Comments welcome at jb7811@bellsouth.net
Disclaimers: Haddock, Barna-Alper, Alliance Atlantis and the CBC own these characters. I'm just showing my appreciation... by making them do new things. Blame it on the reruns. Mild spoilers for most of Season 2 up to and including episode 10.
Notes for the lucky few who actually watch this show: I'm working on the assumption that at least a few months passed between A Cinderella Story and Blues in A-Minor, and that several weeks passed between Blues and ep. 10. I base this on nothing more than that it suits my purposes and my vision of Bobby. That and every day in Vancouver looks the same to me so I've given up trying to judge the passage of time and seasons.
Big thanks & hugs to a whole plethora of beta readers, who put a whole lot of time and effort into trying to make this better--Nicole & Mouse, as always, and the ladies of the Craft. Whether any of us succeeded is up to the reader. ;-)
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Dominic Da Vinci sat across the table from Bobby Marlowe at the Two Jays Cafe ostensibly looking at the front page of his neatly folded newspaper. He was, in fact, watching from the corner of his eye as his friend fiddled with his coffee cup. Bobby took a sip of coffee then set the cup down, picked up the spoon as if to stir then put it down again. He took another drink of coffee before finally saying, "So, your assistant..."
"Helen?" Dominic cast a casual glance over the top of his glasses, and waited.
"Yeah, Helen..." Bobby looked away as if determined to out-casual Dominic. "Do you know if she's seeing anyone?"
"I wouldn't know," Dominic said disinterestedly. He flipped the paper over and said, "Well, look at that. I guess they're going to get that trade agreement worked out soon. It's about damned time. And the Queen might be coming for a visit next month. That'll screw up traffic, won't it?"
After a few more moments of Bobby's fidgeting, Dominic decided to take pity on his frustrated friend. "She was giving you the eye the other day when you came to my office."
"Who, the Queen? Oh yeah, Helen. Think she'd forgive me for ruining her childhood if I took her out for dinner or something? I didn't mean to upset her with that Lewis Carroll remark... really."
"I know that and so does she." Dominic laid his paper aside and gave his friend an encouraging smile. "Look, you can give it a try. Just don't break her heart because then I'll have to hear all about it--ad nauseam."
"Maybe she'll break my heart." Bobby looked as if the idea didn't particularly bother him too much, as if he was used to heartbreak in some form or another. "You don't mind?"
"That's probably more likely and, no, I don't mind. Go for it. She's a nice girl. You could certainly do worse." Dominic looked over Bobby's shoulder at the man approaching and said, "Like this guy here."
"Hey, Dominic...Bobby, how you doin'?" Mick Leary shook hands with the other cop, and asked, "Mind if I join you?"
"Actually, I was just about to go anyway." Bobby gave Dominic a serious look and said, "Thanks...for everything."
"Any time, man. Good luck." Dominic motioned for Mick to sit down while he watched Bobby pay his bill and leave the cafe.
"I hope I didn't run him off," Mick commented, nodding at the waitress who brought him a cup of coffee and the pot to refill Dominic's cup. He gave her his breakfast order, then settled back in his seat.
"Nah, he just had someplace else to be." Dominic took a sip of hot coffee, then set it down with a questioning look. "Was there something in particular you needed to talk to me about?"
The detective glanced away and said, "No, not in particular." He took a tentative sip of his coffee then met Dominic's gaze for a long moment. "You look rough. Late night?"
Dominic nodded, but inside he was cursing the drinks he'd had with Shannon at the cop bar the night before. The ibuprofen had barely touched his headache, and the Tagamet he'd taken was the only thing keeping the coffee from burning a hole through his gut. Even two tall glasses of water first thing this morning hadn't helped that dehydrated feeling that used to be such a constant companion upon waking that he'd hardly noticed it. He was certainly noticing it now, and remembering with painful clarity why he didn't drink much anymore.
"So I heard you got the guy to tell you where his wife's body was buried."
"Yeah. You've worked undercover, right?"
Dominic looked closely at Mick. The younger man seemed to be working something over in his mind, but unsure how to start. "Sure, I've gone undercover. Been a long time."
After a long moment, Mick started talking, almost as if in the middle of his train of thought. "There we were in his home... I'm drinking his liquor and he's *cooking* for me. We're talking and commiserating and all that shit, and I'm starting to kind of like the guy, you know? I know what a murdering scumbag he is, but I just can't help it. I'm playing the role, right?"
Mick paused and Dominic nodded for him to continue.
"And then he starts telling me how I can get rid of my ex-wife. Just do what he did but don't make the same mistake..." Mick looked away and rubbed his hand over his mouth, then looked back at Dominic. "I thought I'd feel guilty having to arrest him, but I didn't. I felt a lot of other things... mostly relieved, I guess."
"Understandable. The woman will get a proper burial, and he'll go to prison where he belongs."
"That was part of it. I guess I was also relieved that I never actually felt that strongly about my ex. Kim's not the easiest person to get along with, but I couldn't imagine *killing* her."
"I hear that," Dominic said with alacrity, thinking of his own ex-wife Patricia. "Oh boy, do I hear it."
Mick grinned, having had his own run-ins with the ex-Mrs. Da Vinci in the course of his work, but then he sobered once more. "Another thing... I was getting some *other* vibes from this guy. Do you know what I mean? The kind that made me want to run home to Sunny as fast as I could?"
For a moment Dominic had no idea what Mick was talking about, but then something clicked and he smiled. "That's never happened with a suspect before?"
"No...not this kind of suspect."
"A gambler?" Dominic asked innocently, having more fun than he could have possibly expected to this morning.
"No, not a *gambler*, for--" Mick broke off abruptly and sighed. "You *know* what I mean."
"How old are you again?" Dominic took one last sip from his nearly empty cup, and said, "It's no big deal, Mick. It was probably bound to happen sometime. It happens to everybody, yadda yadda. Don't worry about it. Take Sunny out someplace nice, and forget about it."
"We...uh, haven't really been seeing each other all that much lately. Between work and her finding out Kim was back in town..." Mick shook his head, then cocked a brow at Dominic. "What about you? Seeing anybody?"
Thinking about several mutually satisfying nights he'd spent with Bobby recently, Dominic blinked. Since such nights may now very well be a thing of the past, he said, "Not at the moment."
"Would you...do you ever think about getting back together with your wife?"
Dominic thought about it for a moment. A random memory of a disheveled Bobby slouched on his sofa flitted through his mind, juxtaposed with one of the last big fights he'd had with Patricia. "No." Even if his and Bobby's friendship appeared to be moving on to a different stage... "Being alone isn't so bad as all that. Why? Thinking of giving it another try?"
"No, I was just...just wondering. That's all." Mick glanced at Dominic out of the corner of his eye and said, "You ever...get those vibes from a guy? Like you know something would happen if you let it?"
Dominic was very unsure how to answer this question, a sensation he was unfamiliar with. Most of his conversations were straightforward, unless he was the one doing the questioning, but this one seemed to be happening on two levels. He wasn't one to shy away from a sensitive subject in theory, but this was getting very personal. Finally, he nodded slowly and answered truthfully, "Yes, I have."
Mick's eyes widened and he started to question. "So...? Did you ever--"
Dominic cut him off by the simple act of standing up. He gathered his stuff together and tossed some money on the table. "I have to go to work now, where Jimmy's gonna give me a hard time about something, Patricia will argue some case just for the hell of it, and Helen will grumble but come through in a pinch. If I can manage not to get an irate call from the mayor, some city council member, or the bloody Prime Minister, I will consider the day a success. Have a good one."
As Dominic walked off, he heard Mick's shell-shocked voice say, "Yeah...uh, you too."
*^*^*^*^
"She shot me down." Bobby announced from the visitor's chair in front of Dominic's desk.
Dominic hung up his coat, set his briefcase down, and then propped one hip on the corner of his desk, where he faced both Bobby and the window overlooking his secretary's workspace. Helen wasn't around anywhere, but he knew she'd probably return at any minute. "What happened?"
"What you thought was interest was actually sympathy. She was real sorry about Gwen." Bobby spoke with no discernable bitterness, but the shade of loss still colored his words.
"I'm sorry, Bobby. I really thought..." He shook his head in genuine regret. Then he nudged Bobby's foot with his own, and said, "Well, you didn't get your heart broke, did you? That's something right there."
"That's true." Bobby stood up and looked over his shoulder at the empty outer office. Moving very close to Dominic, he leaned in and spoke right into his ear. "Since it's your fault I just got rejected, I think you should be the one to comfort me tonight."
"Oh yeah?" His heart beating just a tad faster, Dominic darted a look over Bobby's shoulder to make sure the coast was still clear, then shifted his knee against the inside of Bobby's denim-clad thigh. "Just what did you have in mind?"
Bobby gave him a long look out of half closed eyes. "I think you know."
"My place at six?" Dominic asked, knowing he'd say yes, but half-fearing he wouldn't.
"I'll be there." Bobby turned away and walked out without a backward glance.
Dominic was still sitting there, staring into space, when Helen came in a minute later. "Hey D., the boss wants to see you in his office. He said you'd know what it was about."
Giving himself a focussing shake, Dominic frowned and wondered what he'd done this time. Then he remembered one of those 'we'll discuss this later' conversations he'd had with Jimmy the day before, and figured that 'later' had come sooner than he had hoped it would. "Did you tell him how busy my schedule is today?"
"He said it didn't matter. He wants to talk *now*." She smiled sympathetically and then said, "So...I saw Bob Marlowe leaving. What did he have to say?"
"What a pitiful broken shell of a man he is now. You shameless hussy." Covering his intense satisfaction with the way things had gone--or *not* gone--between Helen and Bobby, Dominic smiled gently. Even as he reassured her, he was thinking that the woman must be crazy to have turned down Bobby in the first place. "Relax, Helen. He'll get over you."
"I know that. I just..." Helen sighed with what looked like amused irritation. "Never mind. Flynn's waiting."
"Yeah, okay, I'm going." Dominic glanced at his watch, silently
cursing the next ten hours into oblivion.
*^*^*^*^
"You don't really want me to substitute for Helen, do you?" Dominic wrapped his arms around Bobby the moment the door closed behind him. "Because I don't have a sweater that tight or a skirt that short."
Bobby tipped his head back, squeezed his eyes tightly shut, and then let out a groan. "Did you have to plant that image in my head? Damn. I've got to get it out somehow."
Dominic didn't say a word. Instead, he fixed his mouth on Bobby's and started working on getting Bobby's clothes off. He was glad for once that Bobby dressed the way he did. There was no tie or excess buttons to deal with-- just jacket, untucked T-shirt, and jeans. He could feel Bobby stepping out of his runners, and stilled his hands on Bobby's belt buckle as it occurred to him that a pile of discarded clothing in the entrance hall wouldn't be setting a good example if Gabriella happened to come home earlier than expected.
Pulling his mouth reluctantly from Bobby's, Dominic said, "We can't do this here."
Bobby blinked at him and then a string of words tumbled out, staccato and quick. "What? Why? Oh, Gabriella. Yeah, you're right. Do you want to go to my place? We can--"
"I just meant--" Dominic shut him up with another kiss, and then drew back. "We should take this into the bedroom. I don't expect her home very soon, but just to be on the safe side..."
Bobby nodded and bent down to pick up his shoes and fallen jacket. "Okay, let's go."
Dominic laughed and followed, calling out, "What's gotten into you anyway?"
"I'm hoping you will," replied Bobby, as he disappeared into the bedroom.
If the kisses hadn't done it, that statement alone would have been enough to get Dominic at least half aroused. He took a deep steadying breath and went into his room where Bobby already had the bedcovers turned down. Dominic started to remove his clothes while watching Bobby do the same. Bobby finished first and came over to give Dominic a hand, but they got so caught up in kissing and groping that they both got tangled in his pants. Bobby stumbled back a step and steadied Dominic as he kicked free of the constriction around his feet.
As soon as Dominic was loose, he looked up into Bobby's eyes and started snickering. They were standing naked in the middle of his bedroom so anxious to have sex that they'd lost all coordination. For two men who were usually in complete control, it struck him funny, in a mildly embarrassed way. "I can't believe we're acting like a couple of teenagers."
Bobby laughed and said, "That would be a nightmare, wouldn't it?"
"I don't know..." Dominic grinned widely and said, "Remember the advantages of being 17? You could do it over and over, and just keep recovering."
"Well, yeah, but we didn't know what the hell we were doing, so...I think I'd choose quality over quantity." Bobby's smile turned warm and amusement fled from his eyes. "Besides, I like who you are now."
Taking him in his arms, Dominic placed his lips on Bobby's cheek next to his ear and whispered, "I feel the same way. Now stop being so damned mushy and get in that bed." He punctuated his words with a flick of his tongue over Bobby's earlobe, and ran his hands down Bobby's back. Gripping Bobby's ass firmly, Dominic slid his erection against Bobby's, closing his eyes at the exquisite sensations scorching him. Bobby was always so warm, his sturdy body radiating a comforting heat that Dominic want to wrap around himself. It still wasn't nearly enough, and from the way Bobby squirmed against him, he must not have thought so either.
On the bed, Bobby tried to take the lead, kissing and caressing Dominic all over, then pulling back with a sly half-smile, sensual mischief lighting eyes that were all too often solemn and sad. Unable to stand the teasing, he snatched control away from Bobby by flipping him over onto his back.
Straddling Bobby's hips, Dominic held his lover's wrists in a loose grip and lowered his body over Bobby's. He brushed his chest hair lightly over Bobby's nipples as their cocks bumped together, sending little jolts of pleasure through them both. Feeling oddly conflicted between his need to emphasize his masculinity and his desire for tenderness, Dominic tried to remember that this was all about Bobby, about *keeping* Bobby. So he did the things that he knew his friend loved best, like rubbing his open mouth along Bobby's jaw, the stubble prickly sharp on his tongue as he licked his way down Bobby's throat. Nibbling a line of kisses across Bobby's collarbone, he dipped his tongue into the hollow there, lapping at the smoky, sweat-dampened skin until Bobby moaned and arched his neck as if trying to get closer.
Lifting his head, Dominic kissed Bobby hard on the lips, parting them to thrust his tongue against the sharp edges of his teeth. Then he pulled back to grin triumphantly down into Bobby's slightly dazed face. "Now, what was it that you said you wanted?"
Bobby licked his kiss-swollen lips and murmured halting words of need. "I wanted...you...inside me."
Moving his whole body down over Bobby's, Dominic thrust his cock into the hot narrow space between Bobby's barely spread thighs, and asked, "Are you absolutely sure?"
Bobby's legs closed spasmodically, wringing a delighted gasp from Dominic, and then opened wide, hips shifting and offering. Offering everything, Dominic realized, but he got the words he wanted anyway. "Yes, I really want it...want you. Sometime this year would be good."
Dominic nodded and attacked Bobby's mouth, thrusting his tongue inside in a parody of what he wanted--planned--to do with his cock in just a moment or two. Savoring the way Bobby kissed him back as if his life depended on it, Dominic reached blindly for the items he'd left on the nightstand. Thanks to the flip top, the lube presented no problem, so he worked his fingers inside Bobby, getting them both reacquainted with sensations long forsaken in favor of other positions. It had been years since Bobby had given up this kind of control--physically anyway. He'd given Dominic some pretty powerful emotional control when he needed it, needed someone to lessen the pain in the most elemental way possible. Dominic felt incredibly blessed that Bobby trusted him enough to let go like that.
Dominic had to stop kissing Bobby to get the condom wrapper open. He moaned deep in his throat when Bobby took it out of his hands, rolling it down Dominic's cock with practiced ease. Bobby wasn't just *letting* him do this-- he was actively leading the way to his own fucking. The realization nearly sent Dominic over the edge right then, but Bobby must have noticed how close he was, because the younger man squeezed in just the right place to enable and encourage Dominic to hold on a few more minutes.
Taking a deep calming breath, Dominic bit gently at a nipple then sucked it hard between his lips, rolling the nub between his teeth. He delighted in treating Bobby as his personal chew toy, nipping across his chest, gnawing at his collar bone again then sinking his teeth lightly into Bobby's neck while firmly stroking his hand down the length of Bobby's neglected cock. When Bobby nearly came up off the bed, Dominic stroked his chest, gentling him back into the sheets, murmuring nonsense words of comfort.
While he still had the will to do so, he asked in a near whisper, "Back or stomach?"
"Back." Bobby caught Dominic's mouth in a kiss and lifted his knees around Dominic's hips, getting into a more open position. "I want to watch."
"Oh yeah? Okay, then..." Dominic might have intended to say something else, but his mind went completely blank the moment he pushed inside Bobby. He hadn't exactly forgotten what this was like, but he definitely hadn't remembered this intensity. Everything suddenly felt...more. Bobby's skin was hotter, the sheets felt softer, his own heart pumped harder, the very air in the room was charged with electric anticipation--like just before a lightning strike. All that was missing was the smell of ozone and the sound of thunder. Instead there was Bobby's breathy grunting moans and the sharp musky scent of sex.
With a muttered curse, Dominic thrust harder and faster into Bobby's tight body, angling to hit where it would feel best. He was so totally focussed on where he was going he almost forgot to take Bobby with him. With a little jolt of guilt, he propped himself up on one arm so he could touch Bobby, take his hot cock in his hand and give it a squeeze, a stroke, a twist, anything to get Bobby to make that helpless sound of need that Dominic loved so much. He hungered for it, and when it came, so did he, with a convulsive grip on Bobby's cock that brought him arching off the bed again. Completely forgetting his earlier conviction that this was all for Bobby, Dominic hardly noticed when his lover came because all his attention focussed inward to the waves of pleasure pounding inside him, waves that felt too big to be contained by his body. His head fell onto Bobby's shoulder as he absorbed the orgasmic shock waves. Bobby's wet skin against his open mouth was a hot salty tang, but it sure *felt* sweet...or maybe it was the gratifying knowledge that Helen could never do *that*.
When he could find his voice again, Dominic murmured, "Wow...that was..."
"Yeah, it was." Bobby patted Dominic on the back briefly, but his hand slid off the sweat-slicked plane as if there was just not enough energy left to keep it up there. Bobby lay limp and breathing raggedly as Dominic moved away to take care of the clean up, which mostly consisted of tossing the condom in the nearby trash can and swiping a corner of the sheet over the messier parts. By the time Dominic slumped back onto the pillows, Bobby's eyes were closed and his breathing had evened out. He spoke without opening his eyes. "I'm completely wiped out. Can't even get up for a smoke."
From the depths of his own boneless relaxation, Dominic replied, "I'm not getting it for you. I don't think I can move yet."
"Mmm, 's all right." Bobby yawned suddenly and then said, "I may have to take a nap before I go home."
"You can stay." Dominic threw out the offer casually, not expecting Bobby to take him up on it after the last time, but wishing he would.
"Nah, it's...too awkward." Bobby cracked one eye open and turned his head toward Dominic. "You could come over to my place--this weekend, maybe--and stay the night. I'll cook for you again, and maybe this time we'll eat while it's still fresh."
Dominic smiled and felt a half-hearted twitch in his recently depleted nether regions as he remembered why their dinner at Bobby's had to be reheated. "We'll see. Speaking of dinner, you hungry? How about I call for takeout?"
"Sure." Bobby yawned again and snuggled his head deeper into the pillow. "My wallet's in my pants. Help yourself and wake me up when it gets here..." The last few words trailed off in a barely audible mumble.
Dominic leaned up on his elbow and stared at Bobby. The man appeared to be asleep already. Feeling rather tired himself, Dominic sighed and wondered where their stamina had gone. Maybe they were getting old. He visually traced the fine lines around Bobby's eyes, the forehead worry lines that didn't go away in sleep anymore, the creases in his cheeks that would be dimples in a less rugged face. Most of Bobby's existence was mapped on his face, and Dominic knew the same could be said of him. After careful consideration, he decided that it really wasn't a bad thing, getting older. It was certainly better than the alternative. Dominic smiled as he remembered Bobby's remark about quality over quantity. He had a good point there.
Reluctantly leaving his friend alone in the bed, Dominic went to order their dinner. He'd have time to shower and dress before it came, and with any luck, he and Bobby could be innocently eating supper by the time Gabriella got home.
*^*^*^*^
Leaning over Bobby's shoulder to pour another glass of iced tea, Dominic sniffed and asked, "Chicken smells good. How is it?"
"It's good." Bobby held out a forkful, and Dominic took it, chewing thoughtfully as he returned to his own seat.
"It's okay, but it needs more salt."
"No, it doesn't." Bobby shook his head and pointed his empty fork at Dominic. "You know, I'm surprised that you don't have salt lick in your kitchen. That's what you need, a big block of salt on the counter where you can walk by and drag your tongue across it. That ought to get you all the sodium you want."
"I'm not that bad." With a laugh, Dominic picked at the food on his plate and watched Bobby. He noticed that he did that a lot lately, watching Bobby, and he was getting oddly comfortable with it.
"Yeah, you are, but if you're happy, who am I to complain?" Bobby flashed him a grin and returned to his dinner.
After another moment of companionable silence, Dominic pushed his plate away and finally asked Bobby the question that had been in the back of his mind all day. "So were you serious about this thing with Helen?"
"What thing with Helen?" replied Bobby with a guarded look in his eyes. He took a long drink of his tea and then set the glass down, folding his paper napkin precisely next to his plate. "There's no 'thing' with Helen."
"You know what I mean." Now that he'd started this, Dominic wasn't sure where he was going to take it. If this were an investigation or an inquest or even an interrogation, he'd know his moves perfectly. But in personal matters...he was flying as blind as the next guy. And since the next guy happened to be Bobby-the-Avoidance-King, he knew he was in trouble.
Bobby shrugged. "You said yourself that she's a nice girl."
"Is that it? That she's a girl?" Dominic hoped that didn't sound like envy, because he refused to be jealous over a girl not all that much older than his daughter. That would be pathetic, so he told himself it was just Bobby's needs that concerned him. He *almost* believed it.
"Well, Dominic, that *is* kinda hard to miss." Bobby was laughing at him--not outwardly, but Dominic could see it in his eyes.
Dropping the Helen angle for the moment, Dominic asked casually, "We've been having a pretty good time lately, yeah?"
"Sure, and I hope we will again." The fingers of Bobby's right hand were folding the edge of his napkin over and over, first one way and then another. The repetitious, unthinking movement was the only sign that there might be some nervousness lurking under his amusement.
"So why are you looking for someone to date?" Sitting back in his chair, Dominic watched with some amusement of his own as Bobby's eyes narrowed in what could have been confusion or calculation. For some reason, Dominic was betting it was the former.
"Why not? Do you think it's too soon after Gwen...?" Bobby shoved his plate away and started patting his pockets until he found his lighter and a cigarette. His hand was steady as he put the cigarette between his lips, but it took him two tries to get the flame on the lighter. "It's been--"
"I know, Bobby, I know." Dominic stood up and got an ashtray from a side table. As he put it down, he touched the back of Bobby's hand, soothing the fingers twitching spasmodically against the tabletop before he withdrew. "I'm not talking about Gwen. I'm talking about you and me."
"What...uh...hmm." Bobby turned his head slightly to blow out a stream of smoke and then gave Dominic a sideways glance through the rapidly dissipating haze. With a jerk of his shoulders too quick to be called a shrug, he said, "I don't know. What do you want from me?"
"Nothing." The word popped out of his mouth even though Dominic knew it wasn't entirely accurate. "It's just that... we've never both been free at the same time, so this time together has been different than the other times."
Bobby snorted under his breath. "That's a lot of 'time', isn't it?"
"Yeah, I guess it is." Dominic frowned thoughtfully. "You know, just this morning, I was telling Mick that being alone is really not so terrible, certainly preferable to being in a bad marriage. But the last several weeks--even though I only saw you sporadically and half of that was work related--I haven't felt like I was alone."
When Bobby just stared at him in impenetrable silence, Dominic wondered if maybe he'd made a mistake. Just when the tension was making his stomach hurt, Bobby looked away and broke the silence.
"You were always married...before. I usually had a girlfriend...or two." With a wry half-smile, Bobby rubbed his fingers over his temple as if fighting off a headache, glancing around his hand to make eye contact once more. "This--" He motioned at the two of them with his other hand. "This was never an option. Hell, I'm not even sure what this *is*. It's not quite what it used to be."
"You know what, Bobby? If anything, it should be a lot easier now. There's no sneaking around because the women wouldn't understand. It can--"
Bobby cut him off with a gesture and said gently, "But I like having a woman, even if I have to get some things from you or some other guy. It just...that's just how it's always worked."
"For me too," Dominic reminded his friend. He looked Bobby intently in the eyes. "Look, I'm not asking for or suggesting a damn thing here, okay? I'm just saying this unique situation we find ourselves in at this particular time bears some thinking about."
Bobby opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again when a key rattled in the front door lock. He looked at the door and then back at Dominic, as Gabriella came in with a friendly-reserved greeting. When the girl went to the refrigerator for a pop, Bobby leaned across the table and said quickly, "Saturday night, my place, come early and be prepared to stay the night." Then he stood up and tucked his cigarettes and lighter into his shirt pocket while saying in a more normal tone, "Well, it's getting late and I should be going. Gotta be at work early tomorrow."
"Yeah, okay..." Dominic stood and started to gather the dishes together, wishing he could walk Bobby to the door for a goodnight kiss...or three. He just couldn't do it with his daughter standing there smirking at him.
When Bobby had his jacket on, he stood by the door, staring across the room at Dominic. "So I'll see you this weekend, right?" He waited for Dominic's nod of assent and then said, "Well, good night, Dominic, Gabriella." And then he was gone.
"Gosh, Dad, you didn't even kiss him good night. What kind of boyfriend are you?" Laughing, Gabriella grabbed up her backpack and soda bottle and headed for her room.
"I am *not*-- Oh, never mind." Dominic knew when he was licked, figuratively speaking, although the thought did get him moving quickly out the door and down the hallway. He caught Bobby just as he was about to step into the elevator. He pushed him inside and then hit the 'close door' button.
"I forgot to give you a proper goodbye." Dominic pressed a soft kiss to Bobby's cheek.
"That's not it," whispered Bobby, capturing Dominic's lips, reaching out to draw him close to his chest. As he sucked the breath right out of Dominic, conquering his mouth with hot licks and gentle nips, Bobby ran his hands down Dominic's back and gave his ass a teasing pat...or three.
Finally, Dominic pulled away and leaned against the wall, trying to get his body under control before he went back to his apartment. The sexy half smile Bobby was giving him didn't help at all. He slapped at the 'open door' button and backed out of the elevator. "I'll definitely see you on Saturday."
"Mmm hmm, sweet dreams, Dominic." Then the doors slid closed,
and Dominic knew that he'd probably have some pretty vivid dreams based
on the last two minutes alone, never mind the rest of the evening.
'Sweet' was another matter altogether.
The End.