Chapter 5 – You And Tequila
Jim strode toward Johanna's office with a sense of purpose. Word had gotten around, as it always inevitably did, that Johanna had lost her case that day in court. She didn't take losing any better than he did and he had heard through the office gossip chain that Stanley Carmichael and Steve Lancaster had made it a point to pour salt in her wounds. If there was one thing he had learned in the almost two years that he had known Johanna, it was that she liked to stew over things. She liked to beat herself up and blame herself for everything that went wrong, regardless of if it was something that was beyond her control or not. He figured that someone would have to pick up the pieces; he also figured that he was the one for the job.
Sharon glanced up at him as he entered the room. "Is she still here?" he asked as he gestured towards the closed door of the inner office.
"She's here," Sharon confirmed. "She's brooding."
"Does she have her head down on the desk asking herself the usual questions?" he asked with a slight grin. It was common knowledge that on bad days, Johanna always put her head down on the desk and wondered why she became a lawyer.
"She's done that already. Now she's staring out the window at the rain. You should probably go in there and cheer her up."
"I'll see what I can do," Jim told her as he caught the knowing look on her face.
"You do that," the secretary replied, a somewhat teasing smile on her lips. "I'll be heading out in a few minutes."
He didn't know why she felt it necessary to tell him that and he figured the question was best left unasked. Instead, he wished her goodnight and then went to the door of Johanna's office, opening it without bothering to knock, and stepped inside.
He allowed the door to close behind him but she didn't acknowledge his presence and he wasn't even sure if she had realized he was there. He remained quiet, unable to keep himself from taking a moment to admire her, despite the fact that she had her back to him. Her dark hair was lying in curls against the back of her thin white sweater and he couldn't resist allowing his gaze to move lower, taking in the sight of her black skirt and those shapely legs clad in sheer hose and as always, her feet were nestled into a pair of 3 inch heels. He forced himself to stop his appraisal of her appearance and studied her body language.
Johanna radiated unhappiness as she leaned with one shoulder against the window frame, her arms crossed, and the reflection of her face in the glass only confirmed what he already knew. She was most definitely stewing and her expression was stormier than the scene outside the window.
He moved towards her, taking up residence at the opposite side of the window where she stood. Her gaze flicked towards him and then back to the light rain that was falling outside. She didn't speak as she wasn't really in the mood for conversation but she knew better than to believe that he would accept her silence for long.
"I guess all of those people who were hoping for snow got disappointed," Jim commented.
"I like rain," she said quietly.
"Really? You don't find it depressing?"
"No," she answered. "It's cleansing."
"Even in January when things are dreary enough?"
She nodded but offered no further comment.
"Snow would be more fun," Jim stated.
A shadow of a smile briefly crossed her lips. "Snow would be nice...I guess you probably want to have a snowball fight with Jeff."
He grinned. "Or I could have one with you."
Johanna gave him a small smile but it didn't light up her eyes the way it usually did and he knew the time for small talk was at its end.
"I heard you had a bad day," he said gently.
She rolled her eyes. "News travels fast."
He brushed a hand against her arm. "It's alright, Jo."
"No it's not. I just ruined my streak of wins."
"We've all been there. It's disappointing but it happens."
"Well I wasn't ready for it to happen to me," she retorted.
"So your hot streak is over," Jim said as he gently nudged her. "It's okay, you were starting to make the rest of us look bad anyway," he remarked lightly.
"I was okay with that," Johanna quipped.
He chuckled softly as he gazed at her, her features still holding the look of defeat and perhaps a touch of stubbornness in regards to hanging on to her feelings. He hated to see those kissable lips pressed into a tight line and that look of disappointment in those pretty eyes. Looking closer, he thought that he caught sight of sadness lingering there in those green depths and he wondered if maybe there wasn't something else bothering her.
"Don't let them bother you," he said operating on the assumption that it was Stanley and Steve who had gotten under her skin with their comments and taunting her about her loss.
"Easy for you to say," she replied as she continued to stare out the window.
"Come on, Jo," he replied. "You know they've made their comments about me when I've lost, they've done it to Jeff too, and a few others."
"Forgive me if I feel like I get it a little worse than you members of the boys club," she stated with a touch of annoyance.
That was dangerous territory, Jim thought to himself; he better tread carefully and think before he spoke. "I know it's worse for you, just like I know that Stanley has made it his mission in life to make your life hell whenever possible out of revenge for calling him out when he was botching that case. All I'm saying is that you shouldn't feel singled out, they're ignorant bastards and they have to pick on other people to feel better about themselves."
"That doesn't make me feel better," she replied. "And it's not like that's my big issue here."
He sighed, God she was stubborn. "We all lose cases, Johanna, and besides it's not like this is the first one you've lost."
She turned her head in his direction. "Why does that sound like you're accusing me of losing more cases than I win?"
"It sounds that way to you because you're being defensive," he said honestly. "And that's not what I'm saying at all. You're a good lawyer, you know that as well as I do, but the point is, you have lost before."
"I was working with other people on those cases," she remarked.
"What's that have to do with anything?"
"It means that those losses weren't all my fault! They may not have been my fault at all, but I was on my own with this one which makes it all my fault."
"Why is it your fault?" he asked. "Did you not present the case well enough, did you not care, did you not try your best? What was it, Johanna? What did you do to lose this case?"
The glare she shot him could've frozen the fires of hell. "Of course I cared! I presented the case just like I present all of them, and I always give my best, I wouldn't allow myself to accept anything less than my best!"
He nodded. "That's what I figured, so why beat yourself up over it? You did what you could with what you had and we both know that the case wasn't very strong, even you said that yourself. I'm surprised that the firm even accepted it to begin with."
"That's probably why they gave it to me," she stated, her voice still harboring an edge.
Jim bit back a smile. "A few weeks ago when I lost a case, this pretty girl told me that 'we can only work with what we are given, we can only do our best and if we lose it's because that's how it was meant to be'. She told me that losing didn't mean that I was losing my touch...any chance you might recall who that girl was?"
Johanna rolled her eyes knowing full well that she was the person he was speaking of. "That was different."
"Why?"
"Because it was you!"
He couldn't help himself, he laughed, and he thought he detected the slightest hint of a lift at the corner of her mouth but it quickly vanished. "So it's okay for me to lose, but not for you?"
She nodded. "Yes, I'd prefer it that way."
He continued to laugh. "Well at least you're honest."
"I hate to lose," she muttered.
"I don't think any of us like it," he told her. "But someone always has to lose."
"I'd still rather it be the other person."
"So would I, but what can we do about it?"
She shrugged, her gaze once again riveted to the window as it was pelted by rain. Jim studied her once more as silence fell between them. Words weren't getting through to her and they didn't appear to be making her feel any better. He cast a glance at the door of her office, making sure it was closed before tugging his forlorn colleague into his arms. He had expected her to resist at first but she surprised him by wrapping her arms around him without hesitation and tucking her head beneath his chin.
He breathed in her scent and held her tightly, maybe this was what she needed, he thought; although he hoped she wouldn't cry. He couldn't take her tears, they sliced right through him.
"You'll get the next one," he said quietly.
"I hope so," she whispered as she allowed herself to indulge in the feeling of being wrapped securely in his embrace. She felt so safe and cared for in his arms. There was comfort there, comfort that she desperately needed today as her mind was full of thoughts and not all of them were about her loss. She sighed and snuggled closer without thought but he didn't seem to mind. What she wouldn't give to stay right there; nestled in his embrace, his heartbeat close to her ear as she absorbed his warmth. She closed her eyes, it would be so nice if she could have this all the time, on bad days and good...but thoughts like that only reminded her of things she wanted to forget and yet she couldn't tear herself away.
"Why don't you come out with me and Jeff for a drink tonight," Jim stated, pulling her from her thoughts.
"No," Johanna sighed. "I think I'll just go home."
"You don't want to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because that won't cheer you up...what do you have to go home to? A bottle of wine and a carton of ice cream?"
"Oh my God," Johanna said as she pulled herself out of his arms. "You just sounded like my mother."
He laughed. "I didn't mean it the way she probably does."
"You may as well," she remarked. "It's the truth after all."
Jim was beginning to get the whole picture here. Her mother must've gotten under her skin with more marriage remarks and the inevitable mentions of her sister Colleen's upcoming nuptials. He imagined that those thoughts coupled with a loss in court had been the perfect combination to bring her down.
"That's it," he said walking toward the coat rack. "You're going out with us, you're in desperate need of fun and drinks."
She gave him a half smile as she walked towards him and slipped her arms into her coat which he was holding out for her. "I'd rather have a margarita than wine anyway."
He nodded as he pulled her hair free from the collar of her coat. "You can have all the margaritas you want, my treat."
She laughed as she picked up her purse. "Don't tempt me."
They met up with Jeff at the bar and they made small talk over the first round of drinks, and when Johanna showed no signs of losing any of the tension that was visible in her posture, they ordered a second round. It was obvious that despite their attempts to cheer her up with light conversation that her mind was still on her case. There was only one thing to do about that, Jim thought; they may as well let her get it out of her system, so he bought her another drink and broached the topic.
"Why don't you just get it out of your system and tell us about it, Johanna," he stated.
"There's not much to tell," she answered. "I lost, you already know that."
"But why is it bugging you so much, Sassy?" Jeff inquired. "Besides the fact that you like to beat yourself up about things and the flack you have to take at the office."
She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe it was when the opposing attorney looked at me snottily and said 'Nice try, maybe you'll do better next time," and then laughed as she walked away, like I was somehow incapable of winning a case."
Jeff nodded. "I can see how that would bug you."
"Just ignore it," Jim stated. "Maybe someone will say that to her when she loses a case, and she will lose one, so she shouldn't be acting like she's something special. She'll get her due."
"Yeah," Jeff agreed, "The more uppity they are, the harder they fall…look at some of the people we work with, especially the big wigs in the better offices."
Johanna offered a small smile in response, everything they were saying was true but she seemed to be having one of those weeks where she couldn't shake off that feeling of being blue. She had more than just the loss of the case nagging at her but for the moment that was the topic of conversation and both of the men sharing the table with her looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to tell them her troubles. Another brief smile crossed her lips, it was sweet of them to think they could make her feel better and maybe by the end of the evening she would, but for now her spirits were still low.
"I think it's worse losing to another woman than it is losing to a man," Johanna commented as she sipped her margarita.
"Why is that?" Jim asked.
"Because there's always the cattiness," she remarked. "The prissy smirks and the impression that she thinks she's so much better than you. It reminds me of high school and losing the lead role in the school play to the more popular girl."
"Were you in the school play, Jo?" Jeff asked.
"Yes, just not in the lead role."
"Lost to the popular girl?" Jim asked for clarification.
"Sure did. Loretta Higgins was perkier, a suck up, blonde and had...better assets than I did," she finished but her colleagues caught the drift of her statement and laughed. She laughed with them after a moment, and added, "I also hated her guts just in case you're wondering."
"That's okay," Jim stated. "And if it's any consolation, everything about you looks good to me."
"Where were you when I was in high school?" she laughed before taking another sip from her glass which was once again steadily emptying.
"Apparently I was in the wrong school district, which is a shame."
"The three of us could've had a good time together in high school," Jeff commented.
"Did the two of you go to high school together?" Johanna asked.
"Just for senior year," Jeff answered. "But we didn't really become friends until college."
"I wasn't sure if I wanted to be associated with someone like him," Jim said lightly as he looked at Johanna.
"Don't listen to him, Sassy," Jeff responded. "He begged to be my friend."
She laughed. "Oh I'm sure he did."
"What about you and Sharon?" Jim asked. "Did the two of you go to school together?"
She shook her head no and explained that she and Sharon had worked together as waitresses when they were teenagers. She grew quiet after that, taking another long sip of her drink. Her companions shared a look, knowing that her thoughts had shifted back to the case she had lost.
"Don't think about it, Jo," Jim told her, pulling her out of her thoughts.
"I can't help it," she replied. "I just keep seeing that look on Monica Trumain's face when they ruled in her favor...it just made me want to scratch her eyes out...or punch her or something."
The men couldn't control their laughter. "Wow, Jo, tell us how you really feel," Jeff commented.
"Any chance you're Irish?" Jim inquired. "You seem to have an Irish flare to your temper."
She nodded, a giggle escaping her lips. "On my father's side...I'm Italian on my mother's side."
"Oh hell," Jeff remarked. "She's a ticking time bomb with that combination."
"It explains a lot though," Jim replied.
She wasn't paying much attention to the comments about her heritage as she was still stewing over the haughtiness of Monica Trumain's, who had looked at her as if she was trash.
"You know what else?" she said, the affects of the alcohol starting to set in. "She was wearing ugly shoes."
Jeff nearly choked on his scotch, and Jim shook with laughter.
"Well she was," Johanna declared.
Jeff looked across the table at Jim. "Don't you just hate when the opposing attorney is wearing ugly shoes?"
Jim nodded. "Yes, absolutely, it's in such poor taste."
"Isn't it though?" Jeff remarked. "I just hate it, it ruins the whole feng shui of the courtroom."
Johanna looked between them as she took another sip, the contents of her glass about gone. "You're making fun of me."
"No we're not," they both stated simultaneously.
"Yes you are," she replied. "You're just like Stanley and Steve...and the rest of them."
"Hey!" they both exclaimed in dismay.
"Didn't your mother teach you that it isn't nice to insult the person buying your drinks?" Jim asked.
Johanna shook her head. "If she did I must not have been paying attention during that lesson in etiquette, I was probably thinking about something else."
"Like what?" Jeff asked.
She smirked. "I was probably thinking about sneaking out."
"Oh yeah?" Jim replied. "Sneaking out to do what?"
Johanna grinned. "To meet up with Bobby Jennings and have a beer."
They laughed. "What else were you doing with Bobby Jennings?" Jeff asked.
"I'm not telling."
"Fine, be that way," Jeff stated. "Don't tell us about your torrid teenage days."
"I won't, I'll keep my secrets for awhile longer."
"I'm sure that there probably aren't any ugly shoes in your past, right?" Jeff teased.
Johanna shot him a glare. "That's right; my shoes have never been ugly…but I will say, Jeff, that you strike me as the type who probably has a pair of ugly shoes in his closet."
"I do not!"
She laughed and looked to Jim. "I bet he does, doesn't he?"
"I don't know about his shoes but I do know he was wearing a hideous tie the other day," Jim remarked with a laugh.
"The yellow one?" Johanna asked.
Jim nodded as their friend semi glared at them. "That's the one."
Johanna nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that was awful, it looked like a lemon threw up down his neck."
Jim burst into laughter causing her to giggle as Jeff smirked at them.
"I had to wear that tie," he declared. "It was an apology gift from Maggie."
"She should apologize," Jim laughed, "For her bad taste."
Johanna was still giggling. "Well look at her taste in men. It figures she'd pick something like that tie."
"That's true," Jim agreed.
"Hey," Jeff stated, "You're just jealous."
"Of what?" Jim asked.
"Of the fact that I have a woman buying me stuff."
Johanna looked at Jim. "Do you want me to buy you a drink so you don't have to be jealous of Jeff's ugly tie gift?"
He laughed and patted her hand. "Not tonight, the drinks are my treat tonight, remember?"
She grinned. "I remember, all the margaritas I want."
"That's right," he replied. "And Jeff doesn't have to worry about me being jealous of his tie, if I want something ugly I can always ask my mother to pick something out for me."
The drinks were making her giggly and he loved the sound of her laughter and hoped it would continue as she seemed to be relaxing.
"Boy, you and Sassy are just a real comedy team when you two get together," Jeff remarked. "Maybe you two should get your own show, or get married or something."
Jim laughed but the comment seemed to drag Johanna back down and the men shared a look as they waited for her to respond. She said nothing, merely finished off her drink instead.
"Do you want another one?" Jim asked.
"I probably shouldn't," she replied although she would like another one.
"Oh go ahead," Jeff said. "It's not a school night and we won't tell your mama on you if you want to indulge and let your hair down."
She smiled. "In that case, I'll have another one."
Jim got them all another drink and they shared some more small talk until he figured it was safe to dig deeper into what else was going on in her mind.
"Do you want to tell us what else is bothering you today?" Jim asked.
"Life," Johanna answered.
Jeff chuckled. "Can you be more specific?"
She nodded. "I can be more pacific...I mean...you know what I mean," she laughed as she couldn't correctly form the word.
Her friends tried not to laugh too much as they didn't want to offend her again, but it was difficult to accomplish.
"We know what you mean," Jim assured. "Now what is it about life that has you down?"
"My sister," she stated. "She's a traitor."
"Because she got engaged?" Jim asked as he held back a laugh.
She nodded once again. "My life was so much easier when I had Colleen to share mom's nagging about getting married."
"Now you have to take all the nagging alone," Jeff commented.
"Sure do," she replied before taking a long sip of her drink. "And now the brat has joined in."
Jim smiled as she referred to her sister as a brat and Jeff glanced away until he was certain that he wouldn't laugh.
"She's joined in, has she?" Jim responded.
"I love her," Johanna said; "But lately I hate her."
Her friends laughed lightly and Jeff caught Jim's eye. "I think it's kicking in," he said with a subtle nod at the glass Johanna was holding on to.
"I'd say so," he agreed before turning his attention back to Johanna. "What has Colleen done?"
She took another drink, her expression serious and her inner most thoughts came tumbling out freely. "She had the nerve to agree with mom that I need to date more."
"I don't think it's any of her business," Jeff replied.
"That's what I told her," Johanna said, "And do you know what she did?"
"What?" they both asked.
"She asked me if I wanted her to get me a date for her wedding!" she exclaimed, her features showcasing how affronted she was about the whole thing.
Jim and Jeff responded with the appropriate amount of outrage that she seemed to be expecting and it spurned her on.
"All of a sudden because Paul put a ring on her finger she seems to think she's God's gift of men or something and I've got a newsflash for her, she's not."
Her colleagues were laughing but her annoyance with Colleen kept her from being bothered by it.
"I don't need her to get me a date. Look what happened the last time she set me up."
"Yeah," Jim said, his jaw tensing at the memory of Brad. "You don't need her doing you anymore favors like that."
"Exactly," she replied; the word slurring a bit as she spoke. "I saw that jerk the other day."
"I hope you keyed his Porsche," Jim replied as Jeff listened with amusement.
She shook her head. "No, I didn't do that," she said but then she smiled mischievously, but it was parked near a planter and I scooped some dirt up out of it and threw it on the hood."
The men burst into laughter and she giggled gleefully.
"Good for you," Jim told her with a grin.
"I say we need to toast that," Jeff stated as he picked up his glass, his friends following his lead.
"Here's to Sassy," he stated; "For living up to her nickname and not having an ounce of shame for it."
"I'll drink to that," Jim said as they clinked glasses.
"Me too," Johanna replied happily as took a drink of her margarita.
"What did you tell Colleen when she had the audacity to offer to find you a date?" Jeff asked.
"I told her I didn't need her help or pity and that maybe I just wouldn't go to her wedding at all."
"But you're the maid of honor," Jim replied.
"I don't give a damn," Johanna said. "She can find someone else, and if she wants to get too persnickety I'll just call up Paul and tell him a few things about his bride. I shared a room with her, I know things."
Jeff was still laughing over her use of the word 'persnickety' so it fell to Jim to ask, "What things?"
"Her secrets."
"Yeah but what kind?"
"I can't tell you," she replied. "They're secret secrets."
"Secret secrets?" Jim laughed.
She nodded and Jeff shook his head. "She's a cute drunk, isn't she?" he commented.
"Adorable," Jim laughed but there was fondness in his tone.
"You know what I should do?" she asked.
"Slap Colleen around a little bit?" Jim guessed.
"Besides that," she replied causing them to laugh some more. "I should tell her what I think of her engagement ring."
"And what would that be?" Jeff asked.
"I think it looks fake," Johanna declared. "She should probably take it somewhere and find out if it is…I should go call her now and tell her that," she said as she got up from her chair. "Does one of you have a quarter?"
"You don't want to call her now," Jim said hurriedly as he grabbed her arm and gently tugged her back down into her chair.
"Why not?"
He looked to Jeff to provide an answer and luckily his friend came through for him. "It's Friday night, she's probably out with her fiancé."
"That's probably true," she relented.
"Besides, you need to finish telling us what else is bothering you," Jim told her.
"My mother is bothering me," she replied.
"The marriage nagging?" Jeff asked.
"Yes. It was never this bad before, but now because 'Colleen's getting married'," she said mimicking her mother's voice. "It's like a constant onslaught of nagging and I hate it!"
"There's a cure for that," Jim said.
"I know!" she exclaimed. "But I don't know anyone who will marry me."
He laughed. "That wasn't the cure that I was thinking of."
"You have another one?" she asked as she looked at him hopefully.
"Yeah, stop going to visit so often, that ought to cut down on it."
Jeff nodded in agreement. "That's a good idea, Sassy; just stay away for a while."
"I can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Because she's my mother," she replied as if they were stupid for not knowing that was the reason why.
"I'm not saying to stay away for good," Jim responded. "Just keep a low profile until after the wedding."
Johanna scoffed. "Oh like it'll be any better once the wedding is over. Then it will be six months of listening to her say 'Wasn't the ceremony lovely' and 'Wasn't Colleen a beautiful bride?' 'Doesn't it make you want to get married?' I can just already here all of those comments coming out of her mouth."
"This isn't a new problem that you're having with your mother," Jim said. "Why is it suddenly bothering you more now?"
"You want to know why?" she asked, attempting to smack the table with her open hand but missing, her fingers smacking against the edge instead but she didn't seem to register the mistake.
Jim bit back a smile. "Yes I want to know, that's why I asked."
"I'll tell you why," she replied, her words slurring a bit once again.
Jeff had his head lowered, laughing quietly without her notice but he was listening intently.
"I went over there for dinner…which always seems to turn out to be a mistake, and every other sentence out of her mouth was about my love life or lack there of and it always starts off with the same question, 'Have you met any nice young men, dear?'" she stated as she mocking her mother's tone.
"And what do you answer?"
"I say no."
"What are you telling her no for?" Jeff questioned. "You've met me and Jim, we're nice young men."
"Yeah, Johanna," Jim said. "Quit lying to your mother and maybe she'll get off your back."
Her margarita induced giggles returned and Jeff took the opportunity to keep things rolling. "Tell her we're both everything you've been looking for and you just haven't been able to pick which one you want."
"Although we all know that you'd pick me over Jeff," Jim teased.
She laughed. "If I told her that she'd want to meet both of you so she could offer her opinion on which one I should pick."
"If it'll make you feel better, we're willing to play along with the charade," Jeff offered, an easy grin on his lips.
Her laughter rang out again before turning back to her topic. "She says that I work too much and that I need to spend more time looking for nice young men."
"Your mother's stuck on that 'nice young men' phrase, isn't she?" Jim remarked.
Johanna nodded. "I don't know what she wants me to do. I can't tell my clients to put their cases on hold until I fill my family obligations and get married and produce a grandchild for my mother."
"No you can't do that," Jeff agreed.
"Do you know what I said to her when I got fed up?" Johanna asked and before her friends could reply she gave them the answer. "I asked her if she wanted me to go stand on a corner and see what I could pick up."
"You didn't!" Jim laughed. "How did she take that?"
"Not too good," she answered. "She said if I was trying to be funny it didn't work…I thought it was funny," she remarked as she looked at Jeff. "Didn't you think it was funny?"
He nodded, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he imagined Johanna McKenzie making such a statement to her mother. "I think it's hilarious, Sassy."
"They act like I'm repelling men on purpose, like I don't want to have a relationship and get married, but I do…I don't know why no one seems to want me. Maybe there's something wrong with me…my father says it's my smart mouth, he says men don't want women with smart mouths but I don't think I can get rid of mine now…I've had it too long."
"I'd like to meet your father, Jo," Jim stated seriously, anger at the way the man treated her filling him and making him want to protect and defend her against him.
She shook her head. "You don't want to meet him…sometimes I wish I didn't have to know him."
"Well he's wrong," Jim said. "You don't have a smart mouth, you're just sassy, and personally, I like sassy women."
"Me too," Jeff said keeping his comments brief as he was interested to see this scene play out between his friends.
"And there's nothing wrong with you," Jim went on. "You're smart, beautiful, loving and everything a man could want. The right time just hasn't come yet but it will one day and you'll have everything you dream of."
"You think so?" she asked hopefully.
He covered her hand with his. "Of course, don't you agree, Jeff?"
His friend nodded. "There's no doubt in my mind, Sassy; you'll get there when the time is right and you'll have the husband and the baby and the nice house of your own that all women dream of, you'll see, it'll all work out for you," he told her, and he meant every word of it because he had a strong feeling that the person who would give Johanna her happily ever after was sitting there at the table…paying for her drinks and holding her hand. His best friend was falling for her, or maybe he should revise that thought and say that Jim had already fallen. It was in his eyes every time he looked at her; and Johanna was no better, he thought. There were times when love for Jim was written so plainly upon her features that he honestly believed that his friend must be blind not to see it.
"I miss my mother," Johanna stated after taking a sip of her drink.
"You miss her?" Jeff asked in confusion.
"I miss the way she used to be before Colleen got engaged and her brain got attacked by wedding fever. We've always been very close and I love her…I don't want lose that."
"Then maybe you need to tell her that," Jim gently suggested as he squeezed her hand.
"I can't. Every time I try to make her stop being this way she ends up making me feel guilty…I don't know how she does it, it's like some kind of mom magic or something, and she gives me this look that just makes feel like I'm a horrible daughter while she says 'You're my baby, I just want you to be happy, I want you to be swept off your feet by someone who will love you for the rest of your life.' What am I supposed to say that?" she asked. "I know she wants me to be happy, but I feel happy as I am, of course I want more, but I can't make it happen just to suit her."
"Then you should go with the 'visit less' plan," he replied.
"Or maybe I should just drink while I'm there," Johanna stated before taking another long sip.
"That's a good idea too," Jeff replied. "That's the method I use on holiday get togethers with my family."
Johanna laughed. "It's the Jeff approved method."
"Jeff approved," Jeff said. "I like the sound of that."
"And just like that," Jim replied as he looked at Johanna, "You've created a monster, we'll be hearing Jeff approved for weeks now."
They shifted the conversation into lighter waters and the emptier her glass got the more she giggled at everything they said whether it was funny or not.
"I want another one," she declared after she drank the last drop in her glass.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Jim said, knowing that it was time to cut her off.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because they don't have anymore," Jeff told her. "You drank them all."
Johanna laughed. "That's okay, I can have something different, how about a Cosmo?"
"They're out of those too," Jim answered. "And it's time for us to go home."
"But we're having so much fun," Johanna replied. "Do we have to go?"
"Yes," Jeff said, taking up the dialogue as Jim grabbed her coat and began to slip it on her. "They're going to be closing soon."
"Okay," she relented, "But we'll do it again soon?"
"Absolutely," they both agreed.
"Come on," Jim said as he rose from his chair and took hold of her arm, beckoning her to rise as well.
Johanna got up from her chair but her legs wouldn't hold her up and she went down, the only thing saving her from hitting the floor was Jim who reacted quickly enough to get an arm around her and pull her back up.
"Did I fall down?" Johanna asked.
Jim chuckled. "Almost."
"Why didn't you tell me there was a step there?" she laughed as he and Jeff tried to steady her enough that she could walk.
"Because there isn't a step there," Jim replied, catching her once again as she swayed on her wobbly legs.
"It feels like there is," she answered.
"I think we cheered her up too much," Jeff stated as he caught hold of her arm.
"I think so too," he agreed. "She's not even going to be able to walk out of here."
"Well at least now we know if we need to get something out of her all we have to do is dump a bottle of tequila down her throat," Jeff remarked.
"Yeah, we can file that away for future reference," Jim replied as he gave up on trying to get Johanna steady and scooped her up in his arms instead, making her laugh as he did so.
They made their way out of the bar and Jeff hailed a cab. "Do you need help getting her home?"
Jim shook his head as he put her down and assisted her into the back of the cab. "No, I'll manage. I'll just carry her that will make it easier, you go on home, I'll take care of her."
Jeff grinned, that comment could be taken as Jim staking his claim, but he didn't allow himself to speak that thought out loud…he'd save that for another day. Instead he said goodnight as Jim climbed into the backseat next to their colleague and then watched as the cab drove away before he hailed his own ride home.
When they arrived at her door, Jim carefully placed Johanna on her feet and then gently pushed her back against the wall so that it would support her.
"Hold still," he told her as he took her purse from her and opened it.
"Why?" she asked.
"So you don't fall down," he replied with a smile as he located her keys at the bottom of her purse.
"I won't fall down, look," she giggled as she pushed away from the wall and swayed on her feet, stumbling into him as he opened the door.
"Yeah, you're not falling down at all," Jim laughed as he caught hold of her and steered her into her apartment, flicking the light switch on as he did so. He closed the door and pushed her back against it as he sat her purse and keys on the stand next to it, and then he reached for the buttons of her coat.
The memory of the last time he had unbuttoned her coat rolled through his mind. He'd like nothing more than to repeat that experience...maybe even improve upon it but he couldn't. She was most definitely drunk this time and it would be wrong to take advantage of the situation. Jim shook his wayward thoughts away as he released the last button and tugged at the cuffs of the sleeves as she pulled her arms free. He laid the garment aside and then wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to the sofa where he sat her down.
"Where are you going?" she asked as he stepped away from her.
"To get you a drink."
"Oh good," Johanna answered. "I'd really like another margarita."
Jim chuckled, she was going to be very disappointed, he thought as he entered the kitchen. He filled a glass with water and then carried it back to her.
She studied it for a moment and then looked up at him. "This doesn't look like a margarita."
"We're all out of margaritas," he laughed.
She frowned but took a sip anyway and then wrinkled her nose. "It tastes like water!" she exclaimed causing him to laugh all the more.
"That's because it is water, Jo," he replied. "Drink it, it's good for you."
"I like tequila," she stated as she stared at the glass as if it would magically morph into the drink she wanted.
"I know you do," he replied with amusement. "Tequila makes a happy Johanna."
Her case of the giggles returned as she looked up at him. "You're silly."
He grinned. "And you're drunk."
"I like it," she remarked.
She wouldn't like it so much tomorrow, he said to himself. "You drink all of that," he said gesturing to her glass; "And I'll be right back."
"Okay," she said as she brought the glass back up to her lips once again.
He moved through the living room and walked down the short hallway to her bedroom. He paused at the threshold, wondering briefly if he was crossing some kind of line and invading her privacy but he pushed that thought away. It wasn't like he was going in there to look through the drawers. She needed to be put to bed and he wanted to make sure she was safely settled for the night.
Jim stepped into the room and fumbled with the lamp on the nightstand until he found the switch and clicked it on, illuminating her tastefully decorated bedroom. He was tempted to take a moment to study his surroundings but he didn't allow himself to do so. Instead he moved to the bed and pulled back the covers, making it ready for her to crawl into.
"Jim," he heard her voice call, and before he could answer her, she called out again, her tone carrying a measure of distress.
"Jim!" she cried for a third time just as he stepped into the room.
"What's wrong?" he asked; she was still in the spot he had put her in and she had drank her water but nothing seemed amiss.
"My shoes," she said with distress as she lifted her foot off the floor and wiggled it around.
"What about them?"
"They won't come off," she cried. "They're stuck to my feet!"
Laughter bubbled up within him and he couldn't keep himself from letting it out. This just kept getting better.
"It's not funny," she said as she continued to wiggle her feet and pull at the shoes.
"Oh but it is," he said as he shook with laughter while watching her attempt to take her shoes off.
"It is not!" she retorted. "What am I going to do?" she asked, tears gathering in her eyes. "Help me, Jim."
His laughter faded at the sight of her tear filled eyes and he softened towards her and her predicament as he approached the sofa.
"Don't cry," he told her as he sat down on the edge of the coffee table. "I'll fix it."
"Can you?"
He nodded. "Of course I can."
Jim lifted her foot, allowing it to rest on his knee. The black heels she was wearing had a strap around the ankle and the strap was fastened with a small gold buckle that was apparently beyond her notice in the state she was in. His fingers worked at pulling the thin strap free of the buckle and then they fumbled with the task of freeing it from the small pin like object that punched through the holes in the strap. Finally it released and the strap gave way and he slid the shoe off of her foot. He lowered her foot and reached for the other one, repeating the task more quickly this time and when he was finished he looked at her and smiled.
"There you go," he said. "You're unstuck."
She smiled brightly and moved forward, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. "I knew you could fix it."
Jim returned her hug, holding her tightly for a moment before pulling away. "Come on," he said holding out a hand to her as he stood.
"Where are we going?"
"It's past your bedtime; you need to go to bed."
Johanna took his hand and allowed him to pull her up but her legs still felt like jelly and she went down just as she had at the bar, but once again, Jim was able to get his arm around her in time to keep her from falling. He swept her up in his arms without hesitation, just as he had done earlier and walked off in the direction of her room as she laughed.
"You like this, don't you?" he asked lightly.
"It's fun."
Jim smiled. "You can tell your mother that you've been swept off your feet three times tonight."
Johanna giggled. "That would make her happy."
"I'm sure it would," he agreed as they entered her room.
He laid her down on her bed and then he sat down next to her and took on the task of removing her watch and bracelet.
"You make me happy," Johanna said softly as she watched him place her jewelry on the nightstand.
He smiled at her, warmth spreading through him as he gazed into her eyes. "You make me happy too, Johanna."
She smiled. "Really?"
He nodded. "Yes, you do."
Her smile remained in place. "I was sad earlier but I feel a lot better now."
Jim laughed softly. "I'm glad, but you're going to have one hell of a hangover in the morning, sweetheart."
"I like when you call me that," she stated.
"Do you?" he asked, knowing that once in awhile that term of endearment slipped out before he could stop it.
She nodded and picked his hand up and pressed her palm against it as if she was trying to see how they measured up against each other. He had a feeling that in all probability she wouldn't remember this conversation come morning and he toyed with the idea of asking her some more questions just to see what else she liked. He debated it as he watched her study the way her fingers looked as they aligned against his and he gave in to the urge to entwine their fingers and another smile tugged at her lips.
"What else do you like, Jo?" he asked quietly.
"Everything; I like everything about you."
He couldn't ask for a better answer than that, he thought but curiosity made him want more. Before he could conjure up a new question to ask her, she spoke once more.
"I like this," she said as she moved their joined hands.
"What?" he asked, needing clarification if it was just the fact that they were holding hands or just that they were together.
"I like when we hold hands."
Apparently too much tequila made her chatty and she was all for revealing whatever was on her mind. The thought crossed his mind that he might have to get her drunk more often. "I like it too," he told her, keeping laughter at bay but his eyes shown with mirth. He was about to tell her goodnight, figuring he shouldn't pry to far into her thoughts as he might find out something that he might not be ready to hear or think about, but she tugged at his hand, beckoning him to come closer.
He leaned down towards her. "What?"
A somewhat seductive smiled graced her lips as she looked him in the eye. "Are you going to kiss me goodnight?"
Jim grinned; maybe it wasn't time to leave just yet after all. "Kiss you?" he asked. "What makes you think that I'm going to do that?"
She shrugged a shoulder, the smile remaining in place. "Sometimes you kiss me goodnight."
He was well aware of that, their last encounter was still seared into his memory and he fought the desire to grab a hold of her and kiss her at least several times a week. They never talked about those kisses they shared on occasion, and he figured that was probably for the best…but it had been awhile since he had kissed her…and she looked so pretty lying there, her dark hair in contrast to the white pillow case, her eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed and then there was that little smile of hers on those very kissable lips.
"So I take it that you like when I kiss you goodnight?" he teased lightly, buying himself some time as he debated about whether it was the right thing to do or not.
"What's not to like about it?"
He laughed this time. "Well I can't argue with that."
"So are you going to kiss me or not?" she prompted. "You know I'm not getting any younger…at least that's what my mother tells me."
"Don't listen to your mother," he replied, brushing a lock of her hair back from her face before lowering his head and brushing his lips against hers in a chaste kiss.
"It's usually better than that," Johanna commented as he pulled back.
Jim laughed. "Are you saying I disappointed you?"
"A little."
"Should I try to do better?"
"I wish you would," she replied. "My father always tells me that if I'm going to do something, I should do it right."
"Well we wouldn't want to ignore advice like that."
He gently pulled his hand away from hers and laid it against her cheek, his thumb brushing her skin as he lowered his head once more and caught her lips in the kind of kiss they had both been craving. When it was over, he remained in close proximity to her face, staring down into her eyes when they flicked open.
"Was that better?" he asked.
She nodded. "One more?"
A soft laugh escaped him. "Are you greedy when it comes to kisses, Jo?"
She laughed with him. "We always have another one."
That was true. "We can't have just one, can we?" he said lightly, but there was an air of seriousness in the statement. "It's just never enough for us."
"One more," Johanna whispered again, her hand fisting the material of his shirt to keep him close to her.
She didn't have to beg, one more sounded good to him too and without another word he kissed her again, long and slowly with a tenderness that even he hadn't anticipated. He looked into her sleepy green eyes and took in the soft expression on her features as his fingertips traced her face. There was that kick in his heart again, a feeling welling up within him that he didn't want to put a name to because he felt like it could be dangerous to acknowledge.
Johanna always got to him, he thought to himself; she got under his skin in every way that was good, and every way that she shouldn't given the status of their relationship and he didn't know how she did it…because she did it without even trying. When he was near her, all he wanted to do was to make her happy, to keep that smile on her face, protect her from anything that might dampen that joyful spirit of hers or hurt her. She was special…and somewhere in the recesses of his heart and mind there was that whisper that told him that he considered her to be his; that she somehow belonged to him in one way or another. There was that warmth spreading through him again, along with the urge to climb into her bed with her, although this time that feeling had nothing to do with lust. This time the desire stemmed from the longing to hold her, to gather her close to him and allow her to fall asleep in his arms while he watched over her.
When her groggy voice broke the silence between them, he wondered if she had somehow read his mind. "Do you want to stay with me?" she asked.
The word 'Yes' slipped from his lips before he could stop it and a tired smile flicked across her face as she began to shift, making room for him to join her, but he quickly came to his senses and put a hand against her hip, stopping her from moving.
"I can't," he told her.
Disappointment filled her eyes. "But you said yes."
"I know I did, and I do want to stay with you," he admitted to her. "But I can't tonight."
"Why?"
Why indeed? He asked himself, but he knew the answer. He couldn't stay because he wasn't drunk and she was. He highly doubted that she'd remember extending the invitation in the morning and he wasn't going to catch her off guard by being there when she woke up, and on the off chance that she did remember the conversation they had been having, he imagined that she would be embarrassed that she had said so much and he didn't want to make that worse for her. If he left, he could come back in the morning and pretend like that conversation never happened if she gave an inkling that she remembered it, allowing her to save face and keeping them from having to have an awkward talk about it.
He wracked his brain for an excuse to give her, one that wouldn't hurt her feelings, and one that wouldn't sound inane. "I can't stay because…I have to make sure Jeff got home without getting himself into trouble," he stated, using their friend as an excuse, even though Jeff hadn't had much more to drink than he had.
She nodded in acceptance of his answer and he felt relieved as a small smile returned to her lips. "He probably picked up some girl on the way home."
"I wouldn't doubt it," he replied as he looked her over, making sure her outfit was suitable for her to sleep in because he wasn't about to cross the line of helping her change her clothes…no matter how appealing it sounded. She'd kill him for sure for that one once she survived her hangover. "You go to sleep now," he told her, pressing a kiss against her forehead.
She grabbed his hand again. "Stay until I fall asleep," she all but pleaded and he melted.
"Alright sweetheart," he replied, throwing out that endearment that she liked. "I won't leave until you're asleep."
A sleepy smile was his reward as her eye lids grew heavier, fluttering rapidly as she tried to fight the wave of sleepiness that was winning against her. "Goodnight," she whispered.
He told her goodnight and held her hand as he waited for her to give in and sleep. It wasn't a long wait, a scant few minutes according to the clock on the nightstand. Jim gently released her hand and then rose from his spot at the edge of the bed, reaching for the covers, pulling them up over her and then pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. He left the lights on for her, not wanting her to be stumbling around in the dark if she should happen to get up sometime during the night, and then he left, making sure her door locked behind him before he went.
Jim couldn't help but smile at the sight of Johanna when she finally opened the door late the next morning. She was clad in pink silk pajamas, her hair tousled, and the expression on her face conveyed the feeling that she wished she was unconscious.
"Did you have to knock so loud?" she asked as she allowed him inside.
He grinned at her. "Sorry, but I thought I better stop in and check on you. How do you feel?"
She shot him a pointed look through slightly narrowed eyes. "How do I look?" she asked as she retreated to the couch and curled up in the ball she had been in before he knocked.
"Beautiful, as always," he answered as he perched on the edge of her coffee table.
"Liar," she retorted. "I look like hell and I feel like hell. The next time I need cheering up, do me a favor and just let me stay depressed."
"I can't do that, I like your smile too much."
Her lips curved upwards against her will and he smiled in response to it.
"There it is," Jim said, reaching out and skimming his knuckled against the skin at the side of her mouth.
"Did I do anything last night that's going to humiliate me?"
He chuckled lightly, being mindful of her headache. "Don't you remember anything?"
"I remember up to a certain point and then things get sketchy...why? Is there something I'm going to live to regret or hate myself for?"
"No," he assured although his blue eyes held amusement. "You're the giggly kind of drunk, Johanna."
"Great," she replied, sarcasm coloring her tone.
"It's okay, you have a cute giggle, and despite the giggling and the drunkenness you still managed to act like a lady."
"My mother will be so proud," Johanna quipped as relief rippled through her.
Jim laughed. "It was kind of disappointing that you were so well behaved."
"Sorry to disappoint you," she replied as she reached for the blanket that she had been wrapped up in earlier.
Jim caught hold of it and pulled it up over her. "I don't remember getting home," she stated.
"I brought you home," he told her. "Or maybe I should say, I carried you home...you weren't too steady on your feet."
She groaned as she squeezed her eyes shut, so much for not being humiliated.
"It's okay, don't worry about it. I didn't mind...in fact I rather enjoyed having to help you get your shoes off," he laughed.
"Please tell me you're joking," Johanna pleaded.
He continued to laugh. "I'm not joking, you were convinced that they were stuck on your feet."
"Oh God. I thought you said I didn't embarrass myself."
"Don't worry, I'm the only one that knows and I'm not going to tell anyone."
Johanna eyed him with slight suspicion. "And what is the price of your silence?"
He grinned. "I haven't worked out the exact terms yet...but I promise it will be enjoyable for both of us."
She smirked. "Is that your way at hinting for a kiss?"
"A kiss?" he replied with a shake of his head. "No...one kiss is never enough," he said recalling their conversation from the night before.
She couldn't deny that but she wasn't about to say so. "Two?"
"I don't know if two is enough either. We might just have to play it by ear."
"And when am I supposed to pay for this debt that I owe you?"
He grinned. "I'll let you recover before I call in your debt."
"That's kind of you."
"That's the kind of guy I am," Jim stated.
She smiled. "Well just know that I always pay what I owe."
"I'm looking forward to it," he said as his mind flashed back to the night before when he had kissed her in her bedroom...and that brief moment of temptation that he'd had to climb in bed next to her. She obviously remembered nothing about when he had brought her home and he wasn't going to mention the fact that she shared her secrets when she was drunk.
"Are you sure I didn't do anything else to humiliate myself?" she asked with suspicion as she studied him.
"Of course I'm sure; why?"
"I just have this feeling that you're holding back and not telling me something."
Jim shook his head. "Nothing happened, Jo. You were fine at the bar and when I brought you home, I gave you a glass of water and laughed at you while you tried to get your shoes off before I took pity on you and did it myself. I carried you into your room and tucked you in for the night. There was no humiliation."
"Except for the shoes," she replied, although she still wasn't completely convinced and she didn't know why except for the fact that she felt that she knew him well enough to know when he was withholding information.
Jim could tell that she didn't believe him and he didn't want her to worry that something had happened between them that she would regret or torment herself about. "You asked me to stay with you until you fell asleep and I did, no big deal," he assured. "You were out in under five minutes."
She released a breath that she didn't know she had been holding and relief filled her, thank God that was all it was…she had been starting to worry that she had done something foolish like throwing herself at him.
"Do you know what you need to cure that hangover of yours?" he asked.
"No, what?"
"A bloody Mary."
Johanna groaned. "The last thing I want is a drink that has alcohol in it."
"It'll cure you though."
"That's alright," she replied. "I'll make do with the Advil."
"Can I get you anything?" he asked, compassion for her evident in his voice.
She smiled. "No, but they say misery loves company so if you want to stick around and keep me company for awhile I won't mind."
"I'm glad to hear that," Jim said with a laugh; "Because I need a place to hide from my brother."
"Why are you hiding from your brother?" Johanna asked as she sat up and he moved to join her on the sofa.
"Because he's looking for a date for his wife's cousin…and it's not going to be me."
"Why not?" she said, wincing slightly as she laughed.
"Because I've met her before," Jim replied; "And it's not happening, she's obnoxious."
"Which brother is this, the oldest one?"
"Yes, it's Michael."
"And why do you think he's going to ask you for this 'favor'?"
"Because he already tried to con Andrew into it."
"Your younger brother?" she clarified and he nodded in response. "And he called and tipped you off?"
"Yeah, he called this morning with the warning. He said I should get out of Dodge," Jim replied.
Johanna laughed softly. "I guess you probably owe him one for being loyal enough to warn you."
"It's all part of the pact," her friend answered.
"The pact?"
"My brother and I have a problem similar to yours," he said as he looked at her. "My mother has decided that since she isn't getting anywhere with getting Madelyn married off, that she'll concentrate her efforts on her unmarried sons. My brother, William, is stationed in Germany and is out of her range but that leaves me and Andrew for her to try her luck with."
Johanna smiled. "You've joined my club!" she exclaimed as she shifted enough to give him a brief hug which he returned with a laugh.
"You're the only good thing about this club," he told her.
"I'm just glad I'm not the only member any more," she replied. "What are the terms of the pact with Andrew?"
"The terms are that if we hear of any plotting, scheming, or set ups, we tip each other off so we don't have to get stuck in any situation we don't want to be in. We're also avoiding our mother as much as possible, which is another reason why I'm hiding today. I know how my sister-in-law is, she'll get my mother involved with whatever scheme she's running today and my mother isn't deterred by unanswered telephones. She just shows up at your door."
Johanna placed her hand on top of his. "In that case you better just stay here with me…I'm hiding too."
"What are you hiding from?"
"Colleen," she replied. "The hangover has given me an excuse to unplug my phone which means I'm avoiding her usual weekend call asking my opinion, which she never listens to anyway, about flowers and the colors of table cloths."
"Well if we're both hiding from the world today, then it's only right that we hide together," Jim stated.
"My thoughts exactly," she said with a smile.
They passed their afternoon with easy conversations and companionable silences as they watched television while eating the take out that they had plugged the phone back in long enough to order. It was after eight when Jim forced himself off of her sofa, figuring it was safe for him to go home…and knowing that he was getting far too comfortable there with Johanna, especially during those moments when she'd lean against him with her head on his shoulder.
Johanna followed him to the door, biting back the words that threatened to tumble from her lips. She wanted him to stay…she wanted to stay in that little cocoon of warmth and contentment that she had basked in all day at his side but she couldn't tell him that. She couldn't ask him to stay no matter how much she wanted to but there was on thing that she felt needed said.
"Thank you," she told him as they stood by her door, stalling the goodbyes that neither one of them wanted to say.
"For what?"
"For last night…for making me feel better."
Jim grinned. "Even though you ended up with a hangover in the process?"
She laughed softly as she held his gaze. "The hangover didn't turn out to be such a bad thing after all."
His smile was warm and affectionate as he reached for her hand. "You don't have to thank me. I'd do anything to put that smile of yours back on your face," he told her. "Thanks for letting me hide out with you."
"You can hide out with me anytime you want."
"I'll keep that in mind," he said, giving her hand a squeeze before releasing it. "Goodnight, Jo."
"Wait," she said, mischief suddenly gleaming in her eyes as she caught his wrist.
"What?"
Johanna said nothing, a playful smirk on her face as she stepped closer to him, her fingertips falling against his jaw as she closed the distance between them and kissed him. It took him a second to overcome his surprise, but his arms slipped around her and he returned her kiss. When she pulled away, her eyes sparkled with amusement, making him smile in response.
"Consider that a down payment for what I owe," she told him.
"I'm going to make sure you have a high interest rate on your debt," he said. "You'll be paying for my silence for a long time."
She shot him a sassy look. "I look forward to doing business with you."
"Oh you'll look forward it to it alright," he quipped. "You'll be begging me to get drunk again so I can take your shoes off for you."
Johanna smirked. "Or maybe you'll be begging me to allow you the privilege of taking them off again."
"I win either way," he remarked with amusement.
She rolled her eyes. "You just always have to come out on top, don't you?" she said and as soon as the words left her mouth she realized how he could take them and the grin on his face told her that he had indeed made that statement into something less than innocent.
"Don't even say it!" she exclaimed as he opened his mouth to speak.
"Say what?" he teased.
"You know what you were going to say, you were going to twist my words around and make it something dirty."
"I was not," he stated, pretending to be innocent of the thought. "Apparently you're the one whose mind went straight to the gutter."
"Well it's no wonder," Johanna quipped. "Look at the company I keep, between you and Jeff how am I supposed to remain uncorrupted?"
"Don't blame us for your mind and where it goes," he laughed as he took note of the blush on her cheeks. "If you want to talk dirty that's fine with me."
Johanna smacked his arm. "Oh I'm sure it is; you'd probably like that."
"I bet you'd like it too," he teased.
"That's it," she proclaimed. "Just for that, I'm going to be late on my next payment."
"Good, then I can charge you late fees."
He earned himself another smack which only made him laugh all the more. "You're incorrigible," she told him, but her own laughter slipped out, making the phrase sound like an endearment.
"You wouldn't have me any other way," he stated as he gently caught hold of her shirt and tugged her back against him, claiming her lips in a brief kiss. She looked at him with slight confusion when he released her and he couldn't resist saying the words that she didn't remember uttering the night before.
"We always have one more," he told her.
She smiled but there was no flicker of recognition in her eyes and he knew it was time to go. "Goodnight," he said once again.
"Goodnight," she said softly as opened the door and stepped outside.
"Lock the door."
"I will," she promised, touched that he was always so concerned about her welfare.
She did as she promised and locked the door once he was gone and she leaned against it for a moment, playing his words over in her mind.
"We always have one more."
That was true, she thought, they always had one more…but one more was never enough…at least not for her…and that thought made her realize how easy it would be to lose her heart to him…if she hadn't already.