Let the Games Begin

...

Chapter 14 - BOOTHS & BOOTS

...

They ended up spending almost the entire morning at the cafe. It wasn't only that they were having a fun time together, but it was clear that no one wanted to go back to the flat "too soon". Of course, now that Jess was in charge of the conversation, she made certain that that particular topic wasn't brought up again. And a message mid-morning that the underwater anomaly had closed helped them all relax even more.

Yet despite the pleasant talk, Jess could tell that Emily was still upset about the mention of Paris and the honeymoon - damn Becker for putting his foot in it and making their friend feel uncomfortable! So the instant the Victorian excused herself to use the powder room, Jess jumped at the chance to go with her.

The moment they were alone, with the door safely shut behind them, Jess began, "Emily, I just want you to know that I didn't say a WORD to Becker about your honeymoon. I'd never betray a confidence like that! I'm sorry he even brought it up - he was upset with me, you see, and I think he was just trying to make neutral conversation, which clearly he's rubbish at, and I'm sorry he made you feel uncomfortable. But I just want to reassure you that I didn't - I WOULDN'T - say anything to him...or anyone else. I imagine it's not the sort of thing you'd want all over the ARC."

"Thank you for telling me." Emily nodded. "It does make me feel a bit better."

Jess gave a relieved sigh. "Oh, I'm so glad!"

Emily disappeared into a stall, shutting the door behind her. "Of course, it is not the ARC so much I mind knowing...only Matt."

It took Jess a moment to process this cryptic comment. "Wait, so Matt doesn't know? You didn't tell him why you wanted to go to Paris?"

"Of course not! I could never tell him that."

"Emily! He'd want to know." She couldn't believe Emily would keep something like that from him! Yet hadn't she herself just lied to Becker that very morning, not wanting him to worry?

Emily clearly had similar reasons. "Are you mad? Did you not see the way he reacted when I merely mentioned having dreams about Henry? No, I could never tell him that Henry was the reason for our trip."

Jess frowned. She didn't remember how Matt had responded the other night - she had been on the verge of sleep and, to be honest, had been a bit focussed on the handsome man holding her in his arms to notice anyone else. Clearly Matt hadn't taken it well, though Jess simply couldn't fathom why. Jealousy? There was really no contest. Matt had saved Emily's life, whereas Henry had almost taken it by his own hand - surely it was obvious whom Emily would choose.

Then again, it was always easier to figure out how someone else should feel than to actually deal with one's own emotions.

The toilet flushed and Emily emerged from the stall. "I hope you do not mind my saying so," Emily began, looking frightfully serious, "but I do believe that toilet tissue may be one of the best inventions ever."

After the conversation they'd just been having, this was so not what Jess had expected to come out of her friend's mouth, and she couldn't help but laugh.

"I mean it," Emily insisted as she quickly washed her hands. "Flush toilets and tampons would definitely be on that list as well."

Jess nodded. "Perhaps you should write a book: Everyday Things We Take For Granted," she teased.

Emily, however, seemed to seriously consider this suggestion as the two made their way back to the table. Becker had disappeared - Jess looked around briefly till she saw him up by the counter - and Matt had clearly been left behind to guard the table. Jess smiled, pleased at the opportunity that had just presented itself, and nudged Emily to sit with Matt so that Jess could share the bench with Becker when he returned.

"Becker went to get more coffee," Matt explained as the two girls took their seats.

"Actually," Emily said, starting to slide back out of the booth, "I would prefer-"

But Matt stopped her. "Yeah, I told him."

Emily turned and gave him a grateful smile, settling back into her seat. However, Jess noticed that Matt quickly removed his hand from her arm and scooted away so the two could keep a respectful distance from each other on the bench. Jess frowned. Clearly the two liked each other. Why couldn't they simply be honest about their feelings?

Becker approached with their four hot drinks precariously balanced in his hands, placing the cups quickly on the table so as not to drop them. He started to hand them out and then paused, suddenly realising they'd switched seats in his absence.

"I saved a spot just for you," Jess said with a grin, patting the bench next to her. As he sat down, she snuggled up close to him, saying, "Thanks for the coffee."

"I...uh...only got drinks," Becker said. "If you want more food, too, I could always-"

"No, we're fine," Jess insisted, grasping hold of his arm and smiling up at him.

"Jess was just suggesting that I should write a book," Emily announced.

Matt had been just about to take a drink and was clearly thankful that the liquid had not yet reached him mouth. "A book?" he asked, raising a wry eyebrow. "On what topic?"

"Everyday Things We Take For Granted."

Matt smiled. "Plants would obviously top that list."

"Plants?" Emily said with some disdain. "I was thinking more along the lines of toilet tissue."

As the two started a friendly argument as to the virtues of each, Jess smiled, sipping her frothy coffee and snuggling against Becker, currently in no danger of taking either of these for granted.

...

Becker had never realised before that being in a conversation with Jess was much like lazily floating down a river - one could have an enjoyable time and make a lot of headway without really exerting much effort. Becker was grateful for this because his mind was too busy churning to pay much attention as Jess merrily flowed from topic to topic.

Becker's thoughts, instead, were focussed on only one.

It wasn't as if he'd never heard a girl use the "L-word" before; he'd just rarely been dressed at the time. But not only had he and Jess both been completely clothed, they'd been standing in the middle of a cafe, discussing his lack of conversational savvy - not exactly the most erotic of settings. He'd therefore been completely caught off-guard by her comment, and his brain was still having a hard time comprehending it.

No, comprehending wasn't the correct word, for he knew EXACTLY what the word, and all that it implied, meant. Jess had said it casually, without even thinking about it, as if it were something obvious that was already known, had in fact ALWAYS been known. She could just as well have said, "I adore shoes," or "Dark chocolate is my favourite." And what was almost worse, she hadn't even particularly noticed that she'd used the phrase, as if it'd slipped out unconsciously.

But Becker had noticed. And now it was making him extremely nervous.

Partly because this whole thing was so new to him. He'd, of course, had girlfriends before, but they'd never really been his "friends". He'd never had much time for girls as friends when he was younger, though that had obviously changed since working at the ARC. Some of his best "men" were females, and naturally he'd become mates with many of them. He got along with Abby swimmingly, though of course she was nothing like Jess. For one thing, Abby'd always been off-limits, so he'd never even considered thinking of her that way. She was simply a coworker, a mate, someone he fought side-by-side with, whom he trusted his life to.

Which, of course, described Jess as well, but that was different. She wasn't in the field with him; she was back at the hub, out of the firing line. Not that he didn't respect the work she did - he'd be the first to admit that she was amazing at her job - but she wasn't a peer, per se. More importantly, she'd made it extremely clear from day one that she was interested in him. And she did look amazingly hot in those short skirts of hers.

Yet the two had still managed to become friends. Good friends. Possibly the closest friend he had at the moment. Not only that, they were now "dating", whatever that meant. In fact, at this very moment, she was cuddled up against his side, practically purring with contentment as she chattered away with Matt and Emily. And, by her own admission, she loved him.

It was about this last that Becker still trying to come to terms, still not certain how he felt.

What he did feel, however, was Jess suddenly startle in his arms, a reaction that made sense when she quickly pulled her mobile from her pocket.

Her reaction to the incoming message, however, was for her cheeks to instantly turn pink. He glanced down at the screen, curious as to what had caused such embarrassment, and managed to read the text - The hangers off the door knob - before Jess yanked it away from him.

"Hey," she scolded, glaring at him. "It's MY phone."

"When you're practically sitting in my lap, I think it becomes OUR phone," he teased without thinking before instantly wondering if it had been the right thing to say. Might she think it meant more than it did? Would she somehow misinterpret his teasing? Would referring to items as "our" somehow suggest even more of a relationship than they currently had? Would it imply he reciprocated her feelings? Was this in some way leading her on?

But Jess merely laughed and playfully swatted him, as if his comment meant no more than their earlier banter about beach volleyball.

And it didn't, did it?

"What did the message say?" Emily asked, clearly curious as well.

Becker could tell that Jess didn't know quite how to answer the former Victorian, so he quickly replied with a simple, "We can head back to the flat now."

Matt gave Becker a knowing look, which the soldier acknowledged with a nod as the foursome slid out of the booth. Making their way outside, they discovered the day had become rather nice, and Becker regretted having spent all morning trapped inside.

Unfortunately, that's where he was going to spend his entire afternoon as well, for Connor practically met them at the door with an enthusiastic, "What took you so long? We've been waiting forever. Abby wouldn't let me start the opening ceremonies without you."

"Cheers," Matt thanked Abby as they all gathered about the telly. Abby and Connor snuggled up together on the comfy chair, clearly relaxed and satisfied after their morning activities, leaving the other four to attempt to squeeze onto the sofa. Jess, the consummate hostess, gave up her seat, sitting on the floor at Becker's feet as Connor turned on the festivities.

Although they'd watched the beginning together last night, Connor insisted that they watch it again "to get the full effect". As Bradley Wiggins once more approached the bell in his loud yellow jersey, Becker couldn't help but hold his breath, fearing the worst, but this time the bell itself was all that sounded.

The next part was very much as Jess had described. Grand theatrics weren't really Becker's thing, and he might've grown bored had Jess not suddenly, without preamble, began to remove one of his boots.

"What're you doing?" he asked, self-consciously yanking his foot away.

"I'm giving you a foot rub." She suddenly frowned, adding, "Assuming you like them, of course."

"I like 'em," Connor eagerly volunteered, but Abby's frown made him back off.

Becker liked them as well, but he was quick to explain, "My feet are kind of...uh...smelly."

Jess shrugged. "I don't mind," she said with a smile. However, once she removed the shoe, her nose crinkled up, and she tossed the odiferous boot far across the room. "Boy, you're right! We need to get you some foot powder, stat!"

Becker felt bad, but he HAD warned her. He expected her to forget the whole thing, so he was surprised when she began to remove his other boot.

"What're you doing?" He simply couldn't believe she was going to proceed.

"Giving you a foot rub," Emily stated shortly, clearly annoyed that they were talking through the show.

Jess nodded her assent, and Becker nervously let her continue. Once the other boot was off, she began rubbing his feet, both simultaneously for a bit before concentrating on one foot at a time, using both hands to massage and knead his tight muscles. It felt amazing, but even Becker himself could smell his foul feet, so he couldn't imagine the stench assaulting Jess's nose. However, she seemed perfectly content to watch the rest of the festivities sitting on the floor, leaning back against his legs as she held his stinky feet in her lap.

Clearly her choice of words earlier hadn't been an accident, for "love" was the only way to explain why she'd endure such torture!

...

to be continued