Edited 090225

AN: I reread the chapter and edited a few words here and there, nothing major though. I'm not trying to make a political statement with this chapter, just a reflective one...

-The Date-

TO: "R. Locksley", sherwoodsfinest(at)msn(dot)com

FROM: "Much", d0nuts07(at)yahoo(dot)com

SUBJECT: NOT INSANE BUT YOU DEFINITELY HAVE SOME QUIRKS

March 5

You better be serous this time. Sounds like she's been through a lot. Girlfriends don't come with like a leasing plan. Keep 'em for six months then return 'em for a newer, sportier model.

/M

...................................

TO: "Much", d0nuts078(at)yahoo(dot)com

FROM: "R. Locksley" ,sherwoodsfinest(at)msn(dot)com

SUBJECT: WHO ME?!

March 5

Geez tanx for the vote of confidence…

I'm signing off now, I have a hot date tonight.

I'll tell you more about it later….

/Robin

.......................... ................................

"Have you made up your mind?!" I asked as I flopped down next to Marian on the edge of the bed.

"Yep, " she nodded scanning the room service menu one final time, her finger moving from one to another of the listed beverages. "I'll have the chicken and pasta, a small Caesar salad, and a beer. Good thing you are paying because I can't even afford a bottle of water from this place… Next time we'll go to McDonalds, my treat …"

"Sounds like a plan to me," I agreed and reached for the phone to order our food.

The date had gone better then I had hoped. Well okay it wasn't much of a date really, but hey at least we were spending time together without arguing (too much)… Our original movie plans had been scrapped because we couldn't agree on a film we both wanted to see, so instead we spent a good three hours at the local bowling alley. It wasn't my idea of a good time but Marian seemed to enjoy it...

We played four games and I lost all four, but the computer cheated! It gave Marian spares and strikes when they really didn't get them! Stupid cheating computer… Afterwards, we went to a nice Italian restaurant for dinner, but there was over an hour wait, so in the end we ended up in my hotel room ordering ridiculously-overpriced room service grub.

So now thirty minutes later we were both seated in the middle of the huge king sized bed, eating our food and watching pay-per-view soft porn. Yes, you heard right… 'Sexual Perversity in Chicago'. Geez, I should have known better than to leave her in charge of the remote control….

"Aww, come on Robin you said no chick flick and I rather watch this than some silly action movie filled with nothing but senseless violence. At least this one has a plot that actually leads somewhere...." Marian giggled when a flash of male nudity came on the screen. "Stop complaining, you're a guy, you're supposed to like 'adult material' like this..." The last sentence was bitten out with sarcasm and a making of air quotes with her fingers.

I took another bit of my sandwich and chewed thoughtfully for a second before answering, "Oh, I like it alright… at home, in my own privacy… but hotel porn… that's just tacky."

"Ah, I see, and visiting a strip club isn't?!"

"I never said that!"

"Imagine the headlines 'Military adviser and former elite athlete found in compromising position with local strip club employee…'

"…with a two-pages spread about porn marathons and drunken sex orgies."

Marian rolled her eyes and took a sip of her beer. "You're nuts."

"That's one thing we have in common then because so are you my dear..."

"Ha, ha very funny! For your information this hardly qualifies as porn. They are not even naked. It's probably not even X-rated," she teased and slid off the bed to toss her empty food containers into the trash can.

"Aren't you just a smartass tonight?"

"Better than being a dumbass," she chirped, returning to the bed.

Rolling over onto her stomach she propped her chin up with both hands. "So… now what?"

I peeled my sneakers off and mocked her position. "I don't know, anything particular you want to talk about?"

"No, not really..." She looked at me thoughtfully but stayed quiet.

I waited for an uncomfortably long time before I broke the silence. "Go ahead and ask..."

"What?" she questioned, acting like she had no idea what I was talking about.

"You've got that look on your face that tells me that there is something you want to ask. So lets hear it!"

"Alright, it's more of an observation than a question," she states with a shake of her head. "I thought you'd have mad bowling skills but your game was off tonight. Something's bothering you, I can tell... Is it your shoulder? You seem to favor your right side quite noticeably."

"Yeah, well, maybe taking you bowling wasn't one of my brightest ideas." I shrugged. "Injuries comes with the territory in my line of work."

"Okay, and what exactly is your line of work these days? Are you training for another mission? Or have you taken up archery again?"

"You already know the answer to that one; military adviser, I teach martial arts to police and military personnel."

"Still chasing glory and crossing swords with the elite in other words then."

I let that comment pass, but only because I got sidetracked by the TV or more specifically by the sudden outburst of oohs" and "ahhs" as the mostly naked guy started doing mostly naked stuff with the mostly naked chick. Not x-rated, my ass…

"Um… maybe we should turn the volume down justa WEE bit."

"Worried what the neighbors will say? I never knew you were such a prude."

"Aww, come on that's not true," I protested half laughing, half shaking my head incredulously. "You, if anyone, should know that I'm not prude. I'm sure I told you about that time I went streaking across the soccer field in school. That has to count for something."

"Sorry, but that don't impress me much… me being the locals trip club employee and all…"

"Right, I forgot about that, but since you brought it up…. Why do you work there? I mean really… why do you do it?

Shifting uncomfortable on the bed, she made a face and groaned. "I knew you were going to ask about that. Don't go make a big deal out of it. I don't strip or dance or whatever. I serve drinks and I only work a couple of nights a month to cover my bills, that's all."

"Is it by choice? I mean, do you work there because you enjoy it or is it because you can't find anything else?"

"It pays better than flipping burgers at some fast food joint. I do what I have to do, and people can either like it or dislike it I don't care…" she shifted again and turned so that she was lying on her side, looking straight at me.

Her sudden closeness caused my heart to miss a beat for a second. "Fair enough…."

"So, your shoulder…" she said, nudging my foot with hers. "…the truth this time…"

"The truth… well the truth is it was a landmine. No one was killed or anything but me and two other soldiers were banged up pretty badly when our vehicle ran over a landmine… And before you say anything, I knew the risks going in and I was willing to take them."

"You'd do it again," it was a statement more than a question.

"I don't wish it undone, but I would never re-enlist. There is no glory in war, only blood, sweat and tears, and I can vouch for that."

"There's no winner, only casualties," she nodded knowingly.

"If you say 'I told you so' I'm out of here," I threatened with a great, annoyed roll of my eyes at her.

"I wont say anything. I don't think I need to say anything, you already know how I feel on the subject."

"Right and we're back at square one again. Can't we go one evening without arguing?!"

"I knew this was a bad idea. I told you this was a bad idea, I told you we shouldn't date. There is just too much history…"

"Alright, so let's not call it a date then. What's wrong with two friends hanging out having fun together?!"

"Well that depends."

"On what?!"

"Whether or not you're in a relationship at the moment."

I stared at her, surprised. "No, I'm not in a relationship, why Ms. Fizwalter? I thought you said you weren't interested?"

"If I'm going to get my ass kicked by some jealous girlfriend I prefer to know about it in advance, that's all… I mean, I'm the local strip club employee you were planning to have a drunken sex orgy with, right?!"

I chuckled and shook my head. "You're something else."

She raised an eyebrow. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Definitely… You keep me on my toes, that's for sure."

"No, actually it looks like I'm keeping you in bed at the moment," she smirked and shoved me down against the mattress.

"Oh goodie, is this where the drunken sex orgy begins. "

"It certainly looks that way doesn't it?" She cocked her head to the side as if she was actually considering the idea. "Maybe I should tie you up and break out my cuffs and my whip."

There was that smirk again. Good God, what was she trying to do, seduce me? Not that I needed seducing. A simple "I want you" would have been more than enough.

"Not fair to tease a man like that!," I protested somewhat breathlessly.

"Who's teasing?!" We'll have to make due without the props, of course… but other than that…. " she trailed off, biting her lip.

"Are you serious?!"

"I don't want a boyfriend or a relationship. We'd be two friends hanging out having fun together, nothing else…. a one time deal…."

"That's not what frien-…."

"Two strangers then. Yeah, that's better. Two strangers having hot nasty sex together… "Hesitantly, she moved to straddle my waist, her skirt hiking up around her hips. "…like how it was in the beginning. You remember don't you?! "

"It's been a while, I might need you to refresh my memory."

"I think I can do that:" With a hand behind my neck, she leaned down, her lips seeking mine in a kiss that left us both wanting more….