Wednesday
Savoring the moment, Paul Briggs leaned in for a kiss, taking the opportunity to run his hand through Charlie DeMarco's hair as he did so. He loved her hair- thick, chestnut brown, and incredibly wavy when humidity laced the atmosphere.
Charlie responded to the taste of his lips by sliding her hands to his shirt front. She unbuttoned two buttons before he drew back and lifted himself a bit so that he sat caddy corner on the sofa cushion.
Paul regarded her with brown eyes so compelling that she always described them by saying his eyes embraced dreaminess and soulful longing, and then combined that with straight out sexy.
"What? Do you want to protect your modesty? You don't want me to see you naked?" She spoke teasingly, her lips tilted at the corner. Charlie shifted her own position to straighten against the sofa's back.
Tilting his head towards the front door he dramatically brought a finger to his lips and promised, "So, so wrong. Actually, I want to see you naked. Then I want you to see me naked, but right now my instinct tells me that…"
The front door flung open and Mike Warren, the newest member of the household and the probie amongst the group entered halfway, hurriedly dropping his open umbrella to the side of the exterior doorway and then fiercely shaking his blond hair. Water splattered the walls of the foyer with the deluge.
Finally he closed the door and saw them watching him.
"Oh, wow, the rain hit me by surprise. I got super soaked before I even managed to get my umbrella open."
His wide blue eyes radiated sincerity and he smiled shyly, such a Mikey expression that both Charlie and Paul grinned as a response.
Charlie evidently thought he looked a bit like a drowned rat. She slid off the sofa and ordered over her shoulder to Paul, "Put something hot on for him," before disappearing up the stairs.
Mike regarded her empty seat with confusion and asked worriedly, "Did I make her leave just now?"
Paul unfolded his body and stood, arranged the cushions, stretched deliberately, and motioned towards the kitchen in response. "No, Mike, but do quit shaking over there and make your way to the kitchen."
Charlie joined them there, and discovering Mike shivering by the refrigerator, pushed him down onto a stool. She had fetched a thick towel and used it to roughly dry Mike's hair.
Not sure if he should protest and not wanting to protest anyway, Mike stayed quiet as Briggs heated water in the kettle, located cups and sugar, and brewed three cups of fragrant hot tea for them.
Charlie finally deemed him dry enough and stepped back with the towel to survey her work.
Mike rubbed his dry scalp and smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you. I was really soaked."
"You're welcome." She placed the towel on the back of his chair before wrapping her hands around the cup Briggs extended. "Smells good, Paulie, and you made it all by yourself without whining or claiming to be kitchen illiterate," she teased.
Paul winked at her, the gesture acknowledging her words but also offering a promise of a later interaction. His relationship with Charlie strengthened him, strengthened both of them actually. Still, in the presence of their roommates they acted as though they were anything but a couple, reluctant to admit or acknowledge that a relationship had developed weeks before during an undercover assignment. They had adopted the personas of a fictitious couple, Eric and Katie, to hide their identities as FBI agents. As the assignment progressed it got harder to pretend and given free rein to act upon their undeniable attraction to each other, they did just that.
In the backs of their minds Paul and Charlie surmised their roommates suspected their liaison, but privately agreed that they needed to keep their love life low key as a means to avoid professional and personal complications.
Paul tilted his head towards the doorway. "Where are the others? I recall that Chuck and I sent four of you to the arcade." Paul risked a sip then quickly pulled the cup away to blow cooling breaths into it.
Charlie smirked at his greed.
Mike looked uncomfortable and began to fidget, causing Charlie and Paul to exchange knowing glances.
Charlie sighed reassuringly. "Listen, Mikey- I can already guess that Dale and Johnny and Paige ordered you not to tell us where they really are because they want to stay out late tonight. But you need to remember that tomorrow we've all got a joint ops between the FBI, the DEA, and ICE. We cannot give less than a hundred percent tomorrow while we're all in the spotlight."
"They have to be on point, Man," Briggs explained, drumming his fingers on the counter. "To do that, to make good impressions in front of company they can't stay out all night partying."
Mike turned a miserable expression their way, clearly torn in his loyalties.
Charlie leaned across the counter and frowned. "I know you want to avoid tattling, Mikey, but if you recall, we emphasized the importance of making it an early night before you four left. Every single one of you assured us that you would be in shape for tomorrow's job."
Either Charlie's rationalizing worked or Mike still hadn't shaken his insecurity around her, but Mike needed no further prodding. "Jakes took off on his own before we ever got to the arcade and I honestly didn't see him again the rest of the night. Paige and Johnny and I stayed together until we ran into this group of tourists from Australia who were hanging out by the Ferris wheel. We all ordered some beers and played a couple of games of darts and horseshoes but then Johnny took off with this girl. Right after that Paige hooked up with a guy and we were all supposed to meet together back at the Ferris wheel at ten. But at the meet Paige and Johnny insisted they were going to stay a couple of more hours and enjoy the arcade rides." Mike's voice faltered to a stop.
"And?" Paul coaxed.
Mike licked his lips, "and they said for me to come back to Graceland since I didn't want to stay longer but when you asked to tell you they were right behind me."
Charlie closed her eyes and sighed dramatically at the reveal. Her plans evaporated with the conclusion of Mike's explanation and she accepted his words had sabotaged the last vestige of her romantic evening with Paul.
Briggs patted Mike's shoulder and assured him that the others wouldn't be angry with him. He motioned Charlie to follow him out of Mike's sight.
They stopped by the door and he gently kissed her goodbye. "Babe, you know I have to get down there and play the Grinch, but I promise tomorrow night it's just for us. I'll be all yours, at your beck and call and you can do with me what your heart desires." He licked his lips and grinned suggestively. "You can pretend I'm one of those dolls you can manipulate."
Charlie giggled and closed the door softly behind him.
Paul set out on his rescue mission focused upon regret at his leadership role in the Graceland household. Once he learned of the arcade plans he had shamelessly looked forward to a relaxing, mutually enjoyable evening alone with Charlie. It was a rare day indeed when he and Charlie would have the delicious luxury of the house to themselves.
Reality sabotaged his romantic intentions, however.
As the de facto leader both from a professional perspective as well as a private one, he often ended up modifying or rebutting his own promises because of his Graceland obligations.
Jakes, it appeared, had changed his mind and decided to enjoy the arcade after all. At the pinball area he ran into a fellow ICE agent and from there they made the rounds of the carnival activities.
The arcade catered as much to adults as it did to children.
Dale's colleague finally excused himself and headed home.
Jakes located Johnny some time after Mike left and both of them decided to search for Paige and head home.
They did. In fact, they found Paige already making her departure.
Unfortunately, Dale managed to anger one of the tourists from the Australian group by inserting himself into the goodbye process. Hotheaded and feeling dissed, Jakes followed that by throwing a punch which the tourist immediately reciprocated. Refusing to leave their roommate to fight alone Paige and Johnny jumped into the fracas and an out and out brawl ensued before other bystanders finally forced a cease fire.
Once calm the combatants shared their communal shame. They admitted that they had jumped to conclusions and excused themselves with embarrassed apologies and pleas for forgiveness. They had gotten along so beautifully at the beginning of the evening but then sabotaged the alliance by the end.
Jakes shook hands self consciously with his opponent before the groups dispersed.
The bad luck continued. The Graceland trio ran into Briggs before they could clean themselves up or concoct a good story to cover their dishevelment.
Spotting his tall frame they exchanged resigned, nervous glances.
No one bothered to offer a defense as Paul tore into them for their irresponsible arcade behavior, recognizing that he was right and that they had to start thinking before reacting. Besides that, the three had insisted before they set out for the evening that they would honor Paul's request for an early evening, and thus, had compounded their transgressions.
Once home it took nearly a half hour to assess damage, apply compresses and bandages, and get the household to sleep, even with the trio guiltily cooperative.
Finally sliding under crisp cotton sheets beside a dreaming Charlie Paul groaned at the unwelcome change to their evening plans. Too tired to get back up and check to see if Charlie had set the alarm he fell asleep reminding himself how dangerous an arcade could be for the inhabitants of Graceland.