Author's Note: This is a sequel-ish thing to 'With Sprinkles'. Basically, JJ has a secret involving lip gloss. It may wind up being more then one chapter.
Watermelon Ice
JJ seriously considered whooping Garcia upside the head after she threatened her with revealing her lip gloss. It was her private, secret, personal secret that she kept from the rest of the team. For a reason. A career girl could wear lip tint, lipstick, lip stain, but lip gloss was something done in high school. Junior high school.
Jennifer Jareau had a lip gloss problem.
Once, Garcia had suggested a kind of 'Gloss Abusers Anonymous' program for her, but hadn't found one. Emily had said she'd never seen anyone buy so much, especially at once, when they'd gone on a shopping spree. JJ had bough more gloss then anything else, even shoes. She'd bought more then Garcia had bought of lipsticks. It was a harmless addiction, but one she kept to herself.
Until Garcia's slip yesterday at lunch. Now everyone knew she had some kind of issue with gloss. And Rossi had glommed onto that little piece of information in a way that reminded JJ scarily of Garcia-ears pricked and eyes all aglitter.
He was apparently so intrigued that he came by her office that afternoon with a cup of coffee in each hand, and gave one to her.
"What do you want, Rossi?" She was sure he was after something. He had that look.
"What color pink is it?"
"Excuse me?"
"You know."
She bit her lip. It was a shade of pink. "I'm sure I don't, Agent Rossi."
He leaned over the desk, way into her personal space, and tapped a finger to her bottom lip. "Color, Agent Jareau."
"Pink."
He sighed. "I've been married three times. You can't tell me 'pink' and expect me to believe it. There are more shades of pink, Horatio, then are dreamt of by mere men."
She answered by syllables. "Watermelon ice."
"Watermelon ice," he repeated. "Cool, refreshing, bit of a zing to it."
"Is that all, Agent Rossi?"
"Can I buy you lunch?"
"Do you get all your dates by throwing off the women into saying yes?"
"Generally. Does it taste like watermelon ice?"
"I abandoned flavored lip gloss in sixth grade."
"Pity. I've always liked that taste. But you didn't answer my question."
"Actually, I did."
"The other question. About lunch."
"Are you buying?"
"Of course. I'm a gentleman."
She tossed back her hair, reckless. "Why not?"
. . . . . . . . . . .
Rossi walked her out of the building, directly past Penelope Garcia, whose mouth was a big round 'O' that developed into a grin as they walked past. An evil grin. JJ gritted her teeth. It was lunch with a colleague, not a date. JJ didn't do interoffice dating.
"Any place in particular?" Rossi asked.
Damn. Now she'd look like a slob if she picked a burger joint, but a money grubber if she picked a nice place. Not that she cared-it wasn't a date. Just lunch with a colleague.
"Have you been to the new deli yet?"
"The one off Carlton Avenue?"
"That one."
"Not yet. Shall we?"
"Sure."
JJ straightened her jacket as they rode the elevator down, and realized they had another problem. Whose car would they use? The deli wasn't close enough to walk.
Rossi, however, was a chivalrous pig. He lead her over to his truck before she knew what was happening, and found herself in the passenger seat. Lunch with a colleague, she reminded herself. It was becoming a mantra.
It was a good thing she didn't see Rossi's face. He was grinning. He had a date.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Lunch with Rossi hadn't been too bad. He was polite, he didn't invade her space too much, and he had actually paid for the whole meal. Some guys decided at the last minute to go Dutch.
Once they were in the elevator going back up to their floor, Rossi got back to what she felt was his original intention.
"So what's all this about lip gloss?"
"None of your business."
"Now, we were having such a good time. No need to get nasty."
"Me? You're the one trying to bribe my secrets out of me, not the other way around."
"But I don't see why lip gloss would be something Garcia would be able to blackmail you over."
"You're not a woman."
Rossi nodded in acknowledgement of that fact. "But that doesn't answer my question."
"Rossi, the only reason Garcia can blackmail me is because I don't want everyone to know. "
"So if you tell, she can't blackmail you."
The door slid open. She went toward her office, but not before sliding her eyes back to Rossi and smiling. "You'll need to work a little harder then that for my secrets, Agent David Rossi."
Rossi smiled back. Game on.
