A/N: Wow, I got this chapter written fast! I scare myself. But yeah, this oughta be fun! Ahahah... that's right, everyone, brace yourselves. You're not gonna know what hit ya! Thanks go out to everyone who reviewed, especially my fellow JSM author Cloudburst2000, who posted her chapter the same time I posted mine! It was uncanny, let me tell you. I got goosebumps. Okay, not really, but it was warm at the time. And plus, I was too busy planning the events of the following chapter. Anyway, of course I don't own 'Just Shoot Me', and anyone who thinks that can go read the credits and see that my name isn't in them. So, without any further prattle, here's the next chapter. Enjoy... mwahahah...
Ciao
a 'Just Shoot Me' fanfiction
by Wakizashi
Saturday, 1:14 P.M.
"Hi! I'm Judy! How can I help you!?"
Maya was a little startled by the receptionist's perkiness, and judging by the way Finch took an involuntary step backward from the lobby desk at Monticello's Motel 6 as soon as Judy opened her mouth, he hadn't been prepared for it either. He opened his mouth to reply, then shut it abruptly, glancing at Maya. Finally he held up a finger. "We'll be right with you."
The receptionist stared at him, chewing her gum like a confused cow, as Finch grabbed Maya's arm and led her away from the desk. Maya knitted her brow at his odd behavior. "What's the problem?"
"I uh, heh," he stammered, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "See, the thing is... The repairs on the car are going to practically wipe out my bank account as it is, so I can really only afford... one motel room."
"Oh," she replied, then allowed his statement to sink in. "...Ohhh."
He stared down at the floor, suddenly extremely interested in his shoes. "So I mean, you can get another one if you really want, because I understand if you're all big on privacy--"
"No, no, it doesn't bother me," she found herself blurting. "There's no sense in spending extra money for no good reason. It's not a big deal anyway."
"Yeah, totally," he said, nodding rapidly. "Okay! Well. Shall we?" He strode back to the desk, where Judy the sprightly receptionist was busily attempting to chew gum and twirl her hair around her finger at the same time. Maya stood behind him as he rang the service bell. "Judy, hey. Sorry to interrupt you there," he began as her eyes widened in surprise, "but we need a room for tonight, preferrably non-smoking, with two full-sized beds. Can you make it happen, Judy? I'm countin' on ya."
"Of course! Certainly, sir!"
Maya bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, while Judy typed rapidly at the computer with a frantic eagerness to please her customer. Though, considering how few cars were in the motel's parking lot, it seemed highly unlikey that there were no vacancies to their specifications.
"All righty!" Judy chirped, her head bobbing happily. "We have a room available exactly as you requested, sir! Will you be paying with a credit card!? We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Exp--"
"Visa," he interrupted, shoving the plastic card in her face to silence her high-pitched, F# voice.
She plucked it from him with her manicured nails, and Maya had to wonder if they even had nail salons in Monticello. The receptionist slid the card through, listened for the beep, and nodded again. "All right! Thank you, Mr. Finch! Here is your key--" she passed a dull brass key over to him, "--and enjoy your stay here at Motel 6!"
"Thank you very much, Judy!!" he replied in a chipper voice that bordered on manic as he picked up his bags and motioned for Maya to do the same. She complied, trying desperately not to burst into giggles, and followed him out of the lobby, leaving a flustered Judy blinking at their retreating backs.
"Finch, I can't believe you did that," she finally exclaimed as she dropped her suitcase on the motel room's threadbare floor. As she flopped down on one of the two sagging mattresses, Finch looked at her innocently from where he was hanging up a pair of slacks in the closet.
"'Did'? Did what?"
"You know exactly what you did," she said, grinning. "Thank you very much, Judy!" she squeaked, her head cocking cluelessly to one side. Crossing her arms over her chest, she smirked. "You just can't help being a wiseass, can you?"
"It's what I do best, after all." He tried hanging his coat on one of the flimsy coathangers, but he gave up when it buckled under the weight and tossed the coat in the corner. Sighing and muttering indiscernibly, he crossed the room and collapsed on the other bed. For a while he was silent. Finally he rolled over onto his stomach, staring at the rose-colored carpet. "Sorry about all this."
Maya frowned. "Huh? What should you be sorry for?"
"Mmm." He lifted one hand and counted on his fingers. "Forcing you to come on this stupid trip even though you were sick. Being a jerkoff to you all morning. Owning such a disgraceful car and failing to acknowledge the fact that it always breaks down when I need it the most. Having to stay the night in a little motel room with a funky smell, and what's worse, with *me*. Need I go on?"
"Hey, come on, Finch," she protested, rising from her bed and sitting next to his horizontal figure. "Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm having a good time."
He snorted.
"No, seriously," she continued, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "I got a mobile massage in the seat of your car while listening to today's popular music. There was live entertainment, too," she added, remembering Finch's talent for the "robot". "Let's see. Well, I got plenty of fresh, highway air(which I think helped my cold a little), I was entertained by the Partridge Family's quirky everyday life, *and* I got to spend time with one of my favorite people. If that doesn't qualify as a good time, then I hate to tell you this, Finch, but you just don't know what fun is."
Turning over onto his back again, he stared up at her. Maya became abruptly aware of just how close they were to each other, and how very, *very* alone they were. Suddenly she could feel the heat from his leg that was pressed against her thigh, could detect the scent of his sharp, spicy cologne as it drifted from him. His keen blue eyes stared at her, *into* her, until she felt her face become hot.
"--just saying that?" he was saying.
She blinked. "What?"
"I said, you're not just saying that?" He looked up at her expectantly.
"No! No, of course not!" she said, laughing a little forcefully. "This has been a really fun trip, even if a few things have gone wrong." Reaching down and tousling his hair, she crawled off the bed and stood up. "Which reminds me, you might want to call your grandmother and tell her we can't make it today. I'm going to check out the bathroom, make sure there aren't any roaches or anything."
Maya could feel Finch's eyes on her as she made her way to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. As soon as the light was on, she sat down on the edge of the bathtub and rested her chin on her fists, trying to slow her breathing. *What the hell was that all about?* she thought to herself in alarm. A moment like that could be the start of something dangerous. Finch wasn't supposed to make her feel breathless, much less lightheaded. She wasn't supposed to blush when he fixed her with his intense azure gaze.
She wasn't supposed to be attracted to Finch.
Standing up and pacing the tiny bathroom, Maya wracked her brains trying to analyze the situation. They were alone together, and they were bonding far better than they would normally do at the office. He was being the Dennis Finch he was too reluctant to be around everyone else but her. It was only natural that she would feel something for him; they were becoming closer friends.
But still, did that account for the fact that out of the blue, the thought of his hands on her hips or his lips on her neck made her shudder, not with displeasure, but with bliss? She thought once again of that kiss on her cheek, and suddenly she realized it had affected her so much only because she had *liked* it so much.
"I am in serious trouble," she whispered to her reflection in the mirror.
After taking a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door and willed herself to step forward. To her surprise, Finch was gone. She wrinkled her brow in confusion until her eyes fell on a message left on the bedside table, written on a complimentary notepad. She took it up and read it.
::Hiya Maya,
Called my grandma. She's cool with everything.
Don't freak out, I went for a walk to see what
Monticello has to offer. And to think. Left the
key with you, so don't go anywhere, and don't
open the door for anyone but me.
Ciao, Finch::
A happy face had been doodled at the bottom of the page. Maya grinned in spite of her current predicament. "'Ciao, Finch'," she repeated, shaking her head. Who else would it be? Replacing the notepad on the table with a smile, she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on her bed by the window. As she grabbed the remote control and turned on the television, she surfed the channels absently and wondered when Finch would be back.
"Maya! Open the door, I could use some help here."
Not even trying to guess what that meant, Maya rose from the bed and threw the deadbolt as she heard *and* felt Finch's shoe come in contact with the bottom of the door. "Hang on," she called exasperatedly, opening it wide and staring in puzzlement at what she saw.
Finch stood outside the door, a sack of Chinese food in one hand and a large bag of... something in the other. A box of doughnuts balanced precariously on top of his head. "If you would be so kind?" he said, his eyes sweeping in the general direction of the doughnuts.
She quickly plucked the box off his head, resisting the urge to laugh. "How long have you been walking like that?" she had to ask as he elbowed his way inside.
"For the past sixteen blocks," he replied as he set both parcels on the desk next to the television. "Plenty of people laughed and pointed, but you know, I'm never gonna see them again, so who cares? You like sesame chicken, right?"
"Uh, yeah, it's my favorite," she said, surprised. As she set the box of pastries on the bedside table, she gestured to the bag that didn't contain Chinese food. "Whatcha got there?"
Finch grinned mischievously, and Maya's guard was up instantly. "I happened across a video store that rents out game systems. Behold!" he declared, removing a large black object from the bag. "I rented a Playstation 2 *and* a whole crapload of games. I hope you know they charged me extra for two controllers."
Maya's jaw dropped as she came forward to look at his treasure trove more closely. "Finch, what on earth possessed you to go into a video game frenzy?"
"Well, I know they're your secret passion," he said, poking her in the ribs and causing her to blush. "So I figured, if we're gonna be stuck here 'till tomorrow, we might as well make the most of it. Unless..." His eyebrows raised in a very smug, Finchy expression. "You don't think you can beat me at Gran Turismo 3. Which of course is understandable."
The blush abruptly left her cheeks, all ambiguity toward her companion forgotten. No one challenged Maya Gallo to a video game competition and won. She matched his arrogant expression and planted her fists on her hips. "Oh, believe me, my friend," she replied, leaning forward until their noses almost touched, "losing to you is the last thing on my mind."
A/N: Whooo, now Maya's got the hots for Finch, Finch's got the hots for Maya... Too bad neither of them even know it! Oh but they will. Soon enough. But not now! Anyway, this was a particularly fun chapter to write. I enjoyed Finch's goofy little note he left. Oh, and duh, I forgot to mention, if everyone didn't already figure it out, Vicki Costa is *not* in my story. First of all, I started the freakin' thing before the new season even came out, so it's not my fault. And plus, I don't really like her. And if she and Finch end up getting together, I am SO gonna open up a can of whoopass!! So anyway, glad I got that out in the open, and please leave a review. Ta ta, baby go to sleep now!
Wakizashi
tricksparrow@hotmail.com
Ciao
a 'Just Shoot Me' fanfiction
by Wakizashi
Saturday, 1:14 P.M.
"Hi! I'm Judy! How can I help you!?"
Maya was a little startled by the receptionist's perkiness, and judging by the way Finch took an involuntary step backward from the lobby desk at Monticello's Motel 6 as soon as Judy opened her mouth, he hadn't been prepared for it either. He opened his mouth to reply, then shut it abruptly, glancing at Maya. Finally he held up a finger. "We'll be right with you."
The receptionist stared at him, chewing her gum like a confused cow, as Finch grabbed Maya's arm and led her away from the desk. Maya knitted her brow at his odd behavior. "What's the problem?"
"I uh, heh," he stammered, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "See, the thing is... The repairs on the car are going to practically wipe out my bank account as it is, so I can really only afford... one motel room."
"Oh," she replied, then allowed his statement to sink in. "...Ohhh."
He stared down at the floor, suddenly extremely interested in his shoes. "So I mean, you can get another one if you really want, because I understand if you're all big on privacy--"
"No, no, it doesn't bother me," she found herself blurting. "There's no sense in spending extra money for no good reason. It's not a big deal anyway."
"Yeah, totally," he said, nodding rapidly. "Okay! Well. Shall we?" He strode back to the desk, where Judy the sprightly receptionist was busily attempting to chew gum and twirl her hair around her finger at the same time. Maya stood behind him as he rang the service bell. "Judy, hey. Sorry to interrupt you there," he began as her eyes widened in surprise, "but we need a room for tonight, preferrably non-smoking, with two full-sized beds. Can you make it happen, Judy? I'm countin' on ya."
"Of course! Certainly, sir!"
Maya bit down on the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing, while Judy typed rapidly at the computer with a frantic eagerness to please her customer. Though, considering how few cars were in the motel's parking lot, it seemed highly unlikey that there were no vacancies to their specifications.
"All righty!" Judy chirped, her head bobbing happily. "We have a room available exactly as you requested, sir! Will you be paying with a credit card!? We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Exp--"
"Visa," he interrupted, shoving the plastic card in her face to silence her high-pitched, F# voice.
She plucked it from him with her manicured nails, and Maya had to wonder if they even had nail salons in Monticello. The receptionist slid the card through, listened for the beep, and nodded again. "All right! Thank you, Mr. Finch! Here is your key--" she passed a dull brass key over to him, "--and enjoy your stay here at Motel 6!"
"Thank you very much, Judy!!" he replied in a chipper voice that bordered on manic as he picked up his bags and motioned for Maya to do the same. She complied, trying desperately not to burst into giggles, and followed him out of the lobby, leaving a flustered Judy blinking at their retreating backs.
"Finch, I can't believe you did that," she finally exclaimed as she dropped her suitcase on the motel room's threadbare floor. As she flopped down on one of the two sagging mattresses, Finch looked at her innocently from where he was hanging up a pair of slacks in the closet.
"'Did'? Did what?"
"You know exactly what you did," she said, grinning. "Thank you very much, Judy!" she squeaked, her head cocking cluelessly to one side. Crossing her arms over her chest, she smirked. "You just can't help being a wiseass, can you?"
"It's what I do best, after all." He tried hanging his coat on one of the flimsy coathangers, but he gave up when it buckled under the weight and tossed the coat in the corner. Sighing and muttering indiscernibly, he crossed the room and collapsed on the other bed. For a while he was silent. Finally he rolled over onto his stomach, staring at the rose-colored carpet. "Sorry about all this."
Maya frowned. "Huh? What should you be sorry for?"
"Mmm." He lifted one hand and counted on his fingers. "Forcing you to come on this stupid trip even though you were sick. Being a jerkoff to you all morning. Owning such a disgraceful car and failing to acknowledge the fact that it always breaks down when I need it the most. Having to stay the night in a little motel room with a funky smell, and what's worse, with *me*. Need I go on?"
"Hey, come on, Finch," she protested, rising from her bed and sitting next to his horizontal figure. "Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm having a good time."
He snorted.
"No, seriously," she continued, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "I got a mobile massage in the seat of your car while listening to today's popular music. There was live entertainment, too," she added, remembering Finch's talent for the "robot". "Let's see. Well, I got plenty of fresh, highway air(which I think helped my cold a little), I was entertained by the Partridge Family's quirky everyday life, *and* I got to spend time with one of my favorite people. If that doesn't qualify as a good time, then I hate to tell you this, Finch, but you just don't know what fun is."
Turning over onto his back again, he stared up at her. Maya became abruptly aware of just how close they were to each other, and how very, *very* alone they were. Suddenly she could feel the heat from his leg that was pressed against her thigh, could detect the scent of his sharp, spicy cologne as it drifted from him. His keen blue eyes stared at her, *into* her, until she felt her face become hot.
"--just saying that?" he was saying.
She blinked. "What?"
"I said, you're not just saying that?" He looked up at her expectantly.
"No! No, of course not!" she said, laughing a little forcefully. "This has been a really fun trip, even if a few things have gone wrong." Reaching down and tousling his hair, she crawled off the bed and stood up. "Which reminds me, you might want to call your grandmother and tell her we can't make it today. I'm going to check out the bathroom, make sure there aren't any roaches or anything."
Maya could feel Finch's eyes on her as she made her way to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. As soon as the light was on, she sat down on the edge of the bathtub and rested her chin on her fists, trying to slow her breathing. *What the hell was that all about?* she thought to herself in alarm. A moment like that could be the start of something dangerous. Finch wasn't supposed to make her feel breathless, much less lightheaded. She wasn't supposed to blush when he fixed her with his intense azure gaze.
She wasn't supposed to be attracted to Finch.
Standing up and pacing the tiny bathroom, Maya wracked her brains trying to analyze the situation. They were alone together, and they were bonding far better than they would normally do at the office. He was being the Dennis Finch he was too reluctant to be around everyone else but her. It was only natural that she would feel something for him; they were becoming closer friends.
But still, did that account for the fact that out of the blue, the thought of his hands on her hips or his lips on her neck made her shudder, not with displeasure, but with bliss? She thought once again of that kiss on her cheek, and suddenly she realized it had affected her so much only because she had *liked* it so much.
"I am in serious trouble," she whispered to her reflection in the mirror.
After taking a deep breath, she opened the bathroom door and willed herself to step forward. To her surprise, Finch was gone. She wrinkled her brow in confusion until her eyes fell on a message left on the bedside table, written on a complimentary notepad. She took it up and read it.
::Hiya Maya,
Called my grandma. She's cool with everything.
Don't freak out, I went for a walk to see what
Monticello has to offer. And to think. Left the
key with you, so don't go anywhere, and don't
open the door for anyone but me.
Ciao, Finch::
A happy face had been doodled at the bottom of the page. Maya grinned in spite of her current predicament. "'Ciao, Finch'," she repeated, shaking her head. Who else would it be? Replacing the notepad on the table with a smile, she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on her bed by the window. As she grabbed the remote control and turned on the television, she surfed the channels absently and wondered when Finch would be back.
"Maya! Open the door, I could use some help here."
Not even trying to guess what that meant, Maya rose from the bed and threw the deadbolt as she heard *and* felt Finch's shoe come in contact with the bottom of the door. "Hang on," she called exasperatedly, opening it wide and staring in puzzlement at what she saw.
Finch stood outside the door, a sack of Chinese food in one hand and a large bag of... something in the other. A box of doughnuts balanced precariously on top of his head. "If you would be so kind?" he said, his eyes sweeping in the general direction of the doughnuts.
She quickly plucked the box off his head, resisting the urge to laugh. "How long have you been walking like that?" she had to ask as he elbowed his way inside.
"For the past sixteen blocks," he replied as he set both parcels on the desk next to the television. "Plenty of people laughed and pointed, but you know, I'm never gonna see them again, so who cares? You like sesame chicken, right?"
"Uh, yeah, it's my favorite," she said, surprised. As she set the box of pastries on the bedside table, she gestured to the bag that didn't contain Chinese food. "Whatcha got there?"
Finch grinned mischievously, and Maya's guard was up instantly. "I happened across a video store that rents out game systems. Behold!" he declared, removing a large black object from the bag. "I rented a Playstation 2 *and* a whole crapload of games. I hope you know they charged me extra for two controllers."
Maya's jaw dropped as she came forward to look at his treasure trove more closely. "Finch, what on earth possessed you to go into a video game frenzy?"
"Well, I know they're your secret passion," he said, poking her in the ribs and causing her to blush. "So I figured, if we're gonna be stuck here 'till tomorrow, we might as well make the most of it. Unless..." His eyebrows raised in a very smug, Finchy expression. "You don't think you can beat me at Gran Turismo 3. Which of course is understandable."
The blush abruptly left her cheeks, all ambiguity toward her companion forgotten. No one challenged Maya Gallo to a video game competition and won. She matched his arrogant expression and planted her fists on her hips. "Oh, believe me, my friend," she replied, leaning forward until their noses almost touched, "losing to you is the last thing on my mind."
A/N: Whooo, now Maya's got the hots for Finch, Finch's got the hots for Maya... Too bad neither of them even know it! Oh but they will. Soon enough. But not now! Anyway, this was a particularly fun chapter to write. I enjoyed Finch's goofy little note he left. Oh, and duh, I forgot to mention, if everyone didn't already figure it out, Vicki Costa is *not* in my story. First of all, I started the freakin' thing before the new season even came out, so it's not my fault. And plus, I don't really like her. And if she and Finch end up getting together, I am SO gonna open up a can of whoopass!! So anyway, glad I got that out in the open, and please leave a review. Ta ta, baby go to sleep now!
Wakizashi
tricksparrow@hotmail.com