Chapter 64: By The Moonlight

Dressed in her bikini, sunhat and sunglasses, Eddie sits lounging in a beach chair around the rooftop pool of the hotel when suddenly a shadow falls over her. She looks up "Why are you blocking my sun?"

"Did you put sun screen on?" Jamie inquires as he stands over his wife with his hands on his hips dressed in his swim trunks and sunglasses.

"Yes Dad." Eddie mocks.

"Really?" Jamie challenges as he moves to sit in the chair next to his wife "Armin used to tell you to put sun screen on? I find that hard to believe." he adds as he settles in to relax in his chair.

"Oh he was never home when I was sun bathing." Eddie admits "If he was he would have made me put my top back on."

Jamie slowly turns his head to look at his wife and lower his sunglasses down his nose to stare at her.

"What?" Eddie defends "I didn't want tan lines."

"Wait. You did that in our backyard didn't you?" Jamie realizes.

The beginning of a small smile forms on Eddie's mouth "And now knowing the backdrop, you're mentally picturing that aren't you?"

"Oh I am." Jamie admits in awe "I might want a private viewing of that actually." he admits.

Eddie snickers "Still a bit cold back in New York for that there Bub."

"How about now then?" Jamie requests.

Eddie turns to look at her husband "You get I'm pregnant and can't lay on my stomach right?

Jamie laughs "I know. I was kidding Eddie."

"Hmmm." Eddie muses in return.

Silence.

"You ever been skinny dipping?" Eddie nonchalantly inquires.

A grin creeps up on Jamie's face "I have actually."

Eddie's mouth falls open "Shut up! You have?"

Jamie nods in confirmation.

"Where, when and with who?" Eddie demands.

"Summer after high school graduation, Montauk… and I don't remember her name…"

Eddie's mouth drops open further "Seriously?"

Jamie shrugs "I was at a party - did it on a dare."

Eddie shakes her head "Jameson Reagan, I'm mighty impressed." she admits.

"You?" Jamie presses.

Eddie nods her head and a slight blush creeps up on her face "Will." She reveals realizing Jamie can now put a face to the name.

Jamie's mouth falls open "That guy?" he states in disbelief.

But then Eddie grins "Are you jealous?" She teases.

"That that guy has skinny dipped with my wife when I haven't?" Jamie counters "Yes!"

Eddie leans closer to her husband "Jamie…" She lowly begins "…would you like to go skinny dipping with me?"

For a moment, Jamie stares at his wife then looks at all the people around them.

"Not now!" Eddie chides "Later." she clarifies "I know a place." she nonchalantly adds.

Jamie narrows his eyes at his wife "How do you 'know' a place?"

Eddie shrugs "I asked Juanita down at the concierge desk."

"Juanita?" Jamie questions.

"Yeah. Theresa said if I needed anything while here, ask for Juanita."

Jamie looks at his wife floored "How is it you know that little tidbit and I don't?"

Again Eddie shrugs "Theresa likes me."

Jamie throws his hands up "Maybe you should be here on vacation with her then!"

"Nah." Eddie rejects "I don't want to skinny dip with her. I want to skinny dip with you."

Jamie shakes his head in awe "That was your goal all along wasn't it? You orchestrated this entire conversation."

Eddie grins "Guilty as charged officer. So is that a yes?" she eagerly presses.

Jamie laughs "Well you let me know the time and place Mrs. Reagan and I will be there." He promises.

A wide smile appears on Eddie's face.

….

Jamie and Eddie walk up to the concierge desk "Hi Juanita." Eddie greets with a big grin.

Juanita looks up and grins back "Hello Mrs. Reagan." She greets before looking at Jamie "Mr. Reagan." She cordially adds in deduction as she picks up two hotel towels with a swipe card on top and hands them out to Eddie "Here you go."

Eddie's grin widens "Thank you Juanita." she returns.

"Enjoy." Juanita adds with a knowing look.

"Oh we will." Eddie promises as she beckons with her head for Jamie to follow and as soon as Jamie sees where they are going he laughs "The hotel pool?"

"It's after hours so therefore our own little private rooftop oasis." Eddie explains as she swipes the card on the keypad.

"This has got to be breaking hotel policy…" Jamie can't help but voice as they enter the calm serene space lit only by the moonlight.

"Well if it's breaking policy. It's not us doing the breaking." Eddie counters as they walk up to some chairs "Unlike Sean, we were legitimately handed this card." Eddie adds as she holds it up displaying it a second before placing it and the towels down "We have permission to be here."

Jamie laughs at his wife's comparison "Wait we don't have a pool." He suddenly realizes "How come the house doesn't have a pool?"

"Is that really what you want to be talking about right now?" Eddie challenges as she moves to walk towards the shallow end at the other side of the pool from where they currently were "Because I'm here to go skinny dipping."

"Right." Jamie quickly agrees but instead of following his wife he simple steps up to the edge of the deep end and dives in.

"Show off." Eddie calls as she finally makes it to her destination and begins to slowly wade down the gradual slope into the water "Oh still a nice temperature." she happily commends as she skims the water with her hands as she walks further and further down until the water is just over her chest.

Finally coming up still a little ways away, Jamie uses his hand to clear the water drops from his face before treading water "Did you say something?"

"Yeah I said show off for being able to dive in when I can't." Eddie explains as Jamie begins to swim over to her and right before he reaches her, he dips beneath the water again.

Eddie watches as he glides under the water right up to her then pop up and out again.

"Hi!" he greets with a grin as he plants his feet on the bottom of the pool and wraps his arms around his wife's waist.

"Hi yourself." Eddie simple returns as she wraps her arms around his neck "You're wear far too much clothing."

"Me?" Jamie counters "I only have one piece, you have two. We should even that out."

Eddie shrugs "Well who's stopping you?" she challenges.

Grinning, Jamie suddenly disappears under the water again and moment later Eddie jumps a little laughing as she then does another little jump shuffle with her feet.

A moment later Jamie reappears holding up her bikini bottoms in his hand in triumph.

"You were quite skilled at that." Eddie notes impressed "Almost like you've done it before."

"Nope first time." Jamie promises.

"Have to admit its not the bikini piece I thought you'd go for first." Eddie points out.

"I know, that's why I chose it. Jamie replies "I like keeping you on your toes."

"May I have my bottoms please?" Eddie requests as she holds her hand out for it so Jamie hands them to her "Thank you." She adds before pushing herself off her feet and gliding over to the side of the pool to place the article of clothing up on the ledge.

"Smart." Jamie commends as he glides up behind her "Wouldn't want that to get lost in the pool."

"Well I learnt from previous experience." Eddie tosses back causing Jamie to break out into laughter.

"Shut up!" Eddie tosses back as she turns and splashes some water up at him.

"Hey!" Jamie defends as he tries to turn away but then retaliates by splashing water right back. Eddie however is too quick and ducks completely under the water out of the way.

Jamie turns and tries to follow her movement but jumps a little when he feels her hands on his waist band "Hey!" he again protests when he feels his swim trunks being pulled down his legs before Eddie pops back up out of the water behind him grinning.

Lifting his feet, Jamie floats and turns in the water to finish removing his trunks and face his wife "Oh who's the expert now?" he challenges before tosses his shorts over his shoulder onto the pool deck "Only one piece left now." he notes as his eyes drift to the string of his wife's bikini top.

Eddie continues to grin at her husband "But you have to catch me first." she instructs before suddenly flipping over in the water and beginning to swim away.

In an instant Jamie is moving to follow "You can't out run me Eddie!" Jamie calls.

"Who said I was trying to?" Eddie laughs back "I'm just making you work for it." she adds before disappearing under the water.

In the moonlight, its hard for Jamie to see where she went so he treads water a bit looking around.

A moment later Eddie pops up again "Here!" She calls as she lifts her hand and tosses her bikini top at him.

"Hey no fair!" Jamie calls as he tries to move to catch it but misses "I wanted to do that!"

"Sorry!" Eddie calls out laughing not really sorry "Better go get it." She instructs as she gestures down into the water.

Rolling his eyes, Jamie takes in a deep breath of air and disappears below the surface.

Eddie treads water and waits for him.

A few moments later Jamie resurfaces.

"Find it?" Eddie questions in amusement.

"No." Jamie tosses back annoyed before taking a deep breath and going back under so Eddie swims over and again waits.

Again Jamie pops up.

"Well?" Eddie expectantly questions.

"You clearly didn't learn the first time." Jamie flat out tells her "I can't find it Eddie."

"What?" Eddie states with a laugh "Why not?"

"Because it's dark down there Eddie." Jamie chides "I can't even see a foot in front of my face and the more we move around who knows where that thing could be drifting. Go look for yourself!"

"Crap." Eddie mutters in concern now as she takes a deep breath and dives underneath herself…

…. and the second she disappears, Jamie smirks and lifts an arm out of the water holding her bikini top in his hand.

He waits.

A few moments later he sees Eddie rising to the surface so he dips his hand holding her top back under the water hiding it from her view.

"Damn it." Eddie mutters after coming back up and treads water.

"I'm sure they'll easily find it in the morning once its daylight again." Jamie reassures her.

Eddie silently studies her husband a moment "I'm going to look again." she decides before taking in another breath of air and ducking under the water.

Again, Jamie lifts his hand out of the water and waits.

Suddenly he hears water erupt behind him and hands suddenly press down on his shoulders.

"Hey!" he protests.

"Give it back to me you jerk!" Eddie demands as she reaches for her top in his hand and snatches it back before letting go and swimming away to the ledge "That was mean!"

"No, that was fun." Jamie laughs as he moves to follow "How did you know I had it?"

"Because I know YOU." Eddie replies as she reaches up to put her top on the pool deck then turns to watch as Jamie glides up to her "There is no way you'd let me walk out of here in just a towel and have to explain to the hotel staff how my bikini top ended up at the bottom of the pool after hours – you're way too protective for that. You'd be scouring the bottom of this pool all night to find it if that's what it took."

"Guilty as charged." Jamie relents before getting a slightly apologetic look on his face "Sorry, I couldn't resist." he admits.

Eddie wraps her arms around his neck "Well you were having fun." she admits "Even if it was at my own expense…" she adds a little more tersely before softening her look again "But I like it when you have fun so I'll forgive you."

"Thank you." Jamie appreciatively accepts.

"I ruined my hair going under the water though." Eddie pouts with a sigh a moment later.

"Well if you ask me, I think you look even more beautiful now then you did before." Jamie offers "How that's even possible I don't know, but you do."

Eddie looks up adoringly at her husband "Must be the moonlight." She airily deflects.

"Hmmm." Jamie softy muses as he moves a strand of her hair behind her ear "Must be." he breathes out before leaning over to kiss her.

Sighing contently when they break apart, Eddie looks into her husband's eyes "This is the best vacation Jamie." She quietly admits "Thank you."

"Right back at ya Babe." Jamie softly returns before kissing her again.

Parting lips a comfortable silence befalls the couple - both just happy to be wrapped up in each other's arms sharing this special moment together.

"We'd totally have sex in this pool if I wasn't pregnant." Eddie announces a moment later causing Jamie to throw his head back in absolute laughter.

"There's always the lounge chairs." Jamie cheekily tosses back.

Eddie purses her lips together in thought "Where is the weirdest place you've ever had sex?"

Jamie drops his head onto his wife's shoulder still laughing in pure amusement "God I love you."

"Good because I don't just skinny dip with anyone."

Jamie immediately lifts his head and narrow his eyes "But you skinny dipped with Will." he points out.

"Thought he was going to propose remember?" Eddie reminds him.

Jamie nods "Right."

Beat.

"Let's not talk about Will anymore." Jamie decides.

"You brought him up." Eddie points out.

"My bad." Jamie admits.

Suddenly they hear the door to the pool begin to open…

"Jamie!" Eddie lowly hisses as she tries to hide behind her husband "Someone's coming!"

"Mr. & Mrs. Reagan!" Juanita's urgent voice whispers out "Are you here?"

Eddie peaks out from behind Jamie's shoulder "Juanita?" She calls back in surprise.

"You need to get out!" Juanita urgently instructs "I just found out maintenance is on their way! You have less then 5 minutes!"

"CRAP!" Eddie calls back as she and Jamie break apart "Thank you!" She calls as she swipes her top into her hands.

"I will try to stall!" Juanita returns before slipping back out the door as Jamie takes off for the other side of the pool to grab his trunks while Eddie tries to hurry and put her top back on but being wet it is sticky and takes more time then usual to maneuver and secure around her "Jamie! Grab my bottoms!" She calls to her husband.

"Okay... hang on!" Jamie calls back as he struggles to try to pull his trunks on and keep himself a float at the same time "You know it's a lot harder to put these back on underwater then take them off!"

"Tell me about it!" Eddie calls back frustrated "Ugh! You're going to have to help me!" Eddie calls as she gives up and swims over to where her bottoms are. She switches her top out for her bottoms on the ledge and maneuvers herself to try getting them back on as Jamie finally finds success in pulling his trunks on and swims over.

"Give me your top." he demands.

"Help steady me so I can get my bottoms on!" Eddie hisses back "It's even more difficult with a belly!"

It takes a bit but with Jamie's help, Eddie gets her bottoms on. "One down, one to go." Eddie mutters as she reaches to swipe her top back off the ledge and turn her back to Jamie. She holds the cups of her top over her chest "Just do the clasp up and tie the tie!"

Rushing, Jamie grabs the two ends together and ends up fumbling with the clasp a bit.

Frustrated, Eddie tries to look behind her "What is taking so long?"

"I'm not used to doing them up!" Jamie counters up "Only undoing them!"

Eddie rolls her eyes "It's not that hard Reagan!" she chides.

"Okay got it!" Jamie exclaims as the clasp slips into place.

"Okay here." Eddie rushes out as she passes him her two straps and Jamie makes quick work of securing it around her neck.

"Okay let's go!" He instructs the second he finishes so he and Eddie hurry out of the pool. They rush to swipe up their towels and the key card and head for the door. They almost make it there when the door opens and Juanita looks directly at them with wide eyes and beckons her head to the side telling them to hide while saying "No, no I was walking by anyway so I don't mind opening the door for you. You have your hands full anyway."

Picking up on the cue, Jamie and Eddie scurry behind some large plants as Juanita steps so her back is to the door she is holding open.

"Thanks." one of two maintenance guys returns as they walk in through the door past Juanita "Roberto get the pool lights."

"I'll get them!" Juanita helpfully offers "Just head for the filter. I'll have them on in a second for you!"

"You're a doll Juanita!" One guy calls back as the two men head in the direction of the filtration system at the other end of the pool so while their backs are turned, Juanita quickly gestures for Jamie and Eddie to sneak out.

"You are a doll Juanita!" Eddie whispers to her in thanks as she and Jamie rush out the door and the second they are through and hear the door latch closed behind them, they both breath out a sigh in relief "Oh my god that was close!" Eddie exclaims.

"Juanita rules." Jamie adds in awe.

"I am definitely giving her a five star review!" Eddie laughs out.

"Definitely!" Jamie agrees before reaching for his wife "Come on…" He laughs "We need to get out here and dry off!"

...