Hi Guys! Here's the next bit. Same old, same old...read, enjoy, review. You know, since it is almost Christmas and all, I would especially like to request some reviews as gifts, but hey, reading and enjoying are the most important parts. I will be traveling and spending some time with family over the next week, so I can't promise as update next weekend, but I will do my very best.
Now onward, to the enjoying part!
It was barely one in the afternoon and Tess's mind was wandering yet again. This was, unfortunately, becoming a common occurrence for her these days. Her mind very rarely seemed to be exactly where she wanted it. Too often, it was instead focused on how her hair looked and whether or not Lex would like it and what they may be doing this weekend. Unfortunately, Lex was not her only source of distraction, however. Kozik was also there, lingering in the background of her mind.
Just as often as thoughts of her boyfriend pulled her away from her work, thoughts of her former friend/one time lover/current co-worker invaded her consciousness. As often as Lex's dark, sensual eyes found a place in her mind, Kozik's blue, piercing gaze found it's way there as well. Just as soon as Tess started to think about how much she liked Lex's new shirt that he had worn out to dinner last night, Kozik popped into her brain and explained that his own shirt would look much better on her bedroom floor.
Tess truly hated it. She wanted so badly to be completely over him, to be able to just be casual friends again, like he wanted. But every single time her brain even tried to go there, she was inundated with unbidden thoughts of him. It was maddening. She had an amazing, handsome, successful, truly sweet boyfriend, and she couldn't stop herself from thinking of the smart ass blonde who somehow still haunted her.
The door to the office flew open, and Tess jumped. Even though she knew for a fact that he wasn't here, she briefly feared that the subject of her thoughts had come to find her. Luckily, it was only Gemma.
"Hey Darlin," the older woman said. "I just finished stocking the bar, so I am heading out. Need to get ready for the dinner tonight. None of the guys are here, so you're in charge. Make sure that the mechanics are gone by six and lock up before you come over, okay?"
Tess smiled and tried to not looked surprised by Gemma's request. Chibs was with the rest of the guys picking up his wife and his daughter at the airport today, and of course there would be one of Gemma's dinners to celebrate. Tess hadn't realized that she would be expected to show up at this one, especially after her award winning performance at the last family dinner. She had figured that she was likely banned for life.
"Yeah, I will make sure we close down on time and everything," Tess assured the older woman. "But about dinner. I am not really sure-"
"You're coming," Gemma interrupted before Tess could get any farther. "It isn't really a choice. You can't skip out on family dinners. Tradition and all."
"Yeah, and I did such a great job honoring tradition last time," Tess rolled her eyes.
"Doesn't matter," Gemma assured her. "Different occasion, different people. You have to come. Besides, I can't wait to see what you think of Fiona."
"What about her?" Tess asked, instantly curious. All she really knew about the other woman was that she was married to Chibs, lived in Ireland with their daughter, and he was absolutely crazy about her.
"Let's just say she's not what you expect," Gemma smiled. "She and I have a bit of a history."
Tess had been glad to momentarily be off the subject of her mandatory attendance at the dinner, but she had to jump on the opportunity to ask, "If you don't like her, why are you throwing a dinner party for her?"
"Because she's family," Gemma instantly replied. "And I never said that I didn't like her. She and I have had our issues in the past, but that's not the point. The point is, Chibs loves her. He is happiest when Fiona and Kerrianne are around, so we are going to make her feel welcome. That means the whole family. That means you."
She was touched that, once again, she was considered family. Still, Tess wasn't exactly eager to return to the scene of her embarrassment and spend an evening surround by a large group of people. And by 'large group of people', she of course meant Kozik, but she wasn't about to admit that. There was one last trick she had up her sleeve to try, and she sincerely hoped that it would work.
"I get it, Gemma, and I love that you want me there, but I kind of have plans tonight," she tried, an apologetic look spread across her face. "Lex was going to take me to dinner."
"Cancel," Gemma told her, voice losing the kind, motherly tone. "I expect you to be there. Bring your boyfriend if you have to, but you had better show up, and none of my goddamned silverware better end up flying through the air."
For one wild moment, Tess toyed with the idea of showing up with Lex on her arm. Then, she remember that Gemma had insisted on no flying silverware and realized that if she showed up with her boyfriend, a lot more than silverware would be flying. As enticing as it might be to watch Kozik and Lex fight over her, she knew it was a bad choice. Hell, as far as she knew, Kozik wouldn't give a damn who she brought. Still, best not to chance it.
"Alright," she admitted defeat. "I will be there by 6:30. Alone. Want me to bring anything?"
"That's the right attitude to have," Gemma shot her a shit eating grin. "Just bring yourself! And since you're not bringing the boy toy, wear something low cut. Kozik can eat his heart out. We will see you at 6:30."
Tess rolled her eyes and watched as the biker queen sashayed out of the office. Sometimes, she wondered about Gemma. She was clearly a woman used to power and control. It made Tess wonder what her life was generally like. She knew that the older woman had a husband and son who were in prison and that she herself had recently gotten off house arrest. Gemma was smart, savvy, and clearly tough as nails. As Tess watched the older woman drive off the lot, she wasn't sure whether she envied or feared her.
Once she was sure that she was alone (and of course she was alone; the only people here were three regular mechanics and they never bothered her) Tess picked up the phone and dialed the familiar number. It barely rang twice before Lex picked up.
"Hello, Beautiful," he said smoothly, and Tess couldn't help but grin.
"I'm sorry," she joked quickly. "You do know this is Tess right? Not one of your other girlfriends."
"Stop, you know I only have eyes for you," he admonished her. "And besides, you are beautiful. Incredibly beautiful. You know that, don't you?"
"I know that you are just trying to get into my pants," she shot back. "And you know that you don't have to try so hard."
"I want to hear you say it," he insisted. "Tell me that you know you are beautiful."
"No," she shied away. "Beauty and I are not very closely related. We're barely distant cousins."
"Just say it, Tess," he demanded, more forcefully this time.
Tess was uneasy. She knew that he was complimenting her, and she really did appreciate it, but she had no idea why he was harping on this; why he was being so insistent that she say something she really didn't want to say. It wasn't that she was being falsely modest; her own beauty was just something she rarely thought of and never dwelled on the way he was right now. She knew damned well that he wasn't going to let it go, so she just sighed.
"I am beautiful," she mumbled. "There. Are you happy now?"
"Very," he said, his demeanor completely changed. She could hear the confident grin in his voice. "How are you today, my dear?"
"Well, I would be a little bit better if I wasn't calling with bad news," she told him. "I have to cancel for tonight."
"Oh," he said, disappointment coloring his tone. "Why? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry," she told him quickly. "There is just a dinner I forgot I was supposed to go to. One of the guys I work with has his family coming into town so everybody here is having a big dinner to celebrate, and they want me to come. I just completely forgot that it was tonight."
"Ah," he said quickly. "The Irish one you told me about?"
"Scottish," she corrected, surprised that he had remembered the small detail from weeks ago. "Chibs is Scottish. His family is Irish. And yes, him. It's just a Teller-Morrow family tradition to have these dinners, you know?"
"I understand," he said easily. "Family is very important. And if they consider you family, maybe it's about time I meet them. Why don't you bring me along?"
"Because you weren't invited," she lied. "And I would rather not surprise them with an unexpected guest. It's rude."
"You're probably right," he agreed. "But I am still upset that I won't get to see you. I have such wonderful plans."
"Did you?" she asked with a giggle, suddenly wondering exactly what these plans were.
"I did," he assured her. "It's a shame you're going to miss out. Unless…"
"Unless what?" she asked quickly.
"Unless I can come see you now," he finished.
"Now?" she squeaked, completely thrown. "At work?"
"Yes at work," he affirmed.
"I don't know if that is the best idea," she told him. "I mean, I have...work to do and the mechanics are here and I don't want to get in trouble because you are here distracting me, and you are always so good at distracting me. I am just not sure if it's a good idea."
"That's a real shame," he said, amusement evident in his voice. Her head jerked up as the office door opened. "Especially since I am already here."
She mouth dropped open as she stared at him, standing in the doorway.
"What're….how did you...why…," she stammered, before shaking her head. "What are you doing here?"
"Oil change," he quickly teased. "And my beautiful girlfriend works here."
"How did you know that my boss was gone?" she asked as she stood and moved around the desk.
"Ah, well, I have been parked down the street with binoculars, watching the place, waiting to get you alone, of course," he casually explained.
"Really?" she asked, kissing him quickly.
"No," he laughed. "I just came by to bring you this."
He pulled a rose out from behind his back, and she couldn't hide the blush that appeared on her cheeks. She took the rose from her hands and brought it to her nose, inhaling the scent. She wasn't usually a fan of roses, but even she couldn't deny that it was and incredibly sweet gesture.
"Thank you," she murmured, laying it across the desk and hugging him.
"You're welcome," he said with a smile. "Now, I really am here to get an oil change. I don't suppose I could convince you to have coffee with me while I wait?"
"I think we can arrange that," she told him confidently. "Let me go check that the guys have your paperwork in order. Sit and I will be right back."
Lex watched the brunette as she left the office, enjoying the slight sway in her hips and the way her long hair cascaded down her back. When he was sure that she was out of view, he slipped over to the telephone and unscrewed the cap covering the mouthpiece, discreetly sticking a small metallic device inside before setting everything right, hanging up the phone and sitting, satisfied with his work. This was the easy part; the hard part would be getting a bug inside that Club house.
Tess was practically giddy when she returned. "Everything is set. Luckily, you are getting the friends and family discount. Now, let's see about that coffee."
"Great, thanks," he said with a winning smile. "Do you by any chance have a restroom I could use before we go?"
She considered for a minute, "Yeah, definitely. There is one that the mechanics use out here in the garage, but it is gross, so the guys let me use the one inside. Come on, I'll show you."
She took his hand and lead him out, and as he trailed behind her, staring at her ass, he couldn't help but be pleased with how very well this particular mission was going.
"I told you we shouldn't have taken the highway," Chibs said for the third time as they approached the airport. "It took too long."
"Chibs, relax," Opie insisted as he grabbed a ticket that the parking machine spit out. "We're only a few minutes late, and besides, traffic would have been just as bad off the highway. I doubt that they are going to turn around and head back to Ireland because we are five minutes late."
"You obviously don't know Fiona very well," Chibs muttered under his breath. "And we are ten minutes late."
Opie rolled his eyes as he parked the SUV he had borrowed from Gemma. Chibs had been alternating between nervous and neurotic the entire trip to the airport, and Opie would be all too glad to actually reunite the other man with his family, if only so the Scotsman would relax a little bit. Kozik pulled his bike up into the neighboring parking space as Opie swung the driver's side door open.
"We shouldn't have taken the highway," Kozik proclaimed instantly. "That traffic was insane."
Chibs raised an eyebrow at Opie as if to say 'I told you so', but Op ignored both of them.
"I thought that maybe you would want to head inside," Opie suggested. "Instead of standing out here bitching for an hour about my route."
Chibs seemed to take the point to heart as they immediately began to make their way to the elevator that would take them to the terminal. He was practically shaking with excitement, and Opie was glad for his friend. He seemed to cherish every single moment spent with his family, which was exactly how it should be.
"Want to explain to me one more time why you had them fly into an airport in BFE?" Kozik asked as they boarded the elevator and ascended into the terminal.
"Fi says that some of Jimmy's men have been causing some trouble with the IRA," Chibs explained, not for the first time. "I didn't want it to be too easy to track them to Charming. They are traveling with assumed names, so nobody should even know they are gone."
Kozik patted his friend on the back. "They are here now brother. No need to be worried anymore. EVerything will be great."
Opie nodded in agreement, as if to assure his friend. There was nothing in the world that meant more to Chibs than the safety of his wife and daughter. Opie wondered what would happen in two weeks when it was time for the girls to go home. If they were truly in danger in Ireland, Chibs would never let them return, at least not alone. If he was asked to place bets, he would put good money on them somehow missing their return flight. At least that's what he hoped for, because Opie knew damned well that he wouldn't afford to be a man down right now.
They had finally arrived in the crowded arrivals terminal, and Chibs looked around in dismay. It seemed like no matter where his eyes turned, there were at least ten thousand people. He had never had a problem picking Fiona from a crowd, but with as many people as there were here, it would take a miracle.
"Where the hell do we even start?" he asked, rhetorically. "This is a nightmare."
"Bathroom," Kozik spoke up confidently. Opie and Chibs looked at him as if he had cracked. "Chicks always have to pee as soon as they get off planes. It's like, wired into their DNA. We should look near bathrooms."
Since neither of them had any better ideas, Opie shrugged and they made their way to the ladies room closest to the arrivals tram.
"How do we know if they're in there?" Chibs asked, not quite sure how to overcome the plastic sign of a stick figure in a dress.
"We could ask another lady?" Kozik suggested. Opie shrugged and looked around for somebody to ask.
Luckily, at that exact moment, Chibs head snapped to the left. Neither of the other men had heard it, but the Scotsman swore he heard a very specific voice. A minute later, he heard it again, this time louder and more sure.
"DA!" came Kerrianne's eager cry. "Over here! Da!"
They were about 25 feet away, standing there looking as lost as he felt, but just like that, they were found. Chibs wasted no time in ditching his brothers and making his way through the crowd of people. Opie and Kozik trailed in his wake, apologizing to those he knocked out of the way, because he really couldn't be bothered. It took entirely too long for him to cross the sea of people and sweep his daughter into his arms.
She was laughing as he hugged her, and so was he. She started babbling right away. "Da, I flew! On a plane! It was tiny and cramped and amazing and awful all at the same time! But I did it and here we are!"
"Here you are," he agreed as he set his girl down and ran a hand over her curls and kissed her forehead. "I'm so proud of you."
A moment later his eyes flicked up to meet his other visitor. She was standing several feet behind their daughter, and even though her eyes looked watery and her hands covered her mouth, he could tell that she was grinning. All he could do was stare and drink her in.
"Filip," she said after a moment, moving her hands away from her mouth.
That one word, just his name, was all he needed to spur him into action. Within a split second, he was gathering her in his arms and burying his face in her neck.
"Fiona," he breathed. He knew that his daughter was giggling and his brothers were staring and he really, really didn't care at all. Instead, he enjoyed the feeling of being wrapped in his wife's arms and the knowledge that the two most important people in his life were safe and here with him.
Of course, the moment inevitably ended, but on the upside, it ended with her lips being pressed firmly against his, which he couldn't complain about too much.
"How was the trip?" he asked once the kiss ended, still not willing to move his arm from around her waist. "Any trouble?"
"None whatsoever," she assured him. "Mission accomplished with no trouble at all. Everything is right as rain."
"Yeah, except I am hungry," Kerrianne piped in as she grabbed her Da's unoccupied hand. "As a mother, you would think feeding your poor daughter would be a mission. The food on the plane sucked, and nobody packed me any delicious snacks."
"No need to worry, Sweetheart," Chibs laughed as his daughter dodged a swat from her mother. "Your Da has got that particular mission under control."
"Really?" asked Fiona and Kerrianne at the exact same time.
"Really," Opie spoke up as he and Kozik grabbed the carry on bags from the floor. "There is a semi-crazy Old Lady preparing a dinner in your honor as we speak."
"Gemma?" Fiona asked, a look of disbelief on her face.
"Gemma," Chibs nodded as the group made their way towards the baggage claim. "But at least she's a decent cook."
"Are you sure I have to go?" Fiona asked, only half kidding.
"Aye, you have to go," Chibs told her. "But I promise, I'll make it worth your while when we get home."
"Gross," Kerrianne groaned before Kozik had a chance to. "I love you both, but I promise, nobody wants to hear anything about that particular mission. Let's just...get out of here and pretend we never heard that, okay?"
The small group made their way down to the baggage claim, arguing lightheartedly the whole way about which routes to take home and what kinds of missions could be accomplished where. By the times they made it back to the cars, they were all too busy laughing to notice the small Russian man brush past them, or the fact that the door to the SUV was unlocked, or the fact that there was a tiny bug inside the dome light. They were all just happy to be amongst family.