Hello All! Thanks so much for all of the love. Your comments on the last chapter had me cracking up, I love you guys! Here's the other part of that super long chapter. I haven't been able to read very much of anything in a long time, and I think that's why I'm running into trouble with words. So after I update of Holocene, I'll probably take a minute to read a little bit and hopefully come back telling a much faster paced story. Thanks again, and I hope you all enjoy it. Please forgive any errors, the toggling between tenses is crazy, just rampant indecisiveness. I will look at it in a few days, sometimes a little space makes a huge difference for me.
PartyNextDoor x Drake
That ish ain't my fault girl cause I'm lonely. Name another woman, ain't no other woman that should come for me when I'm lonely.
Abbie stood up from the bed still clutching the phone in her hand. Every part of her wanted to get dressed and drive to his office, but there were a multitude of reasons why she couldn't. One, the boys were home, and two, there was absolutely no way she could show up there without outing herself as a lunatic. For a moment she contemplated calling him back, but ultimately forced herself to put the phone down.
Twenty minutes later she gave up on sleep and moseyed down the dark steps to the kitchen. After spooning herself up a healthy serving of ice-cream, she sat quietly eating in a little blotch of moonlight covering the table. The sound of the living room door opening brought her to her feet, and her heartbeat grew loud as she ankled toward the entranceway. Maybe he had realized she was upset and come home. She smiled, I knew I was overreacting, my baby loves me. Her steps sped up almost to the point of running but her hopes were sunk when she rounded the corner and saw Jenny creeping through the door. The excitement that had just spread through her eyes abated with a heavy puff of disappointment.
"Wow good to see you too." Jenny teases, before stepping into the kitchen. She flips on the light switch.
"I'm happy to see you." Abbie states following her in. "I just thought you were closing." She explains returning to her bowl of ice-cream. "You got out early tonight huh?"
"A long story." Jenny replies, slipping out of her jacket, and hanging it over the back of her chair.
"What are you doing up anyway?" She asks, taking a juice from the fridge. "Isn't it like four hours past your bedtime?"
"Can't sleep?" Abbie responds, scraping the last bits of sweetness from her bowl. Jenny brows sink in as she glances down at her sister.
"Are you feeling okay?" She asks, growing worried. "What's up?"
Abbie rolls her spoon around the empty bowl. "Nothing. I'm fine."
Jenny sat down at the table and shot her sister a skeptical gaze but didn't push. She looked on as her older sister played with her dish and spoon, lifting it and letting it fall against the bowl over and over.
"Ya gonna get some more?" Jenny asks.
"Hmm." Abbie inquires lifting from her fog. "More what?"
"Ice-cream." Jenny responds. "You sure you're okay, you don't seem like it." She goes on trying to get her to open up. Abbie lifted her spoon and let it fall one final time before gently sliding the bowl away.
"I was on the phone with Ichabod earlier, and I heard a woman's voice in the background." Abbie confided.
"So." Jenny says casually. "Where was he?"
"At work."
Jenny tisked dismissively. "Well there you have it."
"—It was 12:45am. I'm pretty sure they were the only ones there." Abbie adds.
Jenny brows inclined as she looked away.
"What?" Abbie asks, concerns raising.
"Nothing."
"That wasn't a nothing look, that was a something kind of look, spill it." She demands.
"It's nothing really. Except." Jenny begins. Abbie leans closer to her as she pauses.
"Except what?"
"For the record I'm sure it's nothing, he's devoted to you." Jenny says.
"Oh my God, do you know something?" Abbie asks bringing a hand to her chest. "Did you see something, how could you not tell me right aw-?"
"—No. No, and are you kidding me, like I would find something like that out and not tell you." Jenny reassured her. "You need to calm down." She lectured.
"Me? You're the one sitting here acting like you know something, you just scared the shit out of me." Abbie reached up massaging her temples while taking a deep breath to collect herself.
"All I was going to say is…" Jenny sighs and considers her words carefully. "I mean Bells, you did put him out, what are you expecting to happen. He's working all of the time to try to get his company off of the ground—that has to be stressful, and he misses you, so he's probably lonely. I'm just saying he might be a little vulnerable right now." Jenny says pushing herself up from the table to fix a bowl of cereal.
Abbie spun around eyeing her sister. "And I'm not lonely? I don't work hard? It's not some kind of a free pass to screw around." Abbie turned back around and briefly collapsed her face in the nook created by her folded arms. She sat upright as Jenny rejoined the table. "Not that I think he's screwing around, it's just…yeah I pushed him away, I let him go freely. But a lot has transpired since then that's made everything unclear. He's the one who told me during this period that it was unacceptable for me to see other men, which I have no interest in doing anyway, but the fact that he said it, and then assured me that he had no interest in other women…and then I hear this voice." Abbie asserted.
"Like I told you I'm sure it's nothing." Jenny restated.
"I'm not." Abbie replied. "How can you be?"
"We're talking about Ichabod, he would never purposefully do anything to hurt you, and honestly the only reason I said what I said is because…look I just know what it's like to feel like you're in limbo, and I don't want you to make the mistake of leaving him there too long.
A hint of curiosity sprang up in Abbie's eyes. "Is there something you want to share?" She asked, forgetting about her problems.
"No, and we are not talking about me right now."
"You're my little sister, we're always talking about you. Did something happen."
"No." Jenny replied before taking another bite of cereal. She kept chewing quietly pretending she couldn't feel Abbie's disbelieving eyes boring a hole in the side of her face.
"Almost but no." Jenny elaborated. "When Frank was pulling away, I wasn't feeling valued. I had picked up a couple of shifts at the bar one night and you know me I completely ignore any attention I receive there, but this guy came along and he was nice, and handsome, and he said all of the right things."
Abbie's eyes grew wide. "And what?!"
"And I thought about it, I didn't do it, but I thought about it." Jenny admitted.
Abbie shook her head.
"This is why I didn't mention it, you're judging me and I didn't even do anything." Jenny complained.
"I'm not judging you. Of course I'm glad you didn't do it, but even if you had, I wouldn't love you any less, you're my sister. I'm just thinking that's all." Abbie sighed.
"About Crane?"
Abbie nodded her head. It was just weird I was right in the middle of asking him to come home tonight when—"
"—What? Really?!" Jenny asks, surprised. "Wait, when did you decide this?" She questions.
"Just tonight," Abbie answered. "I mean I've been thinking about it and wanting it for a while I just…I was scared I guess. But right when I started to ask him I heard this voice, this woman, and my gut just sounded this alarm, like I heard it for a reason or something, I don't know." She concluded.
Jenny finished up her bite of food and peered over at her sister. "Hey say the word and we'll ride out there right now," She offered, "But I don't think we're going to find anything."
"Thanks." Abbie said, as she reached over to squeeze her hand. "We can't though. Even if we had a sitter." She reasoned.
"So talk to him about it in the morning when he comes to pick up D."
"He can't pick them up tomorrow remember, he has a 7:30am meeting, and I have a hair appointment before the crack of dawn which is why I asked you to drop off D in the morning. Oh yeah actually it will be Jeremy as well by the way."
"Oh. Wait a minute I thought Katrina was coming to get him?" Jenny asked, pausing from her mini wheats.
"She didn't."
"Damn, must be nice." Jenny smirked.
"Don't Jenny." Abbie said eyeing her.
"I'm just saying, I don't want to hear shit if I ever need a babysitter because you have her kid more than she does." Jenny declared. "Like she doesn't even have a job, what is she doing that she can't watch him?"
Abbie looked over at her sister. "You know I like having him here."
"So do I he's a great kid, but I don't want to see you getting taken advantage of."
"He's Ichabod's. He's D's brother, he was Grace's, so he's mine too. He's ours too." Abbie reminded her. "It's already been a long day Jen, I don't want to fight."
"Me either." Jenny shook her head. "And long doesn't begin to describe the day I had."
"Wanna talk about it?" Abbie asked sensing something was bothering her.
"Ahh, nothin'. Typical bullcrap. I got fired, and went to jail."
"What?!" Abbie says nearly jumping out of her seat. She started to ask how in the hell that was typical, but then she remembered who she was talking to.
"What happened?"
"It wasn't my fault." Jenny said. "I was waiting tables and this guy was being horrible to his girlfriend. She had what looked like a few bruises that had healed on her face, fresh ones on her arm, and I just knew." Jenny stated in disgust.
"Whoa."
"Yeah, he ordered a drink with his meal, and she tried to order one, but he told her no, and spouted off some nonsense about women shouldn't drink because it's unladylike. She asked him again and there was this look he gave her, like." Jenny shook her head. "I could tell she was afraid."
"So then what happened?" Abbie asked enthralled.
"So when I brought them their drinks, I brought her the drink she originally wanted on the house. And he told her right in front of me that she better not take one fucking sip. He made her give to him. So I took it, threw it in his face, he stood up and came at me so I hit him with a four piece and sat his ass back down."
"Wow." Abbie exhaled.
"And then they arrested me." She half sang. "Frank is nooooot happy. But on the bright side the guy isn't cooperating with the police because he doesn't want to admit that he got his ass whooped by a girl, so the department isn't pursing it."
Abbie smiled, and gave her sister a hug. "I love you Jenny, and yeah your day makes mine seem all kinds of unremarkable. You always did try to stick up for others."
"Wonder where I learned that." Jenny stated grinning at Abbie.
"That poor girl." Abbie sympathized. "It's sad. I was just going over a case where this girl left work one day, and no one ever saw her again. She just vanished, gone. There was a guy who came up in one of her files, and something was super eerie there. I mean he was just this guy she worked with, but there are these photos of her—two of them in particular, and he's in the background staring at her with the most sinister expression I've ever seen in my life. My gut tells me that he's responsible for whatever happened to her."
"Man. Is there anything that can be done?" Jenny asked. Abbie sat up straight and sighed.
"Don't tell Frank." She stated. "I narrowed down his address and drove to the city one day to try to track him down."
"Abbie!" Jenny exclaimed.
"I wasn't going to do anything, I just wanted to see him. You know, to follow him for a little while and see if this feeling went away, or got stronger."
"So what happened?" Jenny asked pinning her elbows to the table and resting her head in her hands.
"It got stronger. So I'm kind of trying to assemble as much intel on him as possible, and hopefully I can present a case strong enough to warrant going after him. But I feel like every minute that goes by is another opportunity for him to hurt someone else. I just don't have enough yet."
"I hope you get him, but be careful, and don't go back to the city." Jenny warned. "At least not without me."
"I know." Abbie acknowledged. "Even if we do go after him, so much time has passed, and even in fresh investigations there's only so much the police can legally do. That's the problem with all of these cold cases.
"Too bad the family didn't have someone like you on the case way back when. Might have been a different outcome." Jenny mused. A quizzical glare spread across her face as she stared off into space.
"Abbie!" She yelled sitting up straight. "That's it!
"What's it?" Abbie asked lost to her meaning.
"What if the families did have someone like you or me right from the get-go. You know someone who could work things from their end, who could be an advocate for them." She reasoned. "Someone who didn't have all of the legal restraints that you have now?"
A wary gaze etched over Abbie's face as she side-eyed her sister.
"C'mon I know how bummed you've been about not joining the FBI. You didn't want to be away from D, and now you have the baby on the way." Jenny reminded her. Abbie raised her palm patting an itch beneath her headscarf.
"Lots of women have families and careers in the FBI, it's still very attainable Jenny it's just not something I'm comfortable pursuing right now."
Jenny flattened her palms against the table and eagerly rambled on. "I know, so in the meantime…you said it yourself you want more."
"And more is." Abbie asked already turning over an inkling about where she was going with this.
"We should team up and open our own private investigative agency." Jenny declared.
Abbie slumped against the table laughing, drawing her sister's ire.
"What?!" Jenny asked growing annoyed. "It could work, and you said it yourself, you want a change."
"Don't get me wrong, I like the idea," Abbie admitted, "But it takes money to start a company, and my cash flow ain't what it used to be." Abbie could see the disappointment strewn across her sister's face. She knew that she had been searching for something to dedicate her life to since the war ended.
"Look." She stated placing a hand upon Jenny's shoulder. "I just don't have it. We could try to save and work toward it, but it isn't going to happen overnight. New businesses need a certain amount of cash on hand to sustain them during the beginning, in case clientele is low or completely lacking." Abbie pointed out.
She leaned back in her seat staring at the woman across from her. It hurt to see her this way, searching for something to belong to, a place to fit in. It wasn't long before she started feeling guilty about everything Jenny had to contend with growing up. The space she was in now, searching and trying to find herself was something most people did during adolescence, but she was robbed of hers.
"Jen I am two months away from check to checking it, and I have a son. Someone who depends on me to take care of him. Granted his father is…" on his shit, she silently thought, "his father," she decided to say instead, "but I need to be able to take care of him myself, I need that."
Abbie momentarily flashed back to clicking open her mortgage statement and finding her loan had been paid off. Seeing Jenny's desperation caused her to briefly consider allowing the payment to stand, but she quickly purged the thought from her mind. She didn't like the way it made her feel, like she couldn't do it on her own, like he somehow sensed she was out of her comfort zone financially. She spent the next few moments bringing Jenny up to speed on Ichabod's unrequested assistance. Her finger tugged at her bottom lip while she contemplated things.
"But I asked him to reverse the payment because it just felt…it feels wrong." Abbie cringed.
"Are you kidding me? Bells!" Jenny's hands briefly raised to her cheeks in conveyance of her shock. "Look I get what you're saying, you need to be self-sufficient but his kid lives here too. Technically, both of them." She quipped.
"I know." Abbie conceded falling into thought. "Listen," She said shaking away her musings, "Aside from that I might have an idea."
Jenny's brow inched upward.
"Both of us are heavily trained in self-defense. Certified in close quarter and hand to hand combat, and while I wouldn't go so far as to call us experts," Abbie smiled, "There are worse instructors. What if we offer free classes maybe twice a month or even once a week, and received some type of non-profit funding?" She theorized. "Then what if we used those funds to offer assistance to people whose love ones are missing, but they aren't receiving enough help from the police. Investigative work can get expensive, a fair amount of people can't afford it, but sometimes it really helps to have a person devoted to your case, and your case alone you know what I mean. And, I know I've said it before but you are one of the best trackers I've ever known, you can find anyone."
"And you're the best profiler I've ever known." Jenny responded. "You can give us a clear make up of not only the criminal, and their tendencies, but the victims as well. We're the perfect team." Jenny professed.
"We could do a lot of good." Abbie said after a moment. "Listen to us, dreaming out loud." She laughed. She glanced over at Jenny who looked like she had stars bursting from her eyes awaiting her decision.
"Give me a week or so to mull it over and let's revisit the idea then." Abbie concluded.
Jenny's arms circled around her before she could even finish speaking. Abbie couldn't keep from laughing finding happiness in her little sister's barely contained excitement. Whenever she got this way Abbie had a hard time not picturing her as the little five year old who was like her second shadow.
"Okay, okay." She said trying to break free for air.
"Oh no did I squeeze to tight?" Jenny worried as she released her.
"Huh?" Abbie questioned before realizing she was talking about the baby. "Oh no, I'm okay."
"Whew, good. I had like a momentary lapse and almost forgot." Jenny said. There was a slight pause in the conversation and Abbie immediately recognized the look her sister tried to disguise. It was the face she made when she wanted to say something to her about informing Ichabod of her pregnancy. They had discussed it enough times for her to hear the words coming from a mile away.
"Jenny." Abbie warned preemptively.
"I wasn't going to say anything." She stated defensively.
"Mm-hmm." Abbie hummed through closed lips. Jenny lasted a whole three seconds before she broke her silence.
"So are you going to extend your medical insurance or have Crane add you to his, you know, when we go into business together. When are you putting in your notice by the way?"
"Whoa, that is the literal definition of putting twenty on ten. I said let me think about it, that means process my thoughts, do some research, crunch some numbers, Jenny this is a major life change." Abbie stressed. "Not to mention I'm going to need time off. Even if we decide to go ahead with things maybe the smart thing to do is save up and postpone this little undertaking until after the baby's born."
Oh my gosh!" Jenny gasped, eyes lighting up.
"What?" Abbie asked confounded, twisting her head to follow her sister's gaze behind her. She turned back around. "Hello, earth to Jenny." She waved a hand in front of her sister's face noticing that she didn't seem to be listening. "Did you hear anything I just said?"
"Oh my gosh-oh my gosh." Jenny said leaping to her feet. "I almost forgot! How did I forget?!" She jumped up and ran over to the counter.
"Forget what?" Abbie asked looking on as her sister came racing over cradling the petty cash jar in her hands.
"I heard you, but I forgot to tell you about something. Soooo knowing my brother-in-law you have no freaking chance of him undoing that payment so there's some extra income there, plus I have a little, and there's this." She said turning the jar over. Abbie gawked in astonishment as the pile of bills fell to the table.
"Jenny! What the hell? Where did all of this come from?" She asked immediately worrying it was ill gotten gains.
"I'll give you one guess." Jenny smiled.
The next day Abbie nearly fell out of her bed at the sound of her alarm clock. After talking to Jenny she lay in bed thinking about Ichabod until the heavens took pity on her, and allowed her some sleep. She had vague memories of the alarm sounding a few times before but she didn't realize how many times she'd hit snooze until she saw the hour.
"Shit!" She gasped jumping out of bed. Her stylist had a habit of scheduling braids and twist hours before the shop actually opened, and she needed a miracle to make it on time. She silently cursed herself for not getting out of bed last night and pulling together an outfit the moment it dawned on her that Ichabod's office wasn't too far off from the salon. She hastily searched her closet, grasping at tops and bottoms in search of something that paired nicely. She tossed her selections into a bag deciding it would probably be easier to change clothes after her hair was finished than to get dressed now. After washing up, and slipping into tights and a tee she stood in the living room mentally walking through everything one final time before leaving the house. The boys' clothes were ironed and laid out, their lunches were packed, and she'd left their field trip money in an envelope on the table. Even though everything seemed to be together, she couldn't help but go through it one more time to double check.
Abbie pulled into the salon five minutes late. The parking lot was empty, save Sharia's car. She hoped she hadn't been waiting there too long.
"Hey Lady!" Sharia beamed as she approached.
"Hi, Ria!" Abbie smiled pulling the tall slender woman in for a hug. "Sorry I'm late."
"Girl please, I just got here about two minutes before you." She said, making Abbie feel a little less guilty.
Abbie sat down in Sharia's chair looking around the neatly kept shop. Rows of black stations and chairs overlay the tawny flooring. The two women engaged in light conversation while she worked on her hair. Abbie mostly listening as Sharia filled her in on some of the developments in her life since they'd last been in contact. Three hours had passed by the time another hairstylist showed up.
"Hey Derek." Abbie called to the tall caramel skinned man just after he entered. Derek was Abbie's regular hairstylist. If someone wanted to grow and strengthen their natural, or get any kind of a sew in, he was the man to see. He kept her natural hair healthy and vibrant, but she hadn't had the time for her regular appointments in a while. Sharia on the other hand had done some of the prettiest braids and twist that Abbie had ever seen.
"Hey Abbie, haven't seen you in a minute." Derek said sitting his keys down.
"I know." Abbie agreed.
"I'm not kidding girl it seems like it's been eight thousand years since the last time I saw you. Honey you ain't been in to get your ends cut, or nothin', where you been?" He asked curiously.
"Just, you know work and home." Abbie supplied.
"Okay." He more sang than said, as he started setting up his station. "You got a man?" He asked, probing.
"Something like that." She replied.
"That's where your ass been." Derek stated, laughing. "This has to be some man to have your super perfectionist tail missing your trims."
"Derek!" Abbie laughed. "Why you on me like that?"
"Mm-hmm, and she was a little late this morning." Sharia chimed in.
"What, Miss I only want to be your first head of the day because I don't have time to waste was late?" Derek teased, sending both women into laughter. Abbie remembered the exact day she told Derek that. She and Ichabod were only friends, but he'd called her phone three times in the four and a half hours she was away getting her hair done. She could still recall the message that he'd left, the one the made her smile harder than she had all week, and snap out on Derek for overscheduling.
"Miss Mills. The time for which you stated you would return has come and gone two times over. We have missed the matinee showing for our planned cinematic outing, and I am beginning to grow concerned. Please call and assure me that all is well. I remain, as always hopeful to be regarded among your dearest of friends, Ichabod Crane."
Derek had gained in popularity and getting into his chair was becoming a job in and of itself. Had she paid proper attention she would have realized her growing feelings for Ichabod way back then. She didn't have a lot of extra time, and the bits and scraps of free time she found she wanted to spend with him, not sitting in a salon.
"I only missed like three trims," Abbie contended. Derek's sideward glance called bullshit. "Maybe four." She waffled.
"I'm just saying, damn. That's some I had to cancel my hair appointment dick," He teased. Derek grabbed the ends of his dreads and pretended to be Abbie cutting her own hair while he mimicked her voice. "I'ma just trim my ends myself, and put this avocado deep conditioner in."
Abbie and Sharia were almost in tears listening to him. He was always so funny because everything he said had a bit of truth.
"I can't be mad at it girl." He smiled.
Abbie looked over at Derek, and could tell he seemed a little down even though he was cracking jokes.
"How's everything been with you? Are you still working on your hair product line?"
"I sure am it's coming along, slowly but surely." He informed her.
"That's fantastic, well you know I'm in, I want two of everything." Abbie attested. Derek's phone went off for the third time since he'd entered the shop, and he finally picked it up in aggravation.
"What part of stop calling don't you get? I said I would speak to you about it later. I'm at work, stop calling me." He complained. Abbie and Sharia exchanged strange glances through the mirror.
"Trouble in paradise?" Sharia asked when he hung up.
"If it was ever paradise I might be willing to overlook some of the ridiculous shit he does, but it's never been close to paradise. I don't even know what Los is thinking half of the time."
"Los?" Abbie said surprised. The last time they spoke he was dating a guy name Mike. "What happened to Mike?" She asked.
"Los." Sharia smiled, taking on a dreamy expression.
"Now you know my fine ass can't hardly keep these dudes off of me." Derek kidded. "Mike got really lazy, and complacent, it just fizzled. Mike happened to Mike. But this guy," Derek shook his head and sighed.
"We just click. But…I've spent a long time learning how to look in the mirror and love and accept the person that stares back at me. He isn't there, and I don't know that I have time to wait for him to get there. It's like we're in two different places."
"Aw Derek." Abbie said, feeling for him. "I hope it turns out for you."
"Now look at you looking all sad. Remember what I told you before, stay away from misery, that shit is contagious." He laughed. "You know what, I got something for you though, Miss. I'm too busy to get my hair done." He stated. Derek went to the stereo system and turned on The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. He started off with Nothing Even Matters, in honor of Abbie finding something worthy enough of neglecting her ends.
Abbie sat chatting with the two of them, telling them a few loose details of her life, just enough to satisfy their curiosity, but nothing in depth. The minutes bled into hours and before long the shop started filling up and coming to life. Stylist and clients started arriving one after another until soon every booth was full, as well as the chairs in the waiting area.
Sharia spun Abbie's chair around, and stood beside her bearing a proud smile.
"And here you go." She smiled handing Abbie a mirror so she could inspect various angles of her hair. A smile spread all the way to Abbie's eyes as she inspected her box braids.
"Sharia." She sang, ecstatic with how great her hair turned out. "Wow! I love it." Abbie stated standing up, twisting to see how the hair looked from behind. A small trace of panic rippled through her as she took her fingers through the waist length braids. For some reason she hadn't gotten a full appreciation of how long they were until she stood up, but this was the precise length she'd asked for. Still seeing her hair actually complete, having the braids become a real thing instead of simply an idea was a little jarring.
"They're perfect, I've said it before, you've got the magic touch." She beamed.
"Aww thanks sis, I'm glad you like em'." Sharia said smoothing them over with her fingers.
Abbie was flat out amazed, she couldn't believe how quickly Sharia had gotten them done especially considering their small size, and how plentiful they were in number.
Sharia sat her back down, and went over maintenance, and various ways in which she could style the hair. Abbie decided to wear them down with a part just to the side of the middle of her head. After paying she ran out to her car and grabbed her bag so she could change out of her sweats and t-shirt before visiting Ichabod. It was nearly noon, and she needed to get a move on.
When Abbie came back inside with her bag, Keisha, one of the salon's longstanding stylist, and also one of the craziest people Abbie had ever met had arrived. She had one of the sweetest hearts, which was good because she said whatever the hell came to her mind. Months ago she had spotted Abbie while she was grocery shopping with Ichabod.
"Who are you?" She had asked him, seeming almost irritated by this stranger who'd just walked up as she was talking to Abbie. Ichabod of course was smiling like a new fool when he introduced himself as Abbie's husband.
"WHO HUSBAND?!" She'd screamed right in the middle of the frozen food section. Abbie had wanted to die.
"Hey Abbie." Keisha smiled.
"Hi Keisha." Abbie laughed still remembering her reaction.
"You look so pretty girl, Sharia has you all the way right, but you always look cute." Keisha stated.
"Don't she look pretty," Derek spoke up. "She's glowing, I noticed that earlier." He commented sectioning off his clients hair. "Do you have a new skin care regimen or something?" He asked.
"You pregnant?" Keisha, blurted out taking pause from a braid. Abbie's eyes flashed wide with disbelief, but honestly she didn't know how anything Keisha said managed to surprise her anymore. There had to have been a minimum of eight different ongoing conversations, but suddenly everyone in the room was fixated on just this one. Abbie gathered herself and plastered a gracious grin across her face. Her fingers tightened around her bag as she slowly shook her head in dismay.
She looked at Sharia and nodded her head in the direction of the bathroom. "Still ok if I use the restroom before shoving off."
"Of course." Sharia replied, "You remember to the right."
Abbie walked toward the bathroom trying to ignore the quiet discussion going on behind her. She could only make out a few words but they were enough to let her know that she was the topic of conversation. Just as she was rounding the corner to the restroom she spun around to find Derrick and Keisha talking in nodding in her direction.
"Aye." She half hollered. Y'all could at least wait until I'm in the bathroom to talk about me." She griped. The pair fell into laughter realizing they'd been caught. Abbie playfully narrowed her eyes at them before continuing on her path.
"Mmph, mhp, mhp, you two have no home training whatsoever." She overheard Sharia telling them as she entered the restroom.
Abbie could have gone back home to change but it seemed so much easier this way. As it stood the salon was just minutes from Ichabod's office, and it made no sense to go all the way to Sleepy Hollow just to come all the way back. Besides this way when she told him she was in the neighborhood it wouldn't be an outright lie. Abbie checked her outfit in the mirror. On top she wore a sheer covered cream tank blouse, the v-neck exposed the perfect amount of cleavage, sexy, but still daytime appropriate. On bottom, she wore a black high waisted pencil skirt that clung to her in a way that caused her to question whether her hips had already spread. She was certain that the book she'd been reading stated that didn't typically occur until twelve weeks, but the more she studied herself in the mirror the clearer it became that they already had. She slipped into her black heels, applied her makeup, and started out of the door.
The cat calls started up as soon as she re-entered the room, she couldn't help but laugh at how silly they all were.
"Honnn-neeeeey! Derek yelled, looking up from his clients head. "You must be gettin' ready to pull up on somebody looking like that. Let me find out Abbie got a little bit of me in her." He laughed.
"I have to meet this one Abbie. I need to know exactly who has you showing out. So drop a name, something, who are you about to pull up on?" He asked.
"It better be that fine butt husband of yours because baby listen, if you don't I will." Keisha chimed in.
"HUSBAND!" Derek and Sharia, both called out surprised. Earlier Abbie's long sleeved t-shirt was covering her fingers and they hadn't seen her ring.
"I asked if you had a man, you said something like that. Look at that big ole ring on your finger!" He exclaimed! "When is a marriage something like that, it's exactly that!"
Abbie started to speak but Keisha overtalked her. "I met him, Abbie didn't tell you guys she was married? Wait a minute I didn't tell you guys she was married."
Abbie smiled. Keisha was loud and crazy, but she was the type of person who brought things up right in front of you as opposed to behind your back. Abbie always like that about her.
"Well listen, he is fine! And I mean fine! Y'all know me, I don't really too much…" Keisha stops, and rephrases, trying not to offend anyone. "You know to each his own I respect every ones freedom to love and be loved by whom they please, you know love has no color, or boundary, but I loooove my chocolate, you know what I mean." She stated to a roar of laughter and applause.
"But girl Abbie's husband had a chick thinking about broadening her horizons. I might have to give this Something New shit a shot!" She howled. "Ooh excuse my language Ms. Arlene, I almost forgot you were in here," she said to an older woman getting her hair done in the booth across from her.
The older woman smiled and waved her off. "I'm alright."
"But seriously," Keisha continued. "He's handsome, and such a gentlemen." She gushed. Abbie almost rolled her eyes remembering how Ichabod had turned on the charm in front of Keisha. He literally bowed and told her what a "profound pleasure it was making her acquaintance," when they parted ways.
"I mean, he was dreamy. Where'd you say the two of you met again?" She asked.
"Work." Abbie replied.
"Listen y'all, Abbie so dang on secretive. "Work." She repeated mimicking her dry tone. Abbie laughed at Keisha's spot on imitation.
"What," Abbie half groaned, "That's where we met."
"Well does he have a brother?" She queries stopping the comb in her clients head. "Only thing is he looked a little thin though, and I might break him cause baby," She twirled her hips, "You know these hips ain't for no games." She joked, causing everyone to laugh.
Sharia quickly reached over and slapped Keisha's hips. "You need to give me some of those."
"You're a mess, Keish." Abbie laughed.
"What?!" Keisha laughed, looking over at Abbie. "Come to think of it you look like you put on a couple pounds. Hmm." She glanced over at Derek, "Yeah you're definitely filling out some."
"Keish has a point Abbie. You've always had a little meat on them hips and thighs, but girl you busting out of that skirt. I mean it looks like it's holding on for dear life," Derek teased. "It looks good on you though." He added.
"In love and eating good." Keisha smiled.
"That ain't the only thing she's been doing." Derek chimed in.
Abbie's eyes went wide. "Derek why? What did I do?" She smiled.
Keisha stilled the comb in her clients had and called Abbie over. "Pss, pss, pss. Question. He got a big thang?" Abbie's mouth fell open. Keisha was not only crazy but she also had the distinction of being the world's loudest whisperer.
"Look I need to know if the myth about white men not being well endowed is just a myth, or if there's some basis to that shit." She tried again to whisper, and failed miserably. It was apparent that everyone in the immediate vicinity heard when Abbie saw a dozen eyeballs fixed to her awaiting the answer. She was at a loss of words.
"Will you leave my client alone?" Sharia cut in causing the two of them to start playfully bickering back and forth.
Abbie quickly slipped away and collected her things.
"Thanks again Sharia." She said putting her shades on and pulling her keys from her purse. "Alright all, have a great day." She waved. She popped Keisha on the side as she walked by her station.
"It's a myth." She answered. "But you know individuals are individuals." She said in a quiet voice.
"Okay, I follow, I follow, so based on your individual…"
Abbie lowered her shades. "It's a myth."
"Talk inches."
"By Keisha." Abbie smiled, flipping her shades back up.
Keisha laughed. "Alright Abbie, you be safe out there." She heard her call after.
Abraham called just a few minutes after Abbie left the salon. Her Bluetooth kicked on, and she leaned forward to turn up her speaker volume to hear him better.
"Hey Abraham." She chirped, happy to hear from him. Abraham pulled the bouquet of flowers he was sniffing away from his nose, and placed them back into his shopping cart.
"I tried to reach you this morning. Then I remembered you were having your hair changed today."
Abbie tittered recalling how he tried to talk her out of it when she first spoke about getting her hair done. He'd looked over her shoulder as some of the styles she'd pulled up on her phone.
"I rather fancy your hair the way that it normally is." He stated going through the self-checkout.
"I heard you the first time you said that, and I fahn-cy my hair too Abraham," She said mockingly, "That's why I've chosen to protect it from myself right now."
Abraham loaded up the car Murray had loaned him and closed the trunk. He placed Abbie on speaker phone and set the phone in the cup holder.
Abbie was sure she heard a car beeping as if it was starting up.
"What's that noise?" She asked.
"What noise?"
"The noise that sounds like someone just started a car." Abbie stated.
"I know you're not driving again." She warned.
"Of course not. You told me that the next time that you found me behind the wheel without proper education and licensing you were going to and I quote, throw my ass in jail. So no, I'm not driving. Listen I'm just leaving the store, and.."
"—What?" Abbie exclaimed. Abraham sighed at his own ignorance.
"Rather Murray and I are just leaving the store, and I have with me French bread, Italian wine, and a few of the loveliest cuts of beef that I have ever seen. Join me, we'll eat, I'll drink, and I've even stopped by the library using the card you loaned me and checked out Game of Thrones." He revealed. "We could finish off the season."
Little did he know that Abbie had finished off the season, and half of the second one the day after they had first watched it.
"Aww Bram. Today is"
"—Your day off," He cut in. "And Ichabod's day with the children so I refuse to take no for an answer."
"It sounds like fun, but I have to pass." Abbie remarked. The silence on the other end caused her to feel a little guilty because she knew he didn't have many friends. He needed to get out more, but as of late he'd been reluctant to do so, she worried that he spent too much time alone.
"I'm actually headed to Ichabod's office right now. We talked last night and I'm hoping that we can talk more today. I would love to do dinner some other time though, who knows maybe all of us can."
"All of whom?"
"You know, me, you…Ichabod." Abbie frowned at the laughter coming through the other side of the phone.
"You know what, forget it." She sneered, upset at how funny he found her statement.
"I know that you love him," Abraham responded, "But I have known Ichabod a very long time, and I shall sooner starve before I break bread with him."
"Abraham."
"—Please be careful." He interrupted before she had a chance to speak. "I know that you miss him but…but you see I have grown quite fond of you. I do not wish to see you hurt. Ichabod Crane is a difficult person to know, take it from someone that has trusted him once before."
He listened to her sigh on the other end of the phone, and felt a little guilty for telling her all of these things, but it was for her own good, he reasoned.
"He's my husband Abraham, I know him." She said finally.
"There was a time when I thought him a brother, and I thought I knew him as well." He granted. "Listen I hope it all goes favorably for you, especially in consideration of your situation."
"Is that what we're calling it?" Abbie laughed. "A situation."
"I beg your pardon, in consideration of the little one." He rephrased. "However, if it does not…know that my invitation stands."
A shrill shriek bleeds through the phone, and Abbie hears the sound of someone laying on their horn.
"YOU LUBBERWORT! DEWBEATER! HAVE YOU NO EYES!" Abraham screams abruptly.
"Hel-lo." Abbie says.
"Miss Mills, I simply cannot comprehend the nerve of some people, this maniac swerved directly in front of my whilst I was traversing the lane"
"—Abraham you promised!" Abbie scolded in disbelief.
"I meant Murray, a maniac just swerved in front of Murray, because he's the one who's driving." He stammered.
"Oh yeah, let me speak to him." Abbie demanded.
"What? Now? Miss Mills that hardly seems safe, how is he to converse and simultaneously operate a motor vehicle?"
"The same way you are." Abbie snapped.
"Oh no! My connection, it's dropping. Can you…CAN YOU HEAR ME?!" He shouted.
"Yes." Abbie replied even toned.
"MISS ills, CAN OU ear ME." Abraham yelled, dropping a letter from every other word.
"I know you're lying Abraham." Abbie glanced at the speaker as if she could somehow see him in the act of lying.
"TAKE CARE AND HAVE A SPLENDID DAY IF YOU CAN HEAR ME." He screamed for effect.
The line went dead. Abbie rolled her eyes and pressed the button to reload her navigation menu. She pushed the button to roll down the front windows a few inches, sighing with delight as the soft air circulated throughout the cabin. The closer she got to Ichabod's office, the more the butterflies inhabiting her stomach jumped and fluttered about. She had just assumed her visit would be well received when she thought of it this morning. Now that she was near she began to worry that perhaps it wouldn't. Maybe he would be too busy to see her, he was working after all and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb anyone at work. Maybe her showing up uninvited would be more of an intrusion than the pleasant surprise she hoped it would be. She drove right by his office parking lot following a sign she'd seen for a nursery down the road. After a few minutes of perusing she selected a plant, and then stopped once again at a bakery she'd passed on the way to the nursery. She purchased a few slices of pie before traveling the short distance back to his office. By the time she reached the parking lot the silent argument inside of her head was still ongoing. She almost managed to talk herself out of going inside, but luckily she came to her senses and shut off the engine.
Abbie threw her purse over her shoulder, and walked around to the passenger side to grab the plant she'd bought, along with the bag from the bakery. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she took long confident strides from the parking ramp to the tall storied building. It somehow wasn't what she expected when she got off the elevator to his company's floor. Her eyes darted around as she took in the large space. His tastes had always been more earthy and natural. But the very modern, clinical setting she found herself in was anything but. Still, she was impressed by the upscale design, and even though his new venture had yet to be ruled a success, it certainly gave off the appearance of such.
Abbie approached the receptionist desk. She stood a few paces back seeing that the young lady behind the desk was in the middle of assisting someone on the phone. Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a low bun, and Abbie couldn't help but notice how nicely her red framed glasses complimented her gray pant suit. There was a low steady working hum carrying across the office. The space is bright, and alive, and Abbie can't decide if it's due to the freshly painted white walls, or the sun beaming through the windows across the room.
"Hello welcome to Cranium Enterprises how can I help you today?"
"Hello." Abbie says returning her warm smile. "I'm here to see Ichabod Crane, I love your glasses by the way, super cute."
"Oh thanks, I was a little worried I would get tired of the color but, I really like them. Okay." She said typing something into her computer. "I'm sorry is Mr. Crane expecting you?" She asked.
"No. But I really just need a moment." Abbie said.
"He's in a meeting right now, but I can see what he has available as soon as it's over. Who should I tell him is waiting?
"Abbie." She states. There's a brief moment where it seemed that Danielle wanted her to say more, but it passed, and Abbie didn't bother offering.
"Okay, well his meeting should be wrapping up briefly, you can have a seat in the waiting area to your right, and someone will be right with you." She states, pointing toward a row of seats.
She'd only been seated a few minutes when a gentleman ambled over to the area and started filling up a cup at the water dispenser.
"Hello." A low, smooth voice upturned her eyes. He's handsome, neatly cut hair, deep brown skin, and a little devilish twinkle in his eyes.
"Afternoon." A polite smile curled Abbie's lips. He nods his head toward the large window beside them.
"This weather is all Dr. Jekyll, and Mr. Hyde today." He smiled, offering his hand. "Danny. I'm with the legal department," he stated, motioning towards the hall where his office is held.
"Abbie." She offered, shaking his hand.
"Funny calling it a department as of yet it's me and one other attorney, but you have to start somewhere right. So you must be" he holds up a finger, "Wait, don't tell me." He tapped his finger to his temple. "You're here to interview for the new head of security position."
Abbie started to correct him, but found herself distracted, curious as to what he's based these assumptions off of. "So security what makes you say that?"
Danny smiled, assuming he's read her correctly. "Your posture when you walked in, very powerful stance. Then when you sat down, instead of focusing on your phone or fiddling with your possessions, you linked your fingers in your lap, which is a position of power, and methodically scanned this entire room. Plus you're carrying a peace lily, so I assume that's the plant you've selected for your new office wherein you will strive to keep the peace."
"Incisive observation," she states. "But"
"—Look" he stated seeing Ichabod exiting his office. "Let me give you a few tips." Two main higher-up's here, Perry Chamber's and Ichabod Crane. Perry is laid back, very easy to work with, but at times he lacks direction making him a bit more difficult to work for. Then there's Ichabod Crane. He is the principle owner, CEO, and between me and you, he's a little bit of a dick, but he's not impossible. He's the inversion of Perry, he's very decisive, clear and direct, so he's easy to work for. Just do what he says and he's happy. Working with him is a little more difficult because he thinks he knows everything, and don't get me wrong he's a smart guy, but he even tells us how to do our job, like he has a law degree."
Abbie brows raise, a small smile touched her lips as she nodded along. Danny realized he was ranting a bit and dialed it down.
"Sorry," He chuckled. Abbie overlooked it already aware how Ichabod can get under someone's skin.
"He's big on education, he used to be a professor or something, which is probably part of the reason the he thinks he knows everything. But if you express any interest in education, history in particular, you'll score points with him. He's very proper, sir, ma'am, miss, he uses all of those, all the time."
"Look there he is right there." Danny says, causing Abbie to turn around just in time to spot Ichabod exiting his office with a leggy brunette. She's looks on wondering if this woman is the owner of the voice she heard last night. He doesn't look like someone who's slept at the office the previous night. He's wearing a light grey suit, and a light purple tie she recognizes as one she'd purchased him. They're standing closer than she likes, but she's more bothered by the fact that they seem to be discussing something secret, something that everyone else around isn't privy to. Abbie watches as the woman drops one of the folders she's carrying and as Ichabod bends to retrieve it, she lays a hand on his shoulder as if to say oh I can get it myself, only she doesn't attempt to. She stands there, and when he's looking down gathering papers, her face exposes her infatuation with him. He says something and she laughs, a little too hard and long, he doesn't quite laugh, but a small grin finds his lips.
Suddenly Abbie wishes she hadn't come. This is toxic, I should leave, she reasons. Being here and seeing all of this…she isn't a part of this new life he has, and she can't help but feel out of place. The handsome man next to her is still speaking but she can only hear every other word he says, as her attention's focused on Ichabod. Something about getting lunch together, and him showing her around falls out of his mouth, and she starts to grow irritated with him for distracting her from the conversation she's watching but stands too far away to hear. Perhaps it's nothing, she lunched with Abraham at the diner all of the time, and some days they laughed constantly, yet it was nothing romantic, just innocent amusement between friends. But there is something here that seems different, that seems to give off an impression of acquaintance that she's not certain she's comfortable with. Her eyes follow the woman's fingers as they wrap around Ichabod's arm and give it a squeeze. She's giggling so much her cheeks grow red, holding onto him like she can't hold herself up because he's sooo funny. Abbie's head twist with suspicion, just as Ichabod abruptly looks up and spots her. She can see the surprise in his eyes, but it's quickly pushed out by the smile that envelopes his face. She swiftly turns her head and looks toward the door, wondering if she could slip out before he made it to her. Ichabod notices her eyes, and suspects what she's thinking, his smile fades and he starts toward her without excusing himself, sidestepping, and one momenting a few people who attempted to speak to him. Abbie's flustered, yeah she'd flipped out last night, but she honestly felt that she would come here today and find out that she was overreacting, now she's unsure
"Oh here he comes, I'll introduce you, put in a good word." Danny winked.
"Uh actually, something came up. I actually need to take off." She says trying to excuse herself.
"But what about your interview?" Danny asked, confounded.
"Uh."
As Ichabod comes closer Danny plasters on a smile. "Good morning Mr. Crane, or as you say, good morrow, this is…"
Abbie felt his warm hand press into the small of her back, as Ichabod leaned down and planted a small kiss against her cheek. Danny's mouth hung open for a brief moment, until he collected himself and forced it closed.
"Oh." He muttered, head rolling back.
"Good afternoon Mr. Reynolds, I see you've met my wife." Ichabod adds tightening a possessive grip around Abbie's waist. He couldn't get over how positively luminous Abbie was. Every piece of skin she had exposed looked like it had been freshly kissed by the sun, while her body swelled and flattened in the most becoming way imaginable. He wondered what she was doing there, she hadn't said anything about coming for a visit. He also couldn't help but wonder if she'd come dressed this way just for him, or if she was merely out and about enjoying her day. Most of all he wonders how her eyes retain such purity and innocence while her body looks like something borne out of sheer sin. She had just arrived, and already had turned a few heads. Ichabod glanced around the room and gently pulled her to his side warding off all comers. Foremost the man standing directly in front of them, he wasn't the least bit surprised to find the ever advantageous Mr. Reynolds blathering her ears off.
By now, Ichabod had grown accustomed to the attention his wife received but he could never quite grow entirely comfortable with it. How could he? She was uncomfortably beautiful, he thought, the type of woman any man in a relationship never wished to bump into while with their significant other. A man not in complete control of himself might steal a few too many glances, while a man with even less control might flat out stare, as Mr. Reynolds was now. Ichabod didn't even realize that a glower had fallen over his face as he looked upon the man across from him. As far as Ichabod was concerned the way he was looking at her was just as offensive as outright saying that he wanted to bed her.
Danny smirked at Abbie, who couldn't help but chuckle. Ichabod stared down at her begging an explanation as to what she found so amusing. Abbie quickly noticed his displeasure and attempted to diffuse any misconceptions at the start.
"Actually Danny was telling me what a wonderful team you all have here, and how he's happy to be a part of it." She smiled.
"Was he." Ichabod asked, looking back over to Danny. A young man came over needing Ichabod's signature on a few papers, and he reluctantly stepped away to sign them.
"Aw, man." Danny shook his head, inwardly wondering how his uptight boss ended up pulling the beauty standing before him. His eyes rolled over her in a manner he hoped was discreet. He side eyed Ichabod across the room and let out a heavy breath of air. He can't be hitting that right. He thought, before turning his attention back to Abbie. Nah, not possible. He inwardly ruled.
"Wow, so should I just go clean out my office?" Danny smiled coolly, unable to keep himself from showing her his teeth. An alarm sounded through the back of his head begging him to stop flirting with his boss's wife.
"No worries Danny," Abbie smiled. "I think you're good at what you do. I am in a form of security, and you have a fairly good read on him, he can be difficult to work with, but trust me he's a good guy. Anyway, it has to be helpful in your profession, being able to read people like that." She commented, impressed.
"So helpful that I just tried to put the moves on my boss's wife." He chuckled.
"Well if it makes you feel any better, I had no idea you were trying to put the moves on me. I thought you were just being nice." Abbie stated.
"Well you must get a lot of people being nice." He said in a clearly flirtatious tone. He bowed his head a little kicking himself when he sees Abbie's uncomfortable expression. He raised his thumb and pointed it behind his shoulder.
"I didn't mean to just, you know what I'm just going to head back to my office while I still have one." He smiled.
"Okay," Abbie smiled in return.
"Hey Danny, she calls just as he's turning to leave. "Little tip, he'll grow to trust you the longer you work with him, then he won't always be over your shoulder, and he won't seem so know-it-all-y, hang in there." She encouraged him.
Ichabod stood across the room distracted by the conversation between Abbie and Danny, and not at all pleased with the way he was looking at her. She'd only just met Mr. Reynolds, what could they possibly have to talk about. He quickly wrapped up his affairs and strolled back over to her, just as Danny was retreating.
"Nice meeting you Mrs. Crane." He smiled, before returning to his office.
"Nice meeting you too." She replied, before turning around to see a frowning Ichabod staring her in the face. His eyes skipped across the room to Danny just as he was turning the corner, and quickly bounced back to Abbie. He looked at her quietly, and though he would never phrase it so she knew that this particular look roughly translated to 'the fuck was that about?' Abbie bent down and gathered up the plant she'd gotten him.
"I come bearing gifts." She smiled to ease the tension. Her cheerful expression had the desired effect as he quickly let go of his sour feelings. He accepted the plant with one hand, and grinned as her took her by the hand with the other.
"Allow me to introduce you to a few people." He stated leading her over to the receptionist desk. He placed the plant atop the desk before beginning introductions.
"This is our Miss. Hardy." He grinned. "Miss Hardy may I present my wife Mrs. Abigail Crane." Noreen stood at the other end of the desk looking on as she had been the entire time he was talking with Abbie and Danny. She had stared at her picture long enough to recognize her immediately.
"In the future, please send her right in." She overheard him telling Danielle.
Miss Hardy stood and held her hand out. "Please call me Dani," She beamed, " I'm sorry I didn't know."
"Oh absolutely no problem, I didn't mind waiting." Abbie smiled, and turned to Ichabod. "I didn't mind waiting."
He squeezed her hand, and walked her further down the desk to Noreen's station.
"And this is our ever studious administrative assistant, Miss Kelly."
The woman smiled up at him with a soft giggle. "Ichabod I told you, you can call me Noreen." She said just before raising to her feet.
"Oh yes." Ichabod stammered, "Miss Noreen." He corrected himself, and held out a hand in front of Abbie. "May I present my wife Mrs. Abigail Crane." He said letting his hand fall to Abbie's back.
"Hi, so good to meet you!" Noreen stated with near undetectable false excitement.
Abbie shook her hand. "Likewise." She said with a swift nod.
Dani looked up from her computer screen with a rueful smile as Abbie and Ichabod entered his office. She turned to Noreen, deriving a little too much satisfaction from her displeasure.
"And you're certain you do not wish to visit a few of the other departments?" Ichabod asked.
"Yeah another time." Abbie replied stepping across the threshold to his office.
"Wow." She gasped looking around. "Nice digs. Big." She states as he closed the door.
"This is Perry's doing." He explained, setting his things down. He took out his phone and started typing so Abbie decided to show herself around a little while waiting. After a moment she moves closer to him.
"You don't need to water it often," She says, picking up a framed picture of the two of them with the boys from his desk. A small smile played at her lips as she remembered the night they took it.
"Just feel the soil with your fingers once a week, and water accordingly." She said returning the frame to his desk. When she looked up, she found him still glued to his phone, and she began to wonder if she was interrupting his day.
"Hey, if I've come at a bad time" She begins,
Ichabod continues looking at his phone, but cast a single finger to the air. "Just one moment." He requests.
Abbie stepped further into the room, brown eyes gravitating towards the wall sized windows. She left her purse in a chair she passed by in route to them. Suddenly the blinds drew closed and the room darkened significantly. By the time she spun around to protest it was too late, an arm belonging to a body that seemed much too far away to reach her stretched out, and yanked her to him. The tips of her shoes drug across the low gray carpet as Ichabod gathered his sweetest thing into his arms. His lips greedily parted hers as he held her there imprisoned, soft curves nearly gone flat against him while her lips separated in appreciation of the pieces of him too hard to bend. There was power in it, this feeling, this knowledge that she had this effect upon him simply by being…her. To another woman it might not mean as much, but to a woman who was once a girl that never really quite belonged, it was everything. She belonged here, with him, to him. He allowed her to be both powerful, and powerless in his arms, the choice was always hers.
He was relentless and unyielding in pursuit of her kiss, if she lowered her head for even the tiniest breath he dipped his as well, attacking her mouth from below, kissing her lips until she lifted her head back up. The skin covering her brown knuckles stretched and lightened as she gripped his jacket in an attempt to keep balanced. He allowed her a seconds rest, noting her unsteadiness, and then he kissed her again, softer, longer, with lips sweeter than she previously recalled. And then she let go, but didn't fall.
"I've got you." He whispered against her heavy breaths. "You understand?" He softly asked. "I have you." He proclaimed before drawing her into another scorching kiss, each smooch begging on the next. There was a clarity in his kiss that she could only feel and truly understand while it was happening. When it was over she remembered the gist of the feeling but forgot about the intricacies, the small details of their connection that cemented his position inside of her heart. So every time she kissed him she had an
Oh yeah, and then theres this, type of moment.
This was how she came to know the feeling of floating while her feet were still against the ground. She would do anything for this starburst feeling he always gave her, that was the way he made her feel, like new light. How could this be good? She reasoned in a moment of sublime awareness. Nothing that feels this wonderful could ever be good, could it, could it? His fingers dug into her back, while the sweet taste of his tongue filled her mouth, and suddenly it became clear, it didn't matter. If he was good, great, if he was bad, she would ride with him anyway…she would ride for him. Because this was a love like she'd never known, that me and you against the world type of love, that I'm a cop but fuck this job, I broke your ass out of a mental institution type of love. That, you were quarantined with the plague and I broke you out of that shit too type of love. And all of that was before it was even love, before a kiss, before the dick, before the rings…before the kids. So she needed him to be good, it was the only part of him she'd ever truly experienced, but that wasn't to say that she didn't recognize the darker parts of him. That wasn't to say that she didn't find herself attracted to them. She knew him.
When he finally releases her for air, she sees a light dusting of color she had covering her lips smeared against his. She spends a moment gathering her breath and thumbing it from his lips. His fingers stroke the side of her face, and she grabs them, blessing them with a few kisses. His eyes swell with love watching her and the next second his mouth covers hers again, like he's trying to make up for all the kisses she hasn't received these past three weeks. He's holding her so much tighter than usual, almost as if there is nothing in the world that could ever convince him to let her go. She wonders if he knows how it feels when he holds and kisses her this way, how those kisses and caresses made their way directly to her heart. He moaned quietly as his teeth gently tugged the flesh of her bottom lip, she whimpered and he slowly released it. It's freedom lasted a mere two seconds before he decided that he wanted it back, lips surrounded and sucked it inside of his mouth where he held it captive once more. Low desperate groans rumbled from his chest as his tongue left her mouth and he suckled a path of wet kisses from her lips to her throat. Abbie nearly died at the sound of the soft noises he made. There was something inside of her that unraveled when his voice got this way, something about the sound of it that reached her on a cellular level. Perhaps it was the way that it seemed to grow even deeper when he was aroused, or the way she could almost feel it moving through her instead of just hearing it. She was undone by it every single time, and the only thing she could think of when she heard it—this human mating call of his—was giving him whatever he desired.
His wide thumbs on her hipbones, her body said yes before he asked the question.
"Oh God." She softly murmured, weakened. Her legs shook as his kisses pushed her to madness, towards begging. She wanted to stop the uncontrollable throb she felt pulsing through her middle, she needed him to stop it. Her heart fluttered, and started beating at a pace indicative of how anxious she is to feel more of him. Almost as if he sensed as much his hands slid down her arms, and inched around her hips.
"Baby." She breathed hearing his quiet groans grow deep, fingers gathered around and dug into her rear. He'd always been good at showing her what he wanted, everything from the way he touched her to the look on his face alerted her to his intentions. The twinkle that usually sat in his eye had faded to black along with the rest of his iris, while the underlying ludic spirit she usually sensed when they were alone was nowhere to be found. He leaned his head back, and gazed at her. Had Abbie not known better she would have thought he was completely incapable of smiling.
"Infinite beauty," He gushed before kissing her lips again. "And your hair is quite fetching." He quietly rumbled against her soft lips, eyes closed, viewing her through memory. His fingers coiled around a few braids.
"Stunning." He breathed, before tightening his digits beneath her bottom and lifting her from the ground.
"Mmm, thank you." She said quietly between pecks. "Extensions."
"I'm aware." He stated as he carried her to the couch. He sat her down like she was and eggshell and positioned himself between her thighs.
"You know how mightily I favor your natural locks," He reminded her placing a soft kiss against the underside of her chin. "But by God you are a vision to behold either way." He whispered sealing his lips to hers. Ichabod notices the seductive grin across Abbie's face when he leaned back a little. Only then does a touch of playfulness reach his features.
"As I am sure you are already acutely aware." He quietly states sealing palms to her thighs, and taking view of her body. "Yes Mrs. Crane, you know well all of the gifts that you possess." He smiled, defeated.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Abbie teased, lifting her thighs along the outside of his hips. "I just wanted to bring you a plant and a piece…" she licks her lips, "Of pie."
His face grows bright as his fingers find his belt. "Mrs. Crane." He warned, unlatching his buckle. Abbie inclined a single brow, and squeezed his waist with her knees.
"Mr. Crane." She says in a bold return. Every inch of her face saying bring it on and every inch of his cock ready to do just that.
"Have you forgotten so easily, or do you presume I mean sport?" He asked, eyes flickering with lust.
Oh damn, let me calm my ass down.
"Much to the contrary," She responds, slipping a lonely hand up his chest. "I remember it all, and I know damn well you mean business." She's on fire for him, though as much as she wants to tell him that she means business too, wants to look him in the eye and tell him to do his worst, she knows she can't.
"Show me how much you love me." She sighs, caressing his cheek. "Gently." She whispers, sucking his neck.
He melts against her, sliding a hand up her skirt and forcing the fabric around her waist. He kissed her lips while skating his fingers up her thighs, growing harder at the sensation of her twitching beneath his touch. He gaped down at her legs with unconstrained intensity, his eyes lift to hers as if he wants to say something but he doesn't. Abbie had always been comfortable with her body, that hadn't changed now that parts of it were growing. So far the only thing that bothered her was not having jeans that fit, nor the time to go out and purchase a few pair that did. But she couldn't gauge what he was thinking by the way he looked at her just then.
"I um…"
"—You're perfect." He whispered, stopping her before she tried to explain something that needed no explanation. She had gained a few pounds, the same way she had when they first started making love.
"Forgive my gaze, but know now and always when I stare at you thusly, it is because I like—no I love what I see." He said in regard to what she could only presume was her thickening hips and thighs.
"Permit me to show you how much." He requested pushing forward. His fingers gripped her thighs as he pulled her bottom toward him. A low groan broke free from his throat as he ground his hips between her parted legs. He almost lost himself, left fascinated by the sound of her softly mewling through a shiver that followed his touch. Her small fingers unwrapped from around his torso and clenched around the top of his tie.
"The door's locked right?" She asked in a voice a little huskier than her own.
"Yes." He rumbled in a shaky huff, his excitement grown far too great for him to concentrate. He'd locked the door the moment they'd entered the room, and sent Dani a message informing her that he did not wish to be disturbed.
"My calls are held as well." He added.
Abbie came to talk, about a lot of things, him coming home, mortgages and petty cash, but she couldn't think about any of that with him touching her this way. He forcefully crushed his hips into her and the room took a spin. She sat forward realizing the only way to ensure they weren't too rough was to get on top.
"Come here." She commands, pushing him back and guiding him to a seated position upon the couch. He sunk back with a soft grunt, overly eager to be her willful servant. She tried to focus on stepping out of her shoes as his large rough hands slipped up her legs. She had barely footed her shoes aside before he pulled her close and lowered her to his lap. Her breaths hitched and broke at the sensation of his turgid erection throbbing between her thighs.
A quiver pulsed through her middle, and she turned her hips in a slow friction laden circle that signaled the end of his patience. His fingers skimmed along the edge of her shirt and bra, tugging the fabrics down just enough to tongue an erect nipple into his mouth.
"Crane." She whimpered, her head falling back casting her braids to his lap, while her knee poked against his armpit.
He left her breast, softly dragging his wet lips up her chest until the came to rest across the hollow of her neck. He had closed the blinds, the lights were out, so how was it that the entire room was illuminated. Just her presence brought forth a vibrancy strong enough to brighten spaces that by all accounts should have been dark.
He slouched down a bit further, his eyes closed as her nimble fingers disappeared inside of his underwear and wrapped around his length. A sharp breath of air flew into his lungs, as her name tumbled from his lips.
"Abbie." He groaned. His pink tongue drug over his lips, face grew coarse with desire. His day had ended the moment she walked into the office, and he knew it. Plants and pies, simple guises used to shield her true intention. He knew what she came to bring him, could see it in her eyes the moment they walked into his office, the only provision he ever truly needed. When she left this building he wouldn't be far behind, he worked hard, he deserved this, he told himself. This was the problem with loving her, once was never enough, he could melt days away in her arms. Her breath and tongue glide against his neck as he slid a long finger between her folds eliciting a soft mewl. Her wetness is bizarre even for her, and the feel of it coating him as she ground against his shaft had him ready to explode before penetration. The coil in his belly grew unbelievably tight and he knew he couldn't wait a minute longer.
"Please." He breathed, using a few fingers to pull her panties to the side. Her warm hands gripped his erection as she rose up high to take him. Anticipation closed his eyes.
After a few too many seconds her stillness opened them.
"Abbie?" He whines impatiently raising his hip. He glances at her realizing she's fixated upon something just over his shoulder. He twisted his head to find her eyes pasted to a large brown hair clip she gripped between her fingers.
Oh for God's sake.
Her hand had scraped against it as it stretched over the top of the couch. She knows what she's holding, and though it paused her for a moment she didn't immediately suspect anything.
Why? Because of the affection he gives her, because he's the love of her life, because he is her aeternalis and treats her like a queen…Because it's Ichabod. Sure her brain froze a bit, but when she thought it through, it was hard to imagine him involved in some surreptitious escapade. So she decides it's nothing.
And then she sees his face.
He looked…guilty, and she'd spotted far too many guilty faces in her time not to immediately recognize his. A deer in headlights. When it hits her it's immediate, and hard, so much harder than she's prepared for, but she feels it. He attempts to take the clip but she pulls it back as she stands to her feet.
"Th-there are meetings held in here," He stuttered. "Quite regularly it probably"
"—I bet." She snapped, and he stopped speaking. "Look at me." She said.
Three seconds. That was the amount of time he managed to look her in the eyes before his eyes shifted.
"Crane." She says, shoulders slumping.
"Yes." He answers in a quiet hesitant tone, barely meeting her gaze.
"Move." She orders.
"Abbie." He said tentatively.
She quickly shoved him by the shoulders before yanking up the couch cushion, and wedging her hand beneath it.
"Abbie what are you doing?" She heard him ask. Ichabod's heart was beating a mile a minute as he stuffed himself back into his pants. She isn't listening to him to a degree that makes him question her hearing, but quite frankly he doesn't know what he would say if she did.
"Abbie." He called again trying to calm her by grabbing her shoulder but she pushed him away. He motioned to grab her again but she looked at him in a way she never had before, and he thought better of it. That's when he felt it, that fear of hurting her, of really losing her, and he knew then exactly what he would say. Anything.
This is the way that she had always operated when working a case, if you find something, don't assume that's it, look again, see if there's more because nine times out of ten there is. People remember things the way they want to, but clues, observable facts told the truth. She was zeroed in, and could barely hear him calling her name and asking her what she was doing even though he was right beside her. When she didn't find anything beneath the cushion she slid her hand into the corners and searched there. She was a woman possessed searching, searching, searching. For what, she doesn't quite know, but she'd settle for anything that could cast a little light upon the reason his face looked the way it did. He's still babbling on beside her to an aggravating degree, if she wasn't so focused she would have told him to shut the fuck up a half dozen times by now. He keeps asking her again and again what she's doing, what she's searching for…and then she finds it. Her fingers close around another object and she quickly brings it from beneath the cushion.
Abbie looks down at her prize, a turquoise tear drop earring in her hand, and feels her world wobble. Her mouth says a silent "what" before she finds the strength to put her voice behind her thoughts. She holds it in the same palm as the barrette.
She looks up at him, noticing that his eyes have grown as wide as hers and he'd finally closed his fucking mouth. She couldn't hear him before, he was going on and on grabbing at her trying to get her to listen, and she couldn't hear him. Suddenly it's like her ears have come unplugged and she hears everything so clearly, but he's gone quiet. What's worse is the way he's looking at her, like he's going to be sick, like the next words he speaks will hurt her, and he'd rather never open his mouth again. She never thought that she would be here, standing in front of the man she loves getting ready to ask him a question she's not sure she was strong enough to hear the answer to.
"What the fuck is this?"
