Amazing Part 22
"Celebrating, Miss Walker? Nice," Auggie grinned as he sat up against the headboard of the bed.
"Mission accomplished, we will need a 3rd seat on our flight home," Annie smiled broadly as she stripped out of her clothes.
"Let's see what we have here…"Annie opened the bakery box, "Oooooh, cupcake?" she offered.
"Yes, Pumpkin," he replied with a smirk.
"Ha, ha," she mocked as she took the treat and walked around to Auggie's side of the bed.
Annie perched daintily on the edge of the bed in nothing but her undergarments as she ran her finger through the cupcake's icing.
"Chocolate?" Auggie asked as his senses registered the dessert.
"Mmmmhmmm," Annie answered, her icing-covered finger in her mouth.
"Were you planning to share?" Auggie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Right up until I tasted how delicious it is, now I might need to save them all for myself."
"All, how many are there?"
"Three," she surveyed the box.
"You can't possibly eat three cupcakes," he reasoned.
"You don't know a whole lot about women do you?" she chuckled.
"I know plenty about women," he growled and caught her hand to pull her close enough to kiss.
"Good job, Operative Walker," he mentioned between the toe-curling kisses he was delivering.
***555***
As Annie collapsed on top of Auggie, sweaty body to sweaty body, she laughed.
"Oh my god, I was so loud," she admitted.
"Were you?"
"You didn't notice?" she looked up at him with curiosity.
"I had to tune you out or it was all going to be over much faster than I would have been happy with," he admitted.
"Really?" she asked, intrigued.
"Really," he didn't go any further, but Annie tucked that bit of info away for further discussion.
"Wine?" she asked as she climbed off of him and found the discarded bottle on the other side of the bed.
***555***
"Litho, printing and type-setting?" Barber answered.
"I'd like to speak with my service rep please," Annie said with a smile.
"One moment please," Barber responded.
Annie squeezed Auggie's hand, they hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, but both were energized and excited.
"OK, we're good guys," Barber returned to the line after the back check.
"Could you please book a 3rd seat on our flight back to DC?" Annie said her voice thrumming with excitement.
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Joan's voice surprised them.
"Yes, it does," Annie replied.
"Nice work you two," Joan commended.
"It was all Annie," Auggie demurred.
"That's not true, it was a full team effort," Annie corrected.
"You can debate merit when you are back home, for now make it through the next few days and deliver the package please," Joan hung up before they could respond.
"If her current career fails she should totally go into motivational speaking," Annie joked.
***555***
Annie and Auggie made it down to check out right behind Cathy and Brett who did not look like they had as fun a night as Annie and Auggie. Cathy was slumped in a chair alone as Brett reviewed the clue on the other side of the room.
"You OK?" Annie asked Cathy quietly.
"Ever question every decision you've made in your adult life?" Cathy asked, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Yes," Annie answered honestly.
Cathy looked shocked and flicked those tired eyes towards Auggie leaning against a wall on the other side of the room.
"My questions were long before Auggie," Annie assured her, "but I know what it feels like to be in doubt about pretty much everything."
"You seem so put together," Cathy shrugged.
"Thanks, I rarely feel that way, but I'm a lot more sure now," her own eyes traveling over to Auggie.
"You're lucky," Cathy smiled sadly and Annie nodded in agreement.
***555***
"Did you really have snow shoe training?" Danielle asked Auggie as she reviewed the clue.
"Yep, why?" Auggie wrinkled his brow.
"Hope you remember it," Kendall hinted.
"Ugghh, they are clearly trying to kill the blind guy," he frowned.
"If I can get you home drunk in an ice storm while wearing new wingtips, I can get you through a minor snowshoeing expedition," Annie interrupted.
"There is a story there," Danielle laughed.
"I told him the rain was going to turn to ice, but no he had to wear the new shoes," Annie teased.
"That was before," Auggie said wistfully.
"Yep, all of that and I slept on the couch," Annie shook her head remembering the early days of their friendship.
"Well, good luck with the snowshoes," Kendall clapped Auggie on the shoulder and went to load her gear in their car.
***555***
The drive to Kincaid Park wasn't bad and sure enough there were trekking poles and snowshoes waiting as well as a compass and a map.
"The sun feels warm," Auggie mentioned.
"Yes, in fact we should sunscreen our faces, and you won't freeze to death. For someone from the Midwest you are soft in the cold Anderson," Annie laughed.
"Will you warm me up if I get cold?" he smirked.
"Usually you need cooling off buddy," she mentioned as she deposited a handful of snow in the back of his shirt.
"You think I can't retaliate, but watch your back Walker, I am coming for you," he pointed a finger just to the left of where she was standing with a huge grin on her face.
"Bring it Captain, I can take it," she encouraged.
TBC…