Epilogue
Author's Note: I thought it was appropriate to end the story on a nice, romantic tone regarding trust and secrets. The following is basically 'we need to be open with one another/discovery...' ending. They decide they're more than just friends.
"I'd like to know more about you, Susie..."
Supervisory Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs seemed surprised to learn about Suzanne's dancing abilities. During the weekend, he concluded that it was now refreshing to have nicer surprises to learn. Their usual Sunday date was Chinese take-out from Capitol Hill. It was a specific spot Suzanne preferred. The prices were reasonable. The people were friendly. Most of all, it was very quaint and family-oriented, which enticed her as a regular customer.
"It is okay for me to call you Susie?" He asked.
"Maybe..." She smiled. "Only my family and Dr. Mallard calls me Susie."
Usually, she picked up the food and Gibbs met her at the house. Instead, he wanted to walk with her to the restaurant.
"It's nicer to learn more about you instead of peeping through personnel files…"
Suzanne laughed.
"I admit: I keep my guard up." Suzanne said. "Since you seem truly interested in me...I'll open up with you...slowly."
"That would be nice." Gibbs said upon entering the restaurant. He held the door open for Suzanne.
Xǐ. Nǐ hǎo ma? The soft bell chimes tied to the door alerted the personnel.
Very good, thank you, Suzanna.
"I'm one of the few who speak Chinese upon entering the restaurant."
The owners, an elderly husband and wife, hugged Suzanne.
"Good to see you." The only words she said in English to the couple.
"Who is this, Suzanna?"
"This is my friend, Gibbs."
Gibbs gave a firm handshake to the gentleman.
"She is…how do you say in English…a very good person."
"She is a very lovely person." Gibbs smiled, nodded in agreement.
"Suzanna speaks in Chinese; we speak in English." The couple spoke to Gibbs while she peeped on the school-aged children, speaking both languages.
"She speaks very good Chinese." The wife complimented. "She's helped us…understand legal documents."
"What would you like to eat, Suzanna?" The man asked.
Tōngcháng de ma? Suzanne's usual was Chicken and steamed broccoli.
Iced tea or water?
Táng de chá ma. Suzanne willingly shared her grandmother's sweetened iced tea recipe to the couple. It became more popular than the carbonized drinks in the restaurant.
"How do you say 'Hunan Steak' in Chinese and coffee in Chinese, Suz?"
Duì tā lái shuō, húnán niúpái hé Kāfēi hǎo ma? Suzanne easily answered, her finger indicating Gibbs.
"The 'ma' ending to a sentence is very polite." Suzanne added. "It is an address for 'please?'"
"It shows she has very good manners."
Fēicháng gǎnxiè.
"Thank you very much." Gibbs said. Suzanne nodded.
The wife and Suzanne spoke briefly and quickly in simplified Chinese.
-Tā shì nǐ de nán péngyǒu ma?
"Zhǐshì péngyǒu." Suzanne smiled.
-Tā fēicháng yīngjùn. Nǐmen liǎng gè zuò piàoliang de háizi zài yīqǐ.
"Hái méi." Suzanne replied.
-Gěi wǒ yīgè hūnlǐ de yāoqǐng!
The two women laughed. She touched Suzanne on the shoulder and hurried into the kitchen.
"It's just coincidence you know Chinese?" Gibbs grinned.
"My dad was a translator." Suzanne answered. "By the time I was four, five years old, I knew-hanzi-written Chinese just as well as English." Gibbs chuckled at the nervous rambling. "Tone is everything when speaking the language." Gibbs laughed in disbelief at first.
"You asked! I told you the truth!"
"Didn't know you spoke Chinese."
"You never asked, Gibbs." Suzanne wagged her finger, smiled.
"Let me guess…" Gibbs peered through his glasses. "You were just talking about me…"
"And what if we were?" Suzanne smiled.
"What did she say?" He leaned in closer.
"That you're good-looking…"
"You are beautiful…" Gibbs inched closer. Suzanne chuckled. Gibbs took hold of her hand, stroked the top gently.
"She asked if we were serious."
"I'd like to know that answer, Susie." They stood in the corner. Suzanne leaned inside the crevice, her personal retreat. She shrugged the shoulder, shifted her eyes downward, and bashfully smiled.
"What did you say?" Gibbs tilted her chin upward. Their eyes met. Gibbs removed Suzanne's glasses, stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"Gibbs..." Suzanne sighed. "I said we're just friends."
"Yeah?" Gibbs trapped her in the corner. Too late to squirm from the space, despite the lack of trying. He leaned in, tilted to the right to kiss her. His tongue tipped inside her lip; Suzanne's reaction was to open wider, kiss back. In the long kiss, she exhaled a soft moan. Momentarily, the two forgot time and space. It was in the restaurant, waiting for Sunday dinner in public, and temporarily enjoying a moment with a date. The elder couple watched, even winked at Suzanne after the intimate moment.
"We're more than just friends, Suzanne?" He repeated.
"Anything more, Suzanna?" The gentleman asked, tapping on the counter, indicating their order was complete.
Suzanne's eyes were fixed in Jethro's, her head nodding in agreement, decision fixed as to whether or not pursue her interest in Jethro Gibbs. "I'm ready."