Title: Just Surrender
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours. Enough said.
Summary: Moments have a funny way of re-occurring.
A/N: Thanks go to Riverstar for beta'ing. And thanks also to Traci who helped me think up a title for a piece that wanted to remain untitled. :) Look, River, I finally did it. LOL!
~x~
Alex squirmed restlessly in her seat, trying unsuccessfully to work out the kinks in her legs and lower back. About 100 law enforcement personnel were crammed into a room that was too small and too stuffy to seat that many without severe discomfort, and she wondered if this was a strategy of the organisers to see how they coped, or just a result of the city's recent budget cuts. They were all there attending a weekend team seminar that included lectures on goal setting, conflict resolution and constructive problem solving, and while she could see some benefits to this, she had zoned out around the time the fourth guest speaker started lecturing on attitudes and values.
She stretched her legs and again lamented the fact that she hadn't had the forethought to choose an aisle seat. Bobby had, and as a result she was sandwiched between his giant frame and some balding guy who had a bad case of B.O. Alex twisted again and tilted her head towards her partner, inhaling deeply. Today she was very thankful that he always managed to smell good, no matter where he was or what he was doing. She sighed and let her eyes drop to the handout they'd been given. Bobby was making notes in the margins of his, totally oblivious to her discomfort. For some obscure reason this annoyed her, and she nudged him sharply in the side to release some of her frustration.
"Change seats with me," she demanded in a low voice.
Bobby looked up from his notes with glazed eyes. "I don't think so," he said absently.
"Bobby!"
"You can take that tone with me all you like, Alex, but I'm not giving you this seat."
Alex decided to change tactics. After all, her mother always told her that you caught more flies with honey.
"Please, Bobby?" she wheedled.
Bobby grinned, all of a sudden much more interested in baiting his partner than learning about attitudes and values. "Oh no, you're not getting me like that. Besides, there's more leg room here."
"What exactly are you saying?" Alex asked with an edge to her voice.
"Nothing. I'm merely pointing out that I need all the legroom I can get, while you …"
"While I what?"
"While your little legs have ample space right where they are."
Her voice went up an octave. "Little legs?"
The balding, smelly man looked over at her and quickly looked away again. He wasn't interested enough to get caught up in their squabbling.
"They're very pretty legs, Alex, but you have to admit that there's not much of them."
She narrowed her eyes and glared at him, but he wasn't budging.
"Fine," she said finally, deciding to let it slide. The fact that he said she had pretty legs had nothing to do with it. The fact that he'd even noticed her legs in the first place ...well, that was another matter entirely.
"But if I get struck with deep vein thrombosis you're going to feel pretty guilty that you didn't switch with me."
"I think I'll risk it," he chortled, and turned his attention back to the speaker.
Alex nudged him again. "You can't tell me that you actually find this pompous ass interesting."
"If I can learn something new then it's never a wasted day," he replied, knowing his inattention would drive her crazy.
"Bobby, c'mon. I'm hot and bored and uncomfortable, and I've had enough for one day." She lowered her voice to a conniving whisper. "Let's play hooky."
Bobby had just about had enough too, but found that taunting Alex was making his day a lot brighter than it had been. "There's only another few hours left," he hedged. "We may as well stay to the end."
"You stay then," Alex hissed. "Move your legs – I'm leaving."
She gathered her things and tried to make an inconspicuous exit, but was thwarted when Bobby grabbed her shirt and stopped her in her tracks. "No you don't," he said. "Not without me."
He stood up, and taking the lead led her towards the door to freedom. They ignored the resentful eyes of the other participants, and once safely in the foyer they expelled sighs of relief that they hadn't been caught.
"So, what do you want to do now?"
"Go home?" she answered quickly. "They've already marked us as attending ... we can blow the rest of the seminar and have a relaxing weekend and no one would be the wiser."
Bobby nodded, a little disappointed that she didn't want to spend any more time with him. "Or," he offered, "We could stay and take advantage of the wonderful facilities this hotel offers."
Alex scoffed. "What wonderful facilities? The city can't afford a hotel with wonderful facilities – that's why we're stuck in this dump."
"I'm sure it has its good qualities."
"Like what? Clean bed linen?"
His eyes sparkled with pleasure, as always, amused by her quick wit. "I think I'm gonna stick around. Take advantage of that clean linen."
She shook her head with good-natured exasperation. "Always looking for the best in things," she muttered.
"Sorry?"
"Nothing. So, you wanna grab a bite to eat?"
"I thought you were going home," he said, containing his sudden exhilaration.
"I can't leave you here alone, can I? Who knows what new-fangled ideas you'll come into work with."
He smiled and ushered her towards the café they'd passed on the way in. "Food?"
"Yeah, feed me. Before I decide that not even clean sheets are enough of an incentive to keep me here."
TBC…
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, not yours. Enough said.
Summary: Moments have a funny way of re-occurring.
A/N: Thanks go to Riverstar for beta'ing. And thanks also to Traci who helped me think up a title for a piece that wanted to remain untitled. :) Look, River, I finally did it. LOL!
~x~
Alex squirmed restlessly in her seat, trying unsuccessfully to work out the kinks in her legs and lower back. About 100 law enforcement personnel were crammed into a room that was too small and too stuffy to seat that many without severe discomfort, and she wondered if this was a strategy of the organisers to see how they coped, or just a result of the city's recent budget cuts. They were all there attending a weekend team seminar that included lectures on goal setting, conflict resolution and constructive problem solving, and while she could see some benefits to this, she had zoned out around the time the fourth guest speaker started lecturing on attitudes and values.
She stretched her legs and again lamented the fact that she hadn't had the forethought to choose an aisle seat. Bobby had, and as a result she was sandwiched between his giant frame and some balding guy who had a bad case of B.O. Alex twisted again and tilted her head towards her partner, inhaling deeply. Today she was very thankful that he always managed to smell good, no matter where he was or what he was doing. She sighed and let her eyes drop to the handout they'd been given. Bobby was making notes in the margins of his, totally oblivious to her discomfort. For some obscure reason this annoyed her, and she nudged him sharply in the side to release some of her frustration.
"Change seats with me," she demanded in a low voice.
Bobby looked up from his notes with glazed eyes. "I don't think so," he said absently.
"Bobby!"
"You can take that tone with me all you like, Alex, but I'm not giving you this seat."
Alex decided to change tactics. After all, her mother always told her that you caught more flies with honey.
"Please, Bobby?" she wheedled.
Bobby grinned, all of a sudden much more interested in baiting his partner than learning about attitudes and values. "Oh no, you're not getting me like that. Besides, there's more leg room here."
"What exactly are you saying?" Alex asked with an edge to her voice.
"Nothing. I'm merely pointing out that I need all the legroom I can get, while you …"
"While I what?"
"While your little legs have ample space right where they are."
Her voice went up an octave. "Little legs?"
The balding, smelly man looked over at her and quickly looked away again. He wasn't interested enough to get caught up in their squabbling.
"They're very pretty legs, Alex, but you have to admit that there's not much of them."
She narrowed her eyes and glared at him, but he wasn't budging.
"Fine," she said finally, deciding to let it slide. The fact that he said she had pretty legs had nothing to do with it. The fact that he'd even noticed her legs in the first place ...well, that was another matter entirely.
"But if I get struck with deep vein thrombosis you're going to feel pretty guilty that you didn't switch with me."
"I think I'll risk it," he chortled, and turned his attention back to the speaker.
Alex nudged him again. "You can't tell me that you actually find this pompous ass interesting."
"If I can learn something new then it's never a wasted day," he replied, knowing his inattention would drive her crazy.
"Bobby, c'mon. I'm hot and bored and uncomfortable, and I've had enough for one day." She lowered her voice to a conniving whisper. "Let's play hooky."
Bobby had just about had enough too, but found that taunting Alex was making his day a lot brighter than it had been. "There's only another few hours left," he hedged. "We may as well stay to the end."
"You stay then," Alex hissed. "Move your legs – I'm leaving."
She gathered her things and tried to make an inconspicuous exit, but was thwarted when Bobby grabbed her shirt and stopped her in her tracks. "No you don't," he said. "Not without me."
He stood up, and taking the lead led her towards the door to freedom. They ignored the resentful eyes of the other participants, and once safely in the foyer they expelled sighs of relief that they hadn't been caught.
"So, what do you want to do now?"
"Go home?" she answered quickly. "They've already marked us as attending ... we can blow the rest of the seminar and have a relaxing weekend and no one would be the wiser."
Bobby nodded, a little disappointed that she didn't want to spend any more time with him. "Or," he offered, "We could stay and take advantage of the wonderful facilities this hotel offers."
Alex scoffed. "What wonderful facilities? The city can't afford a hotel with wonderful facilities – that's why we're stuck in this dump."
"I'm sure it has its good qualities."
"Like what? Clean bed linen?"
His eyes sparkled with pleasure, as always, amused by her quick wit. "I think I'm gonna stick around. Take advantage of that clean linen."
She shook her head with good-natured exasperation. "Always looking for the best in things," she muttered.
"Sorry?"
"Nothing. So, you wanna grab a bite to eat?"
"I thought you were going home," he said, containing his sudden exhilaration.
"I can't leave you here alone, can I? Who knows what new-fangled ideas you'll come into work with."
He smiled and ushered her towards the café they'd passed on the way in. "Food?"
"Yeah, feed me. Before I decide that not even clean sheets are enough of an incentive to keep me here."
TBC…