Thanks to those who have been reviewing it's good to know that I am not totally off base with this fic. This is a slightly shorter chapter but I was eager to post it, I'll try to get the next one a bit longer. Please have fun with Tim and Julie and let me know what you think.


Dinner was a much more relaxed affair than she had anticipated, especially given the complications of the food involved. Oysters and mussels were messy on their own, but when you factor in the picking of blue crabs, that took interactive to a whole new level.

Tim had been patient with her, had not laughed much at her careful selection of every piece of edible meat; he was a good teacher.

Huh, it was a wonder she got any part of the meal down, her nerves being what they were.

After their impromptu 'hellos' in the tunnel, she had lingered back on the field for another half hour. His commitments to the team and press had not afforded them any more privacy, but she had indulged in her newest hobby; Tim watching.

Not a bad way to pass the time. Only the time had been interrupted every time she licked her lips or caught him staring at her, and memories of wandering lips and hands took over her brain.

Heading back to the hotel, more than a little grateful for the blaring air conditioning in the cab she had managed to rationalize the whole incident as adrenaline and heat. The affects of a hot work out and the saucy moment of tossing the football were to blame for the stolen moments; they had to be.

Nothing, nothing, could come of whatever it was they were up to. Her check out was pushed back a day but that meant only leaving Thursday rather than Wednesday. Not enough time to maybe, potentially, pursuing any more stolen moments.

Her resolve in the cab had not prevented her from soaking in the tub, shaving every bit of skin that had been ignored all summer, and checking the clock every ten minutes.

Forcing herself to work had been a good distraction; she ordered a cool lunch from room service and managed to work out an outline and rough draft for her article. Just because her thoughts wandered every once in a while was no excuse not to be productive, she was an educated woman with responsibilities and she would not forget that.

She still Googled him during dessert. 'Tim Riggins' was apparently a popular name to search and boy were there some special sites out there dedicated to him. Ignoring the fan girly pages she check out and poured over his stats and then went on to the local paper the Baltimore Sun for a more intimate look at their star fullback.

Maryland loved this Texan, and that was in spite of the fact that he was from Texas; the long standing feud between Washington and Dallas had spilled over in Charm City. And Tim loved being in the NFL.

After she had exhausted her search, random facts were floating in her head that she had no business knowing; she sat back and absorbed what she had learned. She broke it down into three; with her Father he had become a man, at Oklahoma he had learned discipline, Baltimore had made him a grown-up.

It was good to know, she was glad she now knew it, but it still didn't change anything about their situation or where they were heading with it. At least that was what she attempted to talk herself into as she got dressed. She would keep a friendly distance between them, not to repeat that mornings aberrations was also key; she was determined she could handle this.

Tim though hadn't helped the situation. He had only knocked once, yeah, she had been waiting by the door, the smirk fully in place the second the door swung open; his eyes had boldly flicked over the length of her, "hello."

The waggle of his eyebrows and the obnoxious whistle immediately pissed her off and set her mind at ease, "whatever," he had laughed at her irritation and stepped into her personal space.

Too close, too good looking, her resolve to maintain a careful, but friendly distance evaporated the second he touched her; a whisper of his thumbs against her arms and she was done for.

Needless to say the hello kiss part two had been as remarkable as she had remembered and they had barely made it to the restaurant on time to keep their reservations.

Phillip's was a Maryland institution and with its fresh menu and great view of the water the hour and a half they spent lingering over their food flew by.

"Where to now?" arm in arm they had walked to the edge of the harbor, he had promised not to let her fall in as she looked over and down into the Chesapeake Bay.

"You mind walking?" she had worn the only heels she traveled with, a pair of black two inch heels with tiny bows on the toes, they wouldn't have been her first choice in footwear for a walk but they were broken in enough to manage.

"Sure," they chatted as they walked, if he noticed the looks he was getting he didn't mention it. She noticed though and automatically smoothed down her bangs. Not too skilled in fixing her hair, at least not with Tyra standing over her shoulder, she simply pulled it back to the base of her neck, set it off to one side and wrapped several locks around the rubber band. Simple and effective, her best friend would have been proud.

Tim however had one upped her; had in fact shown up in jeans, which annoyed her at first since she had in fact broken out the iron, but they were dark and free of rips or tears, and he was wearing a dark sport coat. She had forgiven him solely on the fact that he wore a button down shirt in a color she never would have pictured him in; eggplant, maybe a shade lighter, but boy could he rock the purple.

"I decided to stay an extra day," she felt his eyes on her, but kept her own firmly on the water, "convinced my editor to let me stay, I have this whole new angle I want to work on for my article and he bought it, so, well," the words that had come out in such a rush abandoned her.

This time though she was not going to be a high school ninny.

"Tomorrow I want to do the tourist thing for real," she stole a look over at him, pleased that she had his complete attention, "Fort McHenry in the morning and the Aquarium in the afternoon," there, all said and done and she hadn't stuttered once.

Whatever he was thinking she couldn't figure it out from the absent look he was giving the rising tower over her shoulder; he took his sweet time sharing it with her too.

"There's a banquet tomorrow night, another meet and greet, but there will be food and stuff," totally at a loss her mouth had opened and then closed shut just as fast, "we would have to be back by seven to be there by eight," he shrugged, "unless you need more time to get ready.

Whoa; her brain was flipping through his words and assumptions and invitations and sorting them out.

He had managed to invite himself along on her excursion, which she could admit now she had been totally fishing for, but had somehow managed to rope her into a work thing; a banquet.

Shit, backing out now would make her look like a total chicken and she had been fishing for his company in the daytime, and it was for her work thing, so it was only fair that she reciprocate and do his work thing.

"Yeah, um an hour should be enough time," holy freaking hell, what had she gotten herself into?

"Alrighty then," looking ever so much like the cat that ate the proverbial canary he grinned, "I don't know how early a start we'll make," her eyebrows raised, he smirked, "the place we're going is not going to be somewhere you are going to want to leave in time for curfew Taylor."

"Hell yeah!" the band finished their set and ambled off the stage. Behind her Tim chuckled, his hands dropping to her waist; he pulled her flush against his chest and she went with a smile.

"They were pretty awesome," she shouted over the din of the still excited crowd, he nodded in agreement.

"You want a drink?" she sure needed one.

"Yeah," there was no need to shout anymore the crowd had calmed, they made their way over to the bar.

Her bottle of water half disappeared in one long drink, she couldn't believe how busy the place was in the middle of the week, and what an incredible concept. Take a factory split the levels into restaurants and clubs, cater to all sorts of preferences and do that while revamping a cool old building.

She was amused; they left the Ram's Head drinks in hand and headed out in pursuit of more distractions. She wanted to dance and told him so; tonight she was going to move, and make him move, she wanted to dance with Tim Riggins.

"What are you doing?" he resisted the tug of her hand. She put a little more force behind the tug and moved him an inch, maybe two.

"I want to dance with you," their drinks had disappeared, she distinctly remembered handing her bottle off to some girl who looked parched but that could have been her own alcohol consumption talking. Water had not been her only choice tonight.

"I don't dance," he managed to get free of her hand and she sauntered onto the dance floor all by herself. Turning towards where Tim still stood she cocked her hip and began to sway to the pulsing beat.

Music made her brave, "That's a shame," she spun away from him, it was a shame to lose the view, they had checked her sweater and his coat ages ago and the heat of the bodies had forced him to roll up his sleeves. She very much liked the arms that were crossed over his chest; he was a menacing sight, all furrowed brow and legs apart.

The music was pulling her in and the liquor had given her courage and she let go. God, she hadn't danced liked this in forever, moths actually, months since she had gone out with Tyra and let loose.

She needed to let loose more often; the beats were getting hard, more intense, her body moved accordingly, and suddenly there were hands on her waist, pulling her up against a chest that was no where near and rock hard as the one she had been pressed against earlier.

'Crap', she looked over her shoulder and saw a random blond guy wagging his eyebrows at her, he was not bad looking, and his hands were in proper club placement, and any other time she might have been flattered, but her escort was so far beyond this guys brand of hot it was funny.

Her mouth opened to tell him that she was taken when his smile faded and his hands dropped, "Sorry man, sorry," her head whipped around and there was Tim, glowering, down at her.

"Tim," the irritation didn't leave his face, and she brushed her bangs out of her face.

"He had his hands on you," he stepped around her, mimicking no names actions and dropped his hands around her waist; she gasped when he yanked her up against him, he dropped his lips to her ear, she could feel his breaths on her skin, "I didn't like it."

Oh my, but she was liking this now, "I'm sorry," she wasn't really, there had been nothing wrong with dancing with that guy and hell it had gotten Tim out here to her, but she said it anyway.

"'Sorry'; sorry isn't enough to get the image out of my head," his voice was rough, every word a strain and her breasts ached and her thighs rubbed uncomfortably together.

He was jealous, or had been jealous, and the whole territory thing was totally turning her on, absolutely. Her hips had begun to sway as the music crept back into their bubble. His curse was low and threatening against her neck, but she didn't heed the warning, her movements got bolder. Her arms raised, reached back and buried themselves into his hair.

There might never be another moment like this and she wanted to live it to its fullest; and lost amongst the press of bodies, the dark and the noise, it was perfect.

"Jules," she never knew what he was pleading for with her name like that on his lips, because he forced a strong thigh between her legs and thrust against her. Rising up on tip toes her back arching; she rode his leg, danced over the denim, turning her head automatically she knew his lips would be waiting and he didn't disappoint.

The taste of him, amplified by the alcohol and lust and jealousy, was as intoxicating as it was arousing.

Over the next half hour they were positively indecent; it was a fact though, Tim Riggins was a pretty great dancer when he had the right motivation.