Chrissy rolled over in her bed and smacked gently into AJ’s arm.  She felt his body contort to her frame a little as his arm pulled her in to his warm embrace.  He had been sleeping over since their “magical” night, as she liked to call it, and they had been spending just about every free second they could together.  Chrissy sighed and snuggled deeper into AJ’s embrace and fell back into her happy slumber.

Chrissy opened her eyes and shot up quickly because she smelled something burning.  She jumped out of bed and ran to her living room.  She could see smoke coming out of the kitchen.  Chrissy’s heart leapt into her throat.  She bolted in there and saw AJ standing over the stove as bacon cracked and hissed at him.  She let out a little laugh.

     “What are you doing?” she said.  Chrissy walked into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist.  AJ closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Chrissy’s arms wrapped around his tight waist.

     “I’m cookin’ you breakfast.  You were supposed to still be sleeping,” he said as he laced his fingers through hers.

     “Oh, is that what this is?” Chrissy asked as she unwrapped her arms and poked at the shriveled, burned bacon in the pan.  She let out a little laugh.  “Alex, there are fire alarms that went off in Tampa from the smoke in here, did you not notice that?”  She smiled at him and then turned off the flame from the pan.

     “So I don’t cook all that well.  Sue me,” he said as he threw a fork down on the counter.  Chrissy smiled at the frustrated look that appeared on his face.  She wrapped her arms around AJ’s neck and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

     “I really appreciate it.  It was very sweet,” she said.  AJ kissed her back and smiled at her.

     “Of course it was sweet.  I thought of it, therefore, it’s sweet,” he said with a smirk.  Chrissy rolled her eyes at him and smiled.

     “C’mere,” she whispered as she hugged AJ tightly.  They stayed in that position for a few seconds and then Chrissy pulled out of the hug.

     “I gotta go to work.”  She walked out of the kitchen and went to change her clothes.  AJ stared at the burnt creation and threw it in the trash with a shrug.   He followed Chrissy into the bedroom and sat down on the bed as he watched her get things ready so she could take a shower.

     “Why do you have to leave?” AJ threw himself dramatically down on the bed.

     “Well, I have to pay rent.  Rent needs to be paid with money, and funnily enough, my shitty job gives me some,” Chrissy said with a laugh.  She gathered up her towel she’d left on her floor and was going to walk to the bathroom when AJ grabbed ahold of the towel and practically yanked Chrissy onto his lap.

     “Well, screw rent!  Who needs this place?” AJ kissed Chrissy.

     “I,” she kissed him.

    “Need,” Chrissy kissed him again. AJ closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment.

    “This,” another kiss.

    “Place,” she gave AJ a long kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck and threw themselves backwards onto the bed.  Chrissy laid on top of AJ and gave him little butterfly kisses all over his face.  He was definitely enjoying this.  AJ ran his fingers through Chrissy’s hair and played around with the curls.  While Chrissy began to kiss AJ’s neck, he rolled her over onto her side and spooned her.  He nuzzled her neck and wrapped her up tightly in his arms.  They both laid there in silence for a few minutes.  Chrissy ran her hand up AJ’s forearm and smiled peacefully.  AJ nuzzled himself into her hair a little and just took in the scent of her.  Their feeling of serenity was short lived.

     “Shit,” Chrissy said as she jumped out of bed.  She practically ran to the shower.  AJ laid on the bed and listened to the water run.  He had this cheshire cat grin on his face as he waited for Chrissy to come bounding out of the shower.  AJ heard the water turn off so he jumped out of the bed and walked into the bathroom, with Chrissy’s towel in his hands.  She opened up the curtain.

     “Why thank you,” she said as she stepped into it.  AJ wrapped her up in the towel and rubbed some of the moisture off of her arms.  He pulled Chrissy close to him and kissed her forehead.  She sighed.

     “I hate to ruin this, but I’ve got to get to work.  I’m sorry.”

     “Yeah, yeah, yeah. What’s with that word, work?  It’s annoying,” he said with a chuckle.  Chrissy rolled her eyes at him and walked into her bedroom and quickly got dressed.  AJ stood in the doorway and watched Chrissy get dressed.  She noticed him just gawking at her.

     “It’s not like you haven’t seen any of this before,” she said as she slid on her pantyhose.

     “I know, but I don’t know…I’m a man, I’m sorry,” he said with a sly grin.  Chrissy smiled.

     “Well, get in all you can, because I’m leaving in about, one minute.”  She got up quickly and put the rest of her uniform on quickly.  Chrissy pulled her hair back into a bun and dabbed on some lip-gloss.  She turned around to AJ.

     “How do I look?” AJ got up off the bed and stared at her.

     “You’re missing one thing,” he said.  Chrissy looked down at herself and tried to see what he was talking about.

     “What?” she asked.  AJ grabbed Chrissy around the waist and pulled her in closely.  He kissed her eyelids first.  She giggled.  Then, he lightly kissed the tip of her nose.  Chrissy giggled like a school girl.  Then, AJ went to her neck and nuzzled there for a few seconds.  Chrissy was enjoying this too much.  She tried to wiggle away for a second.  Finally, AJ relinquished his grip on her and pulled away just smiling.

     “There.  All done now,” he said.  His sly smile danced on his lips.  Chrissy sighed and giggled.

     “Well, can I go now?  Am I all finished?”

     “For now,” he said.  She smiled and kissed AJ lightly on the lips.

     “Bye. I’ll talk to you later,” Chrissy said as she walked out of the bedroom and out the door.  AJ walked out of the bedroom, rubbing his stomach while he walked and plopped down on the couch.  He had no plans, so he figured he’d just hang out at Chrissy’s apartment until he either found something to do or she came home, whatever came first.  He found the remote and turned on the television.  His eyes lit up when he saw Jerry Springer had just started.  AJ threw the remote across the couch and got comfortable.  Bizarre love triangles were going to be entertaining him for at least an hour.
 

     “Order up Chrissy!” The cook bellowed from the kitchen.  Chrissy was sitting in her same old stool and drug herself up from the chair to get her food.  She delivered her order and sat back down.  Josh walked by her and smiled.

     “My, don’t we look happy to be here?”

     “I’d rather be home.  Have I told you how much I despise this place Josh?”

     “Uhh, not in the last hour,” he said with an eyebrow raise.  Chrissy sighed a little and laid her head on her folded arms.

     “I wanna go home Josh!  I wanna be with my man!”  Chrissy smiled as she thought of “her man”.  It made her all giggly and happy inside.  Josh rolled his eyes at her comment and went to clear some more tables.  Chrissy just sat on her stool with a goofy look on her face as she thought of AJ.  She got up from her stool and went to take some other customers orders and came back to a frowning Josh.

     “What’s with you today?”

     “Nothin’, why?”

     “You just seem kinda shitty.  Anything wrong?”  Josh nodded his head “no” and just stared off into space with that perpetual frown on his face.  Chrissy stared at him for a minute and then noticed a familiar customer walking in and sitting at a familiar table in the back.  She smiled a giddy smile and practically bounced off in his direction.  Josh just stared at her and he drooped even more.

     Chrissy walked over to the booth and pulled out her order tablet and a pen.

     “Lemme guess, a burger, fries and ice tea, right?” she said with a grin on her face.   “You know me too well, but you didn’t exactly get it all right.”  Chrissy raised and eyebrow.

     “What am I missing?” she said as she looked over the tablet.  AJ smiled.

     “I really just want you, that’s all,” he said.  Chrissy grinned and it turned into this cute little face where her nose squished up and her cheeks got red.

     “Boy, I think you’re my favorite customer,” she said.

     “I think you’re my favorite waitress,” AJ said.  Chrissy cocked an eyebrow.

     “I’d better be!” She looked around and saw Josh sitting in his same spot looking like someone had just run over his puppy.  “I wonder what is up with Josh today,” she said.  AJ looked over at him but really didn’t give him more than a passing glance.

     “I don’t know,” he said.

     “Oh, that sounded full of care,” Chrissy giggled.

     “I’m a caring kinda guy.”

     “I’m gonna put your order in.  Behave,” she said as she walked away.  Chrissy gave one more glance towards AJ and smiled.  She put her order in and sat back over with Josh.  Chrissy hit him playfully with her tablet.

     “Dude, what is UP?  Why do you look like your dog just died?”  Josh shook himself out of his daze.

     “Nothing.  Just thinking.”

     “Stop doing that.  It scares me.”  They both sat silently for a few minutes and then Chrissy began staring at AJ.  He wasn’t doing anything except smoking in his booth and staring out the window.  She loved the way he stared.  She loved the way he held his cigarette.  Chrissy watched him a little more and smiled.  She took a deep sigh and was shaken out of her stare-fest with Josh smacking her on the arm with a towel.

     “What?” she asked with more than a hint of annoyance.

     “You’re practically undressing him with your eyes,” Josh said.

     “No, I wasn’t.  But, now that you mention it…ooooh yeah,” she said with a giggle.  Chrissy sat there and stared a little more and then turned around to face Josh.

     “Do you love him?” Chrissy gave Josh a strange look and shrugged her shoulders.

     “I don’t know.  I like him a lot.  A really, really lot actually.  But, it’s too soon.  Why?”  Josh shrugged his shoulders.

     “Just curious.”

     “You don’t like him, do you?” Chrissy asked.  She leaned in on the counter and waited for Josh to answer.

     “I don’t know Chris.  I think you could do better,” he said with a shrug.  Chrissy was intrigued by this answer.

     “How so?”

     “I don’t know, I just wouldn’t trust him, if I were you.”

     “Well, you aren’t me, are you?” Chrissy got up from her stool and picked up her order for AJ’s table.  Josh watched her walk over to his booth and saw the smile on her face.  His heart sunk and he could feel his blood begin to boil just a little.  He knew he needed to give AJ a chance, but he just knew he wasn’t right for Chrissy.  Josh went and cleared a table and managed to avoid Chrissy for the rest of their shift.

~*~
 

 A little later Josh caught up with Chrissy just before she left the diner.

     “Hey, ummm, what are you guys doing tonight?”

     “I don’t know, why?”

     “Well, my friend Bruce is having a party.  Does AJ like to party?”  Chrissy smiled and nodded her head “yes”.

     “You actually want him to come?”

     “Yeah, why not.  I figure I get to hang out with you and you won’t be lookin’ all sad thinking about him at the same time.  We both win!”

     “You’re too cute Joshua!  Yeah, I’ll talk to AJ and call you in a little while,” she said as she slipped on her coat.  Chrissy gave Josh a quick hug and made her way out the door.
 

Lyrics Taken From:
"Hold Me" Brian McKnight
Written by: M. Blige, S. Barnes, J. Oliver, C. Rooney,
R. Troutman, T. Shakur, R. Brooks, G. Jacobs
© 1997 MCA