Trials

chapter 12

"How could you not notice I liked you?" AJ laughed. Eva hadn't said anything since he told her. "Earth to Eva..."

"I kinda noticed, but," Eva was in shock. Yeah, sure he flirted with her but he flirted with everyone.

"But nothing. It's all good. We established that you can be slow sometimes a while ago..."

"Hey!! I thought you said you like me! What's with the taunting?" Eva mocked disappointment.

"You love it. Plus, it's my forté."

"That's the truth." Eva winked.

"Question..."

"Answer." Eva laughed when AJ rolled his eyes.

"Are you still going to harm Howie and Kevin for telling me?" AJ smiled.

"Why did they tell you?"

"Well, I asked Kevin why it was you wouldn't pick up on it. I thought you maybe had no interest, and I thought maybe Kev would know... first he wouldn't tell me. So, I had to fuck it out of him."

"You wish," Eva laughed. AJ was a horrible liar.

"Okay, so I wouldn't leave him alone for three days until he told me. I knew anyway. He would have at least given his opinion if he wasn't hiding something. He would have been like, 'yes, Eva thinks you are a sex God,' but he never said a word..."

"How would I know if you were a sex God?" Eva quipped.

"Can I prove it to you?" Eva's eyes widened and he grinned. "I mean with words. A couple of guesses," AJ leaned forward, looking Eva deep in the eyes. "Let me tell you what I would do to you... to make you want me."

"Okay..." Eva hesitated. She could feel a quickening between her legs when he spoke.

"Good... okay, see," AJ sat back and closed his eyes for one second, trying to get a clear picture of her naked. "First off, you'd be laying on your side, head propped up on your hand. I would..." AJ looked around him first, to be sure no one was within hearing range. "Your nipples would be my first target."

"Alex..." Eva wanted him to stop. No, more like needed him to stop. This was not the place for her to think about this...

"Yeah, while I was sucking on them that'd be the perfect thing for you to say," AJ laughed, "but, then I'd trail my hand down, and you would follow my lead and spread your legs a little, and then I'd slide my finger..."

"Alex, I think you need to stop," Eva was slightly breathless. AJ let out a grunt of a laugh.

"I told you. I don't even need to touch you and..."

"Exactly, that's why you need to stop. Besides, what if someone hears you?"

"Have I ever cared?" Eva and AJ both snickered.

"Of course not. But that's because you're a ho..."

"Am not."

"Uhh... are too. Like a lot." AJ shook his head and smiled.

"Well, I do get around."

"Yeah, just what I need to hear when you're finally asking me out." Eva winked and made sure she didn't sound serious when she spoke.

"Look, Eva... I should have asked you sooner. I really regret that. It's just... with everything that... happened, I lost sight of my priorities. You know how I am, Eva. I need love and attention and..."

"Sex..."

"Yeah, that too. And I mean, here you were, right in front of my face, and I knew I liked you, and wanted you, and... needed you, and all I did was try to convince myself it was wrong."

"Why would it be wrong?"

"I mean... we both know why we really got to know eachother." Eva nodded sadly. The way he'd held her and soothed her when she felt so strongly that... no, don't think about it. She knew that she probably would have never seen AJ again if all of this hadn't happened. Guilt squeezed her heart that fate had brought them together because of an act of senselessness. What if she could have prevented it, like that bastard's attorney had suggested? "Eva... listen. I thought it could be wrong because it all was so... fast and it was like, it felt so right yet at the same time..."

"It felt like it was wrong to... bond with someone over this, when we may have never even seen eachother again..."

"Oh, we would have."

"What makes you think so?" Eva could tell she was being self-conscious. The 'myth' that children raised by therapists and psychologists often grow up with major problems of their own seemed to be true, with the way she felt right now.

"Eva, you have to remember. I know Howie too," AJ raised his brow and grinned. "I thought you were pretty cool before this, you know? I mean, If I'd wanted to, if this... if it hadn't happened, I could have easily called him and gotten your phone number."

"True..."

"Plus, I was gonna ask you for it. But... I never did get around to it," he'd planned to ask her at the restaurant...

"You don't have to apologize for not giving it to me. Neither of us knew..."

"I know. but you know what I'm sayin'."

"Yeah, yeah. I know. But still... fate sat down that day and said 'this isn't going to be easy.' And Alex, you know how I have my weird reasoning, but seriously. Things happen for a reason. I don't think I will ever know or accept any explanation for what happened to you..."

"I know what you mean." AJ wanted to change the subject. He looked to his watch and saw they had already been in the cafeteria for too long. They weren't late... but... he looked to the door and saw his lawyer peek in, scan the room and finally settle his gaze on him. "Shit..."

"What?" Eva asked, looking around. She saw Jon approaching. "Oh..." she looked down at her plate and felt her eyes stinging with tears. She didn't want him to leave.

"I'll see you in... God knows how long. Hey," AJ put his hand up to Eva's chin, almost forcing her to look at him. "It's all good," he whispered.

"There you are, Alex. I've been looking everywhere for you. We have to get back inside," Jon was breathless. He gave AJ a good reason to end the heavy conversation, yet ... well it wasn't a good reason. He did not want to go back.

"Just give me a minute, Jon. I'm almost done in here."

"Alright. If you're not out of this café in five minutes, I'll be freaking out. Don't make me freak out, man, I hate it." He and AJ both shared a small laugh and Jon turned to leave. AJ stood and grabbed his tray, quickly sending Eva a look that asked her to follow. She obliged and they silently threw their remaining food in the trashcan.

"Sorry to have to cut this short," AJ said. Once he placed his tray in the small container on top of the receptacle, he turned, until he was facing Eva. His hand found its way to her hair, where he stroked it a couple of times. Without warning, or asking, he leaned forward.

AJ's lips on hers surprised Eva, but she softened and felt worlds better with his touch. Boldly, and possibly unsuitably, she let her tongue snake from her mouth, where there was no hesitation on AJ's behalf against its entry. Gently, their tongues intertwined, though the passion of waiting so long to express their feelings was difficult to restrain. Eva did not want the kiss to end, it was wonderful, AJ's lips were as soft as they looked, his tongue as skilled as she'd hoped. It was only broken when someone behind the lip-locked pair asked if they could please move. When the kiss was broken - both Eva and AJ's heads spinning - laughter was heard.

"Took you long enough," it was Howie. Though she was still reeling, Eva swatted Howie's arm. "There's another bin on the other side of the room, dumbass."

"I couldn't help myself. You know how I like to see you squirm," a smile played Howie's face.

"Yeah. Thus your title of 'Little Runt.'"

Howie ignored her and turned to AJ, who looked like he was going to kill him for the interruption. "I'll stay out here with her and keep her company. Okay?"

"Normally I would say something to the effect of, 'why do you always change the subject, to keep me from being angry with you,' but thanks," AJ had almost forgotten Jon was outside the café, probably ready to storm in and drag him to the courtroom unless he didn't act now. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down. "I've gotta get going now. I don't want my attorney suffering from a hernia because I wanted to make out. See ya later." AJ turned to leave but Howie captured him in a tight embrace.

"Good luck in there. Don't worry, I'll take care of her," Howie whispered, just between he and AJ. Reluctantly, Howie let go of him, stepping back, his arm reaching around Eva protectively. AJ shrugged and turned, walking away slowly.

'Fate sat down and said, this isn't going to be easy,' AJ recounted in his mind, as he walked away. He wondered when it would stop being so hard. "Let's go," AJ muttered to Jon, brushing past him. Pushing the idea of where he was heading, a smile formed at the corner of AJ's mouth. He'd finally done it. He'd finally told her. He even got to kiss her. God, she was so amazing. Just thinking about it made him excited. Not a good thing, at least... not the proper way to enter a courtroom....

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