Tony drove Brenda home, since she took the bus, and they enjoyed light conversation mostly about Brenda and the news, and not so much about Tony and CTU. That was one thing about Michelle, she and Tony were always on the same page career-wise.
"So then he brought me this coffee and a Danish!" Brenda laughed at her slight attempt at a joke and Tony mimicked the laugh.
"So you must have some stories about CTU?" Brenda asked, just as Tony pulled up into the driveway of her quaint bungalow.
"Uh," Tony tugged at his shirt collar.
"Oh, come on, we can talk over coffee!"
Tony got out and followed Brenda to the front door, and then the kitchen.
"What do you take in yours?"
"I just have it black,"
"Okay. You know, there was a story that I broadcasted about black coffee against coffee with cream and sugar. So…CTU…?"
"Well, I started working there since my mid-twenties, and back then Jack Bauer was the director, then George Mason, who died a couple of months ago, and now me,"
"Oh. So, how many days like today have you had? And what happened?"
"Only a couple. I won't get in to some of the crises', but nuclear threats, attempts on President Palmer's life, stuff like that."
"So, you must be really good at what you do?"
"Yeah. You've gotta have resistance under pressure and keep your cool," Tony answered, gratefully taking the mug of coffee Brenda handed him.
"I love the news, and ever since I was a little girl, have wanted to become a news castor."
Once again, the conversation turned to Brenda.
"So, have you ever had any inter-office relationships?"
It was almost as if Brenda was interviewing Tony for a report or something.
Tony choked at the question. He wondered if he should tell Brenda about Michelle, the woman he'd loved since the moment he laid eyes on her…
Michelle and Rob were sharing a slice of dark chocolate cake and sipping from the same wine glass. Jack and Kate were still spying on them, and finally, Michelle noticed.
"Oh no way!" Michelle whispered so only Rob could hear.
"What?"
"That's Jack and his girlfriend Kate over there!"
"So?"
"So? He's probably spying on us so that he can tell Tony or something!"
"Tony?"
Michelle weakly smiled. She hadn't told Rob about Tony or that day with Nina yet.
"Yeah, uh, the director of CTU. We went on one date and it turned out to be a disaster and I got kidnapped so I broke up with him."
"Cool," Rob smiled. "Hey, you wanna get out of here?"
Michelle got Goosebumps. What did he mean 'get out of here'? Did he want her to go to his apartment and sleep with him?
"Uh, yeah. I'd like to get some sleep though. I'm beat!"
Michelle looked over at Jack and Kate, who immediately turned away. She leaned over and tenderly kissed Rob. He smiled while she kissed him more firmly, and grabbed her butt and squeezed it hard. Shivers were sent up and down Michelle's spine. But not the good shivers she got when she was around Tony, but the freakishly creeped-out shivers. She immediately pulled away and he looked at her, a little confused.
"Babe?"
"I'd better go,"
She got up and kissed him on the cheek. Once outside, Michelle hailed a taxi that took her home. She curled up on the couch and wrapped herself with a blanket, and buried herself in pillows. That was probably the most awkward thing that had happened in their relationship so far. She cried small tears and reached for the phone. She dialed Rob's phone number and the answering machine picked up.
"Hey, this is Rob's phone number…" some grunting and a female voice saying, 'baby come back,' "I'm busy getting laid, so if you've got something to say, say it after the beep…" more grunting, "and if this is Michelle, you're dumped. I picked up this hooker and we're done,"
BEEP!
Michelle hung up and re-dialed. She listened to the message on the answering machine over and over, until it finally hit her: Rob dumped after the way she reacted to the butt-squeeze. That jerk. She just got dumped for a hooker, and not even twenty minutes ago!
"He squeezed her ass!" Kate sighed stepping into the passenger seat of Jack's SUV.
"Yeah, and then she left, and then he left."
"That's so inappropriate!"
"Yeah,"
"Would you…do that to me?"
"Yeah sure, but not in public."
"Sure?"
Jack hesitated. "Uh, yeah. Sure."
Kate smiled, and took Jack's hand.
The next morning…Tony woke up in an unfamiliar bed, naked, next to a strange woman. Brenda! He had slept with Brenda! The last thing he remembered was drinking a half a bottle of vodka. Half a bottle of vodka! Duh, he'd gotten drunk! Tony reached over and touched Brenda's bare shoulder. Her skin was rough and felt like a thick layer of cream had just been applied.
Brenda perked up and smiled at Tony.
"Did we…?" Tony asked.
Brenda nodded. "Sorry, but I think we both got a little drunk. That vodka…"
"Yeah. Look, I think it'd be best if I go," Tony got up and slipped into his boxers, which were on the floor. He pulled his shirt over his head and crawled into his jeans.
"Bye," Brenda said, waving.
Tony walked out of the room and slipped his shoes on and ran out of the house. He started his car in record time and sped to his and Jack's pad. Jack was on the couch, eating chips and watching TV.
"You're back early," Jack commented.
"I…I…I slept with Brenda."
"Brenda the reporter lady?"
Tony nodded and plunked down next to Jack.
"Fuck Tony! Were you fuckin' drunk?"
"Yeah. We shared a bottle of VODKA!"
"You're so stupid sometimes, Almeida. Oh, hey, I saw Michelle and Rob at the restaurant last night."
"Michelle? And Rob?"
"Yeah. And they made out and he grabbed her ass,"
"Her…ass?"
"Yeah. I bet you wish you could squeeze her ass!"
"I do. But I'm kind of with Brenda."
"Yeah, whatever."
The phone suddenly rang and Tony picked it up.
"Almeida,"
"Tony? It's Michelle."
The words shocked and silenced him.
"Michelle. What do you want?"
"I know this may sound weird, but, uh, maybe we should pick up on that 'thing' we had between us?"