A/N Thanks for reading along. Our couple made up but it seems Rick still has a couple of things getting in his path, let's see if he can let himself go.
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Monday morning always seemed to come earlier than any other morning of the week, this one was no different. She was in her routine, coffee dripping in the pot in the kitchen while she stood at the bathroom sink trying to get her eyeliner on straight. How come some mornings it seemed to go on with no effort at all? That never happened on Monday.
She finally decided it was as good as it was getting and started on her hair. That's when she began to wonder if he'd really call that night. As wonderfully as it had all gone Sunday afternoon, she couldn't help thinking back to how crappy it had been Saturday afternoon.
She tried telling herself to quit being negative, they'd resolved everything and today was a new day, but she couldn't help those lingering doubts. She'd never had an experience like this and she felt so unsure about what was to come. As much as she cared about him and as excited as she was at the prospect of this developing into something really great, she decided not to mention to anyone that she was seeing the sheriff. Because really? Were they going to be seeing each other? Was it really real? She hoped so, but for now the only person she'd be talking to about him was Maggie. Maggie already knew what had happened.
All that resolve lasted until lunchtime. She was standing in front of the main entrance to the county building waiting for Jacqui. They had their usual plan to walk across to the park and have their lunch together, chat about their weekends and enjoy the small patch of nature in the middle of the concrete landscape where they worked.
Jacqui had just exited the building and they'd said their hellos when Rick Grimes came walking toward the two women. Beth tried not to focus too hard on his bow-legged swagger but she couldn't help herself, it got to her every time. He smiled that damn smile, nodded his head just slightly and kept it cool and simple, "Afternoon Beth, Jacqui. We've made it halfway through Monday, it's all downhill from here ladies." And entered the building.
Her friend must have picked up on the way his eyes lingered on Beth's just a little longer because Jacqui immediately grabbed Beth's hand. "You and the sheriff! Tell me everything!" Beth could swear her friend squealed like a high school girl. And she couldn't deny the urge was there, Beth wanted to squeal too and tell her everything, but she wasn't going to. Not everything.
"Let's at least get across the street and out of earshot of half the county employees."
As they crossed the boulevard she took a couple of deep breaths and tried to get her act together, she was determined to maintain her cool and make what had happened with the sheriff sound casual and innocent. The minute they sat on the bench Jacqui was demanding again, "Okay, I want to hear everything."
Beth tried very hard to look and sound nonchalant, no big deals here, as she took the plastic lid off her bowl of salad, "There's really not much to tell Jacqui. I mean it's not like we're in some big romance or something. It's just been very casual, I'm not even sure we'll be seeing each other again."
"Tell."
Beth couldn't help giggling, maybe she should go back to high school. "Well it wasn't like some kind of formal date or something. It was just one of those things. I decided to go to the Saturday market and he happened to be there too. We said 'hi' and started walking together and it was nice, really nice. It was lunchtime and we were both hungry so I got brave and invited him back to my place for a salad. He picked up a bottle of wine and we had a nice lunch and talked a little. That was that."
"That can't be all there is, don't tease me this way Beth. Was there at least a kiss? Tell me there was a kiss."
"Yes, there was a little bit of kissing." If only Jacqui knew where he'd kissed her the most.
"Well did he get your phone number at least? I mean he is the sheriff so he could get anyone's phone number I suppose, but did he ask you for it?"
How was it that Jacqui seemed to be almost as excited about her seeing Rick as she was? It was getting harder and harder to hold back, well except for admitting to the sex. That was something she was having a little trouble feeling proud about.
"Actually he stopped by late Sunday morning and asked if we could go for a walk and during the walk he did ask me for my number."
"And was there kissing involved Sunday? Tell me there was kissing."
"You're terrible Jacqui, but yes there was kissing." Beth had completely lost control of her smile and her giggling, it was too much of a challenge.
"Do you have any concept of how huge this is Beth? The sheriff hasn't been out on a date, including taking a woman for a Sunday stroll, in over three years!"
"How do you even know that for sure?"
"Pfft, I know everything that goes on. You're the investigator, you should know I'm the eyes and ears of this county. And besides that little fun fact, I've been waiting for our sheriff to get back among the living for a long time. He's a good man and he deserves happiness, just like we all do. I've sensed it since I first met you Beth. I'm sure you two could make each other happy."
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She tried not to think about him calling. She stopped after work and got her toes done, a little something she'd planned to do Saturday afternoon until her plans had changed so dramatically. When she got home from the salon she put some mellow music on, made herself a light dinner of fruit, vegetables and cottage cheese. She didn't normally have a glass of wine on a random Monday evening, but this was a different kind of Monday night and it seemed to call for it. She poured herself a glass of Riesling.
There was still no phone call. After she ate and finished her wine she tidied the kitchen and chose an outfit for Tuesday. When she finally sat down to read her book at 7:45 she was having trouble concentrating. She was a little blue thinking he'd let her down. He said he'd call. Maybe she should have known better.
When her phone rang at 8:00 she nearly jumped out of her skin but she tried to sound calm when she answered, "Hello?"
"Hi Beth, I'm sorry to call so late but I just got home, Carl's in the shower and I finally had a chance to use the phone. I took him to the dentist after work tonight and I wasn't into cooking after that. We ended up at the pizza place over on Wilson. Sadly for my wallet they must have at least ten video games. So how's your evening going?"
She was finally smiling, "Not nearly as eventful as yours. I've been to the nail salon, had a little dinner and a glass of wine and I just sat down with a book. It probably sounds kind of boring compared to pizza and video games."
"It sounds relaxing. So, um I was going to ask if maybe we could have lunch together tomorrow? Time is limited so it can't be too special but I'd sure love to spend the hour with you if you're available."
Jacqui wasn't even going to care, she'd be too excited about this. "Lunch sounds very nice. I'd like that."
Now he could feel himself smiling, "Great. And, um, I was also going to askā¦Carl has a sleepover at his buddy's house Saturday night, I thought maybe I could fix you dinner. I'm pretty handy with a grill and a steak."
It was when they hung up that she stopped and really gave it some thought. It was like a mini-epiphany when she realized, that's the way it would always be, or at least it would be until Carl was older. The sheriff would only be available when he wasn't with his son. She didn't have negative feelings about that, she understood completely. She'd just never really given it a lot of thought. Rick Grimes wasn't single and free, he had obligations and she appreciated that he took those seriously. It showed what a good and responsible man he was and those were traits she put a lot of value on.
She buzzed Jacqui as soon as she got to work Tuesday and told her she wouldn't be able to have lunch together. "Tell me Beth."
She was happy to have someone to share her news with but they were on the county's line so she didn't mention names, "I'm having lunch with a mutual acquaintance."
There was that squeal again, "I'd better get some delicious news at lunch tomorrow!"
Later she'd asked herself why she didn't question these things at the time, but the old saying was true, hindsight was 20/20. What was the point of worrying about it later? It happened like it happened. He'd asked her to meet him outside by the rear exit door and she did. He offered an excuse, "I'll just be getting back from a run over to Smithton County."
It would become their routine and she would completely miss what was going on, for weeks. Then she'd see it for what it was, Rick Grimes wanted to keep their relationship as clandestine as possible. He had his reasons, he should have shared those reasons.
The top was on the Wrangler and he smiled, "I thought we might need a little AC, it's a scorcher today." They didn't go far, just a mile or two out of town where he pulled off into a shady wooded area and grabbed the mid-sized Igloo cooler from the back. She thought it was pretty special that he'd packed them a picnic of ham sandwiches and sliced fruit, along with a couple of frosty bottles of sweet tea.
"Wow Rick, I'm impressed."
He handed her a sandwich and set her tea in the cup holder and then he smiled that smile at her, "Thanks but don't give me too much credit, I pack lunches every day. I'm probably overprotective and overly concerned but I don't like Carl eating school lunches. I don't know what half that stuff is. Anyway, I thought maybe it would be kind of nice for us to just have this time alone, instead of sitting in some noisy restaurant where we wouldn't be able to talk."
He'd think about it later and realize he should have handled things so differently, he'd done it all wrong. She was such a sweetheart and so understanding. If he would have just talked to her about his concerns she would have been okay with it all. Maybe they could have even figured something out together. But once again he'd been a jerk, he hadn't been open with her. If you can't be open and honest with a person how can it be an open and honest relationship? The million-dollar question.
It wasn't that he wouldn't be proud to be seen with her, nothing would make him more proud. It was the experience he'd had after Lori died that skewed his thinking. It was almost immediately after his Mother's death that Carl started hearing all the stories at school about his Mom and Shane. Rick felt like he had to protect Carl from finding out about Beth until he was sure he even wanted to introduce them. His and Beth's feelings for each other were going to have to be very serious before there would be an introduction.
He should have explained all that to Beth. He didn't.
That day though, they weren't thinking about all those things. They were just thinking about each other. She hadn't even had a bite of her sandwich when he was leaning in and kissing her. His hand slowly slid up the inside of her thigh and up her skirt, while his fingers started to tickle and tease on her panties. One slipped inside the thin fabric. She didn't object, she didn't try to stop him. She had the same problem he did, they just couldn't seem to keep their hands off each other.
They kept it at play. They were parked off the highway and in a copse of trees but still, they were out in broad daylight and the Wrangler was no place to make love.
As they made their way back to the office he asked if she could have lunch again on Thursday, she glanced over at him with a smile and asked, "Lunch?"
He knew he was smiling like a kid on Christmas morning, "I promise we'll eat lunch. First. Then we'll see."
She shouldn't be doing these things with him, she'd never acted like this with a man. My gosh they'd barely started to see each other. Their behavior was what her Mama would call shameful. Oh my gawd if her Mother knew what her baby girl was up to she'd faint dead away.
But she just couldn't help herself, all Rick Grimes had to do was look at her with those crystal blue eyes and it was as if all her good sense and morals just flew out the window. And she didn't care. At least in these early days she didn't.
He kept telling himself he had to quit this shit with her. What the hell was the matter with him? He was an adult, a father, not some horny teenager. He'd never been this way with a woman but every time he looked at her it was like he was compelled to touch her. Like he couldn't control it. No. A man can't think that way, a man has to be in control. But then again, she'd never asked him to quit, he would if she did. That turned him on too, the way she seemed to like him touching her as much as he liked to touch.
Thursday's lunch turned out to be a lot like Tuesday's except the sandwiches were turkey and they talked a little more. She asked if she could bring anything for Saturday's dinner and he actually said it, like some corny sleazeball at the local dive bar, "Yes, how about dessert?"
"Okay, anything in particular?"
"Yeah, my favorite dessert, you." It might have been the corniest thing he'd ever said, but it turned them both on.
He picked her up early Saturday, right after he took Carl to Patrick's house for a night that would no doubt be heavy on junk food and video games. Rick just shook his head and smiled thinking about it. He was okay with that, kids needed a day off just like adults. Carl and Patrick with both good boys and good students.
He was at Beth's house at 4:30 and she was ready and waiting. She was excited to see his home. The way a person lives tells so much about them and she was anxious to see how Rick Grimes lived. Was it a masculine home full of dark colors and leather furniture? Was he a neat freak, a slob or somewhere in between? She was so curious.
But seconds after he got inside her apartment she'd dropped her purse and her arms were around his neck, his were around her waist pulling her close to him and kissing her so deeply. They hadn't even said hello yet. There had been so much teasing and sexual tension during their week and now they were finally alone. She was as hungry for him as he was for her.
Her back was to the wall his body pressed to hers and his fingers messing up the hair she'd worked so hard at fixing. She didn't care, it was all just a little too hot for her to care. It was him that broke it up, pulling back just a little. He smiled that killer smile and in a voice thick with heat suggested, "Let's go play at my house."
She couldn't come up with a reason not to.
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A/N Well, I'd say there's all kinds of things happening and it's going to be interesting to see if they can ever really dig out from under it all. I'd appreciate you leaving a comment / review. If you'd like to see the chapter photo it's on my tumblr blogs gneebee and bethylmethbrick. I hope to see you all back here next Tuesday for more of Just Playin'. Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee
