AN: Hey...(peeks in doorway) I won't even try and explain myself - here's the second chapter, like, a month later. Maybe if I could put more names to fans of the story (hint, hint). Oh and by the way I am looking for a beta. If anyone is interested send me a PM. Anyhoo, on we go!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except of course the bean-bag chair which I let them borrow from time to time.
Angel stirred as a bright ray of New York City spring sunlight found the tear in the curtains and beamed straight into her eyelids. She waited for the faint sounds of car alarms and pedestrians to catch up to the light and then blinked her eyes open. Her arms stretched out and met resistance. Collins mumbled.Angel turned her head and smirked when she saw him sprawled, still sound asleep, out over at least three quarters of the bed, and sent the usual silent thank-you to her late aunt, who had generously bequeathed her the queen size.
At some point during the rather warm night Collins had also managed to throw off his covers onto Angel. She now completely discarded the comforter onto the floor and turned on her side to face him.
Early into their relationship, Angel had discovered that Collins was an extremely deep sleeper. Now she grinned wickedly and reached over and traced a finger lightly down his bare chest. He mumbled again and the corners of his mouth twitched upward.
Angel stifled a giggle and reached again, toying with a nipple before running her fingers once more over his chest, down to his boxer line. Collins shivered and his body arched up a bit, but his eyes remained closed.
Angel was getting impatient and decided it was time for her lover to participate a bit more. She propped herself on an elbow, cupped his face with her hand and leaned down to her press her lips firmly against his. Collins moaned and the kiss deepened; Angel brought her hand down to rest on his chest and…
RIIIIINNNNGGGG!
They both sprang back with a yelp, Collins rubbing his eyes and trying to straighten clothes he didn't have on.
"No Mom, it's not what you think! We were just, uh, practicing CPR! Yeah, we…" Another ring seemed to jolt him to his senses. His voice trailed off as he realized he was in bed. He turned his head and saw Angel staring down at him.
"What were you dreaming about?" she asked trying to hide a grin.
Collins could feel himself growing warm. "Don't ask." The phone rang again. "Are you going to get that?" he asked.
"No. What were you dreaming about?" Collins tried to glare at her, but ended up just looking constipated.
"I said don't ask."
Angel snickered. "Poor suppressed little gay man," she crooned mockingly. Collins tried to glare again and she laughed.
The phone rang again and this time the machine picked up. Collins mouthed the words his voice was saying on the machine.
"Hey, it's Collins and Angel. We're screening because there are people we're avoiding. Leave a message and if we don't call back you're one of them."
There was a long beep and then they heard Roger's voice.
"Come on you guys, pick up, neither of you goes out before noon on Saturday." He sounded tense and his words were hushed. Angel exchanged a puzzled look with Collins before reaching over and pressing the speaker button.
"Hey Rog. So, what the hell are you doing calling us at," she glanced at the clock beside her bed, "holy crap, 8:30?! What the hell, Roger?"
"Never mind about that," He was whispering now and he sounded panicked. "Just…just get to the loft as fast as you can. As fast as you can. As in now."
Collins and Angel once again exchanged puzzled glances.
"It's pretty early to be drinking, Roger," Collins said slowly.
"I'm not drinking, just for the love of God be here soon!" These last words were spoken with a high-pitched note of hysteria and then the phone was promptly clicked off.
Collins and Angel looked at each other. Then they simultaneously sprang out of bed and started to get ready to go.
POPOPOPOPOPOPOPOPOPOPOPOP
"So what did Mark say again?" Maureen asked as she and Joanne stopped at a crosswalk.
"He just said we needed to be at the loft by 9:30," the lawyer answered. "Man, I haven't heard him that panicked since Alexi Darling caught him under the mistletoe."
Maureen laughed at the memory and then her face grew serious. "You don't think something is wrong with either Mimi or Roger do you?"
"I don't know, that's why we need to hurry. We could get there a lot faster if you weren't wearing those damn things," Joanne replied gesturing. Maureen pouted and peered down at her mile-high boots.
"That's not what you called them last night," she pointed out. Joanne smacked her lightly on he shoulder, but she was smiling. Maureen grinned.
"Why Miss Jefferson, you play so rough!" she purred.
"Shut up," Joanne laughed. Suddenly she squinted her eyes. "I thought I recognized those legs; Angel and Collins are up there."
The pair was stopped in front of the building waiting for the light to change so they could cross the street. Just then Collins spotted the two women. He turned and held out his arms grinning. Maureen squealed and miraculously broke into a run.
"Maureen, wait for me!" Joanne yelled, but Maureen kept running until she reached Collins who promptly swept her up into a bear hug, to the amusement of both Angel and several passers-by.
"Mmmm, warmth!" Maureen moaned, snuggling against the larger man. Joanne just shook her head as she caught up to them.
"Hey, is that all I am to you?" Collins laughed.
"Yes," she replied snuggling closer. Angel snickered.
"Okay, quit hogging the man," Joanne said, prying her girlfriend out of the embrace. She gave Collins a hug.
"So I'm assuming you got some manner of phone call this morning, or did you just decide to show up at the loft at 9 on a Saturday?" she asked as she pulled away. The light changed to "Walk" and they started off again.
"Yeah, Roger called us," Angel replied. "He sounded like a mouse caught in a trap."
"Yeah, Mark sounded the same way. What do you think is going on?"
"No idea. Hey look we're…" She was cut off.
"Thank God, you're finally here!" They looked up at the fire escape. Roger stood there with the keys in his hand. He tossed them down to Collins.
"And good morning to you too!" Maureen yelled, but Roger had disappeared back into the loft.
They were all getting tired of puzzled glances so this time they chose to stare at each other bewilderedly.
"They really need to clean up the water around here sometime," Collins remarked unlocking the door.
Once upstairs he raised his fist to knock, but the door opened before he got a chance.
Mark smiled weakly. "Hey, you guys."
"Hey, Mark. What's going on? Are Roger and Mimi okay?" Angel asked, her voice betraying her nervousness.
He looked puzzled for a second , then his eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously.
"Oh, no, it's nothing like that. No, that's fine. It's just…well come in, you'll see for yourself."
They filed in. Roger was sitting stiffly on the couch, his hands folded in his lap. Mark went and sat next to him. They turned to look at Mimi.
She was sitting in the armchair, legs crossed and arms folded. Her expression was unreadable as the startled other four took various seats on the other end of the couch and the bean-bag chair, but from the way Mark and Roger were looking at her, she was a bomb ready to go off at any second.
They sat in silence for a few seconds, the six of them staring at Mimi and she looking off into space. She had a slightly nauseous look about her.
"So what are we doing here?" Collins finally asked. Mimi started, as if she had been in a trance. She looked at him. The nauseous expression disappeared and she smiled slowly.
"We're cleaning," she said.
Silence. Then…
"Cleaning?" Maureen sounded puzzled.
"Yes, Maureen, cleaning," Mimi repeated. "As in picking up, throwing out, sweeping, dusting, cleaning." With each word her voice became more grated and Mark and Roger both winced.
"I am sick and tired of this loft being such a pigsty all the time."
Collins started to protest: "It's not that bad…" One look from Mimi stopped instantly. There were few things the philosopher was truly afraid of, and angry Latina's were pretty high up there on the list.
"As I was saying, I'm just tired of coming home to a dusty, dirty home where there is nothing to eat, nothing clean to eat it on, and I can't walk two feet without tripping over a copy of The Three Naughty Nurses that has been here for who knows how long and by the way here you go Maureen!"
Mimi tossed said book at her. Maureen caught it and tucked it into her coat, ignoring Joanne's exasperated sigh.
"So, cleaning!" Angel said brightly.
"You got it." Mimi stood up and walked around the back of the couch between the still-cringing Mark and Roger. She lay a hand on both their shoulders.
"I sincerely hope you had no where to go today because we are going to clean this place until when, boys?" She gripped their shoulders tightly.
"Until it sparkles, damn it," they replied in monotone.
Hope you liked it! Anyone who can tell me where I got the title for Maureen's, um, literature gets a virtual muffin. Seriously. And now if you would please be so inclened as to push the PERIWINKLE button and leave a review I would love you forever and a day. Forget Red Bull, Reviews give my fingers wings!