Somebody to love

She looked down at the bullet he presented and lifted it, holding it between her thumb and index fingers. She examined the small icons on it and was fascinated. "It's...beautiful. The color I mean." She shrugged and set it back down. "Sometimes its worth it, you know...having to buy the more expensive things in order to get the right thing. These days, I'm sure they are well worth it." She looked back at their hands and smiled.

"I..." She started before turning her head to look at him. "I'm free this weekend. I have off I mean. I can teach you some sudoku then if you want." She was sort of asking him out but didn't want it to sound like a date.

He grinned when she asked him out. He had not expected that, but she just made his idea easier.

"Well, I was going to be taking a little time off anyway. Maybe we could go to Shreveport. I know a gunsmith out there that we could visit and see if you see anything that appeals to you. If you find something, we can commission some UV rounds for you."

He decided to gamble.

"We could make a weekend of it. We have a large suite reserved at all times at the Marriott. Plenty of room for two. Nothing improper of course...there are three bedrooms. All they share are the common rooms and the kitchenette."

She smiled as he accepted and listened to his suggestion. "Shreveport sounds nice. I just hope I don't shoot myself or..you." She tried to make a joke and realized it was a very bad one to make.

When he brought up the suite, her heart started to speed and she shifted in her seat. She forced a smile and nodded, "I...think that sounds fun..." She chuckled nervously and thought about a suite...with him...and...oh boy. "I mean we're friends...and like you said there are different rooms, it's not...inappropriate...or anything." She was trying to convince herself.

He grinned at her joke.

"Well..that is why we do lessons. We start with a dummy gun and work up from there."

He smiled as she accepted the idea of the suite. He began thinking over the details he needed to set up later.

"I'll drop off a few catalogs later this afternoon so you can look though some of the more common firearms. Now that we have that settled, lets move on. You mentioned Sudoku..do you like other games?"

She felt reassured that things would go okay. A dummy gun sounded safe...but she wondered if this was like a date. They were just friends after all. Right? Well, she really only just met him like two weeks ago. It's not like she should expect some elaborate bended knee confession of love. Although it would be nice. Oh, she'd been reading too much romance.

Lifting her head after his question, she thought for a moment and her smile brightened. "I do like crosswords, word search and bookworm is a favorite app on my iPad. She took another sip of her drink. "You?"

He grinned at her.

"I love crosswords and word search, I even have an app on my phone for them. Never heard of 'Bookworm."

He laughed.

"I also like the laser games where you have to put the mirrors in the right spots. Kind of nerdy, I know...but good to focus the mind."

She smiled and chuckled a little, "Bookworm is a game where you make words with the letters given and they disappear. Think text twist but in a chuzzle set up." She tried to explain but wasn't sure if that was accurate. He told her about a laser game and she smiled even bigger. "Not nerdy at all, I mean it makes sense...you're a guy and you're into security...I see it." Oh, was she flirting? She was so flirting...badly, but yes.

"It's so weird how much we have in common."

"No...not weird....I think it is nice that we have so much in common."

He squeezed her hand lightly, amused that she had held his hand all this time.

"It does make it easier to get along. Ever play twister? It can get very interesting sometimes."

She giggled when he brought up Twister and shook her head no. "That could be dangerous, far less interesting. Considering my lack of coordination...that could end badly."

She looked down at her hand still in his and her chuckle died down. She had been holding his hand this whole time, and he had not released it. She wondered if her palms were sweating and chewed the inside of her lip.

He smiled as he saw her glance at their hands. He thought it was cute that she got nervous so quickly. He rested his other hand on their clasped hands and looked in her eyes.

"I have only one rule for this weekend, Rochelle. Whatever we decide to do, however things go...we have fun. We are just two people that have decided to enjoy some time together. No rules and no expectations. Just a weekend of fun. Deal?"

She heard him speaking and looked up. "Yeah of course, I mean...yeah." She giggled a bit. "Just don't make me play twister, we could end up in the ER....that's not fun." She smiled as she laughed, knowing full well it was so true.

After a few moments she spoke again. "You know I know you said no expectations and things like that but um...what exactly..well, we're friends right? I mean...just hanging out....and...stuff?" She fought really hard to get that one question out.

He laughed at her comment about twister, then thought carefully about her next question. He did not want to spook her. He looked into her eyes and smiled softly.

"I thought that was part of what we were going to figure out this weekend spending time together. It is too soon to give this connection we have a name, but it will come to have one when it is time for it to. Like I said...no expectations except to have fun."

She smiled at his answer, that was good enough for her. He was so yummy and sweet all wrapped up in one. Could he be any more....leading man? She nodded and gave a small shrug. "I guess you're right. I just didn't want to think too much into it or anything and well, you know...make a fool of myself."

She was going out on a limb by opening up to him since she hadn't had a connection or opened up since Nik. "I look forward to the weekend, hope you're ready for sudoku lessons." She smiled as she pulled her hand free from his and stood, grabbing their plates carefully to put them away. Her back was to him as she rinsed them off, readying them for the dishwasher.

He followed her into the kitchen and moved her hair to one side. He kissed the back of her neck to see how she would react. Then he rested his hands on her hips and whispered.

"I think this weekend will be one to remember..."

She felt him come up behind her and move her hair to the side, kissing her neck. The wet plate slipped from her hands into the sink, thankfully not breaking. On impulse, she turned around and pushed his hands away. "I...I...if you think...I mean if I gave you the wrong idea...I'm not that kind of woman and and and I...we can't...I mean we just met really and well, I..."

He grinned as she turned around, stammering an apology and explanation. He made a show of backing up, his arms outspread.

"Of course, Rochelle. I was just being playful. I am sorry if you got the wrong idea."

He grinned as he looked in her eyes.

"I promise I will not try to kiss you again until you ask me to."

He moved back to the table, collecting the glasses and the re-corking the bottle. He set the glasses on the counter next to the sink and moved to put the bottle in the chiller. No point in wasting a good bottle of Chianti.

She felt bad for accusing him after he stepped back. When he said he wouldn't kiss her again until she asked him to, she sighed softly and knew she had really offended him. "I..well I..." She watched him move back to the table to gather the glasses and bottle. Way to go Rochelle, way to go. She had basically accused him of only being after one thing and she now realized maybe she was wrong. She just wasn't used to being touched...or kissed. She was embarrassed and pressed her lips together, not wanting to cry in front of him. "Excuse me..." She turned and went straight towards the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Closing her eyes, she blew out a breath. Why had she freaked out so bad?

He saw that she misread what he had said as she rushed from the room. He sighed and thought carefully how he should fix this. He wanted this weekend to happen and did not want her having the wrong impression of him before the weekend even began. He put the glasses in the dishwasher and walked down the hall, seeing the closed door. He knocked lightly and spoke softly.

"Rochelle. Will you open the door? I would like to talk to you. I don't want my playfulness to ruin the connection we have. We are so much alike in other ways, I thought you would understand what I was doing. I am sorry if I offended you, but I would like to talk to you if you are willing."

When he did not hear anything from behind the door, he sighed and began to turn back toward the kitchen. Way to go, Tolvin...screwed things up before they even got started....

She leaned against the door and felt like such a fool to assume he was that guy. He liked her, obviously. She didn't understand why but they did share a connection and a similar view on things. The things she felt when he did kiss her were unbelievable and here she was pushing him away out of fear. She was afraid to love him, partially because the last time she did that person died. She was afraid of being hurt, too. But none of that should hold her back, she was ready...she wanted love and she wanted to give love. So, why was she so jumpy around him?

Hearing his voice on the other side of the door, she turned and placed her forehead against the door, her palm resting against the wood as she closed her eyes and listened to him. It wasn't his fault she over-reacted and accused him in a round about way of just wanting in her pants. She didn't know how she would fix things and she didn't know what to say. So, she remained silent. She didn't hear him speak again and then heard footsteps. He was leaving...

Slowly, she cracked open the door and peered out, looking at his back as he walked down the hall. "I'm an idiot...and I'm sorry. I...over-reacted and you didn't deserve that." She held onto the door for support and bit her bottom lip, not sure of what else she could say to apologize.

He had just started walking away when he heard her open the door and speak.

"I'm an idiot...and I'm sorry. I...over-reacted and you didn't deserve that."

He turned, smiling as he walked back over to her and shook his head.

"No, Rochelle...I could never see that...an intriguing puzzle, yes....an idiot, never."

He sighed.

"Perhaps I was a bit more playful than you were ready for. My promise, however, is genuine. Not until you ask me."

He smiled and winked at her.

She smiled at his assumptions of her and liked that he thought of her as a puzzle. If he was willing to figure her out then maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

"It's okay...really. How about we just...start fresh." She stepped from the bathroom and extended her hand out a bit shyly, her smile so big it reached her eyes.

"We're friends and we're going to hang out this weekend, because well...you know the area and I don't." She lost her smile and shook her head. "Not that that's the only reason, I...I uh...well, I want to hang out with you." She shrugged and smiled again. She sucked at this...really bad. His promise not to kiss her made her wonder if she ever really could ask him to do that. Probably not...no, never...she could never...oh but she wanted to so badly.

"Rochelle, you are right....a fresh start sound like fun...though I cannot promise not to think about the kisses. I made you a promise and I will hold to it, but that does not mean I am going to stop flirting, even if we are just friends..."

He flashed a mischievous grin at her and laughed. He offered his hand to her and nodded.

"I think we have some triple fudge ice cream if you're interested."

She smirked and then gave him a shy little seductive look. "Then I'll just have to flirt back." She nodded once and took his hand, a grin still on her face. He offered triple fudge ice cream and her eyes widened. "Triple...fudge. Count me in. Oh shoot! I have some things to get done, but as long as you don't mind me working while I eat...or we can raincheck."

He grinned and reached out, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear, tweaking the earlobe before pulling his hand back, grinning.

"Not as long as you don't mind me doing the same. I have some security reports to go over before the night ends."

He led her back down the hall to the kitchen, motioning for her to take a seat by the bar.

"I'll dish it up....chocolate syrup or caramel?"

"Mmm...caramel." she smiled and remembered she needed her laptop. Excusing herself from the kitchen she rushed into the guest bedroom where everything was and looked at her watch. She was an hour late on getting started and Tij would kill her. Speaking of, she passed her and received a look. "I'm on it, I'll have it to you in an hour, I swear."

"I should have had it an hour ago, were you...busy?"

"Uh..I was...it was...yes. Research."

"Research?"

"mmmhmm gotta go, see you in a bit."

She turned and darted towards the kitchen really hoping John Quinn would distract her boss for a while. When she entered the kitchen she set up her laptop and sat down quickly. Once everything was open she began typing furiously on the keyboard. Squinting her eyes, she remembered her glasses and got them out of her bag. Slipping them on, she went back to typing, her tongue pressed to the corner of her mouth as she concentrated.