The Real Connection 2
Joss,
I'm not very good with words, but I have to say I found your photo and profile captivating. Your smile is infectious, and I found myself smiling back at your picture in spite of myself. I'm sure your photo doesn't do you justice. I read your profile, and I noticed that we have a lot in common. If I'm not being too forward, it would be my pleasure to buy you a drink, and really get to know you.
Sincerely,
John, aka personofinterest1
Joss read and reread the message several times as she glanced at the photo of John on the split screen. She had smiled too when he talked about her smile, and she had felt a little flutter in the pit of her stomach. It surprised her that he thought he wasn't good with words because from what she had read he did good. She couldn't help but be drawn by his invitation to meet and get to know each other. She was just as captivated as he was; not only by his picture but by his words. They weren't necessarily flowery or romantic, but she felt the deep sincerity in them.
All thoughts of going to bed, and her tiredness were gone as Joss hesitated over her keyboard to type her reply. She was definitely interested, but did she want to have drinks with a man she had only just met over the internet? But how was this any different from going on a blind date? She had seen how that had worked out, and those dates had been set up by people who knew her. She chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about her reply, and then made her decision.
John,
Don't worry, I like a man of few words. Your picture and profile certainly caught my attention as well. After reading your profile, I agree that we have many things in common, such as our tours in the Army. I think we would have a lot to talk about if we met. It would be a pleasure to meet you for a drink, and I have the perfect place. The Rooftop Lounge at W 16th street near Chelsea Market at 8 pm tomorrow. Message me back if you agree. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Joss
John had been pacing back and forth in the small room in the library that he and Finch had converted into a bedroom, hoping that Carter would message him back. Even though it was getting very late he had hoped that she would be checking her match status. He was just about to give up, and shut down his laptop when his message notification showed he had a new message. He had been getting messages all night from women wanting to meet him, and every time his hopes had been dashed that it was Joss's reply. He had just deleted them when he saw that it wasn't her. His hopes weren't too high that this one would be her as he moved the little hand to click on his message board. He drew in a sharp breath when he saw that indeed it was Joss, and then he quickly moved to open the message.
As John read the message he smiled softly. He liked the fact that Joss took control and named the place and time for them to meet. He quickly wrote back that he agreed to the time and location, and she simply wrote back, "ok, goodnight".
John closed his laptop with a stupid grin on his face as he made his way back to the main room where Finch was waiting in front of his arsenal of computer monitors. "Ok, Joss, goodnight," John whispered wistfully as he approached a curious Finch.
The day seemed to drag on and on as Joss waded through a mountain of paperwork that had piled up over the week due to her and Fusco being out in the field. Also, the night before, Ronnie Middleton had been shot, and she knew exactly who had pulled the trigger…. Hector Alverez, she just couldn't prove it. The RTCC had sent over the video of some of the traffic cameras around the time of the shooting, but she hadn't been able to spot Hector's car anywhere. On top of all that, she had the strange feeling that someone was following her.
With a heavy sigh Joss laid her pen down on top of the open file she had been working on all morning, and placed her chin in the palm of her hand. She glanced over at the pile of files stacked on the corner of her desk, and slowly shook her head. Distractions cluttered her mind, and one in particular kept surfacing over and over. What was I thinking when I agreed to meet a man for drinks that I had just met over the internet?
It had crossed her mind several times to message John, and cancel, but then she would get a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach, making her change her mind. Then the picture of his face, and those incredible eyes, would slip into her mind, and she couldn't suppress the thrill that ran down her spine. She couldn't cancel, she had to see why this particular man affected her so easily…through a picture no less. Why did she feel so drawn to him?
Joss was pulled from her thoughts when she heard someone saying her name. She looked up, and saw Fusco standing beside her desk staring at her strangely. "Huh…what?" she said in some confusion.
"Carter, I've been callin' your name for the last five minutes. Where the hell is your head today? You still obsessing about your big date tonight?" Fusco said with a lopsided smile.
Why did Joss ever open her big mouth, and tell Fusco about John? He had been teasing her about John all day. Well, at least every time he caught her daydreaming; Which was often. "Stuff it, Fusco. What do you want?" she asked irritably.
Fusco just chuckled, not offended at all at Joss's attitude. "I was just gonna ask if you found anything on the video the RTCC sent over?" He asked more seriously.
Joss turned her chair toward the TV that was set up beside her desk while Fusco took a chair to watch. She flipped the switch that started the footage, and immediately several camera images began to play in split screen boxes. "These are just a few of the cameras around the corner where Ronnie was shot, and I can't find Hector's purple GTO anywhere," she said in exasperation.
"You mean there's more? No wonder I feel like I'm always bein' watched," Fusco replied in awe.
"Yeah, the mayor wants a camera on every corner," Joss said absently as she watched the video with no sign of the car she was looking for. She and Fusco remained quiet for a moment before she said, "I just don't see how Hector could have driven by without being seen," she whispered desperately.
Then Fusco turned to Joss with an odd look on his face. "Maybe he didn't drive, maybe he walked."
That statement made Joss pause. "Castillo said Hector came into his store for booze and condoms. If Hector was on foot, why would he walk twenty blocks for condoms?"
Fusco shrugged then quirked a smile. "Maybe he's got a chica on the side."
Joss perked up right away. "I've got some phone calls to make." And she turned back to her desk, reaching for her phone.
Fusco stood, and pulled at his suit coat. "You can thank me later, Carter," he said as he walked away, but Joss was already making her first call.
To say that John was a little nervous about his date with Carter tonight would be an understatement. He had known for a while now that he was attracted to her, even if she was trying to arrest him. She was smart, determined, and strong-willed, but he had also seen her compassion and tender heart. Like him, she truly wanted to protect people, to help them. She was also so beautiful and sexy it drove him to distraction. He dreamed about her nearly every night. How she would feel, how she would taste.
Mentally shaking himself, John turned his attention back to the screen showing Joss on the phone with someone. His eyes roamed over her face, and settled on her lips as she spoke into the receiver. The tip of his tongue slipped out, and licked his own lips as he imagined taking her full, soft, lips in a passionate kiss. He had placed his feet on top of Finch's desk, and he had to shift just a little as he felt himself stir.
Suddenly, John heard footsteps coming up the stairs of the Library, and he removed his feet, standing immediately. He pulled his suit coat closed in front of him so Finch wouldn't see the evidence of his beginning arousal.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Reese. Anything new with Ms. Carter?" Finch said as he walked toward John, and then hung his overcoat on the coat rack in the corner.
"It seems that Hector may be stepping out on his girlfriend. Carter thinks it may be a lead to arrest Hector for Ronnie's murder," John replied smoothly.
Finch turned with a surprised look. "Oh really? Well, that's just going to make your job a little more complicated isn't it?"
"I'll try to find out more tonight when we meet for drinks. Hopefully I can get her to talk about her work, which will give me some idea of what she's up against," John replied with a slight frown.
"I'm still not sure that this date is a good idea, Mr. Reese. What if she recognized you from your photo, and is only going to arrest you?" Finch didn't want to hurt John, he knew how John felt about Ms. Carter, probably even better than John did. But he had to be honest with him. This could lead to some very big problems.
John had to admit that it had crossed his mind. Somehow, though, he just didn't feel that was the case. He shook his head slowly. "No. I don't think so Finch. I think this is the best way to get close to her, and protect her. Now, I'm going to keep an eye on her until she leaves work to go home. You keep an eye on her while she's at her desk. I'll talk to you after the date." With that he turned, and made his way out of the Library, and to the garage where his motorcycle waited.
I sure hope I'm not making a mistake with you, Joss, John thought as he slipped on his helmet, and then threw his leg over his motorcycle to ride to Joss's precinct.
With fifteen minutes to spare, Joss pushed open the door to the large, open lounge, and glanced around to see if John was there, but she didn't see him. She was a little relieved that she was the first one there, and turned to remove her black wool coat to place it on one of the hooks on the wall.
After removing her coat, Joss ran her hands down her hips, smoothing down her simple, black, thigh length dress. The dress was slim fit, backless with long sleeves and a boat neckline. It fit her curvy body to a T and wasn't too tight or too short to be too revealing, but it was just sexy enough. She wore black, satin, four-inch, pumps that accentuated her long toned legs, and made no sound as she walked across the lounge to the mahogany curved bar in the center of the room.
Joss wasn't unaware of the looks she received as she made her way to the bar, and chose one of the empty soft white wing-back bar stools. She settled in the chair, and pushed her long, satiny hair off her shoulder where it fell down her back in loose curls. Her make-up was subtle, but alluring with shimmering pale white on her front lid, and dark brown on the lid and crease. Her eyes were lined with deep coal and her lashes were coated with three coats of dark mascara making her soft, brown eyes pop. Her golden skin was enhanced with a sweep of dark rose on each cheek, and her lips were coated with cherry gloss.
Joss looked down at her watch, and saw that it was five minutes til eight. Just as she was thinking John might be late she heard the sexiest voice she had ever heard say her name, and it sent chills all through her body. She turned slowly to come face to face to an extraordinarily handsome man with mesmerizing blue eyes that made her catch her breath.
"Hello Joss, I'm John Riley. It's definitely a pleasure to meet you," John said as he held out his hand and his eyes roamed over her face then down her body. He could feel himself stiffing just from being in her presence, how was he going to keep his hands off of her long enough to protect her? When she licked her lips he nearly groaned out loud.
Joss was momentarily speechless. She licked her suddenly dry lips, then cleared her throat in order to speak. "Hi, I'm, of course, Joss Carter, and it's a real pleasure to meet you too," she said as she returned his perusal, her eyes devouring his chiseled face, with those sharp cheekbones to his sculpted body with broad shoulders and chest. He was dressed in black trousers with a button down plum shirt, a dark tan belt with dark tan Yates Oxford shoes. She was definitely impressed. He was taller than she had expected even though his profile said he was 6'2". Then he smiled, and she felt as though she had been hit with a blast of sunlight.
"Why don't we find a table where we can be more comfortable?" John asked with one eyebrow slightly raised in question.
"Yeah, sure. I think that would be a great idea. How about a booth instead of a table though?" Joss recommended. A booth would give them more privacy than a table would. John smiled again, and she fought not to fan herself from the power of it.
"I think that's a great idea," John replied, and took Joss's hand to help her from the stool. He then placed his hand on her bare lower back to guide her across the room to an empty booth. He felt electricity shoot from his fingers throughout his entire body when he touched her smooth, warm skin. He stifled another groan as he moved her steadily to an empty booth far enough from the bar, and the rest of the lounge to give them privacy.
When John's hand touched her bare back Joss's skin seemed to burn where his fingers met her skin suffusing her whole body with heat. She had no idea why she was reacting so strongly to him from a simple touch. What she really wanted to do was kiss him, and know if his lips were as soft as they appeared.
After John had seated Joss in the circular mahogany leather booth, he took a seat across from her, and looked into her beautiful, shining, brown eyes.
"So, Joss. I'd like to know everything about you. Why don't we get to know each other?" John whispered softly as he took her small hand into his large one.
Joss couldn't comprehend all the things she was feeling at the moment, but she knew, without a doubt, that she wanted to know this man…in every way possible. She returned his gaze, drowning in those silver-blue depths.
"I would love nothing more," Joss whispered softly as she curled her fingers around John's, and they both got lost in each other's eyes.
A/N: I would like to say a special thank you to SWWoman for her help with writing John and Joss's messages. I tried to come as close as I could to what their characters would say, and I hope it turned out alright. Next chapter will be their date. I hope you're as excited as I am. See you soon...
