Happy New Year's Eve everyone! Here's my holiday contribution. Trying something new w/ this story, hope you all enjoy it as much as you have my others.
Disclaimer: I own no one, I make no money. There may be smut...if you are too young to get into an R rated movie, you probably shouldn't be here.
JakeVAnderson Hahahaha You know I'm right.
Ain'tMissBehavin' Fine. U da man.
JakeVAnderson No I da woman!
Jake chuckled and signed off of his Twitter account. Sliding his phone into his pocket he jumped at the mocking glint in his deck boss' eyes.
"New girlfriend already Junior?" snarked Edgar.
Jake's good mood deflated as quickly as it had risen. Still reeling from the recent breakup with his fiancée Jennifer, Edgar's jibe made everything sharp and raw once again. He swallowed his pain and forced a weak smile, "Nah just a fan on Twitter."
Edgar groaned and rolled his eyes, "For fuck's sake. You are NOT God's masterpiece."
The reference to Johnathan Hillstrand's on-line admirer made Jake chuckle, "No, nothing like that. We've traded snarky comments over football teams," he shrugged, "So far she hasn't mentioned wanting to have my love child. You know you should social network more. Be good for business. I mean BeringSeaBrawn has only like two thousand followers."
"Ehh, I have the one, but it's tied to Discovery, sooo…." He let the syllable carry out for emphasis.
"So?" snorted Jake. "You CAN open a new account. Of course if you're too old…" he shrugged his shoulders. Edgar punched Jake on the arm, "Screw you. So did you decide what you're doing for the holidays?"
"Home with the fam for Christmas then I think I'm gonna go to Mammoth and hit the slopes for New Year's Eve snowboarding."
~DC~
"Are you sure you can't make it home for the holidays baby?"
Megan sighed; she was twenty six not six. "Yeah Mom. I'm sorry. Plane tickets back to North Carolina are just too much and I'll probably have to work New Years, so I wouldn't have any time to visit anyhow." Megan finished her conversation with her mother and pulled her lunch out of the microwave. Taking the leftovers over to a table she sat down with her friend and co-worker Janine.
"You should fly to Lakewood with me. Plane ticket to Seattle is only two hundred with the resort discount. It won't be home but at least you won't be eating Chinese take-out for Christmas dinner," replied Janine.
Megan smiled, "I appreciate the offer but I'll have to let you know." While she hated the thought of spending Christmas alone, she wasn't sure she wanted to be with some else's family either. Part of her just wanted to hibernate in her apartment and have a good pity sulk but the prospect of exploring the Seattle area was tempting. She was a huge Deadliest Catch fan, and it would be really fun to explore some of the city where so many of her 'heroes' called home. She didn't expect to meet anyone, but just visiting the locks and dock areas would be cool.
~DC~
Two and a half weeks late Megan found herself stuck at the Seattle flight terminal. The visit with Janine's family had been nice; everyone went out of their way to make her feel welcome. Her baby brother had pulled Skype up on his laptop so she was even able to be somewhat with her family on Christmas day. In Seattle Megan had indeed visited the Ballard Locks, as well as Pike Place Market and of course the Space Needle. Janine was spending another week at home, but Megan was due back at the resort which was booked for New Year's Eve.
Her flight out was supposed to have left at 8 a.m. But it was now 8:45 and it looked like the delay was going to be longer. Powering up her phone she brought her Twitter account up. Leaning back into the seat she felt her chair back press into her as someone sat behind her.
Hey tweeps! Looks like my flight is delayed. Gonna be a long day!
Jake looked up at the departure board and saw that his 8:00 flight to Fresno was running late. Wandering into the waiting area he found an empty seat and logged into his twitter account.
Ain'tMissBehavin' Guess misery loves company. My flight's delayed too!
JakeVAnderson Stupid me thought an early flight would be on time.
Ain'tMissBehavin' At least its vacay time.
JakeVAnderson Only for people who get a month off at a time *looks around innocently*
JakeVAnderson I have to be back at work bright and early tomorrow.
Ain'tMissBehavin' Did you get some time to celebrate with your family?
JakeVAnderson No. I live in Cali. The fam is in NC…too far and too much $. Spent x-mas w/ friends. You?
Ain'tMissBehavin' With the fam. Nieces and Neph's were crazy. Getting away for NY.
Overhead the speaker blared to life, "Delta Flight 1874 from Seattle to Fresno has been delayed due to mechanical issues. Please see the information board for more information."
"Well crap on a cracker!" spat out Megan. She chuckled thinking of her granny who always used the phrase and typed the line:
Well crap on a cracker! I'm never going to get out of Seattle!
Jake had paused in his tweeting as the speaker had announced that his flight was once again delayed. He chuckled when the woman sitting behind him let go with a "Well crap on a cracker." His phone buzzed in his hand and he glanced down at the message from Ain'tMissBehavin… "Well crap on a cracker!"
Ain'tMissBehavin HAHAHAHA the lady behind me JUST said the same thing!
JakeVAnderson She has good taste…Or maybe I'm stalking you! JK I'm a fan but you aren't God's Masterpiece…LOL
Jake laughed at the reference and sent a quick reply though for a moment he did wonder if she was stalking him.
Ain'tMissBehavin' You're 2timing me w/ Hillstrand. I'm hurt. :)
JakeVAnderson Awww you'll get over it. You have what? 17K followers?
Ain'tMissBehavin' Just under but who's counting? LOL
Jake stood up and briefly turned around to make sure he hadn't dropped anything. Looking up his eyes met the woman's who had been sitting behind him. Megan stood and sat her bag on her vacated seat taking a moment to work the kinks out of her back. She dug around in her bag for her emergency snack stash. Stifling a 'squee' she couldn't believe who she was looking at, "HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!"
Recognizing the brunette as someone who must be a fan Jake flashed a dimpled smile, leaned over the chairs and extended a hand, "Him I'm Jake."
"Yeah, I know who you are," fumbled Megan taking his hand. "I'm Megan…"
"Nice to meet you Megan. I was just tweeting about your 'crap' comment…"
"And you were laughing earlier at a tweeter using the same phrase?" Megan didn't know whether to be ecstatic or mortified. Horror and worry flashed through Jake as Megan extended her own hand, "My tweeps know me as Ain'tMissBehavin."
"Um. Wow!" replied Jake, not sure how to answer. Sure he had met tons of fans before, but never someone he tweeted with on a fairly regular basis. "You sure you aren't stalking me?"
Megan chuckled nervously; the last thing she wanted was to come across as was a cyber-stalker. "I'll show you my boarding pass. I've had this ticket since two weeks before Christmas."
Jake did the math in his head and sighed in relief, "Cool. I bought my ticket after you."
Megan arched an eyebrow, "So are you stalking me then?"
"Not yet," he teased.
~DC~
Two hours later the pair was seated at an airport café, Megan enjoying the chance to chat one on one with the fisherman and he the opportunity to pick her brain on the best local joints to hit up at Mammoth after finding out that was where she lived and worked. Finally their plane was repaired and boarding was announced. Making their way through the throngs of passengers they found their seats. After stowing her carry on Megan sat quietly in her seat gazing out the window. Still a little star struck she couldn't believe that she had actually met AND spent the better part of three hours chatting with the gorgeous deckhand.
At the rear of the plane Jake sat fidgeting with Angry Birds while trying to muddle through the thoughts in his head. The last couple of years had been tumultuous to say the least. Losing his father, Phil, Edgar leaving the boat, meeting Jennifer, falling in love and then having her leave him, it all made him old and exhausted. The time spent with Megan had been a refreshing breath of air.
After landing in Fresno they chit chatted while they waited for their luggage to come off the carousel. Jake looked down at the time, "Well crap on a cracker!" His eyes cut over to Megan, "To steal the phrase from your dear granny."
Megan giggled, "Will we hear that one on deck this season?"
"Not unless I want to get beat up by Bradley," snickered Jake. "Looks like I missed the midday shuttle out to Juniper Springs. Guess I'm chilllin' here for a few more hours until the next one runs."
Megan frowned, the Mammoth resorts all ran shuttles, and she knew the Juniper Spring one by heart, "That'll be more than a few. Next shuttle leaves after the last flight in, so about 9:30 tonight."
"Dammit!" he muttered. He hadn't planned on renting a car, seeing as how once he was in Mammoth he planned to spend most of his time on the slopes or in a bar.
"You know, if it wouldn't be too weird for you, 'cause I'm really not a crazy loony-bin fan, you could ride with me. My car is out in long term parking."
Jake hesitated for the briefest moment then smiled, "Sure! That'd be awesome!"
~DC~
After dropping Jake at the resort Megan finally made it to her apartment and immediately called Janine. "OHMYGOD Janine! You'll never guess who I met at the airport this morning!"
"It's the airport Meg, so a pilot?" yawned Janine.
"No! I met Jake Anderson!" she gushed. She'd held it together the entire day, but she had to let the squee free at some point.
"Jake who?" asked her friend in confusion.
"Jake Anderson. Deckhand on the Northwestern on Deadliest Catch," Megan explained as patiently as possible, it sucked that her BF was more into Millionaire Matchmaker than Deadliest Catch.
"OH!" answered Janine with a bit more enthusiasm. "He's the one with the drug problem, has that smokin' hot older brother right?"
"No, you're thinking the Harris brothers. Jake Anderson is blond, crystal blue eyes…"
Janine snickered, "The one you've been writing fanfic about all these years?"
Megan rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Yes." Megan and Janine spent the next hour analyzing the day and everything said. "So you drove him to the hotel too? Did you get his number?"
"What? Oh, no. He didn't offer, and I wasn't going to ask. That's rude and creepy."
"You could have given him YOURS!" Janine couldn't believe her friend. She'd actually met the man of her fantasy life and hadn't pursued it? Megan could be soooo pathetic sometimes.
"Again, it didn't feel right. Yes I'm a humungous fan, but I don't want him to think I'm just out to get laid. I like the banter on Twitter, and hanging out with him was really fun. Waaaay better than a wham-bam-thank you-ma'am. Besides, if he does decide to look me up, like that would EVER happen, he can contact me through Twitter."
~DC~
Jake hit the slopes early the next morning and after his first run he could feel the drag of his board on the way down. At the base of the mountain he took a look at his wax job, which he should have done before he left Seattle and realized that not only were his edges dull but the board could use a new coat of wax. In his mind he debated whether to go to the quickie shop at the base of the mountain or take the board down to the actual store at the resort. A little voice reminded him that Megan had said she was working the shop today. That decided him and he headed over hoping that the fix wouldn't take forever.
In the rental corner, Megan was helping measure and fit a couple for their first snowboarding lesson. She glanced up when the bell over the door rang and saw Jake maneuver his board inside. "Hey Jake!" she called out.
Jake smiled when he heard his new friend. "Hey Megan! Need to get the board tuned."
"Sure. You want a hand job or machine wax?" The couple's head whipped around to look at her and Megan blushed scarlet as she realized the double entendre. Jake chuckled at the expression on the couple's face. "I'd prefer a hand wax, but machine will do."
Megan quickly went through the board list, "Mmmm looks like a hand will be about four hours, sorry about the long wait but Mike is swamped as you can see." She nodded to the line of boards waiting. "We can run it through the machine and have it ready in about an hour."
"Awesome! I'll just leave it here and go grab some coffee." Jake waved as he left the shop. The rental couple left as well and from the back Megan heard Mike laugh. "What's so funny Smike?" teased Megan. Mike was also Janine's boyfriend.
"Him," Mike nodded his chin towards the door.
"Jake? He needed his board waxed. Nothing funny about that," stated Megan blandly.
Mike smirked and shook his head, "Dude's interested Meg. Why else would he come all the way down the mountain? He could have the quick shop tune those edges. He came to see you."
Megan felt her face flush once again, "You and Janine must be smokin' the same thing. He's Jake freakin' Anderson. You should have seen his fiancée! A little mini-giraffe." The last was spat out like something disgusting. "I can soo see him interested in someone like me." She turned and walked out of the workshop area before Mike could reply. The truth was she had wondered the same thing. It was like something out of one of her stories. Like thousands of other fans she has been smitten by Jake early on. The easy smile, soulful eyes, and warm, sweet personality made him very attractive. Given that he had throngs of women waiting for the slightest sign he was interested in them, why would he give her a second glance? Shaking herself out of her downward spiraling thoughts she went back to work.
An hour later Jake walked back in the shop to pick up his board. Mike was at the register and kept himself from smirking as the eager look on Jake's face fell upon not seeing Megan behind the register. "She's on her lunch break."
"Oh?" Jake's face brightened.
"Yeah. It's Tuesday so she's most likely at Jim's on 2nd," mirth glinted in Mike's eyes. Boy was Megan going to be surprised.
"S'okay if I leave the board here?" asked Jake heading back out the door.
"Sure, sure. You haven't paid for it anyways," Mike turned and head back to the growing line of boards he had to take care.
Jake sprinted down to hill easily finding 2nd street. He found "Jim's" and easily found Megan sitting at the counter. "Hey, this seat taken?"
Megan choked on the soda she was drinking, "Uh, no. I expected you to be out on the slopes already. I DM'd you that your board was finished early."
Jake looked sheepish, "I haven't checked my phone since I got here."
Megan pushed her food around nervously on her plate. Finally she just spat out the question that was nagging her, "Why are you here?"
It was Jake's turn to be nervous, "Mike told me where you were."
"You were looking for me?" Megan nearly squeaked in surprise.
"Yeah, I was. What time do you get off work?" Jake turned on the charm.
"Three…"there was an inaudible 'but' at the end that Jake picked up on.
"But you have plans."
Megan shrugged, "Kinda, why waste the afternoon powder. Crowds die down until the after dark crowd comes out. It's a nice way to shed the after work blahs."
Jake smiled, "How about I join you then? Hit the slopes then dinner?"
~DC~
"Hey Mike! We're dead, my boards are done. It's 2:45 and I'm going to knock off early," called Megan changing into her snow gear.
"Oooo big date huh?" teased Mike looking up from the magazine he was reading. Megan didn't bother answering, grabbed her board and headed up the mountain.
~DC~
"I can't believe how packed the restaurants are!" complained Jake. Everyplace they had seen had at least a three hour wait.
Megan shrugged, "It's the busy season. You game for some bar food? I'll show you where the locals eat." Steering Jake to her favorite wing joint, Megan pointed out little know local jewels all the way to the bar. They easily found a table and the waitress came to take their order, "Hi Megan. See you're back from Seattle. Have a nice Christmas?" she looked pointedly at Jake.
Megan chuckled at the silent question, "Karen, this is my friend Jake."
Karen nodded to Jake, "Nice to meet you Jake. What can I get you to drink?"
"Bud for me. Megan what do you want?"
"Wood Chuck."
"All right, I'll be right back with those," Karen smiled and headed to the bar to get their drinks.
"Seems you eat here regularly. What do you recommend?" asked Jake. Everything on the menu sounded great.
"Hmmm, the wings are amazing. Open face sandwiches always good. I highly recommend the buffalo burger. The chili is Cincinnati style which I personally don't like and there isn't enough heat." Megan looked over the daily specials.
Megan and Jake ended up both ordering the wings and the evening quickly passed as once again they shared life stories. Megan's phone buzzed in her pocket and she quickly and discretely checked to see who had sent her a text. Seeing that it was Janine wanting the down low on her evening she was shocked to see how late it was. "I'm sorry. This evening has been great, but I have to work tomorrow."
Jake insisted on walking Megan home, though she assured him that she was fine. As she unlocked her door she turned back to Jake, "You're welcome to come in." Jake took a step towards the threshold and stopped. He hadn't been with anyone since Jennifer had left him and while his male DNA was screaming at him to walk in the door the little voice in his head reminded him how much he was enjoying the time he was spending with Megan and did he want to fuck that up? Bending down he softly brushed his lips across hers, "You have to work. Take a rain check?"
Review ladies! I may have the next installment out tonight, but no promises!