[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]

"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.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

That got a grin. He wasn't going to say that their next meeting should be over dinner, or that it would be on him. She was concerned about crossing professional lines and that most certainly would.

"If we decide to make it drinks, it'll be on me."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Drinks?" His comment brought her up short as it wasn't really an offer and he wasn't quite saying yes to coffee. He was offering to pay, though, and that made it a date.

That smile, though. "Drinks might be nice."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Drinks next time then." He hoped this was another step toward dinner, and she was rewarded with yet another smile.

[freshoffthefarm]

It wasn't how she thought the meeting - was it a meeting? Date? Get-together? - was going to end, but she didn't mind. Not at all. She held his gaze for a moment before feeling her cheeks pink again, so she looked at the table while she thought of something to say.

"I should probably--" She motioned over her shoulder, a grin of her own appearing. "You know."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

He nodded again. "I should too. Early meeting tomorrow."

Clay thought this had to be one of the nicest dates he'd had in a long time and he had no one to blame but Annie.

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie stood and smoothed down her jeans as she waited for him to stand, too, then walked toward the door. "I guess the boss's job is never really done. Early to bed, early to rise, et cetera."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay stood and followed Annie to the door, "Something like that, yeah."

He opened the door so she could walk outside first and followed her out. "Drinks next time, closer to you."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Closer to me would be closer to work and I don't think anyone wants that," she said with a light laugh as she approached the Corvette. Stopping next to it, she put a hand on the hood. "This is me."

Definitely a far cry than the Volkswagen she'd hit him with.