May 23, 2013

Are you back in a bar again because frankly Colby can't handle you getting naked in our room again. The message pops up immediately after I power on my phone.

Funny. Should I message him and reassure him that I've given up my stripper ways?

He will heartbroken.

I bet he will. Been busy today. Sorry you had to entertain yourself. I smirk tossing the phone onto the table as Alanna holds up the picture she was working on.

"That is just gorgeous," I smile.

"It's for Daddy. Show me how to make the hearts again, please."

"Well I know he is going to love this," I smile pressing her thumb into the paint before laying it diagonally on the paper in front of her before repeating the process in the opposite direction making sure the thumbprints overlap. "Now he's got a heart with your fingerprint in it so he will always have you with him."

"Does Poppa have your fingerprints?"

"No, Sweetie. Poppa isn't a big fan of my fingerprints," I grin tightly. "But your daddy loves yours. Finish your painting then we will get your Pjs on and find a movie to watch."

"K."

"I love you," I smile kissing the top of her head.

"Love you," she repeats.

A knock startles me from watching the little girl paint. She looks up at me questioningly.

"You got a boyfriend I don't know about," I tease, heading for the door.

"No," she giggles. "You got a boyfriend?"

"Not anymore," I sigh, opening the door.

Lips crush mine as soon as the door finishes swinging open. My back presses into the wall behind me. I mold momentarily against the body in front of me, my mind relishing the familiar warmth before reminding me of the child in the room. My hands float up to press against his chest. "No," I mumble against his lips. "Not tonight."

"Shhh," he murmurs.

"Jon," I gasp, pressing harder against his chest. "Stop. Not going to happen tonight."

"Why is that," he asks against my throat.

"Aunt JJ is a liar," Alanna sings from across the room. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

His head pops up to meet my eyes before turning to look at the four year old.

"Who is this," he smiles.

"This my niece Alanna. Alanna, this is my friend Jon."

"Hello Alanna."

"Hello Mr. Jon."

"So," he grins moving away from me into the room, "what has your aunt been lying about?"

"She said she didn't have a boyfriend," she smiles.

"She doesn't ."

"You kissed her."

"Yeah, Jon. Explain that to a four year old," I breathe moving around him to retake my seat.

"We are really good friends," he smiles, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Fiends don't kiss," she states matter of factly.

He looks at me for help.

"I don't know how to explain it either," I mouth.

"What are you working on," he asks changing the subject.

"Painting. You try."

"I don't think I could do it as good as you do."

"Try."

"I don't think Jon likes painting, Sweetie," I smile tightly.

"Oh. Do you not like painting, Mr. Jon?"

"I don't know. I've never done it before."

"You wanna try," she asks innocently, flashing her blue puppy dogs eyes at him.

I smirk as I watch him melt visibly. "You taught her that didn't you," he mouths at me.

I shrug. He very slowly moves to kneel beside the table. "So what do I need to do?"

XXX

"Thank you," I murmur as we lay sprawled on the bed, my head resting on his stomach as a Disney movie plays on the TV for Alanna.

"For what," he sighs running a hand through my hair.

"This isn't really our cup of tea," I smile. "Our usual thing involves a lot less clothes and a lot more grunting."

"Well tonight has been a nice change of pace," he smiles down at me. "I need to work on my friendship skills anyway. Thought I'd start with a four year old and work my way up."

"Did it work," I smirk.

"I don't know. What do you think, Munchkin," he smiles nudging Alanna with his knee.

"Hmmm," she asks, eyes glued to the TV.

"Is Mr. Jon good at being a friend?"

"What do you think?"

"I think so," I smile as she rests her head on my stomach, mimicking my position. "But he wants to know what you think."

"Ummmmm…. His painting is kinda bad but he is nice."

"I'd take that as a win," I smile. "She is very critical when it comes to painting. You're never going to win there."

"I was just criticized by a four year old, my life is over," Jon sighs dramatically throwing an arm across his eyes.

"Drama queen," I smirk and my head bobs as laughter rocks his stomach.

"Why did you become a personal assistant," he asks breaking the silence between us as the movie credits roll.

"What," I ask sleepily having dozed during the movie.

"You said you have a degree in business. Why are you an assistant and not an agent?"

"I have a business degree because that is what a respectable woman would get. I never really knew what I wanted to do growing up. Mom use to say I was a wonderer, I didn't know what I wanted because I wanted it all. When I arrived at the Orton's doorstep they thought the best course of action was to get me focused. They gave me three options: business, nursing, or military. I flat out refused the military. While I respect anyone who does that for my country, I lack the necessary ethics to be in there. My step-mother is a nurse. Neither one of us were thrilled at the prospect of me following in her footsteps. So that left business. I got my degree, got out, and haven't used it since. I got a job at a local shop as a manager until the owner died and his kids shut it down. By then I had gotten myself in trouble for the stabbing anyway. The judge saw my lack of job as a flight risk. So Randy told that I had just accepted a job as his personal assistant and he took personal responsibility for me. I really didn't get a say in the matter."

"Are you going to stay on once the legal troubles are over?"

"I already have. The case was dismissed back in February. I don't have anything to go back home to. Randy and I have a good relationship even if it is an uneasy one at times."

"Nothing to go home to?"

"Nope," I sigh running a hand through the hair of the sleeping child on my stomach. "You can't really live with a person after you stab them so I lost my apartment. I believe Sam, Randy's wife, gathered all my things. I bounced between Dad's and Randy's. My whole life is reduced down to two rooms, it was depressing. Not as depressing as having it reduced to three bags but close. At least I feel like I am contributing to life here on the road. Even if it is only keeping Randy on schedule and fetching coffee and food."

"You forgot babysitting."

"I volunteered to watch Alanna tonight," I grin.

"I was talking about me," he smirks.

"I always enjoy the company. But not tonight. Randy comes in and you are here, he will have a stroke. I love him but sometimes he doesn't think very highly of me. He will think that I… Well that we did what we do on a usual night only in front of his daughter."

"Let him think whatever he wants."

"Jon, do you really want me to lose my niece? Because that's what will happen if Randy walks in and you are here. He will never let me see her again."

He eyes me as he mulls over the problem. Finally he slides from beneath me. "I wouldn't want that," he smirks before pressing a light kiss to my lips. "I'll see you later."

XXX

Alanna's giggles wake me the following morning. "What are you doing up so early, little girl," I murmur with my eyes closed. "My alarm hasn't even gone off yet."

"That's because I turned it off," Jon's voice answers.

My eyes pop open searching the room and find both my niece and Jon seated at the table across the room.

"How did you get in here."

"You really should lock your balcony door," he smirks.

"Well, seeing as I'm rooming on the tenth floor, I didn't think it was an issue."

"He tried to make my drink," Alanna smiles sipping from the cup in front of her.

"He did," I smile back, pulling myself out of bed. "Did he get it right?"

"Close."

He cocks his eyebrow at the four year old before turning to me. "Wow," he mouths.

"She knows what she likes," I smirk. "Let me brush my teeth and I'll fix it. Can I talk to you, Jonathan?"

"Uh oh, the full name, I'm in trouble," he smirks over at the four year old.

"Yep."

"What part of 'if Randy catches you in my hotel room he will flip out' did you not understand," I snarl quietly as I close the bathroom door behind us.

"He knows I'm up here," he smirks. "I ran into him at the coffee shop. Told him I was worried because I hadn't been in contact with you at all yesterday which was unusual for you. Told him I was bringing you some coffee and doughnuts."

"And he said?"

"That you had spent the day with his daughter and that Alanna liked glazed doughnuts and some apple cider and cinnamon concoction. It is very difficult to find apple cider in May. The coffee shop had some frozen in the back."

"Tell me about it," I smile turning to find my toothbrush. "I'm thinking about switching her to apple juice."

"So, are we good," he asks kissing my shoulder.

"Take your puppy dog eyes and your mouth over there," I smirk around my toothbrush.

"Why," he breathes against my ear.

"Cuz there is a four year old in the other room and you are causing some very non-child friendly feelings."

"Really," he smiles nuzzling down my neck.

"Jonathan Good," I warn. "Take two full steps back."

"You are no fun."

"And I will stay that way until Alanna is back with her mother," I smile wiping my mouth.

"So tonight?"

"We are back on," I smile pressing a kiss to his lips. "Sweet-N-Low."

"What did you just call me?"

"What you forgot in Alanna's drink. It's apple cider, cinnamon, and two packets of Sweet-N-Low. Now go fix it," I smile kissing him again.

"Yes ma'am."