The Unseen Obstacle CH.8

I Disclaim

Three Months Ago

Joey opened the door on the second knock and felt her eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Doug Witter, not just at her house but not in uniform, wearing only a pair worn jeans and midnight blue tennis shirt. "Deputy Doug."

"Joey."

"Bessie and Bodie aren't in, they're having dinner in Boston."

"I know."

"Then want to tell me why you're here." She looked him up and down." You're not here on police business."

"No, I'm not."

"Doug I'm getting bored here, what do you want."

"An explanation."

Joey gave a small bitter laugh and tried to shut the door, but didn't get there in time to keep out Doug's foot." Go away Deputy Doug."

Rolling his eyes as the tiny woman tried to push him out of the door, he used his shoulder knock the door back practically dropping her on her butt. "No can do Josephine."

"You know this is some form of harassment, you not in uniform, you don't have a warrant, and you're barging into my house, I can report you for this."

"Really and when Bessie comes home and finds cop cars outside her house, you explain how I found you half naked on football player at the party at Jack's last month."

"What football player?"

'What football player?' The guy it took Doug a five hour to track down, Paul Baines a halfback on the Capeside football team. He had five speeding tickets, drove a blue late model Chevy cavalier, and had 2.8 GPA. How could she not know him, she was all over him when Doug found them. "Your friend from Jacks party."

"Baine." Jack's friend from the football team." What's Baine got to do with you?"

"What's he got to do with me?" Doug asked incuriously." I don't know Joey, maybe when I find the two of you in bed together; I think I'm owed an explanation."

Joey took in his indignation and scoffed, before sitting down on the couch and turning the T.V. up." No I don't think you are cause what ever we were we weren't as of a month ago , so I owe you nothing, least of all explanation as if you were my boyfriend, so please see yourself out."

"So you just think I'm going to accept that and leave."

" Well Dougie you're sure as hell not going to wait around till Bessie and Bodie return and have to explain to them your intense interest in my sex life, not while Bessie's so protective, and Bodie so handy with those kitchen knives."

"Want to try me?"

"Seventeen will get you twenty."

"I'm serious Joey."

" No you're not Doug, you're territorial , you're a dog that had a bone, you didn't really want the bone until you saw another dog with it, but what you didn't count on was that I'm not a bone, I don't care what you want or that you're angry, I just want to move on with my life without having to deal with you."

"So that's it." He ran a hand through his short hair annoyed to no end. "After a month together now you're with him and I get no explanation."

Joey flicked off the TV. and tossed the remote on couch before she rose to face him. " When were we together, cause I remember 'talks' in your cruiser, but no actually relationship, and no I'm not with Baine, and there is an explanation I'm just not giving it to you."

And there it was in her eyes, everything Joey Potter every meant or feel was in her eyes, and right now was a challenge. To get an explanation all he had to do was admit the truth. That he was more then a dog with a bone, that he cared about her, that the thought that something anything happening with the halfback was killing him, she was killing him. Slowly and with each every breath she took that was done to show him that he wasn't her focus, like she was his.

Joey Potter may feel like she has no clue when it comes to the opposite sex, but she was a master, she had him right where she wanted him, and had the Leery kid there too. It wasn't that they were dogs with bones; it was that they were just men being led astray by a sirens song. They fought against it because they knew it would kill them, that they couldn't handle it. He didn't fight wanting Joey cause he didn't really want her, he fought the wanting because he knew he couldn't handle her.

"And if I said I loved you."

That stopped her; she dropped back on the heel of her feet. She had never considered that, but she quickly shook the thought from her head, that just wasn't possible." I said you're lying."

" Really cause a man in love doesn't see red at the sight of the woman he loves in bed with another man, cause a man in love doesn't track down that man and contemplate pulling him over and beating him senseless for being that close to said woman, cause a man in love doesn't spend hours going over every moment we spend trying find out if they meant the same to you as it did to me, but you're right I'm probably lying cause that's not love."

That said he began moving toward the door, his hand was on the knob when her heard her same something, but her voice was so small he couldn't make it out." What?"

"Baine is gay, he was only at the party to try to hit on Jack but he lost his courage." Joey said as she walked into the foyer still a few feet away but closes enough." So he ended up drinking with me in Jack's parents room, except that there was an accident with a bottle, and we ended up drenched in rum , which is why we weren't wearing much we when woke up, but again as he is gay, nothing happened." "Which I think is good sign that my attraction to homosexuals is beginning to wane."

"Really?" He said taking a step closer to her. "That's good."

"Yeah." Joey nodding." I think however I'm developing another even sicker attraction."

"Do tell."

"I am beginning to find Police Deputies attractive, really attractive."

Doug backtracking toward the front door aware that she was in fact following him, with a spark in his eye that was making it harder for him to breath. "That could be problematic."

"I know especially in this tiny little town, where there are only three deputies. " She was now only inches away from him, close enough where she could smell his sandalwood cologne, she had him basically trapped it was her of the door. "Maybe I should move to a bigger town."

"Or you could see what happens with the deputies here." He said as he slid his arm around her waist.

"Well I could." She said as she slipped her arms around his neck. "But Deputy Fuller is married, and Deputy O'Neil is old and fat, which only leaves Deputy Witter who is complicated to say the least."

"I think Deputy Witter is a lot less complicated then you've been led to believe."

"Really, cause my sister and brother-in- law will be back soon."

"Oh." His armed tightened around her waist not letting her go. "But she's not here yet."

"No, she's not here yet." Joey said as she raised herself up on her tip toes, and kissed Deputy Witter, after all he was the cutest of the Deputies.