Soft Sounds and Hard Impacts
If you just hold in your breath
Til you come back up in full.
Hold in your breath
'til you thought it through, you fool.
-Genius Next Door, Regina Spektor
Jill sat beside Chris in the middle of the office before the chalk board. Tony stood before them as well. Three others from Alpha and Bravo stood around them. Joseph was one from Alpha, Richard the other. Rebecca had been borrowed from Bravo in order to take part in the drug bust as well.
The five had surrounded Alpha's captain (and the chalkboard) in order to be briefed once more on their assignments. They would leave that day to different hotels in the area, not including Rebecca who had family she could stay with. Rebecca was being placed in as one of the medical personal that stayed at the park. This was just in case any of the others on the mission were injured in any way. She would assume care of them until they made it to the hospital. The two men from Alpha were going to be janitors. This was they could wander the park and chat with other employees in order to learn more on the drug operations.
Jill and Chris were the center piece of the organization. They would go in as a couple that had gotten jobs there through a friend and were moving into the area. Until they found a favorable apartment, they were staying at a hotel, so the story went. Chris was the bait to the drug dealers. He had IV marks all over his arms from his time at the hospital. They would see it and assume he would want to buy. Both Jill and Chris would hint about drugs. If the plan worked, they'd know who to buy from within a week. And then the rest of Alpha and Bravo would storm in and arrest all those who were involved.
"Check into your hotels and report in to me by three. Work starts at ten tomorrow for Chris and Jill, eight for the rest of you. Don't show up together. Again, the exception is Chris and Jill." Tony gave both a look. "You two need to remember; as soon as you step out of this office, you're dating. Hold hands. Play it up. Act like a couple." Both nodded. "All of you need to stay in character. Your rooms are reserved under your fake names." The man shrugged. "I think that's it. You should have your luggage in your cars, so you're free to go. Like I said, check in by three."
The five stood and Chris spoke to Jill. "I've got to grab something from my desk."
"Okay. I'll wait in the car." She turned away and quickly caught up to Rebecca.
"You excited?" The younger woman asked. "You get to stay in the hotel room with Chris. I bet he's grabbing condoms from his desk." She smirked. Jill rolled her eyes.
"I'm not dating him," Jill said.
"Yes, you are! We're not in the office."
"No, Jill Montenegro is dating Chris Adams. Besides, how do you even know what a condom is? You're like, twelve."
It was Rebecca's turn to roll her eyes. "I'm twenty, Jill. Not twelve. I may be younger than everyone else on the team, but that doesn't mean I've never had sex. I have a boyfriend."
"I know, I know. Billy, right?"
Rebecca nodded. "Yes. But We weren't talking about he and I. We were talking about how you're spending a week at a hotel with Chris."
Jill sighed and, as they left the building, went to her car. "Goodbye, Rebecca." The younger woman went her own way, mumbling about Jill's denial. Jill climbed in the driver's seat and leaned it back, closing her eyes. She hadn't gotten much sleep since three days prior, when Chris had held her after she had nearly committed suicide. Since then, she had been afraid to leave her room at night, afraid the window would beckon again. She sat up at night alone in her room, thinking over everything. Crying, sometimes. But she didn't go to Chris. She didn't want to annoy him or keep him up. She hoped that the hotel had two rooms with beds instead of one. That way he wouldn't see her every night struggle to fall asleep and ignore the world for a few hours.
She jumped as the door was opened.
"Tired, Jill?" Chris asked as he sat in the passenger's seat. "I can drive if you want."
She shook her head. "It's fine. You ready?"
He nodded.
They arrived at the hotel around two. It was an hour outside of Raccoon City. "We can grab our stuff after we check in," Jill said.
"Yeah. Oh, wait, don't get out." He jumped out of the car himself and went around to her side to open the door. She couldn't help but blush as she stepped out.
"Thanks, Chris."
"Anything for my girlfriend." He winked at her, completely loving his roll. She rolled her eyes but smiled. As they walked into the hotel, Chris took her hand and squeezed it. He was looking forward to the week they were about to spend as a couple.
The pair walked up to the woman at the counter. "Hi, we have a reservation."
"Under what name, dear?" the woman asked.
Jill frowned and looked at Chris. "Is it under your name or mine?" He shrugged. And she turned back to the woman. "It's either under Montenegro or Adams."
The woman took a moment to look at the computer screen. "Chris Adams?" Both Jill and Chris nodded. "Room thirty-four. On the top floor." She smiled and handed the two their room keys. "You're prepaid, so go on up."
seven thanked her and she directed them to the elevator.
"Excited to be back on the job?" Jill asked Chris after the elevator closed.
He nodded and grinned. "I'm glad I get to play this part. Chris Adams is a lucky guy to be dating such a beautiful woman."
She blushed again. "Chris..."
"I'm just telling it how it is." The doors to the elevator opened. "Let's go, Jill. I'll carry you, if you want," he offered, still grinning.
She squeezed his hand and let herself smirk. "Save it, Chrizzly Bear."
"Please?"
"Later," she laughed.
He pulled her close. "Promise?"
She blushed for the umpteenth time that day and pulled away. "C'mon, Chris. Let's get to our room." He followed her happily until they reached room thirty-seven. "Here we are." She used the card key to open the door and was surprised upon entering the room. "There's only one bed." Chris couldn't help but feel a little lucky at that. She sighed. "I'm fine with sharing a bed with you, but I'm calling Tony. He should've asked if we wanted a bigger room." She pulled out her phone and dialed the captain's number.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Tony, it's Jill. Why do Chris and I have a hotel room with only one bed?"
The man sighed. "When I first booked the rooms, it was only going to be you in that room. I tried to change it when Chris came back on, but there weren't any open. You two will have to either share a bed or have someone sleep on a couch."
"Whatever. Fine." She closed the phone without saying goodbye. "He messed up."
"I'll sleep on the couch, if you want."
She shook her head. "I'll take the couch. You take the bed."
He frowned. "I won't let you take the couch. You deserve it more."
She huffed. She'd get no where with him. "We'll share it then."
He smiled. "Works for me."
She smirked and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know it does, you big bear."
He proved the nickname true when he wrapped her in a bear hug and tossed her down on the bed a moment later. He flopped down beside her. "I should go get our stuff," he stated.
"I'll go too," she said, sitting up. He pulled her back down.
"Nuh-uh. You're going to stay here and relax while I go get the stuff. I can manage without you. It's just two suitcases."
"You're such a gentleman." He kissed her forehead and disappeared into the hall.
Jill sighed. He was too. So perfect and better than her. She rolled over and shoved her face into the pillow. She blocked out everything for a few minutes. Her lack of wanting to pay attention made her jump when a hand touched her back. She rolled over again and looked up at Chris.
"You look tired," he mumbled. She shrugged. "Wanna order some food?"
"And spend the RPD's money? Definitely." He sat down at the edge of the bed and picked up the phone.
During dinner, Jill thought of something. Their act as a couple.
"Chris?" she spoke.
"Hm?" he looked up from his meal.
"We need rules."
"For this week?" She nodded. "Okay. What do you have in mind?"
"Well, for our couples act, what should we do? I don't think just holding hands will convince people." She set her fork down on her plate, placed the plate on the table and waited for his answer.
"Are you okay with kissing me? Because we can do that."
She nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine with that. But what about other stuff?"
"Like what?"
"Well, we really have to act like a couple. But what stage of being a couple are we on? How many years have we been dating? How did we meet?" She wanted these answered so blanks could be filled and, when asked, she could reply smoothly.
He set his food to the side. "Hmm... Hows four years sound for the time?"
"Good."
"And we met... Back in high scool and ran into each other again when I transferred to your college."
"Okay."
"As for the stage of our relationship..." He scootched over and pulled her against his side. "I'm about to ask you to marry me. But you don't know it yet."
She smiled. "Well, aren't you a romantic?"
"I try," he replied simply. He paused. "Jill?"
"Yes, Bearfield?"
"Can I have a kiss? Now?"
She hesitated, but finally gave him a nod. She moved up and kiss him lightly on the lips. The contact lasted less than half a minute, but their eyes slipped closed and Jill found herself tempted to bring the kiss a step farther. She pulled away, defying temptation.
"We should go to bed," she murmured. He nodded and stood, moving to take care of their plates. When he finished, he switched the lights off and he moved over to the bed where she was already under the blankets.
"Still okay with me joining you?" he asked in a low voice. She nodded, pulled the blanket back, and held out her arms toward him, indicating he was needed there. He slipped into bed beside her and she wrapped her arms around him. He did the same for her, keeping her close.
Chris was asleep in only a few minutes, his grip loose around her.
Jill, though. She remained awake. She studied his sleeping face, so peaceful and soft. She didn't move in fear of waking him. If he knew that she still had trouble sleeping, he'd worry. She wasn't worth his worry.
She pressed her forehead against the center of his chest. He murmured her name in his sleep, tightening his hold on the small woman. She couldn't help but smile. He was warm and she was anchored in his arms.
She fell asleep.