,Chapter 7

I'd walked into Casey's Bar and signaled to the bartender, who just happens to be Casey, to bring me a beer. The team was a known quantity in his bar. We usually come here for after operations for down time. It is also close to the apartment where Kensi used to live before moving in with Deeks, so it's convenient to all of us. I wasn't meeting anyone. I just wanted a quiet place to have a beer.

Casey himself brought it over and spoke to me with his Irish lilt. "Are you meeting your buddies here tonight?"
I could listen to his brogue all night. "Nah, I'm just having a beer by myself tonight and then a trip home."

Casey knew that I didn't often come by myself. "Take care of yourself my man. The others would be a might bit lonely without you, you know."

I laughed at the thought and raised my hand. "Only having one tonight and then I'm going home. I promise."

Casey snickered at that thought and wandered through his establishment checking up on the clientele.

I sat with my back to the wall watching the door. I didn't see anyone I knew so I felt a bit at ease and started drinking my beer. Over the rim of my glass I saw two women walk into the bar. One was a tall lovely brunette. Her hair hung down her back in ringlets that would make a man want to touch them. The other was shorter and blonde. I likened her to Nell for her cuteness and if I got the essence right, her sass. Both were nice to look at but my senses told me it was two women out looking for a good time and a bit of trouble.

It seems I wasn't the only one doing the noticing. They picked up drinks at the bar and started onto the floor looking for a table. There were plenty of empty tables but they chose to sit down with me. The brunette sat next to me. It made me a little uncomfortable. "Hey ladies, what's up?" I have to admit I am sort of, out of practice at the bar scene game.

The blonde had sat across the table from me leaving the way open for her friend. "My name is Cara." She pointed across the table at the brunette. "This is my friend Josie. We were looking for someone to have a few laughs with. You looked soooo lonely sitting over here, so we joined you. You don't mind do you?"

I kind of did but sometimes you just need to expand your horizons or, in this case, play the game. "No I don't mind. I'm not staying long. I don't mind sharing the table with you."

Josie's mouth turned into a pout. "We were so hoping you'd stay and keep us company." She reached out and put her hand on my leg.

I looked over to her, looked her in the eyes and slowly removed her hand. "It's a little early for touching don't you think?" I looked up just in time to see Deeks walking through the door. I hadn't expected him but I have to admit that I've never felt so relieved to see anyone as him at that moment. These two were circling for the kill.

He signaled to Casey for his beer and headed to my table. His eyes met mine and in that moment I saw his need to save me kick in. "Hey Greg, what's up? Hello Ladies."

Cara looked like she died and went to heaven. She eyed Deeks up and down like he was meat at the butchers. "Welcome to the party handsome. I'm Cara and this is Josie. What's your name?"

Deeks gave one of his megawatt smiles and looked my way. It was an odd look but I knew it meant his game was on. "My name is Artie and I see you met Greg. We meet up here once a week before we go home."

Casey chose that moment to deliver Deek's beer. The look he gave the girls was quite telling to someone who knew him well. He looked at them like some people would look at a rattlesnake. While he didn't want to chase a paying customer away it looked like he could do without these two. He looked at me and shook his head. Both Deeks and I understood that look and nodded back. My beer was half gone and Deeks had taken his first long slug.

Cara inched her chair closer to Deeks so that she could croon into his ear. "So Artie, are you ready to have some fun?"

I could just tell by Deek's face that he was going to drop some bomb on these two but he wasn't letting me know what it was. I'd just have to be ready to roll with it.

Deeks took the hand that had been travelling up his leg into his hand and looked her straight in the eye. He gave her one of his super smiles and chuckled naughtly. "Are you looking to see the sights?" He met my gaze and still smiling left the decision up to me. "Hey Greg want to go to Venice Beach with these two lovely ladies?"

I really didn't want to go anywhere with either of them. Casey's reaction to both of them left me cold and wary. "No, I'm tired tonight, you know rough day at the office and I just want to go home." I saw the twinkle in Deeks eyes bump up a notch and knew it would be better than good.

Deeks smiled and let Cara's hand go. He reached across the table and took my hand. "Let's do that. I can give you a nice warm massage." He winked as he finished his remark.

It took everything I had to not laugh out loud. "Okay, let's go." We both got up to leave, throwing money for our beers on the table."

Cara's smile turned to a grimace so ugly that it surprised me that I had thought her as pretty as Nell. Josie just huffed, stood up and walked away. Cara couldn't let it go. "Really, you two are together?" She looked back and forth between us to see if we were kidding. She obviously didn't believe us.

Deeks just kept up the act. "Yeah, we got married two months ago." To me he winked again and let out a chuckle. "Let's go home." We moved toward the door and saw Casey bent over laughing behind the bar. He knew both of us better and loved how we'd handled the two girls.

I felt myself being pulled into a hug and I put my arm around him. We had to keep up the appearances. Deeks leaned over and kissed the top of my head.

I didn't flinch but it did surprise me. "Deeks, did you just kiss me?"

Deeks laughed and looked back at the two carnivores we'd just escaped from. "Yeah I did and I just saved your ass. We do need to keep up the show for those two bitches don't we?"

We were outside the bar now and we'd let go of each other. His remark about saving my ass needed to be answered. "You saved my ass? Really? I didn't need my ass to be saved. I could have trotted out the 'I'm married' and walked out of there."

Deeks gave me one of my own smirks back. "That wasn't what I saw when I came in. You had that 'thank god the cavalry had arrived' look on your face. So, yes, your ass needed saving. I jumped in, did it and you're welcome."

While I understood the need and actually thought it amusing, I needed him to know that he couldn't do that to his boss willy-nilly. "Well thank you for coming to my rescue, but Deeks… don't ever kiss me again."