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

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

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.

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"I like your laugh."

It came out before she even meant to say it and she covered as best she could by taking the last drink from her glass.

Annie's complement surprised him, and not much could do that anymore. For some reason he wasn't expecting it, probably because no one had ever said that complement directed at him and he was just the slightest bit embarrassed.

"Thank you. I've decided I like your smile."

For a woman who'd grown up being told that her smile was just a little too big, the compliment was unexpected as well, and when she smiled in response, it felt a little awkward and caused her to blush.

Looking down at the table, she responded with her own quiet, "Thank you."

THEN she felt awkward, but not necessarily in a bad way. Thankfully, the waitress came by to ask if they needed another round.

Webb answered with a 'yes' before Annie could have a second thought. He enjoyed talking to her, and hoped to keep it going for at least one more drink.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"You didn't," she assured him quickly, reaching out and covering his hand with hers, hoping to make sure that he knew that it wasn't his fault. "I've just never been told that before. It was nice."

She pulled her hand back slowly, realizing that she'd been forward, but her fingertips lingered for an extra moment before she dropped them to the glossy black table top.

Clay didn't mind Annie being forward at all. In fact, he reached out to hold her hand, at least until the drinks appeared.

"That's really surprising. You have a very nice smile."

When he slid his hand back into hers, she curled her fingers around his automatically and couldn't resist smiling again.

"It's too big." She didn't say it as a way to fish for more compliments, she just told it like it was. "But I'll smile for you any time."

When the drinks were delivered, she (very reluctantly) let go of his hand.

He shrugged when she said her smile was too big, "I think it's perfect." Clay wasn't doing anything other than telling Annie what he thought was the truth.

When the drinks came, he thanked the waitress and took another sip of his, before switching hands so the one that was holding Annie's was conveniently free.

Annie tried to ignore the flutter that went through her stomach when he said he thought her smile was perfect. It wasn't easy since the evening had suddenly taken a turn for the... romantic?

With his hand free, she settled back in her seat and took his hand again, busying her mouth with her glass.

Clay was going to elect to just sit quietly and enjoy his drink for a few minutes before she'd think he was trying to be creepy or get her in bed after two dates. He didn't want to be thought of as either by Annie.

If he was worried about being thought of as a creeper, he had nothing to be concerned about. Frankly, she thought he was more of a gentleman than anyone else she'd seen over the last few years. She also likely wouldn't have said no.

Either way, she was the first to break the silence. "So. I know you have big plans on Sunday, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing really. I was planning on a quiet day."It was said in a way that said if she had a plan, he wouldn't mind giving up his. "What about you?"

"Me? Nothing. I just got home again, so I was thinking a 'lounge around the house' kind of day was in order." It was said in a way that she'd firmly been planning on inviting herself along on whatever he'd had planned for himself. "Maybe go see a movie if anything good was playing. I hadn't been keeping up."

"I haven't either, but if you see something playing that's interesting..."

He'd go to a movie with Annie, and wouldn't even care what movie it was, as long as Annie was with him.

"I'll definitely give you a call."

She nodded at the same time she gave his hand a squeeze, then pulled her hand away so she could cup her glass. For the briefest of moments, she wondered just what she thought she was doing with a man who had to have been at least a decade older than her - if not more. Higher in the company hierarchy and definitely someone who was definitely out of her socio-economic class.

"I'll be looking forward to it."

If she asked, he'd tell her he's two decades older than her, his position in the company and society didn't matter to him since he'd always found the people who he usually dated very shallow.

She wouldn't ask, for more than one reason. Discussing his money was tacky, discussing his job was classified and asking his age was just rude. Instead, for the moment, she went back to focusing on her drink, comfortable in the silence.

The first thing she was going to do when she got home was figure out what kind of late afternoon matinee was playing the following day and pick a proper time to call him in the morning.

Clay made small talk with Annie until their second drinks were finished. He signaled the waitress for the check and was surprised that they managed to keep the conversation going as long as they had and kept it as interesting as they had. He supposed the surprise came from their age difference, but Annie was engaging and intelligent.

After he paid, he smiled and asked, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," she said, slipping out of her chair and standing easily. Lifting her purse, she tilted her head and headed for the door, stopping once they were outside. Pulling her coat around her tightly, she said, "Thank you for inviting me out. It was really nice."

"You're welcome, though I think the thanks goes both ways. I had a good time too."

With that, he opened the door to his car for Annie to get in before going around his side to drive her back to her apartment.

It was a good thing that she'd said thank you when she did because the entire car ride back to her apartment was spent contemplating how she was going to keep her goodbye to a simple goodnight kiss.

Thankfully, the decade (or so) he had on her meant that he had good manners. Plus, all that polite gentlemanly upbringing, right? She knew he'd walk her to her door, but once there, she paused.

Little did Annie know that he was having the same internal debate. When she paused before going into her apartment, he took it as a sign for that goodnight kiss and did just that.

Oh, thank God, was the thought that went through her head and she probably made it a little too intimate when she cupped his face, but she couldn't resist. Gentle, sweet and tender, Annie felt it all the way to her toes and when she pulled back, he probably caught the tiniest bit of a dreamy expression on her face before she tucked it away.

"'Night."

Clay just smiled, "Goodnight, Annie."

He caught her expression and was sure he had one very similar. Then he turned and headed back to his car, fully expecting to hear from her in the morning.

It was a good thing that he couldn't see inside her apartment because once the door was shut and locked, she did a little happy dance of glee before even taking off her shoes. That dreamy expression was back in full force and it took a long time for her to fall asleep, but once she did, she had dreams she couldn't remember when she woke up.

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fakes-death.livejournal.com - 2012-02-25 17:53 (UTC) - Expand

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