The theories are great. Melissa dod her thing with this Con keep them coming

Forty Four

James slung his tool belt over one broad shoulder and headed off the ship. The sun was blotted out by dark clouds, and there was a heavy smell of rain in the air, even the usually calm waters of the cut picking up a little chop that washed against the hulls of the ships lined up against the pier.

He was halfway across the open space when the door to the guard hut opened and a man emerged, heading in his direction with a distinct sense of purpose. Given the man's bad taste in suits, and the badge holder hanging from his belt James reckoned he might be his guard friend's boss, but he waited until the man was obviously intersecting him before he turned his head and made eye contact.

"Hold up there." The man lifted a hand. "You West?"

Jim slowed, then halted as he came even with the man. "Yeap."

The man had thick, slicked back dark hair and a trimmed moustache, a bad complexion, and watery gray eyes. They now fastened on James's face with a cold, stern glitter. "I understand from my man you caused some trouble today, mister."

Behind him, James could see the punk guard, peeking out from behind the shutters in the little guard shack. He shifted his gaze to the man in front of him. "Do ah look like a feller who'd cause trouble?"

The security manager looked him up and down. "That's no answer."

"Young feller there was fixing to get hisself run over by a truck." James said. "Ah just stopped him."

The other man looked down the pier to where Jade's ship was, then he looked back at James. "I had orders not to let any trucks through there. How do you want me to explain why one went through? I'm not taking the heat for it, buddy. I'll get your ass fired."

James shrugged. "Aint made no sense to me. What in hell's the difference if a truck goes on down there?" He figured if he was going to get fired, might as well get any information he could first.

"Doesn't have to make sense to you. I got my orders…" The man turned as a yell sounded over the docks. "Shit. Now there's the one giving the orders. You stay here, let me see what they want done with you."

James looked over the man's shoulder to see Shari approaching, an angry look on her face. "Wall." He exhaled. "Don't that figure. That there woman's more trouble than a hemmorhoid in a bucket."

The man swung around and gave James a startled look, an almost smile twitching at his lips. Then he went to intercept his unwelcome visitor.

James hesitated, then he ambled after him catching up as they met Shari halfway across the dock.

"I just got a call, saying you let a delivery go through. I told you no trucks! What's wrong with you, are you stupid?" Shari yelled at him.

"Wait a minute, lady…" The security chief held a hand up.

"I'm not waiting for anything. I gave a direct order." Shari overrode him. "I want your bosses name, right now. I'm not putting up with any more of this horse crap." She pulled out her cell phone. "Give me his number."

"Just hold on a minute…" The security chief looked around as James shifted. "West, I told you to stay back there." He said. "Damn it!" He returned his attention to Shari. "Now look, lady. It wasn't my fault. This guy here got in the way of my guy doing his job and… lady?"

Shari had stopped in mid motion, and was looking at James with a suddenly suspicious expression. She closed her phone. "West?" She asked, gritting her teeth.

Ah well. Busted. James produced a wicked grin.

The security chief looked from one to the other of them. "You know this guy?" He asked Shari. "He's the one who distracted my guy and let that truck through."

"I just bet he did." Shari's eyes narrowed.

"Sir!" The young guard was calling, from the gate. A group of men and women were standing there, looking impatient. "Sir, you need to come here, please, sir!"

If anything, the chief looked relieved. He edged past Shari and headed for the gate, with a muttered apology leaving the two of them facing each other.

"Didn't realize Jade had a brother." Shari snorted, in a disgusted tone. "But now it all makes sense. Let me get that damn stupid supervisor on the phone and get you out of here first."

One of James's grizzled eyebrows hiked up. "She don't." He rasped. "Save yer breath. I'm leaving." He shifted his work belt to his other shoulder and started to walk around Shari.

"Oh no, you're not just waltzing out of here. I'm calling the police." Shari reached out to take hold of his arm. "Have you arrest.." Shari stopped as a hand far larger than hers closed around her wrist and removed her grip. "Let go of me."

Jim stared steadily at her. "If you had any smarts, woman, you would count yerself lucky to just turn round and walk away from here." His voice was soft, but firm. "Mah daughter is real special to me and ah do not take kindly to folks who done messed with her."

"D.." Shari's eyes widened. "Oh shit."

James grinned again, narrowing his eyes.

"Captain! Captain! Get over here!" Shari yelled out in panic. "Help!"

James looked over her shoulder, and saw the guards fully engaged with the new visitors, who were pushing their way onto the pier and forcing the two watchmen back. He released her arm, and wiped his fingers off on his jeans as Shari backed away from him.

She swung around, and spotted the guards busy with the gate, and then she headed for the guard shack, leaving James behind without looking again at him.

"Have a nice day." James drawled, as he headed for the gates. As he got closer, he could hear the people arguing with the guards, and the word 'oil spill' echoed out of the babbling. "Uh oh" He edged carefully around the man in front, a tall, gray haired tower of indignation and escaped out into the front of the pier.

A pickup truck was waiting for him, conveniently enough. He opened the door and tossed his tool belt behind the seat, sliding in next to Ceci and shutting the door after him. "Just got me fired."

"Really?" His wife inquired.

"Yeap. That there woman figgered out where she done knew me from fin'ly." Jim allowed. "But ah think them folks right there are gonna be more trouble than me."

Ceci peered past him. "Ah. The EPA." She nodded solemnly.

"You figger?"

"I sent them." Cecilia gave the chaos a supremely satisfied look as she put the truck in gear. "C'mon, sailor boy. Now that we've caused this much trouble, let's go paint the town red. It's Saturday night."

James stretched his arm across the seat, and leaned back, as they drove away from the port. He wasn't sure Jade would like the results of the day, but he also knew sometimes you just had to take what you got.

Life sometimes did give ya lemons. Smart fellers learned to take a shining to lemonade.

By the time the last rays of sunset were pouring through the windows, strawberries were at hand and problems set aside for another day. Tori settled onto the two person bench swing with Jade and pushed gently against the porch support, moving them back and forth.

The surface of the sea lapped invitingly in front of them, bringing a soft swishing roar and the faint tinkle of shells being moved under the waves. "Wanna swim with me tonight?"

Jade blew gently into her ear, then leaned over to nibbled the edge of it. "Sure." She breathed, barely audible. "We can do that too."

Tori allowed a low, throaty chuckle to knowingly emerge.

The air was almost blue with twilight, warm and rich with moisture but lacking the oppressive heat of the day. Seagulls were circling lazily over the water, several landing on the dock which usually held their boat when they came in by water.

It was quiet, and very peaceful. Tori leaned against Jade, accepting the berry her partner was holding out before her lips. "It turned out pretty tonight."

"Mmhm." Jade settled the bowl of fruit in her lap and extended her arm across Tori's shoulders. There were still clouds across the horizon, but they only served to make the sunset glorious. It was pretty indeed, and now all the more so when she considered how their relationship had opened her eyes to the beauty of the world around her.

She'd always found the ocean pleasing, and enjoyed being at the shore in the salt breeze. But she'd never really just sat and watched a sunset until Tori had come into her life.

The office was quiet, most of it's inhabitants already gone home for the day. Jade packed up her laptop and got ready to leave herself, hesitating without really knowing why after she put her case on her desk.

Just another day, right? Nothing to really hang out here for.

Jade drummed her fingers on the desk, then she bowed to the inevitable and headed for the back corridor, intending on simply saying goodnight to her new assistant. It was only the polite thing to do, after all, and Tori made a point of poking her head in every morning to say hello so…

She walked down the corridor and paused beside the door to Tori's office, aware of the gentle tickle of anticipation in her stomach. It had been a long time since she'd felt that, and the speeding up of her heartbeat as she thought about those kind, green eyes looking back at her.

She knocked, but there was no answer. Jade felt an immense bit of disappointment, surprised to find herself hurt that Tori had left without saying goodnight.

Piqued, she opened the door anyway, her mood brightening when she spotted Tori's briefcase on her chair. She entered the office and circled the desk, her sensitive nose picking up the scent of Tori's perfume with ease.

There was a cup on the desk, and as she brushed her fingers over the side of it, she found it still a quarter full with warm tea. So, Tori couldn't be far off, could she? Jade headed for the front door and slipped out of it, looking both ways down the empty corridor.

Right? Left? Jade went left, then turned left at the major intersection that went to the elevators, crossing past them to the other side of the building. Then she paused, and pondered. To one side was marketing, to the other, accounting.

A cleaning woman pulled a garbage bin past her, giving Jade a polite smile as she stood there in the middle of the hallway. "Jefa."

Jade focused on her. "Did you just come up on this floor?" She asked, in Spanish.

"No." The woman shook her head. "I have just finished this side. Did you need something done for you?"

Jade looked around carefully, her voice lowering a little. "Did you see a woman, about this high…" She held her hand up at shoulder level. "Around in there?"

The woman also looked around before she answered. "Si, she is out on the patio over there, but she told me to say nothing!"

Ah. "Thanks." Jade headed off down the corridor, arriving at the sturdy glass and steel doors that blocked off the west side viewing platform. Looking through them, she spotted Tori at once, leaning against the railing and just looking out into space. "What on earth's she doing?"

She pressed her nose against the glass and watched as the breeze blew Tori's dark hair back and fluttered her silk blouse tight against her body. The tickle in her guts became a burn, and she felt a little short of breath as she shoved the door open against the wind and emerged onto the patio. "Hi."

Tori turned. Her expression altered from surprised to muted delight in an instant, and she smiled as Jade walked over to her. "Oh, hi."

"Whatcha doing?" Jade leaned on the railing next to her. Her eyes casually met Tori's and held there, as the sunset gilded her profile.

"Um.. not much." Tori laughed softly. "Just watching the sun go down." She indicated the orange orb, which was painting the western sky every shade of bad sherbet imaginable. "It's so pretty from up here, isn't it?"

"Absolutely." Jade said, a moment before she took her eyes from Tori's face, and glanced at the horizon. To her surprise, the view was more interesting than she'd imagined, and she stood there in silence as the shifting rays constantly changed the vista as thy watched.

Tori leaned against the rail next to her, their shoulders almost touching.

Jade wondered if she yelled loud enough, would the world would stop turning so she could enjoy the moment just a little longer? It certainly beat the quiet, lonely drive home.

"Um.. did you… need me for something?" Tori asked suddenly, hesitating over the words. "I… I mean, were you looking, uh, or were you just…"

Uh oh. Jade felt totally at a loss. Make up a lie? Not answer? Glib answer? Jump over the railing? "I was just." She finally got out, clamping her jaw shut after that with an audible click.

Tori looked at her, a tentative grin appearing as she returned her gaze to the sun. She cleared her throat after a moment. "You know, the pre-registration for the networking convention opens up tonight. I was thinking of heading down there early to get my paperwork done." Her eyes moved back to Jade's face. "Are you interested?"

A smile formed on Jade's face, as the sun slipped reluctantly under the horizon. "Absolutely."

Ah, sunsets. Jade smiled at the memory, wondering why it had taken her so long to appreciate them.

Possibly because the sun never set over the water where she'd been living. They'd deliberately picked the west side of the island when they'd bought the cabin to address just that subject. Tori loved sunsets over the water and though it made it more difficult to reach the cabin since they had to go round the key, it was worth it.

The breeze carried a brief wisp of citronella to them from the candle burning near the post and for a brief moment Jade found herself wishing intensely that every day could end just like this.

Ludicrous, she knew. Jade sighed, and picked up another berry. Besides, if they were all like this, how could moments like now be special? She rested her head against Tori's.

"You know something?" Tori continued her gentle rocking. "When I was a kid, I used to go down to the lake near my house and just sit there, watching the sun go down. It wasn't nice like this is, but there always was that little peaceful time when it was happening where everything sort of stood still."

"Mm."

"I wondered for a long time if I would ever have anyone to share that time with." Tori went on in a soft voice. "I was so completely alone surrounded by all those people and my family."

Unsure of what to say to that, Jade took a safe compromise, and reached out to clasp Tori's hand, twining her fingers with her partner's.

Tori exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "I am so blessed."

Jade absorbed the words, finding them even warmer than the residual sunlight. "We." She put in a slight correction. "Are so blessed."

"Mm." Tori selected a berry and bit into it. "That we are." She agreed.

They shared a few more berries, and Jade even threw one over to a gull bold enough to traverse the space between the dock and their porch. The bird picked up the offering suspiciously, then bolted it down with a raucous squawk. "Everyone's a critic." The dark haired woman commented.

"I don't think they usually eat strawberries, do they? I thought they eat like.. dead fish and tormented baby turtles and things." Tori split a huge berry in half and offered Jade a portion, smiling when it was taken from her fingers and the juice licked off them in the bargain. "Know what I want to do tonight?"

Ah. Easy question. Jade shifted and half turned, curling her arm around Tori and kissing her on the lips, tasting the sweet tang of the strawberries as their tongues met. "Yes."

"Hm.. .I could have meant Scrabble." Tori whispered, her fingertips tracing the side of Jade's face with a light touch.

"Or Twister." Jade teased, kissing her again.

"We could combine the two and I could stick letters on you with peanut butter."

"Ooo.. romance." Jade slid off the bench and rose to her feet, holding out a hand to Tori. "Mix that with some fudge and we could infringe on Reese's patents."

"Oo." Tori mimicked. "Now doesn't that sound sexy." She got up and put her hand in Jade's, muffling a giggle as she was wrapped up in a pair of long arms and hustled towards the doors to the cabin. "Honey, you can infringe my patent any time you want."

Jade held the door open and they eased past Chino, trading the languid warmth for the pleasant chill of the inside of the cabin. She put the bowl of berries down and concentrated on Tori, running her thumbs down her collarbone before lacing her fingers behind her neck.

Tori moved closer, slipping her hands under Jade's t-shirt and sliding it up to expose most of her torso. She angled her head and nibbled the curve of one breast, while she reached around to unhook her partner's bra.

Jade slowly moved them both in a rambling arc, heading for the bedroom. She unbuttoned Tori's shorts and they both laughed softly as the garment obligingly dropped around the brunette's ankles, nearly tripping her.

She stepped out of them as Jade eased her shirt up over her head and tossed it on top of the shorts, then ducked her head as Tori removed the t-shirt she was wearing and tossed it even further.

They went through the doorway into the bedroom in each other's arms, Tori depending on Jade's navigation skills to keep them on course as she lost herself in a moment of passionate head rush. She concentrated on the warm skin under her lips and fingertips instead.

Jade did a good steering job, and a moment later they tumbled into their new waterbed. She rolled over onto her back and felt Tori's thigh slip between hers, their bodies pressing against each other. The surface flexed under them, as Jade ran her hands up Tori's sides and eased her fingers between them to cup her partner's breasts.

"Grrrwow." Tori responded, biting her earlobe gently. She nibbled Jade's pulse point, then worked her way up over the curve of her jaw to her lips. She indulged in a leisurely kiss as she stroked her fingers lightly down Jade's torso, tracing the bumps and ripples of bone and muscle that shifted under her touch.

The best part, Jade always found, was the look in Tori's eyes when they were being intimate. There was such a mixture of desire and joy there, passionate yet loving – it made making love the sweetest of confirmations. She let one hand drop down to Tori's bare hip, her thumb running over the line of her pelvis before sliding lower to tickle the inside of her thigh.

The lips exploring hers parted slightly, a gust of air escaping as Tori exhaled, then drew in a deeper, faster breath. Her body shifted as Jade tickled her again, and they rolled over onto their sides as they slid against each other.

Tori felt her guts igniting as Jade teasingly explored her and she reciprocated, working her way down her lover's long body as Jade placed a series of tiny bites across the back of her neck.

Tingles went everywhere over her.

Her hands went everywhere over Jade.

As she felt warm breath heat the skin over her navel, and heard Jade's heartbeat hammering in her ear, the rest of the world could have separated and spun off into it's own orbit and she wouldn't have given not one little spit.