Topic: Unexpected Invitation

AJ Drake

Date: 2009-05-09 11:32 EST
AJ snuck along the corridor, bare footed on the rich carpet beneath her. She could hear them moving around, she knew they were there. But even as she sped up and flung open the door, she knew she was too late.

"Dammit, I'm never going to catch those girls," she muttered to herself, looking around at the freshly made bed, the open windows and the beautifully arranged cushions scattered over the sheets. She knew without needing to look that the bathroom was sparkling clean, with fresh towels and soaps laid out.

The maids did it to her every morning. No matter how fast she was at getting herself some breakfast, they were in and out before she got back. It was almost like magic. And frankly, it wouldn't surprise her if magic was involved in some way.

A flutter of pale blue caught her eye, and she turned, jaw dropping open as her gaze locked on a beautiful gown hanging up against the door of the closet. A small note flipped about in the breeze from the window, easily tugged from the hanger as AJ reached for it, stepping back towards the bathroom to read the unfamiliar handwriting.

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l102/rosieodel/AJdress.jpg

Stas had snuck into her room while the maids were busy cleaning it and had hung the dress up on the door of her closet. When the maids' chattering silenced, he knew that AJ was coming so he hid in the bathroom. Peeking through a crack in the door, he watched and waited for her response.

The note read, in very scripted writing, "I hope you like the dress. -Stas" He would explain more about the purpose later. He was one that loved the element of surprise.

Hazel eyes went wide once again, and she lifted her head, staring at the dress in amazement. "Geez, that man has a death wish," she thought, laughing a little as she remembered the look on his face when he had seen her only a little dressed up a couple of nights before. When he saw her in that, he was going to have a heart attack.

Slowly he emerged from the bathroom, behind her. Gently his hands came to rest on her shoulders. "Good morning, beautiful." He whispered as he lowered his head to place a soft kiss to her cheek.

She tensed, just a little, as his hands came to rest on her shoulders, but was soon turning to him with a smile. "You want me to wear that?" she asked bluntly, foregoing the good morning in favour of clarifying his intentions. "It's a little dressy for a night at the Inn, don'tcha think?"

Chuckling at her abruptness, Stas looked over at the long silken garment hanging on the back of the closet door. "Of course I want you to wear it. But we're not going to the inn tonight. At least, not at first."

"We're not?" AJ blinked, a slight furrow creasing her brow. Oh, it was too early in the morning for her to be dealing with cryptic stuff. Then she leaned back, hands coming to rest on her hips. "You're being all obtuse on purpose, aren't you?" she accused him lightly. "You know I'm not good in the morning."

"We're not." He chuckled and moved his hands down to her waist and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back into his chest. "I do not know how you are in the morning, afternoon, or evening for that matter." A wicked little grin on his face. "We're going to a charity auction tonight."

A faint blush coloured her cheeks at the sinfully wicked comment falling from his lips as he pulled her close, her hands rising to rest against his shoulders as her own lips quirked in a wry smile. "It's your own fault if you don't," she shot back, not one to pass up an opportunity to tease. "If you weren't being so insistent on doing the right thing, you'd have ample proof of how good I am any time of day, doc."

Giving her a pointed look, he steps away and over towards the window. "Do you like the dress?" Briefly he drew back the curtain to look outside before letting it drop as he turned. "It's for a good cause. The clinic is auctioning off items to help with their legal bills. As part of the medical community I thought I should go and show my support."

"It's beautiful," she murmured, grinning to herself as he stepped away. Then his words sank in. "Wait, you want me to go with you?"

Bringing his hands together in front of himself, he laughed softly. "Of course I want you to go, AJ. You're my girl, right?"

A soft smile touched her face, and she moved over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind to rub her cheek against his shoulder. "Sure I am, doc," she assured him. "And I'd love to go. I'll even behave myself, if you ask really nicely."

When her arms went around him, Stas placed his hands over hers and interlocked their fingers. His head leaned back and twisted to the side so he could rub her cheek with his own. "I wouldn't ask you to be any other way than who you naturally are." A slow smile curled his lips and his eyes closed.

"Mmhmm ....a innocent little girl who plays the brazen hussy to get a rise out of her boyfriend," AJ laughed softly, stroking her thumbs over his and turning her head to kiss his cheek. "Hey, don't you have work today' I thought you were on call this week?"

"I knew it was just an act!" he laughed softly and moved to turn in her arms to place his on her shoulders and rest them there casually. "On call doesn't mean I have to be there. I just wear this beeper and they call me when they need me. And right now, they don't need me." His eyes gained a sultry look and he lowered his head to gently kiss her lips. "So I'm all yours."

Hazel eyes flickered closed, enjoying the gentle kiss as it was offered. "Mmm, don't tempt me," she murmured impishly, grinning up at him. "Making offers like that in my bedroom when I'm not even dressed yet is a sure way to get your right way off on the wrong foot, handsome."

He laughed softly and slowly stepped back, out of her arms. "Then get dressed and we'll go out for a while. I'll wait for you in the living room." He didn't give her a chance to react as he walked to the door and out into the hall.

She blinked as he left the room, and let out a peal of laughter, her eyes lighting on the beautiful dress once more. So, a public event, a charity auction. She lay back against the sheets thoughtfully. Okay, she could do this. It's not like it was any different from home, right' But it was. Here, no one knew who she was, who her parents and brother were.

Not that it mattered. God, she'd probably enjoy herself a lot more than she had at such functions at home, simply because no one knew who she was. No one, that is, except the good doctor whose arm she'd be on, who was heading towards a jaw dropping moment just because he'd seen a dress that was delightfully her and bought it on impulse.

A slow grin curved her lips as she thought of stepping out with Stas in the floaty slink he'd bought for her. Oh, yes, this would be a lot of fun.