Disclaimer: Why do I need these again? Oh yeah! So I don't get sued by Nickelodeon or DNA productions for writing awesome-r than they did. I don't own Jimmy Neutron.
A.N. My beta's on her honeymoon, so if it sucks, deal with it!
Two drinks in, and Cindy already felt tipsy, not that she'd tell Jimmy, nor would he be able to guess. A minor in theater definitely came in handy sometimes. She had convinced him to start light, ordering a couple beers. Thankfully Libby's "dress her up so they don't card her" plan worked. The bartender, a short bald man with a repulsive mustache, delivered the beverages without batting an eye at the two.
"So?" Jimmy asked, smirking at her as he returned from the bar.
"So what?" Cindy shot back, glancing at the shots glasses he carried in his hand.
"So you ready to try something a little harder?"
She shrugged offhandedly, "Sure why not? What'd you bring this time?"
"Four Horsemen," Jimmy informed her, placing the two shots down onto the table.
"Jimmy…" Libby's voice held a warning. "Isn't that supposed to be…"
"Hey, Cindy said she could handle the tough stuff. I'm just calling her out on her bluff."
"It wasn't a bluff you jerk!"
Cindy snatched the shot and quickly downed it before Jimmy could make another comment. She choked on the strong liquid. Red faced, she made a mad grab for the glass of water in front of her. Jimmy snickered and when she glared at him, he raised an eyebrow. Expertly, he knocked back his shot, and took a swig of his beer, as though to rub it in her face. What she didn't see was Jimmy masterfully spit the noxious alcohol into the half empty bottle.
It continued this way for another 45 minutes. Jimmy and Cindy's friends soon lost interest in their competition, and moved on to other activities. Somehow Jimmy talked Cindy into doing body shots off of a couple random guys in the bar. Cindy used this opportunity to pick the two hottest guys in the building, who were more than eager to lend their necks to the attractive blonde, to try to make Jimmy jealous. It worked, though he wouldn't admit it.
"You up for another body shot?" Jimmy inquired, returning from the bar with yet another shot glass in hand.
The caramel colored liquid flashed different hues as the multicolored lights blinked in the background. She nodded eagerly. He sat down and scanned the crowd. Libby and Sheen were out on the dance floor. Libby was hunched over, laughing, as Sheen attempted to dance. The Ultra-Shock Dance Teacher 8000 must have worn off already.
Carl, off in a dark secluded corner, was making out with some brunette he picked up at the bar. Jimmy shook his head at him. When puberty hit Carl, it hit him with a titanium baseball bat of testosterone, hard, and the redhead learned long ago how to use his awkwardness to scam for woman. His conquest list surpassed that of Nick Dean in high school because all the girls fell for his seemingly unintentional charm. Who would have imagined that any woman in her right mind would fall for one of his many llama and allergy themed pick-up lines? Jimmy's personal favorite was: "Are you having an anaphylactic reaction? 'Cause you sure are swell!"
Turning back to Cindy, he waved a hand out at the rest of the club. "Alright, take your pick."
Cindy pretended to think for a moment, giving a small suspect giggle that should have alerted Jimmy to what she was about to do, but was drown out by the loud 80's rock song that played over the speakers.
"What about that one?" he pointed to an average looking guy sitting alone at the bar.
She shook her head and stood, making sure to grab the small twist of lime he brought with him. "I know exactly who."
Jimmy made a motion to stand, but Cindy's hand pushed him back down into his seat. Perplexed, he looked up at her eyes. She smiled flirtatiously and promptly straddled his lap. Shock and confusion turned delight then back to uncertainty. What was going on here? Before he had time to react, a hand placed the lime into his mouth. She wrapped both arms behind his head and leaned close to his ear.
"I've wanted to do this all night," she whispered just above music and then dropped her head to lick his neck. Cindy sprinkled salt on the spot, licked it off, and then knocked back the shot. Swallowing, she pulled his head towards hers to retrieve the slice of lime. Her lips lingered on his for significantly longer than they had with the other two guys. Slowly, she withdrew her face from Jimmy's. Smiling, she laid the slice on the table, and returned her mouth to his, kissing him deeply.
'Gas planets! Does she know what she's doing to me?' he wondered.
As much as he would have liked to continue fooling around with the girl of his dreams, he knew it wasn't right to take advantage of her incapacitated condition. Gently he peeled her off, hoping that he wouldn't upset her. There was no telling what she was capable of in this state.
"Cindy, stop. You're drunk," he told her calmly, placing his hands on her shoulders to steady her.
"Nuh-uh! Am not! I can hold my liquor, thank you very much!" the words came out incredibly slurred.
"Cin…" he started to say, but got cut off when the song changed and Cindy suddenly jumped off of his lap.
She shouted, "I love this song! Come dance with me!" and tugged him towards the dance floor.
"Cindy, I don't dance," he protested fiercely, trying to wrench his hand from her grasp.
"Don't… don't be a baby!" she called over her shoulder.
Jimmy gave her an experienced exasperated scowl. He gave a last tug, hoping to free his now numb limb, but the blonde's strength won out. She hadn't earned her third-degree black belt three months ago for nothing. Cindy, misinterpreting his pulling, twirled around in what could have been a graceful spin. Her body collided with his, causing both of them to stumble back. Spritely, she tittered and as he watched her enjoy herself, Jimmy couldn't help but dissolve in laughter as well.
In a shockingly uncoordinated display, only surpassed by their Mexican associate, Cindy began to dance. The only way to accurately describe the sight of the girl on the dance floor would be if a fish were given legs and arms, but not lungs or the ability to learn to coordinate itself before thrusting upon dry land. Forced into an unfamiliar, inhospitable environment the fish would flounder and thrash about. It goes without saying that the other club goers gave Cindy a wide berth. Jimmy watched, amused and entranced by her spastic movements. He smiled to himself and supposed he could have considered it endearing had she not at that moment whacked him in the face in her crazed dance.
Jimmy stepped back from her, nursing his wounded cheek. As though he had some sort of supernatural forewarning or preemptive thoughts, Jimmy contented himself to stand watch over Cindy as an unobtrusive guardian and he leaned against their table that was conveniently placed on the edge of the dance floor. Waiting in the wings, as if anticipating the genius's retreat, another man, Cindy's first body shot victim, approached the young woman. Jimmy silently fumed as Cindy turned to face him and began to dance in a very suggestive manner with him.
'She's not yours, Jim,' he seethed.
'But she could be,' another part of him spoke up.
He took a few calming breaths to steady himself, and when that didn't work, he took a swig of his beer, forgetting that it was full of his unconsumed shots. He swallowed without really tasting the beverage and knocked back another drink, draining the bottle. Slowly the alcohol worked its way into his system, making it hard for him to control his emotions.
'Stay calm Jimmy. It's just one dance. She's allowed to dance with whoever she wants,' he told himself over and over again, but as the man's hands slid up Cindy's sides and reached her chest Jimmy felt his annoyance turn to blind rage. Inexplicably he found marching directly up to the young man, who couldn't have been much older than the young genius, but had at least three inches and twenty pounds on Jimmy. He grabbed the creep by the collar and slammed him against one of the metal columns that ringed the dance floor.
"Don't touch her!" Jimmy shouted.
"Hey man, she didn't say no," the man protested, holding up his hands.
"That doesn't mean you can take advantage of her," Jimmy's eyes constricted into a narrow deathly glare and he pulled his fist back to punch the reprobate. Before he could swing it, however, a pair of smooth hands clasped around his fist. Jimmy turned his head to see Cindy firmly attached to the hands. Her eyes were wide with fear.
"Jimmy! Stop! Stop! Stop!" she commanded him. He turned his body towards her, making sure to keep one hand on the man's shoulder, still pinning him to the pillar. "You're gonna get us kicked out."
"Cindy…" he began to try to defend his actions, but a sharp tap on his shoulder stopped him.
Jimmy's assault hadn't gone unnoticed by the club's bouncer. As if summoned into the altercation by Cindy's words, the bouncer miraculously appeared, saving the young man's nose from its inevitable collision course with Jimmy's fist.
"Is there a problem here sir?" the new man asked.
"No problem," Jimmy quickly dropped the first man and hastily brushed off his shirt.
"Really cause it sure looked like there was one," the bouncer folded his well-muscled arms across his chest. "Don't let it happen again. You're just lucky I'm in a good mood tonight, or you'd be out of here so quickly…" He let the threat hang in the air.
Jimmy nodded and mumbled a thank you to the bouncer's back as the man returned to his previous post. Jimmy turned back to Cindy and put his arm around her shoulder, guiding her back to their table.
"I love this place!" Cindy shouted over the din. "We have to come back here for my 21st birthda…… Oh crap!"
Jimmy whipped his head around, but as he suspected the guard had heard her loudmouth comment as well.
"What was that?!" he demanded, stomping back over to the pair.
"Uhhh…" they chorused together.
"Lemme see your ID," he held out his hand.
"My bag!" Cindy cried, pointing across the swarm of people. The man indicated that they should proceed and the three of them marched over to the table.
"Gas planets!" Jimmy swore under his breath while Cindy pulled the driver's license from her purse.
"When was your birthday?" asked the guard, scrutinizing her phony ID.
"Ummm… June 5th… ahhh 19… 19… I don't remember sir."
"Get out of here. Both of you," the bouncer barked, shaking his head and pocketing the false identification card.
"Come on, Cin."
Grabbing her purse, Jimmy pulled her towards the door. He quickly scanned the room hoping to see their friends to somehow signal that they were in trouble. By now unfortunately, the club had filled to maximum capacity and Sheen and Libby were nowhere in sight. Jimmy thought he caught a glimpse of a flash of red and yellow that could have been Carl through the throng of bodies on the floor, but the threatening glare from the bouncer stopped Jimmy from pursuing the lead further.
The two staggered out of the club and into the chilly Nevada air. Night was in full swing, and the two kids, intoxicated and alone in an unfamiliar city, were at a loss as to what they should do. Logic still partially in tact, Jimmy made the decision for them, and started down the street. Knowing that Cindy's hotel was probably the closer of the two, Jimmy headed in the general direction. Jimmy, still carrying Cindy's purse, intercepted Cindy when she stumbled and nearly fell into the bustling thoroughfare, catching her firmly around the waist with his left hand. He braced her as they walked, almost carrying her for a couple blocks. Stopping so he could catch his breath, the pair leaned against a rail overlooking the fountain at the Bellagio hotel, Jimmy's arm still fixed around her waist.
"Oooh! Look at the fountain," Cindy murmured and smiled so brightly up at him that he froze, mesmerized by her beauty. "It's so pretty."
"Breathtaking," he replied in a husky voice. She peered up at Jimmy from beneath her lashes. Blushing furiously, Cindy quickly looked back to the sight of the fountain, uncertain if Jimmy was referring to the same thing as her.
"Libby! " she declared after a moment. "She needs to see this. Gimme my phone. It's in my purse."
Jimmy handed her the purse. Cindy began rummaging around, searching for her cell phone, which was buried deep in the recesses of the bag underneath the extra makeup and cash she had packed as well as Jimmy's wallet and motel key. Jimmy had asked Cindy earlier in the night if she wouldn't mind holding on to a few of his things. Knowing the notoriousness of Las Vegas' pick pocketing community, he assumed that his stuff would most likely be safer in her sealed purse rather than the pocket of his jeans.
Just as she located the errant communication device, a strand of hair came loose from her once neat side-ponytail. Maybe it was the way the lights of the waterworks show lit up her face or maybe it was the alcohol making him move, but Jimmy couldn't resist reaching out to brush it from her face. With his right thumb and index finger, he tilted her chin up to look him in the eye. The other hand gently tucked it behind her ear and then slowly traced a path down her jaw line. She grinned shyly at him, face flushing the brightest shade of crimson. The earth came to a stand still, the lights of the strip faded, the cacophony of the crowds melted away like a radio muffled through walls, as the two stared into each other's eyes.
"Uh… you… ah… had some hair…" Jimmy muttered almost unintelligibly, breaking the standstill.
"Oh…" Disappointment clouded her face for a moment. "What was I doing again?" she squinched one eye up at him.
"Looking for your phone so you could call Libby," he answered and turned back to the fountain to clear his head.
"Oh yeah," she nodded her head.
Cell phone in hand, she turned her attention back to her purse and started riffling through it. A few minutes search yielded no luck. Cindy soon, earlier than normal, became frustrated. Frantically she began pulling things from the bag, tossing them lightly over her shoulder. Each article was carefully examined and each time, when it was found to not be the missing cell phone, the article was immediately discarded. With almost deliberate accuracy, every item landed in the fountain with a distinctive plop. Into the fountain went a set of vaguely important looking keys, her forty-dollar lipstick, and a black leather wallet that had someone's childhood atom trademark embossed onto it. While Jimmy remained oblivious as he brooded staring off into space, Cindy nearly emptied her purse of its contents. It wasn't until her severe irritation gave way to a low string of curses that shocked Jimmy in their forcefulness and vulgarity that he took stock of what was going on next to him.
"What are you doing!?" he asked, staring down in horror as she chucked yet another item, his cell phone this time, into what would become it's watery grave.
"Looking for my frickin' phone," she growled without looking up.
"Cindy!" he shouted, his voice clearly panicked.
"Huh?" she mumbled, finally glancing up at him.
"It's in your other hand, and you just threw my cell into the fountain."
"Oh," she muttered chagrined.
"What else did you throw in there!?" he demanded.
"Um... Uh…" she glanced over her shoulder to the fountain. "I think your wallet's in there," she giggled, "Aww an' my lipstick. I just bought that. Ooooh, an' a set a keys, but they aren't mine."
"Leapin' Leptons! Cindy, that's my motel key! How the hell am I supposed to get into my room now?"
"It'sss fine, Jimmy," she put on arm on his shoulder and leaned into him. "You can stay with me. My bed's huuuge, an' s'not like we haven't slept together before."
Jimmy choked, a blush rising steadily to his cheeks at her comment. It took Cindy a few minutes to realize why. When she did, her face rivaled his in the intensity of her blush.
"You silly… You know what I mean," she said, giggling and shaking her head.
"I know," he chuckled.
The two had indeed "slept together" as she put it several times before. Often it was during one of their late night study sessions. The pair would become so exhausted that eventually one or both of them would fall asleep. Usually it was Cindy who caved first. Jimmy never had the heart or the energy to wake her and send her home. It gave him great solace and a cause for hope that she felt comfortable enough to drop her guard around him, at least enough that she trusted him enough to fall asleep with him there.
While she slumbered, most times, she subconsciously snuggled close to him. To have Cindy in his arms, without a doubt, was Jimmy's favorite way to wake in the morning, even if he had to deal with a sore neck and an irascibly chagrined Cindy. It was Cindy's favorite way to start the day as well, but until she knew for sure Jimmy's true feelings for her, she played her part well: Pretending to sleep until he woke first, so she could stay next to him as long as possible. Then feigning outrage and embarrassment when he finally did "wake" her, all the while loving every bit of it. Only when she was safely back in her dorm room, or he in his, whichever the case may be in that instance, would she allow herself a quick giddy giggle.
"Come on genius," she said playfully smacking him on the shoulder. "It's still like way early… or was… that late? Whatever. Anyway, we're in Vegas! Let's go have some fun!"
