Hey everybody! So stoked that this dreadful hiatus is almost in our rear-view mirrors! Who is dying for Tuesday to get here already? Thanks again for the reviews, please keep them coming. Just to reiterate, there is no copyright infringement intended.


Nick was beyond nervous as he walked Bob purposefully away from the bagel shop they needed to get to. It was easy to guide him out of the apartment, but now that they were out in open space, walking through the bright light of day, Nick felt like Bob could see right through him. Deep down, he knew Jess' Dad wasn't a mind reader. He couldn't somehow intuit that Nick had woken up with his only daughter two mornings in a row, but still, it was unnerving trying to make small talk with the guy when scenes from last night kept creeping into his mind, unbidden. The curve of Jess' neck, the way she sighed when he pressed a kiss into the little hollow below her hipbone, the way she fit against him like she'd been carved with Nick in mind. He shook his head and blinked in the morning sun, willing the more passionate moments of their encounter to stay out of his mind, at least through breakfast.

"So Bob, how was your drive from Oregon? Is it a pretty easy highway shot or do you have to take back roads?" Nick trailed off pathetically.

"You know, the map says take the highway, but I've learned never to live and die by anything generated on the internet."

Nick's ears pricked up. Conspiracy theories? That's my sweet spot!

"I know what you mean Bob," Nick said enthusiastically. "You know, GPS is always pushing you toward some toll road or through a commercial district, I think the tech companies are in bed with the fuel corporations and restaurant chains."

"Been saying it for years," Bob concurred. "Hey, how far is this place anyway?"

"Oh you know what?" Nick feigned, slapping his forehead, "I took us the wrong way; I was heading to my favorite diner on autopilot. Sorry about that."

"No problem," Bob said jovially, slapping Nick on the back as they made a U-turn. "Gotta get my steps in anyways," he said, checking the pedometer on his waistband.

"Good man," Nick grinned. Maybe I can do this.


Jess was waiting for them at a table outside when they finally appeared at the bagel shop. She looked pretty as a picture in a black ruffled skirt and mint green top and flashed Nick one, heart-stopping grin before hopping up to hug her Dad.

"Dad! It's so great to see you! I'm sorry I wasn't home when you got in, I wish I'd known you were coming."

"Nothing to worry about, Nick here kept me company," Bob said.

Jess looked surprised and pleased to see Nick and her Dad in good spirits. "Ok, well great then! So I didn't want to order until you guys got here, do you want to head inside?" Jess asked.

"Hey, Jess, I'll grab the food, you and your Dad can hold the table and catch up a little," Nick interjected.

For the second time in as many minutes, Jess flushed with surprise. She raised her eyebrows and offered Nick a sweet smile. "Yeah, cool, that would be great, thanks Nick! I'll take a—"

"—cinnamon-sugar bagel, toasted, with strawberry cream cheese and an Irish Breakfast tea," Nick rattled off, rolling his eyes. "I got you covered Jess. What can I get for you Mr. Day?"

"Bob's fine and I'll just take a plain bagel with plain cream cheese and a black coffee," Jess' Dad replied.

"Hey, that's what I always get!" Nick laughed. "I'll be right back."


Five minutes later Nick walked slowly outside, balancing a precarious, bagel laden tray on his right arm. He walked carefully over to the table and started handing out the goods. The tray looked funny with Jess' bright and cheery order sitting between Nick's and Bob's matching "no frills" selections.

"Oh hey, I pocketed a bunch of napkins," Nick said, "this place is so stingy with 'em! It's like, sorry if I want clean hands with my $6 bagel, I guess that's on me."

Bob shook his head. "It's one of those places, huh? I bet they charge $1.05 for coffee refills too. The nerve of some restaurants."

"You're telling me," Nick added.

"I guess the 200% mark-up isn't enough," Bob and Nick finished in unison. Laughing, they shook hands. Jess, however, didn't join in the revelry. She was looking from her Dad to Nick and back again rapidly; like she was following a high-energy tennis match. She was frowning and hadn't eaten much of her bagel.

The meal wrapped without much incident, and Bob and Nick were just ramping up for a lively discussion about the bold-faced gall of L.A. parking enforcers, when Jess' phone rang. She darted out of range to answer it so her two breakfast mates could disabuse those new cell-phone meters uninterrupted. She reappeared a few minutes later; pink-cheeked and happy.

"Hey guess what? That was Taunya."

"Your old principal?" Nick asked.

"Yup, she was calling because there's a job open at the school she got transferred to and she's putting me up for it!"

"That's great!" Nick and Bob chorused. "Seriously Jess, that's awesome," Nick said, giving her a warm smile.

"Thanks! And it's a great school to. It's a Blue Ribbon junior high not far from the loft with a really involved P.T.A. I'd be teaching homeroom and English for sixth graders, but they'd also want me to helm their creative writing program for the eighth graders."

"Sounds perfect sweetie, right up your alley," Bob said.

"So, the only thing is, I have to run in today for an interview," Jess chewed her lip nervously and looked from her Dad to Nick. "Is that ok? Dad, can you hang at the loft? Or I can try to get you in to a museum tour group or something…" Jess trailed off.

"Honey, I'm exhausted from my drive, I'm happy to lay low at your place. Then I can take you out for a congratulatory dinner when you get the gig!"

"Aw, thanks Dad!"

"And Jess, I'm not working until tonight, so I'll be happy to take you Dad anywhere he needs to go, or whatever," Nick said, tugging at the collar of his shirt nervously.

Jess beamed at him, her blue eyes bright and excited. "Thanks Nick, I really appreciate that."

"Jess I'm going to run inside and use the restroom before we head back," Bob said.

"Sounds good Dad, we're not in a hurry."

As soon as they were alone, Jess stepped in closer to Nick and touched his arm. After two nights of incredible sex, he didn't expect her hand on his sleeve to send shivers down his spine, but he was sorely mistaken.

"Are you sure you're ok hanging with him today? I know that's a lot to ask," Jess murmured.

"Don't even worry about it," Nick said quietly, reaching for her waist and tugging her in closer. "This job is important to you, and stuff that's important to you… well, that same stuff is important to me," Nick finished with a crooked grin. "So don't worry about us, just go get 'em," he whispered, drawing her in for a sweet kiss.

Jess kissed him back soundly and uttered a little sigh of disappointment when he stepped away from her.

"Wow, I'm really going to owe you for this Miller," Jess said. "Really, really going to owe you, big time."

Nick felt his pulse race at the suggestion of Jess being in his debt. "Oh yeah? Any ideas on paying me back, or is it up to me to figure that out?"

"Maybe we should decide together," Jess flirted tracing a little pattern on his chest with her index finger.

Nick could have stayed like this with her all day; flirting, teasing, touching, kissing, making promises. But just as he was thinking up his next, sexy retort, he saw Jess' Dad start to make his way back toward them. Jess noticed just a fraction of a second later, and leapt away from Nick like she'd been electrocuted. Luckily, Bob was checking his pedometer and didn't notice.


Nick felt downright chipper on the walk back to the loft. Jess kept smiling at him gratefully and Bob kept the conversation going with ease. Jess' Dad is cool, he hates all the same stuff I hate! Far from dreading the day ahead, Nick found himself looking forward to it. The NFL draft was on, they could share the paper, maybe he could even interest Bob in the turtle documentary he'd marked as permanent on the DVR.

They grabbed Bob's luggage out of the car and hauled it up to 4E.

"So Jess, can I bunk with you guys tonight?" Bob asked. "I'm booked at Cece's wedding hotel starting tomorrow, but they wouldn't give me the group rate tonight, so…"

"What a racket," Nick said shaking his head.

A little worry line creased Jess' brow as she observed her Dad and Nick's interaction but it disappeared quickly.

"Sure Dad, you can take my room," Jess said. "Our couch is super comfy; I'll be snug as a bug out there."

"Jess, that's ridiculous, you can sleep in my room," Nick blurted. "Without me in it, of course," Nick stammered. "Um, no way would we be sharing, 'cause that's mega inappropriate. I'll be the one to couch it tonight, so, final answer, mark it down, case closed."

Nick wiped some sweat off his brow as his ridiculous rant finally ended. Jess rolled her eyes at him and mouthed, "What is wrong with you?" but Bob didn't appear to be phased.

"Ok, cool, thanks Nick, you'll take the couch then," Jess said, giving her Dad a pat on the arm. "I'm going to go suit up for my interview!" she squealed, scampering to her room to change clothes.

Bob smiled at Nick blandly and looked down at his pedometer. Without moving his eyes from the little display, he spoke his next words with measured calm. "You're right Nick, sharing a room with my beautiful, kind-hearted only child, even for a single night, would be mega-inappropriate, to say the very least."

With stunning clarity, Nick saw his imagined day of newspaper sharing, draft talk and turtle discussion fly out the window, never to be heard from again. Suddenly, he wasn't quite ready for Jess to leave.