Lex Talionis – Chapter 8
For a place that was booked sight unseen, the Hilton Garden Inn in State College turned out to be quite nice. A low building of only three stories, it snugged into the surrounding landscape, and its warmly glowing lights looked welcoming within the snow-covered grounds.
Alex and Bobby checked into their third floor rooms and agreed to meet in the restaurant, Harrisons Wine Country Grill, in half an hour. She made it downstairs first, and as Alex sat at the table reading the menu and waiting for her partner, she had time to reflect on their afternoon.
Very little information had been gained in return for the amount of time spent at the offices of Lisa Hahn's former employer. Lance Johnson was a tall, good-looking, African American man with a firm handshake and an apparently busy schedule. He'd built a successful real estate business in nearby Milesburg, but Alex got the impression he was trying too hard to appear overly important. He did not dismiss any incoming phone calls and, at first, the detectives tolerated it, realizing that their original appointment time had been rescheduled. But by the sixth interruption, her partner's patience was wearing thin.
"Mr. Johnson…" Bobby closed his notebook and straightened to his full intimidating height. "Maybe it would be better if we conducted this interview at our office."
Lance Johnson frowned. "I thought you were from New York…?"
Bobby nodded, "We are."
"But… getting there and back…" Johnson now looked panicked. "That would take all day!"
"We know," Alex said. Her sarcastic tone earned her a look of utter disdain from Johnson, but he pressed the intercom button on his phone and asked the receptionist to hold all calls.
After that, the most useful information they obtained was that Lisa was quiet and professional when she was on the job, but called in sick more often than any of Johnson's other employees. When asked the reason for her absences, Johnson told them that Lisa suffered from migraines. "Funny, her mother never mentioned migraines," Alex muttered when they left Johnson's offices. Bobby's response had been a distracted hum of agreement.
Alex lost focus on the menu as she thought about Bobby's distraction and silence during the drive to the hotel. Did something Johnson said have Bobby mulling over some aspect of the case? Or was he thinking about Alex's earlier promise – that they would talk later about this indefinable something that was shimmering between them? Her memory flashed back to the previous night and butterflies swooped dizzily in her stomach. Bobby had playfully pinned her against the wall, with his hands holding her wrists and his thigh pressed against her. He was laughing at her ineffectual struggles, and his warm breath had fanned against her cheek. But when Alex smiled happily up at him, uncertainty had clouded his eyes, quickly followed by a sober heat. All pretense of teasing faded, and she was sure Bobby had been about to kiss her when a noise from the men's locker room interrupted them. If only Garcia had better timing… the jerk!
Alex quickly chided herself for allowing her mind and body to consider such a dangerous notion. Bobby saw her as his partner and his friend. He'd recently broken up with Denise and last night was nothing more than confused frustration. Right?
That's good, Alex. Just keep telling yourself that…"Is this seat taken?"
Startled out of her musings, Alex felt a blush creep up her cheeks and she ducked her head to feign interest in the menu. "I was expecting someone, but since he's late…" she let the invitation trail off. Bobby snorted amusement and sat down across from her.
After a few comments, it seemed that neither of them really wanted to discuss the case, and dinner was mostly spent in comfortable silence. Alex wondered about this on their way back up to their rooms. Bobby hadn't once tried to raise the subject of the 'discussion,' and she realized that, true to his word, he would ignore it if that were her choice. He was leaving it to her to broach the issue – or forget it altogether.
She stopped in front of room 312 and dug her key card out of her jacket pocket. Bobby waited for her to slide her card and unlock the door. Alex hesitated with the door ajar, her hand gripping the handle, and remembered the moment last night when she thought he would kiss her.
"Well… good night," Bobby murmured before she had a chance to say anything and he headed off to room 323.
"Bobby," Alex called after him. He stopped and turned to face her. "Half an hour?"
Judging by his bemused expression, she must have taken him by surprise. After a few tense moments, he nodded. "I'll, uh… come to your room?" he ended on a question.
"Yeah. Just knock on the door."
Alex hurriedly stripped out of her clothes, wrapped her hair in a towel to keep it dry and stepped into the shower. She hoped the warm water would help relax her, and it did a little. After quickly drying herself, she smoothed scented lotion on her arms and legs, forgoing her usual full-body routine when she checked the time. Dammit! Too much time in the shower. She slipped into her gray sweatpants and was just pulling a pink tee-shirt over her head when she heard the knock at her door.
"I'm coming!" she called then bit her lip. God, Alex… get your mind out of the gutter!
"Hey," she greeted him when she opened the door.
"Hey." Bobby's nod to getting comfortable had been to remove his tie and open the top buttons of his shirt, although she noticed a distinct smell of soap and mouthwash as he walked past her and into the room. He stopped midway in and looked around. Alex followed his gaze and realized that the seating arrangements consisted of one small couch, a wooden chair at the built-in desk, and two queen-size beds. Bobby chose one end of the couch.
Now that he was here, Alex's resolve wavered and she was beginning to think this was a pretty bad idea. She looked around for something – anything – to distract herself. "Want something from the mini-bar?" she asked hopefully.
"No… I'm good."
How the hell can he be so calm? Spotting the bottle of lotion, Alex picked it up, assessed her seating options, and decided to sit at the other end of the couch. If he can appear calm, so can I. Stalling for time, she squeezed some lotion into the palm of her hand and began massaging her bare foot. Maybe I can start this conversation if I just don't look at him…
"I'm no Derek Jeter, but I've been told I give a good foot massage," Bobby teased.
Alex regarded him through the veil of her lashes and hesitated. A foot massage was pretty personal. But, then again, so was the topic they were about to broach. "How good?" Sassy… always a good choice.
"Hand me that lotion," Bobby reached for the bottle with a confident smile. He poured some lotion on his palm and rubbed his hands together, spreading and warming it before touching her. "Now hand me your foot." Alex smirked at him and stretched her leg so that her foot rested mid-thigh. He gently grasped her foot and began working the heel of one palm into her arch while the fingers on his other hand curved and caressed her toes. She had to close her eyes and swallow a groan of pleasure. From that point on, her mind followed its own sensual path.
"Raspberry."
"What?" Alex opened her eyes and forced her thoughts away from her fantasy to focus on what he'd said. "No… it's vanilla bean."
He smiled. "Not the lotion… your nail polish."
"Oh." Alex glanced self-consciously at her brightly colored toenails. Regular pedicures were an indulgence for her. But for the same reason that she splurged on silky lingerie, she allowed herself the expense because wearing pink, coral or red on her toenails gave her secret reassurance of femininity beneath the professional and sometimes drab outerwear of her job. "It's actually called 'Love's Lavender' or something," she said unnecessarily. The corner of Bobby's mouth quirked, but he said nothing as his hands and fingers continued their task of pampering her right foot.
Alex closed her eyes and was just recapturing her sensual fantasy when she heard Bobby clear his throat before speaking. "Eames… Alex. This… thing between us…"
Dear Bobby… bless you for being the brave one. She looked at him and was surprised that he seemed calm, not at all nervous.
"We've known each other a long time, almost five years. We spend a lot of time together and we… understand things about each other that others don't…" His hands stopped moving, but he continued to hold her foot as his dark eyes bored into her with an intensity she recognized. This is how Bobby looks when he's searching for answers.
"What are you saying?"
"Maybe… maybe this is just… familiarity. Friendship and affection." He offered up this explanation, but Alex sensed a lack of conviction in his presentation. She felt his hands grip her foot more tightly and his eyes locked hers, preventing her from looking away. "We can say that it is, if that's what you want."
Her heart was pounding. Bobby was offering her a way out, but she wasn't sure she wanted one. "What do you want?" she countered.
"I want…," one hand left her foot and ran distractedly through his hair. "I want not to screw this up." His hand came back down to rest on her shin and his gaze was steady. "What do you want?"
She considered his question and studied him. His salt-and-pepper waves. His dark eyes watching her so intently, so full of questions and waiting for her answer. His unshaven jaw. And his mouth with that full lower lip just begging to be kissed. "I want to stop wondering," she answered quietly.
Decision made, Alex leaned toward him… watching his eyes… waiting for some sign of rejection or denial on his part. It never came.
She tasted him on the millimeter of breath between them – toothpaste, and Bobby. Her eyes drifted shut, their lips met and he yielded to her kiss. She was light and tentative at first, but when Bobby made no move to pull away, Alex surrendered to sensation. The feel of his lips responding her hers. The scent of his skin with its remaining trace of aftershave. Her heart thundering in her ears and chest so hard that she had to place a trembling hand on his shoulder to steady herself. A hand came up to rest firmly on her hip as his lips slid beneath hers. An unrestrained whimper of need escaped her and that's when Bobby took control. The hand on her hip smoothed over her ribs, his other gripped the back of her head and his mouth slanted over hers. Alex opened to his questing tongue and felt his urgent groan at the back of her throat. She leaned her body against his chest and, despite her awkward position, Bobby's arms held her in place, supporting her weight so she could forget that one leg was bent beneath her. His tongue explored the warmth of her mouth, tasting and stroking every surface then drawing away to lap teasingly at her lips and the tip of her tongue, before once again delving into the depths. Alex wrapped her arms tightly around him, her fingers digging in to the muscles of his back. Desperately she clung to him and willed herself to always remember this – the feel and taste of him.
Bobby pulled away first, burying his face in the crook of her neck and kissing the soft skin behind her ear. "Oh, God…" he whispered against her. She crooned a protest into his hair and threaded her fingers against his scalp, tugging him away from her neck so she could go back to kissing him. He willingly recaptured her lips, but with less intensity and a little more sanity. Alex softened her demand as Bobby's hands gently soothed her back. With a few final tastes of him, she ended the kiss but stayed seated where she was, practically in his lap. He avoided her gaze, looking instead at his hands as they rubbed up and down her arms.
"Hey." Placing a hand on his cheek, Alex grazed his stubbled jaw with her thumb. She heard his breath catch and when his eyes finally met hers they held a heat and emotion that astonished her. She shivered as her vision blurred with the intensity of it all. Bobby pulled her head to his shoulder and held her close.
"Now I know," she murmured into his collar.
He kissed the top of her head. "What do you know?"
She ran a fingertip along the buttons of his shirt. "This isn't about friendship or familiarity."
"No, it's not," his arms tightened around her.
"What now?"
Bobby's chest swelled against her with a deep sigh. "I don't know." He pulled her away from him and looked into her eyes. "But I do know that we're not going to settle this tonight." She was about to protest, but he raised his eyebrows, set his jaw and sat her back on her side of the couch. "I, uh… I should go." Ignoring Alex's gaping mouth, Bobby stood up.
The only words her stunned mind could form were, What the fuck? But before she had a chance to voice them, Bobby turned back to her. "What are you doing Saturday night?"
"I, uh…" she had to shift gears and wait for her brain to engage before answering. "I have plans to go to a comedy club with some friends," she vaguely remembered.
"Can you break them?"
Alex nodded numbly, still not believing that he was actually going to leave.
"Good," Bobby grinned. "How about spending the evening with me? I don't know yet what we'll do, but I'll think of something."
And then it hit her. Bobby was being… Bobby. A gentleman. And by doing so, he was ensuring that this wasn't just a night in some motel. He was asking her on a date. As she thought about it, she wondered why she had expected anything less from him. Alex could only nod in response to his invitation.
"Great." His smile wavered and he suddenly seemed at a loss for anything more to say as Alex sat there staring at him, still unable to speak. "Well… I'll, uh… I'll see you in the morning." He made it as far as the door before she could move.
"Bobby!" Alex suddenly jumped up from the couch and rushed over to him. Reaching up she grasped the back of his neck and pulled him down into her kiss. His hands gripped her waist and Alex pushed her tongue into his willing mouth. Wanting more than anything for him to stay yet knowing it wasn't going to happen, she put all her longing and desire into the kiss. This time she pulled away first and left Bobby breathing hard as she laid her head against his chest, listening to the rapid thrum of his heart.
"You're not making this easy for me," he croaked.
She looked up at him with an impudent smile. "Who said I'm easy?"
With a smile and a playful swat at her hip, he opened the door. "See you tomorrow."
"Thanks for the foot massage," she called after him as the door swung closed.
"My pleasure."
TBC…