AJ and Molly took a walk through his house for a few minutes, all the time holding hands. Molly made funny comments about the freaky furniture, but she fell in love with his house at once. Although it seemed so huge, she had no fear about getting lost in it. She felt comfortable there.
They stood in one of the guest rooms upstairs, when AJ looked outside into the garden. At the same moment that Molly heard the barking of dogs, AJ exclaimed: "What the...?"
"What's up?" Molly asked, stepping to the window where AJ was standing.
He took her hand again and turned to walk out. "Panda and Bear are back home", he answered Molly's question. Wanting to see her reaction, he looked straight into her eyes as he added: "Amanda brought them over. She's down there!"
Molly held his stare, but didn't say a word. She wondered if AJ had wanted that the two girls ever meet. Well, whether or not - the time had come that they would.
Although Molly hardly knew more about Amanda than what she looked like and that AJ described her as him "with boobs, basically", she had always liked her for no apparent reason. She seemed to be a cool girl, good-looking and talented also. Molly's sympathy had went out to her ever since she had first seen Amanda perform with Innosense - which had been weeks before she knew that AJ and Amanda were a couple.
She had always hoped for a chance to meet Amanda some day - but by now the tables had turned. With the change of the situation, Molly's feelings had changed as well. She wasn't sure anymore, if she'd liked to meet the woman AJ had obviously loved very much. Or still did? That was Molly's biggest fear. What if he truly liked Molly, but now that he was back home, back where Amanda was, he would realize that between him and Molly had never been more than a fling?
As they walked downstairs, AJ gently squeezed Molly's hand.
"You haven't talked to her yet, have you?" Molly asked, not in an accusing tone. She simply wanted to know what to expect down there.
AJ shook his head. "No, I didn't get a hold of her yet. But obviously she found out that I'm back home." He stopped and cupped Molly's chin in his right hand. Smiling up at her, he rather stated than asked: "You're not worried 'bout something, are ya?!" Molly just sighed in response and shook her head. "Don't be silly, babe", AJ said, quickly kissing her on the lips. "Come on, I want you to meet someone."
They had just walked through the kitchen door, as the back door opened and two dogs ran up to them, barking like maniacs. AJ immediately bent down happily, running his hands through the dogs' fur, while Panda and Bear, his Shi-Tzu puppies, jumped up and down his legs. Molly would've laughed, had she not been so nervous to meet Amanda, so she only managed to smile at the sight.
One of the dogs ran up to her then, surrounding and sniffling her. "Which one is it?" Molly asked AJ. "Panda or Bear?"
"That's Bear", AJ answered, standing up again.
Just then Amanda walked through the door: "AJ, you're h-" Her happy greeting stopped, as soon as she laid eyes on Molly. She looked at her confused, saying: "Hi!"
"Hi", Molly replied, a small smile on her lips. They stood face-to-face, with a few feet between them, and Molly saw her world crumbling before her eyes. What miracle would AJ make leave a woman like Amanda for someone like her?! She mentally kissed her love-luck good-bye. This dream would be over in a week...
"Hey Manda!" AJ greeted her, walking up to her to hug Amanda. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Molly", he said, motioning towards Molly. "Molls, this is Amanda, as you know."
"Yeah", Molly nodded. "Hi again. Nice to meet you." Both girls stood motionless trying to keep a happy face. But Molly had the uncomfortable feeling that Amanda had a clue about what was going on.
"Nice to meet you, too", Amanda replied, then turned to AJ with a questioning look.
Molly couldn't stand the atmosphere anymore and decided to leave the two, so they could talk, or fight, or...whatever. "Ummm...I'll go call Brian and ask when we'll meet up at his house later, k?"
"Yeah, sure", AJ replied, giving her a look that told her to relax.
Molly turned on her heels and tried not to hurry out the door. A curious Bear followed her, still dancing around her feet. As Molly walked out she could hear Amanda ask: "Should I know who she is?"
"I met her in Minnesota", AJ replied. "She's a very good friend of Brian."
"Is she...just a friend of Brian, or more - to someone else?" she heard Amanda again, now muffled through the closed kitchen door. "I don't see why you would take a friend of Brian home with ya." Molly had to admit Amanda didn't even sound bitchy asking all this, but she had definitely sensed that AJ wasn't just baby-sitting her as a favor for Brian.
"To be honest", AJ began and Molly hurried away from the door, back into AJ's living-room. She didn't want to hear more, nor should she. Whatever AJ wanted her to know later, he would tell her. Hopefully. Molly sat down on his sofa, watched attentively by Bear. She reached out and patted the dog. "Hey, Bear. Nice to meet you!" In response the dog jumped up the sofa and laid down beside her (Author's note: no pun intended, folks! *lol*), ready to be patted some more. Molly did him the favor, telling Bear some non-sense to avoid listening to the now louder voices coming from the kitchen. She couldn't understand what was being said, but it made her nervous anyway. Suddenly the swing-door opened a little and she heard AJ more clearly, saying: "Look, I'm sorry that I didn't-" Molly turned around to find that Panda had left the kitchen also, that's why she had heard AJ so loudly for a moment. Panda strutted through the room, laying down on the floor opposite of the sofa. Molly sighed: "Is your name the reason you don't like me or are you just afraid of strangers?" She shrugged her shoulders, picked up the phone and dialed Brian's number.
"Oh my God, what a wonderful view", Araysa exclaimed, as Nick led her into the living-room of his house. Nick had a small garden with a swimming-pool in it behind his house, but what Araysa had meant was the sight of the beach right before her eyes.
Nick took her hand and asked: "You wanna go down to the beach?"
Araysa nodded happily. "Yeah, let's go."
Nick opened the huge glass doors and they stepped out into the garden. A small path led down to the beach, and when they reached it Nick let himself fall onto the sand and stretched out his arms and legs.
"Finally back home", he muttered.
Araysa smiled down at Nick and sat down next to him. "What? Are you saying you didn't like to come to Minnesota and meet a certain someone?"
Nick laughed a little and sat up. "I loved coming to Minnesota!" His arm went around her waist, as he planted a soft kiss on her cheek.
"And?" Araysa grinned.
"And what?" he asked back.
Araysa could tell that he truly didn't know what she wanted to hear, which made her laugh. She had realized before that he had his blonde moments, that was for sure. "You loved coming to Minnesota AND...?" she asked again, waiting for him to finish the sentence.
"Oh", Nick chuckled, as he understood. "And I'm very happy about meeting a certain someone there. But even better is that I took this someone home with me."
"Mr. Carter, I'm impressed", Araysa joked. "That self-devised, creative ending gets you a couple of points. I think you just earned yourself a kiss!" She leaned in to him, but before her lips met his she stopped and asked: "Is it ok if I kiss you here? I mean, in public?"
"Private beach", Nick whispered and closed his eyes again, waiting for the kiss Araysa had promised him. He didn't have to wait too long.
After Molly had hung up the phone with Brian, she waited another ten minutes until no voices came from the kitchen anymore. It wasn't long until AJ joined her then. He picked up Bear and sat down on the dog's place next to Molly with Bear on his lap. Molly noticed that he looked slightly stressed, but she fought the urge to ask how it went.
"Umm, Amanda left", AJ said, running a finger over the bridge of his nose up to his forehead, then back again in a slow motion.
Molly managed a smile. "I figured that much. I've talked to Brian, by the way. Howie invited all of us to dinner tonight at his house. He says he'll be cooking one of his specials, whatever that means."
"Howie's specials means something hot", AJ explained with a short laugh. Then he turned to Molly and asked: "Don't you wanna know what happened?"
"I think what happened is that you told her why I'm here and who I am, other than Brian's friend. If there's anything else you think I should know, I'm hoping you will tell me without me having to ask", she stated carefully.
AJ groaned exasperated. "Molly, I hate it when you're like this."
"You hate what?" she asked defensively.
"When you're trying to act all ok with something, but I know you're not. Just tell me what the fuck you think, 'cause that's what I want to know."
Molly was taken aback at this. She hadn't realized that he could read her so well already. "Damn, I've been told I was a good actress", she muttered. She sighed, then answered AJ: "I just act like that sometimes, because...I'm not very experienced in this whole relationship thing. I don't wanna be pushy or demanding, or...I don't know."
"First of all", AJ spoke up, leaning a little closer and looking into her eyes, "I like dominant women. I like my freedom, don't get me wrong, but I know you've got a head on your shoulders you love to use, so do it. Think that little incident from before, ya know...throwing stuff at me." Molly cast him an apologetic look for that, but AJ just smiled. "If you're in the mood to bitch me then do it, but please don't think I won't be bitching back. If we treat each other like raw eggs this isn't gonna work for me. Second, I believe that even though we've only met and we're falling hard for each other" - he grinned at that and wiggled his eye-brows - "we're friends as well. Treat me like one."
Molly nodded her head. "Ok." She took a deep breath. "I'm worried."
"About what?" AJ asked.
"About the possible chance that seeing Amanda again might remind you of what you had. And wanting that back."
AJ nodded. "I've seen Amanda, and yes, it did remind me of what she and I had. But that didn't make me forget that you were sitting right next door waiting for me, and that right next door was where I wanted to be."
"What if I hadn't been sitting right next door?"
"I still wouldn't have forgotten that I made a decision, and so far nothing made me regret it. Any more questions?"
"Why are you so good with words, damnit?"
AJ simply answered that with a laugh. Molly just smiled a half smile at that. "Come 'ere", he then said and grinned, when Molly immediately straddled him. "You know", he said, "it's time we stop being friends and go back to being lovers again."
"Sounds good to me", Molly grinned and lowered her head to his. "Since you're so good with words, I'll go back to what I'm good with", she added, then clicked her tongue.
AJ smiled slyly at the sound and at the challenging look in her eyes. "You really got that teasing thing going, huh?!" Molly nodded. "Well, I hope you know you got me really hooked with that, too." Molly laughed and nodded again, before finally lowering her head so far that she could claim his lips for a deep kiss.
They continued that for half an hour, before grumbling noises came from AJ's stomach. First Molly chuckled, but then she playfully slapped his shoulder and said: "Damn men, you can't go a fucking hour without food. Just go and spoil all the fun!"
AJ pretended to be shocked: "She used the 'f'-word! Here in my house!" Molly let out a small scream, when he suddenly stood up, with her still on his lap. AJ laughed an evil laugh. "I'm gonna wash out your dirty mouth with soap now."
Molly let her feet touch ground again and grinned. "Just try to. But first", she paused for the dramatic effect: "Catch me if you can!" With that she took off running and had the dogs reacting and following her faster than AJ did!
"Dude, I didn't think you're so slow", she joked, as he caught up to her in the garden.
AJ snorted. "I thought you would need the little advantage", he joked.
"Yeah, right!"
"Actually, I was just getting some soap, ya know." AJ began slowly moving, always taking a few steps to the right, then to the left, but never forward just to confuse Molly.
"What are you waiting for, hungry man?" she laughed, watching him attentively and waiting for the "attack". She was so concentrated, that she startled as suddenly a loud bark came from right next to her. In her surprise Molly took a step backwards - and landed in AJ's pool.
AJ tried his best to keep from laughing out loud, but it was no use. He nearly doubled over laughing, as Molly came up sputtering.
She wiped her wet hair out of her face with both hands, just to look straight into a pair of innocent eyes. Puppy dog eyes literally!
"That's Panda, right?" Molly asked a still laughing AJ. When he only nodded, because he couldn't talk just yet, Molly looked at the dog again and muttered: "So you do hate me, huh?" She was surprised when she was answered by Panda licking her face. "Ugh!" she exclaimed, but had to chuckle. "Yeah, just take the rest of make-up left on me."
AJ was done laughing by now and came to help her out of the pool. "I'm sorry, baby", he smiled. "But you look great all wet, very sexy!" He did that eye-brow wiggle again and Molly grinned, before she pressed her self against him completely.
"And wet feels so good, don't ya think?" she laughed, as AJ protested loudly.
He shook his head at her chuckling. "Damn, woman, this is what happens when I let you be yourself, huh?!"
"Uh huh! And don't you love it?" she rather stated than asked.
"I'll love it even more in dry clothes and when I got some grub down my throat. Let's see what I can find in my wardrobe for you."
"I'm sure with your whack sense of style you even got some girlie stuff up there", she laughed and once again took off running, this time into the house.
"What?! You're really gonna have to pay for that, lady!" AJ yelled and ran after her.
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