Part 7
Everything after that night in CJ's apartment happened fast. She spent all her free time with Eric and when she wasn't with him she drove everyone crazy telling them how much she missed him. She hadn't talked to Toby yet. Not about things that didn't concern work. He hadn't asked her about Eric and when she noticed he was around she stopped talking about him. Without knowing how time could have passed so quickly it was CJ and Eric's '1 Month Anniversary'. They had dinner at a small restaurant and after that they went for a walk along the Potomac. Eric had his arm around CJ's waist and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I love you so much," Eric suddenly said and stopped walking.
"I love you too," CJ said before kissing him.
They walked over to a bench and sat down.
"Claudia Jean, this month with you has been the best in my life. After our second date, remember I told you I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you?"
"Yeah, have you changed your mind?"
Eric had to laugh when he saw CJ's worried look.
"No, I haven't changed my mind. I've only got it confirmed. You make me so happy. Will you marry me?"
CJ looked up at him.
"Excuse me?"
He stuck his hand in his pocket and held out a small black box.
"My precious Claudia Jean, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
CJ didn't even notice that tears were running down her cheeks until Eric gently wiped them away.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," she whispered and smiled. "Of course I'll marry you!"
She hugged him tightly and he kissed her on the neck.
"You haven't even seen the ring yet." Eric laughed.
CJ opened the little box and gasped when she saw the diamond-ring in it. It was a bit flashy for her style, but indeed, it was her engagement ring and she was now going to wear it for the rest of her life.
"It's an inscription inside of it."
CJ looked inside the ring.
"Eric, it's dark outside. I can't see what it says." She laughed.
He took her hands in his and smiled gently at her.
"It says: 'Yours always, Eric'. Or actually just Y A, Eric because there wasn't enough room."
CJ smiled and kissed him and then he put the ring on her finger. She was now Ms. CJ Cregg, an engaged woman.
* * * * *
"Sam, I'm not kidding! You're going to be honoree guest at our wedding!"
Sam walked over to CJ and gently gave her a hug.
"I'm so happy for you", he whispered.
"If it hadn't been for you..." CJ smiled at him and touched his cheek.
"Have you told him yet?" Sam nodded towards Toby's office and CJ shrugged.
"Nope."
"CJ..."
"Sam, don't start. I'm not telling him in personal. The ones that are important to me I'll tell in personal. The rest will just hear it through the grapevine. We're not friends anymore, Sam. Our relationship is strictly professional."
"No, CJ, you're so much more than that."
CJ took a step back from Sam.
"Now, what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Sam just shock his head.
"Nothing, CJ. Just forget about it."
"Sam, tell me what you meant!"
"CJ, honestly, can you look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love Toby?"
"Sam!" CJ gasped. "You fix me up with a friend of yours and when I'm telling you we're getting married you ask me about Toby! Leave me alone!"
She quickly turned around and ran out of his office.
"I told you so," Sam whispered to himself.
* * * * *
"So, I heard you're getting married?"
Startled, CJ looked up from her desk and saw Toby in the door. She quickly looked down when she saw who it was.
"Yes. Who told you?"
"CJ, the senior staff's secretaries are having a meeting outside my office everyday after lunch."
CJ couldn't help smiling.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure, why not."
Toby closed the door behind him and sat down in the couch.
"So, engaged after a month of dating?"
CJ quickly stood and threw her file on the desk.
"Damn it, Toby!" she yelled.
"What?"
"Is that why you came here? To tell me this is a bad idea? To make me feel I'm doing some kind of mistake? Because, I'm telling you, if you did come just because of that, the door is there!"
It was quiet for a moment and CJ sat down behind her desk, rubbing her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to come out that way. Claude..."
"Don't." She held up her hand. "Don't come in here and say my name like that. Toby, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"CJ, damn it! I came in here to talk to you! You know we haven't talked in a month and it's been driving me crazy!"
He was now standing, pacing back and forth in the office rubbing his forehead. Then he suddenly stopped and turned towards her, but looked down at the floor.
"I've missed you," he said quietly.
CJ wanted to run up to him and hug him after he had ended that sentence. It was so soft and sincere. Instead she slowly rose and walked over to him. She raised her hands, she wanted to touch him, but she didn't know how so she lowered them again.
"I've missed you too," she whispered, not looking at him.
She closed her eyes when she realized that Sam had been right earlier. She was still in love with Toby. She had worked so hard for a month to hide those feelings, but they always came back to her. She walked over to the door and locked it. Then she closed the blinds and walked back to Toby. She had never wanted to touch him so much before. She lightly put her hands on his chest and she moved her face closer to his. They stood there for a while, their faces an inch from each other with closed eyes. They just listened to the other breaths and breathed in the other's smell. Then without knowing how, their foreheads were leaning against each other. Toby put his hands on CJ's back and gently started to move his hands up and down, which made her shiver. She on the other hand put her hands around his neck and played with his hair. They still had their eyes closed, it was as if their dream finally was coming true and none of them wanted to wake up by opening their eyes. CJ moved her head and tilted it to the left. Toby started to kiss her neck and then he moved his lips to her cheek. She had never felt like this before when a man had kissed her, and this wasn't even on the lips. Their mouths finally found each other. At first it was just a light brush. But the light brush didn't take long to become a passionate kiss. Suddenly, CJ pulled away.
"Fuck!" She yelled, walking over to her desk, slamming a hand on it. "Fuck you, Toby! Why do you keep doing this to me? Every time I find someone I care about you do this, only this time it's worse than usual. Probably, only because I've never been this happy with a man before!"
Toby took a step back towards the door.
"I'm sorry, CJ," he whispered. "I didn't mean to... I just couldn't... CJ, marry him. Marry Eric. It will do you good. He will make you happy."
It looked as if he was going to take a step towards her, but then he changed his mind and he quickly turned around and left. CJ bit her lip hard to prevent herself from crying. But it didn't help. The tears were running down her cheeks like never before. Their time had passed. It was too late for them. It was time to let go.
TBC.
Everything after that night in CJ's apartment happened fast. She spent all her free time with Eric and when she wasn't with him she drove everyone crazy telling them how much she missed him. She hadn't talked to Toby yet. Not about things that didn't concern work. He hadn't asked her about Eric and when she noticed he was around she stopped talking about him. Without knowing how time could have passed so quickly it was CJ and Eric's '1 Month Anniversary'. They had dinner at a small restaurant and after that they went for a walk along the Potomac. Eric had his arm around CJ's waist and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
"I love you so much," Eric suddenly said and stopped walking.
"I love you too," CJ said before kissing him.
They walked over to a bench and sat down.
"Claudia Jean, this month with you has been the best in my life. After our second date, remember I told you I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you?"
"Yeah, have you changed your mind?"
Eric had to laugh when he saw CJ's worried look.
"No, I haven't changed my mind. I've only got it confirmed. You make me so happy. Will you marry me?"
CJ looked up at him.
"Excuse me?"
He stuck his hand in his pocket and held out a small black box.
"My precious Claudia Jean, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
CJ didn't even notice that tears were running down her cheeks until Eric gently wiped them away.
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes," she whispered and smiled. "Of course I'll marry you!"
She hugged him tightly and he kissed her on the neck.
"You haven't even seen the ring yet." Eric laughed.
CJ opened the little box and gasped when she saw the diamond-ring in it. It was a bit flashy for her style, but indeed, it was her engagement ring and she was now going to wear it for the rest of her life.
"It's an inscription inside of it."
CJ looked inside the ring.
"Eric, it's dark outside. I can't see what it says." She laughed.
He took her hands in his and smiled gently at her.
"It says: 'Yours always, Eric'. Or actually just Y A, Eric because there wasn't enough room."
CJ smiled and kissed him and then he put the ring on her finger. She was now Ms. CJ Cregg, an engaged woman.
* * * * *
"Sam, I'm not kidding! You're going to be honoree guest at our wedding!"
Sam walked over to CJ and gently gave her a hug.
"I'm so happy for you", he whispered.
"If it hadn't been for you..." CJ smiled at him and touched his cheek.
"Have you told him yet?" Sam nodded towards Toby's office and CJ shrugged.
"Nope."
"CJ..."
"Sam, don't start. I'm not telling him in personal. The ones that are important to me I'll tell in personal. The rest will just hear it through the grapevine. We're not friends anymore, Sam. Our relationship is strictly professional."
"No, CJ, you're so much more than that."
CJ took a step back from Sam.
"Now, what exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Sam just shock his head.
"Nothing, CJ. Just forget about it."
"Sam, tell me what you meant!"
"CJ, honestly, can you look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love Toby?"
"Sam!" CJ gasped. "You fix me up with a friend of yours and when I'm telling you we're getting married you ask me about Toby! Leave me alone!"
She quickly turned around and ran out of his office.
"I told you so," Sam whispered to himself.
* * * * *
"So, I heard you're getting married?"
Startled, CJ looked up from her desk and saw Toby in the door. She quickly looked down when she saw who it was.
"Yes. Who told you?"
"CJ, the senior staff's secretaries are having a meeting outside my office everyday after lunch."
CJ couldn't help smiling.
"Can I come in?"
"Sure, why not."
Toby closed the door behind him and sat down in the couch.
"So, engaged after a month of dating?"
CJ quickly stood and threw her file on the desk.
"Damn it, Toby!" she yelled.
"What?"
"Is that why you came here? To tell me this is a bad idea? To make me feel I'm doing some kind of mistake? Because, I'm telling you, if you did come just because of that, the door is there!"
It was quiet for a moment and CJ sat down behind her desk, rubbing her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it to come out that way. Claude..."
"Don't." She held up her hand. "Don't come in here and say my name like that. Toby, what exactly are you trying to do?"
"CJ, damn it! I came in here to talk to you! You know we haven't talked in a month and it's been driving me crazy!"
He was now standing, pacing back and forth in the office rubbing his forehead. Then he suddenly stopped and turned towards her, but looked down at the floor.
"I've missed you," he said quietly.
CJ wanted to run up to him and hug him after he had ended that sentence. It was so soft and sincere. Instead she slowly rose and walked over to him. She raised her hands, she wanted to touch him, but she didn't know how so she lowered them again.
"I've missed you too," she whispered, not looking at him.
She closed her eyes when she realized that Sam had been right earlier. She was still in love with Toby. She had worked so hard for a month to hide those feelings, but they always came back to her. She walked over to the door and locked it. Then she closed the blinds and walked back to Toby. She had never wanted to touch him so much before. She lightly put her hands on his chest and she moved her face closer to his. They stood there for a while, their faces an inch from each other with closed eyes. They just listened to the other breaths and breathed in the other's smell. Then without knowing how, their foreheads were leaning against each other. Toby put his hands on CJ's back and gently started to move his hands up and down, which made her shiver. She on the other hand put her hands around his neck and played with his hair. They still had their eyes closed, it was as if their dream finally was coming true and none of them wanted to wake up by opening their eyes. CJ moved her head and tilted it to the left. Toby started to kiss her neck and then he moved his lips to her cheek. She had never felt like this before when a man had kissed her, and this wasn't even on the lips. Their mouths finally found each other. At first it was just a light brush. But the light brush didn't take long to become a passionate kiss. Suddenly, CJ pulled away.
"Fuck!" She yelled, walking over to her desk, slamming a hand on it. "Fuck you, Toby! Why do you keep doing this to me? Every time I find someone I care about you do this, only this time it's worse than usual. Probably, only because I've never been this happy with a man before!"
Toby took a step back towards the door.
"I'm sorry, CJ," he whispered. "I didn't mean to... I just couldn't... CJ, marry him. Marry Eric. It will do you good. He will make you happy."
It looked as if he was going to take a step towards her, but then he changed his mind and he quickly turned around and left. CJ bit her lip hard to prevent herself from crying. But it didn't help. The tears were running down her cheeks like never before. Their time had passed. It was too late for them. It was time to let go.
TBC.