Jenkins:
I woke up to the intoxicating smell of Gardenia perfume. I smiled, knowing whose it was. I looked down at the small woman in my arms. I was taken aback at just how beautiful she was in her state of sleep. Her red hair was a mess and her lips were parted slightly. My arms were crossed protectively around her small waist and her hands rested on them. It took me a minute to recall the events of last night and reason as to why we were stark naked, but I smiled as the events of the night came flooding back.
Cassandra:
I woke up in a room that was not my own without a stitch of clothing on. As I tried to remember what happened and why I was here, I noticed the long arms wrapped around my waist and immediately relaxed. Jenkins. I snuggled up tighter to him and he sighed in my ear. "Good morning," I whispered, feeling his arms hold me even tighter. "Good morning my dear," his sweet, deep voice said in return. I glanced at his clock and sighed. It read 7:00. The others would be in the annex by 8, so we had to get up. I started to slip out of his grasp and felt him tighten his arms once more. "And just where do you think you're going?" His voice was low and sultry, and it took all I had to not jump him. I turned in his arms to face him. "It's 7:00, don't we need to go get ready?" He turned, and his eyes widened realizing the time.
Jenkins:
7:00? There is no way that it is actually 7:00, I've never slept in like this before. I turned to look at the clock and to my surprise, it read 7:02. I'm usually in the annex by 7:30, dressed and having made tea. The others will immediately question me if I am not there and they do not need to find out about this new development just yet. "Oh dear, it seems that it is," I tried to sound calm. I let her go and as she started grabbing her clothes from the floor, I watched her. God, that body. The seductive curve of her hips, her slim waist and long red hair. I sucked in a breath and tried to keep myself together.
Cassandra:
I could feel him watching me, but I didn't mind. If I'm honest, I enjoyed being watched that way by him. I smiled up at him. I put my pajamas from last night on and heard him pull a suit from his closet. As he was picking out his bow tie and pocket square in the mirror, I went behind him and wrapped my arms around his naked waist. I felt him relax and said, "Let's keep this between us for now so as not to startle the others just yet, agreed?" He nodded his head in the mirror and turned around to face me. He leaned down and kissed me gingerly, a long, proper kiss that sent shivers to my soul. I walked out of his room and down the hall to my own suite carefully and quietly.
Eve:
It was 7:35 and Jenkins was nowhere to be found. I started down the hall to his room when I heard the door open. Shit, I thought. He hates people coming down here and he was about to catch me. I hid behind a corner and watched as someone walked through the door. I was surprised to see that it wasn't Jenkins. It was Cassandra, hair a mess, wearing pajamas. She turned and looked around to make sure no one saw her and hustled away. Thankfully, I wasn't caught.
Why was Cassandra in Jenkins' room this early in the morning? Realization dawned on me just as Jenkins stepped out of his doorway and began to walk in my direction. I hustled down the hallway so as not to be seen and made it to the kitchen unnoticed. Jenkins walked in a minute behind me and seemed not to notice my startled face. "Good morning Colonel," he said with a smile. This is my chance. "Wow Jenkins, why so happy this morning?" He was startled and struggled as he lied through his teeth. "I… I don't know what you mean Colonel." I let it slide, I knew I was not getting answers from him, but the young redhead would be much easier to get to. "Oh, never mind then."
Cassandra:
I got ready in a hurry but couldn't take my mind off of what happened last night. I heard a knock at the door that startled me out of my thoughts. I went to it and to my surprise it was Colonel Baird. "Eve, what's wrong?" I knew that face. She came in without a word and I shut the door behind her. I turned to her. "I saw you walk out of Jenkins' room this morning" was all she had to say. "I don't know what you're—" I started. Then I noticed she was smiling. She wasn't mad, she was happy, and I was a terrible liar. "Okay fine, I kind of slept there," I finally confessed. Eve squealed. "I'm so happy for you! I need details quick!" We giggled as I told her some of the milder details of the night, like how it all started and waking up in his arms. "Swear you won't say a word!" I asked her. "I swear, I swear! I'm just so happy for you, I could sense something was off with you two the past few weeks," Eve responded. "The past few weeks? We hadn't even kissed until last night," Cassandra admitted. Eve's brow furrowed, "Really? The team caught you sneaking glances at each other but couldn't put it together." Cassandra smiled at the thought of Jenkins sneaking glances at her. She had had no idea.
Jenkins:
Colonel Baird's comment from moments before had been tickling at my mind as I made tea. "Wow Jenkins, why so happy this morning?" she had said. I had been very careful not to let her see what had just happened, but she has suspected something anyway. As much as I could try, I might not be able to hide the feelings that had surfaced from my and Cassandra's new… relationship? No, one night does not imply that, does it? It took a moment to realize that I did not know the social norms of "dating" in this day and age. I haven't dated anyone since, well… wow, had it been that long? I did the math again just to be sure. I suppose I'll keep that number to myself. I began to search the iPad Mr. Jones had given me for the site he told me had young euphemisms on it, Urban Dictionary. I feel like relationship is too a big a term, but it was much more than a "one-night stand" as the site had so crudely told me it was. I mean, seriously? Do young people actually use such a term? I need to just ask Cassandra what this means for us and what we should call it.
As I left the kitchen and went into the annex, the four Librarians and their Guardian were hovered over the Clippings Book. I went to my desk, trying not to be distracted by the short skirt Cassandra was wearing. "Where to this time?" I called over my shoulder to the group and Flynn immediately responded, "Fire up the back-door Jenkins, we're going to Dallas!" I sat the tea down at my desk and moved to the gyroscope to set it.
As I glanced back at them, Cassandra was grinning at me, which was not anything unusual from her normal expression. Had that grin meant the same thing before as I suspect it does now? I forced myself to not think of it right now or it might give us away. The others must have thought little of it because they had normal expressions on their faces, even the Colonel. Cassandra and I must have kept our emotions hidden better than I thought after all. The back-door reared to life as I stepped out of the way.
Mr. Jones and Mr. Stone stepped through first, followed by Flynn and Eve, leaving Cassandra. I glanced at her and then back at the door expectantly and she ran up to me and gave me a quick kiss before running through the door after the others. I smiled in spite of myself. Maybe we could make this work after all.
Cassandra:
I appeared on the other side of the door a few strides behind the others but caught up quickly. Eve glanced back and gave me a knowing look, but the others never even checked up. I smiled thinking about the surprised look from the man on the other side of the door as I kissed him. I tried to fight my desire to do so, but I couldn't help it. I've felt this way for months now and if he is going to try to talk himself out of this because of our age difference, I am going to make it damn near impossible for him to.
