Daunting -- Part 4

No copyright inFRiNGEment intended.
Note: Now Peter's asleep at the lab and two female FBI agents have a few drinks and some conversation…

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The Quiet Man

Olivia shook her head. "But why on earth would Peter want to hide he moved? He concealed it from me, that's major!" she finally said.

She was facing Astrid, seated in an impersonal bar, perched on a high bar stool and nursing her drink. Several empty glasses on their table were proof that they have been rather busy since they got there. She took a few peanuts with the tip of her fingers, popped them in her mouth absently before rinsing them down with another gulp.

"I wouldn't know. Maybe he didn't think it was THAT important," Astrid shrugged. She took a swig at her glass and made a show at looking at anyone else but Olivia.

"Astrid, I didn't mean to be rude, it's just that…" she rolled her eyes and pouted her mouth, frowning, alcohol vapours clearly undermining already her abilities to think straight. "… cut me some slack here, you spend a lot of time with Peter and I thought that he might have explained why."

"Why I got to spend a lot of time with Peter, for god's sake Olivia, it's not my choice per se, I'm not only your assistant, I'm Walter's! Don't you make it sound like I'm willing to spend time with him, he's not exactly right up my alley, you know."

"Sorry," Olivia waved her glass with an apologetic smile. "Drunk talk."

Astrid chuckled and raised her glass with a wink. "Why he didn't tell you, Olivia, I don't have a clue, sorry. He's changed, you know. He's not the talkative Peter we all used to love and hate. Something broke inside him when you went MIA."

"I-I don't understand…"

"You didn't notice he's not his usual jackass any more?"

"No, not really," she said softly, unaware she was squinting.

"I mean he's still the best when it comes to wise cracks and perfect one-liners, but he's turned into a regular nice guy, he's not mean any more."

"He's just some smart aleck who keeps making witty remarks, is that what you mean?"

Astrid grinned."Yep, kinda. You should know that he hasn't been able to get one good night sleep since he left the hotel," said back to being serious. "Hence falling asleep in your office."

"Really? I always gave Walter's bedside manners credit for his lack of sleep."

"Maybe amnesia rubbed off on him. It's easy to have one's internal clock derailed."

"Still that doesn't explain…"

"Olivia, I'm gonna be blunt, would you drop it? I understand your concern about Peter shutting you out, but…" she hesitated. "Permission to speak freely, M'am?"

"Of course, go ahead," Olivia grinned.

"Maybe he doesn't know better. You didn't give him exactly a choice. And you knew from the start that there would be sexual tension between the two of you."

Olivia nodded and blushed a little. "Of course, this kind of… tension between male and female partners is documented. It is to be expected. It's just a fantasy."

"Sometimes, it's not," Astrid pushed.

"John?"

"Yes."

Olivia sighed. "It's different, I'm not attracted to Peter."

"Of course you're not," Astrid chuckled and concentrated on her glass. "You're just upset he didn't confide in you for his flat?"

"Well, yes. There's nothing more."

"I bet you could swear there's nothing more and right now you're feeling that you'll never fall in love again but you will."

"I know."

"I believe you. But let me tell you something. You deserve it, to go out and have a drink, or several drinks, after work. But shouldn't you have these drinks with Mr Wise Ass instead of me?"

"I've been here before. And he was asleep in my office," she raised her glass.

"Okay, point taken, I won't talk about it. Just so you know. You have him wrapped around your little finger."

"Yes, I guess one could say that."

"And you know that even if you squeeze your eyes really tight he won't go away?"

"Yep."

"Well, I guess I have to get back home and hit the sack or I won't be able to handle Walter tomorrow morning."

"I'll call us a cab, and Astrid?"

"Thanks for listening."

"My pleasure."

Olivia left Astrid in front of her building and went back to Brighton. When her cab reached her place and pulled over, she could have sworn that it was Peter's old family wagon that was turning the corner.