by Jeff Uribe and Sydnie MacElroy
[NRPG : The latest in the private lives of Zenya and Leo. Nothing naughty here...... yet.]
> **********
> [Zenya's apartment]
> Zenya was just putting the candles on the table when the doorbell rang. > She looked up, startled out of some deep thoughts that had been brought on > by a phone call from a 'helpful' friend. Ever the pessimist, this friend > had taken apparent pleasure in quoting rather convincing statistics, most > likely made up, Zenya figured, on the percentage of office romances that > fail miserably. Zenya had pretended to listen patiently while her > attention was focused primarily on fixing dinner and her goal of impressing > Leo with her culinary skills. But some of it must have gotten through, > because when she heard the bell, a sudden wave of nervousness came over her > and all the questions she thought she had settled once and for all came > rushing back.
> "You're being silly," she muttered to herself. She touched a match to the > candle wicks before going to the door. The last of her doubts slipped away > when she opened the door and saw Leo standing there. On the phone earlier, > she hadn't been able to explain why this was different. Right now, she > could have, although it might not have made sense to anyone else.
> "Hi," she said, feeling suddenly awkward for a different reason, and > wishing she could have come up with a more clever greeting.
> Leo stood there for a moment looking at her with wide eyes. She had spent > more time getting ready than she had fixing dinner, and it had paid off. > His reaction was exactly the one she had been trying for. After a couple > of seconds, he caught himself and looked her in the eye. "I was staring, > wasn't I," he asked with a sheepish grin.
> Zenya nodded and held out a hand to him, led him inside and closed the > door. She slipped her arms around him and kissed him lightly. "Come in > and make yourself at home," she said.
> She led him to the couch, where she had two wine glasses waiting for them.
> "Looks like you thought of everything," Leo commented as he accepted a > glass from her.
> "I certainly hope so," Zenya said. "Are you all right?"
> Leo looked confused for a moment. "Yes. Why?"
> "On the plane this afternoon, you seemed.. distracted by something."
> "Actually, I was just wondering what's in chapter ten of that book," Leo > said, grinning.
> It was Zenya's turn for a moment of confusion, then she remembered what > she'd said at the airport before they left for New York and she blushed. > "Seriously, Leo, is anything wrong?"
> "No. Guess I was just lost in thought."
> "About Vanessa?"
> "Among other things," Leo said. "You said something about talking to her > after we got back."
> Zenya nodded. "I haven't had a chance yet, though. I'll give her a call > in the morning." She almost added, 'remind me', but decided that was > presumptuous.
> "She seems to be holding up very well," Leo said.
> "That's what worries me," Zenya commented, then had to laugh at the look on > Leo's face. "And yes, I know I worry too much. I mean that, considering > what she went through.." She shrugged. "Maybe I'm just projecting, but I > can't even imagine how I would react. I would be devastated. I can't help > thinking that maybe she's bearing up too well."
> "Denial? Maybe. But she's young and she's tough. She also hadn't known > about the baby for very long."
> Zenya nodded. "True, and all of that makes a difference, but.." She > paused. The problem with not being a great conversationalist is that at > moments when you really want to change the subject, you usually can't think > of anything to change it to.
> "But you can't help putting yourself in her place," Leo finished for her. > "I can understand that."
> Zenya looked at him, trying to read his expression. "Because you've been > there," she said. It wasn't a question. She had seen it in his eyes.
> Leo nodded. "Personal question?"
> "Ask me anything," Zenya said.
> "Well, after seeing you with Janet, and what you just said, I can't help > wondering.."
> Even though she saw the question coming, Zenya couldn't help being startled > by it. She drained half her glass of wine in one gulp while Leo was still > talking, and that was enough to stop his train of thought. She had made a > resolution that they were not going to talk about the past tonight, and > here they hadn't even made it five minutes before the subject loomed.
> "Am I that obvious," she asked.
> "Not unless you happen to be watching closely."
> "And you have been watching," Zenya said, smiling. "I suppose I've just > always figured that someday, the time would be right. Anyway, dinner > should be ready soon.."
> She started to get up, but Leo caught her wrist and pulled her back down. > "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable," he said. "I didn't mean to. It > just seemed like the natural question at the moment."
> Zenya shook her head and leaned against him. "You didn't make me > uncomfortable. At least, not exactly. The truth is, Valery would never > even discuss the possibility of having children and I never forced the > issue. And by the time he wanted to talk about it, things had deteriorated > too far." She was quiet for a while, then a smile crossed her face. "Leo, > you know, you still owe me a dance. Last time, you sort of disappeared on > me halfway through it."
> Leo smiled at this and stood up, offering his hand to Zenya. "Well, as > they say, no time like the present."
> Zenya smiled in return and nodded as she stood. "No music?"
> "Do we need any?" Leo whispered as he pulled her close to him, relishing > the feel of her body against his. They slowly swayed together to some old > forgotten tune that played only in their minds. In the moment that they > spent dancing, nothing else mattered but each other. No Crosses, No > Docker, No human-wolf hybrids, nothing. For all they knew, the world > could've ended at that moment and they wouldn't have known it as they held > each other closely, savoring the love that they felt for each other.
> And then it happened. The phone rang.
> Snapped out of their reverie, Zenya looked across to the phone on her end > table. She then looked towards Leo, who just smiled at her dilemma, torn > between answering the phone ("After all, it might be an emergency!") and > staying where she was ("If it's an emergency, they'll call back."). The > phone rang a second, then a third time and Leo felt Zenya's muscles tense > from under his arms.
> "Leo," was all that Zenya could muster before Leo smiled and started to > kiss her with all of the passion that he felt for her at that moment. When > he felt her kiss back with the same intensity, he knew that the phone had > become nothing more than an afterthought. The kiss stretched into what > seemed an eternity, but neither one cared, until a new noise cut through > the pheremone-driven fog in their minds.
> The first thing to register in Leo's mind was the beep beep beep of a bomb > about to go off. Panic took over his body as he broke the kiss and looked > around for the sound. This time it was Zenya's turn to look amused at the > confusion on his face.
> "Relax, Leo." she said with a chuckle. "It's only the oven timer. > Dinner's ready."
> For a long moment, Zenya didn't move, but finally practicality had to win > out. Burning dinner and starting fire in the kitchen wouldn't exactly be a > mood enhancer. So, reluctantly, she slipped from Leo's arms and crossed > the room, feeling weak-kneed, light headed and on top of the world. As she > went into the kitchen, she glanced back over her shoulder and, catching him > watching her, winked at him.
> When she had disappeared into the kitchen, Leo refilled the wine glasses > and transferred them to the table. Then he looked around for a stereo, > thinking there had to be one somewhere. What he found was an old radio, > not quite an antique, but close, in the corner of a book shelf. He turned > it on, skeptical that such a dinosaur could still work, but amazingly, it > did and without too much effort, he found a station playing unobtrusive > light jazz.
> He took a deep breath, inhaling the aroma of cooking coming from the > kitchen, and smiled. "Lasagna," he asked.
> "Maybe you were expecting borsht and potato dumplings," Zenya called out.
> Leo's chuckle at that was cut short by a muffled clatter and a string of > mild curses coming from the other room. It didn't sound like a major > emergency, but he peered around the corner into the kitchen just to make > sure.
> Zenya looked up and smiled at him. "I've got everything under control," > she told him. "The dish was just a little hotter than I expected."
> Leo came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Burn > yourself?"
> Zenya shook her head and leaned into his embrace. By an iron force of > will, she managed to keep her mind on dishing up dinner, but it wasn't > easy.
> "And you bake, too," Leo commented. His eyes were on a tray of rolls not > uniform enough to be store bought.
> Zenya laughed. Well, maybe it was more like a giggle. "Supposedly," she > said, a bit coyly, "men are.. more aroused by the smell of baked goods than > anything else. It was on 60 Minutes, so it must be true, but I thought I'd > try a little experiment of my own."