Chapter 1: Friday

"Make yourself at home, John," Zoe called out sardonically from the kitchen as she glanced into the living room to see John stretched out on the couch in his shirt sleeves and slacks, remote in hand, the very picture of relaxation.

After the week she just had, she had been looking forward to Friday night, hoping against hope that her phone would stay silent. Her free weekends were few and far between, but this one was shaping up to be one of them.

She had just taken a relaxing shower and had put on her most comfy pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a tank top. If any of her clients saw her dressed this way she would be mortified. Part of exuding power is dressing the part. Flannel pajamas did not say: "Listen to me; I know what's good for you." Flannel pajamas said: "Go away, leave me alone with my Ben and Jerry's."

"I will, thank you," he shot back giving her a small smile.

He looked the part of pure contentment. Biting her lip, she hesitated at the kitchen bar before entering the living room and handing him a glass of wine. She hadn't bothered asking him whether he wanted one or not. As he took it from her, he placed it on the coffee table. For some odd reason, she felt exposed and underdressed as she felt his eyes taking in her appearance.

Here she was, barefoot in a HER apartment, in her pajamas with her hair still wet from showering. And here he was, in just his dress shirt and trousers, lounging comfortably in the middle of HER sofa, his long legs vanishing under coffee table, crossing at the ankles. It all seemed so relaxed, so normal. Her stomach did a summersault.

Zoe drew a long sip of her wine then took a seat beside him, ignoring the impulse to sit at the far edge of the sofa, beyond the reach of his arm stretched out on the back of the couch. "Nice place," he said then leaned forward to pick up his glass with his left hand.

She watched intently as he took a sip of his wine, somehow mesmerized by the bobbing of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. It made her feel fidgety. Without a thought, she turned towards him, tucked her legs up under her, and leaned against the back of the couch.

"I'm surprised you haven't been in here, don't you normally go through the belongings of your cases?" she asked before taking another sip from her glass. She was, of course, referring to the first time she came into contact with John. He was acting as a body guard – driver.

"If you recall, I was driving you around. It was Finch who looked around in here." Jarod turned his head to meet her gaze.

"Oh God, please tell me he didn't go through my underwear drawer," she asked hiding her eyes with her hand.

"He said you didn't have any," he said, clearly teasing her.

She wasn't having any of it, "He did not . . . you jerk," she said and shoved him. John just laughed, grabbed her hand and held it.

"So, were you really just in the neighborhood?" Zoe asked referring to his unexpected appearance in front of her apartment building earlier in the evening.

John shrugged one shoulder. "I wanted to see how you were doing . . ."

"Um-hmm . . . John, it strikes me as unusual to be just in the neighborhood. You're either there for a purpose or you're not. Am I in danger again?"

"No."

"This isn't a booty call is it? I just saw you last night." She added with a smirk, though she wouldn't be opposed to some nighttime exercise.

"What? No."

"You, just wanted to what? Hang out?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You have a problem with that?" He asked, raising a brow in return.

To be honest, she didn't have a problem with it. Ever since they reached an agreement on the new arrangement at the hotel, this thing between them settled down quite nicely. Knowing where the other stood, they had fallen into a comfortable relationship. They saw each other when their busy schedules allowed which wasn't as often as they had hoped. But their relationship was based on respect, admiration, and a mutual understanding of what each needed from the other.

It seemed to her that tonight, John just wanted company. And, like her plus one status, she didn't mind it at all. They were beyond the stage of wanting to go at it like bunnies, good lord, they were both well into their forties and sometimes, although the sex was amazing, sometimes it was okay just to "hang out".

Zoe felt her body slowly start to relax as she shifted to rest her head on his outstretched arm. She felt him gently remove her glass from her hand and set it on the table. He cupped her cheek and with his body in much closer proximity to hers, he leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Jesus Christ, John, pick one already!" Zoe snapped after five minutes of unsuccessful channel surfing. John, on the other hand, just ignored her.

"Son of a . . ." she roared after a several more minutes. "Give me that!"

Zoe dove for the prized remote as John took evasive action and held it at arm's length so that Zoe was forced to reach across him to go after it. It was only when she found herself straddling his lap and could feel cotton against cotton that she realized she'd been had.

"Well, hello Zoe," he said with a devilish smile, handing her the remote.

Meeting his eyes, she raised her chin in defiance and narrowed her eyes. "Thanks," before climbing off his lap and settling next to him. She felt his arm on her shoulders and smiled as she took control of the remote.

"Did she just kiss him? What was that?" John mocked the TV screen.

Chuckling, Zoe replied, "Apparently, he thought the same thing. This show was great, I don't get why it got cancelled in the first place."

"Because it was so wrong, and I don't care that they actually filmed most of it in the actual offices of the CIA," John sneered.

"It's not that bad. And, how would you know how the real CIA works?" She challenged. At his lack of response and closed expression, she knew what he wouldn't confirm. That he knew how the CIA worked because he was once an operative.

"Besides," she continued, "I like AB, he's hot."

"AB, what kind of name is AB anyway."

"Who cares, he's hot." She teased.

"That's your type?"

"I don't have a type, I just like them hot." She claimed, adding a smirk and a sideward glance.

John leaned in to whisper in her ear, "You know, that Terri is kind of hot. She reminds me of someone. Hmmmm…" He added, wracking his memory bank trying to figure out who the actress reminded him of.

"Yeah, so let's change the channel shall we?" Zoe said, grinning impishly as she leaned forward to grab the remote.

"But . . ." John protested.

Zoe jolted awake to find that they had fallen asleep curled up on the couch. Good thing the couch was oversized; otherwise, they would both be feeling their ages. Picking up the remote that had fallen to the floor, she turned the TV off and gently shook John awake.

"John, honey, wake up. . . "

"Hmmrm"

"Sweetie, come on, let's move to the bed." She started to get up only to find herself being pulled down again.

"I'm fine right here," he grumbled as he maneuvered them into a more comfortable position.

"Oh fine," Zoe huffed, as she pulled the blanket that was draped on the back of the couch. She lay on her side, nestling against John's body, spooning.

"Did you just call me honey?" he whispered into her hair when all was quiet. "And sweetie?"

"You're still half asleep. You must have heard wrong."

"Right," he said on a yawn. "Goodnight, sugar lips."

"Goodnight, hot stuff," she whispered back, smiling contentedly as she closed her eyes.

Zoe lay partially awake in his arms, pondering the few short hours of the past evening. Sighing she snuggled deeper into his warm body. She let the sound of his deep breathing, the huff of his breath in her hair, and the syncopated beating of his heart lull her to sleep.

AN: Kudos to anyone who can name the Series I was referring to above. Also, who was the actor that played AB and the actress that played Terri? And Heather, you can't play!

AN2: Saturday will be posted tomorrow! And then Sunday will be posted, yep, you guys are so smart, on Sunday!