Do you have any idea the pile of stories i have been shelving? This new job suuuucks! I am starting a Jori series... or i developig it. Its sci fi. And i so want to get started... sheesh thats what happens when you spend time coming up with writing prompts... propt book available on Amazon.

Forty Three

James put down the crowbar he'd just been using, and lifted the cover off the crate in front of him. The hold of the ship was thick with workers despite it being a weekend, and he was careful to prop the cover up against the bulkhead out of the way.

It was hot in the hold, and he had to pause to wipe the sweat off his brow, glad he'd picked a tank top to wear to work. The sky was getting overcast and the breeze had dropped, promising rain later but doing nothing to dispel the mugginess.

He hadn't expected to be called in today. The supervisor had been a touch mad at him for running off the previous day, and Jim had half expected the man to punish him by giving him a few days off without any pay.

That would have been just fine, from his view. There was a nice big ocean right out there waiting for them to be driving over it, and sitting the helm of their boat was a sight nicer than unpacking boxes inside a old metal saunabox.

But the super had gotten a call, and everyone'd been told to come in the next day. So here he was. A quick look over the side of the ship had confirmed that the ship was still leaking oil, and h was pondering what do do about it after Ceci had nearly scared most of the fish out of the harbor when she'd heard about it.

Sometimes, he did forget his wife was one of them environmental types. James scratched his jaw, then shook his head, scattering a few droplets of sweat over the box. Ah well. He'd figure something out.

With a low, melodious whistle, he picked up a shipping invoice and then peered inside the crate, glancing at the sheet for confirmation. The box was alleged to contain boxes for cash registers, and as he pulled aside a thick wad of cardboard stuffing, the corner of stacked gray boxes were revealed. "Yeap."

A yell outside the ship made him look up, and he heard the sound of air brakes releasing and catching just outside. "Now what?" He muttered, going to the hatchway and looking out.

An 18 wheel truck was parked outside, it's driver arguing with one of the guards. James glanced inside, watching the crew around him gathering around the coffee pot for a break. He stepped out onto the gangway instead, and crossed over to the road to listen in.

The trucker was a big man, tall, wearing cowboy boots and a big buckle belt with a hat to match, as much a stereotype as James had seen recently round these here parts. Feller even had highway patrol sunglasses on.

"Listen, buddy." The trucker pointed past the guard. "There ain't no gate down there big enough to pull this rig in. I just need to go over there, so get outta my way, okay?"

The guard shook his head. "Sorry, buster. My boss said no one goes through here to that pier, period."

"What's the big deal? It's just a damn road."

"Not to that pier. They don't want no one going through this pier, to that pier, for deliveries. Forget it." The guard dismissed him. "So just take off."

"This stuff's got a rush delivery!"

The guard, a young man in his mid twenties, smirked. "Aw. Guess they're just out of luck." He said. "Rush? Forget it. I don't care." The guard said. "My boss said no one, that means no one."

No deliveries to Jade's boat, huh? James ambled closer, leaning against a stone post near the truck. "Now, that don't make much sense." He drawled. "Feller's just looking to pull on through."

The guard looked at him. "Shut up, old man. Get back in there to work. No one asked your opinion."

No one, least of all James, expected what happened next. The trucker, standing within arm's reach of the guard, dropped his clipboard and lashed out, slugging the man across the face with one gloved fist, and sending him sprawling to the ground. "Know what I hate worse than a pissass little punk?" The man growled. "It's a pissass little punk disrespecting people."

James snorted, covering his mouth with on hand.

The trucker stomped back towards his rig, grabbing his clipboard on the way, shaking his head and muttering as he walked. "Ain't got the balls to stop me going where I want to go, that's for damn sure."

The guard got to his feet, and wiped a bit of mixed blood and spit from his face, then removed the baton from the ring on his belt and took of after the trucker. "Son of a.."

"Wall, now." James shoved away from the stone pylon and intercepted the guard in two long strides, catching him by the arm and swinging him around. "Son, don't be a jackass."

"Let the fuck go of me!" The guard squalled, lashing at James with the baton. "I'll kick your ass!"

"Boy, don't you do that." James warned, reacting out of instincts honed during many years of experience.

The trucker turned, to see his erstwhile attacker being bent into a pretzel as James put him in a restraint hold and lifted him off his feet. He put his hands on his hips and just watched, as the uniformed man was shaken like a rat, bits of his guardly accoutrements bouncing off the pavement and rolling under the truck.

"Ah told you, don't be a jackass." Jim told him firmly. "That there feller's just going to drive that truck over you and make you flatter than a pancake."

"Let go of me!" The man struggled, to no avail.

James walked over to the waterside with him, and held him threateningly over the edge of the pier. "Ya'll like salt?" He inquired. "No? Then just shut your mouth up." He looked over at the trucker, who had climbed inside his rig and started the engine. "Now, don't you be speeding on this here dock, young feller." He cautioned the driver, getting a grin in return.

The trucker honked his air horn in appreciation, giving James a big thumbs up as he drove past the ship towards the next pier.

Jim waited for the truck to clear their space, then he released the guard, giving him a healthy shove across the dock to prevent any errant stupidity.

The guard caught his balance, and turned, starting back towards James with an angry expression on his face. "You are in so much trouble, old man."

"Ah am not in any trouble, son." James merely sat down on the pylon and waited for him, relaxed and calm. He made eye contact with the guard and held it steadily as the man advanced on him, years of facing danger lending a sheen of ice to his composure. "But surely you will be." He added, in a soft tone.

The guard slowed as he approached, and then halted uncertainly. Then he backed off, sticking his baton back into his belt. "I'm not going to bother with you."

James smiled.

"I"ll just get my boss to get your ass fired." The guard gathered the shreds of his dignity and stalked off towards the small guard house, leaving James in peace on the side of the dock.

Thunder rolled over head, making him look up at the sky. "Ah do think ah just like trouble." He remarked. "Lord knows mah kid got that from some damn place, after all." After a brief moment, the retired SEAL got up and headed back across the gangway, chuckling softly under his breath.

Jade reached over and picked up her cup of coffee, taking a sip before she offered it to Tori. They were still squished together on the couch, after an hour of tense work on the laptop had at least given them a measure of security over the situation.

"How long does it take security to figure out who is in that building?" Tori groused, handing the cup back after taking a swallow. "What did they do, call out the dogs to sniff the Xerox supply rooms?"

Jade watched her gauges, her fingers twitching above the keys. "It's a big building."

"Not that big." Tori listened to the thunder, and then she returned her head to Jade's shoulder. "You know, it's a pity we can't work like this all the time."

"From the cabin, or from this couch together." Jade asked.

"Yes."

"I have a couch in my office."

"It's not as comfortable as this one is." Tori objected, reaching over to type in a few lines, and hit enter. "And there is just no way I could wear my jammies there, Jade."

Jade cocked her head and regarded Tori's dress, which featured adorable little cartwheeling piglets all over it. It consisted of a nightshirt that was just barely legal, but also had a pair of bottoms Tori seldom wore. "I could post a policy change just for you."

"Uh huh. I can just picture me running meetings like this."

Jade chuckled. "Not a goddamn thing would get done." She said. "Ah.. here we go. All right.. now that's looking better." She was at last satisfied with how her program was behaving. "Okay, I think it won't crash now."

"Phew."

Jade now switched to her mail, clicking on a late arrival. "Here's the trace Sinjin got." She reviewed the results. "Encrypted."

"Can you un-encrypt it?" Tori asked. "I can't even read the header."

"Hm." Her partner drummed her fingers on the keyboard. "Not without the.." She hesitated. "Let's wait to see if Sinjin finds the machine it was coming from. It'll be easier with the key. I might be able to crack the encryption, but it would take me forever."

Tori typed on the keyboard. Sinjin – what is taking so long for the security report?

Jade slipped her arm over Tori's shoulders, and rubbed her back gently. "This is going to be a big issue. I better warn Alistair."

Freaking all of sales and marketing is here! Sinjin's answer came back, brimming with disgust. The whole damn floor is packed with them, and they've been sucking dhcp addresses all morning.

"Oh. Crap." Tori sighed. "That sucks."

Jade considered the screen. "Maybe… maybe it doesn't." She said slowly. "I wonder how many new people they've brought on in the last month."

"They turnover like.." Tori started to say, then her voice trailed off. "But Jade, whoever did this was technically very savvy."

"Uh huh. Where better in our company to hide then, hm? Last place I'd look for a nerd is in those groups." Jade's tone was grim. "And you know what else?"

Tori stared at the screen, then up at Jade. "They're all around the presentation rooms."

"Exactly."

Exactly.

Tori gunned the engine of her bike, looking both ways before she eased out onto the still damp road and headed south. The sun had reluctantly made an appearance on it's journey to the west, and she decided it was a good time to buzz off down to the market and get something for dinner.

The roads were still wet, and she was careful to keep her speed down. Being dumped on her butt on the road wasn't something she was willing to experience, even if Jade had patiently taught her how to right the bike if she did get overturned.

It wasn't easy, even though she was stronger than most women her size. Tori shifted gears and headed through a green light, one of the few traffic stops in the general vicinity. The quiet nature of the town was one of the things she liked most about it, and even now on the weekend, there was little traffic to impede her passage.

The market was just up on the right hand side, a low, wooden building with sun-faded paint and crushed shell pathways leading from the scrubby little parking lot. Tori pulled in to a shady spot near the door and shut the bike's engine off, swinging her leg over the seat and removing her helmet.

She tucked the safety gear under it's bungee and headed for the doors, the still damp breeze brushing over her bare shoulders. Pushing the left door open, she entered the pleasant chill of the air conditioning and removed her sunglasses, tucking them by one earpiece into a belt loop. "Hi, Bill."

The man behind the meat counter looked up, then waved. "Hi there, neighbor." He greeted Tori amiably. "Didn't know you were down here this weekend.. thought the rain would keep anyone up north."

"We came down on Friday night." Tori picked up a basket and started browsing up and down the aisles. "But it looks like it's clearing up now. How's Martha?"

"Oh, she'd doing fine." The market manager said. "Hey listen, I just got some fresh snapper in.. you want a couple pieces?"

Snapper. Tori cocked her head slightly. Both she and Jade were quite fond of fresh fish, and a nice broiled filet sounded pretty good to her. "Sure." She agreed, detouring to the vegetable section and selecting a couple of Yukon gold potatoes, some green beans, and two ears of white corn.

Considering, she then also added a quart of strawberries, and carried the lot of it up to the counter. She could have gotten stuff for tomorrow also, but she preferred to let whimsy control what she picked, rather than planning things out too far in advance. "Wow, that does look nice." She complimented the fish.

"A cook'd know that." The manager chuckled. "And I know you're the cook in that house."

Tori accepted the brown wrapped bundle with a slight grin. "I guess Jade's only buying ice cream, milk, chocolate bars and bananas sort of clues that in, huh?" She handed over her credit card. "But I like cooking. It's fun."

"Me too." Bill pushed the credit card receipt her way for signature. "I get kidded about it by the boys, though. You know how it is."

Tori signed her name in a neat script hand and gave it back to him. "Well, not really." She admitted. "Usually girls are expected to know how, and to like cooking." Her face creased into a smile. "I've never had anyone look crosswise at me for that. For other things…" She waggled a hand.

"Like that pretty tattoo?" Bill asked, with a grin of his own. "It's new, yeah?"

"Yeah." Tori glanced down at the half visible mark, peeking out from around her tank top strap. "I got it a few weeks back. Like it?"

Bill leaned closer, raising his glasses slightly to get a better look. "Nice work." He complimented her. "I've got a pair of dolphins, myself, but it'd take a pair of speedos I die before wearing to show em to the world."

Tori chuckled. "That was my second choice of locations." She picked up her packages and the keys to the motorcycle. "But I think I really wanted people to be able to see it." Her eyes strayed to the mark, and the letters of Jade's name visible there for a moment, before she turned and headed back towards the doors. "Have a great day, Bill."

"You too, Tori." The manager replied, sitting back down on his stool. "Drive careful now, it's wet out."

Tori lifted a hand in acknowledgement as she slipped through the door, reaching hastily for her sunglasses as the glare outside made her blink.

"Excuse me… are you Tori Vega?"

Tori pulled up short and turned, finding herself the focus of an impeccably dressed black woman, and a man with a camera. The woman didn't look unfriendly, but the light was on the camera, and Tori hadn't grown up in a spotlight for nothing. "uh..." She answered slowly. "Can I ask why you want to know?"

"Great. We found you." The woman smiled.

"Found who and for what?" Tori asked her defensive hackles raising.

"We're doing filming as part of the special on the new American Cruise line project, and I'd like to ask you some questions."

Tori squared her shoulders, shifting her packages carefully to one arm. "Our office is in San Francisco. Is there some reason flew across the country and came looking for me here?" She kept her voice even, but there was little warmth in it.

The reporter looked warily at her. "Well, someone tipped me off you might be down here… so I thought I'd take a chance. Since the other teams are at the port working, it seemed a little… unusual… that you'd leave the city."

Anger started to bubble inside Tori's stomach. "Well, I guess you just wasted a trip then. I've got nothing to say at the moment. It's my time off." She turned and headed for her bike, her ears catching the whine of the camera behind her.

"Wait…" The reporter came after her. "Ms. West talked to us."

Tori put her packages into the small storage area in the back of the bike and got on it, shifting it over it's center of balance and putting up the kickstand. "In the office." She started the engine, and revved it, the low throaty roar making speech momentarily impossible.

"You don't think it says something about your company, to have you down here on vacation while everyone else is working?" The reporter queried. "Maybe my source was right after all."

Tori put her helmet on. "The only thing it says about our company is that we trust our staff to do what we pay them to." She backed the bike and prepared to leave the lot. "Excuse me." She tried not to look directly at the camera, the blank gray eye following her every move.

"Is Ms. West down here too? Maybe I can talk to her." The reporter persisted. "Maybe she can explain it to me, since you're unwilling to."

Answering didn't seem wise. Tori gunned her engine and headed out onto the road, shifting through first and into second gear as she glanced behind her to see if the woman was following. She was caught between outrage and worry, wondering briefly if she should have played the reporters game and just talked to her for a few minutes.

Jade had, as she'd noted.

Ah well. Tori shifted into third gear and picked up speed, anxious to get back to the cabin and get the bike under cover before the woman could find out where they lived. Would she knock on the door? The thought made her angry, and she felt somewhat invaded by the idea.

This was a haven for them. To have the reporter come here and shove herself into this part of her world bothered Tori more than she liked to acknowledge, and she resented it hugely. She leaned into the turn that would take her towards home, and found a moment of utter panic as she felt the bike start to slide out from under her.

Her body reacted uncertainly, not used to the motion and she leaned back the other way out of pure instinct. For a second, it was riding the line, the tire skidding against the wet pavement for an eternity before the traction caught again and she brought the motorcycle back under control.

"Jesus." Tori felt her heart pounding in her chest, as she slowed down, ready to make the turn into their driveway. To her surprise, Jade was out in the yard heading for the road, and she jumped the fence as Tori pulled to a stop in the soft gravel. "Hey."

"Hey." Jade joined her, laying a hand on Tori's arm. "What's up? You okay?"

"Yeah. Almost laid the bike down." Tori admitted. "Let's get it in the shed. I had a very unpleasant encounter with your friend from the filming people at the market."

Jade blinked. "My friend?"

"The reporter?" Tori got off the bike and started pushing it towards the shed.

"How'd she find you down here?" Jade helped, getting her hands between Tori's. "What the hell did she want?" Her voice sharpened.

Tori got the door to the shed open, and they pushed the motorcycle inside. She pulled the door closed, just as the sound of tires on the road sounded loud in their ears. They both stood together and listened as the car slowed down outside, then, after a long and still moment, drove on past. "Son of a bitch."

Jade's jaw tightened. "They get you on camera?" She asked, as Tori moved to take the bags from the back of the bike.

"Yeah." Tori turned, letting her sunglasses slide down a little and peeking at Jade over them. "Don't worry, though. There's no way anyone's going to believe Roger Vega's kid is riding a bike down in the sticks with a tattoo on her chest. I'll just say someone was impersonating me."

Jade's lips tensed, then relaxed into a faint grin.

"What are we going to do if she shows up here?" Tori went on, with a grimace. "It won't take much, Jade. We're in the local phone book. All she has to do is look and she'll have the address."

"Let's worry about it when it happens. Did she say what angle she was after?"

"Oh yeah." Tori picked up the parcel, and nudged Jade towards the door. "WesTrek snooty sloths snuggle while minions slave away." She sighed. "And I joked about it, but I think I just sunk my image big time."

"Hell with em." Jade led her back towards the cabin. "If they show up here, I'll just toss them in the salt. Besides, we are working." She peeked inside a bag. "Mm… strawberries."

Tori allowed herself to be distracted as they walked over to the cabin, and slipped inside. She had a distinct feeling, though, that the reporter wasn't going to give up that easily, or be dissuaded by even Jade's rejection.

Not to mention what it all would look like to anyone viewing the film.

Tori sighed. Muskrats.

They were both surprised when the rest of the afternoon proved peaceful and reporter-less. Tori retreated into the kitchen to make dinner, while Jade huddled with her laptop, obsessing over the results of her program.

"Hey, with this filming stuff." Tori positioned the snapper filets on the broiling pan, dusting them with her jealously guarded mixture of spices. "Don't they have to get our approval to show any of it? I mean, it's not a news program, right?"

Jade stretched, lifting her arms over her head and popping her shoulder joints. "Good question." She said. "I should probably send a note to legal and ask, huh?"

"Might be a good idea." Tori put a final swipe of herbed oil on the fish, and prepared to put them in the broiler. She glanced up as Jade entered the kitchen, circling around her and settling her arms around Tori's waist and observing as she put dinner up.

"Mm." Tori leaned back a little, savoring the solid warmth of her partner's body. She felt Jade rest her chin on the top of her head and they simply stood together for a bit in silence, swaying lightly to some far off music only their souls could hear.

"Keeeeerrrrry." Jade warbled, in a high tone that mimicked her gopher's. "I lloooooooovvveee you."

Tori felt like she was going to dissolve into a puddle of goo. She wondered briefly if her tattoo would float on top, or merely color it. Slowly, she turned within the circle of Jade's arms and looked up at her. "Can I tell you something?"

"Could I stop you?" Jade leaned forward a little to rub noses with her.

Tori tilted her head and they kissed, as her arms slid up and clasped around Jade's neck. She caught Jade's lower lip between her teeth and then released her with a soft chuckle. "Well, Jaejae, as a matter of fact, yes, you could." She drawled softly. "Just like that, in fact."

Jade chuckled along with her, lifting a hand up to brush Tori's cheek. "You're so easy to distract sometimes."

Tori leaned into the touch, pressing her body against her partner's. "Depends on the distraction." She smiled. "But what I was going to say before I was so pleasantly lead off course was…" Her eyes gentled and warmed. "You're the best part of my life."

"I am?" A charmed look appeared on the taller woman's face. "Even better than ice cream?"

"Much better."

"Aw." Jade hugged her, tucking Tori's head against her shoulder and giving her a healthy squeeze. "Likewise, sweetheart."

Tori closed her eyes, and exhaled, welcoming the sweet affection in Jade's tone. After all the chaos of work and the aggravation of meeting the reporter – she wanted this.

Needed it. She slid her arms around Jade's waist and returned the hug, and then ran her hands along her partner's spine giving her a light massage. "I looooooooovvve you too." She warbled softly. "My little gopher."

Jade snickered.

They walked into the living room with their arms wrapped around each other, and got halfway across it before they heard a knock on the door. After sharing a dour look, Jade removed her hold and dusted her hands together. "I'll go take care of this. Stay here."

Tori debated briefly, and then uncharacteristically obeyed, flopping down on the couch and extending her legs along it's length as she watched Jade stalk towards the back door.

She didn't envy the reporter, if that was who it was. Jade could, and often was, rude and nasty when she felt the need to be and being on the receiving end of that was really just no fun. Not that Tori herself knew that from personal knowledge – even when she and her beloved partner disagreed, Jade never went past blunt with her.

In fact, Tori knew she herself had been by far the nastier of the two of them when they'd first met. She wiggled her toes reflectively, her ears cocked as Jade opened the door.

"Yes?" Jade peered out into the late afternoon sunshine, her body blocking the door open just to her shoulder width.

"Well, hello there, Ms. West. Remember me?" The reporter smiled at her.

"Yes." Jade responded. "Anything else you need? No?" She started to close the door.

"Wait.. wait. I really need to talk to you." The woman put her hand out to keep the door from shutting. "Please?"

Jade stared steadily at her. "I'm not on the clock." She let her eyes drift past the woman, but the camera and it's operator were nowhere in sight. After a moment, she focused back on the intruder.

"Well, no.. but I'm here, and you're here, so.." The reporter persisted. "It'll only take a minute, really."

It all sounded so reasonable. Unfortunately, Jade wasn't feeling very reasonable at the moment. "No." She stated. "I don't appreciate people who invade my private life. So I'd get my hand off the door if I were you, unless you want a broken wrist out of this."

The woman took a step back. "Now, I don't really think we're invading…"

"Did I give you my address here?" Jade asked pointedly.

"Well, no, but.."

"Did you ask if you could do an interview with me during off hours?"

"That's not the point, here…"

"It's exactly the point." Jade started closing the door again. "And damned unprofessional if you ask me. I think I need to make a call to your production office on Monday."

The reporter put her hand out again. "Whoa whoa… wait a minute, are you the same person I interviewed a few days ago? What happened?"

"You screwed up." Jade pulled her head in and pushed the door closed, getting her weight behind it just in case the reporter got any stupid ideas to stop her. "Jerk." She started to walk away, only to stop when a knock came at the door again.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at Tori. Tori shrugged sheepishly. Jade narrowed her eyes and turned, going back to the door and yanking it open. She drew back her other hand near her ear and curled her fingers into a fist, cocking it meaningfully. "I am not playing games with you."

The reporter stopped in mid speech and blinked at Jade in surprise. "Are you going to hit me?" She asked in an incredulous tone.

"Yes." Jade said.

"You're crazy."

"No, I've just had my privacy invaded and it's ticking me off." Jade narrowed her eyes.

"I don't get it. You were just the friendliest thing in your office. What's up with that?" The woman said.

"I'm not in my office."

Tori got up and walked over, standing behind the door out of sight and pressing her back against it as she listened.

"Okay, so, how does it hurt to talk to me for a minute?" The reporter said. "What's the big deal? We had lunch, remember? C'mon."

"If you want to discuss something, call me during working hours." Jade kept her patience with great effort.

"Or is it that you're with your girlfriend now?"

Jade merely stepped away from the door, and allowed Tori to slam it shut for her. She loudly threw the deadbolt, then turned her back, waiting for Tori to join her before they mad their way towards the couch again.

"If she knocks again, I'm going to go Republican on her." Tori commented. "You actually had lunch with this person?"

"That's what happens when you leave me to my own devices for a meal." Jade paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Now I better to hell send legal a note. I can just picture how we'll come off in their little script."

Erg. Tori trudged back into the kitchen. "Should we have been less rude?" She asked.

Jade picked up her laptop and brought it over to the counter, setting it down and seating herself on one of the wooden stools. She rested her head on one fist and studied the screen. "Screw it."

Tori turned on a front burner and set a pan over it, putting a little peanut oil and butter in the bottom. As it heated, she removed a colander of green beans from the sink and set it down next to her, grabbing her wooden stirring spoon as she listened to Jade type.

"She was a lot nicer at lunch."

"Uh huh." The green beans were sacrificed into the pan, releasing the scent of spices and garlic as Tori stirred them. "Like she was on your side?"

Pale blue eyes peeked over the laptop screen at her. "Yeah."

Tori's lips quirked slightly.

"Did I get scammed?"

Tori flipped the beans in the pan expertly, remembering the lectures of her childhood. The press, she'd been taught, were not ever, ever your friends and they never were on your side. "Well.." She hesitated, not wanting to insult her lover. "Jade, I'm sure she's very slick. Probably, she might have fooled me too."

Jade sighed. "I thought she was nice." She admitted. "She did say a lot of things… well, anyway, I guess I took her at face value." She saw a mail arrive, and clicked on it.

Hey Boss –

Got the list, here it is, but everyone and their mamma is on it. You want me to pull their security scans? I sorted em by hire date, but there's no one in there less than three months. I don't know what the hell's going on.

Sinjin

"I don't know what's going on either." Jade admitted, with a sigh. "You know what, Tor? I really don't know what the hell's going on. I'm losing it."

Prudently, Tori merely murmured in sympathy, as she finished the beans and turned off the fire. She got two plates ready, opening up the broiler and retrieving her snapper filets. "I'm not sure I know what's up myself." She said, sliding a filet off onto one of the plates and adding some beans along with a baked potato and half a corn to it.

Jade sat there swinging her legs for a minute, and then she got up and came around into the kitchen, reaching around Tori to take possession of the plates. "Mmm."

They walked into the living room and sat down next to each other on the couch as Jade set the plates on the burled mahogany coffee table. Knee to knee, they picked up implements of food destruction. "Oh, hang on." Tori put hers down and got up again, walking back into the kitchen to get them both a drink.

Jade used her fork to separate a bit of fish and tasted it. "Mm." She waited for Tori to return and sit down again. "Good stuff."

Tori bumped shoulders with her. They ate quietly, both apparently lost in deep thought. Suddenly there was a knowt in Jade's stomach. And her appetite was gone. "I … this is great Tor, but… " she pushed the plate away. "I lost my appetite."

Tori frowned and stared after Jade as she hurried toward the bathroom. And her heart began to race.