Ch 4 – The Date
Saturday arrived and Lu couldn't believe herself, acting like she was back in high school….trying on her entire wardrobe…Rationally it was ridiculous. They'd known each other so long, he'd seen her in virtually everything she owned….and yet here she was, playing fashion plate….She thought of calling Sheryll or Hana to come over, but couldn't help the feeling they'd tease her mercilessly the entire time…good-naturedly of course…but still. It wasn't really appropriate anyway….as much of an they were an easy going group amongst themselves, Jess was still their superior…though he'd probably be the one being interrogated when he got back to the squad…
She finally selected the outfit….basic black…which was sliming, which helped…tight around her ample chest but with slight flair around her midsection. She wasn't 'big boned'…or fat…but she carried more than the original Freshman 40. Jess always kept in top shape. She didn't want to get wherever they were going having people ask themselves 'who's the dumpy broad next to that Adonis!?"
Adding the last of her lipstick, the doorbell rang. Ten minutes early…Back in them olden days…ladies were supposed to leave the gentleman waiting while she finished preparing herself…Hell with it! She wasn't That old! Besides, she wanted to get this night started too….Part of her was terrified it would be a terrible wreck…but that was the chance she needed to take…To see if this arrangement was a disaster….or a dream…
She still sat in her kitchen to finish her wine, deciding to leave him standing at the door for 5 minutes…'That's what you get for being Early!' She thought.
"Hey!" She said, finally getting to the door. "Sorry, didn't hear the door….hair dryer…."
"Really…" he smirked, gently pushing back a damp tendril that had slipped over her shoulder. She looked gorgeous, but he knew too well her distaste for what she considered 'superfluous equipment'…She'd sooner go out with soaking wet hair in 30 degree weather than spend 10 minutes with one of those things, and had done so on more than one occasion.
"Well….." she sputtered, totally caught. "Next time don't rush me…."
"Next time?" he smiled mischievously.
"Well…we'll see how this goes…Maybe you'll be just lucky enough to take me on another outing." And with that, she grabbed her wallet, keys and phone, shut the door behind her, and stepped passed him toward the elevator…
"Well, are you coming or not?" she asked matter of factly.
He stood, still at the door, mildly dumbfounded.
…Gorgeous…
As they silently drove off from the parking garage, Jess made the first move.
"So where did you want to go?"
"You didn't have anything planned…." She asked in surprise…this was a man who prepared for Everything.
"I wanted to see what you might be interested in….If you felt well enough, Tali did make a suggestion of where we could head…"
She couldn't wait to hear this one…. "Where would that be?"
"SkyZone." He answered trying to draw down a grin. "She says it's the place to be….totally awesome experience.
She looked at him with complete incredulity. "I'm sure it is….but I think I'll pass…permanently…."
"Our loss I guess…" he responded, trying to look dejected. "Your turn…"
She sat in silent contemplation for a while. Then a vision just popped in her head.
"Do you remember years back, that tubing trip we took down the Delaware. We were supposed to take off from Mattamorras, but somehow the reservation got mixed up and we wound up out in southern tier country…"
"I remember Ang and Clint being wayyyy ahead of us….I remember I wanted to stay in my tube for the full ride, but some giant fish sprang up behind me and knocked me out!"
"I never would have had the strength to tip you…face facts! You hit a rock and your klutzy a$$ FELL OUT!" She burst out laughing as he shot her a sneer. "We pulled ourselves out of the water in some old railroad town…"
"Calicoon."
"That was it. You refused to go any further, insisting on putting on your dry clothes…which at this point consisted of…yo"
"My bathing suit!" He interrupted.
"Jup!" She replied, stifling a giggle. "We found a restaurant a few paces from the water, you got changed…and since we had used their restroom, it was only fair that we ordered…You had something that was like half a cow on a bun…what was it again?"
"Big Mama burger as I recall…"
"Right, every time you lifted it, you kept saying 'Come to Pappa!' So ridiculous!"
"Kept you laughing….Kept me focused…"
"On what?"
"Not killing you…" she busted out in hysterics all over again.
"What was the place called….I stink at names…."
"Matthew's on Main…"
"Matthew's on Main…oh yes….I wonder if it's still there…."
Jess glanced over, then back at the road…then back over…"It would be a drive…but it's only 5:30…Want to give it a shot?"
A light smile slowly came to her lips again…"Why not…Calicoon…Here we come!"
After a moment, she lightly grabbed his arm. "Do you want me to drive? I know how you hate traveling so far away…." She teased.
He lifted an eyebrow…."Like That's gonna happen!"
After a long, easy drive, they arrived in town, found the restaurant without issue, as well as the shoreline where the first escapade had started all those years ago…
They went in, and as luck would have it, they were seated at the same table they'd had all those years ago. Lu, taking full advantage of the civil servant's largess, ordered the Lobster linguini with local peas. Jess himself decided to go old school…
"Bring me Big Mama!" he announced.
"Charlene is off tonight." The waiter replied, stone-faced. Jess looked to Lu and then back to the waiter in disbelief…. "I'm kidding…" the waiter finally relived the agent's building tension. "Actually, she's in the back…thin as a rail….I'll get you your meals out as soon as they're ready." With that he sped back to the kitchen….
Jess' eyes spread with astonishment, and mild irritation…."He'll be the next one in the water…" he growled. Lu just chuckled.
The meal over, the pair decided to take the remaining time and go for a stroll around the small town. They walked the central boulevard, gazing in at the different shops, then ambled down by the water as the sun was setting.
As they got closer to the shoreline, the tiniest set of horns popped their way out of LaCroix's thick hair. Without a word, Jess grabbed hold of her, picked her up…and started running for the water…
"What are you doing?!" She shrieked.
"Returning a favor….Long overdue…."
"But I don't have my bathing suit!"
Seeming to pay her no heed, he slowed a few feet from the river. Thinking herself safe, she started tittering. "I knew you wouldn't do it…"
Then, still holding her, he kicked off his shoes, and walked straight into the water…just shy of knee deep. The further he went in, the more she started to try and climb over his shoulders to stay clear, but he held her…gently…but fast.
"Oh no…no…Nooooooooooo"
"Say you're sorry…." He warned, pulling her back in place.
"I didn't do anything…."
"Say you're sorry…" He repeated, suspending her over the water so her hair fell back just clear of it…
"Never!"
"Say you're…." but before he could finish the round, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his knee, and next thing he knew, they were both in the water.
"What the hell do you think you were doing?" he demanded, struggling to regain his own footing, then pulling her back into his arms.
"Well, if I was going in…It was going to be on my terms!" she responded, jutting her chin.
"I…I wasn't…going to…" he stammered, astonished, pressing his way back to the shore. The two of them both soaked.
"Well, it's like the kids say" she replied demurely, losing absolutely no confidence, "….don't dish it out if you can't take it…"
He was about to put her down next to where he had left his shoes, but then stopped, stood straight up again, and turned back to the water…
"I should throw you in again!"
She started laughing again, struggling to get to her feet, to which he finally relented. Regaining her own footing, her arms still around his neck, she looked up into his eyes. "If that led me to this….I'll never be sorry…"
He looked at her…deep into her….and somehow it was as though he had revealed to him what he had always seen….but never truly absorbed…She….was there….
He drew his arms around her, pulling her in even closer. Then, reaching his fingers deep till they swam in her hair…he kissed her…gently…intensely….longingly….
