Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
Disclaimer: Lies! It’s all lies!
Chapter Three: Gypsy Dance Part 2
“So where, exactly, are you sending us?” Cat asked as they were escorted to the airport by a dozen federal agents.
“Las Vegas.” Angel replied shortly.
“What? Why would he be safer in Vegas?”
“The hotel-casinos all keep a couple apartment suites set aside for the ‘whales’, the high rollers if you will. We recently concluded an investigation on one of those high rollers, in which we had one of those suites set up for surveillance. It’s still wired up, so we can keep an eye on everything that happens inside and outside of the suite via video monitors. Any suspicious people will be checked out and we’ll have record of them on tape.” Angel explained.
“So we get to live like prisoners, having everything we do watched over, because someone has decided they want to hurt Bono?” Larry asked, clearly less than impressed with the situation.
“You’ll be watched by responsible security agents, no different than usual. We’ll have people posted in the hallways and to escort any of you if you decide to leave.” She informed him.
“How long?” Larry asked.
“We don’t know yet. There’s a chance this will all be over with before you even get off the plane.” She told them with a sigh that betrayed her doubt. “We have people searching the entire area of the hotel, inside and out. They may well catch him cold.”
“Why do you think he was still there?”
“For one thing, he was the one to pull the fire alarm. Secondly because at three a.m. there was no bomb. Less than twenty three minutes later, the fire alarm was triggered to get him out of bed and raise the likelihood he would trip over the wire.”
“How do you know there was no bomb at three?”
“Because I went into the room at three and I would’ve noticed it from the outside.” She replied, her serious tone daring anyone to ask her what she was doing going into his room at three a.m.
“He was lurking in the hallway or somewhere when we were out there, wasn’t he? While we were at the vending machines? Watching us?” Bono asked her, his beautiful blue eyes dark with concern.
“It’s not unlikely.” She agreed. The group fell silent as they tried to comprehend everything that had happened so fast. They had been allowed to go back in and retrieve their personal belongings once the bomb had been neutralized, and now they collected their bags from the trunks of the cars they had been driven to the airport in, hurrying to board the airplane bound for Vegas.
“Where are your bags?” Bono asked as they started toward the gate and he saw Angel was empty handed. She shook her head and frowned at him.
“I’ve been asked to report to Quantico. I’ll either be suspended or reassigned. Either way, I’m off the case.” She told him quietly.
“Why?” He demanded, stopping in his tracks and nearly causing several people to run into him.
“Because it was inappropriate for me to be with you in your room at three thirty in the morning.” She told him, repeating word for word what she had been told.
“Bollocks! You weren’t doing anything wrong!” He started to object but Angel chuckled slightly at him and shook her head.
“Yes, I was. Agents can’t get involved with the people they are protecting. It’s for the victims sake, so we don’t abuse our authority.” She informed him. “And I don’t know about you, but I thought we were getting pretty… involved when the fire alarm went off.”
“But you weren’t abusing your authority, that’s bloody ridiculous!” He argued.
“Standing here and arguing isn’t going to change a damned thing, Bono. You need to go, get somewhere safe.” She told him, feeling a bit like someone had stuck their hand into her chest and was squeezing her heart.
“When will I see you again?” He asked, standing closer now, making her want desperately to fall into his arms and be wrapped up in him. To breath in deep and be filled by his scent. To hear his heart beating, feel his warmth seep into her. That was a luxury she could not allow herself, though.
“I don’t know.” She told him honestly. “Maybe, if there’s ever a trial, we’ll both be there.”
“That’s not good enough. I want to see you again.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible. Both of us have demanding jobs that involve constant travel, our worlds don’t really cross over often.” She told him, trying hard to keep her eyes dry. His eyes grew distant as the reality of their situation sank in to him. She was right, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
“I’ve just found you.” He told her gently, stroking her cheek with one hand. “I’m not ready to say goodbye.” He pulled her into an embrace, his stubbled cheek rubbing against her soft face.
“You don’t even know me.” She told him, her resolve weakening by the moment.
“I don’t know everything, but I know enough. I know I want to know more.” He said, leaning back to look down at her with those incredible blue eyes. She was torn apart inside. She had been drawn to him since the moment they met, but kept herself removed by convincing herself he would never feel anything for her. Now, in the course of just a few hours everything had changed.
If she were living in her perfect world, she wouldn’t spend a moment away from him. It felt strangely safe, when he was close. Quite ironic, since she was supposed to be the one protecting him. She never knew what to expect from him, except that he would not hurt her. That was a special kind of safety.
“I don’t even know where I’ll be working. They could send me back to New York or a completely different post. If I go undercover…” she couldn’t even finish her sentence. Her head was telling her something her heart did not want to hear.
“It could have been worse. It’s easier to say goodbye at the beginning, than after making a lot of memories with someone. I’m glad that I got to know you, for awhile.” She told him.
“This isn’t goodbye. You’ll see me again. I’ll find a way.” He told her in a whisper, kissing her deeply, not caring in the least that everyone was staring. The new agent watching over him cleared his throat loudly and even nudged Bono’s shoulder to indicate they had to go.
“It’s not goodbye.” He told her again as he turned to go to the plane where everyone was already waiting. She smiled sadly as he was escorted away, toward the plane. He looked back at her over his shoulder to see her wiping a tear off her cheek, knowing realistically, it may very well be the last time he ever saw her.
******************************************************************
“This blows.” Trine said for the seventeenth time in an hour.
“Saying it doesn’t make it any better.” Cat told her. “None of us wants to be here.”
“Whatever your relationship is to the old man, it doesn’t mean you have the right to try and be my mother.” Trine told her sharply.
“First, Adam isn’t old. Second, I would rather pull my fingernails out with a rusty pair of pliers than be mother to a little brat like you.” Cat replied from her seat, where she was picking out a new tune on an acoustic guitar.
“What?” The girl asked, her fierce blue eyes narrowing as she stared at Cat in shock.
“You’ve been with us for five days and haven’t had one civil word to say to anybody.” Cat told her, not even bothering to look up from the guitar. “I know you’re going through a hard time and one hell of a big change, but that doesn’t give you free license to make everyone around you miserable.”
“You don’t know anything about what I’m going through.” The girl grumbled, crossing her arms and slumping in her seat.
“I’ve read the file the social worker wrote up on your history. Adam wanted me to help him understand how to talk to you.” Cat informed the girl. “He is trying, believe it or not. We all are. You just aren’t giving anyone a chance.”
Trine knew Cat was right, but she still didn’t have to like hearing it. She didn’t know what to say next, so she went after what she had noticed was a sensitive spot for Cat and Adam.
“What do you see in him anyway? He’s twice your age.”
“No, he’s not. He’s only a little older. He’s very handsome. And he is by far the coolest man I have ever known.” Cat told the girl. “But of course you wouldn’t see that because you’ve had a chip on your shoulder since you laid eyes on him. He didn’t abandon you, you know. He didn’t know.” She said, looking up from the guitar to make eye contact with the brooding youth seated on the couch across from her.
“That’s not an excuse.” She pouted.
“No, I know. But there is a difference between what happened with Adam and your mother and actually being abandoned.”
“Oh yeah? How’s it different?” The girl argued.
“What Adam did was… irresponsible. And it was very unfortunate. I know it’s a real difficulty, to not have a parent there. My mother abandoned my father and I when I was young. She made the choice to leave us on our own, consequences be damned. That holds a special pain all it’s own.” Cat told her seriously.
“So you didn’t have a mom growing up. So what? I didn’t have a dad or a mom. My mom couldn’t take care of herself, let alone me.” Trine told her, sticking out her chin defiantly.
“Do you really think you want to play this game with me? Ok, my dad was a drunk. I know what it’s like to come home from junior high and have to tuck my father into bed and then clean up the puke and empty bottles before I could have dinner, which I bought, cooked, and cleaned up after on my own, or do homework.”
“I wouldn’t let friends come over, to see the way I lived. Especially if I had been to their house and saw how they lived. They had allowances and chores like ‘do the dishes three times a week’ or maybe a load of laundry here and there. I paid the bills, bought and prepared the food and kept the house from being a rat-hole. So I have an idea where you’re coming from. I learned the hard way that life is only as good as you will let it be.”
“You can sit around and complain and feel sorry for yourself or you can think positive and take steps to make your life better. Becoming more than what you came from is all about attitude.” Cat told her. Trine sat silently staring at her for so long that Cat turned back to her guitar.
“I’m sorry.” Trine said finally, tucking her long hair behind her ear. She looked very young, suddenly, and Cat felt a tug of guilt for being rude. Trine had not had one polite word for anyone since she had arrived in Chicago five days earlier.
“Me too.” She admitted. “We’re all a little stressed out, I guess.”
“How old are you?” Trine asked out of the blue.
“How old do you think I am?” Cat replied with a playful smile. People looked so different through the eyes of childhood, she knew. She half expected the girl to guess she was in her fifties.
“Early thirties?” She guessed after staring at her for a long hard moment.
“Close. Twenty eight.”
“Did you graduate high school?” She asked, finally beginning to open up a little, to show some interest in the people around her. Cat lost her train of thought on the song she’d been working on, but it didn’t matter, in the light of this.
“Yeah. I even went to community college for a couple of terms.”
“Why didn’t you finish?”
“I didn’t think they could teach me anything I really wanted or needed to know.” Cat told her honestly. “I wish I had finished the business courses, at least. It would be very useful to know. How about you, how’s school for you? What grade are you in?”
“I just finished tenth grade.” She told her with a shrug. “I was planning on quitting when I turn sixteen.”
“Even if you don’t have to, now?” Cat asked, trying not to overreact and tell her that was stupid or a bad idea and that she shouldn’t or couldn’t. “I mean, I understand when you need to support yourself, spending so much time in class with a bunch of people who don’t understand seems pretty ridiculous. But now Adam can provide whatever you need.”
“I don’t need him to do that.”
“Maybe you don’t. But you think you missed out on something, not having him around? He missed out on a lot by not being around you, too. You’re a part of him, like it or not. There are things a man feels in his heart he should do for his children. I’d say helping you financially, helping you get an education and have more options for a future is all he has left. So, even though you don’t need it, maybe you can accept it for his sake.” Cat told her, setting aside her guitar and rising from her seat.
“I never thought of it like that.” Trine admitted. It made sense, really. Nothing about this had been what she had expected. Not just the bomb scare and all that, as bad as that had been, but the people she was around were unlike any other adults she’d known.
She had tried all the little things that usually got a reaction out of teachers or foster parents, giving her that little twinge of power. She’d cranked up the volume on the CD player they had gotten for her, and rather than being told to keep it down, they had actually asked her to turn it up. No matter what she listened to, they seemed to like it. Language didn’t work, either. They swore more than she did.
“The feds said the threat has been isolated, whatever that means. Bono is the only one they’re really watching now, so we can go see Las Vegas up close and personal. Do you feel like going shopping or something?” Cat asked suddenly, and Trine looked up, trying not to seem too eager. She shrugged her shoulders and rose slowly to her feet.
“If you want.” She said.
“I’ll go hit your dad up for some cash.” Cat told her with a smile and a wink. Those words were going to take a little getting used to, but it felt good to hear. ~Her dad.~
While Cat was in the other room, Larry came in with a bottle of water in one hand and a bowl of vegetables in the other. He sat in front of the TV and started surfing for something to watch while he snacked. Trine couldn’t help but stare at him, though she kept trying to look away. There was no way in her mind a man who looked like that could be in his forties.
“You want something?” He asked when he couldn’t take her staring at him any longer.
“What?” she asked, blue eyes widening and cheeks flushing red.
“What are you staring at?” He finally asked.
“I’ve never known guys your age with so many earrings.” She told him, trying to sound casual. The truth was she couldn’t help but have a bit of a crush on the man. Cat said Adam was the coolest man she knew? That was impossible, because it was clear in Trine’s eyes that no one could be cooler than Larry. Not that she’d ever do anything about it. *Ewww!* she said to herself at the very thought. If only he were thirty years younger.
“I’m surprised. I would’ve thought whoever drilled your face full of holes would’ve had an earring or two at least.” He told her, and although it was always a little difficult to tell if Larry was joking or serious, she was fairly sure he was being playful.
“I did six of them myself.” She told him proudly. “And they people who I had do this one,” she pointed to the stud under her lower lip, ‘my nose ring, and the upper earrings were all women and nowhere near as old as you.” He scowled at her for that, his eyes washing over her otherwise pretty face thoughtfully.
“Why would ya want ta do that ta yerself, anyway?” He asked her, and she shrugged. Cat came back into the room and gave her the thumbs up signal, then sat down to slip on a pair of shoes.
“This isn’t so bad.” Trine said. “I have more piercings. Wanna see?” She asked, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and beginning to lift it. Larry turned his face away and covered his eyes quickly.
“No! God, gel keep yer clothes on!” He was saying as Cat and Trine both broke out in hysterical laughter at his reaction.
“What’s going on?” Adam asked, ducking his head into the room in time to hear Cat trying to speak through her laughter.
“You --- should’ve se… heh heh heh … seen the look on you face!” she was saying, pointing at Larry, who was now scowling at them.
“Your daughter inherited your exhibitionism.” Larry complained, and Adam frowned at Trine who was doubled over with laughter now, spurred on by Cat’s laughter.
“Oh that was too good…” Cat moaned holding her sides as she tried to stop laughing.
“Do I want to know what happened?” Adam asked Cat.
“I’ll tell you later.” Cat replied, standing. “We’re going to see what damage we can do with your credit card.” She teased, kissing Adam quickly. They turned and headed out the door, letting the Agent at the door know where they were going on the way.
Chapter Three: Gypsy Dance Part 2
“So where, exactly, are you sending us?” Cat asked as they were escorted to the airport by a dozen federal agents.
“Las Vegas.” Angel replied shortly.
“What? Why would he be safer in Vegas?”
“The hotel-casinos all keep a couple apartment suites set aside for the ‘whales’, the high rollers if you will. We recently concluded an investigation on one of those high rollers, in which we had one of those suites set up for surveillance. It’s still wired up, so we can keep an eye on everything that happens inside and outside of the suite via video monitors. Any suspicious people will be checked out and we’ll have record of them on tape.” Angel explained.
“So we get to live like prisoners, having everything we do watched over, because someone has decided they want to hurt Bono?” Larry asked, clearly less than impressed with the situation.
“You’ll be watched by responsible security agents, no different than usual. We’ll have people posted in the hallways and to escort any of you if you decide to leave.” She informed him.
“How long?” Larry asked.
“We don’t know yet. There’s a chance this will all be over with before you even get off the plane.” She told them with a sigh that betrayed her doubt. “We have people searching the entire area of the hotel, inside and out. They may well catch him cold.”
“Why do you think he was still there?”
“For one thing, he was the one to pull the fire alarm. Secondly because at three a.m. there was no bomb. Less than twenty three minutes later, the fire alarm was triggered to get him out of bed and raise the likelihood he would trip over the wire.”
“How do you know there was no bomb at three?”
“Because I went into the room at three and I would’ve noticed it from the outside.” She replied, her serious tone daring anyone to ask her what she was doing going into his room at three a.m.
“He was lurking in the hallway or somewhere when we were out there, wasn’t he? While we were at the vending machines? Watching us?” Bono asked her, his beautiful blue eyes dark with concern.
“It’s not unlikely.” She agreed. The group fell silent as they tried to comprehend everything that had happened so fast. They had been allowed to go back in and retrieve their personal belongings once the bomb had been neutralized, and now they collected their bags from the trunks of the cars they had been driven to the airport in, hurrying to board the airplane bound for Vegas.
“Where are your bags?” Bono asked as they started toward the gate and he saw Angel was empty handed. She shook her head and frowned at him.
“I’ve been asked to report to Quantico. I’ll either be suspended or reassigned. Either way, I’m off the case.” She told him quietly.
“Why?” He demanded, stopping in his tracks and nearly causing several people to run into him.
“Because it was inappropriate for me to be with you in your room at three thirty in the morning.” She told him, repeating word for word what she had been told.
“Bollocks! You weren’t doing anything wrong!” He started to object but Angel chuckled slightly at him and shook her head.
“Yes, I was. Agents can’t get involved with the people they are protecting. It’s for the victims sake, so we don’t abuse our authority.” She informed him. “And I don’t know about you, but I thought we were getting pretty… involved when the fire alarm went off.”
“But you weren’t abusing your authority, that’s bloody ridiculous!” He argued.
“Standing here and arguing isn’t going to change a damned thing, Bono. You need to go, get somewhere safe.” She told him, feeling a bit like someone had stuck their hand into her chest and was squeezing her heart.
“When will I see you again?” He asked, standing closer now, making her want desperately to fall into his arms and be wrapped up in him. To breath in deep and be filled by his scent. To hear his heart beating, feel his warmth seep into her. That was a luxury she could not allow herself, though.
“I don’t know.” She told him honestly. “Maybe, if there’s ever a trial, we’ll both be there.”
“That’s not good enough. I want to see you again.”
“I don’t see how that’s possible. Both of us have demanding jobs that involve constant travel, our worlds don’t really cross over often.” She told him, trying hard to keep her eyes dry. His eyes grew distant as the reality of their situation sank in to him. She was right, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
“I’ve just found you.” He told her gently, stroking her cheek with one hand. “I’m not ready to say goodbye.” He pulled her into an embrace, his stubbled cheek rubbing against her soft face.
“You don’t even know me.” She told him, her resolve weakening by the moment.
“I don’t know everything, but I know enough. I know I want to know more.” He said, leaning back to look down at her with those incredible blue eyes. She was torn apart inside. She had been drawn to him since the moment they met, but kept herself removed by convincing herself he would never feel anything for her. Now, in the course of just a few hours everything had changed.
If she were living in her perfect world, she wouldn’t spend a moment away from him. It felt strangely safe, when he was close. Quite ironic, since she was supposed to be the one protecting him. She never knew what to expect from him, except that he would not hurt her. That was a special kind of safety.
“I don’t even know where I’ll be working. They could send me back to New York or a completely different post. If I go undercover…” she couldn’t even finish her sentence. Her head was telling her something her heart did not want to hear.
“It could have been worse. It’s easier to say goodbye at the beginning, than after making a lot of memories with someone. I’m glad that I got to know you, for awhile.” She told him.
“This isn’t goodbye. You’ll see me again. I’ll find a way.” He told her in a whisper, kissing her deeply, not caring in the least that everyone was staring. The new agent watching over him cleared his throat loudly and even nudged Bono’s shoulder to indicate they had to go.
“It’s not goodbye.” He told her again as he turned to go to the plane where everyone was already waiting. She smiled sadly as he was escorted away, toward the plane. He looked back at her over his shoulder to see her wiping a tear off her cheek, knowing realistically, it may very well be the last time he ever saw her.
******************************************************************
“This blows.” Trine said for the seventeenth time in an hour.
“Saying it doesn’t make it any better.” Cat told her. “None of us wants to be here.”
“Whatever your relationship is to the old man, it doesn’t mean you have the right to try and be my mother.” Trine told her sharply.
“First, Adam isn’t old. Second, I would rather pull my fingernails out with a rusty pair of pliers than be mother to a little brat like you.” Cat replied from her seat, where she was picking out a new tune on an acoustic guitar.
“What?” The girl asked, her fierce blue eyes narrowing as she stared at Cat in shock.
“You’ve been with us for five days and haven’t had one civil word to say to anybody.” Cat told her, not even bothering to look up from the guitar. “I know you’re going through a hard time and one hell of a big change, but that doesn’t give you free license to make everyone around you miserable.”
“You don’t know anything about what I’m going through.” The girl grumbled, crossing her arms and slumping in her seat.
“I’ve read the file the social worker wrote up on your history. Adam wanted me to help him understand how to talk to you.” Cat informed the girl. “He is trying, believe it or not. We all are. You just aren’t giving anyone a chance.”
Trine knew Cat was right, but she still didn’t have to like hearing it. She didn’t know what to say next, so she went after what she had noticed was a sensitive spot for Cat and Adam.
“What do you see in him anyway? He’s twice your age.”
“No, he’s not. He’s only a little older. He’s very handsome. And he is by far the coolest man I have ever known.” Cat told the girl. “But of course you wouldn’t see that because you’ve had a chip on your shoulder since you laid eyes on him. He didn’t abandon you, you know. He didn’t know.” She said, looking up from the guitar to make eye contact with the brooding youth seated on the couch across from her.
“That’s not an excuse.” She pouted.
“No, I know. But there is a difference between what happened with Adam and your mother and actually being abandoned.”
“Oh yeah? How’s it different?” The girl argued.
“What Adam did was… irresponsible. And it was very unfortunate. I know it’s a real difficulty, to not have a parent there. My mother abandoned my father and I when I was young. She made the choice to leave us on our own, consequences be damned. That holds a special pain all it’s own.” Cat told her seriously.
“So you didn’t have a mom growing up. So what? I didn’t have a dad or a mom. My mom couldn’t take care of herself, let alone me.” Trine told her, sticking out her chin defiantly.
“Do you really think you want to play this game with me? Ok, my dad was a drunk. I know what it’s like to come home from junior high and have to tuck my father into bed and then clean up the puke and empty bottles before I could have dinner, which I bought, cooked, and cleaned up after on my own, or do homework.”
“I wouldn’t let friends come over, to see the way I lived. Especially if I had been to their house and saw how they lived. They had allowances and chores like ‘do the dishes three times a week’ or maybe a load of laundry here and there. I paid the bills, bought and prepared the food and kept the house from being a rat-hole. So I have an idea where you’re coming from. I learned the hard way that life is only as good as you will let it be.”
“You can sit around and complain and feel sorry for yourself or you can think positive and take steps to make your life better. Becoming more than what you came from is all about attitude.” Cat told her. Trine sat silently staring at her for so long that Cat turned back to her guitar.
“I’m sorry.” Trine said finally, tucking her long hair behind her ear. She looked very young, suddenly, and Cat felt a tug of guilt for being rude. Trine had not had one polite word for anyone since she had arrived in Chicago five days earlier.
“Me too.” She admitted. “We’re all a little stressed out, I guess.”
“How old are you?” Trine asked out of the blue.
“How old do you think I am?” Cat replied with a playful smile. People looked so different through the eyes of childhood, she knew. She half expected the girl to guess she was in her fifties.
“Early thirties?” She guessed after staring at her for a long hard moment.
“Close. Twenty eight.”
“Did you graduate high school?” She asked, finally beginning to open up a little, to show some interest in the people around her. Cat lost her train of thought on the song she’d been working on, but it didn’t matter, in the light of this.
“Yeah. I even went to community college for a couple of terms.”
“Why didn’t you finish?”
“I didn’t think they could teach me anything I really wanted or needed to know.” Cat told her honestly. “I wish I had finished the business courses, at least. It would be very useful to know. How about you, how’s school for you? What grade are you in?”
“I just finished tenth grade.” She told her with a shrug. “I was planning on quitting when I turn sixteen.”
“Even if you don’t have to, now?” Cat asked, trying not to overreact and tell her that was stupid or a bad idea and that she shouldn’t or couldn’t. “I mean, I understand when you need to support yourself, spending so much time in class with a bunch of people who don’t understand seems pretty ridiculous. But now Adam can provide whatever you need.”
“I don’t need him to do that.”
“Maybe you don’t. But you think you missed out on something, not having him around? He missed out on a lot by not being around you, too. You’re a part of him, like it or not. There are things a man feels in his heart he should do for his children. I’d say helping you financially, helping you get an education and have more options for a future is all he has left. So, even though you don’t need it, maybe you can accept it for his sake.” Cat told her, setting aside her guitar and rising from her seat.
“I never thought of it like that.” Trine admitted. It made sense, really. Nothing about this had been what she had expected. Not just the bomb scare and all that, as bad as that had been, but the people she was around were unlike any other adults she’d known.
She had tried all the little things that usually got a reaction out of teachers or foster parents, giving her that little twinge of power. She’d cranked up the volume on the CD player they had gotten for her, and rather than being told to keep it down, they had actually asked her to turn it up. No matter what she listened to, they seemed to like it. Language didn’t work, either. They swore more than she did.
“The feds said the threat has been isolated, whatever that means. Bono is the only one they’re really watching now, so we can go see Las Vegas up close and personal. Do you feel like going shopping or something?” Cat asked suddenly, and Trine looked up, trying not to seem too eager. She shrugged her shoulders and rose slowly to her feet.
“If you want.” She said.
“I’ll go hit your dad up for some cash.” Cat told her with a smile and a wink. Those words were going to take a little getting used to, but it felt good to hear. ~Her dad.~
While Cat was in the other room, Larry came in with a bottle of water in one hand and a bowl of vegetables in the other. He sat in front of the TV and started surfing for something to watch while he snacked. Trine couldn’t help but stare at him, though she kept trying to look away. There was no way in her mind a man who looked like that could be in his forties.
“You want something?” He asked when he couldn’t take her staring at him any longer.
“What?” she asked, blue eyes widening and cheeks flushing red.
“What are you staring at?” He finally asked.
“I’ve never known guys your age with so many earrings.” She told him, trying to sound casual. The truth was she couldn’t help but have a bit of a crush on the man. Cat said Adam was the coolest man she knew? That was impossible, because it was clear in Trine’s eyes that no one could be cooler than Larry. Not that she’d ever do anything about it. *Ewww!* she said to herself at the very thought. If only he were thirty years younger.
“I’m surprised. I would’ve thought whoever drilled your face full of holes would’ve had an earring or two at least.” He told her, and although it was always a little difficult to tell if Larry was joking or serious, she was fairly sure he was being playful.
“I did six of them myself.” She told him proudly. “And they people who I had do this one,” she pointed to the stud under her lower lip, ‘my nose ring, and the upper earrings were all women and nowhere near as old as you.” He scowled at her for that, his eyes washing over her otherwise pretty face thoughtfully.
“Why would ya want ta do that ta yerself, anyway?” He asked her, and she shrugged. Cat came back into the room and gave her the thumbs up signal, then sat down to slip on a pair of shoes.
“This isn’t so bad.” Trine said. “I have more piercings. Wanna see?” She asked, grabbing the bottom of her shirt and beginning to lift it. Larry turned his face away and covered his eyes quickly.
“No! God, gel keep yer clothes on!” He was saying as Cat and Trine both broke out in hysterical laughter at his reaction.
“What’s going on?” Adam asked, ducking his head into the room in time to hear Cat trying to speak through her laughter.
“You --- should’ve se… heh heh heh … seen the look on you face!” she was saying, pointing at Larry, who was now scowling at them.
“Your daughter inherited your exhibitionism.” Larry complained, and Adam frowned at Trine who was doubled over with laughter now, spurred on by Cat’s laughter.
“Oh that was too good…” Cat moaned holding her sides as she tried to stop laughing.
“Do I want to know what happened?” Adam asked Cat.
“I’ll tell you later.” Cat replied, standing. “We’re going to see what damage we can do with your credit card.” She teased, kissing Adam quickly. They turned and headed out the door, letting the Agent at the door know where they were going on the way.
I love it! More please!!
That was great! I'm glad Cat can get through to Trine at least...sad about Bono and Angel though 
I'm glad you posted more today, i was wondering if you would. 
