• Long flights on a corporate jet, what do people get into?  We still have some scores to settle.
• For those of you that have been bitchin’ at me for some background on the fictitious Batistas, your patience has been rewarded.
• This ones’ totally uncool title was a profanity, so we’ll leave it with the number.

Feedback: always appreciated!

“Honey, the car's here for you," Kris called to her husband, watching the long black limo pull into their drive.  She hid her nerves at the thought of the snow starting to fall.  She was nervous about the drive to the airport, nervous about taking off in the snow and just worried about her husband, period.  He'd been more mute than was normal, even for him.  She knew he was hurting from Eddie's passing still and then to add to it, his own physical pain.  But so far he hadn't wanted to talk about any of that specifically.  She hadn't yet pushed him, thinking they'd have some phone conversations over the next week and she'd ask him then.  Their long distance calls sometimes were more revealing than some face to face conversations - must be the security of the distance.  She didn't know but she remembered her sister saying the same thing years before when she was seeing 'Taker.  Carrie said they covered all kinds of topics over the phone first, without fear of reprisals from the other.  She knew that was how her sister had managed to confide in the big man initially.  Carrie'd told her of it at the time.  Maybe it'd work for David too, this time.  Whatever was dragging him down; she wanted to let him know she was willing to help, even if just to listen. 

"Thanks, Baby," David said as he wrapped his arms around Kris quickly, pulling her in for a serious but brief kiss.

"Love you.  Be careful," Kris said with a quick glance outside.  David flicked his eyes outside and nodded. 

"I will.  Love you too, sweetheart.  I'll be home quicker than you think," he said.  It was something he always said as he was leaving on one of his trips.  It wasn't true, she counted every second he was gone, but he still said it.

She answered automatically, "I'll try to keep things running while you're gone."  She gave him a small smile in return.  He smiled into her worried eyes as he gathered up his bags.

"See you next week.  Love you," he said, closing the door behind him.

"Love you too.  Come back to me safe, honey," she said quietly.

The driver, seeing the man leave the house, opened the trunk and stepped out to load the bags.  David handed them over with a small thanks, wanting to get out of the elements quickly.  He opened the back door and almost bumped his head in surprise.

"Shane," he said quickly recovering and sliding in opposite the man.

"Dave, good to see you.  How are you feeling," Shane asked.

"Thanks, long time no see.  You didn't have to baby sit me.  I told you I'd be on time," David said only partly joking.

"Forget that shit.  I had stuff to do in town last night and thought I might as well ride with you to the airport, since we're spending the week together.  We're picking up Carrie too, right?"  David nodded, thinking back to the last phone call he'd had with Mike.  It had been an argument really, Mike bitching at him about having Carrie along on the trip.  David bitching right back that the schedule was massively fucked up and the only one who'd be able to fix it quickly and efficiently was Carrie and the best way was her to be on the spot.  Mike knew it was true, but he still thought that David was forcing her to go.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?  Nobody forces Lil' Sis to do anything.  Or haven’t you figured that out yet," David asked.

"Bullshit.  She doesn't have to do this.  She needs to be home, taking care of herself," Mike protested.

"If you're so damn worried about it, tell her to stay home," David said.  He knew how well that suggestion would work without even asking if Mike had tried it.

"I already did.  She told me to butt out, she'd take care of herself and not to worry and all that shit," Mike replied.  David nodded in agreement, not surprised by Lil' Sis's comments.  "I'm holding you personally responsible for her.  If anything happens to her, I will kill you myself." Mike warned seriously.

"Chill out.  I always watch out for her.  She'll be fine.  She's been doing this for years and has always been able to take care of herself," David reminded the worried father to be.  And that what it was all about really.  David knew it, Mike knew it, but they still had to posture about it.

David's attentions was brought back to the present as the car slowed, turning in to the large parking area of the condo complex.

"Far back corner," he specified for the driver.  His answer was a quick nod through the mirror.  David noticed the snow was picking up quickly and was privately glad to be leaving.  He didn’t mind the snow, as long as he didn’t have to go out in it or try to be somewhere.  The sooner they were in the air on their way back to summer and Australia, the better.   

As the car slowed to a stop at the last large condo on the end, the front door opened.  Lil’ Sis stepped out in a warm up suit, with Mike carrying her bags directly behind her.  His face was a thunder cloud and it was obvious to all that the couple had been having some sort of disagreement. 

“Shit,” David muttered as he got out of the car, preparing for more angry words from his best friend.  Shane followed him out.  His curiosity would have driven him, if his manners hadn’t.

“David, how are you feeling,” Lil’ Sis asked him seriously.  She saw the way he held his body, trying to ignore the pain that he must be feeling. 

“Fine,” he said tiredly.  “What’s with the casual?  You do know it’s snowing, right,” David asked.  He was dressed in a suit, complete with tie and over coat. 

“I do believe you’re right,” she giggled looking up at the sky in mock surprise.  She turned to the other man, sticking her hand out.  “Shane, good to see you.  I didn’t know we’d see you this morning.’ 

“I couldn’t stay away,” he teased.  She shook her head at him, watching his gaze shift to the angry presence behind her.  “Shane McMahon, please meet Mike Adams.”  Shane stuck out his hand quickly.  Mike gave up his death grip on the luggage to shake the other man’s hand.   

“Good to meet you,” Shane said sincerely.  He’d been dying to see who the mysterious boyfriend of Carrie’s was.  He’d heard rumors that she was seeing someone in the company, but so far he’d not been able to figure out who.  But now seeing the man himself, feeling the extreme handshake he was being subjected to told him in no uncertain terms the other rumors that he’d heard must have been wrong. 

“Thanks, good to meet you too,” Mike said seriously.  He gave Shane a fierce look before he finally dropped his hand and turned to glare at his buddy.  “I mean it,” was all he said.  David clenched his jaw, keeping his retort silent.   

“Mike,” Carrie sighed.  Mike shifted his glare to her quickly, softening his gaze as he did so.  “I’ll be fine.  See you next week,” was all she said turning without another word, opening the car door and getting in, leaving the three men to their surprise and silence. 

“She’ll be fine,” David said, reaching out to thump his buddy on the back.  Mike nodded through his frown.  He watched without a word as the two men climbed back in the car.  He was oblivious, watching the car pull out into traffic, eventually leaving his sight. 

“Is he still watching,” Lil’ Sis asked as the car pulled on the road.  David glanced past Shane’s surprise face and checked the back window. 

“Yup,” was his answer.  She sighed but kept quiet.  She already had a headache, thanks to a long fruitless discussion this morning.  Shane kept his mouth shut, knowing more was going on than the simple jealousy of this morning.  His two traveling companions were silent, stifling his curiosity. 

“So, I finally get to meet the man that managed to snag Carrie Martin, eh,” Shane asked the small woman sitting opposite him.  David risked a quick glance at Lil’ Sis at Shane’s words, curious about her response.  He saw immediately that she had a headache and wasn’t feeling well.  He’d traveled with her for years and knew the signs well.  David cleared his throat before attempting to speak.  Shane shifted his gaze to David. 

“As long as you didn’t say tame, we’ll be fine.  I’m pretty sure Mike wouldn’t say he’s tamed her,” David said lightly.  Carrie glanced at him and shook her head, for a variety of reasons. 

“No, I can see that,” Shane said.  “He brings out her bags in the cold and snow and she doesn’t even give him a good bye kiss,” Shane teased.  Carrie’s eyes flashed. 

“And reward his bad behavior?  I don’t think so,” she said quickly.  A few seconds of stunned silence filled the car before Shane’s chuckles started. 

“Is that what you’re calling it?  Bad behavior?  Oh Carrie, that’s a good one.  I wonder if my wife does that shit to me?  No, don’t bother.  I know she does,” he said quickly as his mind tracked back to many instances. 

“You’ll have to excuse Mike this morning, Shane,” David started. 

“There’s no excuse for bad behavior David and he knows it,” Carrie snapped as her head pounded.  David sighed, knowing the further away they got, the better both their moods would be. 

“As I was saying, Mike has a reason for his…” David paused, searching for the right word. 

“Asshole-ishness,” Carrie supplied.  David shook his head.  Shane kept his silence in the face of this side of Carrie. He’d never seen it before and had a feeling it was what enabled her to deal so effectively with bullies like his father.  He knew there had to be some steel in her, even though he’d never seen it before. 

“What David is trying to say, Shane, is that Mike’s got his boxers in a bunch over the fact that I’m on this trip at all because I’m pregnant.  He thinks that makes me an invalid,” Carrie said quietly.  Shane smiled at her, trying to gauge her mood.  Hell with it, he’d risk it. 

“Congratulations, Carrie.  I’m happy for you, and I understand Mike’s worry,” Shane said. 

“Don’t you start on me too or I will have to loose my temper with all of you,” she said, including David her declaration too. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Shane said, holding his hands up in surrender.  David chuckled at his boss and friend.  Shane winked back at him.  He remembered how irrational his normally calm wife was when she was pregnant.  He learned the first time through to never argue with a pregnant woman, you couldn’t win. 

Carrie shook her head at both of them and changed topics, quickly.  “Tell me who the jackass is that scheduled this week?  I need to have a long talk with who ever and pull their head out of their ass,” she said, suppressing the smile that was threatening.  Just thinking about scolding some marketing moron was enough to bring a smile to her face.  Things had definitely gone down hill recently.  David had been dragged all over hell and back without rhyme or reason. 

“His name is Anderson and he couldn’t resist booking himself on this trip,” Shane said with a smile.   

“Oh, that ass?”  Carrie’d heard a little about him from John and seen some of his stupid proposals through David.  She’d also heard Mike and David discussing some of their own marketing strategies, irrespective of the famed Anderson.  She grinned just thinking about it.  Pus she knew she’d already made some major changes to the upcoming week, just so they could fit everything in.  But, she’d only worried about the three people in the car currently.  This week should prove educational for Anderson, in spite of himself. 

“Do I have to say it,” David asked her, his eyes twinkling. 

“No.  I’ll behave.  Unless of course he’s a complete ass, then all bets are off and we’ll take him far away from Shane so I can beat the shit out of his stupid ass,” Carrie said, clearly warming up to her subject. 

“Poor bastard,” Shane said.  “Don’t let me stop you.  He’s not my boy.  He’s Dad’s.  Dad thinks the sun shines out his ass and Anderson does everything he can to make sure my dad continues to think that.” 

“Maybe he’s not so dumb,” Carrie shrugged.  Shane shrugged, he thought Anderson was an imbecile.  The week was looking up, Shane thought.  If he got to see Carrie spar and better Anderson, this long week would be worth it, in spite of having to be subjected to the man himself.  Carrie getting the better of Anderson was a given, he just hoped he’d get to see it. 

“What’s the deal, Lil’ Sis?  Did you forget we have Christy with us this week,” David asked, clearly confused at her ignoring that fact and focusing on some man she’d never met.  Carrie shrugged but kept her expression blank.  No way was she going to spoil it for them, no way.  The dumb bitch would do it herself.  David stared hard at her, willing her to share what was going on in her devious mind.  He knew there must be something else in store for the silly red head.  He’d head all about the airport fiasco of last week from Hunter.

“Is she here or are we meeting her in LA,” Carrie asked quietly.  Shane blinked, realizing he was missing something that was going on, there was definitely a subtext to the conversation that he didn’t understand, but was aware of. 

“She’s supposed to meet the plane at the hanger.   I told her we wouldn’t wait for her and if she was late, she’d have to buy her own ticket, all the way to Australia,” Shane explained.  Carrie smiled, but let the matter drop as they neared the airport.  The weather had definitely deteriorated, so the sooner they were in the air, the better. 

Just a few short minutes later, the threesome was ensconced in one of the many private jets the company owned.  The jet was larger than the infamous one that had been shown on TV a few times.  It was definitely a corporate jet, suitable for long range travel.  In spite of that, they’d have to stop twice for refueling. 

Carrie found an oversized chair and pulled her legs up, tucking them under, like she would at home on the couch.  Shane smiled at her from his seat across the table.  David loosened his tie with relief.  Carrie grinned at him. 

“Now you see why I’m dressed comfy?  I’ve done this flight too many times.  I remember,” Carrie teased. 

“Yeah, but you don’t have a dress policy,” David said as he risked a glance at Shane.   

“Neither do you when you’re flying private,” Carrie reminded him.  David shot a quick glance at Shane, checking the validity of her statement. 

“She’s right.  You’re not going to run into any public on this flight, big man.  Get comfy.  Just remember to get corporate before we deplane at Sydney,” Shane said.  Any word that David might have said was cut off as several others walked into the spacious compartment.  He recognized Grisham, but not the small dark man behind him.  

“Todd, good to see you.  Glad you could make it with this weather,” Shane said as he stood to greet the new comers, like a good host.   

The small man behind Todd narrowed his eyes as he took in the other two occupants already seated, noting their proximity to the boss.  Whoever the hell the woman was wasn’t important.  She must be Batista’s piece of fluff for the month.  He barely spared her a glance, taking in the large man already seated.  His eyes were riveted as he watched the man un button his shirt and cuffs, obviously preparing to take the article of clothing off.   The compartment suddenly felt crowded and overheated to Anderson, even though he was still standing with the weather at his back. 

“Dave, Carrie,” Shane said with a small head inclination to them both.  Please meet Mister Anderson, WWE’s head of marketing.  He’s the man that saw this golden opportunity,” Shane finished.  Dave and Anderson exchanged handshakes, murmuring insincere pleasantries.  Todd smiled at Carrie, reaching his hand to her. 

“Long time no see, Carrie,” he said.  Anderson frowned at the other man.  What a thing to say?  Why remind the tart of her place?  That wasn’t very gallant – reminding her that she was likely replaced by a continuously rotating batch of bimbos. 

“Thanks, Todd.  You look good.  Married life seems to agree with you,” she said as she watched him select a seat, far away from the famed Anderson.

“Thanks,” Todd said, stowing his carry ons. 

Anderson looked around the large compartment, trying to find a place where he could be near the boss and keep and eye on Batista.  For some reasons he felt the need to be in close proximity of the big man, maybe so he could pitch some of his ideas to the man, he mused.  Shane watched Anderson’s fussing without comment.  He was pretty sure he understood the other man’s dilemma and he was going to enjoy watching the pain in his ass try to figure it out. 

“Sir,” a young lady appeared at Shane’s elbow silently.  Shane raised his brows at her question, encouraging her.  “Would you like something to drink, before take off?” 

“Thank you, Collette.  A mimosa would be nice this morning,” Shane said quietly.  She nodded and turned to the next person, David.   

“That sounds like a good idea, Shane.  I’ll take one, too,” David said quietly.  He brought some water, knowing he’d be drinking buckets of it soon enough so why not start out with something a little more pleasant.  Collette turned to the small woman comfortably ensconced next to David. 

“A large orange juice would be nice,” she said quietly.  Colette nodded and walked away, without asking the other passengers that had arrived, including both Todd and Anderson.  Several others had quietly stowed their small baggage during the brief exchange.  Carrie understood exactly the message that had been sent, but managed to hide her smile. 

“Are we all set, Boss,” one of the young men in an uncomfortable suit asked. 

“Almost.  We’re just waiting on Christy,” Shane said quietly.  A collective groan escaped the rest of the staff at the diva’s name.  They knew too well her scattered approach to most things, travel and being on time being among them.  Shane smiled at his staff. 

“She has,” his glance flicked to his platinum time piece on his wrist, “ten minutes.  After that, she has to pay her own way.”  The finality of Shane’s statement cause a few snickers from the staff.  Carrie has stayed quiet, but wasn’t surprised that the red headed dim witted diva didn’t have as many fans among the power brokering staff as she did the workers. 

The bustling of many people setting themselves in for a long flight was the only sound for many minutes.  Carrie had closed her eyes, trying to let all of her tension for the morning go, intent on making an effort to not let it color the rest of her very long day.  She heard David shifting in his seat next to her, probably still peeling off layers for comfort.  Anderson’s obvious discomfort as he’d ogled David hadn’t gone un noticed by her.  It explained many things, including his irrational behavior to John.   

“Sir, we’re just about ready,” Carrie heard Collette say to Shane.   

“Thank you.  Let me know when you’re ready to taxi and we’ll close the door,” Shane said, privately relieved that Christy had missed the flight.  She was high maintenance and he didn’t have the tolerance for that shit. 

Almost as son as that thought was formed, Christy burst through the door in a flurry of bags and coats and assorted other shit. 

“I made it,” she stated needlessly.  All in the cabin could see and hear her.  Anderson watched the woman and was unable to hide his disdain as she plopped her luggage just inside the door, clearly expecting someone other than herself to deal with it. 

“Miss, please stow your luggage and take your seat so we can taxi,” Collette stated.  Christy looked shocked at the thought of taking care of her own bags, the thought never occurred to her.  Traveling on the company jet meant luxury, didn’t it?  Collette never blinked as she locked eyes with the other woman, clearly telling her what she thought of her bags dumped just inside the door.  Christy looked around at the rest of the staff, looking for help with her luggage.  All of the staff that had been intently watching the wordless exchange suddenly found themselves busy looking at anything else.  Christy sighed hugely as she bent down to pick up her bags.   

“Where am I supposed to put all this stuff,” Christy whined.  Collette pointed behind her and walked away, not wanting to have to waste any more time on the clueless woman.  Christy flounced and fussed, but no one jumped up to help her so she had to drag all her bags by herself.  She fussed more, trying to find a seat where she could spread out, but due to her late arrival, all the larger seats were taken.  She flashed her eyes at the only other woman in the cabin, hating her all over her again.  Carrie didn’t bother to look her way, knowing full well she was being subjected to some serious evil looks.  She was just too silly to bother to waste her energy on.  She had more important things that required her energy and concentration, arguing with Christy was the least of them. 

Once they were in flight, the staff was free to move around the spacious cabin a little more.  Carrie noticed the pairing off of several groups, much like what happened with they traveled with talent.  People, we’re all the same, regardless of what we think and how educated we pride ourselves on being.  She did notice that Christy was left by herself and Anderson had managed to sneak a seat next to Shane, directly opposite David.  David leaned his recliner type seat back, settling in for a long sleep.  Carrie knew he must hurt laying on his torn lat but there was no way around it in the plane.  She reached under her seat, grabbing her laptop. 

Shane lifted his brows at her actions but stayed quiet.  He had his own reading to do.  He was surprised about the laptop, didn’t she normally carry her little device instead?  Carrie sensed his surprise and looked up with a smile. 

“Got some work to do and the other battery isn’t up for the long week,” was all she said.  He nodded in silence as he flipped a page on the report he was reading, purposely ignoring the man on his right.

***

"The art of love ... is largely the art of persistence."
 Albert Ellis

Randy blew his breath out, trying to get a grip on his case of nerves before hitting send.  He’d been trying for two weeks to talk to Rebecca.  He’d been sending flowers every day, with a note for her to please call his cell.  So far he’d had zero success in trying to talk to her, she was always working or running to the bank or something.   

“Pea Pod, how can I help you,” Rebecca said across the miles.

"Rebecca," Randy asked in shock.  He'd been calling and hadn't yet talked to her since that first  time.

"Yeah, it's me," Rebecca said with only half her attention on the phone, instead she was focusing on counting out her till.  Just a few more minutes and she's be free to head home.  She'd closed the store, locked up everything and just had to get this change counted, but that wasn't going to happen if she was on the phone.  She shifted her attention to the phone, showing all the change back into one pile to start again, once she was off the phone.

"Rebecca, it's Randy," Randy said slowly in his most seductive voice.  Bec was glad no one else was in the store or they would've been privy to seeing her roll her eyes at the asshole on the other end.

"What do you want now, asshole?  You think you can buy me with all these flowers you keep sending?  Stop it.  Don't send anymore.  The store is over run with the shittin' things ,"  she finished, proud of the fact that she got her point across before she lost her temper fully and hung up on him again.  Randy grinned at the phone, he loved a woman with fire.

"Is that any way to talk to the father of your children," he teased.  This time he heard the phone get slammed down in his ear.  He frowned,  but called back only to hear the answering machine kick on and tell him the store hours of operation and to be sure to call back then .  Rebecca's recorded voice finished with  stating how sorry she was for missing his call.  

 ***

I would walk home every evening
Through the pyramids of light
I would feed myself on silence
Wash it down with empty nights

Then your innocent distractions
Hit me so hard
My emotional reaction
Caught me off guard

It was nothing at all
Like anything I had felt before
And it was nothing at all
Like I thought no it's so much more
No one else has ever made
Me feel this way
When I asked you how you did it
You just say
It was nothing at all

Nothing at all - Heart. 

He lost himself in his memory of their first kiss.  He'd been going to her restaurant every morning for the last three weeks and asking to be sat in her area.  Only one morning he didn't see her.  He was worried at first but found out by asking his server that it was her day off.  The anxiety of not seeing her prompted him to ask her out the next morning. 

"And what can I get for you this morning, Dave," Kris smiled as she poised her pen over her pad.

"My usual, thanks."   

He paused as he worked up his nerve to ask her.  It was stupid because he wasn't some gangly teenager, he was a grown man with two children and an ex wife, but he still almost got tongue tied and failed to ask her. 

"Um, Kris," he asked as she tucked her pen back in her apron in preparation for turning in his order. 

"Yes," she said sweetly.   

God, how often in the last few weeks had he dreamed about her saying that exact word to him as he had her in his arms.  He pushed those thoughts away.  He didn't even know if she was interested in him.  She was always polite and seemed to check on him more than any of her other customers, but he still wasn't sure and didn't want to scare her away. 

"I was wondering if you'd like to, um, er,   I mean if you'd let me take you to...um a movie or something," he finally rumbled out.  He looked away because he was so embarrassed at his shyness.  He heard her surprised gasp that she almost managed to hide from him. 

"Thank you, Dave.  I'd like that.  I'd love to go to a movie or something with you," she said, her cheeks pink.  She gave him a shy smile and walked away with his order.   

He watched her walk away and blew out his breath in relief.  He watched as she stopped to help another customer.  He'd had a tough time keeping his eyes off her whenever he came in to eat, but he didn't want her to think he was stalking her or something.  She finished up with her customer and glanced back at him quickly and smiled into his eyes and turned away again.  His heart pounded at her look.  God, what was he going to be like if he actually got to spend any time with her away from all the distractions of the restaurant?  Now he had to come up with a movie to take her to or at least a nice restaurant and they could decide what to watch while they ate. 

She brought his special order of food out a few minutes later with a smile.  He felt his pulse pound as she continued to look at him and smile.  Her presence was unnerving him he knew, and cursed himself for his awkwardness. 

She seemed to sense it because she said, "You're my last table Dave.  Do you mind if I sit for a minute?"   

Did he mind?  Hell no.  Sit, stand, jump, he didn't care as long as she was near.  He motioned for her to have a seat because his mouth was full of his poached eggs. 

"I'm not supposed to be working today," she said as she watched him eat.  He knew she was watching him and he was getting rattled by the appraisal.   

"I usually get two days off in a row, but not this week."   

He nodded to let her know he was listening, but he continued to eat because he was hungry and he didn't want to be a complete idiot and start to babble at her. 

"What I'm trying to say Dave, is I'd love to go to a movie today, if that's okay," she smiled at his expression.  He had stopped chewing as the words penetrated his brain.   

"Otherwise we'll have to wait until I have another day off and that's not for another week."   

His brain was working a million miles a minute as he tried to come up with something that was safe for them to do today. 

"Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for your offer and to let you know today would be great.  I have to finish up.  I need to leave you alone so you can enjoy your breakfast in peace.  I'll catch you before I leave and we can decide then.  Sound okay?"   

She smiled at him again and he was almost completely up a creek without a paddle, so he just nodded.  He watched her walk away again and knew he needed to get his shit together but in the mean time he was going to enjoy the sight of her backside.  What a great ass, he thought to himself.  He almost started to smile, but stopped himself in time since he was in public.  

Several other employees walked by him and looked at his table, filled his water, his coffee, took his empty plate all before he had a chance to notice he needed any assistance.  It took him a few moments to realize that he was being subjected to the once over from Kris' coworkers.  She must have said something, he realized.  And her friends were checking him out.  Most contact he had with any of them besides Kris was getting seated then they all seemed to shy away from him.   

He stayed longer than normal, drinking another big glass of water as he waited for her.  He saw her several times, but she had stuff in her hands, so he knew she was still working.  He could wait.  It gave him a chance to calm down and think about the plans for today.  He worried about his car and if it was clean inside and out.  Yeah, it was clean inside, but did he need to wash it quickly today before he picked her up?  Did he have time?  Probably not so she'd just have to see his car dirty.  He would make time to go home and take a shower, probably a cold one if his heart rate was any indication.  

He saw her approach his table with a half smile of apology, "Sorry Dave.  Sorry for taking so long, but I had to get some stuff done before I could leave.  I hope that's okay?" 

"It's fine, it gave me a chance to drink enough water for the morning," he admitted.  He wasn't going to tell her about the obvious appraisal he had been subjected to by her nosy co workers. 

"Is today still okay with you," she asked as she met his eyes.   

His eyes widened as he looked into her clear royal blue eyes and saw warmth for him reflected back.  He also detected a hint of nervousness from her.  Thank God.  He was glad he wasn't the only one nervous. 

"Yeah.  Today's great.  Did you have a movie in mind?  Do you want to grab something to eat?  Do you need to run home first?  I have to run some errands then we can meet up or I can pick you up.”   

He stopped himself because he realized he was starting to babble and he definitely didn’t want to do that today, not with her. 

She put her hands on the table as she listened to him with a nervous smile.  She didn’t know why she wasn’t intimidated by the huge man, but she wasn’t.  She sensed his size and ferocious outward appearance hid someone very different, if she bothered to look close enough.   

“Um, let me write my number down for you, so you can call when you’re finished with your errands.  I do want to go home first and change out of this stuff.  Call me when you’re ready.  I don’t live too far from here really.  Grabbing a bite sounds okay, too.”  She stopped as she saw his face and misinterpreted.   

“Oh!  Do you have to work tonight, Dave?  I’m sorry.  That’s rude of me,” she said in a rush. 

“No, no.  I don’t have to work tonight.  I’m fine,” he said as he took the slip of paper she slid across the table.   

Even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.  He’d go without sleep for once, whatever it took, he thought privately.  He wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity, in case it never came around again. 

“Okay, I’ll let you get to your errands and I need to get home for Killer anyway.  He was pissed that I had to work last night anyway,” she smiled at him and left.   

Killer?  Did she have some Doberman or something?  Oh shit, he’d have to cope with an angry watchdog when he went to pick her up?  He scooted out of his booth quickly and paid for his meal. 

He ticked off the things he had to do before he could give her a call and pick her up.  He had to get Liz up and off to school.  He had to get Mikie up and call his mom to see if she could watch him for the entire day.  He also had to ask if his mom could pick up Liz since he hadn’t bothered to check any of the movie times yet since he didn’t really think she’d say yes.  He absolutely had to take a shower.  He should make sure the inside of his car was clean and odor free.  Never good to invite a woman in to a stinky car, he knew.  He opened his car door and climbed in with a quick sniff to make sure it didn’t smell.  Sometimes if he forgot to take his gym clothes in, it got a little rancid, but not today thankfully. 

He pulled into his parking spot and locked the car behind him and noticed that some of his neighbors were awake and going to work.  He nodded and smiled at a few familiar faces, but most quickly looked away from him.  He shook his head at their actions.  He took the stairs at a jog and opened the door quietly, knowing that Vi would just be waking up if his guess was right.  He saw her stagger from the kitchen with a mug in her hand. 

“Just getting in,” she asked and sipped.   

He grinned at her.  He couldn’t help it, he was so happy that she’d said yes.  Vi was wearing an oversized t shirt and baggie sweats.  Her brown hair was pulled back into a short pony tail.  In other words, her typical morning before the shower, just rolled out of bed, attire.  She sat down at their kitchen table and looked at him for the first time.   

“Son of a bitch!  You actually asked her?”  She couldn’t believe it.  He’d been whining about her for weeks. 

“Yeah, and she said yes.  But, she doesn’t have another day off for a week so we’re doing something today.”  He couldn’t stop his smile as he peeked in at his daughter and saw she was starting to wake up. 

“I thought you were gonna be a complete wuss on me.  I’m proud of you, Dave.  Now let’s hope she’s all that you think she is,” Vi said.  She’d seen her roomie get burned a few times recently and hoped it wouldn’t happen again because he was a nice guy. He grinned back at her and checked the time. 

“Hey, I’m jumping in the shower.  Can you stir Liz for me,” he asked.   

“Sure,” was her answer as he headed down the hall for a quick shower to wash off the stink of the club.   

He jumped out a few minutes later and was already thinking of places to take her to eat and some of the films he heard about from the club.  He took a little extra care with his clothing this morning, knowing Vi would give him shit about it, she always did.   

He poked his head in and saw Mikie was awake and playing cars on the rug in front of his bed.  He grinned at the sight.  Just being able to wake up and play, no cares or worries, just play.  He smiled at his youngest and received a grin in return. 

“Hey, you get to go see Grandma today, buddy.  Let’s pack a bag, okay,” he asked.   

Mikie paused in his serious car play and nodded at his dad, but quickly went back to what was holding is attention.  David knew he needed to give his mom a quick call to make sure it wasn’t inconvenient for her today.  She always said she was available anytime, at the drop off a hat and today he was going to have to trust her on that.  He walked back into the kitchen as Liz was eating her bowl of fruit loops and singing.   

“Morning, Peanut,” he smiled and tousled her hair affectionately.   

She didn’t pause in her singing, but did include a quick morning in her song.  He grabbed the phone, noting Vi must have gone to take a shower.  She was pushing it this morning, he noticed. 

“Good morning, Mom,” he said to the happy voice on the phone. 

“Good morning, David.  How are my grandchildren this morning,” Louise asked. 

“Funny you should ask, Mom.  I was hoping you were available today,” he said and waited.  He didn’t have a split second to wait. 

“Of course.  I’m always available for my babies, you know that,” his mom assured him.  He blew a breath out that he didn’t know he’d been holding. 

“Great.  That’s fantastic,” he said.   

His mother held her tongue because she sensed he was excited about something and he’d tell her soon.  He always did.   

“I can drop Liz off to school this morning and bring Mikie to you.  But I don’t think I’ll be able to pick her up in time.  Can you?” 

He heard something that sounded suspiciously like a raspberry blown at him over the phone before she said anything.   

“Silly boy.  Of course.  I will feed them dinner too so you don’t have to hurry.  We’re going to have such fun today,” Louise said.  David knew she was genuinely pleased to be asked and able to have his kids over. 

“Great.  I’ll pack a bag full of Mikie’s stuff.  You know how he is,” Mikie’s Dad said in reference to his required blanket and toys. 

“That’s fine.  We’ll have fun.  He’ll see,” the happy grandma assured her son. 

“Okay.   We’ll see you soon and thanks, Mom.  I’ll tell you about it later.  Bye,” he said as he hung up.   

He spent the next twenty minutes chivying his children to get their stuff ready for the day.  It was a typical morning routine.  Dad harassing and helping children to get dressed and making sure everyone had eaten, along with correct shoes on correct feet.  A minor war was averted when Liz couldn’t find her matching shoe.  It was found by Vi, under Liz’s bed.   

“C’mon, time to go.  We don’t want to be late,” David said as he gathered up the kids and their things.   

He took one last look around to make sure he didn’t forget anything.  Vi stood out of the way but smiled as his gaze swept past her. 

“Relax.  You’ll be fine,” she said.   

She slid on her shoes and was grabbing her coat and purse to head off to school, too.  David wasn’t so sure, but he hustled the kids into the car.  He strapped in Mikie while Liz climbed in the front with her backpack at her feet.  She had been quiet the last few minutes, obviously thinking hard. 

“Ready to go, Peanut,” David asked, as was his custom.  She nodded silently. 

“Daddy,” Liz asked quietly as he stopped at a red light and cursed silently. 

“Yeah, Peanut,” he said with only half his attention on his daughter.  The rest was for the asshole behind him. 

“Do you have a date today,” she asked quietly.  She’d been twisting her plastic beaded necklace in her hands since she got in the car.  “Are you going to find a Mommy,” she asked seriously. 

“What?  Why do you ask that, Sweetheart?  Don’t do that honey.  It’ll break if you keep doing that,” he said. 

“Um, because you smell good and, and you took a shower to take me to school, and Mikie’s going to Grandma’s house and,” the rest of her words were lost to David in a mumble.   

It was his turn to be shocked.  It didn’t occur to him that his children noticed when he showered and when he didn’t.  And he was a little concerned that Liz thought he was going to find “a mommy” today.  Kids see through a lot of shit, Mike was fond of reminding him.  This was one of those times.

“I’m going to take a nice lady to a movie today and maybe some lunch.  I don’t know if she’s a mommy or not.”   

He saw his daughter start to open her mouth and knew he better keep talking or she’d start asking him all kinds of questions that never seemed to end.  Some didn’t have any answers and she didn’t like being told I don’t know.   

“I’ll tell you about the movie when we’re all home tonight, deal?”  They had pulled up to her school and he held out his hand to her so she could shake on it. 

“Okay.  You promise,” she asked as only a six year old can.  He nodded at her large dark serious eyes.   

“Okay, bye!”  With that abrupt change she was out the door and gone. 

“That didn’t go too bad, did it Buddy,” he asked the little one strapped in behind him.  He saw Mikie shake his head but he was quiet as he looked out the window and pointed out things to himself.  Before long he was pulling into his mom’s drive way. She must have been watching the window because she met him as he stepped out of his mustang. 

“Where’s my boy,” she asked as she looked past him to the child in his car seat. 

“Let me get him out for you.  Do you want his car seat?  Are you planning on going anywhere today?”  David knew his mom would walk to pick up his daughter since it was just a few blocks away and she had a little stroller if Mikie was uncooperative. 

“No, we’ll be just fine at home today.  Grandma has lots of fun planned for her boy,” she said as she took the child’s hand and led him back inside.  

David followed them with Mikie’s bag of necessities.  He already felt un-needed.  His mom had taken his son and they were already talking to each other about the day’s activities.  He knelt down to give his son a kiss good bye. 

“Be a good boy for Grandma,” he said as he stood up.  “Thanks, Mom.  I’ll see you this evening.  I’ll tell you how it went,” was all he said as he walked out the door and left them to it.  Shit, he forgot.  He opened the door back up and called out, “Can I use your phone, Mom” 

“Of course, Dear.  You know where it is.” 

He didn’t need the piece of paper, he’d already committed her number to memory.  He’d even made up a little mnemonic so he could remember it.  She answered on the second ring. 

“Hello?”  He could hear her hesitation. 

"Kris?  It’s Dave.” 

“Oh Dave.  I’m so glad.  I was beginning to think you had second thoughts.”  Not likely was his thought but he kept that to himself. 

“Sorry.  I’m just finishing up now.  Can you give me your address so I know how long I’ll be?  Did you decide on a movie?  Or did you want to do something else, it’s totally up to you.”  He was starting to babble again so he shut up abruptly.  Louise heard his side of the conversation and smiled.  This one was important to him. 

“Okay.  Number 345 and don’t forget it’s in building B,” she reminded him as she finished with the directions.  He nodded and smiled at her worry. 

“Okay.  I know where that is.  Yeah, I can find it.  I’ll see you in about ten minutes, okay,” he said and felt his heart rate climb. 

“See you shortly.  Bye,” he said as he hung up and looked over at his mom.  Her eyes told him she heard every single word and knew how important she was. 

"Have good time, honey," Louise smiled as he started to blush under her unflinching look.  

He nodded and left her to tend to his son for the day.  He kept repeating to himself to stay calm and not blow it today.  He was within a mile of her place and he had to pull over for a minute.  He put the car in neutral, set the brake and flipped on his flashers.  He closed his eyes and concentrated on emptying his mind.  He tried to think of game day and how he used to prepare for them.  He stretched his neck and shoulders as much as he could within the confines of his car and felt himself relax a little. 

He flipped his flashers off and grinned as he put the car back in gear, released the brake and continued on to her apartment complex.  He was as ready as he'd ever be today.  He pulled in to the complex's parking area and immediately noticed that the apartments were more like townhouses than he thought.  He looked to find the building number on the one closest to him.  Looking at the front of the building he saw it was building G.  He eased through the parking lot, glancing at each new building he saw.  The complexes seemed to be four-plexes, not really apartments after all.  All the buildings were painted in muted shades of grey, so it was hard to tell one from the other except the building numbers.  Finally he found the B building off to his left.  Now he just had to find a place to park.  Since it was daytime, he knew it wouldn’t be too hard. Most people were at work during this time of the day.  He spotted one close and pulled his mustang in and parked it as he glanced at his watch.  That didn’t take as long as he worried, it just felt like it. 

He flipped the seatbelt off and pocketed his keys.  He glanced in the rearview to make sure he didn’t have anything stuck in his teeth or something equally embarrassing.  Once he was sure he was as good as he could get, he stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind him automatically.  He noticed that all the trees were still green.  The parking area and surrounding grounds were well manicured and weed free.  He loved summer time, all the flowers were out and blooming.  The grounds were well maintained and the few cars that were parked in the area were not clunkers and junkers found at many apartment buildings.  Stop thinking so much, he prodded himself.  He walked up to her building with his heart pounding and his palms starting to sweat. 

He took a deep breath and climbed the stairs to her apartment.  There were two doors, and hers was on the left signified by the number on the door.  No going back now buddy, he thought pressing the doorbell quickly.  The sound of barking erupted from behind the door.  He frowned because he had momentarily forgotten about her killer dog.   

He heard her say, “Hush Killer.  Be a good boy.”  

Next second she opened the door and smiled at him.  He blinked at her radiance and the vision she was outside of her work clothes.  He knew she was beautiful, but he wasn’t prepared to see her looking so damn hot, too.  She was wearing a floral print skirt in shades of pink and blue.  She topped it with a pale blue sweater that showed her curves.  He glanced at her feet and saw she was wearing sandals that coordinated with her entire outfit.  She was definitely a vision of summer time loveliness, he decided. 

“Dave, come in come in.  I have to grab my keys then we can go,” she said as she turned from the door and opened it wider to admit him.   

He saw a small fluffy dog regarding him from under her kitchen table a few feet away.  The dog was silent, but watchful.  This must be the killer dog, he thought.  Kris had disappeared from view for a moment, leaving him to glance around her place quickly, confusing him even more.  Why would she work as a waitress if she could afford to live in a place that looked like this?  Plus, she had some neat shit going on with the paint on her walls.  It looked kinda faded like a sunset or something.  It was cool, he liked it and realized she must have painted it. 

*** 

“You know what this means, don’t ya,” he said with a smile that reached clear to his eyes. 

“No?”  She was a little worried.  Did it mean they were going to be late for the movie or something?  They seemed to hit every damn red light in town today.  Driving to the sushi restaraunt, they'd had to wait for a train.  Plus all the lights seemed to see them coming and turn red. 

“It means, um.  It means that you have to kiss me,” he said so quietly she almost didn’t catch it.   

She smiled at him and blushed.  She had been wanting to feel his mouth on hers for weeks and he just invited her to kiss him.  She wasn’t going to argue, sounded like a good enough reason to her.  She leaned across the console and gear shift and touched her lips to his gently.  He reached behind her and wrapped his fingers around the base of her neck and caressed her gently.  She continued her soft explorations of his lips, enjoying the feel of them.  They were as gentle and as soft as she’d hoped.  She licked his lips and he opened his to her, welcoming her exploration.  She realized that one of her hands had gripped the front of his shirt while the other was resting on his large forearm.  She was startled when her tongue rubbed across something hard in his mouth.  She rolled her tongue around it until she could place it.  Oh, he had his tongue pierced?  That thought sent heat rushing through her, knowing the kind of delights it might bring.   

The sound of a car horn finally registered to her and she broke away from him regretfully.  Her face was flushed and she needed a cold shower after just one kiss from him.   He blinked as she pulled away and looked in the mirror and the traffic behind him. 

“Damn,” he said quietly.   

He rolled the car to the next block and the next red light.  She slid her gaze over to him and could see he was as affected as she, thanks to their red light kiss.  She couldn’t stop herself as her eyes flicked to his slacks and the other obvious sign of the red light kiss’s effect on him.  She swallowed quickly, not wanting to even think about that.   

They both stayed quiet through the next red light, probably both too nervous, embarrassed to say anything?  He wasn't sure but he knew he wanted to kiss her again.  He rolled through three green lights before the next block's light showed yellow.  Normally he would have ignored it and proceeded through, but he slowed and stopped with a smile and waited for the red.  She blushed in her seat as she noticed his actions, but stayed quiet. 

"Kris," he asked quietly.   

She turned her head to answer him and he captured her lips instead.  His reach was greater than hers so he was able to stay in his seat as he savored her lips, nibbling on her lower lip, teasing both of them.  He released her with a sigh, knowing that someone was bound to honk their horn soon.  She had reached over and caressed his neck with her long fingers and he felt particularly bereft as she pulled away.  How was he going to sit through a movie with her?  But he needed to get himself back in control because he didn't want to mess up with her.  She was too important to him and he already knew he wanted more than just casual sex with her. 

"Dave," she asked quietly as he negotiated traffic and chastised himself. 

"Yeah," he answered with his attention on the building traffic. 

"Did you really want to see a movie today," she asked.   

His pulse spiked at her question.  Hell no he didn't want to sit through a movie with her when he wanted to just take her in his arms and kiss her breathless, in spite of all the irritated drivers. 

"Um, I'm open," he said quietly.  He didn't want to jump to the wrong conclusion and screw up with her so he waited. 

"It's too pretty today to be cooped up inside, don't you think?"  At her question he nodded.  "Let's find somewhere to park and walk.  I love this area and I never get a chance to enjoy it much because of my schedule and school," she said.   

What she really wanted to say was that she wanted to rip his clothes off and go down on him in his car, but that wouldn't be good so she found something they could do together as a safe first date. 

"School?  I didn't know you went to school, too.  When do you have the time," he asked, genuinely interested.  He was trying to navigate traffic and find a decent place to park at the same time. 

"It's only a couple of days a week.  It's just the last credits I need to get my degree...finally," she said with a smile.   

He saw a break in the traffic and pulled through into the parking area.  He was also worried about how much free time she'd have if she was going to school and working nights.  He had already been planning some other ways to spend time with her.  He might have to make some revisions to his plans, but then maybe he was jumping the gun, he worried.  At his continued silence she worried that she might have scared him away with her comments, so she tried to clarify.

"I made a promise to my family that I'd go back and finish.  It's my last quarter and only three times a week for two more months then I'm a free woman," she said.   

He parked his car as he listened to her.  He could listen to her talk all damn day.  Her voice was soft and low, unlike most of the women he worked with nightly. 

He turned the car off and looked over at her.  He caught a glimpse of her profile before she turned to him.  She's beautiful, was his thought and he didn't want to mess up. 

"This okay," he asked her.   

She nodded and climbed out of the car, too quickly for him to get to her side and help her out.  He did manage to shut the door for her.  She was wearing a skirt that flowed with her long legs, hiding most of her legs, but showing enough to promise perfection if he was lucky enough to see more.  Her blouse was a beautiful shade of blue that highlighted her eyes.  He couldn’t get enough of looking at her today.  She smiled tentatively up at him since he was standing by the car door is a stupor, he realized.  Smooth, real smooth he thought as he mentally bitched slapped himself and reached for her hand. 

"Much nicer than sitting inside today, don't you think," she asked him as they walked along the path. 

"Definitely," was his only verbal response.  He laced his fingers with her and continued on. 

They walked along slowly in quiet.  The day was warm, the park was fairly quiet so they walked in companionable silence for many minutes.  He was trying to come up with stuff to talk about because he had so many things he wanted to ask her about, but he didn’t know where to start. 

They startled a couple of old folks feeding the ducks and Kris said by way of apology, “Sorry.  Don’t let us disturb their feast.”  The elderly couple smiled and waved as they continued on.  He knew he better speak soon or she’d think he didn’t like her or have any interest, both of which were so untrue. 

“So tell me, what are you studying in school,” he asked as he slowed her with a gentle tug on her arm.  She looked up at him, surprised.  Surprised that he was interested in her schooling, she didn’t think he’d even really registered when she told him before. 

“Design,” she answered with a smile.  He thought back to her wall in her apartment and realized that she must have painted it.  Then he remembered the layout and color of her place.  All of it must have been designed by her. 

“Your apartment,” he asked.  She smiled and nodded.  “You do all that?”  He was impressed.  She had made her apartment look so different than anything he had been expecting.  He also understood why she looked so good today.  She had an eye for color and a feel for what would look good.  If he had tried to even think about doing something to one of his walls like she had, it would’ve ended up looking like shit. 

“Even though it’s an apartment, it doesn’t have to feel like one, does it,” she teased him.  He shook his head silently as he absorbed the exciting detail about her. 

“It looks great.  My walls in my place are all boring off white,” he said with a shrug.  She smiled at his admission. 

“The bane of my existence,” she chuckled.  “Off white walls!” 

He saw she was teasing him but also laughing at herself so he knew it would be okay if he laughed with her too.  At first he started with a small chuckle, but her delight in making him laugh goaded him into laughing loudly and before he knew it he was giggling like a kid.  She was just as giddy, laughing loudly at the imposing man on her right who was giggling like a boy.  She was enjoying listening to his laughter, it was so unexpected.  She knew many of her co workers thought she was insane when she told them she was going out with mister scary man, as they all called him.  They didn’t know him and they judged who he was by how he looked and they couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

“Stop,” he pleaded with her as he paused to wipe his streaming eyes. 

“Okay, but only if you tell me you’ll think about painting at least one wall in your place,” she teased him with a smile and a last giggle. 

“Okay,” he held up his hands in surrender.  “You win,” he teased.  Kris met his eyes with a challenge as the last words left his mouth.  His eyes widened at her challenge and his pulse quickened.  Oh shit, get your brain back in gear, he chastised himself. 

She was wondering if he ever said those words to anyone.  She thought she detected something there, something that totally went against his ferocious façade. 

He thought about pulling her close and kissing her again.  They hadn’t since the car and he really wanted to, but he didn’t want to push too much.  As he debated with himself, he felt an irritating pulse at his waist.  What the hell, he thought, just before he realized it was his pager.  He didn’t normally get paged away from work, so he hadn’t been expecting it. 

“Excuse me,” he said quietly as he slipped the offending item from its holder.  She nodded and let out the breath she’d been holding.  It gave her a chance to get her feet back on the ground.  She had definitely lost if for a little bit and she wasn’t usually so flighty, but he seemed to bring out the little kid in her.  She watched as he frowned as he read his pager. 

“Damn, sorry.  My mom just paged me.  She watching my kids for me today,” he explained.  She nodded slowly at his words.  She had completely forgotten that he had children, even though the evidence of a car seat was hard to forget.  “Do you have a phone?  I didn’t bring mine since it’s a piece of shit,” he explained. 

“Yeah, here,” she said as she reached into her bag and found her phone easily.  She brought it with her today at her co workers urgings.  They wanted her to be able to call in case she needed help with mister scary.  They were so far off base, especially since none of them knew he had kids. 

“Thanks,” he said as he flipped it open and dialed.  “I hope everything’s okay,” he said quietly as he waited for his mom to pick up.  “Mom, what’s up…Oh, man.  He didn’t seem like that this morning…no, it’s fine.  No, I’ll take him…”  His gaze wandered over to the beautiful woman on his left and he silently cursed his bad luck.  “I’ll be there soon…I know, I know.  Don’t worry about it….Okay, thanks and bye,” he said as he closed the phone and handed it back to her. 

“Problems,” she asked.  They both knew something was up since she couldn’t very well pretend that she hadn’t heard a word of his conversation. 

He sighed before he said,” Yeah, Mikie’s sick.  He was fine this morning, but my mom said he’s thrown up a couple of times today, even jello so that doesn’t sound good.”   

“No, doesn’t sound good.  Jello is usually pretty gentle, at least according to my sister,” Kris shared.  He nodded, but paused as he heard the fact that she had a sister.  Another piece to her puzzle he thought with a smile to himself. 

“Yeah.  Anyway, I gotta take him to the doctors or the clinic, depending on the time.  I never know what time the office closes.  It seems to have a crazy schedule.  Drives me nuts,” he vented.  “Sorry,” he said as he reached for her hand.  “This isn’t how I planned to spend the rest of my day.” 

She nodded and shrugged.  Things happen all the time, especially with kids. 

They walked back to his car in silence, both occupied with thoughts that they weren’t ready to share.  He knew he should take her home first, but he was worried about Mikie and getting him in to the office before they closed.  He didn’t know what to do or how she’d feel about tagging along, since he hadn’t planned on introducing his kids to her that way.  Hell, he hadn’t thought that far ahead specifically.   

She watched him as they walked back to the car and thought she detected some worry and something else she couldn’t identify.  This was a first for her.  Having a date cut short because the guy’s kid was sick.  Most men she knew that had kids weren’t full time parents so it had never happened before.  She made a note to ask him why he did have his kids.  He hadn’t said anything yet, but she got the idea that he was a full time single parent. 

He released her hand reluctantly and unlocked her door.  He met her blue eyes as he opened the door for her.  He was surprised to see she wasn’t upset or mad at him for their shortened outing.  She pulled the seatbelt around and had it buckled before he had opened his door.  He sat down and pulled the belt tight.  He put the keys in the ignition but stopped. 

“Kris,” he said as he turned to her. 

She smiled in response to his tentative quiet voice.  His deep quiet voice sent tingles down her spine and she knew she needed to focus on him. 

“Yes, Dave,” she answered with a smile.  God, he could listen to her say his name all day.  Her voice was low and soft and it went straight to his dick.  He almost forgot what he was going to say as he shifted in his seat to try to ease some of the discomfort. 

“I hate to ask, but do you mind if we get Mikie to the doctors before I take you home?  I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m worried about him.  He’s not usually the one that throws up at the drop of a hat.  Liz is the barf queen, as she calls herself,” he said.   

“Don’t worry about it.  I understand.  Dad’s worry.  Besides, I’m curious to meet your son,” she admitted.  She hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud, but couldn’t take it back now.  His brows raised at her words, but he stayed silent as he backed out of the parking lot and pulled into traffic. 

Her thoughts were more than a little jumbled as she watched him navigate the building afternoon traffic.  She was thinking back to earlier when he'd picked her up and she'd noticed the car seat strapped in back... 

"I didn't know you had kids, Dave," she said genuinely surprised. 

"Yeah, two.  My daughter's in first grade, but my son's only three so my mom is watching him today," he said with a smile.  He'd totally over looked the car seat since he was so used to it being in the car. 

"What are their names," Kris asked after they were both in the car.  He looked over at her to gauge her interest and was surprised to see she might actually give a shit instead of just being polite like most women. 

"Elizabeth, but she goes by Liz.  Don't ever make the mistake of calling her by her full name," he chuckled.  "She's six going on twenty six some days."  Kris laughed with him at his joke.  She sensed his strong ties to his kids, something she didn't always feel with the part time dads she knew. 

"My son's name is Michael, but we've never called him that.  He goes by Mikie.  He's the occupant of the car seat.  He loves to torment his big sister most days.  They both keep me busy, sometimes more than I can handle so I'm real lucky my mom is close and can help out."  Kris watched him pause and think for a minute.  She thought he might be debating something with himself.  She was amazed at how easy he was to read once she looked past his massive size and concentrated on the man within. 

"My room mate also helps out," he said quietly.  His eyes flicked over to her to see if she was still listening and also worried what her reaction was going to be with the next piece of news, but he felt he needed to tell her shit straight up, since he wanted more than just a casual fling with her.  He saw she was nodding at his words. 

"I haven't had a room mate in a while, " she said.  "I seem to have the worst luck.  My college room mate?  She was awful, but after the first few months of us not killing each other, we learned to live together," she admitted.  He nodded as he absorbed more information about her.  She had been to college, far enough away that she was in some sort of dorm, he surmised.  Bet she looked hot as a co-ed, was his next thought.  He forced his mind away from those tempting images because he wanted to get his shit out in the open now, before it bit him in the butt. 

"Kris, there's something I need to tell you.  Something about my room mate," he said tentatively.  She frowned at his words, trying to understand why he was unsure.  Was his room mate an ax murderer or something?  She smiled at him and motioned for him to continue, first dates were supposed to be about getting to know one another. He took a deep breath as he pulled up to a red light and turned to her so he could look her in the eyes. 

"My room mate is a woman, Kris.  It's not what you'd think.  She goes to law school during the day and dances at night to pay for it."  He stopped because he could see questions on her lips dying to be asked. 

"What would I think, Dave," she smiled at him.  "Is she a deranged killer," Kris teased him. 

"What?"  His eye brows shot up.  That was not the kind of reaction he'd been expecting.  Every other female had a fit when he told them about Vi. 

"What's her name," Kris forced herself to ask.  She didn't really want to know in case he was sleeping with her.  She just had the sense that he wasn't and if she'd been asked why she wouldn't have been able to explain it. 

"Vivian, but she goes by Vi.  She helps me out by being home with the kids at night so I can work.  The kids get along with her and my mom is able to take them too so Vi can visit her girlfriend when she's not at work," David explained.  He was dumbfounded by her reaction.  He didn't know what to think, she wasn't like most other women he knew.  And that was a good thing, from his perspective. 

"And what does her girlfriend do," Kris asked.  She understood exactly what David didn't say.  She was relieved that he wasn't sleeping with Vi because she knew she already had stronger than she wanted to admit feelings for the large quiet man.  David pulled the car forward to the next block and set of red lights.  He rubbed his chin as he shifted his thinking about Kris.  His heart pounded as he realized her reaction just reminded him of his long buried feelings that he thought he wasn't capable of any more. 

"Tammy's in a residency program at Mercy.  Her hours are crazy, so they don't get much time.  But the free time gives Vi plenty of study time.  She tells me she's gonna pass the bar on her first try.  She just might do it, too," he smiled as he thought of his roomie's no quit attitude. 

"Residency?  That's tough.  Aren't their hours crazy," Kris asked.  She hadn't yet asked how he'd met Vi, but she had a feeling it was through work.  It made sense. David nodded at her question, but continued to concentrate on driving in traffic. 

"I..." he stumbled for words and blushed at his awkwardness again.  "Kris, I didn't want you to get the wrong idea, so..." he finished with a shrug.  She was quiet as she worked through her flash of irrational jealousy of the other woman.  She knew it was irrational, but it didn't stop her from feeling it. 

"How long have you known her and how'd you meet," Kris asked.  She had a vague idea that he worked at night clubs as security, but she wasn't sure which ones. 

Oh shit, he thought.  If she didn't get pissed about Vi, she was gonna get pissed about him working security at strip clubs.  He hoped he was wrong, but knew he needed to tell her the truth.  He sighed again as he drove around the block, instead of turning onto the street his mom lived on. 

"I met her at work a couple of years ago.  She still works there, but not as often."  He slid his gaze back over to the blond sitting in his passenger seat and hoped this wasn't the only time she'd be in his car.   "I don't know if you knew where I work.  A couple of nights a week I work at Gillie's on third, but the other three I work at a strip club."  The silence of her response made him regret his words. 

She looked over at him and saw he was trying hard to hide his worry.  She realized he was worried about her reaction to the fact that he worked at a strip club.  He didn't know her very well, she reminded herself.   

"I've heard some of the dancers make damn good money.  It's something I considered for a while, but my sister talked me out of it," she said quietly.  No shit, he thought. 

"It's paying Vi's way through law school," he reminded her. 

"She must make good money," Kris said.  She didn't voice that Vi must be damn good at her job if she pulled in enough for tuition and living expenses.  She sighed to herself knowing that this unknown room mate of his must be gorgeous as well.  She had only briefly toyed with the idea.  Her and Carrie had giggled about it, but she hadn't really been serious because she knew her parents would be disappointed in her choice.  Even now she still didn't like to disappoint them... 

David had been thinking back to that same conversation as he drove.  He'd been amazed by her reactions again.  But, he reminded himself, she's not the average woman.  That thought made him chuckle out loud.  The unexpected noise drew her attention. 

"What's so funny," she asked. 

"You.  You're amazing," he said as he parked the car in his mom's driveway.  She blinked at his words.  He thought she was amazing?  She couldn't remember the last time a man told her that.  Well, a man she wasn't related to anyway. 

“You want to stay in the car,” he asked as he unclipped the belt.  He hoped she would so he wouldn’t have to introduce her to his mom yet.  Plus he knew his mom needed to leave to go pick up Liz soon, so the quicker they were in and out, the better.  She nodded at his question and watched him exit the car with grace that surprised her.  Thinking about him, a lot of things surprised her about him today and she hoped it would continue.  She busied herself trying unsuccessfully to not imagine him naked, not imagine him lying next to her in bed, not moaning her name as she slid her lips along his shaft.  She shook her head trying to clear the images that kept crowding in.  She knew Carrie’d tell her to go for it, but she was still working on herself and making sure of who she was after the months of Alan and all the shit that happened.  They’d never talked about all of it, but she knew that Carrie knew all of it, even if she didn’t say.  She was surprised that her testimony wasn’t needed for the warrant, but then she wasn’t in any shape at the time to say anything.   

Her eyes caught Dave walking back to the car carrying a small dark haired little toddler in his arms with a blanket thrown over his shoulder.  She could see he’d need some help to manage all of it. 

“Here, let me help you” she said quietly as she reached for the blanket and bag she hadn’t noticed looped over his arm.  Two sets of chocolate colored eyes looked at her in surprise.  Oh boy, his baby certainly looked like him alright, she thought as she held the door open for him.  She saw Mikie has curly dark hair and wondered if Dave’s hair was wavy too if he let it grow. 

David busied himself strapping in Mikie and making sure he was set before he leaned back out and spoke to the beautiful blond that had anticipated his predicament earlier. 

“Thanks, he’s all set now,” he said as he flipped the seat forward in preparation for getting in.  He stopped himself and walked her back to her side and held the door open for her with a smile. 

She said quietly, “Thank you.” 

He murmured, “My pleasure.”  And it was.  It gave him another view of her and reminded him how much he wanted to make a good impression, even though Mikie was sick.  As he was getting back in to his seat, he remembered his mother’s words with a groan. 

“Kris, please tell me you’ve had chicken pox,” he said just before he turned the keys. 

“Oh yeah.  My sister and I went through it at the same time.  It wasn’t fun,” she was smiling at the memory.  “Why?  Does your mom think…” 

“Yeah, she mentioned it.  I’ve had them too, Liz had the vaccine, but I don’t know about Vi.  If he does have them, the kids will have to stay with my mom for a bit so Vi doesn’t get them.  She’s got some finals coming up and she’d kill me if she missed them.”  He shut his mouth because he worried that he was starting to ramble and he needed to concentrate on traffic. 

There was a mumble from the back seat and David turned his head at the next red light.  “What was that, Buddy,” he asked. 

“Pretty,” Mikie said as he pointed at Kris.  Kris grinned back at him as she watched Dave’s unexpected blush at his son’s word.  “Mommy,” Mikie asked. 

“No sweetie,” Kris said softly.  "I’m not a mommy.  But I do like little boys, even if they don’t feel good.”  She was rewarded by his smile.  As she watched, his eyes slid closed and his mouth formed a perfect pout.  Oh dear, if she wasn’t careful, she’d fall for his kids too. 

“Sorry about that,” he said quietly.  “They always think every woman they see with me might be a mommy.”   

He shook his head at his own embarrassment, he should be over it by now.  Kris wasn’t biting his head off and she hadn’t hit him for kissing her, so he should relax a little.  Maybe, his mind said.  Maybe after today, if she wants to see you again after dragging her ass to some doctors office in an anonymous office building.  If she still wants to see you after that, then maybe he’d relax, until then, he wasn’t counting on anything regardless of the persistent flutters in his gut and pounding of his pulse. 

Kris saw her opening and dived head on, wanting to know more about the enigma sitting next to her.   

“Do they see their mom at all,” she asked quietly.  She watched him grip the wheel and clench his jaw before he uttered a word.  Ah, sore subject, she guessed.  Tread very lightly, she told herself. 

“No.  I have sole custody…because…well because their mom isn’t ready to be a mom, to them or to anybody.”  He rolled his head on his neck, trying to release some tension.  He didn’t want to take his feelings about Jenny out on Kris.  The two were night and day different and Kris didn’t deserve to get hit with his shit. 

“Oh,” she whispered.  She didn’t want to poke that animal any more today and feared she might have over stepped herself already.  “That’s so sad.  I’m sorry.”  She reached over with her left hand and laid it lightly on his forearm. 

“It’s okay.  You didn’t know,” he smiled at her and took her hand in his and squeezed it ever so slightly in reassurance.  “It’s old history, really.  We were divorced almost as soon as Mikie was born.” 

“Still, it’s sad.  Sorry for bringing it up,” she said quietly and looked away.   

She wanted to try to remember to keep that topic out of her mind and mouth since it still caused pain, no matter that he said it was ancient history.  She knew all about painful pasts and the hurt that they could cause.   

Her musings were interrupted by Dave telling her, “The damn office is closed!  What the hell?”  She looked at the building in front of them and could clearly see the red closed sign.

“Now where,” she asked.   

Mikie had been quiet in the back and she risked a quick look at him to make sure he was okay.  He looked a little flushed, but his eyes were closed and his tiny lips were still so kissable.  Oh dear, she knew she was in trouble then when that thought popped into her head.  Eyes forward and pay attention, she chided herself. 

“The clinic,” David said resignedly.  Just a few more minutes and they were pulling up to another building.  “At least they’re open,” he groused.   

Kris jumped out of the seat and waited by the driver’s door in case he needed any help.  He smiled when he noticed her standing at the ready.  “Thanks, but I just need a little help closing the door.  He’s out,” he said in reference to his son in his arms. 

Once inside, David walked to the counter and spoke with a person.  Kris saw him nod and take a clip board from her and walk back towards her. 

“They need me to fill out this stuff. Can you?  Would you mind,” he asked as he looked at his son, knowing he was asking a hell of a lot of a woman he didn’t know very well yet.  But he hoped he would and he hoped like hell this little side trip wasn’t scaring her away for good.  She smiled her agreement to his request, since her fingers had been itching to hold Mikie ever since she’d laid eyes on him.  He gently laid his burden in her small arms and pointed her towards the chairs.  He followed, full of conflicting and powerful emotions that took him completely by surprise.  The surety of giving her Mikie, the gentle way she accepted him and smiled.  He needed to shut that shit off so he could concentrate on the damn forms they needed.   

Kris had taken a seat by the window and had shifted Mikie so his head was on her shoulder, close to her lips.  She rocked her shoulders gently as he continued to sleep and she realized that she kissed the top of his head as she looked over at Dave and saw his surprised expression.  Oh, she blew her ob