'Stowaway', Montauk

"Does Nolan know who you spent the night with?"

Ava sat up in Jack's bed and pulled the blanket higher to cover her naked breasts. "I think he suspects it. I didn't tell him though." She shrugged. "I only live at his place. I don't have to explain myself to him."

"I didn't mean it that way." Jack gently stroked along her naked shoulder. "I just thought you were friends and tell each other everything."

"Well, Nolan is very free-spirited." She rolled her eyes. "Because we live under one roof, I also know when he has a visitor over night."

"You mean Patrick?" Jack asked, smirking.

Ava nodded. "Well, he's extremely attractive," she said mischievously grinning. "I wouldn't push him out of bed if he wasn't gay."

"Hey!" Jack twitched his mouth playfully. "I'm pushing you out of bed, if you continue to talk about other men in my bed!"

She turned to him quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "You don't need to worry," she said softly, looking deep into his eyes. "I just want you!" To emphasize her words, she began to kiss him passionately.

"I forgive you that you find other men more attractive than me," he said, after carefully freeing himself from her embrace.

She frowned questioningly as he suddenly jumped out of bed and reached for his pants. "What's wrong?"

"I think I heard a knock," he said, listening again.

Ava looked at the clock. "The bar is still officially closed. Just ignore it."

Jack laughed softly, then leaned forward to give her another kiss. "It seems I'm not as bad as I thought, if you can hardly wait to have me back in bed with you."

"What about you guys, that you always want to hear how good you are?" She shook her head, grinning, then suddenly frowned. "You're right. There's someone at the door." She also rose from the bed and grabbed her clothes.

Jack quickly slipped on a shirt and then went downstairs to the front door. He was surprised who the visitor was. "Nolan!" He exclaimed, then quickly looked up to see if Ava had followed him. "What are you doing here so early?"

"The bar is still closed?" He looked at him sheepishly.

Jack nodded. "To every other guest I would've said, 'come back in three hours', but for you I'll make an exception." He gestured to the counter. "Do you want to drink something?"

"A coffee maybe?"

"Coffee?" Jack echoed, raising his eyebrows amused. "We're a bar and not a coffee shop." He looked up again, but nothing moved. "I can make you one upstairs, okay? I'll be right back."

Nolan nodded. "Okay."

Quickly, Jack hurried to get up and went to Ava, who was about to fill the coffee machine. "You overheard us?" He asked, smirking.

She nodded. "I don't know what he wants so early in the morning. But please, don't tell him I'm here!"

He cupped her chin and looked at her. "Do you have a guilty conscience for not telling him where you spent the night?" He said with a smirk.

"I thought your reputation was so important to you," she countered. "When I reveal myself to him, he immediately knows what's going on here. And I thought it might not be so good when it comes out that you have a fling with your employee. As far as I know, it defied the code of honor of the rules of order."

He looked at her thoughtfully. "So you mean I have to fire you before we can have an official relationship?"

"What?" She looked at him as if he had just said something in Chinese.

"Code of honor of the rules of order," he repeated, shaking his head, then twisting his mouth. "You always have a reason why we shouldn't be together, right?"

She bit her lower lip. He was right. She always was looking for a reason not to allow him to come near. But it was not easy because her heart was already involved, even though she had refused to accept it. "I think the coffee has passed through," she murmured, relieved to have something to do, than to look into his eyes.

Jack took two cups from the shelf and poured the coffee in.

"Nolan likes it with lots of sugar and milk," she said softly, looking at him apologetically. "Jack, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," he made a dismissive hand movement. "I'm going to Nolan asking him what he wants. Maybe I can distract him, so that you can sneak out and take off."

"Jack...!"

He took the two cups and quickly went back down without looking at her again.

She slumped back on the bed and buried her face in her hands. What had she done? Had she really believed that it was possible to separate love and sex? Presumably there were women who could do that. She wasn't one of them. The realization hit her like a gunshot. She had fallen in love with Jack Porter! A feeling that scared her just the same as it made her feel euphoric. She knew he had feelings for her, too. Was it possible to have a completely normal relationship, after all she has been through? She got up from the bed. Her decision had been made. She took a last look in the mirror and went downstairs. She saw Nolan's eyes widen and Jack's eyes flashing. "I'd like to quit my job," she said firmly and joined the two at the counter.