She laughed quietly against him. Always taught to tread so carefully with the opposite sex so you didn't
unintentionally lead them on. But - she did want to lead him on. Very much in fact. And - she was safe with him. Safe
to take those unfamiliar steps into what she wanted. Because he loved her. And would protect her. Even from himself
if that was what it came down to. Until she was ready and where she needed to be. It was - odd. And a bit
embarrassing to be so inexperienced. And yet - reassuring as well. All she ever had to learn was Hector's touch.
"I'll attempt the corvette on the way home." She offered with a smile. Helping herself to some more of the salad. Silly
to be so pleased he found her distracting.
"Screw the Corvette, or I might crash the car." He said, watching her eat his salad while she sat on his lap. At this rate
he might be crashing on the couch watching some boring game....
Then he had to tell himself to not go there, not even mentally, though it was hard. The waitress brought over their
main dishes then and Hector looked at her. "Think we can get a few more napkins?" He asked.
The waitress laughed and plucked a few of the carefully folded napkins off a near by table.
Andi had to duck her head while she laughed but she did thank the woman for the napkins and the food. Looking
pleased and a little bit guilty, she looked at Hector.
"I promise, that's as distracting as I get. I'll be utterly bland for the rest of the meal. Or at least the sloppy parts."
"Yeah, I can see that." Hector said with good natured disbelief. "Come on, you know what a one track mind I have."
He shook out the napkins with his free hand and spread them across her lap as he kissed her. "Another annoying
trait the neighbors don't know about."
"Well, I think they're learning." She murmured, watching him, lips shifting upward. Was she really that distracting? Suz
had tried, over the years to explain all about 'feminine wiles' to her and she got the concept - you really couldn't miss
it living with Suz. But - she hardly thought she had any. And yet - she had Hector's full attention even though he was
fighting giving it to something else. Gentle she stopped his free hand arranging napkins. Rested her own hand over it
so that his hand, and the heat of it, rested palm down against her thigh. She laced her long fingers over top of his
own and met his eyes.
"It’s all right." She said softly. Reaching up with her other hand to brush hair back from his temple as she met his dark
eyes. "You're allowed to persuade me along, you know. I'm yours now. And I'm not going to break. I promise."
He didn't quite believe that for a single minute. That she wouldn't break. He believed she was strong, she'd proven
that over and over just by the life she lived. But inside she was so fragile, like the thin china in his grandmother's
curio cabinet. One wrong move and it shatters all over. Suzette had told him as much.
And the last thing he wanted was to be any source of pain in her, any more than he already had just by the life he
lived.
But he was being a bit selfish, for to break things off would kill him some place deep down, and he didn't want that.
Not that she wasn't being encouraging in her own attentions.
So he had his mental fingers constantly crossed.
"Okay." He said simply. "I'll try to remember that."
"Hector." She chided his name quietly. Kissed him lightly. And her eyes were deeper and surprisingly laughing when
they met his. "I don't break. I hurt. I scar. But I don't break." She kissed the tip of his nose. "I'm not allowed. That's the
easy way out." She rubbed her thumb gently over the back of his hand and then let go to reach for her fork. "I do
however, steal food." She clarified, voice returning to its usual level. "And I think you've put enough napkins in my lap
to cover an entire squad of Rangers at mealtime. So you can share my food too if you'd like."
"Believe me, a tent couldn't keep Rangers clean. We've tried bibs with no success." He said with a laugh. "So I can
share your food that you're eating off my plate. Yet another to commit to the memory banks!" He reached for his own
fork, now that she was sufficiently covered to protect the dress and the car. That was the rationale anyway. "Feel
free, then I don't have to bug you to try and eat as much as I do."
"Three horses and a pack of wild dogs couldn't eat as much as you do." She teased with a chuckle. Helping herself to
her own food - and his. Both were very good and really, why limit yourself when they were both being offered? The
servings were huge, just as he'd promised. Even with Hector they might get leftovers out of this. After several minutes
of simply enjoying the food, she commented: "We should really bring something back for Tommy too. Who's Amy?"
"A woman he's been seeing occasionally." Hector said. "Either he got the car to impress her, or they're on the outs
again. Who really knows with him? It changes by the minute. And don't worry about Tommy, he's eaten us out of
house and home, I guarantee it. So whatever food is left over we should keep for ourselves."
The fact that she was eating made him glad. It wasn't long ago he had to bug her to do so.
Andi made a snickering noise and took a drink of her water.
"So we're down some greens, some potato salad and a several dozen boxes of twinkies." She teased. "Poor man,
he'll be begging us to have brought him something solid by the end of the night. I really am going to have to go
shopping tomorrow with a bit of a plan." She warned. Gave him a laughing look. "Maybe while you and your friends
are rotting your minds on video games."
"There's the games, sports games, the car....lots of things to 'rot our minds on.'" He said, the last part with a decent
approximation of a British accent. "Mr Haskins would be happy to see you, for sure. Not that I'd let you wander the
neighborhood unprotected from the hordes." He still remembered the chill between Andi, Paige and Sheila.
She laughed at his imitation of her accent. And it was a real laugh. Not as full and easy as it used to be. But it wasn't
the barely there whisper it had been so far. Her eyes danced with it as she grinned at him.
"I'm not the one with hordes." She disagreed. "I should be more concerned with leaving you undefended if I didn't
know I was leaving you in a situation soaked with testosterone."
It was good to hear her laugh, that was for sure. A real laugh. "Ah yes, that's always my first defense from the
'masses,' surround my self with other single men and let them wade through it all." He said as he managed to eat
some of his lasagna without dropping it on anything or anyone. "Last time Paige came over while we were working on
the car, we asked her to fetch some tools, and she had no idea what we were talking about, so she left."
Andi chuckled. She didn't know much about technical names for tools either. Hammer, saw, nails, pointy screwdriver
or flat one. Things you needed to keep a house together. Cars - those were another thing entirely.
"And were you just making up names or were there real tools she could have offered?" She asked, eyes laughing as
she tried another bite of his food. Poor Paige. She was so young and tried so hard. For Andi at least it was a bit
painful to watch. Especially since she sympathized with the girl. Who wouldn't wish for a man like Hector in their life?
"Of course they were real tools." Hector said, pretending to be offended by that question. "We take that very
seriously, power tools and all, you know. But either way she left us in peace. Which meant we could talk about women
and cars without anyone batting their eyelashes at us."
He chuckled. "Course, if you want to bat your eyelashes while I drown in testosterone, that would be fine."
Andi laughed softly and looked at him under her lashes instead.
"Wouldn't that violate some 'male bonding' clause in your contract or something?" She asked, teasing. How did he do
that? Make her feel protected and desired at the same time? "Foreign female influence in a secured area or
whatnot?"
"Probably. But it's my garage, so I think I have some leeway on international treaties and such." Hector said with a
chuckle. "I think I can make it up as I go. If they have a serious problem with it, they can always have their own
clunkers take over their own garages."
"That sounds like a good plan." She agreed, touching his nose lightly with her own. Personally she expected his
friends would get more enjoyment ribbing him over it than end up shocked and horrified. If Tommy was any indication.
And that made her feel better.
She was down to toying with her food. In no hurry to move on or to interrupt Hector eating but pleasantly full. Just -
enjoying this. This - nothing to do, nowhere to have to go, no problems that needed solving...
"So what are you ever going to do if you do get the car running?" She asked with a smile.
"The obvious." Hector said with a laugh. "Take it out on a track and see how it does. It won't exactly be street legal if
we ever finish it. Actually, I don't know, the ignition turns over, but then we find something else to do to it, so we've
never actually done much with it except fool around. But it keeps us out of trouble for the most part."
He watched her toy with her food as he kept eating. "When my metabolism slows down I'm in big trouble."
Andi pressed a kiss to his temple and chuckled.
"I could easily love more of you if it ever does. But I think you've already missed that boat." She told him. Having
grown up hearing people tell her, with a great deal of relish, that her own body would start gaining weight at any
number of milestones in her life that had come and gone with no change. She was quite fond of Hector's body just
the way it was now. And he kept it that way as much from his lifestyle as his body's own natural build. But - if he did
ever gain weight it would be because it didn't matter anymore. That he could because he wasn't doing what he did for
a living anymore. And the thought filled her with equal parts of wistfulness and sadness. Because he loved what he
did. If not all of it, the feel behind it and most of what went into it. It was a part of him the way being a doctor was part
of her. And when the day came that he had to put it down... she didn't know if it would be because he did so with the
exhale of a task finally accomplished or because he'd been backed into a corner with no choice. The other
alternative, the one where he never had to put it down because he never made it that far... that wasn't an option she
wanted to think about. And silently prayed that whatever way things ended it was many decades far into the future.
"Besides." She rested a hand over his stomach and gave him a smile. "There's so little of you already. A stiff wind
would blow you away."
He laughed. "Don't start." He teased. "Cara told me I weighed two hundred and twelve pounds, thereabouts, last time
she had the chance to weigh me," which wasn't exactly by choice, " and you weigh...what? Half that? Maybe?" He
chuckled. "So I guess I should keep you out of hurricane winds. Then again, might be able to save on air fare that
way...."
She gave him a bright, laughing grin. With everyone else she felt bony. With Hector she felt... slender. It was a
distinction she didn't think most people would understand but she did. And that made such a difference to her. She
knew he paid attention to her eating habits. But it wasn't because he found her - well, ghoulish was probably the
worst word she'd heard used.
"The next time we run into a hurricane I'll be sure to remember your thoughts are drifting toward air fare." She
teased. "Besides," she defended, giving up and setting the fork down to wind her arms loosely around his shoulders
and give him a smug smile. "I'm saving room for dessert."
"Oh really?" Hector said. "Now this I gotta see. Heck I'll even wrap mine up for later just to see this. We should
probably get a cannoli for Tommy, they're about as big as my hand. Should satisfy him till he gets home."
"Hector." She laughed quietly. "I don't honestly remember the last time I had dessert. All they ever offered at the
camp. was some strange 'jell-O' fixture or even worse something they kept trying to pass off as pudding that looked a
little too much like plastic. The cooks used to try cake from time to time for group birthdays but that was - " she gave
a shudder she didn't have to entirely fake. "It was just scary." She decided with a chuckle. "Though if the desserts are
as big as you threaten..." she gave him a smile. "I might need help."
"The only thing that beats southern desserts is New York cheesecake." He said with a grin. "If nothing else, I guess I
could take you on a tour of the US by dessert region..." He laughed. "The desserts here are big, but lucky for you,
you're sitting on the lap of a guy who burns calories at an astronomical rate, even when just sitting around."
"You've just implied the three sacred things." Andi told him, voice solemn, eyes dancing. "Dessert, multiples of it, and
a road trip." She gave him a delighted, teasing smile. "I already love you, you know. You really don't have to pull out
the big guns that way. Put ideas in my head and I'm going to start making demands. Horrible, horrible demands." She
threatened, voice appropriately low. "Like insisting on dessert BEFORE dinner and whatnot. Empires could crumble.
Chaos could ensue. Children might rebel and run wonky. And they'd blame it all on Hector's monster and the dessert
tour he suggested to her."
"Most kids I already know already run wonky." He said with a laugh. "Just wait until I get stuck with babysitting duty."
The rangers would never believe it, but his nieces and nephews ran roughshod all over him and he was more or less
helpless to stop it.
The waitress came over. "Want me to box that up for you?" She asked, still highly amused by everything. "Hope you
left room for dessert."
Hector and children... that would be something worth seeing, she thought, something inside her softening. And then
the offer of dessert came up again.
Andi gave the waitress a bright smile. There was something about happiness, sharing it and having it shared. And
right now, she was very happy. She glanced at Hector, saw he had pretty much stopped eating.
"Yes, please." She asked. From her meal at least she could have made a second meal and that wasn't a bad
thought. "And yes." She agreed with a grin. Glanced at Hector and raised her eyebrows. "Two cannoli. One to go,"
she looked up at the other woman, eyes dancing, "and one to stay."
The waitress nodded and moved away with a smile with the plates to wrap them up. Hector chuckled.
"You know, there are a few bears around here, and if there's one thing I've learned, once you feed a bear he always
comes back for more." He said with a chuckle. "Think that applies to men too. Think I'll probably have to give Amy a
call and get them back on if we ever want him to leave the house."
Andi laughed softly at him.
"I don't even want to know how you 'learned' that about bears." She teased. "But I think Tommy would leave without
much of a fight tonight. He can't call all your other friends and plot about tomorrow if you're in hearing range. Of
course, if Amy and Tommy were 'back on' she might be able to be persuaded to come visit when the boys come over
and keep me from drowning in 'male bonding' and whatnot." Curious, she asked: "Does Tommy's family live around
here?"
"His parents still do." Hector said. "Half the time. They spend winters in the Bahamas, they lucked out. Bought a
beach house back in the seventies dirt cheap, now it’s a luxury community." He chuckled. "His sister lives in
Tennessee last I heard. Another one of them y'all states." He teased her as the waitress brought over the boxes and
one giant cannoli on a plate with two forks.
Andi chuckled.
"So far, I like 'yawl' states." She grinned back. "They're warm, the men are handsome and the women are polite while
they're being aggressive. Besides," her voice lowered and she pressed a soft kiss to his throat, "I like the way your
voice sounds." Then she straightened and gave the waitress a bright smile and a 'thank you' for the dessert. Hector
hadn't lied. It was huge. And she suddenly found herself wishing for Molly - who would have appreciated something
like this far beyond what was considered sane or normal. She'd just have to enjoy it for the both of them, Andi
decided. And make sure to add it to the letter she was planning on writing to the other woman. She picked up one of
the forks and tried a piece of the food, taking her time as she tasted it. Nodded at the end.
"It’s another one those." She informed him, straight faced. "Terrible enough I feel its my responsibility as your foreign
thugee to eat it all and spare you."
"Well, I'm heart warmed by the concern for my well being." Hector said, laughing as she ate the cannoli. "But if I can
survive MREs, I can survive the cannoli for sure. Besides, I have to survive, you don't know how to drive on the right
side of the road, remember?" He ate some of his part of the cannoli. "Mmm. See? No reason to go to Italy for good
Italian cooking."
Andi chuckled into her water and touched the tip of his nose with her finger.
"Silly American, we were driving long before you were." She teased. "Naturally we drive on the proper side of the
road. Though I will agree without the slightest hesitation," her eyes danced, "Tommy most definitely does not want me
near the driver's section of his car. I learned to drive on my Da's old truck in Africa and have been told that in some
countries people actually have things like 'speed limits' and 'right of way'." She made a soft snorting noise at the
concept.
"Though no." She agreed after another taste of the dessert. "I think Italy can keep itself." She gave him a soft smile,
half teasing, half warm. "Everything I need is here."
He smiled and kissed her in between bites until between the two of them they were able to polish off the cannoli.
"Wow. I actually think I'm full." He said with a chuckle and reached for the boxes. "Come on, let's head back and let
them close up."
True to word, they had lingered over the entire meal until everyone but them and the staff was gone.
Andi slipped off his lap, careful to collect all the napkins with a chuckle and set them on the table. The waitress came
back with her bank card and Andi signed it illegibly and left enough tip to make up for keeping everyone even
though, from the smiles and the warm 'come again's' she thought they hadn't minded it so much. Then, never being
one for purses, she simply slipped the card back in Hector's jacket pocket before sliding her arm around his waist
and tucking in close.