[AU] ... from the 'meet at a different time' meme

[freshoffthefarm]

After two years at the Agency, Annie's job hadn't gotten any better (or worse). Sure, it had it's downsides - namely, being shot at (or being shot), but the biggest one had to be the Agency parking lot.

She could never, ever find a parking spot.

Of course, the morning that she'd gotten up early and proceeded to spill coffee on her first outfit, had to jump start her car and then fill a tire with air? She managed to get behind the chatty son-of-a-bitch in the compensation car at the guard shack. She sat there, plotting the ways to key his car without actually getting caught and then he'd moved on.

Smiling at the guys in the shack, she showed her ID, waited until they'd looked under her cars with mirrors, and then picked up the pace on the way to the agent parking lot.

It just wasn't her morning.

The short cut she took through the visitor lot took her right past the spots in front for all the diplomats and the Agency hotshots. She didn't see Mr. Compensation trying to adjust his parking until she'd plowed into his rear bumper.

Comments

[freshoffthefarm]

"Better is a good way to put it. I'm definitely eating better and I've never been so grateful for good coffee in my life."

She took a long drink of the cup that had been set in front of her and then thanked him for it. "Clay, then. I don't want to cross any professional lines."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"As far as I'm concerned, we're not crossing any professional lines. We aren't in the same department normally and I doubt Joan would let her best agent be borrowed by Counter-Intel twice."

He smiled again before taking a sip of his espresso, "I'm glad you're doing better, Annie. Assuming Annie's okay."

[freshoffthefarm]

"You can call me Annie. You drove me home, saw the inside of my apartment and I'm pretty sure you saw me in a towel before I almost fell asleep on you," she ticked off on her fingers before giving him a smirk over her coffee cup.

As far as she was concerned, he needed to smile about things other than work. He gave the impression of someone who worked a lot and probably fell asleep at his desk every now and again. "So, when you're not leaving the office at three in the morning, what do you do, Clay?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I did do all of those things." He wasn't going to make any comment beyond that about seeing her in a towel. Two weeks ago, he was concerned about making sure she made it to bed without a problem.

"Usually I put in long work hours. When I don't I'm usually attending a function in the city, practicing fencing or horseback riding on Sundays. I'm a pretty quiet person in general."

It was a brief description of his leisure time, but it worked for him. "What about you?"

[freshoffthefarm]

"Nothing quite as exciting as fencing or horseback riding. I see my sister and hang out a lot with my nieces. They're six and eight," she explained. "Time to myself is few and far between, but I like to spend it with family or just at home."

She knew about long hours, though hers weren't usually in the office. It said a lot about schedules that they were meeting for coffee at seven at night.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

He probably should have made it drinks, but coffee was the thought when he saw her in that towel so he was sticking to it. At least he was dressed more casually than his suit.

"That sounds nice. I usually go riding on Sundays with my mother." He wasn't quite sure why he told her that, probably because it fit with the discussion of family that presented itself.

[freshoffthefarm]

The thought of the man in front of her carving out time to spend with his mother, especially if it involved something like horseback riding made her smile softly while the mental image rolled itself around in her head.

"With your mom. Horseback riding." She thought about it some more, then nodded while she sipped. "That sounds nice, too. I like it."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

It wasn't the usual reaction he got from women when he mentioned his mother. Usually, he were somewhat repelled by it. He always assumed it was because they figured he had some kind of repressed Oedipus Complex.

"Since I'm not 'traveling' as much as I was, we try to spend some time together."

They'd missed a lot of holidays and family time thanks to The Agency.

[freshoffthefarm]

"That makes sense. That's why I try to spend as much time with my sister as I can."

Not nearly as much as she used to since Danielle had found out what she did for a living and subsequently kicked Annie out, but Saturday mornings were still good for cartoon time.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"It's important."

He didn't know about the strain her relationship with her sister was under since Annie told her she was working for the Agency, but it happened to more operatives than not. Clay was lucky, his mother worked for the NSA, and understood why he had to work for The Company. She may not have liked it, but she understood.

[freshoffthefarm]

"I know."

For a moment, her voice turned nostalgic and melancholy before she smiled brightly at him again and set her cup down. "So, why the after-work meeting? If you wanted to make sure I was fine, we could have done this at eleven o'clock this morning."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I figured it would be easier to talk without everyone in the food court watching."

As far as he could tell, no one knew who it was that hit his car, but if he was talking more to Annie, they'd be able to figure it out.

"That and I wouldn't want to be accused of being brought up in impolite society again."

Was he teasing her? You bet.

[freshoffthefarm]

"That was..." Was she blushing? She ducked her head and ran her fingertip around the rim of her coffee cup. "Rude. I shouldn't have implied that about you or your mom and." She paused again. "I'm sorry."

That day. What a mess.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay just smiled, clearly amused by both her comment back then and her blushing now.

"I've almost forgotten about it." He just couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her just a little.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Almost but not quite enough to let me forget about it six months later," she teased him right back. "Clearly with all the horseback riding you do now, your upbringing couldn't have been all that far outside polite society."

Implying, subtly that he was a snob probably wasn't that much better, but she couldn't resist that, either.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

He just shook his head out of amusement more than anything else. No one ever dared to make fun of his high society upbringing, but he didn't seem to mind that Annie had.

"You're funny."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Funny ha-ha or funny strange?" She tilted her head to look at him, her grin getting wider every time he smiled at her. He had a very nice smile.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Ha-ha right now. I don't know you well enough to deem you strange or not."

Her smile made him smile in return. It was almost automatic.

[freshoffthefarm]

"I'll take it, but I'll give you a heads up," she said, lifting her cup and smiling slyly around it. "I'm strange, too. I think you'd have to be to do what we um," she looked around the shop and leaned forward with a wink. "Do."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"See, you shouldn't have pointed it out. I might not have noticed you were strange since I do the same thing as you." Another smile before he finished his espresso.

[freshoffthefarm]

"It just means you're strange, too." She shrugged and sat back, as if it were no big deal. "I won't hold it against you. I promise."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I guess it does, doesn't it?"

He didn't mind that Annie thought he was strange, since she was right when she said they had to be to do what they do.

"And I won't hold it against you either."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Then I guess we're even," she quipped and lifted her cup to finish it. She couldn't have a second cup of coffee late at night or she'd never sleep, but she looked over her shoulder to contemplate something else. "Did you want another one?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"No, it probably wouldn't be a good idea. I still need to sleep tonight. You?"

[freshoffthefarm]

"Same. I was thinking maybe a hot chocolate, but that might be pushing it, even." She shook her head and gave him a soft smile. "It was nice of you to invite me out to check on me. Next time, coffee's on me."

It didn't even dawn on her that she'd implied it was a date or that there might be another. Neither were her intention.