Why Try One More Time
R
for language
* * *
AJ strode up the sidewalk toward the bar. The pounding music drew him
like a moth to a flame--but hopefully with less fatal results. O'Reilly's
had become his personal watering hole of late, but the Admiral wasn't one to
drink on weeknights. This particular Tuesday, however, the pulsating beat
of the music coming from the little bar called to him. He pushed the door
open and walked straight across to the bar.
Inside the Georgetown establishment, AJ's favorite bartender Keely leaned against the liquor counter, laughing at her regulars' attempting the dance of "Bye Bye Bye". Somehow, over the din of the bar, she heard the bell announcing a new patron's arrival. She craned her head and grinned when she saw who it was. She waved a little bit, an inexplicable set of butterflies taking up residence in her stomach.
Sidling up to the bar, AJ leaned over until his mouth practically touched Keely's ear. "Karaoke?" he asked unnecessarily.
Keely shrugged and grinned. "We had too many capacity violations last month. This is the punishment." She leaned over and grabbed a drying beer mug. "What'll it be?"
"Whatever's on tap," AJ said, grabbing the last empty stool and perching atop it.
Keely nodded and filled his glass with Sam Adams and handed it to him. She began to make small talk when the tequila and smoke filled air became overpowered with the strains of live guitar. She shot a look over to Jack, who was grinning wildly. "Hey, Keely, Monday's child is fair of face, and Tuesday's child is full of grace."
Keely shook her head slowly, deliberately. "No way, Jack."
"Wednesday's child is full of woe, and Thursday's child has far to go. "
"No, she doesn't, Jack!" Keely admonished. Leaning into AJ, she said, "Please, help me out here. You've seen me sing, and you've seen me embarrass myself. You've got to save me."
AJ grinned to himself. "I don't think there's anything I can do," he said, feigning helplessness. "So sorry."
Keely's mouth dropped open. She gestured to the stage. "So, you want me to be a laughing stock? Thanks *so* much."
Keely just shook her head as Jack got the crowd started in a chant of "We Want Keely!" *He's so fucking fired tomorrow,* she thought vehemently.
AJ glanced from Jack, to the crowd of regulars, to Keely. "Come on, get up there and sing. Your public is waiting."
"I'm not going up there," Keely said. Then, she leaned back against the counter and regarded him. "What'll you give me if I subject myself to this?"
"For a two-song set, I'll buy you a couple beers."
Keely shook her head. "Hell, I can get my beers for free. No, we need something...intriguing." She crossed her arms and cocked her head, a mischievous glint adorning her green eyes. "If I do a song, you have to stick around and help me clean up."
"Two songs and I'll stay," AJ promised.
Keely sighed and threw her hands up in annoyance. She leaned in, hissing in AJ's ear. "You owe me."
She ascended the stage, much to Jack's delight and swiped the mike from him. "Okay, okay...Monday's child is fair of face, Tuesday's child is full of grace...I was an August baby..."
Keely finished the song and then fished around the CD collection for her second song. Triumphantly, she found what she was looking for, and popped it in the player. She returned to the mike, readjusting it. She said, "Okay, I'm going to sing along with this one, because I think I could never even attempt a Lara Fabian song on my own...so, this one's called 'Till I Get Over You'."
Picking up his half-finished beer, AJ moved across the room to a padded booth. Sinking into the soft seat, he watched Keely as she finished the pop song.
As soon as the last note had been sung, Keely thrust the mike back into Jack's hands, hissing, "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little cockatiel too." She hopped off the stage, walking towards the bar, searching for AJ.
AJ waved from the booth, calling, "Over here."
Keely whipped her head around, turning her slender body at the same time. Being the truly graceful person she was, she attempted to begin walking before gaining her balance, causing her to trip over her own to feet, and began to fall precariously into the wood table at which AJ was sitting.
AJ's hand snapped out immediately, grabbing Keely's wrist firmly and pulling her down into the booth before she could fall.
Keely laughed, a blush creeping up her pale skin, matching her freckles. She looked at AJ, shrugging her shoulders. "Hey, not all singers are dancers," she offered with an embarrassed smile.
"I can barely keep from stepping on my partner's toes," the Admiral admitted, a little smile starting to form on his somber face at her blush.
Later, Keely wouldn't be able to explain why the next words had flown out of her mouth. But they did, with a disappointed edge to them. "So, you're involved with someone?"
Taken aback, AJ couldn't speak for a full thirty seconds. "I meant my *dancing* partner," he amended in a low voice.
"Oh," Keely said, equally quiet. She looked down at the nicked booth table, then shot a sidelong dance at the handsome man beside her. Sure, he was maybe fifteen or twenty years her senior, but there was just *something* about him that made her toes curl. Her attentions were momentarily distracted as piano filled the room and Jack began to cry out, "Put on my blue suede shoes and boarded the plane!"
Keely laughed and looked straight at AJ. Holding out her hand, she said, "I'm amending my half of the bet. You, sir, are coming to sing with me."
"I.....what?" AJ shook his head. "I don't sing," he said, as if that should end the discussion.
"Well, neither do 99.9% of the people who come to karaoke night!" Keely laughed, rising from the table. She tugged on his hand. "Come on, you have to know 'Walking In Memphis'. It's a classic."
"I know it. That doesn't mean I'm going to sing it in front of a room full of strangers!" AJ protested.
Keely dropped his hand and stood, determined, with her hands on her slender hips. Then, she leaned in extraordinarily close to his face, so their noses were almost touching and their breath mingled among the tequila-smelling stale air of O'Reilly's. "You chicken, Admiral?" Keely whispered. She ran her eyes down his jean and black turtle necked body and cocked her head again. "I thought you were some big bad Navy man, and here you are backing down from a silly little singing challenge."
AJ's eyes flashed and he slid out of the booth, standing nose to nose with Keely, defiantly. "Fine," he muttered through clenched teeth. "But you owe me now. And I will be repaid, have no doubt about that." AJ grabbed Keely's hand and strode to the stage.
Keely laughed the entire way up to the stage and stood between Jack and AJ at the mike. "I saw the ghost of Elvis, on Union Avenue..." She looked at the obviously nervous AJ, as he muttered the words so very quietly. She ran her hand up and down his broad back, finally resting it at the top of his waistband.
Fighting
the urge to inhale sharply, AJ kept singing as best he could.
"Followed him up the gates of Graceland, and I watched him walk right
through." He glanced at Keely as if to say, 'Your turn.'
"Now security did not see him, they just hovered around his tomb, there's
a pretty little thing waiting for the king down in the Jungle Room!"
Keely burst out laughing, falling against AJ for a split second. But it
was that split second of cotton against Oxford shirt that made every inch of
the normally independent and emotionally stoic Keely O'Reilly's body
tremble. She straightened, moving slightly away from her companion.
Unable
to control the shiver running through his body, AJ glanced at Keely and fumbled
on the next verse. "When--when I was walking in Memphis, I was
walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale. Walking in Memphis, but do I
really feel the way I feel?" Suddenly it seemed as if the room had
emptied. AJ wasn't singing karaoke in front of a barful of strangers, he
was just singing to Keely. It was an odd sensation for a man who could
barely express emotion.
Keely offered another small smile at that line (which just happened to mimic
what was running through her head at that moment), and half-unconsciously moved
slightly towards him and finished the song. Upon the piano ending, Keely
turned towards AJ and grinned, applauding loudly. She yelled into the
mike, still grinning, "Let's give it up for our newbie!"
AJ blushed deeply and waved once before practically sprinting off the stage and
to the relative safety of the booth.
As Keely moved to follow him, Jack stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "Now I get it, Keel," he said quietly. Keely's eyes widened, and Jack simply smiled. "Must be the thought of the dress whites, right?"
Keely shook her head. "You're insane."
"Yeah, well, whatever..." Jack checked his watch. "I'm supposed to meet Miranda...can I..."
Keely sighed. "Yeah, go ahead. See you tomorrow." She watched as Jack dashed for the door, shaking her head. Another group of girls took the stage, and she walked back over to the booth. Kneeling next to AJ, she spoke quietly into his ear. "I just lost my help for the rest of the evening...care to join me at the bar?"
"Absolutely." AJ followed her to the bar and tied Jack's apron around his waist. "You know, I was a bartender in college."
Keely grinned as she ducked under the wooden flap. "You're bullshitting me."
"No." Reaching for a rag, he began wiping down the bar where an errant beer had spilled. "Three years, nights and weekends, at Elmer's Pub in Denver."
Keely shook her head in disbelief. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Admiral?" she shot over her shoulder as she poured two Coors Lights.
"I'm also a crack shot at darts," he said, a hint of playfulness in his deep voice.
Keely giggled. "Really," she replied, the amusement evident in her own voice. Turning towards him, she leaned her right hip against the bar, crossing her arms. "I would have pegged you for...hmm, I don't know...golf or something. No, wait, not golf...definitely shuffleboard. Yeah, you're totally a shuffleboard type."
Glancing around at the patrons, who were engrossed in the bad karaoke taking place, AJ slid a little closer to Keely. "So I'm an old man?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Hey, you said it, I didn't," she retorted, taking a small step back, her hands moving behind her, secretly grabbing the ice cold rag.
His peripheral vision caught Keely's discreet movement, but AJ didn't let on. He stepped closer, trapping her against the bar. "You're on dangerous ground, young lady."
"What
are you going to do, punish me?"
AJ merely winked, as his hand snapped around Keely and grabbed the cold rag
away from her. "I'm a SEAL," he reminded her.
"You've got to be quicker than that." He strode off to the
other end of the bar to fill a drink order.
Keely shook her head and laughed to herself, distracting herself for a moment to settle a bill with a patron and yell along with the new song: "Took the statue from Japan, funny little Buddha man!" She smiled at her patrons and watched them leave, feeling the air behind her shift as AJ moved back behind her.
"Excuse me," AJ murmured, squeezing behind Keely to grab the tequila.
Feeling
momentarily devilish, Keely leaned back against AJ's long torso, then looked
over her shoulder with solemn eyes. "Sorry, I slipped."
"Uh huh," AJ said, slipping away with the bottle, but not before
'accidentally' brushing his hand against Keely's hip.
Keely straightened minutely, then relaxed against his hand. She watched as his tall, lanky form strode proudly back to the other end of the bar. She turned to grab the gin from behind her, and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her face was flushed, her hair was flying in a million different directions, and she was breathing heavier than normal. Sure, she could lie and say it was because of the temperature in the bar, but she knew better. She shot a glance down at the other end of the bar again, watching AJ collect money. What was she doing? This wasn't Keely O'Reilly...this was some odd clone taking her place.
*Please, God,* she thought as she mixed the gin with some juice, *Let the clone stay for a little while.*
"Thanks. Have a good night," AJ said with as friendly a smile as he could muster. Heading back towards Keely's end of the long mahogany bar, AJ bent down with the excuse of collecting dirty glasses to take into the back. As he came back up, AJ's hand brushed her arm and he grinned wickedly. *What are you doing?* he asked himself. *She's younger than Francesca!*
Keely squared her shoulders and nudged AJ in retaliation, matching his own grin with hers. "I think you're slacking off, Mr. Admiral, sir," she admonished lightly. "I'll be taking half of those tips if you keep up these shenanigans."
"I don't get my tips in cash," AJ teased, disappearing around the corner with the glasses.
Keely laughed outright at that, beginning to clean up her own area. She checked her watch...only an hour and a half left till last call. *I really should have Uncle Shaun close earlier than 1:30 on weeknights,* she thought with a sigh.
Reappearing
from the kitchen, AJ began clearing away empty beer bottles and shot glasses.
Out of the corner of her eye, Keely saw him reemerge, a faint glimmer of sweat
dotting his brow. She refused to dwell on other possible ways to get him
to sweat, but gleefully decided he should probably cool down. She bent
under the bar and grabbed a clean rag. Dunking it in the ice and dousing it in
the water, she quickly crept up behind him and squeezed it over his neck, so
the water's droplets trickled down his neck. "Sorry," she
whispered hoarsely. "Didn't want you to get overheated."
Keely could barely contain her laughter as she wandered back down to the other
end of the bar.
Jumping half a foot, AJ wiped the back of his neck with his hand, growling down the bar at Keely. "You're going to get yourself in trouble, kid," he laughed.
"Ooh, promises, promises," Keely retorted, matching his grin. "And I'll have you know, I haven't been a 'kid' for quite some time now, thank you very much."
AJ chuckled to himself, grabbing a glassful of ice discreetly. "You're young enough to be turned over my knee," he warned, approaching her slowly with the ice hidden behind his back.
Keely
whirled around, both eyes and mouth wide. "Oh, now you're pushing
it," she warned. "Don't make me throw you out for insulting the
bartender."
"I *am* a bartender," AJ said, sneaking closer. He felt like a
teenager again--well, almost. Whipping out the cup of ice, he dumped it
down the back of Keely's shirt.
"Holy
mother of God!" Keely screeched, whirling to him with an unbelieving face.
She quickly untucked her shirt from her pants, arching her back and shaking the
now soaked Oxford, attempting to get the melting ice off of her back. She
lifted the front of her shirt just enough to give AJ a pretty nice view of her
flat stomach, then shook her head, advancing on him. "You are a
royal asshole," she said, but the smile on her face remained there.
AJ just turned with a grin, wiping down the bar.
Keely perched herself on a stool at the end of the bar and started doing the bills for that week. Her Uncle Shaun was slowing down in his old age, and it was her responsibility to make sure O'Reilly's stayed in order. She was able to focus her attentions on things other than the handsome man watching her, for a good half-hour. She checked her watch and thankfully noted it was almost closing time. She leaned her head back, then from side to side, trying to work the kinks out of her neck. Finally, she stood and called out, "Closing time!"
The six remaining patrons paid up and stumbled outside. Keely sighed in relief as she flipped the "Open" sign to "Closed" and pulled the shade. She leaned against the door and closed her eyes momentarily. "Thank God I don't have class tomorrow," she muttered before moving to the booths to gather the remaining glasses.
Following Keely to the booths, AJ gathered up napkins and tossed them into the bucket with the glasses. "Let me get that," he said, reaching for the bin.
Keely moved the gray plastic bin away from him, her eyes mischievous once again. "I'm a big girl, AJ, I can do it all by myself."
"You're not that big," he replied teasingly, reaching for the full tub. "I can take you."
"Oh, you *can*, can you?" Keely grinned, moving the tub behind her back. "I'd like to see you try, old man."
Stepping around Keely, AJ grabbed the tub and deposited it in on the table. "Old man?" he growled. "I'll show you 'old'." Stepping forward, AJ leaned one hand on the table and the other on the back of the booth, forcing Keely back into the seat.
Keely couldn't contain the giggle that escaped her as she looked at the determined man looming over her. "I'm shakin' in my leggings, AJ."
Glancing up and down her sleek legs, AJ nodded. "I can see that." Suddenly, he straightened, whirling around and heading back to finish sweeping the dance floor.
Keely's
mouth dropped open as she watched him retreat, shaking her head. She
rose, somewhat shakily, and began to pile the chairs on top of the tables on
the far side of the bar. She then advanced quietly on him, then stopped,
choosing instead to lean against the bar, crossing both her arms and ankles,
simply watching him.
Putting away the last bottle, AJ turned and found himself staring into Keely's
soft green eyes. "All done," he said simply.
Keely leaned around him to inspect his work. "Not bad," she offered. "You want a career change?"
"I'll give you a call when I retire," AJ laughed, hanging his apron up. "You ready to go?"
The
butterflies returned instantly at those four words, but Keely needed one more
smart-ass remark, just for good measure. "Well, aren't we
presumptuous, Admiral?" she asked as she locked the register and hung up
her own apron.
"I was just offering to walk you to the train station," AJ
winked. "Methinks *you're* doing the presuming."
The blush returned to Keely's features and she ducked her head. *What a dork, Keel.* Great, now her conscience sounded like Jack.
"Right," she finally replied, taking a deep breath. "Wait a second, are you sure it's not out of your way?"
"Not a bit. In fact, if you need me to, I can give you a ride home," he offered, back-pedaling slightly.
Keely checked her watch. "Shit. Yeah, if you wouldn't mind...the Metro closed at 1. I completely forgot...normally Jack stays to close, because he knows I need the subway...okay, I'm babbling." She smiled up at him. "If it's not out of your way," she said again.
"Not at all," AJ lied. "Where do you live?" he asked as they headed outside and down the sidewalk away from the darkened bar.
"I
live between Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan," she finally replied,
shifting her backpack on her shoulder, as she walked briskly beside AJ,
attempting to keep up with his longer strides. There was silence between
them for a minute until Keely said quietly, "Thanks for sticking around
tonight."
Realizing that he was outpacing Keely, AJ slowed down a little. "No
problem," he said quietly, staring into the darkness, avoiding her gaze as
they walked the two blocks to his car. "I enjoyed myself."
"Well, you're always welcome," Keely said with a smile. When they
reached his car, Keely stopped short. "Your car has a Virginia
license plate," she declared, crossing her arms. "You're going
completely out of your way for me."
"No," AJ replied firmly. "I wouldn't put myself out if I
didn't want yo---to."
Keely started just a bit at his slip, then looked at her feet.
"Well, hell, when in my life is an Admiral going to brave Adams Morgan for
me? I'm warning you now, my apartment is less than stellar."
They reached the car and AJ unlocked the passenger door, holding it open for
Keely. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," he cautioned.
Keely
climbed in the sedan and grinned. She offered a mock salute and said,
"Sir, yes, sir!"
AJ chuckled, climbing into the driver's seat and revving the engine. They
headed towards Keely's apartment, and the Admiral with all the answers found
that he couldn't breathe very well. The woman next to him was having
quite an effect on him.
Keely, for her part, just told herself to just keep staring out the windshield and not look at him. She couldn't look at his broad shoulders, or his enigmatic eyes, or his strong jaw...or his mouth. Nope, she could *definitely* not look at that mouth.
She readjusted her seatbelt and crossed her right leg over her left and scratched her nose. "So, AJ, you said you were a SEAL...do you still go out on tours or whatever they're called?" she finally asked, allowing herself to indulge in enjoying his voice.
"Not very often," he said, his baritone rumbling through the small cabin of the car. "I'm pretty much tied to JAG."
"JAG?" Keely asked, somewhat confused. She remembered he had mentioned being someone's CO, but had never heard anything more than that.
*That's right, she has no idea who I am,* he laughed mentally. "The Judge Advocate General Corps. We're the lawyers for the military."
"Oh, so you're a lawyer?" Keely asked, intrigued. *Damn, they breed 'em nice in Virginia.* She shook herself and turned to face him as fully as she could. "Yeah, I think I can see that...a big, bad lawyer chewing out some lying bad guy...and then going back to his office to play shuffleboard."
"Solitaire on the computer," AJ corrected her, glancing over at her occasionally. "And although I'm technically a lawyer, I don't get to try cases very often."
"Well that sucks. Why not?"
AJ shrugged and turned left at the appropriate corner. "I'm the JAG."
"Wow," Keely finally replied. "Well, I'm just an English grad student, so I don't think I can argue military law with you, sorry." She offered a shy smile, a niggle of doubt overcoming her. They were so different, the two of them.
"Democrat
or Republican?" AJ asked out of the blue.
"Democrat," she replied, her smile widening in spite of herself. She
paused, then asked her own question. "Classical or classic
rock?"
"It depends on the situation. Beethoven and Queen have eerie similarities," AJ chuckled. "Pizza or veggie lasagna?"
"Don't even try to stand in the way of me and Papa John's," Keely replied, unconsciously licking her lips, not sure if it was the thought of pizza or the man beside her. "Summer or winter?"
"Winter. Nothing looks better on a woman than jeans and a sweater," he grinned, glancing over at Keely. "Beer or vodka?"
"Bourbon."
Keely smiled. "It's one of those 'I can't eat ice cream because I
work in Dairy Queen' things...I'm around so much liquor, especially beer, that
I have no desire to drink most of the time." She paused, thinking.
"Early morning or late at night?"
"Depends on the activity," AJ bantered as Keely pointed out the
apartment building.
Keely laughed outright as she showed him where to park. He pulled the car into a visitor's spot along the curb, and she glanced over at him. "Well, uh, thanks for the ride," she finally offered lamely.
AJ smiled, his mind whirling as he tried to figure out what to say. He just knew he didn't want the evening to end. "Anytime."
Keely
smiled nervously back, then opened her door. She got out and started up
the front steps of her apartment building, begging herself not to look
back. *Oh, fuck it, Keely Shannon.* She turned back and opened the
passenger door again. Sticking her head in, she asked, "You want to
come up for coffee or something?"
AJ was out of the car and around her side before Keely could blink.
"I'd love to."
Keely slammed the door shut and looked up at him with a nervous smile.
"Again, I apologize for the mess...it's the maid's month off."
She unlocked the front door to the building and pressed the up button on the
elevator. Being the late hour, it arrived quickly and the pair piled
in. Keely leaned across AJ to press "7", her elbow brushing
along the front waistband of his jeans, half-accidentally.
Biting the bullet, AJ did what he'd been wanting to do all night. Before Keely could pull away, he wrapped his arm casually around her waist and pulled her against his side.
*Hot DAMN!* was all the coherent thought that Keely could muster. Overtly, however, she remained calm and simply leaned her head against AJ's torso, moving her other arm behind him. The elevator arrived at her floor, and unhappily, she disengaged herself from him to fish her keys out of her bag. They reached her apartment and with shaking hands, Keely finally got the door open. She switched the lights on, illuminating the very nicely furnished apartment. Keely hung her backpack up on the coat rack and put her keys on the oak table by the door. She toed off her shoes and motioned to the couch. "Have a seat," she offered. "I'm just going to go check my messages...do you want coffee or tea?"
"Coffee's fine," AJ said, sinking onto the couch. He watched Keely out of the corner of his eye, wondering the entire time what he was doing in the apartment of someone that he had, for all intents and purposes, just met.
Keely padded her way into the kitchen and pressed her answering machine. One from her friend Caroline and the other from her mother. She filled the coffee pot and started it brewing, then braced her hands against the kitchen sink, bowing her head, thinking along the same lines as AJ. As the smell of Folger's permeated the air, she straightened and squared her shoulders. She went back out into the living room and smiled. "I'm going to go get out of these wet things...go ahead and make yourself comfortable. There's not much in the fridge, but go ahead and raid it if you want."
"Thanks." But AJ stayed where he was, crossing one long leg over the other and resting his folded hands on his knee.
Keely
moved behind the curtain into her 'bedroom', peeling off her uniform and
chucking it in the closet. She also took off her bra, and simply put an
"American University" sweatshirt and shorts on. She looked in
her mirror for a second, then smiled. She went back out into the living
room and sat down at the opposite end of the couch, pulling her legs under her
and resting her head on the fluffy pillows behind her.
AJ turned and rested one leg on the couch, so he was facing Keely. He
still wasn't quite sure what to say. "I had fun tonight," he
finally managed. "Thanks."
Keely
smiled. "I did too. I'm glad you stayed." She glanced at
her watch. "Good Lord, it's 2:30. What time do you head lawyer
men go to bed?"
"Any time we want," AJ shrugged. "What about you starving
college students?"
Keely shrugged as well. "Any time we want," she repeated. She
played with a strand of her hair, twisting it around her finger.
"So, baseball or football?"
AJ shook his head. "As if there's any comparison. Baseball."
"Red Sox or Yankees?"
"Yankees."
"Oh!" Keely clasped her hand over her heart. She rose from the couch and held out her hand to him. "I'm sorry, you're now forever banned from my home. It was nice knowing you, AJ."
AJ laughed, grabbing Keely's hand and pulling her back down to the couch, practically into his lap. "The Red Sox can't pitch or field to save their lives."
Keely readjusted herself so that her legs were on either side of AJ's thighs, and his legs were under her. "The Yankees are obnoxious, egotistical, money-hungry babies with small dicks." She laughed and clasped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she offered, still laughing.
Laughing
along with her, AJ rested his hands comfortably on Keely's hips.
"But they can play."
Keely shook her head. "Nope. Give me Pedro or Nomar any
day."
"Listen, honey, I was watching New York beat Boston while your mom was changing your Pampers," AJ teased. "You're not going to win this one."
"My first words were 'Reverse the Curse', okay?" Keely leaned over and looked into the kitchen to see the coffee maker's light turn off. She looked back down at AJ. "Coffee's done," she said softly.
"Uh
huh," AJ said, shifting slightly. Something in him was still holding
back, telling him he shouldn't do this.
"How do you like it?" Keely asked softly, inadvertently readjusting
with him, sliding further up his lap.
"Cold." AJ leaned forward and drew Keely's face closer to his
own.
Keely
closed the rest of the minute distance between them, capturing his succulent
mouth with her own. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and she scooted firmly
upon his lap, unfolding her legs from under her and wrapping them around him,
between his back and the couch. She wrapped her arms around his neck,
kissing AJ more firmly.
Sliding his hands around her firm waist, AJ began to caress Keely's back as his
mouth explored hers. His tongue stroked her lips gently, encouraging them
to part.
Keely acquiesced, of course, parting her rosebud lips and allowing her eager tongue to play. She teased AJ, swirling her tongue with his, plunging into his mouth. She teased the front of his teeth, smiling against his mouth as she got her first inkling as to the effect she was having on him. She unlinked her hands from behind his head and ran them up and down his sides, playing with the hem of his shirt.
His heart pounding, AJ slid his hands up from Keely's waist and reached for her shirt as well, lifting it half an inch and waiting for the okay.
Keely just smiled against his mouth again and nodded, almost imperceptibly, as she slipped her hands under his shirt, running her small hands up and down the soft skin of his back and moving to the front, pausing for a minute to run her index finger over his nipple in teasing.
Growling softly, AJ slowly reached up the back of Keely's shirt, his fingers stroking her skin. He fought a battle with his mind as he kissed Keely, his hands searching out the softest spots and exploring them. His head was telling him to get the hell out now, what was he doing in her apartment, on her couch, on top of her for God's sake? But his body was begging him not to stop, not for anything. And it was winning. Swallowing her cries, AJ stayed pressed to Keely until she came back down from the heights. Releasing her then, he shifted so he was next to her and sighed contentedly.
Keely had to wait a few minutes for her breathing to return to a somewhat normal level, and then she forced her eyes open to regard the man next to her. "Well, for once in my life, I'm speechless," she said softly, running a hand up and down his toned arm.
"Ditto," was all AJ could manage as he felt Keely's warm fingers stroking his arm.
Keely allowed her eyelids to flutter closed and a contented smile crossed her face in the process. "Hmm, hang on, I think it's under-covers time." She rose off the rod-iron queen bed with shaky legs, holding a hand out to AJ. "I always get cold, don't ask me why."
Slipping off the bed, AJ folded the covers down and strode across the tiny room, grabbing his boxers off the floor and pulling them on. Climbing back into the bed, he grinned sheepishly. "Can't sleep naked."
Keely
smiled at him, joining him on the soft cotton sheets. She moved to her
side, watching him. "Sorry if I steal the covers...haven't had
anyone share my bed in a loooong time."
In a moment of total un-AJ-ness, he held out his arm to Keely. "I
have a solution for that, if you'd like to try it."
Keely scooted over in the bed, wrapping her own arm around him, and wedging her foot between his calves. She yawned, then looked at him sheepishly. "Tell me I wore you out, even a little bit?"
Nodding, AJ caught Keely's yawn. "I'm exhausted," he said, settling in beside her, his strong hands sweeping across her soft skin gently.
"Mmm, that's good. Exhaustion is good for the ego." She looked over her shoulder at the time. "4:34. Not too shabby."
"Not at all," AJ agreed, pulling Keely closer. "Now go to sleep, kid."
"Oh, you didn't just say that," Keely propped her head up on her raised hand. She looked at him with solemn eyes. "I know now's not the best time to bring it up, considering one of us is likely to fall asleep in the middle...but where do we go from here?"
With wide eyes, AJ took a deep breath and tried to consider things rationally. "In all honesty, I have no idea. Can we talk about it in the morning?"
Keely nodded, then settled in next to him, closing her eyes. After a moment of silence, she opened one eye and looked at him again. "Hey, AJ?"
"Yes, Keely?"
"What's your last name?"
"Chegwidden." He waited for the inevitable giggles.
Keely opened and closed her mouth, attempting to form a coherent response. Finally, she just said, "Oh," and nodded, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.
Pleasantly surprised by her mature reaction, AJ squeezed her shoulders tightly. After a moment of silence, he said, "Go ahead. I know you want to."
Keely shook her head quickly, the edges of her mouth quirking in a smile. "It's not that bad, considering...I mean, you could have a name like, I don't know, April Showers or something. And anyway, 'Chegwidden'...an unforgettable name for an unforgettable man."
His chest rumbling with laughter at her creative response, AJ shook his head slowly. "Crazy." That seemed to sum up the entire experience.
Keely yawned again and reached behind her. "What time do you need up?" she asked, preparing to set the alarm.
"0730, so I can call my yeoman. I'm not going in."
Keely whipped her head so quickly around that she nearly fell out of the bed. "What?" she asked, dumbfounded. "But you...you're the...well, damn!"
"I'm the JAG," AJ finished for her. "And as such, I can call in sick when I feel like it." He uttered a fake cough. "And I feel like it."
Keely simply looked at him, marveling. Finally, she rolled over and kissed him thoroughly, wrapping both her arms around him. "You're nothing like I expected, AJ Chegwidden." There was a three second pause before she finally laughed, then kissed him languidly.
Returning the kiss, AJ couldn't help getting the last word. "You're exactly what I'd imagined, Keely."
"Oh, really?" she asked, intrigued. "And pray tell, what's that?"
"Beautiful," AJ said, nuzzling her neck. "Inside and out."
"Mmm," Keely replied, resting her head back on her pillow and closing her eyes.
* * *
Three hours later, the blinding morning sun of Washington, DC filtered in through the open shades in Keely's apartment. She opened her eyes and tried to get up, but realized she was literally trapped. She'd switched to her stomach during the night, and AJ was covering her with a strong arm and leg. She turned her head to look at him, smiling at his mouth hanging open in sleep. Slowly, she extracted herself from his embrace, slipping out of bed. She threw on her bathrobe and headed into the living room, gathering up their clothes from the previous night. She moved into the kitchen and grinned at the cold coffee. Whistling to herself, Keely started a fresh pot, and kneeled in front of her fridge, trying to figure out what on earth would stop her stomach from growling.
Slipping silently out of the curtained bedroom area, AJ stood behind Keely and cleared his throat.
From her perch, she turned her head and smiled at him. "I have English muffins and bagels, if you're hungry."
"Why don't you get dressed? I'll take you out--to celebrate," he added after a momentary pause.
Keely rose, shutting the fridge with her foot. "Okay, give me twenty minutes to shower." She rose on her toes to give him a good-morning kiss; kitten breath be damned.
Kissing her in response, AJ bargained, "Make it thirty and I'll join you in five." He reached for the phone as Keely disappeared into the bathroom. "Tiner, I'm not going to be in the office today. Tell Colonel Mackenzie that she's in charge. If you have an emergency, page me. But Tiner? It better be a life or death situation, or you'll have the wrath of Hell to pay. Understood? Good." He hung up and headed into the bathroom.
Tiner looked, extraordinarily confused, at his office phone. He replaced the phone on its hook and stared at it for a good five minutes. Then, he uttered the phrase heard 'round the JAG office: "What the *fuck*?"
End Ch. 1
