March 14, 2008
0900 hours
Paige Casey stood on her balcony intently watching a seagull negotiate the early morning breeze. Those that had needed to be, were out on their boats with the high tide, and the only boats were left were those that would not be going out.
"Jonathan Livingston Seagull, I presume," she whispered, though the feelings she expected to come bubbling to the surface did not. She was, she supposed, content. Not exactly happy with her current situation (that really being no situation at all), but satisfied with it for the time being. She felt as if she were looking around a corner that was dark, pitch black even, and should suspect something menacing, though nothing had presented itself currently. Something would break, she thought, something surely had to break.
"Paige."
The voice broke her reverie, startling her as no voice should be announcing itself, and she jumped a bit and twirled to face whoever it was that had managed their way into her apartment (that she had not heard). Her eyes took in the beginning of a huge form as it peeked casually from behind her sliding glass door blinds.
Her heart rate, if it were possible, sped up more as her mind went into overdrive with only one thought on which to focus: escape. She cast a glance down to see what would be on the ground below her balcony. Why had she not done this before?
"It's ok, relax," he said moving now fully into view.
Paige flattened herself against the railing her eyes fixated on him for the most part, though she expected to see others behind him. Coming to get her...coming to take her back...
"What do you want, Joshua?" her voice tight and tense.
He casually looked around the balcony taking in the view of the marina and the bay not too far off from that. He smiled easily at her, not menacing, but not exactly friendly, either. "Check in on you, see how you're doing."
"How did you get in?"
He laughed softly, "couple days on the outside and already you're getting soft."
"I am not," she said offended.
"I'm kidding," he said putting his hands up slightly, "had the code to the alarm system."
She released her death grip on the railing, "did it ever occur to you to knock?"
"Well, I did, but you didn't answer."
Paige shifted her weight uneasily, "it's hard to hear out here...what with the boats and all..."
Joshua just nodded his head, smiling easily, as Paige continued to stare at him, asking herself every few seconds if he was really there.
"So?" he asked, walking to stand by the railing.
"So, what?"
"How are you doing?" he asked fixing his gaze upon her now.
She arched an eyebrow, "fine." It was a flat response, but one, she assumed, Joshua would expect.
"Get that tracker out, ok?" he smiled at her.
She studied him carefully. His expression told her he already knew the answer but it also challenged her.
"Yes," she said quietly arching an eyebrow.
The smile never wavered as he nodded his head slowly. "I'd like to have dinner with you tonight if you don't mind."
She stared at him noting the change of subject and letting it pass. He looked at her for a moment waiting for an answer though she gave no indication she was going to give one.
"Ok, so is that a yes or a no?"
She sighed, "whatever you say." Gray had told her Oversight would still play lifeguard so she figured she had better go with it.
He put his hand to his heart feigning a grimace, "and here I'd thought you have dinner with me because you wanted to."
Paige shrugged, "the line is very blurry as to what I'm allowed to want."
He nodded thoughtfully. "If you don't want to that's fine. It's up to you. It's not..." he paused for a moment, shifting his weight, "not exactly business."
Her grin was replaced with a look of concern. What did he mean by 'not exactly business'? And what kind of 'not exactly' business? SIA business? Or Oversight business? Or tracker business? Or 'you're not working out so I have to put a bullet in your forehead, too bad so sad, have a nice day' business? Or was it something totally different? Unexpected? Unplanned for? She wanted (almost) then, to have at least her Bathroom Tigers dictate her next actions, but they did not. Perhaps, they felt they weren't needed?
She suppressed a shiver, "I want to," she said evenly. Who needs Bathroom Tigers anyway?
Joshua studied her carefully then nodded his head. "I have some things to do but I'll stop back around 6-ish?"
Paige nodded her head.
"I'll cook. Pasta and seafood?" he smiled now, genuinely she thought.
"Sounds good," she nodded her head again.
"I know you're a bit of a vegetarian," he said gesturing for her to follow him inside, "not that I blame you, prion diseases and all." He turned to grin at her with a wink as he moved into the kitchen opening the fridge door. He moved some things around as he spoke, "I also know this is your first place and cooking is not one of your better skills." He peeked over the door to see her reaction.
Paige just stared at him, the slightest trace of an amusing smile on her face. If he intended to infatuate her...he was doing a very good job.
He nodded then continued, "I figure the others can take care of themselves, but you could use a good home cooked meal."
"Jordan's been helping me," she blurted out.
"Yeah?" he said surprised (though whether that was genuine she did not know).
"Yeah, she's actually a great cook...and teacher. I can boil water now and everything."
He laughed closing the door and holding up an apple, "mind?"
She shook her head.
"Boil water, that's good," he said taking a huge bite out of the apple.
"Gotta start somewhere," she countered.
He nodded approvingly (a little condescending perhaps?) swallowing the apple. "I dunno why someone as smart as you can't cook."
Paige narrowed her eyes, "cooking is a skill, jock boy, and one I was never privy to learn."
He raised his eyebrows mockingly, "Jock boy?"
Paige clenched her jaw now wishing he would just leave. He grinned, sensing her displeasure and walked towards her. Paige stood her ground.
He studied her, from head to foot as he moved closer, then picked her chin up to stare at her face. He nodded his head, "you look good," he said as if speaking of a newly painted room. He then took a bite of his apple (thief) and walked to the door grabbing his jacket (where had that come from?) and making his way to the door.
She let the breath out that she had been holding. Why had she been holding her breath?
"I almost forgot," he said grinning and moving towards the (her) sofa. "I have something for you."
This was it; her mind swirled, as she almost felt dizzy. He was going to pull out a huge gun and spray her with bullets shredding her into a million tiny little Paige-pieces.
"A little housewarming gift...of sorts," he said, obviously very proud of himself.
She looked at what he was holding in his hands, a bowl?
"A fish," he announced holding it out to her.
She arched and eyebrow, wondering if Joshua liked to smoke the wacky weed once in awhile. A fish? She took a couple steps to get closer until she was in front of him. "A fish?"
"A Siamese Fighting Fish," he said holding the bowl out to her.
She watched him for a moment then focused her attention on the little blue fish in the tiny bowl. "Betta splendens," she said quietly taking the bowl.
"That, too," Joshua said as he moved towards the couch again and Paige studied the little fish. "Food," he said tossing a little yellow container of fish flakes.
Paige caught it and grinned, "thank you, Joshua, that's very sweet."
He shrugged. "No problem. Set up in the living room, the Yanks are on tonight," he said casually playing with the keypad of her alarm.
"Yes, master," she said bowing her head slightly.
He laughed, "master has a nice ring...but I prefer...'the great one'."
"Oh brother," Paige rolled her eyes as he snickered, "good bye, Joshua."
"Later," he said, grinning like a kid and slipping out of the door.
Paige stared at it for a moment going over what had transpired. Then the thought railroaded through her mind, "shit," she said placing the fish bowl and food on the kitchen table and grabbing her phone.
"Jordan, it's me Paige," she said.
'What's up? Jordan answered.
"Did Joshua come see you?"
'Joshua...no...what's going on?'
"Well, he just left here and he might be heading your way so I wanted to give you the heads up."
"Shit, I've got to clean...lemme go...thanks."
Jordan hung up and Paige grinned. She spied the bowl. "And what to do with you my fine scaly friend?" she asked the fish. He merely looked
out of the bowl
with his little mouth opening and closing. She folded her legs under her in a chair beside the table and leaned on her arms to
look directly at him. "You need a
name," she said lightly tapping the side of the bowl. The fish wriggled a little pulling its long blue fins behind
it. "I think I'll call you..." she thought
about it for a moment, "Michael." She grinned, "that way, when you die? I won't be sad."____________________________________
Gray stopped by a couple hours later with a Bowflex that Paige whined about until he caved. She didn't want to have to drive to a gym (because she was lazy, she insisted) and convinced him a Bowflex would be perfect for her. Not wanting to disappoint, a fact he had unwisely revealed to her previously, he easily let himself be cowed by her. At least, that's what she told herself. The idea he was playing her only scratched the surface of her thoughts.
Not long after that Joshua arrived yet again carrying some groceries for dinner. Paige, though she barely acknowledged it, actually looked forward to having dinner with him. Well, maybe it was more looking forward to some real food and taking in some well deserved eye candy, which by any standards, he certainly qualified as.
Dinner was, in a word, awesome, as Paige was very impressed by Joshua's cooking ability. She was, however, disappointed to learn he was a Bosox fan (being originally from New England). That ensued in a tremendous debate over who was the better team. Paige wasn't sure, if either, won the debate. It was a lot of drinking and food and baseball before Paige retired to bed and Joshua (haven drank too much) crashed out on her sofa.
The next morning they had breakfast on the balcony and Joshua had to leave for some business or another. Paige hung out at the docks looking for a ride out to the bay with no luck and ended up exploring the shoreline for the next couple days.
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