Hair-Stripe, this is indeed a romance, and soon I'll be amping that up! Here's your escape notice ;). In fact, this will probably be changing to an M rating at some point. I'll give you ample warning, but in case you'd like to follow the story to that rating I'd hit that follow button so you can still find it! Happy reading! ~Alice

CHAPTER 11.

"Do you have plans for dinner?" asked Max again, when Jenny didn't say anything.

"I… sort of do."

She looked to her left, feeling his presence before she saw him. Bucky's narrowed eyes were boring into Max's head.

Max looked over at him and they seemed to lock in a strange and awkward standoff, with her in the middle. Oh she hated this.

No one spoke for a long time. The silence was too much, and her instincts kicked in before she could stop herself. "Max, would you like to join us?" she asked. She mentally kicked herself, but it was said, floating out between all three of them on the hotel air conditioning.

They both turned their attention on her and spoke at the same time.

"Sure," said Max.

"Mm," grunted Bucky.

"I know a great place," said Max. "Jennifer?" He held out his arm.

She looked back at Bucky but could see no trace of emotion beyond "kill".

"Sound ok?" she asked him.

He just nodded expressionless. She grabbed her bag from the table by the door, and took Max's arm, barely touching him. She stole several backward glances at Bucky as Max walked confidently down the hallway to the lobby. Bucky's lips were pursed tightly together, his eyes focused above her head. She sighed. Back to square one.

…

Max ordered for all of them, which she was grateful for. But waisted no time stuffing her face. Spread out before them were peppers, mushrooms and eggplant, stuffed with feta, herbed rice and ground beef. Cabbage rolls filled with lamb in a spicy tomato stew and mushroom and spinach tarts in flaky phyllo dough that melted in her mouth.

Bucky barely ate anything, his eyes fixed on Max who was having a great time it seemed.

"What do you think Jennifer?" asked Max, filling her wine glass.

"It's amazing, delicious. I didn't know I needed so many stuffed vegetables in my life." She sipped her glass and spread some hummus on a piece of crusty bread.

"So James, can I call you James?" asked Max, his mouth full of mushroom tart.

Bucky's eyes narrowed even more if that was possible.

Max wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin. "What do you think? You've hardly touched your food."

"Not that hungry," he said in a low growl.

Max narrowed his eyes, placing his napkin down with a restrained neatness. "A strapping guy like you? Come on, this is my treat."

"No thank you." His jaw tightened, the muscles under his cheeks flexing.

Jenny chewed nervously on her bread and tried to think of a way to fix the situation. Besides excusing herself to the bathroom again.

"So James, what have you been able to uncover in your investigations?" Max happily cut himself another huge slice of cabbage roll.

"It's on a need to know basis," said Bucky.

"And we don't need to know?" asked Max.

Bucky locked eyes with Jenny, and she felt her cheeks grow hot. "No."

Now she was getting annoyed. It wasn't like she'd asked Max behind his back. He didn't need to be so completely unpleasant.

"Come on, we're all on the same team here," said Max. "I think it affects us both. Or are your Hydra habits tough to break?"

"Max…" said Jenny as Bucky's eyes flashed with anger.

"Enjoy your meal," said Bucky. He scooted back from the table, tossed his napkin on his plate and walked out the front door.

"Talk about a total jerk, am I right?" Max started twisting the ring on his finger.

"That was not ok," said Jenny. She pushed back from the table and followed Bucky out the door.

"Bucky, wait."

The former assassin stopped on the dark sidewalk and turned his head. His eyes were like steel.

"Listen," she said. "He shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry. But I didn't know he was going to show up tonight."

Bucky crossed his arms in front of his chest, and she countered by stepping right in front of him. The gesture seemed to put him off his game, and his mouth opened just a little. His eyes went soft, like a vulnerable puppy.

"I didn't plan for any of this," she said. "But you could at least drop the scary assassin approach."

"I don't trust him," he said.

"Why?"

"My gut."

Jenny took a deep breath, her eyes roaming over the dark hair over his jaw. The smell of spice and whiskey coming off him. Her heart hammered. She posed the question she really wanted to. "Why did you ask me to dinner?"

He bit his lip, slowly letting it release from his teeth then met her eyes. The gesture made a butterfly flutter in her stomach. She could hear his shallow breaths under the street light.

"I don't know."

"Well." The butterfly disappeared, turning into a cold rock. "Have a good night," she said. She turned on her heel leaving him alone on the cold sidewalk. Visions of Daniel flashed in her head. It was the same as always.

The little bell above her head on the door of the restaurant jingled and she sat down with Max again, glugging her wine.

So Bucky wasn't interested, she knew that now. She didn't know what had compelled him to ask her to dinner, but it had nothing to do with dating. maybe it was just a sense of altruism or loneliness. Two lonely people on a press tour, both Blipped and bored. That was fine. Dating was the last thing she needed. The very. Last. Thing. Forget everything Nicole had said.

"Did you soothe his damaged feelings?" he asked.

"You're being incredibly insensitive," said Jenny, setting her now empty wine glass on the table.

Max wiped his hands on his napkin and turned in his seat. He bent close, and she could smell his aftershave, aqua and expensive. "I can't help it if I want you all to myself," he said. He took her hand, holding it fast. His silver ring was cool against her palm.

She jerked her fingers away and scooted back an inch. "Whoa, Max. I hope I haven't given you the wrong impression."

His green eyes flashed, and he started to twirl the ring on his finger. "You mean the impression that you and I like each other?"

"I don't… I can't…"

"Jennifer. I need you…" His voice seemed to echo through the restaurant. She put her hand on the back of her chair to steady herself. All she could hear was the sound of her heart beating loud in her ears.