Alright. So here is Part 2. I just wanted to explain something before we get into this one. So when I think of Steve dating, I really feel he wants to be wanted for that guy he is inside, not the guy who saves the world. For instance, his best girl, Peggy, knew him before he became Captain America, grew attached to him as a person, not a superhero. I think he'd still look for that in someone, even though the little guy is gone physically, he's still in there and I think he'd want someone that liked that part about him more than the superhero he is to everyone else. Anyways, I hope you enjoy part 2, Steve's taking a trip in uncharted territory. Also, huge thank you to the best beta, rckyfrk. You are awesome, Love.
Embraceable You - Frank Sinatra
"So what happened with that hunk of a man last week?" Caroline asked as I helped her stock the bar before the night started. I rolled my eyes as I continued my job, ignoring her snooping. "Oh come on Jolene, you know I'm having to live vicariously through you now," she added as she held up her engagement-ring-clad hand out for me to see.
"Are you serious Caroline?" I squeaked out. She nodded vigorously with the brightest smile I had ever seen on her face. "It's about time! Congrats, I'm so happy for you. Tell Gibson I said congrats too." I gave her a hug before heading back to the backstage area again. I was glad to get away from Caroline's game of twenty questions about Steve.
Truth was, I hadn't seen him again since that night, well not of the physical sort. I wondered if I would ever see him again after he just walked away that night a week ago. So much about him seemed too good to be true, so if I never saw him again, I would just know I was right...too good to be true. He was well above my level and probably preferred the women of magazines. Who the hell was I kidding?
Most definitely too good to be true, but that didn't stop him from infiltrating my dreams. Damn him.
I fixed my upright pin curls, making sure my hair looked perfect. It was the first time I had worn my hair like this and would probably be my last; my hair was too long and took way too much time to do into this hairstyle. I smoothed my high-waisted dark green pencil skirt and put on the green jacket and brown belt over my white tank top to finish off the Cadet outfit I had snagged from the vintage store earlier his week. I looked around as I walked onto stage for the first set of the night.
Steve wasn't there, which didn't surprise me too much, although the disappointment was still there. It wasn't until the third set of the night that I had spotted him. Sitting at the bar, turned towards me, his hair parted and combed to the sides unlike the last time I had seen him. He was wearing a plaid button down under his brown leather jacket and looking every bit dapper. He gave me a grin with a nod when our eyes locked and I quickly returned it as the song ended. I announced that I would be back in thirty minutes, after my break, to sing the last set of the night and Steve turned around in his seat to face the bar again.
"Captain." I sat down in the stool next to him after getting myself a drink.
"Jolene," he glanced at me with a small smile, sliding a shot glass over to me.
"Are you trying to get me drunk, Steve?" I chuckled, which also earned a snort from him.
"Can't buy a pretty lady a drink anymore?" he asked as he turned in his chair slightly to angle himself towards me. I watched as he looked over me slowly, making me squirm a bit in my chair under his studying gaze.
"Thank you," I replied, grabbing the glass and taking the shot of what I was sure to be whiskey. His eyes were on mine when I looked back to him after finishing the shot, a distant look in his eyes for the briefest of moments. "What?"
"Nothing, just remind me of an old friend," he answered before turning himself towards the bar again.
"A special friend?" I asked turning in my chair to face him and take in his demeanor.
"Very." The slight heartbreak in his eyes made my chest ache.
"What happened?" I crossed my legs, settling in for a story and the chance to figure out this mysterious man a little more.
"We just ran out of time." He brought his longneck to his lips taking a sip of it before setting it back on the bar and looking over at me.
"I'm sorry to hear that." I laid a hand on his forearm and Steve closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and then nodding at me slightly before turning to look forward. "How about a dance?" I asked as a slow tune began from the band.
"I don't know how to dance," he replied before taking another drink of his beer.
"Well come on, I happen to be a great teacher." I tightened my grip on his forearm slightly giving him a tight lipped smile.
He was the hesitant one this time, looking forward for a moment longer before looking over at me and returning the same smile. "It might be time to learn." He turned in his chair, standing up and taking a step out from between the chairs. He held his hand out to me to help me down from my own stool and then offered his arm as we walked out to the floor. Everything about his demeanor and how he carried himself screamed old time gentleman, and I didn't feel like the only person who felt out of their era anymore. As we approached the dance floor I pulled my arm from his, stopping in the middle of the wooden dance floor.
"One hand on the small of my back," I instructed him. He softly placed his hand on my back as I gripped his other hand in mine and placed my other hand on his rock hard bicep. "Tighter hold." He gave me an unsure look before pressing harder on my back pushing me against him firmly. I led for one a few moments, rocking us back and forth to the beat of the song but once Steve got the hang of it his strength took over, leading us in a slow dance as the song played on. "See, it isn't that bad." I turned my head looking up at him. He turned looking at me giving me one of those knee-weakening crooked smiles. I turned my head, resting my temple at his cheek and moving my hand from his arm to the nape of his neck as we continued our dance.
"If I asked you to dinner would you say yes?" I could hear the nervousness in his voice as he whispered it in my ear as we swayed. His breath fanned over my ear and down my neck, sending a shockwave of chills down my spine that caused me to shiver slightly. He pulled back to look at me with a look of rejection on his face, eyebrows raised and furrowed in worry and his eyes holding a sad puppy dog look about them.
"I'd say I'd love to," I replied, letting a smile creep slowly across my face as I watched the relief wash over his face. He gave me a smile before pushing on my lower back a little to urge me against him again as we finished out our dance. "I've got another set to sing." I took a step back after he dropped his hand from my back. Steve held out his hand gesturing to the stage, his other hand placed behind his back.
"Thanks for the dance," he said, giving me a smile. I gave him a shy smirk before turning to walk away. His gaze was attached to me for the whole last set although I could see even from this distance that his mind was wandering to a different place randomly throughout the set. Time seemed to drag on during that last set, feeling overly giddy to get back to Steve who was sitting there looking like a dream. The last song of the night finally came and as I sang the song, the lyrics took on a new meaning for me for the first time.
Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you
Embrace me, you irreplaceable you
Just one look at you
My heart grows tipsy in me
You and you alone
Bring out the gypsy in me
I love all the many charms about you
Above all, I want my arms about you
Don't be a naughty baby
Come to mama, come to mama do
My sweet embraceable you
I walked off the stage, heading to the bar to help Caroline with the last leg of the night. Steve was still sitting at the bar nursing his beer as closing time was called out.
"Could I walk you home again tonight?" Steve asked as he stood up from his stool.
"If you don't mind waiting around," I replied as I wiped down the counter.
"I won't be waiting 70 years will I?" Steve smiled, one that reached his eyes and made them sparkle a bit, like he had some kind of inside joke I wasn't aware of. "I'll be outside whenever you're ready." I gave him a smile before he walked out of the door.
"Walking you home again, huh?" Caroline snooped.
"Well, he actually asked me out tonight." I stopped scrubbing at the bar looking up at her to catch her reaction.
"Did you say yes? Please tell me you said yes," she said after she finished counting her till.
"I did," I replied as I finished cleaning the bar top.
"Well then, I would assume you guys have something to talk about. Why don't you go ahead and leave, I've got this," Caroline said as she looked around the bar. "I've only got to drop the till and wipe down the tables and I'll be out of here anyways. Have fun," she said, grabbing the rag out of my hand.
"Goodnight, Caroline!" I shouted back to her as I walked towards the door.
"I better hear all about it tomorrow!" she shouted back at me as I walked out of the door.
"Steve?" I whispered as I stepped out onto the sidewalk.
"On your left," he chuckled, pushing himself off of the wall and putting his arm out for me to take. After looping my arm through his he led me off in the direction of my apartment. We walked in silence for a while and as if on cue, we both began speaking at the same time. We both let out a little laugh before he looked at me and spoke, "Ladies first."
"I was just going to ask where we will be heading to for dinner. You know, so I know how I should dress." I suddenly felt awkward.
"I'm sure you'll look beautiful regardless what you wear, but you may want to lean towards some pants rather than a dress," he said as we continued walking.
"Why's that?" I looked up at him.
"Because we'll be riding my motorcycle." He looked over to me watching my face for any indication that I was uncomfortable, but before I could reply he added, "If that's okay with you I mean. I can ask Ton...I mean Sam to borrow his car."
"No it's fine. I've just never been on one before." I snorted. "I sound so sheltered," I laughed at myself.
"This is a first for me too," he said softly.
"But you own the bike," I said confusedly.
"Not the bike, the date," he replied as we came to a stop outside of my apartment building then dropped his arm to release mine.
"Really?" I was shocked. He had to have been lying. The man looked like a damn model and had to have been the most polite man I had ever met. There was no way he hadn't dated. I was surprised he was even single. Wait, there was no wedding ring right? I looked at his hand and it was surely blank, but that didn't mean he didn't have a ring in his pocket. Been there, done that.
"I told you I'm not very good at talking to women." He dug his hands into the pockets of his pants. Steve hung his head, trying to hide the blush I could see creeping up his neck.
"You don't have to talk Steve. I'm sure you have spellbound more women than you know." I bumped my shoulder into his arm with a small laugh which earned me a look of confusion from Steve. "Come on Captain, you have to know you are built like a Greek God, have the face of a model, and a smile that would make any woman swoon." I looked at him, unbelieving that he was this clueless. "To many women, your looks do all the talking."
"And to you?" He looked up slightly, his piercing blue eyes locking on mine from under those gorgeous thick lashes.
"To me, what?" I asked a little caught off guard and feeling unbalanced under his beautiful gaze.
"What about me does all the talking?" he asked, hands still tucked into his pockets, head hung slightly, leaning against the railing of the stairs.
"Your eyes," I replied, not pulling my eyes from his. "They tell a story of their own. They're breathtakingly blue, but that's not all. They hold something in them, like I can see inside them, inside this shield you carry around on the outside." I paused watching his jaw clench slightly and his eyes drop down to look at the ground for a moment before looking back up to me. "You may look hard and rough on the outside, Steve, but your eyes tell me that's much different than what's inside."
The corner of his lips lifted in a small grin. "So it's the inside you're interested in?" he asked taking a step closer to me. I hummed my agreement, feeling my words fail me as he got closer. "I hope that's the part you like more than anything."