Chapter 9
Here is an update…I hope you like it. So, I have a question…when I started this fic I kept the rating at "M" for mature. How much "M" would you all like? I'd love to hear back…or send me a review letting me know what you think of the story so far. Have a great week.
BTW…funniest story I have heard this week? A student sent a teacher a message that he couldn't complete this week's online assignment because he "didn't know what YouTube was". Ummm…yeah, sure kid. This was posted on a teaching Facebook group page I joined. But the best was this comment back "Oh, come ON! Even my CATS know what YouTube is!" LOL. Just thought I would share for a laugh. Have a great week!
Garcia felt the warmth on her face and blinked a few times as she woke. The morning sun was directly in her eyes. Odd, I usually make sure to close the blinds. I must have forgotten. She flipped off the throw blanket and sat up in her bed. She reached over for her glasses and looked down at herself. She was still in her dress from last night.
"Oh man! Really Garcia? You fell asleep on him?!" she muttered to herself. She shook her head in disbelief. Sergio jumped up onto her lap, purring and asking for some attention. "Yeah…you couldn't have done that to help wake me up last night, Serg?"
"Don't put your cereal bowl in the trash Henry!" JJ called as she reached over to fill her coffee cup one last time before she went to grab a quick shower while Will got the boys dressed for their trip to the park.
Her cell phone rang. She turned it over from where it was laying on the table. "Hey Luke. We have a case?"
"Hey JJ. No, no. Sorry to bother you on a Sunday…but I was hoping you were up."
"Yeah, of course. You know us…the boys have been up for a while…when the arguing gets too loud, Will and I know it's time to join them and fix breakfast."
Luke chuckled. "I'll have to remember that trick."
"So, what can I do for you?"
"Well…it's about Garcia."
"Ookay…" JJ drawled. "What about her…wait…is she okay?"
"Oh, yeah, yeah, of course. It's just…well we went out last night."
"Yeah I know. She was excited. How was your dinner?"
"Great…I mean…the restaurant was amazing…but we had a little confusion in the middle of the evening."
"Confusion?"
"Yeah…Did…Look…I'm just going to ask... Did you tell Garcia that our dinner was just two friends going out for a bite to eat?"
"No…I mean… I know she was worrying about what to wear…and I tried to help calm her down. I said you had seen a lot of her outfits and it never affected your friendship…and I thought you'd be the same now. Why do you ask?"
Luke sighed. "She tried to be my wingman at one point…wanted me to introduce myself to some woman at the bar. "
JJ groaned. "Oh, Luke…no."
"Look…. I'm sharing this just so we're clear. I know you think of Garcia as a sister. But JJ, I really like her. A lot. Even before I started dating Lisa, I liked her. But she didn't want me to get anywhere near close to her…even as friends at first."
"Luke, I know. I'm so sorry. I never meant- "
"It's ok. I just wanted to make sure you knew where I was coming from. I'd really like to see where this will go."
JJ was quiet. "I hope you were able to get Garcia to understand the real deal."
"Yeah, I mean… it's Garcia…It's always taken a while for me to chip away at her armor. But I think she understands. We went back to her place and watched a movie."
"Aww…that's sounds nice."
"Yeah, it was. Look, I don't want to take up your entire Sunday morning. But if we can keep this chat- "
"Between us. Absolutely. And, Luke?"
"Yeah JJ?"
"You're good for her. Just keep trying. That armor only lasts for so long, you know."
Luke chuckled. "Yeah, I hope so. I mean…it took me a while for her to even talk to me at work, so…I can be patient."
They signed off and JJ put her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. She smiled, shaking her head, then headed off to find Will and the boys.
Luke and Roxie ran their usual circuit through the park and on one of the trails through the woods. Luke finally stopped, leaning against a tree. He whistled loudly and Roxy turned around from where she was ahead of him and ran back to him.
Luke shook his head. "Such a show off." He laughed and opened a canteen of water that had been attached to his belt and took a deep brink, then offered the rest to Roxy. The park had a fountain at the other end of the trail he could refill and get Roxy another drink, and he had another container of water in his SUV.
"So…What did you think about the date last night Rox?" The Belgian Malinois looked up at him, panting.
"Yeah. Me too. I think she had fun."
Roxie barked once, wagging her tail. "Yeah…she does smells good, doesn't she?" Luke rolled his eyes. Yes, he was assuming the dog could talk…but really, talking to Roxie helped him to clear his own mind.
"You know what? I think it's time to start showing Ms. Garcia just how serious I am about dating her. C'mon Rox. Let's go…I want to get dinner started."
Garcia pushed her cart around the produce section of the grocery store. The store was busy with Sunday afternoon traffic…everyone trying to stock up for the work week or getting ready for kid's lunches.
She walked over to the apples. Hmmm…apple crisp sounds good…maybe I can splurge and make that to have for dessert this week, she thought to herself. She tried to make a shopping list and stick to it…but sometimes she just couldn't help herself.
Her phone started its cheerful ringtone. She looked down. Luke. Oh, man. She wondered when she would hear from him.
"Hey"
"Hey Penelope. How's your Sunday going?"
"Pretty good. I'm just out grocery shopping. You?"
"Rox and I went for a run. I went shopping yesterday morning. I wanted to have Roxie's food here for her when she came home. Do you need me to call back later so you can finish shopping?"
"Oh, no. You're fine…I mean…I can shop and talk at the same time."
"Oh, good. So…"
"So."
"I wanted to-"
"Luke, I just-" They both started at the same time. They laughed. Luke said "Go Ahead. "
Penelope took a deep breath. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for falling asleep on you last night. I really did have a nice time."
Luke chuckled. "So did I. And, really…no worries. You'd had a long week at work, I know. And, honestly? It was nice to be able to sit and relax with you."
Penelope smiled. "Well, thank you for helping me get to bed."
Luke paused. "Well…I'm sure it was more comfortable than spending the night on the couch."
"Oh, I don't know…I was comfy enough to fall asleep on the couch. I would have managed."
Luke thought back to how she had curled into him on the couch…his arm wrapped around her shoulder and her head resting on his chest.
"So, I was calling with an invitation."
"An invitation? Is there a party?"
"No, no party. But Roxie and I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes Penelope…really. Would six thirty be okay? Does that give you time to get all your errands done?"
Garcia glanced at her watch. "Yes…that sounds great. Can I bring anything?"
"No…I think Roxie and I have everything we need. I'm doing the heavy work and she is supervising."
Garcia laughed. "Okay, then…I will leave you two to your designated jobs then."
Luke chuckled. "Sounds good. I'll see you soon then."
Penelope signed off and slipped her phone back into her purse. She smiled brightly as she pushed her cart toward the meat counter…looking forward to dinner and another evening with SSA Alvez.
Luke pulled the hot casserole dish from the oven, crimped a piece of foil over the top and adjusted the temperature for the oven. He washed his hands and dried them on the hand towel hanging on the dishwasher. When he finished, he went to the table and checked that he had everything set. The salads were in the fridge…the garlic bread ready to slide in the oven. It could be baking while they enjoyed the salad and then bring out with the main dish.
He glanced down and saw Roxie was already laying down, watching him from her position in the living room. She'd already had her dinner and evening walk outside. "I see you have found your front row seat for the evening." Luke told her, smiling. Her tail wagged a few times.
The doorbell rang.
Luke went to open the door.
"Hey" he smiled widely. "Come on in."
Garcia smiled lit up the room. She was in heels, a pair of jeans and some kind of sparkly flowing top. He didn't know what it was called, but he knew she looked like sunshine and happiness when she walked inside.
"Oh my gosh! That amazing smell was coming from your apartment?"
Luke shook his head. "You know…I always get the bum rap when it comes to cooking. I mean, I don't cook a lot when it's just me and Roxie, but I have learned a couple of dishes here and there."
Garcia looked up at him. "Well, I must admit I'm pleasantly surprised. I've tried your coffee at the BAU…I wasn't sure what dinner would be like when you invited me. I do like your apron though."
"What? Look…I made one pot of coffee a little too strong. Besides, now that Rossi got us that single cup machine it's almost impossible to mess it up." He reached around to untie the apron. "I forgot I had it on."
Garcia laughed. "I think he did that because he hates making coffee the old way and was tired of being subjected to whatever everyone else tried to put together."
Luke led the way to the table. Garcia held out the slim gift bag she had been carrying. "You didn't have to bring anything."
"I know…but it's traditional. And I'm nothing if not conventional."
Luke smiled and stepped a little closer to her. "There is nothing conventional about you Ms. Garcia. You are definitely one of a kind."
The stared at each other, almost touching. Finally, Penelope blinked and looked down. "Well…see if you like it."
Luke looked down and reached into the bag. He pulled out a bottle of wine. "This is perfect. I haven't tried this one yet."
Penelope nodded. "I know you like reds…I hope this goes well with dinner."
Luke looked at Penelope. "Hmm…I think I prefer blondes. But this will be perfect. Thank you."
He leaned down and gave Penelope a quick kiss on the cheek. She held her breath. He stepped back and took the bottle of wine to the table, then turned to go into the kitchen.
"I have everything ready. I hope you're in the mood for Italian."
Garcia touched her cheek where he had kiss her. Maybe if she did that, she could hold in the heat from his mouth there for just a little longer. She shook her head to clear it and turned to follow him into the kitchen.
"I made lasagna, salads and there is a fresh loaf of bread waiting to go in the oven."
"Oh, my goodness! You made lasagna?"
"Yeah, well, I tried to tempt you once before with my cooking skills…now this time I'm hoping you'll actually try it."
Garcia smiled, remembering one of their elevator lobby conversations…well…Luke had been trying to spark up a conversation…but she had been trying to do her best to ignore him. She thought if she didn't get close she wouldn't be as hurt when he left. Or maybe she just didn't think she could have as much fun at work as she had with Morgan. Or she had just been stubborn. Who knew? It was a very fine line.
"It sounds delicious. Can I help with anything?"
Luke pointed to the fridge. "If you want to grab the two salad from the top shelf in there, I will open up our wine. I have a bottle of dressing there on the door as well."
Garcia opened the refrigerator and found the salads and the dressing. She brought them to the table. Luke placed the bottle of wine on the table and held out her chair for her. They sat down and Luke reached over to fill her wine glass.
"Thank you. What kind of dressing is this?"
"it's the house dressing at a local pizza place around the corner. They actually bottle and sell it. It's kind of a balsamic vinaigrette with extra herbs and parmesan cheese. I have a couple of other types of dressing if you'd rather have one of them."
"No, no. This looks great."
They started eating and Penelope enjoyed the crisp salad and the delicious dressing. As they finished, Luke got up and took their salad bowls into the kitchen. He pulled the bread from the oven and put it in a basket. Then he went back to bring the lasagna casserole dish out and placed it on a wooden trivet in the middle of the table.
"You're pretty domestic for a bachelor." Garcia commented, nodding at the basket and trivet.
"You can thank my mom. When she comes to visit, anything I don't have that she thinks she needs at her house, we go out and buy. I pay the bill, but she does all of the choosing."
"Aww…so it's kind of like she's helping you remember home."
"Exactly. But the past few years, I've tried to go visit her or I take her out to dinner when she comes here. It saves me from going to Bath, Bed & More stores around the city."
He used the spatula to cut into the lasagna and place it on a plate and handed it to Garcia. She waited until he had served himself, then took a small bite. "Mm…this is so good."
Luke smiled. "Good. Please…have some bread."
They talked throughout the meal, just enjoying each other's company. Luke was so easy to talk to, Garcia thought. She lost track of time as they enjoyed their wine. Finally, Luke stood up from the table.
"Just let me put the dishes in the kitchen and I'll take care of them later"
"No no no…you cooked. The least I can do is help with the dishes."
"It's really not necessary."
"I insist."
She took the bread and their empty wine glasses into the kitchen. Luke followed. "There are resealable bags in that cabinet. I'll take care of the lasagna." He pulled out a few plastic containers and went back to the table to bring the casserole dish into the kitchen.
She opened the dishwasher and started rinsing off plates as he portioned out the lasagna. He put a couple into the freezer, and two others he placed in the refrigerator. He reached for the basket and then tried to put it in the small top cabinet over the dishwasher, leaning over as Garcia straightened up from where she had been sliding the rack back into the machine. "Sorry…excuse me." Luke said as he finished reaching up, leaning into her slightly.
Garcia breathed in…she could smell Luke's cologne and the faint smell of some kind of soap …some kind of fresh and woodsy scent. It reminded her a little of the bar soap her dad had always used. Sometime when she was in the aisle at the store with all of the soaps and shampoo, she would grab a package of that particular brand and try to imagine her dad standing there beside her. Yeah, she probably looked crazy, but it helped her to remember happy times with her dad.
"No problem," she said softly.
Luke flashed her a smile and turned to finish rinsing out the casserole dish. She walked back to the table to see if anything else needed to be brought back to the kitchen. She turned as Luke walked back out of the kitchen.
"Would you like some coffee? Tea?"
"No, I think I'm still too full from dinner."
Luke led the way over to the couch in the living room. "We could watch something on TV if you want. It's still pretty early."
"Hmmm...only if you shake me if I start to nod off this time. Actually, I can stay a little while longer, but I need to get home before too long. I have an early day tomorrow."
Luke nodded. He reached over to the ottoman and picked up a remote. "Have you seen this new show yet?"
He started a new episode of a popular reality show. It wasn't necessarily his cup of tea, but he knew Penelope liked shows like this. This one was some kind of celebrity dancing competition.
"Oh! I love this show!"
Luke smiled and leaned back into the couch, his arm resting on the back, much like the position he had started in last night. Tonight, however, Penelope sat a little closer to him on the couch.
They watched the show, laughing at some of the antics of the contestants and enjoying the song selections. As the show finished, Garcia noticed his arm was resting on her shoulder. She hadn't paid attention, but she felt comfortable. She glanced at her watch.
"I hate to leave, but I should go."
Luke turned off the television and stood up with Garcia. "Well, thank you for coming over."
"No, thank you…and Roxie. It was delicious." She reached down to pet Roxie. Luke smiled. "Oh, I have something for you." He jogged back into the kitchen, then came back with the same gift bag Garcia had brought. "Leftovers for you. Maybe you can have it for lunch or dinner tomorrow."
"Aww…thank you. You didn't have to do that."
Luke shrugged. "Lasagna always makes so much. I usually freeze some of the leftovers to have another week…but there was plenty to share."
She stepped closer and gave Luke a hug. "That's very thoughtful of you."
Luke hugged her back, but when she'd pull away and step back, he held her close. "I'm a thoughtful kind of guy you know. But there's one more thing."
"Wh-What?"
"Well, last night ended a little early. But…" He leaned down slowly. She could have pulled away if she wanted. But she really didn't want to. He brushed his lips over hers, then pressed her more firmly in his embrace. She sighed as he broke away, but then he kissed her again. Heat rushed to her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. The hair from his beard and mustache tickled her face. Electricity sparked between them as they held each other.
Luke finally pulled back, looking into Garcia's eyes, watching them carefully. "I hope that wasn't too soon…but I couldn't resist."
She was speechless. She shook her head, eyes wide and watching him. Luke smiled. "Let me walk you to your car." He grabbed his keys and kept his hand on her back as he led her out the door and followed her down the stairs. When they reached the landing, his hand returned to her back, which seemed to be a favorite spot. She reached into her pocket for her keys and he waited while she opened the door. She turned around. "Th=Thank you. For dinner I mean. Well, and-"
Luke shook his head. "You're welcome. It was my pleasure. I hope we can get together again soon."
Penelope nodded. Luke leaned closed and gave her another soft kiss on the lips. She moaned a little this time. If she could, she'd stay right where she was and enjoy more of his soft caresses. Luke finally pulled back. "You better head home. Send me a text when you get there? Just so I know you got home safely."
Penelope nodded and got into her car. Luke closed the door once she was settled and waited until she reached over to set the lock on the door. She put the key into the ignition and the sound of Ester's engine sounded in the quiet evening air. Luke stepped back onto the sidewalk and watched as Garcia pulled away. She glanced in her review mirror and saw him still watching her, waiting until she passed the stop sign before turning and heading back inside.
She reached up and touched her lips. "Oh, my," she whispered to herself.