A/N: Thanks for your reviews.
Chapter 4 – The Sting of Jealousy
3 months later
Johanna's gaze rose from the papers on her desk and focused on Jim as he opened the door of her office.
"Hey," he said as he stepped inside.
"Hey," she returned as a smile slid across her face as he sat down across from her desk.
"I haven't seen much of you lately," Jim commented casually.
Did that mean he missed her? Johanna wondered, before brushing the thought away. "I've been busy. I've had back to back cases in court and I have two that I'm preparing."
"I know, and I heard that you've done very well in court."
She grinned at him. "Keeping tabs on me?"
Jim laughed. "No, I asked Sharon where you've been hiding. I thought maybe you skipped town and forgot to take me with you."
"Would I do that?" she teased.
"Wouldn't surprise me."
"You have my phone number," Johanna replied. "You could've called me."
He shrugged. "I figured you'd turn up eventually."
A smirk lifted the corners of her lips, so he didn't miss her that much after all, she thought to herself. "Well here I am; do you need something?"
"No. I just wanted to see you."
That was a better sentiment, Johanna thought and so she smiled and gave in to the urge to tease him. "That really translates into you have a stack of work on your desk that you don't want to do just yet so you came looking for someone to distract you."
Jim grinned. "You're always my first choice for entertainment."
"I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult," Johanna laughed.
"I meant it in the best possible way," he replied. "You're the one accusing me of being a procrastinator."
Her gaze flicked to his. "I don't have to accuse you, the evidence speaks for itself."
"What evidence?"
"That stack of files and papers I saw sitting on the corner of your desk when I walked past this morning."
"Maybe that's the stack that I'm done with," Jim remarked; his eyes alight with amusement.
She laughed. "Yeah right."
"Hey, that stack on your desk doesn't look any better."
Before she could comment, the door opened again and Jeff slipped inside.
"Oh look," Johanna said to Jim; "It's your shadow."
"You know you love me, Sassy," Jeff commented as he took the seat next to his friend.
"Of course, it's like a two for one sale," she said as she gestured between them. "What woman doesn't love that?"
"Wait a minute," Jeff said. "Are you implying that Jim is the designer pair of shoes you're buying and I'm just the cheap, knockoff pair that you're getting for free?"
"That sounds about right," Jim quipped.
"What can I do for you today, Mr. Campbell?"
"I heard there was a Sassy sighting in the building so I figured that Jim was here checking it out and I didn't want to miss anything good."
"You two act like I've disappeared without leaving a forwarding address," Johanna remarked. "I'm here every day."
"You haven't been here much," Jeff told her. "Jim's been pining away for you."
Johanna laughed as she shifted her gaze to Jim. "Then you really should've called me."
He's the one that's been pining away," Jim retorted playfully. "You're the only woman in the building who hasn't thrown him out of her office yet."
"That's probably true," Johanna replied.
"Is not," Jeff retorted. "Frances hasn't thrown me out."
"Frances is 60," Johanna reminded him.
He shrugged, "Ladies of all ages love me."
"That's another rumor started by his mother," Jim said, making Johanna laugh.
"Aren't you glad you're here today, Sassy," Jeff stated. "See how we've brightened up your day already?"
She rolled her eyes. "Is this the part where I'm supposed to apologize for not being around as much the last few weeks?"
"That would be a start."
She shook her head at them. "Why don't the two of you just punish me and be done with it."
"Why do you think we're here inflicting our presence upon you, Jo?" Jim teased. "This is your punishment."
"Talk about cruel and unusual," she remarked as she glanced down at her papers.
"You haven't even been meeting up with the group for a drink at the end of the week like you usually do," Jeff observed.
"I'm sorry."
Her colleague grinned at her. "Well it is Friday night once again."
"And?" Johanna said.
"Will you be joining us?" Jim asked.
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"I have plans."
"What kind of plans," Jeff asked. "Surely there can't be something better than spending time with your nearest and dearest friends."
She smirked at him. "Who said you were my nearest and dearest?"
Jeff put a hand over his heart. "You wound me. Come on, you know you want to come out and play with us tonight. You have been neglecting us, after all."
Johanna laughed. "If I was neglecting the two of you, I wouldn't be allowing you to loiter in my office."
"Do you notice how she still hasn't told us what her plans are?" Jim said to Jeff.
His friend nodded. "Yes, I've noticed her avoidance of the issue."
Johanna rolled her eyes. "If you must know, I have a date."
There was momentary silence as both men regarded her as if she had just spoken in a foreign language.
"A date?" they both said simultaneously.
Her brow rose as she looked across her desk at them. "Why do you sound so surprised?" she asked; a hint of defensiveness in her tone.
Neither man seemed to have a response to her question and she scoffed lightly as she eyed them. "What? You don't think I date?"
Jeff shrugged. "Maybe it's just the fact that we so rarely hear of you dating."
Johanna rolled her eyes. "Some people don't feel the need to broadcast all of their personal business for the world to know."
"So who is this guy you're going on a date with?" Jim asked; his curiosity getting the better of him. "Anyone we know?"
"No, I don't think so," Johanna replied. "His name is Brad."
'Brad,' he thought to himself with a slight hint of disdain. All the Brads he had ever met were self absorbed and lacking in personality. That wasn't Johanna's type at all.
"How long has this been going on?" Jeff inquired.
"Almost two months."
"Almost two months!" Jim exclaimed. "And we're just now hearing about this?"
Johanna laughed. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that I was supposed to report to you all the details of my personal life."
"It's not like that," Jim said.
"Oh no?" she asked. "Then what is it?"
He shrugged. "Well we're all friends…and this is usually the type of thing you'd share with friends."
"Yeah," Jeff remarked. "We'd tell you if we were dating someone."
"Maybe I didn't think anyone would care," Johanna said as her gaze subtly slid towards Jim.
Jeff caught the gaze that she shot his best friend and he heard the slightly accusing inflection of her tone. He said nothing though, biting back a grin in response.
"Of course we care," Jim stated, oblivious to Johanna's pointed look and tone. "What do you know about this guy?"
"What does he do?" Jeff inquired.
A short laugh escaped her. "Really, guys?"
"Inquiring minds want to know, Johanna," Jeff replied. "So let's hear all about this boyfriend of yours."
'Brad the boyfriend,' Jim thought to himself, he couldn't picture her with a 'Brad'. It just didn't seem right.
Johanna smirked at them. "I know it's been a few days since I've seen my parents but I swear I don't remember them looking anything like the two of you."
"You're cute, Jo," Jim said with a light laugh.
"I'm serious. This is starting to feel like one of those parental interrogations."
"Hey, you can't blame us for wanting to look out for you," Jim stated. "We care about you."
"And we don't want you to date a loser," Jeff told her. "Now, what does this guy do?"
"He's in advertising," Johanna answered.
"Advertising," her friends said with a smirk and a nod.
"What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Jim said with a shrug. "It just sounds a little boring. I figured you'd go for someone more exciting."
"Like what?" she retorted; "A lion tamer?"
Jeff laughed. "I was thinking more along the lines of a billionaire with a yacht."
"I haven't run into any billionaire's lately."
"Is he any good at advertising?" Jim asked.
She shifted her gaze back to him. "Brad has done several major campaigns. He's very successful."
Oh great, Jim thought, now he was Brad, the successful boyfriend. He didn't like the sound of this, and when he realized that the feeling might be drifting into a dangerous area, he tried to convince himself that he was only thinking these things because he wanted what was best for her…and he doubted that was Brad…even if he hadn't met the man.
Jeff chuckled. "Well then he's probably really boring."
"He is not!"
"Then why haven't we met him?" Jim asked. "Don't you want to introduce your friends?"
"Maybe I don't want him to know how low I've had to stoop to find friends," Johanna teased.
"Hey, we're the best you're going to find," Jim chuckled.
"I'm not so sure about that."
"I bet I know why she hasn't brought him around," Jeff said. "I bet he's ugly."
Johanna dropped the pen she was holding and leaned back in her chair as she shook her head at them.
"Is that what it is, Jo?" Jim asked. "Is this guy ugly and you're ashamed to bring him around?"
"He is not ugly," she stated. "I'll have you both know that Brad is very handsome."
"Where did you meet him?"
Johanna was quiet for a second. "I'm not telling."
He grinned. "You know what that means, don't you, Jeff?"
"No, what?"
"It means her mother found him for her in the produce aisle of the supermarket," Jim said with a laugh.
"How did you come up with that one?" Jeff asked as he shook with laughter.
"That's where my mother finds men for my sister," Jim answered. "Much to her dismay of course."
"So is it true, Sassy? Did your mother find this guy for you at the supermarket?"
"No! She's learned her lesson about that."
Her statement only made them laugh harder and she could've kicked herself for uttering those last few words.
"I hate you both," Johanna said as her friends continued to chuckle.
"You mean that you hate to love us," Jeff stated, a lazy smile upon his face.
"No, I'm pretty sure it's just hate," Johanna remarked flippantly.
"So where did you find him?" Jim asked. "Or did he find you?"
Johanna picked up her pen and ignored the question. There was no way that she was telling him that this had been a fix up courtesy of her sister. He'd really have a field day with that one…and it was all his fault anyway, she couldn't help but think to herself. He'd kissed her in May, and then he'd kissed her again on the fourth of July…and then a few weeks later she heard that he had asked out an assistant and the knowledge had irritated her. He didn't seem to mind kissing her so why didn't he ask her out? It had hurt at first, and then it had merely been an annoyance as she couldn't understand just why it bothered her as much as it did. So what if they had kissed? It didn't mean she had a claim to him and it wasn't like she was in love with him or something…although Sharon seemed to think she was…but Sharon was wrong, Johanna told herself. There was an attraction…there was friendship…she liked him…a lot…she'd even go as far as to admit to herself that she had a crush on him, but that was all it was, and besides, crushes were something that you were meant to get over. So she had said yes when Colleen had brought up the topic and Brad was a nice man and she enjoyed his company and she felt like things were going well enough between them.
"It's too bad we don't have her on the witness stand," Jeff commented, pulling her from her thoughts. "We could ask the judge to let us treat her as a hostile witness."
She smirked at them. "You two are just nosy."
"Come on, Jo," Jeff said. "We want to hear about your exploits. I'll tell you mine."
Johanna laughed. "I'd have to take time off from work and get a score card to be able to keep up with your exploits, Jeff."
"Well at least we know now why we've been getting thrown over," Jeff teased. "Sassy caught herself a man."
"I think there's probably something wrong with this guy," Jim said as he eyed his pretty colleague. "She's being too secretive about him."
"I think you're right. I bet that Brad is boring, ugly and is probably really a refrigerator salesman from Jersey."
"That's it!" Johanna exclaimed; a hint of a smile on her lips. "Get out of my office and go do your work."
"I'm having more fun here," Jim told her.
"Recess is over," she replied. "Get out."
"Listen at her getting all huffy," Jeff said teasingly as he and Jim rose from their chairs.
"You probably hit too close to the truth," Jim replied.
"Out!" Johanna laughed as she gestured to the door with her pen.
The men stepped out of Johanna's office and were met by Sharon's amused stare as she sat at her desk.
"What was going on in there and why wasn't I invited to be a part of it?" the secretary demanded to know.
"We just found out about Sassy's boyfriend."
"That's old news," Sharon said with a dismissive wave.
"It's news to us," Jim commented and both of his co-workers heard the undertone in his voice that suggested that he wasn't all that happy about the development.
Jeff and Sharon shared a look and they were both thinking the same thing, maybe a bit of jealousy would force Jim to make a move.
As Jim and Jeff walked down the hallway in the direction of their offices, Jeff couldn't help but rib his friend a little. "See what happens when you don't make a move, now she has a boyfriend."
Jim shot him a look. "What makes you think I care if she dates someone."
His friend grinned knowingly. "Oh you care. I can see it all over your face."
"You're either seeing things or you need glasses," Jim remarked in his own defense.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Brad isn't much of a threat. It's probably just a little fling…like that little fling you had with that assistant several weeks ago. We all know that you and Johanna are crazy about each other."
"We're just friends."
"Right," Jeff stated. "That's the story for publication. I have a lunch date with Maggie; I'll get all the details about this situation from her."
"Who said I wanted details?"
Jeff looked at him. "You know you want the details…hell, even I want the details, and I'll get them."
"What makes you so sure?"
"It's Maggie," Jeff said with a laugh. "She loves to gossip…especially if she's sipping a glass of wine while she does it."
Jim paused in front of his office and faced his friend. "I bet you don't get anything out of her."
"See," Jeff said, "I knew you wanted the details."
That afternoon, Jim's friend entered his office with a victorious grin on his face. "I got the details," Jeff announced.
"And?" Jim asked.
"I thought you didn't want them?"
"Never mind the wisecracks," Jim said. "Just spit it out."
"Alright, according to Maggie, this Brad guy is friend of Johanna's sister's fiancée; she's the one who fixed them up."
A sister fix-up, Jim thought to himself, that was probably better then a fix up staged by a mother. "Anything else?"
"He is some hot shot in the advertising world and he drives a Porsche."
"Is he ugly?" Jim asked, recalling Jeff's comment from earlier.
His friend gave a look of distaste and Jim smiled as it obviously meant that Maggie had said that the guy was good looking and Jeff would've taken that as a threat.
"According to her, he has the looks of a movie star…but you know you can't always trust Maggie's taste in men."
"Obviously."
"I know you're upset about this recent development in Johanna's life, so I'm going to let that remark pass," Jeff said good naturedly.
"I'm not upset about anything," Jim said defensively. "If she's happy that's all that matters. It isn't like we were together or something."
His friend nodded as if agreeing with him, but they both knew that there was a sarcastic comment lingering in the recesses of Jeff's mind…and he was good enough to let it there and instead said, "Brad is supposed to be waiting for her outside the building when she gets off work. I say we lurk in the shadows and get a look at this guy."
Jim hated to admit it, but he was all for that plan.
A few hours later, Jim and Jeff were standing a short distance away from the building of the law firm, looking for a Porsche and waiting for Johanna to exit the building. Finally, at a little after five, a red Porsche pulled up in front of the building and a man got out and waited on the sidewalk.
"That must be him," Jeff commented and Jim nodded as they waited to get a better look at him.
He saw Johanna exiting the building and he watched her as she made her way down the steps and made a beeline for the man standing next to the car. She looked happy to see him…and for whatever reason that thought irritated him, and then he watched as Brad kissed her before opening the passenger side door for her and he suddenly felt like he had been punched in the stomach…and that was a ridiculous feeling to have, he chastened himself.
"It's worse then ugly," Jeff said as they caught a better look at Brad. "He's a Ken doll."
Jim scoffed. "Yeah, fake and plastic looking."
"It won't last," Jeff said. "He's not her type."
Jim hoped he was right.
One Month Later
Johanna had just stepped outside of her office, all prepared to go home, when she saw Jim stalking into his own office. He didn't look happy. Her feet began to move forward, taking her in his direction to find out what was wrong, but then she stopped herself.
Why should she, she wondered; after all they hadn't even spoken in days. "Let Melanie find out what's bothering him," she thought to herself; bristling once again at the knowledge she had acquired about him and her adversary. She scoffed lightly, she really hadn't thought that he'd stoop that low; apparently she had been wrong. She supposed that his liaison with Melanie was the reason of his recent avoidance of her. With Melanie in the picture, apparently she wasn't needed.
She didn't know what had gotten into him but for the last month he had been distant and when he did spend time in her company, she couldn't help but feel like she was suddenly a joke to him. Their banter which had always been fun and lighthearted was now laced with an undertone of seriousness. Her friend, her ally, the person whose company she enjoyed so much, was suddenly her sparring partner.
It didn't make sense...and it hurt. With that thought in mind she began to move forward again, but this time her intent would be to keep on walking. She wouldn't be making any stops at his door. She had things to do and a date to get ready for. If Jim wanted to talk to her, he knew where to find her.
Through the open doorway of his office, Jim caught sight of Johanna walking by, not even bothering to turn her head in the direction of his door. He scowled at her back as she disappeared down the hallway. "Probably running off to meet Brad," he thought to himself which only made him scowl more.
He'd finally met her boyfriend two weeks before and he hadn't been impressed. Brad was everything he thought he'd be; boring, lacking in humor and all about himself. It seemed to him that all Brad cared about was his career and bragging about his campaigns that had gone nationwide and then there was his Porsche. The man was obsessed with his car and Jim had a feeling that Brad felt more for his car than he felt for Johanna. Jim scoffed, the proof of that had been when Mr. Wonderful had mildly chastened her for leaning against his prized possession, which he had just had waxed and polished.
Jim frowned, he didn't know what the hell she saw in the guy or why she was even with him but if that's what she wanted, so be it. She could have her boring ad man with his movie star looks and her little jaunts around town in his Porsche. He didn't care...or at least he told himself that he didn't; because really, what was the point in caring about it?
She'd made her choice...although perhaps it wasn't fair to think of it that way. It wasn't like she'd been handed a list of contenders but still, her choice of Brad showcased bad taste in his opinion.
Apparently along with having a knack for picking a guy that was all wrong for her, she was also the type of woman who got so wrapped up in her relationship that she ignored her friends in favor of it. He didn't like that. In fact, he hadn't liked how she had been acting at all, but if that was how she wanted to be, that was fine. He didn't care. Let Brad take care of her. Let Brad worry about her. He had plenty of other friends and plenty of other things to do with his time. Like that mess of a case lying on his desk that needed straightened out. The problems with that case was capping off what had been an all around bad week. Johanna floated through his thoughts once more. They had gotten into the habit of consulting each other when they got stuck on something, but he wasn't going to go down that road; not with the way things had been between them lately. Besides, he mused, she probably wouldn't have time. Brad kept her pretty busy after all. Jim's jaw tightened and he ran a hand through his hair in agitation; that sounded petty even to him. He shook his thoughts of his colleague away and sat down at his desk. He'd work for a few more hours, he decided; and then he'd go have a drink and clear his head, that would do the trick. He didn't need Johanna McKenzie.
Jim walked into the bar, his mood still foul at the end of his long day that had never grown better despite his efforts to solve the problem of his case. He made his way to the bar and as he approached he caught sight of Miss Johanna McKenzie, perched on one of the stools, a margarita in front of her. She was dressed up in a low cut green dress and matching heels, and from the barrette and small pile of hair pins lying next to her glass, he deduced that her hair had been swept up at one point. She didn't look happy and he smirked a bit as the thought crossed his mind that Brad must not have shown her a good time that night.
Jim ordered his drink and slid onto the vacant stool next to her. Johanna's gaze darted toward him but she said nothing, opting instead to pick up her drink and take a sip as she looked away. She had hoped that she wouldn't run into anyone and from Jim's silence as he nursed his drink, she thought that maybe he sensed that and was going to leave her alone...but then he dashed her hopes.
"Where's Mr. Wonderful?" Jim asked; sarcasm detectable in his tone.
"Hell for all I care," she remarked tartly.
He smirked. "Trouble in paradise?"
"There is no paradise."
He was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I take it that he dumped you?"
"What makes you think that I didn't dump him?" Johanna asked sharply as she turned so she could face him more directly.
"The fact that you're sitting here with that look on your face."
"What look?"
"That 'I just got dumped' look," he laughed.
She glared at him. "Fine, he dumped me. Are you happy now?"
He hated to admit it, even just to himself, but he was kind of happy that Brad the boyfriend was now Brad the ex. She must not have liked what she seen in his features because she gave him an affronted look.
"Go ahead and laugh, Jim," she stated with an edge. "It's obvious that you're dying to. All I've been to you lately is a joke anyway; that is when you're not avoiding me."
"I haven't been avoiding you!" he protested, even though he knew that he had been in some ways.
"Yes you have!"
"No I haven't. If anyone has been avoiding people, it's you," Jim declared. "You've been too busy being wrapped up in your perfect boyfriend."
"I have not!" she retorted sharply and then she smacked his shoulder as she caught his gaze dropping from her face down to the neckline of her dress, and it wasn't the first time she'd caught him doing that since he struck up the conversation. "Quit trying to look down my dress."
"I'm not trying to look down your dress!"
"Yes you are."
"Well if you're going to put it out there, people are going to look," he remarked. "What were you doing, Jo, advertising for the ad man?"
Fire flashed in her narrowed green eyes and she licked her lips before unleashing a jab of her own. "No, I leave the advertising up to Melanie...and speaking of which, shouldn't you be with your bimbo instead of being here annoying me?"
"Excuse me?" Jim said; his brow raised as he regarded her.
"Oh, what?" Johanna said; her tone a sarcastic type of sweetness. "You didn't think I heard all about you and Melanie?"
"It's not what you think," he retorted.
"Uh huh."
"It's just business."
Johanna rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink. "Oh I'm sure she got right down to business with you."
"It's not like that."
"That's not what I've heard."
"We're just working together," Jim stated.
"Oh really? We've worked together and you've never taken me to a fancy restaurant like I heard you took her to, in fact I hear the two of you spent all of last weekend together and it had nothing to do with work."
He stared at her for a long moment, a slightly incredulous smile on his lips. "Jealous?"
"Jealous?" she laughed. "Of what?"
Jim shrugged. "You tell me."
She leaned closer. "The day will never come when I'm jealous of Melanie Thompson."
He gave a short laugh. "Oh I think the day is here."
"That's because you're delusional."
"I know jealousy when I see it," Jim told her.
"Do you?" she asked. "In that case, why don't you tell me why you've been avoiding me?"
He gave a short laugh. "Surely you're not suggesting that I'm jealous of that idiot you've been running around with."
Johanna shrugged nonchalantly. "You tell me," she said; tossing his words back at him.
Jim chuckled. "Sweetheart, you've done lost your mind."
"Oh I don't think so," Johanna retorted. "I think I know jealousy when I see it."
He shifted, facing her directly as she was him and he leaned closer. "There is nothing about your pretty boy ad man for me to be jealous of," he stated, his tone low and serious. "He's a stuck up, self absorbed loser, as I'm sure you're now aware of."
She took the jab in stride. "Better to date a loser than a tramp."
"At least you know where you stand with Melanie from the beginning," Jim said. "Unlike running the risk of being dumped...like you were by Brad."
Her lips curved upward in a bitter smile. "You just think you're so smart don't you?"
"Seems to be a trait we have in common."
"You still never answered my question," Johanna stated.
"What question?"
"Why you've been acting like an ass towards me for the last month."
"Maybe I haven't liked the way you've been acting," he retorted.
"I haven't been acting any differently!"
"Yes you have."
"Then enlighten me, Jim," she said tartly. "Tell me how I've been acting."
He stared into those fiery green eyes and thought about how annoyed he'd been with her for the past few weeks. In his opinion she had acted like she didn't need anyone else but Mr. Wonderful. She'd been acting so happy...like she didn't need him to make her smile or laugh...like he wasn't needed at all. He'd been avoiding her because he couldn't stand it...because he didn't even know why he felt that way and deep down he knew his feelings could be misconstrued as jealousy and maybe it was but he'd be damned if he'd ever admit it. He shouldn't care so much anyway, they were only friends, and it shouldn't matter if she was dating someone...but for some reason, it did matter, and he figured the why of that was best left unanswered.
"Well," she prodded. "Are you going to tell me or not?"
He scoffed. "I'm not going to spell it out for you; you know how you've been acting."
She returned his scoff with one of her own. "Which really means you don't have any real proof that I've been behaving any differently. You've just wanted to treat me badly like everyone else and if that's how you want to be then fine!" she stated as her anger grew. "If you don't want to be my friend then just say so, you don't have to go through all of this trouble of trying to alienate me."
"My god you're ridiculous!" he stated angrily.
"Am I?"
"Yes," Jim said sharply. "What, do you think because Brad rejected you that everyone else is too?"
"This isn't about him, it's about you and the way you've been treating me!"
"If I've treated you badly then it's because of the way you've been acting while with him."
"That's just your excuse," she said hotly.
They had progressively leaned closer as they argued and were almost nose to nose, their breathing ragged with anger and their lips barley inches apart and suddenly they became aware of that fact although neither one of them made a move to pull back into their own personal space.
It was if time was standing still as they stared into each other's eyes, tension of another kind building between them until finally his hand cupped her face and pulled her forward, the inches between their lips disappearing as he claimed her mouth in a rough, heated kiss, each of them battling to dominate it in a mission to prove who was more powerful. Finally, he won out and she accepted instead of fighting for control and then he gentled the kiss while deepening it at the same time, allowing it to linger until finally the need to breathe pushed them apart. Silence fell between them and they shifted away from each other and downed the rest of their drinks.
That was better, Jim thought to himself. He didn't feel so annoyed with her now…in fact, he felt a lot better.
Johanna pushed a lock of hair back from her face and traced the rim of her empty glass. Suddenly, her anger had run out of steam, and while her feelings were still stung, she had to admit, she felt better.
In the shadows of the corner of the bar, Jeff Campbell stifled his laughter as he watched his friends bicker and then engage in a heated kiss. It was about time, he thought to himself as they came up for air and then turned away from each other. He knew that Jim had been less than thrilled ever since Brad had entered the picture, although he denied it profusely, and he had heard from Maggie just how annoyed Johanna had been by the knowledge that Jim had been spending time with Melanie. Those two couldn't see the forest for the trees, he thought as he shook his head.
"Those two have it bad for each other," the bartender said quietly as he followed Jeff's gaze towards Jim and Johanna.
"Yeah they do," Jeff said with a grin; "But they're both too damn stubborn to do anything about it. Come tomorrow, they'll act like that kiss never happened."
"You know them?" the bartender asked.
He nodded. "They're my friends...but don't tell them that I'm here."
The older man grinned at him. "Don't want to ruin the show?"
Jeff laughed quietly. "That and the fact that I never know when I might need to blackmail one of them."
The bartender chuckled. "My lips are sealed."
When the bartender drifted back towards their end of the bar, Jim signaled him to refill their drinks. Silence still lingered as they each took a sip of their fresh drinks and then Johanna broke the quietness. "I didn't like him that much anyway."
"I didn't like him either," Jim stated as he glanced at her. "He wasn't good enough for you."
"Really?"
He nodded. "He was all wrong for you. I think he had more affection for himself and his fancy car than he did for you."
"He does love that car," Johanna replied.
"I had my suspicions that he was an idiot when I met him, and now he's confirmed it."
Johanna gave him a small smile and then grew quiet as her thoughts took over her mind. The relationship with Brad had ran its course and she had been contemplating breaking things off herself for the last week or two but she had held back...and the reason for that was sitting next to her. If she had broken up with Brad, she would've felt like she had been passed over once again when Jim started spending time with Melanie and she hadn't wanted to feel that way; and she had somehow convinced herself that if she was with someone then it wouldn't bother her if Jim was with someone too...but it had and delving into the specifics of what that meant didn't seem like a good thing to do.
When Brad had looked across the table at her that evening and said that he didn't feel things were working out, she had been fine and ready to accept an amicable split...but then he just had to go and tell her every little reason of why they weren't working out. He had to list all of her flaws and faults as he perceived them to be and she had to admit that a lot of the things he said had been hurtful. It hadn't been necessary, she hadn't asked, he should've just left it at 'things aren't working out'.
"I was fine with breaking up," she said softly. "But he didn't have to be a jerk about it."
A surge of anger shot through Jim at the thought that she had been mistreated. "What did he do?"
"He said some things."
"What things?" he demanded to know.
"I don't want to talk about it," Johanna replied. "I don't want to repeat it."
"That bad?"
"Was to me," she said as tears pricked at her eyes.
Jim saw the sheen of moisture building in her eyes. He'd seen her happy, mad, sad, afraid, but he had never seen her cry and when that first teardrop slipped down her cheek, his heart constricted painfully. He was going to have to hunt Brad down and kill him now. His fingers reached out and swiped away her tears without any hesitation.
"I don't even know why I'm crying," she whispered as she turned her tearful gaze upon him. "It's not like I loved him. I knew it was over. I'm fine with it being over."
"He hurt your feelings," Jim answered. "And that was wrong. If he was done with you then that was all he needed to say. He didn't need to go out of his way to hurt you."
She nodded in agreement as she continued to cry. He couldn't handle her tears. Every one that fell twisted his heart. He slid off of his stool to stand beside her so that he could properly enfold her in his embrace. She sank into his arms willingly and he rested his chin a top her head as she quietly cried against his chest. He murmured soothing words as one hand threaded through her hair, trying desperately to comfort her.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
"It's not your fault, you didn't do it," she answered as she remained nestled against him.
"I know; but I'm still sorry that the idiot hurt you…and I'm sorry if I hurt you during the last few weeks."
There it was, she thought to herself, this was the person that had been missing for the last few weeks, this was her friend. He was back now.
"I'm sorry if I was acting differently," she told him as she pulled away to look at him.
Jim shook his head as he wiped away the tracks of her tears from her cheeks. "Don't be," he told her. "It was probably just me…I guess I haven't been myself lately."
She smiled at him as he retook his seat. "It's okay."
"Do you want me to key that car he loves so much?" he offered. "I could flatten all of the tires too."
Johanna laughed softly. "Could you?"
He grinned at her. "Just tell me where to find it."
"In his garage," she answered. "But he probably has an armed guard standing by the damn thing."
Jim laughed. "Maybe I could pay off the guard and then destroy it. It would serve him right."
"Yeah, it would," Johanna agreed. "He didn't even let me finish dinner."
"What a bastard," he stated with disdain before softening his tone as he looked at her. "Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat."
She smiled at him; that was the sweetness she was accustomed to from him. "No," she said quietly. "I'm not hungry anymore."
His gaze remained upon her face, taking in that soft smile that he was sure that she always gave just to him and before he knew what he was doing, he was leaning towards her and capturing her lips in a gentle kiss.
"Tell me what to do to make you feel better," he whispered to her as he remained close to her.
The thought 'Kiss me again' floated through her mind but she swallowed those words. The music changed to something soft and slow and she looked into his compassionate blue eyes and murmured, "Dance with me." Jim nodded and slid from his seat once again, and he gently held on to her elbow as she did the same and then he led her to the dance floor. This was better, she thought to herself as he pulled her into his arms. If she could just be close to him like this for a little while, then she'd be fine.
They were silent through the first two songs that they danced to, but then Johanna looked up at him and asked, "What was bothering you at the office today?"
"A case," he answered, not bothering to question how she had known that something was bothering him at work, figuring it would be the same answer as always. She had just known without being told.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know. It's just a mess and it doesn't make sense in some respects and I'm sure the answer is there but I've been over it so many times that I'm probably looking right at it and missing it."
She nodded in understanding. "It's probably something little."
"Probably," he agreed.
"If you want, I could look at it with you," she offered as she held his gaze.
She never ceased to amaze him, he thought to himself as he looked into her eyes. He had behaved badly towards her all month and earlier that night, and there she was offering to help him fix his problem. Brad hadn't deserved her…and maybe he didn't either…in the friendship sense of the word, of course.
"Yeah," he answered. "That would be great. You're good at plucking out those tiny little details."
Johanna smiled. "I try."
"You never have to try," he said in a way that made her blush and she rolled her eyes at him which made him laugh.
She laughed lightly as she gazed at him. It amazed her how easily they could fall back into their routine and usual behavior...it was as if someone had hit a reset button and put them back to the way they were supposed to be. She was glad...she had missed him and with that thought in her mind she moved a little closer to him and took comfort in the feel of his arms around her and the light scent of his cologne.
It seemed as though they were absorbed in their own little world as they drifted back to the bar to finish off their drinks as they chatted amiably. When the music turned slow once more, she coaxed him back onto the dance floor with her...although he had to admit that he didn't mind dancing with Johanna.
They had steadily drifted closer to one another as song after song played, a comfortable silence lingering between them. Jim caught her eye as she looked up at him and for whatever reason he whispered to her, "You'll find someone better...someone who will love you and respect you."
She nodded. "I hope so."
He held her gaze. "I know so," he stated with conviction.
She wondered briefly if he had someone in mind for the job…someone like himself, and as she allowed herself a split second to ponder that, the atmosphere between them changed once again, becoming one of those charged little moments that seemed to sneak up on them without warning.
Johanna met him half way this time, wanting nothing more in that moment than his kiss and that small hope that maybe one day she'd be his. It seemed as though one kiss was never enough for them once they put their foot across that line and they remained wrapped up in each other on the dance floor, allowing those lingering little kisses to pass between them without comment, which was also their habit, she had noticed.
They had been sharing a particularly searing kiss when the sound of glass shattering startled. It was all for the best anyway, Johanna thought to herself, it was better that they stop before things got too out of hand. Jim's eyes scanned the room and he caught sight of a fight at the other end of the bar. It looked as though it was being taken care of, but he led Johanna off the dance floor anyway, figuring it was probably best to put some space between them.
They retreated back to their places at the bar, where fresh drinks had been placed for them. Johanna took a few sips and then picked up her coat. "I think it's time to get out of here," she said as her eyes drifted towards the back and the loud discussion taking place.
"Yeah," he agreed, taking her coat from her and holding out for her to slip into. "I'll take you home."
"You don't have to do that," she told him, a light smile on her lips.
"I'm not letting you get into a cab by yourself at this time of night," Jim stated as he laid some money on the bar. "I'm going with you."
"I'm a big girl. I'm sure I'll be fine."
"Well I'm going to make sure of it," Jim said as he took her arm and led her through the bar. "So don't argue, Jo."
The cold air stung as they stepped outside the bar and Johanna glanced at Jim, realizing that the only jacket he had on was his suit jacket.
"Where is your coat?" she demanded to know.
"I forgot it at the office."
She shook her head at him, "You're going to get sick."
He chuckled, "I'm a big boy, I can handle a little cold air," he said; tossing her words back at her.
Johanna smirked at him, "You won't think it's funny when you have pneumonia."
Don't say things like that," he teased. "You sound like my mother...and probably yours too."
"Are you trying to insult me?" she asked playfully.
Jim laughed, "Not at all. If I get sick, you can be my nurse."
She laughed, "Sorry, I went to law school, not nursing school."
"I don't mind," he said as he flagged down a cab for them. "We'll get you a costume and it'll be like you're the real thing."
"Keep dreaming," she said as she got into the cab.
"Every night," he replied with a grin as he climbed in next to her and gave the driver her address.
Jim didn't know why he followed Johanna into her apartment, he could've said goodnight to her outside the door but he didn't...and he really should have, he thought to himself. Especially in light of the way things had been going at the bar. He should leave but he remained rooted in place, unable to make himself go as he watched her fumble with the buttons of her coat.
"Problem?" he asked.
"My fingers are cold," Johanna answered as she tugged at the stubborn top button.
He smiled as he watched for another moment, wondering if the few drinks she had were more to blame than her cold fingers. She was getting agitated with it and he moved towards her and gently brushed her hands aside.
"Let me," he said quietly, a smile still on his lips as he looked into her face.
Her cheeks warmed with a light hint of embarrassment. Why did it always seem like she was making a fool out of herself in front of him? She dropped her gaze from his face only to wind up watching his fingers take on the task of expertly undoing her buttons...and suddenly she was having thoughts that she really shouldn't be thinking. Her breath caught, she wasn't drunk, but surely it had to be the alcohol that was making the sight of him unbuttoning her coat seem so very intimate.
His fingers grasped the last button and pushed it through its hole, the material parting and giving him a glimpse of the green dress that she was wearing...that low cut green dress that had been giving him a view of creamy white skin that had his fingers itching to touch and his lips eager to taste. He should've left her at the door. His eyes flicked back to her face and their gazes locked upon each other, the air crackling with tension as he kept hold of the material of her coat.
Her cheeks were flushed and her heart was beating wildly and for a brief moment she was afraid that he might hear it. She wasn't sure what had gotten into them, or why every look they'd shared for the last few hours had smoldered, or why their kisses at the bar had been more searing than the ones they had shared in the past...and truth be told, she didn't care about the reason, she just didn't want it to end.
He was still holding on to her coat, his eyes locked upon hers, trying desperately to convince himself to walk away...but he couldn't. She was flustered by the intensity and she licked her lips in regards to it which only served to drive him crazy. His hand tightened on the material of her coat and she swayed towards him in response, her body brushing against him, awareness sizzling between them. There was only so much temptation that he could take and he'd just reached his limit.
The next thing Johanna knew, her back was against the door and his lips were hotly upon hers. The few kisses they had shared before had been tender; the kisses they had shared at the bar had been a mixture of tenderness and something deeper. This kiss, however, was pure, raw passion. One kiss no sooner ended when another, hotter kiss began. The sparks between them had been whipped up into a fire.
They broke apart for a moment, breathless and stared into each other's eyes. This was why he shouldn't kiss her too often, he thought to himself, because giving in too much to the urge to kiss her brought about a whole other set of urges. Ones he shouldn't be having. She was his friend...he cared about her...he respected her...but at the moment as he gazed at her, her breathing ragged and her green eyes a shade darker, he burned for her.
He wanted her and his mind was suddenly over taken with the thought of how she might look in his bed, with her dark hair tousled and fanned out against the pillow, her dress on the floor. He wondered what it might be like to feel her skin against his, to kiss and touch and tease her. To learn what she liked. He wondered what it would be like to fall asleep breathing in her scent…to wake up with her wrapped in his arms. His mouth claimed hers once again, a little more tenderness behind it this time but still full of passion and desire.
She eagerly returned his kisses, her hand sliding against his chest, clutching the material of his shirt as desire coiled deep within her. This was what her relationship with Brad had been lacking. There had been no passion between them; he hadn't been able to elicit the feelings that Jim was unleashing within her. She wanted this; this red hot desire that sprung up out of nowhere and scorched with the intensity of lava. She wanted Jim…and if he wanted her tonight, she wasn't sure she'd be able to say no like she should. She would find it difficult to stick to her rule about not having one night stands...but as his hand slipped inside of her coat and slowly moved against her rib cage, she knew that she'd never be able to say no to him, at least not tonight, not when it felt so good to be like this with him.
There was too much between them, Jim thought as his hands started tugging at her coat, eventually slipping it off of her shoulders and tossing it aside. His hands quickly retook their place on her, the soft material of her dress rubbing against his fingertips as his hands roamed over her, although he forced himself not to take too many liberties, unsure of just how much she was going to let him get away with. Her hand was moving against his chest, gliding upwards, her fingers grazing the skin at the base of his throat where his top button was undone, driving him crazy as she allowed her fingers to slip between the collar of his shirt and his skin, tracing their way up to his jaw line.
He skimmed her lips once more before drifting away, dipping his head to kiss her neck and she melted against him at the sensation. So she liked that, did she, he thought as he concentrated on that spot, her fingernails digging into his shoulder in response. He chuckled softly against her skin as he continued to tease that sensitive area and she wiggled her hips against him in retaliation for his smugness. She may as well have lit a match and set him on fire he thought as he pressed against her more firmly, sending the message that if she wanted play, they would play. It wouldn't bother him a bit to carry her off to her bed and wipe all the thoughts from her mind. He'd make her forget all about Brad, he'd make his name the only one she'd remember. It was so very tempting, he thought as his lips finally grazed against the exposed skin of her chest that had been tormenting him all night. He lingered there as her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. He was seriously considering making the move but when his mouth moved back to hers and he caught the taste of alcohol on her tongue, he knew he couldn't. She wasn't drunk, he wouldn't be taking advantage of her but still they shouldn't do it. They shouldn't cross this line, not on a night when they had been drinking and she had been rejected by someone else. He wanted her, and he had a feeling that she wanted him too and that she'd accept his advances if he tried to go further, but it would be wrong. It would ruin their friendship and he wasn't ready to throw that away. She meant more than that to him.
He kissed her gently a few more times and then he carefully pulled back from her. Their eyes met and he allowed his forehead to fall against hers for a minute, silently begging her not to think that he was rejecting her. Johanna closed her eyes for a moment and forced herself to get her breathing under control as the spell they had been under was broken. He was right to stop them she thought to herself, because obviously she had been too weak to do so and they weren't ready to go there yet, to take a chance of losing what they already had on something that might not last. She wanted him, but she didn't want to be a one night stand, she didn't want to be a regret that he had come morning. She brushed a hand against his cheek in understanding and accepted the chaste kiss he pressed against her lips.
Her back was still against the door and Jim gently pulled her away from it, allowing himself a small smile as she stumbled slightly, obviously weak kneed from their encounter. He couldn't help but smile at her as he took in the sight of her flushed cheeks and tousled hair, and then his eyes caught sight of the red mark on the side of her neck and he knew that she'd probably kill him for it when she noticed it, but it would be worth it.
"Goodnight, Johanna," he said quietly as he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek.
"Goodnight, Jim," she whispered.
He smiled at her and she returned it with a shy one of her own and then he forced himself to leave her apartment. He stood in the hallway and listened as she clicked the lock into place. He better walk home, he decided. The cold air would do him good.
Johanna ran a hand over her face as she moved into her bedroom and dropped down onto the foot of her bed. What had she been thinking? She hadn't been, she reminded herself, or at least she hadn't been thinking about what she should have been. It unnerved her a bit, realizing just how easily he could make her lose her self control. What did that say about her?
"Would this change things?" she wondered. Would it make things awkward between them when they saw each other again? She sighed, maybe she was worrying for nothing; after all, things had never been awkward after their other kisses. The previous two times they had simply went on as if nothing had happened, but of course things hadn't gotten as carried away those times. Still, she thought, that didn't mean they'd treat this encounter any differently...it would fade into the past, a little secret between themselves that they wouldn't speak of...and maybe that was for the best.
Johanna kicked off her shoes and laid back on her bed. She didn't make any sense at all. She'd like to be with him…but she was afraid that if it was to happen and things didn't work out, that she'd lose him altogether. Another sigh escaped her lips and she turned her head to look at the vacant space next to her. She couldn't help but wonder what it might've been like if he had stayed…if he'd been there next to her, filling up that empty space.
Her eyes closed and she swallowed hard. She could smell the scent of his cologne clinging to her and the memory of the evening's events rolled through her mind. She liked the way his fingers threaded through her hair; she liked the feel of his hands as they had moved over her body. She imagined that they would've felt even better without the material of her dress between them. Her skin still tingled from the feel of his lips against it. Wayward thoughts passed through her mind. What would it have been like if they hadn't stopped? How would it have felt to have him so close...how would he have felt...
"Stop!" she exclaimed aloud as she opened her eyes and sat up. "Just stop it," she said as she ran a hand through her hair. Good God what was wrong with her? One steamy encounter with Jim had left Brad as nothing more than a blip on the radar of her past. It was almost the middle of November and she was thinking about opening a window to cool off. She just had to stop thinking about it or she'd never be able to settle down for the night. Johanna took a breath and pushed herself off the bed. She needed to wash off her makeup and change her clothes. She needed to go through her nightly routine and then she'd be fine.
Johanna grabbed her nightgown and headed into the bathroom. As she washed her face, she noticed something on the side of her neck. He didn't!" she exclaimed and then leaning in towards the mirror for a closer look she exclaimed, "He did!"
She couldn't believe it, and she briefly wondered if he had noticed it before he left. Her fingers brushed against the mark and she smirked. It figured. The man who had asked her out had dumped her, and the man who seemingly wouldn't ask her out had given her a hickey. There had to be some kind of irony in that. She laughed then, she'd have to cover that before she went back to work on Monday, but she couldn't bring herself to regret the fact that it had happened. She finished up and moved back to her bedroom, only to pause as she looked at her bed...her empty bed. Those thoughts started to stir in her mind and she turned and headed back to the living room, she better just watch television...sleep obviously wasn't going to happen.
Jim walked into his apartment and dropped his keys onto the stand. The cold air hadn't done him any good. Johanna was still all over his mind, which only made him wish that he was still all over her. He shook his head, trying to dislodge the thought. He'd been tempted more than once to turn around and go back to her apartment and pick up where they had left off but he hadn't dared. If they crossed that line there was no going back.
Over the past few months he had grown accustomed to the desire to kiss her, and he had known that doing so would lead to other desires and he had been very careful to keep his mind from going to that place; but now the desire to make love to her was there at the surface. He had done the right thing in stopping, he told himself, or maybe it was more like he was trying to convince himself that it really had been the right thing to do.
He released a heavy breath; he didn't want to risk losing her. Their friendship had become such a big part of his life...she had became such a big part of his life without him even realizing that it was happening. If it didn't work out, there'd be a hole there in his life where she fit so perfectly and he couldn't stand the thought of that. Maybe that was why he had been so annoyed with her these last few weeks. He had felt like he was losing her and that was the last thing he wanted.
He just wanted to hang on to her, to keep that special thing they had between them; and yet he couldn't shake away those thoughts of wanting her. The taste of her kiss was still upon his lips and the feel of her body pressed against his so intimately was seared upon his memory. He smiled, she'd been a minx with that little wiggle of hers against him in what he had known was retaliation for laughing at how easily she had melted at the feel of his lips against her neck. He should've stayed…he could only imagine how incredible it would've been between them.
"Don't," he told himself. "Don't go there." It was already too late; his mind was filled with those thoughts of how she would've looked in nothing but the sheets, of how her skin might've felt against his…of how perfect she would've fit against him. He had to stop thinking these things or he'd drive himself crazy. ...or worse, he'd convince himself to go back to her. It was a good thing he wouldn't be seeing her again until Monday, he thought to himself. Maybe by then he'd have himself under control; but of course that didn't help him tonight. He picked up the remote from the coffee table and clicked on the television. It was going to be a long night, and most likely, a sleepless one.
On Monday morning, Jeff was standing outside of the law firm waiting on his best friend.
"What are you standing around for?" Jim asked as he approached the building and spotted him.
"I was waiting for you," Jeff answered. "I wanted to ask you something."
"What?"
"What flavor of lip gloss was Sassy wearing Friday night?" Jeff asked; a knowing grin on his face.
Jim was quiet for a moment as he regarded his friend, "What makes you think I know the answer to that?"
Jeff shrugged, "Well I just figured that since you seemed to be giving it an extensive taste test that night at the bar that you would know."
Jim glanced away for a moment and then looked back at his friend, "Nothing happened."
"It looked like something was happening…and you left together."
"Nothing happened," Jim re-iterated and then at Jeff's raised brow he added, "Nothing more than you obviously saw."
Unless he counted those moments in her apartment when he had her pushed up against the door and had been thinking about taking her to bed…those thoughts and memories had plagued him all weekend.
"Well maybe that's the problem," Jeff commented, pulling him from his thoughts. "The two of you never let anything happen."
"Johanna and I are fine," Jim stated as he turned to walk away.
Jeff fell into step beside him as they entered the building. "You still never answered the question."
"What?"
"What flavor was it?" Jeff laughed.
"Strawberry," Jim answered with a smug grin. "And I don't want to hear another word about it."
"You don't seem very upset that Brad broke up with you," Sharon stated as Johanna pulled files from her briefcase.
"That's because I'm not," she answered.
Her friend looked at her with an assessing gaze. "That's not really like you."
"It was over, Sharon," Johanna stated. "It ran its course, no big deal."
"Oh my God; you hooked up with someone on the rebound."
"I did not! I just don't care that it's over, that's all."
"Uh huh," Sharon said. "Who was it? Anyone I know…does he work in this building."
A small stack of files slipped from Johanna's fingers and landed on her desk.
"You didn't!" Sharon exclaimed, obviously allowing Johanna's reaction to her statement get her carried away with the thought that she had been right.
"No! I didn't!" Johanna said as she shuffled her papers.
"You can tell me."
"There's nothing to tell," she told her secretary. "Now that's all I'm saying about it.'
"Fine," Sharon said as she moved to the door. "Keep your secrets."
Johanna nodded and smiled. "Thank you, I will."
Johanna had been sitting at her desk for an hour when her door opened and Jim slipped inside. A small sense of déjà vu hit her as it reminded her of that morning a month or so before and how his visits to her office had been less frequent since then.
"Hey," he said as he sat down.
"Hey."
"How are you?" he asked, and she could tell that concern lingered in his tone, but she wasn't sure if it was in regards to her break up or what had happened between them.
"I'm fine," she smiled.
"Good," he answered with a smile of his own; "Because I can't work here if you're unhappy."
She laughed and engaged in their usual banter but she caught his gaze wandering to that spot on her neck where the mark he had left upon her skin was covered with make up and it convinced her that he did indeed know what he had done before he walked out her door that night. Now he had to be punished.
"Come here," Johanna said, crooking a finger at him and beckoning him from his seat.
"What?" he asked as he came to the side of her desk and leaned down towards her.
"This," she answered as she smacked him upside his head.
"Hey, what was that for!"
"You know what it's for!" she exclaimed in a hushed voice.
"No I don't."
"Yes, you do," she retorted. "You've been looking for it."
Jim grinned, so she had caught him.
She swatted his arm this time. "It isn't funny."
He laughed anyway. "Well since you brought it up, where is it, because I doubt it healed that quickly."
"I covered it up," she said. "Did you really think I was going to walk into work with a mark on my neck and let everyone speculate about it?"
"You could've."
"Oh you would've liked that, wouldn't you," Johanna replied. "It would've made you proud to see what you had done, and speaking of which, I can't believe you did that!"
"You didn't seem to mind at the time," he told her.
"Shut up," she said as her cheeks grew warm at the memory.
"It's alright," he said as he leaned close to whisper in her ear. "I enjoyed it too."
"I hope you did," she remarked; "Because it won't happen again."
A slow smile slid across Jim's face as if he was accepting the challenge and a matching smile of her own slid into place. They both knew she was lying…it would happen again…maybe not today…maybe not tomorrow, but it would happen.