wasn't the word, they were split up. Catlett wanted Westlake to do something and Frankie wanted the Viper because a piece that Julian had sent, had come in. Every time he had let his mind relax, he would hear Westlake's voice saying 'It's you'. Sighing deeply, Joe put his head down on the table.
*****
Meanwhile back in her office, Westlake stared at her empty computer screen. What had she done. Over an hour ago, she admitted to Joe that he was on her mind. As Allie had put it, he was her sensitive subject. She couldn't believe she had told him that it was him. The next thing that popped into her mind was, what had she done to their partnership.
*****
"Earth to Joe."
Hearing a voice, Joe lifted his head. It wasn't Westlake. "Frankie."
"Can you give me a hand here?"
Getting up from the table, Joe wandered over to the car. "Ya, sure."
*****
Starting to regret ever calling Allie to talk, Westlake quickly put that thought out of her head. Allie was a friend, some one she could talk to. Joe on the other hand was somebody she wanted to spend her life with. Something she may have lost.
*****
"Joe."
Quickly coming out of his trance, Joe spoke. "Sorry Frankie."
"Well don't worry, we're done," Frankie replied as Joe moved back and he closed the hood. "Now don't break this one, Joe."
Not really hearing what Frankie had said, Joe agreed. "Ya sure, whatever you say."
Having had enough of how Joe was acting, Frankie piped up. "What planet are you on, Joe?"
Only hearing part of what Frankie said, Joe repeated. "Planet? Who's on a planet?"
"You are. Snap out of it, Joe," Frankie answered. "I'm actually starting to worry about you."
Coming out of his full trance, Joe spoke. "I'm fine."
"Ya and I'm the Easter bunny," Frankie said in disbelief.
"I'm fine, Frankie."
"Fine, whatever!" Frankie said as he gave in for the time being.
*****
Trying her best to concentrate, Westlake closed her file. She had begun to do her paperwork again, but go nowhere. She had managed to do only two files. Pushing her chair back, she got up and moved towards her couch. Grabbing her purse and jacket, she took one look around her office, then left.
*****
"So?" Frankie asked.
Finally giving in, Joe answered. "I may have lost my best friend."
"What? Your best friend?" Frankie questioned.
"Westlake, Frankie. I may have lost her friendship," Joe replied. "I should of reacted to something she said but I didn't."
"Why not?"
"We were interrupted," Joe said as he looked up to find the elevator open. "Westlake?!"
Looking at Joe, Frankie turned around. When he saw Westlake, he then looked from Joe to Westlake and back. Seeing they were having a silent conversation, he started for the elevator. "Listen, I have to go."
"Sure," Westlake said as she moved off the elevator. But all the time, she never broke eye contact with Joe. "You sure, Frankie?"
"Oh ya," Frankie said as he got on the elevator. Just as he was going up, he heard Westlake speak.
"Joe."
Not to sure what to say, Joe spoke. "Hi."
Staying right where she had stopped, she continued. "I guess I've messed things up."
Shaking his head, Joe answered. "No, but I think I did."
"Why would you say that? I'm the one who admitted that it's you that's on my mind."
"Ya, but I never reacted."
"Joe, we were interrupted. I'm not blaming you."
"But, you're blaming yourself."
"Yes. It's my feelings."
"And you don't think I have feelings."
"I never said that. You're putting words into my mouth."
"I don't mean to. But you have to realize you surprised me."
"I surprised myself."
"I could imagine that."
"Look Joe, I messed things up."
"Stop saying that."
"Well it's true, isn't it."
"No, it isn't."
"Joe just admit it, that it is."
Walking to the elevator, Joe walked around the console. No matter how this was going to turn out, he didn't want to her to leave. Not until everything was worked out. "No, I won't admit it."
Turning around and backing up, Westlake was starting to get mad. "Can't you make this easy?"
"Ya I can, but I'm not going to lie to do it."
"Well we both know what the truth does."
"What does the truth do?" Joe asked point blank.
"Screws everything up!" Westlake yelled at him.
"In your mind, it does."
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You come in here thinking that you've messed our partnership up, but not once have you asked for my opinion."
"Would it matter?"
"Why don't you ask."
Letting herself calm down, Westlake let a few minutes go by before asking. "What is your opinion on all this?"
"My opinion is that whether or not, that phone rang, I should have said something."
"And what would you had said?"
"That I have feelings for you, too."
Not believing him, she continued. "Thanks for humoring me, Joe. I really do appreciate it."
Blocking her exit, Joe spoke. "I'm not humoring you."
"Move Joe," Westlake told as she walked up to him and tried to gain access to the elevator.
"Listen to me."
"I heard you."
"Did you?"
"Yes."
"Then repeat what I said."
"You said you have feelings for me."
"Yes, that's right."
"And I said, thanks for humoring me."
"I'm not."
"Oh so, I'm suppose to believe it."
"Yes. Why don't you get off your high horse and start listening to what I'm telling you."
Insulted by what he had just told her, she reacted. "How dare you."
Catching hold of her hand then her other before she could do anything, Joe continued. "Now listen to me."
"No, let go of me."
"No."
"Joe."
"Westlake," Joe countered.
Knowing she couldn't do anything, she spoke as something Joe said started to sink in. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"You have feelings for me."
"Yes," Joe answered. "Yes, it's true."
Trying to figure out what to say, she saw that Joe let go of her hands. But the next thing he did, surprised her.
"Does that help?"
"You, you kissed me."
"Yes, I did."
"Why?"
"Because I'm in love with you," Joe answered. "Just as you are in love with me."
"Oh!" Westlake said in a little daze. Not to sure what to do or say, she just looked straight into his eyes.
Stepping back, Joe spoke. "Maybe kissing you wasn't a very good thing to do."
"Why not?" Westlake asked as she watched him.
"Because."
Feeling her temper creep up, Westlake tried to remain calm. "So now what, you're backing out."
"What?" Joe asked from the other side of the elevator.
"For the last twenty minutes or so, you got me to believe we're in love with each other and now that you kiss me, you believe it was wrong. How can you do that?"
"Because I don't know what to believe," Joe answered.
"What do you believe?"
"Me?"
"Ya you."
"I believe with all my heart and soul that I am in love with you."
"All right. And you believe I'm in love with you. Right."
"Yes."
Walking towards him, Westlake stopped right in front of him. "So, believe me when I say, kissing me was the right thing to do."
Placing his right hand on her cheek, he gently rubbed it. "I believe you."
"And I believe myself and you, that we are in love," Westlake told Joe. "Although, we have weird ways of admitting it to each other."
Smiling at her, he answered. "That we do. Westlake, Cameron as I said once a while ago, I have nothing to hide from you. So let me tell you, with all my heart and soul, I love you."
Smiling back at him, Westlake answered. "I love you too, Joe. I've loved you since I first met you. And even though you have been some other guy once before, doesn't change that. I love you, Joe Astor."
Knowing there was only one thing to do, Joe placed his other hand on her face, held her head still and kissed her.
*****
"Cam."
"Hi Allie!" Westlake said as she got comfy in her chair. "How are you doing?"
"I'm doing fine. You?" Allie answered from her side of the monitor.
"Doing okay."
"Just okay?"
"Yup," Westlake answered. "So Frankie and Joe told me you phoned."
"Ya, I did. I was worried about you. After our talk, I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Oh."
"Did Joe go see you at your office. That's where he said you were."
"Yes he did."
Not liking the sound of her voice, Allie continued on. "What happened, Cam?"
"Well after some prying on Joe's part, I told him."
"And?"
"We were interrupted."
"What?! Interrupted. I'm sorry, Cam. Have you talked since?"
"Sort of," Westlake said as she heard the elevator.
"Sort of?"
"After about twenty minutes of him trying to convince me that we loved each other, I then had to convince him that it was okay for him to kiss me," Westlake answered.
"Oh. Okay," Allie said as Westlake's answer sunk in. When she realized what she had been told, she looked up to find Westlake smiling. "He kissed you?"
"Oh ya."
"Well it's about time," Allie said as they both laughed. "Although, I am happy for you."
"Thanks Allie," Westlake said as she looked to her right. "Hey Frankie."
"Hey Westlake," Frankie said as he walked over beside her. Seeing Allie on the monitor, he continued. "Hey Allie."
"Hi Frankie."
"Where's Joe?" Frankie asked.
"Not with Westlake." Allie just had to say.
"Allie!" Westlake said as her friend laughed and before Frankie caught on. "He said something about taking the car out and breaking something."
"What? He won't?" Frankie replied.
"I'm joking. He had to go pick something up," Westlake reassured Frankie as Allie laughed.
"Ya right!" Frankie mumbled as he wandered off.
Watching him disappear from her view, Allie just had to ask. "What's with him?"
"Beats me."
"So am I invited to your wedding?"
Caught off guard by her question, Westlake stared at her friend in disbelief, but then laughed. "Funny Allie."
"Oh wait," Allie said as she came to a conclusion. "You haven't slept with him yet."
"Allie Farrow!" Westlake said as Allie laughed her head off by her reaction to her comment.
Across the complex, Frankie spoke up. "You okay, Westlake?"
Not turning to look over at him, Westlake spoke loud enough for him to hear. "I'm fine, Frankie." Peeking over her shoulder, she saw that he had bought her answer and stayed where he was.
"Do you realize, that you're blushing Cam?" Allie pointed out. "So that means one or two things."
"Allie."
Ignoring her for the time being, Allie continued. "One, I'm right and two, you're thinking dirty."
"I am not!" Westlake pointed out.
"Ya right. You're still blushing," Allie replied. "But I'm right, right."
"Allie," Westlake said as the roar of the Viper echoed through the complex.
"Hey, Joe's back!" Allie said with a wicked smile. "This could get interesting."
"Allie, don't you have work to do."
"Forget it, you're not getting rid of me that easy," Allie said.
"Allie, you won't."
Smiling that wicked smile again, Allie spoke. "Or would I?"
"Allie Farrow."
"Yes?"
"Go back to work," Westlake told Allie as they both laughed.
"Only on one condition."
Not really wanting to know what that condition would be, Westlake asked any ways. "All right, what is it?"
"You ask me to be your maid of honor at your wedding."
Watching Joe get out of the car, Westlake then looked back at the monitor. "You are crazy, Allie."
"Come on now, Cam," Allie said as she saw Joe. "Hi Joe."
"Okay, fine!" Westlake said as she agreed before Allie could say another word to Joe.
"Hey Allie," Joe said as he looked from Westlake to Allie. "Am I interrupting?"
"No," Westlake said as she beat Allie. "I was just saying bye to Allie."
"Oh, okay," Joe said.
Laughing, Allie spoke. "I'll be waiting for your call, Cam."
"Bye Allie," Westlake said as she shook her head.
Smiling at Westlake and Joe, Allie spoke. "Talk to you later, Cam."
"All right. Bye Allie."
"Bye Cam. And Cam, don't do anything I won't do," Allie said as she disappeared from the monitor.
Looking at the blank monitor, then to Westlake, Joe just had to ask. "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Nothing, she was just being a pain," Westlake answered as she refused to tell him the truth. She knew if she did, she'd blush.
"All right," Joe gave in as he had a feeling of what Allie had meant.
Getting up, Westlake continued. "I have to go back to my office."
Smiling at her, he spoke. "Dinner, later?"
"Sure. Come pick me up at about seven at my house."
"Sure," Joe said as he watched Westlake grab her purse and jacket. As he watched her head to the elevator, he continued. "See you later."
"Yup," Westlake said as she got into the elevator and disappeared.
***********
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