***Thanks for reading and reviewing! This one's a bit longer, mostly because things are getting crazy busy now and I don't know when I'll get the next chance to post. Term papers, tests, and work…*sigh*. Of course, I own nothing but Kjiersten and this box of delicious crackers I'm devouring.***
The Elbow Room was already full by the time the Northwestern crew got there. About two steps into the loud, smoky bar, Kjiersten realized that she was in a rare position of power. Edgar, Matt Bradley, and her dad were blocking most of the crowd from seeing her, but she could just see between Matt and Norman enough to notice that Josh had his back completely turned on her. His brother was off sitting with the Hillstrands in the corner, so she wouldn't even have to deal with Jake right now.
"This is too perfect," she grinned, and Norman frowned at her.
"Do I want to know?" She pointed at Josh, still engrossed in his conversation with Freddie, and her dad rolled his eyes. He had learned long ago not to come between Kjiersten and Josh, especially when they had an elaborate plan that involved the pain and suffering of the other. Nothing could stop them.
It wasn't often that she got to sneak up on Josh; most times, he was the one coming from behind to scare the shit out of her. She didn't want to waste the opportunity, but if she acted too slowly, someone was bound to call her name and blow the whole scene. Freddie saw her as she breezed up behind Josh, but other than his initial glance, he kept his focus on giving Josh tips on how to pick up girls. From what she could tell, it was no surprise Freddie was still single, and she hoped the topic came up again, juts for shits and giggles. Right now, though, she had work to do.
In one swift motion, she looped her ankle around the leg of Josh's tall bar chair, pulled it back, threw her arms around his neck, and leapt up into his lap. He yelped, barely managing to keep his beer from spilling. She grinned and planted a kiss on his cheek before stealing the beer out of his very hand and taking a long sip for herself.
"Hey, Josh!" Edgar grinned from the bar. "Never knew you screamed like a girl!"
"Now, hey," Crosby piped up from the corner, "be fair. He's not used to girls sitting on his lap."
"Hey!" Josh started to defend himself to Edgar, decided better of it, and whirled on Crosby. "Hey. Don't even, man." He pointed menacingly, but Kjiersten grabbed the hand and used it in her favor instead. She pulled his arm up in the air and shouted for a drink over the growing volume of the room. When the waitress, a girl she didn't recognize, came over empty handed, Kjiersten sighed sadly.
"Budweiser," Josh explained, frowning as she finished off his beer. "Make it two." The girl nodded and headed off. "You know, not everyone automatically knows what you drink, KJ."
"Everyone here does," she pouted. "Or should."
"Sometimes, they do this crazy thing where they hire people. I know you're not used to that because you've worked with the same people for 4 years, but new employees aren't mythical beings like Santa and unicorns."
"What?" Freddie piped up finally. "Unicorns aren't real? No one told me this!"
"Aw man, look what you did!" Kjiersten smacked Josh's chest. "You just ruined Freddie's childhood!"
"I was gonna raise 'em and everything," he shook his head, grabbing his beer. "You kids have fun." They waved as he headed off.
"So, lookin' forward to your season?" Josh asked as the waitress brought back their drinks. She immediately took a sip before answering.
"We're getting a new cameraman, I guess. So he'll be here tomorrow for us to torture. Should be entertaining."
"Be nice. You guys are intimidating; cut the poor guy a break." She rolled up the sleeves of her crimson henley shirt and then raised her eyebrows at him over the rim of her glass.
"Yeah, whatever. Now, how's your season looking?"
Josh shrugged and stayed silent, taking the first sip of his new drink. She always went through them faster than he did. Kjiersten gave him a half-smirk and ran her hand through his hair. "Joshie, c'mon. It's either that or you tell me what Gina's saying about me."
He grimaced at the table top but shook it away. "The season, huh? It's…still weird. Derrik's coming in to be our relief captain, so, you know. We'll see how that goes. Weren't we talking about you?"
"Kjiersten Hansen, if you're not over here in one minute, we're coming to get you!" Johnathon Hillstrand announced from across the bar. She laughed, patting Josh's chest as she slid to her feet.
"Later?" Josh nodded and raised his drink to his lips, so she grabbed her nearly-empty glass and started weaving through the bar. It was never easy for her to travel through a group of fishermen. Between a halfway gone Lynn thinking he stood some sort of chance, Mike Fourtner trying to avoid his ex as she got herself and Andy Hillstrand more drinks, and Kodiak Bill waving her over to check on his favorite Hansen, it was like running an obstacle course to get to the Hillstrand's table.
"What do you douchebags want?" she grinned, sitting on Andy's lap so she could slide across and squeeze into the empty space between him and Johnathon.
"Aw, you could have stayed there, honey," Andy insisted, but she laughed and shook her head.
"Chris is best friends with our producer; Don used to work on your boat, remember? I know and love her too much to play that game."
"Yeah, dude," John waved his brother off, "back up. She's clearly mine."
"Hey!" Scotty held his hands up. "Dad!"
"And by mine, I mean that she belongs to my son to love forever."
"Obviously," Kjiersten rolled her eyes. "Should we bother telling my dad about this plan, Scotty, or are we just eloping?"
"Hey, Norm!" John bellowed. Norman turned from the bar where he was talking to Sig and Edgar, who also turned to look. "My son's marrying your girl. Cool?" Norman shrugged and turned back to the bar. "That's an ok. That was an ok, right?"
Kjiersten laughed and slid back onto Andy's lap to get out. He grabbed her waist, but she mimed dumping her drink on his head, and he squirmed to avoid it. She used the opportunity to wiggle out. "You know I hate kids, Scotty."
"You love my boy!" Scotty insisted.
"That's not the kid I'm talking about."
She walked away to the chorus of groans, laughs, and jokes at Scotty's expense. She slid next to Sig, ordered two more Budweisers, dropped one off with Josh as she passed his arm wrestling match with Crosby, and slid into the seat next to Jake Anderson.
"Hey, Junior. You're lookin' a little lonely over here."
"You're not. You've been running all over this place," Jake motioned to the bar. "Hard to imagine anyone wanting to talk to you over me, but…" he shrugged and took another gulp of beer.
"Believe me, if I could switch my popularity for yours, I would." Jake laughed. "Seriously. Go talk to people. Maybe they'll leave me alone for a little."
"He is talking to people, KJ."
She froze at the voice behind her. A glance across the bar told her that Josh was too busy taking on his next opponent to help her out here. Shit. Jake clinked bottles with the person she still couldn't bring herself to look at. She sent another look at Josh, wishing she could send him a message across the bar. What use was being best friends if they didn't have a psychic connection?
"Hi, Jake," she finally grunted, turning from the Jake that felt like a younger brother to the Jake she wanted to hurt. Jake Harris. The only person that made her so mad he could illicit a physical reaction. She knew he wasn't all that fond of her either anymore, but they had both perfected their acting. Jake Anderson was completely oblivious about the mine field he'd just been flung into.
"Jake says you're getting a new cameraman. Sounds entertaining."
"A barrel of laughs," she nodded shortly. "But we'll live. How's your trip looking?"
"Same old. It'll rain and we'll catch crab."
Uh-huh. What was it with these Harris boys? She shot another look at the still-oblivious Josh. "Sounds fun. Think your relief captain will work out?"
Jake's face darkened slightly and he shifted his gaze to the tabletop. "I dunno. You know how it is. We'll see where we're at in a month."
"You guys could be full owners and have your licenses and all soon, right? Won't need to worry about relief captains," Anderson pointed out. Harris shrugged again.
"Could." He took a big gulp of his water and pointedly focused on the tabletop again.
"Could," Kjiersten agreed. "How're you and Josh get along?"
"Like brothers."
"You're on his case every two seconds, aren't you?" she smirked, sipping her drink.
"Maybe he's the one getting on my case," Jake snapped. "He's not so damn perfect, you know."
"Woah, hey, she didn't mean it like that," Anderson cut in. She sipped her beer to hide her smirk because, yes, that was exactly what she meant. Jake was always trying to pull rank on the boat since he'd been on just the slightest bit longer than his older brother, and, as far as she was concerned, it was invading the rest of their lives and had been for years. It felt good to put him in his place every now and then, even if it was subtle and passive-aggressive. Josh had asked her to stop going at Jake, and she was doing her best to respect that. It was more her genetics than faulty willpower that kept her from completely letting up on the younger Harris.
He glared at her. "Why don't you let her defend herself? You've always thought he was better than me."
"I don't think he's better than you," she rolled her eyes. "I think you need…"
She jumped as Josh's hand came out of nowhere and snatched her beer just as she was reaching for it. It appeared that her earlier sneak attack had not set a precedent for the evening. He always could scare the shit out of her easily. "Walk with me." He wasn't happy, that much was clear, but it was hard to tell if it was something she'd done or an issue with someone else. She took his outstretched hand and let him lead her outside, watching forlornly as he handed her drink off to Edgar on the way out.
"Think you could go one night without getting on Jake's case?" She shrugged, which made him smirk.
"You know I try."
"I know you try to be a bitch." She faked insult, which he laughed at. "C'mon, try to cut him a break, huh? It's not like you're the most amazing. Word is your back to smoking full-time again." She knew he was disappointed that she had broken her promise to only smoke in extreme situations, but he kept the joking tone in his voice instead of letting that disappointment show. "You told me you were quitting."
She looked away, not feeling right looking at Josh right now. She'd let him down. "I know, Josh. I just…I mean, you know how it is. I slipped up. I'm trying. You know what it's like on the boat, and it doesn't help that everyone else is puffing away like fucking chimneys. I'll do better. Okay?"
"Here." She took the pack of electronic cigarettes he held out to her. "Don't lose them this time."
"Did you use these, Josh?" she asked with a grin. He shrugged and placed a hand between her shoulders to lead her back inside. "That's gross."
"You love it. C'mon. I'll buy you a drink."