Author's note: So, how was that sex scene? That was the first one I've ever written, so forgive me if it was uber cheesy and fake. If anyone has tips on how to write better ones, please share. I don't want my sex scenes to come off like bad impressions of "Fifty Shades of Gray." Don't get me wrong. FSOG is a good way to escape reality, but it is not an accurate portrayal of BDSM lifestyle. (So, I've been told by friends who participate.) Standard thanks to the usual suspects. Special thanks to the good people at GlaxoSmithKline for inventing Imitrex. It feels so nice to not have the overwhelming feeling that my head is going to spilt open wide while I go blind and vomit up everything I've ever eaten. To everyone who has written me with concerns about Sebastian's poor broken heart, this chapter is my start to getting him back to a good place. Hope you enjoy and thanks for waiting.
Chapter 16
Jim woke up the next morning and looked around. He saw his bedmate and memories of the previous night flashed through his mind. He grinned as he remembered Heather's shouts of passionate approval to his ministrations. "She looks so sweet and innocent sleeping, but I know that she quite the hellcat in the sack. I wonder if I should wake her up for Round 2 or let her sleep? Hmmm, the things I want to do to that body," he mused. He vaguely remembered reading that she did gymnastics, cheerleading, and dance when she younger and wondered if she held onto any flexibility. "We will have to test that out later." Jim quietly climbed out of bed and snuck out of the bedroom into the hall.
"Morning, boss. Did you have a good night?" Sebastian was standing out Heather's bedroom with a coffee cup in one hand and the newspaper in the other. "I don't think Heather did. I heard her screaming a lot. I went to check on her, but the door was locked. I think she may have been having some night terrors," the sniper's voice was thick with sarcasm.
Jim glared at his lieutenant. "I'm going to disagree with you, Sebby. I'm willing to bet she had an amazing night. One that she'll want to repeat real soon. Now give me that mug." Jim put the cup up to his lips. "This isn't coffee."
"Nope. Never said it was. It's Heather's cocoa. With extra marshmallows and milk. Just the way she likes it."
Just then, Heather opened the bedroom door. "Hey, morning guys," she yawned. "Ooo, is that hot chocolate? Jim, did you make that for me? Thank you."
"Actually, Kitten, I made it for you. Just the way you like it. Marshmallows and milk," Sebastian piped up. "How did you sleep?"
"Oh, once I finally fell asleep, I slept great. Like the dead. I was so relaxed. It's been forever since I've been that relaxed. I had an amazing night last night." Heather spoke to Sebastian, but kept her eyes on Jim the whole time.
Jim smirked. "I'm glad you were so relaxed. I thought you seemed a bit tense last night, but it's amazing what a little pre-bed exercise can do for you."
Sebastian rolled his eyes and walked downstairs, muttering something about "fucking bunnies" and "nasty ass" under his breath. Jim pulled Heather close and wrapped his arms around her. "You want to give it another go before breakfast? I've got plenty of ideas for that body of yours. I wouldn't turn down another blowie. The one last night was phenomenal. I still don't know what you did, but damn, you're a freak."
Heather giggled. "I'm going to have to turn you down right now. I don't want to, but I feel like Basher is feeling a little neglected right now. I will, however, go downstairs and make my world-famous pancakes. If you think my bjs are good, wait until you taste these pancakes. You may just want to keep me around for those alone." She kissed him and walked downstairs.
Heather walked into the kitchen. "Bash, I was going to make pancakes. Can you help me, please?"
"Why can't Jim. Sounded like he was very helpful last night," Sebastian pouted.
"Basher, I'm sorry. I guess we were a little loud. Hey, I know what I can do to put you in a better mood. Today is all about you. I will make pancakes. Then I need to get a shower. Then how about you and I go to the shooting range for a few hours. Then we'll go the go-kart track and if you want, we go to that mystery room thing you like so much. What do you say? We just have to be back by about 4 or so. Does that sound like fun?"
"I don't know. Is he coming with us?" Sebastian was slightly less pouty.
"Well, Hun, you both are my guests, so it would probably be rude not to invite him, but I promise today will be all about what you want to do, okay?"
"Okay. I guess he can come, but he has to be nice. And I get to hold your hand today, not him. And no kissing. And I get to pick lunch."
Heather nodded her head. "Sounds completely fair." She hugged Sebastian and reached down to get his apron. "Here, put your apron on and help me make the pancakes."
Jim stood outside the kitchen and heard the entire conversation. "Careful Moran. I am still your boss," he thought to himself.
Together Heather and Sebastian made breakfast as they listened to music. Heather specifically chose "Sebastian's mix" from her music library. She was absolutely serious about making up for last night to her friend. She remembered a time from when she was younger and come home from school and heard her oldest sister having sex with her then boyfriend and how grossed out she was by the noises. She imagined poor Sebastian having to hear her and Jim last night and grimaced at how profoundly uncomfortable that must have been for him to hear his "baby sister" getting railed by his boss. When the pancakes were almost done, Sebastian set the table and poured juice for everyone. Heather called out for Jim to come to the table. He came into the kitchen and kissed her on the cheek, staring pointedly at Sebastian. Sebastian's eyes narrowed just slightly. Jim smirked ever so slightly. "Smells great, baby. Oh, Sebastian, I love your apron. It's so you! I should get you some for at work."
"Jim, don't tease Bash about the apron. I think a man who can cook is very sexy and a man who is sensible enough to protect his clothes while he is cooking is even sexier. It shows that he appreciates what he has in life. Now sit down at the table." Sebastian stuck his tongue out at Jim behind Heather's back. Jim retorted with a flash of his middle finger.
Heather brought the pancakes over to the table. "Jim, Bash and I were talking. We're going to the shooting range and the go-kart course today. There's also this place where you go, and you get put in a mystery or puzzle type situation and then you have to solve it to escape the room. If we have time today, we wanted to go do that too. Do you want to come?"
"I don't want to go shoot guns. I don't like to get my hands dirty. That's why I have a staff to do it for me. I'm the brains. They're the muscle."
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Bash and I will just go and then after the range, we'll come back and pick you up to go to the go-karts, okay?"
"No, I don't like go-karts, either. They're stupid and dirty. Plus, I'll miss you if you're gone," Jim whined. "Spend the day with me. Sebastian can go to the range and go-karts by himself. I want to take you back to bed and see what kind of trouble we can get up to."
"No, Jim, honey. I already promised Sebastian that we would go shooting and ride go-karts. I want to go the range and I haven't ridden go-karts in a while. I miss both. Don't worry. I'll show you 'lots of trouble' tonight. Just you wait, Mister. Would you be interested in going to the escape room with us at least? I think you would like it a lot. Like I said, you have to search for clues and solve puzzles and you only have 1 hour to escape the room. That big sexy brain might get a kick out of it."
"I guess." It was Jim's turn to pout.
"Honey, don't pout. Please. I had already promised Bash this stuff when he called me a few days ago and it'll be fun. Come on out with us. I want to wow you with my marksmanship. I'm so good I give Basher here a run for his money."
Sebastian snorted. "No, no you don't, Kitten. I mean you are good, but I'm a damn sniper for God's sake. It's my job. I'm a much better shot than you. I love you and all, but c'mon now. Someone's got an overinflated ego here. That would be like me saying that I can do an appendix surgery better than you. Just not realistic."
"Ok, 1. It's called an appendectomy. 2. I don't routinely do those. That's what General Surgeons are for. 3. I am an amazing shot. I could kick your ass any day, any time, blindfolded and drunk, so don't even, Mr. Blonde and Too Big for Your Britches. Don't even!" Heather rolled her eyes, tossed her hair, and punched her friend in the arm.
"Uh, yeah, ok. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Little Girl. All I know is that I make a living shooting people and you don't. Draw your own conclusions." Sebastian threw his arms up in mock defense.
"Jim, did Sebastian ever tell you the story about our trip to Thailand? It's a fascinating story! It seems that our young friend here …"
"Okay, okay, okay!" exclaimed Sebastian. "I'm sorry. You are a better shot than me. You taught me everything I know. I bow down to your superiority. You are clearly my better in all ways," said the sniper through clenched teeth.
"Damn straight!" Heather grinned at her friend. She gave him a sideways hug. "As long as you remember that, everything will be okay."
"I want to hear this story now. Go on. Tell me about this person Sebby met," Jim leaned in.
"No, no. That's his story to tell, not mine. But short version … I stepped in to save the day before Bash could cross a bridge that no straight man wants crossed. Let's just say that there are some very pretty men in Asia." Heather flashed Sebastian a side knowing glance. "Alright, on that note, let's get cleaned up and ready to go. Honey, come on up and pick out what guns you want to take. I'm going to bring the Makarov and probably the new Colt. Jim, are you sure you don't want to come along? To be honest, I will miss you while we're gone. I know I'd have more fun if you were there."
"I guess I can go along. It wouldn't hurt to get some practice in, just in case Moran's not around and I get into trouble. Can I pick out my gun first?"
"I get first choice, then you and Basher can fight over what's left. Then as a second thought, she added, "With words! Not by shooting each other. Use your words, both of you!"
They went upstairs to Heather's bedroom. She opened her closet and pushed some clothes over. She disabled the security system and opened the gun vault. She grabbed her two selections and put them on the bed. "Okay, you guys can each pick up to two guns to take along. Play nicely and remember to USE YOUR WORDS! Once you have picked out your guns, I'll open the bullet cabinet."
"You keep your guns and bullets separately," wondered Jim.
"Yeah. Don't you? I have nieces and nephews and sometimes my friends with kids come over. It's just basic safety. Even the NRA recommends doing that. The bullet cabinet is also where I store the eye and ear protection. It's just a bit more convenient that way."
The two men made their selections and Heather grabbed the appropriate ammo and handed each of them ear and eye protection. She packed everything into a bag for the road. "Okay, I need to get a quick shower and get dressed. Give me about 20 minutes and then I should be ready. No, Jim, to answer your unanswered question, you may not join me. I actually intend on getting clean and ready, not what you're thinking."
Thirty minutes, the trio was backing out of the driveway and heading to the nearby outdoor range. The weather was beautiful and a perfect temperature for being outside. They parked at the range and Heather led them up to the registration shack. She showed her information and signed them in. They were assigned rows 2, 3, and 4. They walked over to their assigned area and set to work. After a while, Heather stopped shooting and watched Jim as he practiced. He was technically proficient, but lacked the easy grace that both she and Sebastian had in spades. "I wonder how often he actually does shoot people." She knew that in addition to Bash, Jim had between 7-10 regular assassins/security "agents." Sebastian oversaw all of them, she knew that, but she wondered how often Jim really had to actively participate in his own defense. "Maybe I should get Bash to take him out to practice routinely. Not just firearms, but some basic self-defense, what was the name of that thing Robert Downey Jr. did, Wing Chun or something, that could work. Maybe teach him some defensive driving skills?" She made a mental note to talk to Sebastian later about it. She needed to make sure he kept safe. In his line of work, that was going to be tough, but not impossible. Speaking of Sebastian, Heather looked over at her friend. He had wandered over to row 5 and was standing behind a young blonde woman, with his arms positioned over hers. Heather stood back for a moment and observed. He was smiling his "sexy shark smile." She'd seen it several times before. Hell, she had fallen for it back in Afghanistan. She knew that it only ended one way. Bashie really was gonna get some today. "You go, boy! Just remember, no glove, no love," she thought to herself. After a moment, Sebastian looked up and noticed her gaze. Heather flashed him a toothy grin and a thumbs up. He blushed. She held up her hand as if to say, "Oh, no. Don't let me stop you there." She winked at him and turned her attention back to Jim. She placed her hand on his back and waited for him to point the gun towards the ground. She tapped her earphones to encourage him to take his off for a minute. "You're doing good, baby. Are you having fun?" She smiled encouragingly at her boyfriend.
"I suck at this. Are we almost done?"
"No, honey. You're doing great. She called his target forward. "Look at this. You have some instant kill shots and the ones that aren't would still do quite a bit of damage to somebody. Like look at this one. That's his spleen. Do you know what your spleen does? It's super important. Yeah, you can technically live without one, but you are going to be one sick puppy for the rest of your life without it. And this one right here in the shoulder? That's a very long, painful recovery and you can easily get something called 'frozen shoulder' from it. You wouldn't be able to use that arm right ever again. You're totally rocking this. Do you and Sebastian ever go out and practice together? That could be fun, and it might help you get more comfortable with shooting. Do you think when you guys get back home that you like to go shooting on a regular basis with Bash? I'm sure he'd love to take you. He's a great teacher too. Hey, I know. Do you want to try my Makarov? It's my favorite gun. I think you'll love it. Here. I'll trade you. You barely have to squeeze the trigger. It was my first gun and it feels like it was custom made for my hand. See, how nicely that fits in your hand. Okay, put your earphones back on, then point and shoot." Jim squeezed the trigger and the bullet went flying straight through the left eye of the paper target. "Ooo, honey! Great job! Look at that!"
"I was aiming for the heart," huffed Jim.
"Oh. Well, that was still an awesome shot. It was definitely a kill shot. That's what is important! Hey, totally unrelated, but look over at Sebastian. He's found himself a lady friend. Maybe that will boost his spirits. He seems kind of glum lately. I don't know what came over him. Since he's busy, I can sneak a kiss from you. I promised him I wouldn't suck face with you while we out, but I don't think he'll see. But we have to be quick." She reached up and placed her hands on either side of Jim's face and tenderly kissed him. "I can't believe you guys are leaving tomorrow. At the risk of being super clingy girlfriend here, I'm going to miss you so much. I know I'll see you in two weeks, but it's going to be a long two weeks."
"I know, but you know what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It's just two weeks. Is there anything you want to do while you're in London?"
"Yes, but it's super cheesy," she said with a grimace.
"Oh, God. You don't want to go get your picture taken with the Beefeaters at the palace, do you? I'm sorry, but no. I'm not doing that. I have to draw the line somewhere."
"Oh, no. No! I want to ride the big Farris Wheel. I know. So cheesy and touristy, but I love Farris wheels and my dad would never take me when I was in town. I'm a dork. I know, … but Farris wheel. C'mon!"
Jim laughed. "I think I can manage that for you. Anything else?"
"I'm pretty open to suggestions. I will have to stop by my dad's office to make the obligatory appearance, but I can do that alone. I don't want you to have to suffer that just yet. Maybe after we get married and have a whole litter of children."
"I thought you couldn't have kids."
"Yeah, I can't. That's why we can probably push you meeting my dad off until after the kids are grown and married off themselves. Just so you have time to prepare. He can be a bit daunting."
"Oh, I'm sure he's a delight. After all, he raised you and I love you."
"Yeah, he funded my raising. He didn't actually get his hands dirty in things like being supportive or emotionally available. Anyway, I'm going to go check on Sebastian and his eye candy. Keep practicing and I'll be back in a few."
Heather walked over to Sebastian and tapped him on his shoulder. "Hi! Jim and I are wrapping things up. Are you almost done over here?"
"Oh, yeah. I was just showing Sherri how to improve her grip. Sherri, this is my friend Heather. Heather, this is Sherri. This is the first time she's ever shot a gun."
"I'm sure it is. Sherri, it's lovely to meet you. In the future, when you come to shoot, you may want to wear a bit more clothing. This is a shooting range, not a street corner. Also, shell casings can get terribly hot and they sting quite a bit when they bounce off exposed flesh. Maybe consider leaving the stripper heels at home and invest in a sturdy pair of boots with no heel. Maybe some jeans or heavier pants than gold lame Daisy Dukes and a halter top. You know, whatever feels natural. Bash, you about ready to go, honey?"
"Yeah, it was nice to meet you Sherri. Keep practicing those tips I gave you." Sebastian walked away with Heather. "Sebby, that girl was trailer trash. You deserve someone much better. Someone like Kate. Trust me."
"Yeah, she was throwing herself at me. It kind of took the fun out of it all, but the attention was nice for a change. Thanks for stepping in."
"Not a problem. What are friends for? Hey, before we go meet Jim, let me ask you a favor. Jim's needs a little help with his marksmanship. Do you think you could take him out shooting periodically? Maybe teach him a few tricks. I would feel a lot better knowing that if the shit hit the fan, he could at least help protect himself a little."
"Yeah, no problem. Would he be agreeable to that? I've offered in the past and he's kind of turned me down.
"I mentioned something to him about it and he didn't flat out turn the idea down so, maybe if you re-approach him after you guys get back in a totally cool, relaxed way, he might go for it. Maybe bring up how much I like shooting and it could be a cool activity that we could do together sometimes. Also, is there anyone at the firm who's good at self-defense like karate or judo or something. Maybe someone who could show Jim a few moves. Finally, what would you think of getting him some defensive driving lessons. I know you said he normally has a driver, but just in case. I'm just trying to keep him as safe as possible. Not that I don't trust you as his Chief, but you know my history and I just want to make sure we're covering all the bases that we realistically can safety-wise."
"You're asking for a lot, you know?"
"I know, but I worry. You know I worry. Do you think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill? I am really going overboard with this? I just can't bear the thought of losing him over something that could have been prevented."
"I'll see what I can do. But you know I personally vet every single person on staff. They're solid. The best of the best. I make sure of it. I am really good at my job."
"Honey, I know you are amazing at your job. I'm sure that your guys are the best of the best, but you also know what happened with Brian and it makes me a little extra paranoid about safety. Come here." She hugged her friend tight. "I trust you completely to keep Jim safe. Do whatever you feel is necessary, okay? Just remember if he gets hurt or dies, I will kill you. Slowly. Painfully. Methodically."
"I wouldn't expect any less, Kitten. Now let's go ride some go-karts!"
They collected Jim and signed out of the range. They piled into the car and drove down the road to the go-kart track. They drove around the track for 2 hours. Jim had to admit that he was having a lot of fun. Each person won a few of the races and Heather saw that Jim did have some impressive defensive driving skills. Granted a go-kart was different from a car, but she did feel a little bit better about his road maneuvers. They went inside for lunch as Sebastian had chosen the café inside the entertainment complex for lunch. Heather and Sebastian got corn dogs and fries, while Jim chose a large chicken salad. For dessert, Heather and Jim split a hot fudge sundae and Sebastian devoured a huge funnel cake topped with strawberry sauce. After they finished eating, they discussed plans for the afternoon. "We can go to the escape room or we can head home. It's up to you guys. I'm open to either option. The escape room is about 20 minutes away and according to the website, we can choose between Houdini's Surprise or Murderer's Row. Murderer's Row is supposed to be harder, but it looks more interesting. We would be convicted killers and we would have an hour to prove our innocence before we get sent to the electric chair. Houdini's Surprise is one where we would have to figure out how Houdini escaped an unescapable room. What are you guys thinking?"
Jim and Sebastian looked at each other and said in unison, "Murderer's Row."
"How did I know? Alright, y'all ready? Let's go. Bash, do you mind driving. I think I ate a little too much. I feel a little sick to my stomach. I'll type the address into my phone for you."
"If you don't feel good, we can go home, love. We don't have to go do this, right Seb," said Jim.
"Yeah, if you don't feel okay, I'm fine with heading home now."
"No, I'll be fine. You know how my stomach gets sometimes, Bash. This'll pass in a bit. Besides, I've never been a convicted killer before. This sounds fun." Heather climbed in the back and laid down. Jim got in the front passenger seat, while Sebastian filled the driver's seat.
Sebastian parked the car and Heather sat up. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm good now. I just needed to digest some food. Let's go. I'm excited to try this."
