A/N: So, I lied when I said I'd update more often. My bad. I got really lazy...and I kinda forgot about this for a while there. Other things have been on my mind.
I'm on spring break right now and later today I leave for Manila in the Philippines to visit my cousins who are over there for work. I'm excited!...just not looking forward to the 20 plus hour flight and an extremely long layover in Detroit (it's a more than 12 layover). I have a feeling I'll get to know the Detroit Metro Airport very well...
Anywho, I decided to update before I leave, so here you go! Enjoy!
Walking into the room, I made my way over to the far wall, being careful not to step on any paintings or any of my shit that littered the floor. Attached to the wall by L-brackets was a short, wooden shelf, where one of my CD players sat. I turned it on, not really caring what CD was in there, then hit the play button, then the randomize button. When the Rolling Stone's "Beast of Burden" started playing (I guess it was a Stones CD), I slowly grinned, then turned back to the middle of the room.
"I'll never be your beast of burden..." I started singing softly as I walked over to the paintings.
I picked up the clipboard I used to keep track of my code from next to the pile of the smallest paintings, an updated list of the paintings' statuses attached to it. Then I planted myself on the floor in front of them, crossing my legs underneath me, and setting my glass on a hardcover book on the floor. Picking up the first painting, I checked the sticky-note, then looked down my list to find it, seeing if it was sold, on hold, or even being looked at. I marked the status as I continued to sing.
"...All I want is for you to make love to me..."
I paused, glanced up at the wall, and laughed shortly as I thought of that lyric. Glancing out the door, and down the hall, I wondered if Ian heard that...and if he heard it come out of my mouth. Shaking my head, I went back to the paintings to check on their status.
About ten minutes later (and two more songs from the Stones), I came across a painting that I didn't have any status for. I double-checked the list just to make sure, then sighed as I set the clipboard on the floor next to me.
I needed that information, but I couldn't get to the warehouse. Ian probably wouldn't let me go, anyway.
Ian had me bring his laptop to my apartment; I could use that to check on the painting.
Duh! Corporal Dumbass strikes again!
"Hey, Ian?" I called from where I sat.
"Yeah?" He called back.
"Could I borrow your laptop?"
"Sure."
"Mkay...where'd you put it?"
I got up off the floor and walked out of the room, back into the living room, where Ian was still on the couch; this time watching television.
"It's right here." He still called, not realizing that I was practically right behind him.
"You don't have to yell." I said, standing behind the couch. "Do you have wireless internet on there?" I pointed to the device.
"If you can find a signal." He answered, picking the computer up and handing it to me.
I took it from his hands, then set it on the back of the couch, opened the lid, and turned it on. It needed a password at one point in start up.
I cleared my throat, so Ian would look back at me. When he did, I turned the computer to him.
"Password, please." I said.
"Did you even try?" He asked, smirking slightly.
"Why would I do that when you're right here?"
"I thought you could hack?"
"Who said I couldn't? I'm just lazy today."
"All right. Fine." He sighed dramatically, then typed in the password...which I missed, since I wasn't looking when he typed.
"Thank you." I said quietly, turning the computer back so I could see it. "Nice background." I mumbled, seeing that it was an almost postcard perfect picture of Parliament and Big Ben from across the Thames in London, England.
Ian turned his head slightly away from the television to grin at me.
"A little reminder of home?" I asked, pulling up the window for internet access. Not getting a signal from the spot on the back of the couch, I picked up the computer, holding it on my left forearm, and wandered around the room, trying to find a signal.
"I'm from Sheffield, not London. And you know that." He answered, watching me walk around.
"I do know that, but you don't have a picture of Sheffield as your background. And I said 'a little reminder', meaning that it wasn't exactly home." I replied, still wandering around.
I was at the front door and not getting a signal, so I slowly walked towards the kitchen via the front of the couch. I got a very quick, weak signal when I was in front of Ian, but it disappeared just as quickly. Still walking towards the kitchen, I couldn't find a signal anywhere, except for that spot in front of Ian. When I reached the kitchen, I walked in with the laptop, and circled the room, making sure to get to every inch of that room. Walking by the window, I couldn't help but look out, searching for Collins' Cadillac. I looked up and down the street as far as I could to find the car, but didn't see it.
"Jack?" I heard Ian call from the other room, making me jump, and almost drop the laptop. "You okay?"
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." I responded, taking one last look out of the window.
"I guess you didn't hear me then." He stated, as I started to walk out of the kitchen.
"No, sorry. I didn't. What'd you say?"
"Did you find a signal yet?"
"Nope, haven't found one."
I walked back towards Ian to see if I could get that weak signal again. Walking behind the couch, I saw that the signal flashed a bar, then kept disappearing and reappearing before I walked up to the back of the couch, where the signal stayed, and I got another bar…and I was directly behind Ian. Setting the laptop on the back of the couch, I accidentally hit Ian in the back of the head with the top of the machine. He jerked his head forward as he turned to look back at me.
"What are you doing?" He asked, rubbing his head.
"Sorry about that." I apologized softly. "This is the only spot where I can get any sort of signal."
Picking up the laptop again, I held it over Ian's head, and got yet another bar.
Ian looked at the laptop above his head with a slightly worried look, then looked back at me.
"I'm not going to drop it, if that's what you're thinking. The best signal I can get is right where you're sitting." I said, pulling the computer back to me, resting it on the back of the couch. "Now, you can either take the computer and help me out, or I'm sitting on your lap."
Oh, God how I would have killed to do that...
"Are those my only choices?" He asked with a small grin.
"Or you could move."
"I'm comfortable here. Give me the laptop."
Damn. I knew I wouldn't get to sit on his lap.
Handing him the laptop, I looked over his shoulder as he got four bars, and access to the internet.
"So what am I looking for?" He asked.
I told him the web address to get to the site for my friend's paintings. While waiting for the page to load, I crossed my arms on the back of the couch. I was close to Ian, which was a bad thing in this case; I could smell him and it was sending my senses into a frenzy. It wasn't overpowering, but it was pleasant and enough to make me unfocused.
Shaking my head, I looked back at the screen to see the page had loaded. Again, I told Ian what to do, as I lowered my head and rested it on my arms. I sighed softly, waiting for the computer. Out of the corner of my eye (since I was staring at the screen), I saw Ian's shoulders rise as he took a deep breath, then he let it out slowly with a shiver. Briefly, I wondered what that was about, since I'd never seen him shiver after a sigh, but chose to ignore it.
"Okay, what's the painting's number in your code?" He asked, bringing my mind back to what was at hand.
"Oh, uh...I have to get my clipboard." I said, then speedily walked down the hall to the back room.
Picking up the clipboard from the floor, I looked at the CD player, thinking about turning it off, but just let it run. I was going to be back in the room in a few minutes, anyway. "Under My Thumb" was playing at that point, so I started humming it as I walked back down the hallway, where I leaned on the couch, again.
"Okay, painting number five three seven, dash four four nine, dash one six two." I said, reading off the number on my clipboard, then looked through my list to see if there were any others that I needed to look up.
After another few seconds, Ian turned his head slightly to look at me. "Is it blue in color?"
"Um, yeah. Dark blue on the left and light blue on the right, I believe." I replied, looking up.
When I looked up, all other trace of thought left my mind. I must have been leaning further over the couch than I thought; Ian's nose was about an inch away from mine, and I was staring into his gray-green eyes as he stared right back into my light blue ones.
Before I was tempted to do something incredibly stupid, I pulled my head back, then looked at the computer for the information on the painting.
"Did you find it?" I asked softly, getting both our attentions back to the task.
I swear my cheeks were tinted pink at that time.
Ian cleared his throat as he looked back at the computer. "Yeah, I believe so."
I nodded a little hesitantly, then looked for the painting on my list. Finding it, I wrote down the information, then pinched the bridge of my nose briefly.
"All right. I got it. Thanks. Just keep the computer handy in case I find another one I don't have information for." I said, standing up straight and looking at the clipboard, so I wouldn't have to look at Ian.
Walking back to the paintings, I mumbled a "God" as I tossed the clipboard to the floor. Picking up the glass of water, I took a long drink from it. I sat on the floor again, then went back to checking on the paintings, but...I couldn't. I just couldn't get my mind back on those paintings. Turning my head to look down the hall, I glanced at Ian. His scent was never going to leave my mind, and that was just part of the problem.
I stood from the floor and stumbled over to my CD player. Turning up the volume in between songs, I almost went deaf when the guitar for "Start Me Up" blared in my ear. Covering my ear (and yelping in pain), I quickly stepped back from the player, and tripped over a box that was low to the ground. I went tumbling backwards onto the floor, hitting my right elbow on the corner of a case of beer.
"Son of a bitch!" I cursed loudly, lying on my back on the floor.
I brought my elbow up to look at it...good thing the skin wasn't broken. It just hurt like a motherfucker.
"Jack, are you all right?"
Ian was standing in the doorway, looking down at me. I tilted my head back, so I could look at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I answered, rubbing my elbow profusely. "Could you turn down volume on the CD player, though, please?" I asked, pointing to the player.
Ian walked into the room, stepping over me and boxes, and went over to the CD player, turning the volume down.
"Ah, thank you." I said, lowering my arm.
"What happened?" Ian asked, walking next to me and kneeling at my side.
"I turned the volume up to high, which blasted a guitar in my ear. I stepped back and took a little tumble over a box, hitting my elbow on this." I explained and pointed to the offending beer case.
Ian shook his head slowly. "Seems to me like you have too much beer."
"Like I said, it's not exactly my fault. I just have too much shit laying around." I defended, sitting up.
"That too." He smirked.
"Ha ha." I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.
"Will you be all right?" Ian asked after a few moments.
"Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Okay...I have to check some e-mail while there's still a signal." He said, stumbling over the words a little.
I nodded, then Ian stood and walked out of the room, back to the couch.
When I saw that he was back on the couch, I spun towards the paintings and picked up the clipboard again. Setting it on my lap, I scrubbed at my face with my hands a few times, then sighed deeply.
"Okay, back to work." I muttered.
And I did just that.
A/N: Okie dokie. There you go. That should keep you satisfied...until I next update, anyway.
I'd be awesome to let me know what you think. (I think this kinda seemed like a filler chapter to me...)
