#Bucky x Lemon Breeland

[buckyscrystalqueen]

S.S. Desperation

Pairings: Bucky x Named Reader, Bucky x Lemon Breeland (Hart of Dixie)

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 5.765

A/N: More content for y’all from the paused fics file. Doesn’t have a definitive ending but probably won’t get one. Sorry!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Despite the fact that you had never been there, and had only spent a few hours there, Los Angeles looked like a chaotic, dismal mess. Even from a distance, you could practically hear the people yelling at each other over the obnoxious, blaring car horns that seemed so barbaric. It made you miss the silent serenity that was Bluebell. You scoffed to yourself, and shook your head as you finished your drink, almost disappointed with yourself for thinking that Bluebell was serene.

“I know that scoff.” A man with an accent you didn’t her back home chuckled next to you. You turned in your red heels and respectfully took off your sunglasses so he could see your whole face.

“I’m sorry?”

“That scoff.” He repeated as he showed you the blue wristband on his wrist, letting you know that he was part of the ‘singles cruise’ group, and reminding you that you needed to find a bracelet to cover the matching band you had on your own wrist. “That scoff either means ‘I can’t believe I let my friends talk me into this shit.’ Or ‘shit, I forgot my charger’.”

“Well, you happen to be wrong on both accounts.” You giggled in your Alabama accent. “I was scoffing because I had a brief moment of insanity where I thought that my hometown was serene.”

“What, you don’t think this is serene?” He joked as he gestured to the city in front of you. “Because I bet you win on that one.”

“I don’t get it.” You sighed as you pointed to Los Angeles in general. “Is it always so… loud?”

“I’m from New York, originally, so this is nothing on that. You get used to the noise, though.” He said as he reached up and pushed his long hair back behind his ear before leaning on the white rail. “And once you get used to it, it’s hard to live without it.”

“Oh, I didn’t sleep well at all last night in the hotel.” You said with a shake of your head as you put your sunglasses back on. “I’m used ta cicada’s and the state bird of Alabama flying in your ear.”

“What’s the state bird of Alabama?”

“Mosquitos.” He burst out laughing, and in the half second he looked away, you quickly fixed your hair and straightened out your thin strapped, light blue and white checkered dress from Draper James so that you looked presentable.

“So what’s your name, Ms. Alabama?”

“Lemon.”

“Lemon.” He repeated with a disbelieving tone. “Like the fruit?”

“The flower.” You giggled as as you pushed your hair back over your shoulder. “The lemon blossom.”

“I honestly don’t think I know what that is, sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be.” You said with a swipe of your hand. “Most people don’t. But now it’s your turn for a name.”

“Bucky. James, technically, but my middle name is Buchanan and I’ve gone by Bucky my entire life.”

“That is an interesting jump.” You laughed as you gently touched his arm for a moment, which made his gorgeous blue eyes dart down to the connection as if he didn’t believe it was real. “I like it all the same.”

“Can I get you a new drink?” He asked as he stood up and pointed to your empty glass.

“A Southern Belle.” You said as you handed him the empty glass with a smile. “Easy to remember, easier to make. Used to order it as a joke in college, but I’ve fell in love with it over the years.”

“One Southern Belle for the Southern Belle it is.” He said with a smile as he turned to head over to the bar. You habitually bit your lip to contain your smile for a second before mentally scolding yourself for doing.

“OK, so maybe this wasn’t the worst idea.” You set yourself up on one of the many lounge chairs on the back of the ship, where the singles group were told to meet in the welcome letter, and set your carry on bag on the chair beside you so that one of the other 100 singles didn’t claim it. You laid your dress out tastefully around your knees, the years of etiquette classes that had been pounded into every ounce of your being since birth still reigning supreme even though you had told yourself that you were not going to be the uptight Belle you were at home. You had a brief thought about taking your shoes off, when it was interrupted by a shadow and your drink.

“So let’s just get it out there.” Bucky said as he held out your cup while you put your bag down on your chair by your bent legs. You nodded your head and sat up just a little bit straighter in your lounge position as you took your drink from him with a smile. “What made you come on a singles cruise? And I know it wasn’t willingly, because you are way to gorgeous to have to resort to this to find a man.”

“Oh!” You gasped as you stirred your drink with a small shake of your head. “Well, I own a restaurant. Fancy’s, Bluebell’s number one fine dining restaurant… well, Bluebell’s only fine dining restaurant. And I should say ‘was’ because right now, it’s a wet ash covered mess because no matter how hard I work to go somewhere in my life, it seems to just burst into flames, figuratively and apparently literally. And on top of it, I have apparently ruined my reputation in the Southern social circle after getting left at the alter by my fiancé for another woman that didn’t even want him when push came to shove. So I was banished to the S.S. Desperation to find a man by my grandmother so I don’t become an old maid.” You gasped to catch your breath and quickly took a long gulp of your drink as Bucky tried to sort through your accent.

“Wow.” He said with a nod as he set down his beer. “OK, first of all, fire at the restaurant- is everyone OK?”

“Yes. Everyone is fine.”

“And, your hometown is called Bluebell?”

“Yes.”

“And your grandma made you come on the cruise because you got left at the alter?”

“Yes, well… in a round about way. Yes, she did.”

“Damn.” He said as he picked up his beer. “And I though getting dragged on to a singles cruise by friends after the Army was bad.”

“Oh, no. I’m probably the most screwed up person here, don’t worry about that.”

“No, doll. I’m almost positive I have you beat. See, I think you missed it but I was in the army. I willingly ran toward bullets and bad guys on a regular basis.”

“Thank you for your service.” You said quickly with a tip of your glass in his direction. “But I was Miss Cinnamon Cider…”

“I used to pick fights with kids twice my size with my boy, Steve, just because I could and I usually won.”

“I have worn a hoop skirt on a regular basis and not for Halloween.”

“I spent my cab fair trying to win a bear for some girl at Coney Island when I was a kid, and she didn’t even accept the bear when I won it so I had to carry it home on my back.”

“I raised my little sister when my mom walked out on us when I was 16.”

“I…”

“My grandmother forced me to go on a singles cruise.” You interrupted with a shake of your head. “I will always win here.”

“Alright, I’ll concede to that one just this time.” He chuckled as he tapped his bottle against your glass. “But this game is not done, Miss Apple Cider.”

“Miss Cinnamon Cider.” You said with a smile as you finally took your shoes off and pushed them down toward the end of the lounge chair. “And I can play this game all dame day. I lived in a small town where everybody is up in everybody else’s business. I got into a lot of fun in my day.”

“I got two weeks.” He replied as he kicked off his flip flops and got comfortable on his chair. “And probably just as many stories from growing up in Brooklyn.”

——

You were apprehensive about heading down the library, where the welcome event for the registered singles was being held. You could almost feel the desperation seeping through the door, and your stomach almost turned that you had been forced to debase yourself to this level, but at the same time, it wasn’t like there were any worth while options left in Bluebell. So just like you always did, you held your head up high, ran your hands over the front of your knee length black dress, and walked into the room.

“Hey! You made it!” You smiled at the sound of his voice and looked over at Bucky as he stepped away from the group of people he was talking to and came over to say hi.

“Didn’t realize I was late.” You said, honestly, as you kissed his cheek.

“You’re not.” He chuckled. “I’m just used to running fifteen minutes early.”

“See, now I didn’t want ta be standin’ down here all alone to add insult to injury so I’ve spent the last twenty minutes pacing my room.”

“Well next gathering, I’ll make sure I come get you so you’re not showing up early. Guys, this is Lemon. This is Sam, Karen, Channel, Steve, and Chelsea.”

“Kerri.” The first woman said as you shook her hand. “Your name is Lemon?”

“Like the flower.” You confirmed with a nod.

“So Bucky tells us you’re from Alabama.” Sam said as he sized up the new single woman in the group.

“Yes, I am.”

“She was Miss Cinnamon Cider.” Bucky said as he took a subtle half step toward you. “We have out very own beauty pageant queen, here.”

“It was a small pageant.” You insisted, modestly.

“My mother put me in beauty pageants when I was a kid.” Channel said as Bucky stepped away to grab you a glass of wine. “I think it’s monstrous to do that to kids.”

“My sister insisted on putting my nieces in pageants. Lasted about two months before my youngest niece flipped off a judge and the other one set the stage on fire. And good thing, too. Parent girls seem to always turn out… well… you know.”

“I feel like we should be concerned that your niece is a pyro.” Steve laughed, which made the small circle laugh as well. You nodded your head in agreement and startled the slightest bit when Bucky tapped your arm and handed you your glass.

“Got anything stronger?” You muttered under your breath before taking a drink as the small talk moved on to stories involving a camp fire. He looked over at you and smirked before nodding his head.

“Excuse us, guys.” He said as he put his hand on the small of your back and lead you away from the group, purposely taking your wine and putting it on one of the tables. “Let me show you something.”

“But your friends?”

“Screw ‘em.” He laughed as he pulled the door open for you and gestured you out of the library. “I see them all the damn time, and the whole point of this singles cruise is to meet someone you want to get to know. I met someone I want to get to know and I did my obligatory rounds on the deck and in that room when you left to take a nap and get ready.”

“So what, you’re not gunna give me a chance to shop around?” You teased as you stopped at the elevator beside him.

“OK, let me lay this out for you.” He said with a cocky smirk. “I know I rock a man bun, and I know I’m pretty buff. I know I’m pretty attractive but I’m no Dr. McDreamy by any stretch of the imagination.”

“The fact that you even know who that is is slightly disturbing.”

“My ex watched it.” He said quickly as he gestured you into the elevator in front of him. “Now, between me, and my two friends who you just met, we are the hottest guys in that group. I also know that you are not their type…”

“And I’m yours?” You interrupted again with a smile as he hit the 14 button.

“I haven’t figured that out yet.” He admitted as he leaned back against the wall and looked over at you. “But I’ll be damned if I have to compete with someone to figure it out.”

“And I have no say in the matter here, hmm?” You countered as the numbers rolled up to bring you to your destination. 

“Oh, you do. Not interested? You are more than welcome to leave me by the pool and go back to the party. But my guess is, you will be as bored as I was. You’re looking for an adventure, Lemon. Let’s find it together. Even if it is for two weeks.” You stared at him in shock as the elevator binged and the door opened, and he gestured for you to walk out first. You took a half second to debate your options, before you took his hand and nodded your head.

“Alright.”

“Alright.” He repeated as he put his other hand on the small of your back and guided you out of the elevator. “We got about an hour until dinner. Want to watch the sunset?”

“Can I show you somethin’?” You asked as you stopped him from heading to the front bar on the lido deck. He nodded his head and let you turn him around to head toward the bar at the back of the deck instead. You placed two drink orders and continued walking along the deck, past the spa, and down the hallway of rooms on the floor.

“Wait, is this your room?” He asked as you stopped at the Cannes suite, which was the last corner room on the aft side of the ship.

“Please, please don’t look around.” You begged as you opened the door and stepped inside the unnecessarily large suite. He whistled as he followed you into the room with a shake of his head.

“Damn. I’m stuck in a tiny ass room with no view with Sam and Steve, doing toss ups every night for who gets stuck on the couch and you’re living like a Queen.”

“Well I deserve to live like a Queen.” You laughed as you tried to rush him outside to the back balcony so he wouldn’t see the ‘mess’ you had left behind, which realistically consisted of your dress from earlier that you had left on your bed and your two empty suitcases that hadn’t been pushed under the bed yet. “You know, beauty pageant and all.”

“Yea, I’m so sorry I brought that up.” He said as he held your hand while you sat down on one of the seats. “I didn’t realize those girls were so stuck up…”

“You get used to it over the years.” You said as you crossed your legs, smoothed out your dress, and turned toward him. “But it’s understandable. Most of us do turn out to be hot messes. But that’s what makes it fun, right?”

“Valid point. Looking back on it today though, would you do it again?” You sighed and took a sip of your drink as you thought back on your past.

“I don’t know.” You looked over at him with a small shrug and slowly spun your straw in your drink. “I did the pageants because my mama was a pageant queen. I was head cheerleader in high school, because my mama was. But my mama decided she didn’t wanna be a mama anymore and now, all those memories are tainted by the memory of the woman that didn’t want me.” You sighed and took another sip of your drink as bits and pieces of your life flashed by like a movie in your mind. 

“I spent most of my childhood trying to be just like her. Everything I did was a mirror image of her life. But when I had to fill her shoes with Magnolia… my sister; she was only two. I just put my foot down, made an about face, and became everything she wasn’t. I worked… so hard… to become the strong woman I am today, but what’s the use? All I have to show for it is a failed engagement, a burned down restaurant, and I’m not even a Belle anymore.”

“What does being a Belle mean to you?”

“It’s everything.” You said instantly. “It’s the definition of being a proper lady. It’s charm, manners, and hospitality. It’s…”

“Doll, isn’t that exhausting?” He interrupted before you could go on. “Lemon, sit back in your chair for a moment. Like actually sit back and relax your back and shoulders. OK, don’t make it look so awkward.”

“It is awkward.” You said as you tried to get comfortable in this new position.

“Alright then, come here.” He said as he stood up and pulled you to your feet. He lead you over to the lounge chairs and sat down on one of them before putting his feet on either side of the chair. “Sit. No funny business, just a lesson.”

“This is not Belle behavior.” You informed him as you handed him your drink and sat down between his legs.

“Now sit back and relax.” He breathed as he handed you back your drink and gently pulled you back against his chest. “There. That’s comfortable, right?”

“Because I’m practically laying down.” You pointed out as you shifted a bit to find a comfortable spot.

“You’re letting life pass you by because you are so concerned with what everyone else thinks about you.” He whispered as he rested his chin on your shoulder. “You have manners, babe. You have charm, and class, and a whole lot of sass. But if I can be so bold, you are acting like an old lady to impress people that will never appreciate what you are doing. But let me ask you this… do you know what color my eyes are? Because I know that you spent an awful lot of time looking down to make sure your dress was pulled up to cover your cleavage and that it was covering your knees completely. Your glasses are a little see-through, doll so I saw it all. But did you?”

“They’re blue, right?” You said as you leaned to the side to look at him.

“Yea.” He huffed with a smile and a nod. “I know you were listening but how much were you enjoying just existing in the moment? Like now. Don’t look, what color is the sky?” You smirked as he put his hands up and blocked your view so all you could see what the white wall beside you.

“I don’t know.”

“But you made sure that your dress was covering your legs four times already.” He said as he moved his hands so you could see again. “You can still be a Southern Belle and enjoy life. And I assume that you are like this because you think that if you can control every aspect of every single thing in your life, that you can control all the outcomes of what’s going to happen. That you can stop yourself from turning in to your mother.” You couldn’t help but stiffen the slightest bit as you turned around to look at him in shock.

“I wouldn’t…”

“No, you wouldn’t. But I think you think you will if you aren’t the perfect Belle. My guess is, you hyper focus on the things she didn’t. Which is why you think a single dress on your bed is a mess.”

“How did you…?”

“I read a lot of psych books in the army. Gave me something to do. And the army made me pay attention to little details.”

“So you’ve been psychoanalyzing every move I’ve made all day.” You gasped as you sat up and turned on the chair to look at him straight on.

“Yep, just like you have been analyzing every single move I make to make sure I would be a respectable candidate to date a Belle should this turn into something serious.” Your jaw snapped closed and you huffed through your nose as he took a swing of his beer and pointed at the colorful sky behind you. “Your missing the show.”

“You are a monster.”

“Yea, yea. You love that you found someone who’s not afraid to put you in your place… you touch that dress again and I’m tying your hands behind your back with my shoelaces.”

“You know what, I’m workin’ real hard on not slappin’ you silly right now.”

“Yea, yea. Sunset. It’s almost time for dinner.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You planned on sleeping in on your first day at sea since it was supposed to rain all day, but apparently, sleeping in meant getting woken up at 7:30 when someone kicked your room door. You jumped and bolted up right in bed as the kicking continued.

“Alright!” You called out as you threw back the blankets and got out of bed. You adjusted your tank top and straightened out your bottoms before ripping the door open with a scowl. “What, is it OK to wake people up like that in New York?”

“I brought breakfast so you didn’t have to venture out in the rain.” Bucky said with a smile as he held up a full tray in front of you. “And coffee.”

“Never should have showed you where I was staying.” You grumbled as you pushed the door wide open and headed back in your room to go back to bed. 

“Good morning to you, too, sunshine.” You grumbled ‘morning’ back to him and climbed right back into bed as he set the tray down on the table in the small living room. “Black?”

“Cream and lots of sugar.” He hummed to let you know he had heard you, and fixed your coffee as you curled back up under the blankets in your ice cold room.

“Here, scoot over.”

“I’m sleeping.”

“Well I want to sit anyways.” He said as he set your coffee down on his table and leaned over you to grab the remote from your bedside table.

“Why are you here?”

“Because I wanted to be graced with your pleasant presence first thing in the morning. Imagine my surprise when I found the wicked witch of the west in your bed instead.” You growled at him and scooted over a bit more so that he could get comfy as he looked for something to watch.

“You’re not very nice.”

“Drink your coffee, doll.” You peeled one of your eyes open to look up at him as he threw your blankets over his lap and sipped his own drink while watching the news. His smile grew and he shot you a wink, which made you groan and sit up.

“I want a refund on my single man choice.” You grouched as you held out your hand for your coffee. “I don’t do early mornings on vacation.”

“You don’t have two roommates that woke up at five AM to work out. I didn’t have a choice but to get up.”

“Shoulda got your own room.” You countered as you grabbed the remote and changed the channel.

“Or I could just continue to bug my new favorite person.” You scowled at him out of the corner of your eye as you pulled up the movies on demand menu and scrolled through the list. You took another sip of your coffee and stopped on ‘Hostel’.

“Think you can handle a little blood with your coffee?” You asked as you rolled your head, and looked over at him.

“You’re a freak.” He said as he reached out and hit play on the remote. “Trust me, I’ll handle it a lot better than you.”

“Sorry, sweetheart. Horror movies are my guilty pleasure. Bet you cringe before I do.”

“Oh, you’re on.” With a nod of your head, you paused the movie, and got up to use the bathroom and grab a sweater to wear until you got dressed while Bucky carried over the tray of food he grabbed from the buffet. “Don’t you dare put make up on!”

“I hate you!” You called out as you stopped unscrewing your mascara and threw it back on the counter. You finished up and grabbed an old, worn hoodie from your sorority days and pulled it over your head as you climbed into bed beside your new friend. “So where are your friends today?”

“They are meeting up with some of the girls they met last night for breakfast then going to the theater to play bingo and trivia or some shit. I don’t know, I didn’t look at the app this morning.”

“Oh, speaking of. There’s a hula class this afternoon I wanted to check out. You coming with me?”

“I will come and watch.” He said as he handed you half the bagel he had been putting cream cheese on and sat back against the head board.

“If you dance with me, I’ll let you sleep in here on the other side of a pillow wall so you don’t have to get up at 5 am as long as you promise to never tell a soul that I let you sleep in my bed.”

“Oh, you drive a hard bargain, Ms. Breeland.” He laughed as you hit play on the remote and sat back as well. “I promise my lips are sealed, and I promise I’ll dance with you.”

——

“You better put that camera down.” You giggled as you stood at the very back of the group of mostly older women, learning how to hula and the culture behind it. “And you promised you’d dance with me.”

“Oh no.” He laughed as he looked up from his phone and shook his head. “You are way better at this than I could ever be.”

“You’re just saying that.” You said as you slowly rolled your hips and moved your hands in little waves like the teacher was doing. “Because you can see my belly button.”

“It’s so scandalous.” He teased. “Such a scandalous belly button.”

“You hush. Come dance!”

“Two seconds.” He said as he set his phone down on the table, propped it up with his empty beer bottle so he could keep recording, and got up to come dance with you. “Alright, teach me.”

“I don’t know what I’m doin’.” You giggled as you looked over to see him tying up his above his belly button, too. “What are you doin’?!”

“Shh! I’m trying to listen!”

“Oh, my Lord!” You squeaked as you covered your face in embarrassment, but he reached over and bopped your arm.

“Pay attention!” He hissed with a smile as he shook his hips rapidly, purposely doing the exact opposite of what was being demonstrated to mess with you.

“Dang it anyway.” You sighed as you grabbed his belt loop. “Slow… like a gator crossin’ the road on a hot summer day.”

“I’m from New York.” He chuckled as he let you push his hips back and forth. “We don’t have gators except for in the sewers.”

“Our mayor has a pet gator named Burt Reynolds… alright, just come here.” You sighed as you pulled him over toward you. “Feel the waves move the boat.” You said as you put his hand on your hip. “The gentle back and forth. Feel the rhythm down to your very core.” He nodded his head and let you guild him the way you wanted him, which was his intention all along.

“You have that down very well.” The instructor said on her way past.

“Thank you.” You said softly as you moved your free hand into Bucky’s. “Like a wave.”

“I think you are much better at this than I am.” With a giant smirk, you shrugged your shoulders and looked away from him for a moment.

“Hey, you said it.” He laughed and stopped dancing as he turned his hand to lace his fingers with yours.

“Come on. We’re the only ones still dancing.” Your hips stopped moving as you turned around to look at the group that was slowly starting to head off in different directions.

“Oh! Well that was fast.” He nodded his head as he grabbed his phone to turn off the video.

“Wanna go wander around…?”

“You wanna go dance in the rain?” You asked him as you picked up your small purse. He looked at you with his eyebrow raised before he huffed and shrugged his shoulders.

“Why the hell not? Let’s swing by my room so I can grab some dry clothes for dinner.”

“Just… grab your whole suitcase.” You said quickly as you looked away for a moment. You reached up and bit your thumb nail before shrugging and looking up at him again. “Even if this goes absolutely no where in two weeks when the boat docks. You said it yourself, might as well have fun while we can, right?” He stood almost frozen and searched your steel blue eyes for almost a solid minute as he figured out how to phrase what he needed to say.

“As friends.” He clarified as he held your hand a tad bit tighter. “I expect nothing from you, OK? I will happily take every moment I can with you and I do not mind sleeping on the far side of a pillow wall or even on the couch if that’s the case. I will let you make whatever calls you want to make, and I will move at a glacial pace until you make a move otherwise, OK? I am in no rush.”

“I know.” You said with a small bob of your head. “I can tell you have class.”

“I mean, I try to at least.” He joked as he used his hand to pull yours until you turned around to head toward the elevator. You stopped short of the doors and pulled him to a stop as you spun and pointed at him, as threateningly as you could.

“You better not wake me up at five AM to go work out, you hear me?”

“Oh, I’d be way to scared to do such a thing. Pretty sure you could rip my face off if you were pissed.”

“I am a Southern woman.” You said seriously as he pushed the up button for you. “My method of warfare is purely psychological.”

“That’s an even scarier thought.” He chuckled as he followed you in and pushed the button for the tenth floor.

“Why, I’m an innocent angel.” You joked as you tried to make your smirk look as innocent as possible.

“Ha! I severely doubt that.”

“So, are your friends are gunna be mad you ditched them?” You asked as you reached out to pull the hair tie off Bucky’s shirt for him.

“Probably won’t even notice. My guess is, if they even go back to the room, it’ll be to just shower and change before they run out again.”

“Y’all met in the army?”

“Steve and I have known each other out whole lives.” He said as he gestured you out of the elevator in front of him. “We met Sam at the VA couple years ago. He was in the air force. Steve just kinda adopted him one day and he never went away. Pain in the ass.”

“So you’re secretly in love with him.”

“Yea!” Bucky laughed as he stopped at his room door and pulled out his room key. “Yea, totally secretly in love with him.”

“Hey, whoa!” Someone yelled from in the room as you and Bucky stepped inside. You ran into Bucky’s back and he turned around with a loud laugh.

“Keep the bed, Wilson. I’m just grabbing my shit.”

“What, you goin’ to stay with that hot Southern chick or did you find another single…”

“I’m right here!” You called out as you stuck your hand out to the side around Bucky and waved.

“Shit. Sorry!”

“Are you two decent enough that I can grab my shit or what?”

“We’re decent!” A woman called out, which made your cheeks flush a bit in embarrassment not just for you, but for her as well.

“I’ll just wait in the hall.” You giggled as you turned and walked out of the room with your hands over your cheeks. You heard it close behind you and you walked a few feet away to safely burst out laughing as quietly as you could. You had just started catching your breath when Bucky stepped back out of the room with a duffle on his shoulder, a pile of shirts in his arms, and an empty bathroom bag and all his bathroom products on top. You looked over at him as the door closed and your laughs bubbled to the surface again. “Way to go, sugar!”

“How was I supposed to know he was gunna be banging some chick?” He asked as you grabbed his bathroom bag and started putting his things in it for him as you headed down the hall toward the back of the boat.

“We just ruined their whole afternoon.”

“No we didn’t. They’re probably right back at it already.” You shook your head and shuttered as you reached out and tried to take the pile of dress shirts from his arms for him, but he pulled away. “Not happening. You have your hands full with that very important bathroom bag.”

“And why is it so important?” He huffed and stopped at the second set of elevators.

“Because it’s in the hands of this gorgeous woman I know.”

“You are just trying to butter my biscuit today, aren’t you?” You giggled as you stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the fourteenth floor.

“I’m sorry, what the hell did you just say?”

“You… are… just…”

“OK, I heard you!” He laughed as he adjusted his bag on his shoulder. “I’ve just never heard someone say that before.”

“That’s because you’ve never met someone like me.” You reminded him as you stepped out of the life and turned to head back to your room.

“You are definitely one of a kind, doll. Definitely one of a kind.”