"Joe, I wasn't asking you to uh...sleep...with me this weekend," Rick said gently. "To begin with, that would be moving way too fast for both of us. And I never thought you were the type of person to be intimate with just anyone."
Joe turned to look at Rick once again. "I will admit the fact that you are still a virgin threw me there for a minute but then, you are special."
"Sometimes too," Joe murmured.
"What do you mean by that?" Rick demanded, his eyes narrowing on Joe.
"Nothing," Joe replied wearily. Had he really said that out loud?
"Tell me sometime?" Rick asked, taking Joe's hand.
"You still want to see me?" Joe asked in disbelief.
"Joe, I don't know where this is going either but I know where I want it to go," Rick said, gazing intently into Joe's blue eyes. "And if it does lead to us getting married, yes, there are places were we can get legally married," he stopped Joe's interruption before it began. "Then I will be the happiest person in the world. If not, then I know we will be good friends for the rest of our lives."
"Unless I scare you off," Joe said before he could stop himself.
"Never happen," Rick told Joe. "So how about this weekend?" he asked. "Strictly platonic."
"I can't," Joe refused slowly, his expression reflecting the regret he felt at declining the offer. "I feel like we're moving too fast."
"I understand," Rick said. "We'll stick with lunch for now," he compromised. "We'll go as slow or as fast as you want."
"Thanks," Joe replied.
They returned to the car. "I know you need to go to the office for your books but we should take your present home first," Rick said. "Where do you live?"
"Actually, I think I will keep him at the office for a bit," Joe said with a grin. "I just moved into a new apartment and it still needs some cleaning before I try putting anything nice in it."
"It's just a stuffed rabbit," Rick pointed out.
"But it's from you," countered Joe.
(a couple of months later)
"We'll be back in a few days," Fenton informed Laura as he headed toward the front door with an overnight bag on his arm. "This shouldn't take long. We already know who we're after and how he's taking the funds," he explained.
"We just have to catch him doing it and find out where he's keeping it," added Frank who was already at the door waiting.
"Be careful," Laura told them, leaning up and kissing Fenton. "And call me if you're going to be gone longer than three days?" she requested, worry clouding her blue eyes as she moved to Frank who leaned down for a kiss on his cheek.
"We will," promised Fenton, aware his wife had become more anxious over him and Frank since Joe's departure.
"We'll be home by Thanksgiving at the latest," Frank told her. "The company Klassine works for closes Wednesday afternoon and doesn't reopen until the following Monday."
"Good," Laura said. "We...we'll all be home for Thanksgiving dinner."
Rick entered Joe's office and closed the door behind him. "Hey," Joe greeted him, standing up and going to meet him halfway.
"Hey," Rick returned huskily, pulling Joe into his embrace and kissing him. A couple of minutes later he pulled back but did not release his hold. "Want to go away for the holiday?" he asked.
"Okay," Joe readily agreed. He hadn't been looking forward to spending his first family holiday by himself.
Rick smiled, glad his guess had been right about getting Joe's mind off of his troubles for Thanksgiving. He and Joe had grown closer but Joe still was hesitant to talk a lot about himself although he had finally told Rick about being abducted by a cult as a sacrifice because some of the members had overheard him turning down an invitation from his girlfriend.
"I thought we could fly to Hawaii for a few days," Rick divulged his plans. "We can stay in the hotel's penthouse. It has two separate bedrooms with full baths and a living and dining area."
"Been there before, huh?" Joe asked, his arms still resting on Rick's broad shoulders.
Rick gave a small shrug. "I own a few hotels in the area."
"When do you want to leave?" asked Joe.
"School?" Rick inquired with the lift of a brow.
"No college courses or night school until next Monday," Joe informed him.
"Great!" enthused Rick, his green eyes twinkling. "We can leave Wednesday after work," he said.
"Wonderful," Joe said, leaning up and kissing Rick lightly on the lips.
"Want to have dinner tonight?" Rick inquired.
"I would love to but I had better not," answered Joe with a dejected sigh. "I have two essays due Monday and if we're leaving I should try and get them done before we go."
"Want a lift home?" Rick asked, cocking an eyebrow as he tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind Joe's ear.
"Nah," Joe declined the offer. "You have that meeting with Sonya Hemming this afternoon," he reminded Rick.
Rick wrinkled his nose. "I would rather spend the time with you."
"I know," acknowledged Joe wondering how he had gotten so lucky. It felt great to have someone who obviously cared so much about him. His first month alone he had missed Frank so much; had missed his being there to talk with; to confide in; to look out for him. But since his birthday, he hadn't missed Frank or any of his former friends or parents as much as he did. Rick had been attentive, thoughtful and caring; more so than his brother had ever been. Rick made him feel not only special but also good about himself. "But we can meet for breakfast?"
"Pick you up at seven?" inquired Rick.
"I'll meet you there," Joe said. He was afraid to let Rick see where he lived. Although they had been dating only a little over two months Rick had become more protective than Frank had ever been.
"Okay," Rick agreed although the corners of his mouth turned down a fraction. He still couldn't understand why Joe would never let him pick him up.
Rick kissed Joe once again before leaving. Joe finished his work for the afternoon and set up the layout for the brochure he, Lani, and Pat were going to be putting together over the next two days, then left the office.
Joe stopped by the Burger Barn for a quick dinner, knowing he had little more than milk and cereal at home, then went to the library. After completing the research he needed, he replaced the books on the shelves and headed home. He looked down at his watch as he neared his apartment building, wondering if Rick had finished his meeting yet. His step faltered as he heard a voice from his past say his name.
Joe turned to look at Rick once again. "I will admit the fact that you are still a virgin threw me there for a minute but then, you are special."
"Sometimes too," Joe murmured.
"What do you mean by that?" Rick demanded, his eyes narrowing on Joe.
"Nothing," Joe replied wearily. Had he really said that out loud?
"Tell me sometime?" Rick asked, taking Joe's hand.
"You still want to see me?" Joe asked in disbelief.
"Joe, I don't know where this is going either but I know where I want it to go," Rick said, gazing intently into Joe's blue eyes. "And if it does lead to us getting married, yes, there are places were we can get legally married," he stopped Joe's interruption before it began. "Then I will be the happiest person in the world. If not, then I know we will be good friends for the rest of our lives."
"Unless I scare you off," Joe said before he could stop himself.
"Never happen," Rick told Joe. "So how about this weekend?" he asked. "Strictly platonic."
"I can't," Joe refused slowly, his expression reflecting the regret he felt at declining the offer. "I feel like we're moving too fast."
"I understand," Rick said. "We'll stick with lunch for now," he compromised. "We'll go as slow or as fast as you want."
"Thanks," Joe replied.
They returned to the car. "I know you need to go to the office for your books but we should take your present home first," Rick said. "Where do you live?"
"Actually, I think I will keep him at the office for a bit," Joe said with a grin. "I just moved into a new apartment and it still needs some cleaning before I try putting anything nice in it."
"It's just a stuffed rabbit," Rick pointed out.
"But it's from you," countered Joe.
(a couple of months later)
"We'll be back in a few days," Fenton informed Laura as he headed toward the front door with an overnight bag on his arm. "This shouldn't take long. We already know who we're after and how he's taking the funds," he explained.
"We just have to catch him doing it and find out where he's keeping it," added Frank who was already at the door waiting.
"Be careful," Laura told them, leaning up and kissing Fenton. "And call me if you're going to be gone longer than three days?" she requested, worry clouding her blue eyes as she moved to Frank who leaned down for a kiss on his cheek.
"We will," promised Fenton, aware his wife had become more anxious over him and Frank since Joe's departure.
"We'll be home by Thanksgiving at the latest," Frank told her. "The company Klassine works for closes Wednesday afternoon and doesn't reopen until the following Monday."
"Good," Laura said. "We...we'll all be home for Thanksgiving dinner."
Rick entered Joe's office and closed the door behind him. "Hey," Joe greeted him, standing up and going to meet him halfway.
"Hey," Rick returned huskily, pulling Joe into his embrace and kissing him. A couple of minutes later he pulled back but did not release his hold. "Want to go away for the holiday?" he asked.
"Okay," Joe readily agreed. He hadn't been looking forward to spending his first family holiday by himself.
Rick smiled, glad his guess had been right about getting Joe's mind off of his troubles for Thanksgiving. He and Joe had grown closer but Joe still was hesitant to talk a lot about himself although he had finally told Rick about being abducted by a cult as a sacrifice because some of the members had overheard him turning down an invitation from his girlfriend.
"I thought we could fly to Hawaii for a few days," Rick divulged his plans. "We can stay in the hotel's penthouse. It has two separate bedrooms with full baths and a living and dining area."
"Been there before, huh?" Joe asked, his arms still resting on Rick's broad shoulders.
Rick gave a small shrug. "I own a few hotels in the area."
"When do you want to leave?" asked Joe.
"School?" Rick inquired with the lift of a brow.
"No college courses or night school until next Monday," Joe informed him.
"Great!" enthused Rick, his green eyes twinkling. "We can leave Wednesday after work," he said.
"Wonderful," Joe said, leaning up and kissing Rick lightly on the lips.
"Want to have dinner tonight?" Rick inquired.
"I would love to but I had better not," answered Joe with a dejected sigh. "I have two essays due Monday and if we're leaving I should try and get them done before we go."
"Want a lift home?" Rick asked, cocking an eyebrow as he tucked a stray strand of blond hair behind Joe's ear.
"Nah," Joe declined the offer. "You have that meeting with Sonya Hemming this afternoon," he reminded Rick.
Rick wrinkled his nose. "I would rather spend the time with you."
"I know," acknowledged Joe wondering how he had gotten so lucky. It felt great to have someone who obviously cared so much about him. His first month alone he had missed Frank so much; had missed his being there to talk with; to confide in; to look out for him. But since his birthday, he hadn't missed Frank or any of his former friends or parents as much as he did. Rick had been attentive, thoughtful and caring; more so than his brother had ever been. Rick made him feel not only special but also good about himself. "But we can meet for breakfast?"
"Pick you up at seven?" inquired Rick.
"I'll meet you there," Joe said. He was afraid to let Rick see where he lived. Although they had been dating only a little over two months Rick had become more protective than Frank had ever been.
"Okay," Rick agreed although the corners of his mouth turned down a fraction. He still couldn't understand why Joe would never let him pick him up.
Rick kissed Joe once again before leaving. Joe finished his work for the afternoon and set up the layout for the brochure he, Lani, and Pat were going to be putting together over the next two days, then left the office.
Joe stopped by the Burger Barn for a quick dinner, knowing he had little more than milk and cereal at home, then went to the library. After completing the research he needed, he replaced the books on the shelves and headed home. He looked down at his watch as he neared his apartment building, wondering if Rick had finished his meeting yet. His step faltered as he heard a voice from his past say his name.