Working Together:
Riley sipped her soda and absent mindedly scratched Sparky behind his ears as Nate began talking about their new con.
"Wait? So we're taking down a wedding planner?" Parker asked finally looking up from the rubix cube Hardison had given her.
Nate pinched the bridge of his nose trying to stop the oncoming migraine.
"Yes. Rosemary Flynn," Hardison cut in pulling her image up on the screen. "She's been a wedding planner for over twenty years. Family business-"
"So what did she do?" Eliot asked sitting down next to Parker.
"She's been taking her customers identity. She has them fill out the customer information sheet's, never takes cash, just personal checks or credit cards, and- "
"Wedding's are boring," Riley interrupted. She sat up in her seat as Sparky lifted his head from her lap and padded over to where Eliot sat.
"Wedding's are like art," Sophie mused as she smiled.
Both Parker and Riley rolled their eyes.
"Will you all stop interrupting me?" Hardison asked. "I know my work may be boring but it is-"
"Eliot, Riley, you two are going to be the couple for this job," Nate stated as he picked up his coffee mug.
"You all ain't even listening, you know what, I'm out, work your own damn meeting," Hardison muttered as he walked out of the room.
"Ummm I only handle tech stuff. I can't act to save my life," Riley pointed out.
"Sophie will help you," Nate said matter of factly.
"No way Nate. I am not doing this," Eliot stated firmly.
"Listen up. We are tired of your constant arguing and bickering and disagreement. So, you two are going to work together or you're both on probation. You're choice," Nate declared.
Eliot scowled but remained quiet. Riley pouted and crossed her arm over her chest. "Whatever," she muttered.
Sophie patted her shoulder. "It is getting a little out of hand dear."
"Just don't expect me to get along with him," she said glaring a little at Eliot.
"Sophie I don't' know about this…its soooo, not me," Riley finally said as she looked in the mirror.
Sophie had dress her in a red sleeveless top, paired with mustard yellow jeans, red heels and a diamond heart locket. Her hair usually pulled back into a bun was layered around her shoulders.
"You look lovely Riley, now leave your hair alone" Sophie replied swatting Riley's hands away from the make up.
Parker snickered from her spot on the couch, and Riley shot her a glare. "It's not like you've ever been all dressed up like a doll for Sophie."
Sophie rolled her eyes. "Oh hush. You looked wonderful."
"You ladies decent?" Hardison asked knocking on the door.
"Yes," Sophie answered.
Hardison opened the door and came into the room.
"Well don't you look cute," he teased as he walked into the room. He sat on the couch next to Parker and pulled out a wallet from his pocket.
"Please tell me that is not a pink leather wallet?" Riley asked in disgust. "It goes with your cover. It's perfect for you."
"Fu-"
"Language," Sophie cut in.
Riley in turn flipped Hardison off and took the wallet from him and looked through it. She frowned and plopped onto the couch as Sophie riffled through her boxes and boxes of shoes.
"I have your ID and your background, but it's going to take a little bit to get-"
"I'm a florist?" Riley interrupted pulling out a business card. "And my name is Rebecca?"
Hardison scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Yea…but it suits you."
"Alec, I can't garden to save my life."
He shrugged. "You own it, not actually grow flowers…and who kill's a cactus?"
She blushed. "It wasn't on purpose."
"You killed a cactus?" Parker asked. "Remind me not to leave you with mine."
Hardison shook his head and handed her a couple credit cards which she promptly stuck haphazardly in the wallet. "This is to small."
"It's perfectly fine, you just need to stay organized.," he replied.
"What's Eliot's cover?"
"Jonathon Reed. He owns a winery, very wealthy."
"Why does he get the cool name?"
Hardison rolled his eyes.
Sophie handed her a box. "These will do just fine."
"Eliot's out front waiting. You have an appointment with the wedding planner at 3," Hardison told her while holding out a pair car keys.
She eyed them with suspicion.
"It's a mahogany red Dodge Charger," he told her.
He pulled them back as she reached for them. "It's a rental. Be careful and stay close to the speed limit."
She grabbed the car keys and grinned. "No promises." She grabbed her bag and tucked the shoes under her arm before hurrying out.
"Will you stop that?" Eliot muttered while smacking her hand away from his tie.
She glared at him and went back to fixing the tie. "You don't have it right. It's crooked."
He growled under his breath but it felt short as she brushed against him. He grabbed her wrists and held them at her sides.
"Enough. I know how to fix my own tie."
She rolled her eyes but stepped away. They waited silently for the receptionist, who kept making googily eyes at Eliot. Riley eyed her cooly.
"Ms. Flynn will see you now," the receptionist said smiling at Eliot.
They followed her down the hall to an office. Riley kept the well masked pleasant smile on her face as they made their way. The receptionist smiled yet again at Eliot, even going as so far as to bat her eye lashes at him. Riley inwardly scowled and purposefully tripped herself causing Eliot to wrap his arm around her to keep from falling. She tossed a satisfied smile at the receptionist who frowned and hurried back to her desk.
"You okay?" Eliot asked helping her up.
"Not used to heels is all," she answered as she straightened. "Sorry."
"You must be Mr. Reed and Miss. Sherwood" woman said as she approached them. "I'm Ms. Flynn."
She was probably around Nate's age maybe a bit younger. They all shook hands before sitting down.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you both" she added.
"Please. We should be the one's saying that. After I heard all about you I just had to have you plan our wedding," Riley gushed. "You're the talk among all my friends and co-workers Ms. Flynn."
"Please. Call me Rosemary" she replied while picking her planning book off of the desk.
Riley's smile never wavered. Eliot was quite impressed. He looked back the wedding planner and caught a glimpse of Parker repelling down the side of the building.
"Now, what kind of wedding will you be having?" Rosemary asked.
"A small one," Riley answered. "Just close friends and family."
Rosemary nodded and started to make notes. "Now have you picked a date?"
"November 5th," Riley smiled.
"It's the day we met," Eliot added squeezing Riley's hand. "She spilled her coffee all over my favorite shirt."
Riley blushed. "And you've never let me live it down. I am such a klutz."
"Well you two have such perfect chemistry. You must be soul mates," Rosemary replied.
Eliot laughed. "Oh I don't know about that."
Rosemary smiled. "Alright. Well I have a list of venues right here. Why don't you two take a look and I will be back shortly."
Riley accepted the large binder and opened it flipping through a couple pages as Rosemary walked out.
"You're not seriously looking through all of those are you?" Eliot asked her as he got up and started to search the room.
"Pfft no," she scoffed. She went over to Rosemary's laptop and plugged in her flash drive and started typing. "Alright Hardison. Half for you, and half for me," she murmured as she finished up.
"She's coming back," Eliot told her.
Riley quickly finsihed up and tucked the flash drive away before taking her seat and opening to a random page in the book.
"Have you two decided on a venue?" she asked.
"A garden wedding," Riley announced.
"In the Fall?" Rosemary asked.
Riley nodded. "I've always wanted to get married in the fall."
Rosemary smiled. "I'll set you up with some venue visits for a our next meeting. Say a week from Friday at noon?"
"Sounds perfect," Riley answered while standing up.
They shook hands and said goodbye before walking out of the office. Eliot managed to swipe the car keys from her as they made their way outside.
"You drive like a maniac" he stated matter of fact. "I'd like to live another day so please let me drive."
She stuck her tongue out at him while getting in the passenger seat. "Fine, just wake me up when we get back,"she told him as she closed her eyes. She was asleep a few minutes later.
Fingers ran up and down her stomach causing her to shiver. She looked at him through slit eyes and pouted.
"No fair. You're not allowed to tease."
He smiled down at her, his fingers hovering just above her stomach where they had briefly been drawing inconsistent designs.
"But you're just so teaseable" the thick southern accent whispered.
"Teaseable is not a word."
He kissed her jaw line skimming his fingers down the inside of her thighs.
"Eliot" she whined pouting as he pulled away.
He shushed her with another kiss and a small moan escaped from her parted lips.
Eliot looked over at Riley, who was contently sleeping in the passenger seat. She bit her lip and shifted in the seat slightly. He shook his head and focused on the road.
"Alright alright already, I'm coming just stop banging on the door," Eliot growled.
He had been enjoying a peaceful night's sleep, accompanied by a very nice dream, only to waken up in a cold sweat after realizing said dream was about a certain girl clad only in a skimpy maids uniform, and a loud banging on his apartment door.
He threw open the door and found Riley clad only in a pair of blue fleece pajama bottoms and a Darth Vader t-shirt. Sparky was on a leash with the end wrapped around her leaned in the doorway crossing one leg over the other hiding his hopefully non obvious excitement and scrubbed a hand down his face.
"What do you want pipsqueak?" he asked. "I was sleeping."
She shifted from foot to foot and he sighed. "Would you like to come in?"
"Yeah," she answered.
He moved out of the way and motioned her in. She immediately stepped into the apartment and he shut the door stepping back as Sparky licked his foot approvingly. Riley unhooked Sparky's leash and the dog laid down beside the couch.
"What do you want at 3 in the morning?" he asked.
"Remember my birthday?" she asked.
Crap,he inwardly cursed.
"Yeah…what about it?"He cleared his throat and went towards the kitchen.
She was silent for a bit.
"Do you remember what happened that night? I know we slept together but I mean do you remember what happened during?"
Eliot reluctantly turned to look at her. She was looking at the ground with Sparky lying at her feet. The leash had long since been discarded. He quickly turned away and went into the kitchen.
He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Yeah." He winced as his voice faltered a bit.
He turned away from the stove and found her leaning in the doorway. She was playing with her fingers. A nervous habit he noticed.
"Is it weird to say that I…I enjoyed it?" she asked.
He shook his head no. "What if…"He trailed off.
She looked at him questioningly.
"What if we make a deal" he continued slowly.
"What kind of deal?" she asked.
He cleared his throat for the third time it seemed. "Well…we're portraying a couple engaged and couples-"
"Get to the point Pretty Boy," she cut in.
He rolled his eyes. "What if we have casual sex," he replied. "Pipsqueak."
"Casual sex?" she asked.
He nodded. "Whenever one of us or both just wants to have sex and don't want the hassle of wining and dinning we just have sex with each other."
She shook her head. "I don't know...those types of things get pretty sticky...what if one of us wants to end it?" she asked.
"Then we stop cold turkey. We act like nothing ever happened and that's that," he answered firmly.
She bit her lip before nodding. "Okay...that...that could work. But we don't tell anyone."
"Deal."
They stood their in awkward silence.
"So um...how do we-"
Eliot cut her off by pulling her into a kiss and wrapping his arms around her waist.
"You talk way to much," he stated backing her up against the kitchen table. He lifted her onto the table and kissed her again. Her fingers worked to unbutton his shirt and she dropped it onto the floor. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he nipped her neck.
He pulled back and she pouted. "It was just getting good."
"Too many clothes," he answered grabbing the the hem of her shirt. He smirked at her reaction as he tore the flimsy material.
"That...that was my shirt," she said.
He shrugged and wrapped her legs around his waist before lifting her up.
"I'll get you a new one then," he said kissing her again.
Eliot carried her to his room where he promptly set her on his bed. Riley grinned at him and began working his pajama bottoms off. He climbed onto the bed and pushed her down kissing her.
"What are you waiting for Pretty Boy?" Riley teased looking up at him.
"Just shut up and kiss me," he playfully growled.