It's been HOW long? You don't say! Really? I had no idea...
Ok, full disclosure. My life has been absolutely ridiculous these last few months, and I have had next to no energy for writing. But that's no excuse! This is a mere tiny bit of an addition, and I would recommend going back a few chapters (or hell, start back at the beginning, that should keep you occupied for a while!) to refresh your memories of what's been going on thus far. I have promised to finish this story and I will... eventually... but I also don't want to cop out. So without further ado, just a tiny bit more until I come up with a good idea...
~*~*~
Previously, on Just Friends...
“Jesse was so worried about you he stalked me standing outside the girls’ bathroom. When I finally disappeared he busted in and found you in Hugh’s arms, having, as he said, your face sucked off. In the meantime, your eyes are still making me very nervous, you haven’t sat down since you finished with the police, and I want to get you home—or to a hospital—or something.”
“I don’t need a hospital,” Lisa said, relaxing into Robert’s side and frowning at the door to the mens’ room. Raised voices were starting to seep through but she couldn’t tell what they were saying. “I’ll just go to Hugh’s like we planned, and he’ll make sure I stay up until my pupils are back to normal and no one is worried about my lapsing into a coma.”
“You do realize Hugh’s not an actual doctor, right?” Robert squeezed her arm. “He just plays one on tv.”
“Robert.” Lisa glared at him before bursting out laughing. “I cannot believe you just said that.”
~*~*~
“What do you mean, you’re divorced?”
“You know,” Hugh said conversationally as he kept his elbow in the small of Jesse’s back and forced him down against the counter, “trying to sound stern really doesn’t do much when your nose is squished against a mirror.”
“Then let me up and tell me what the hell you’re talking about,” Jesse sputtered, and Hugh tried very hard not to give him a peevish shove as he let him up.
“Jesse…” Hugh dry-washed his face and leaned back against the sink, crossing his arms. “This information is not public. Jo and I… she came over and she brought the papers and it’s done. Lisa and I just… we… I don’t know.”
“That’s not good enough for me,” Jesse said, glaring at him and opening the door—only to encounter Lisa’s raised hand, about to knock.
“Jesse? Can I talk to you?”
“Normal people have these conversations in chairs,” Robert all but shouted from behind her. “In rooms where they don’t have to sit on sinks and there’s no possibility of a literal shit storm happening in the background! Normal people don’t—” His voice faded out as Lisa closed the door behind her.
“Ok,” Lisa said, taking Jesse’s arm and walking him to the side. “I can explain.”
~*~*~
“Explain?” Jesse looked from Hugh to Lisa and back again. “I don’t—how long has this been going on?”
“Jesse, please,” Lisa’s hand trailed down his arm and she took his fingers into a two-handed grip. “Please, I need your word. Your friendship is so important to me, and I just need to know—you have to keep this to yourself.” His eyes met hers and Lisa bit her lip at the anger she still saw. “Jesse?”
“I don’t understand.” He pulled his hand away from her and leaned against the wall. “I just don’t—can you start at the beginning?”
Lisa’s shoulders sagged and Hugh unconsciously reached for her. Jesse tracked these movements with his eyes and finally groaned.
“Oh for bloody hell’s sake,” he said, “just go ahead, you guys are practically shooting off sparks. I can’t believe I never saw this before.”
Lisa nearly collapsed the final twelve inches in Hugh’s direction and his arm circled her waist, holding her up against him, anchoring her to his side, his fingers gripping her upper arm. Lisa reached one arm around his back and flattened her palm against his spine, as her other arm circled around his stomach. She hugged him close, closing her eyes. The events of the night weighed on her eyelids and as Hugh began to speak the vibrations of his chest started to lull her into a sleepy complacency.
“Nothing’s happened, Jess,” he was saying lowly. “We’ve been—since the beginning of this season, I guess—well, something was different, I can’t even say what… You have to know that Lisa has been steadfastly trying to keep me on the straight and narrow. We’ve both been fighting these feelings; whatever they are… it’s been hell. And then finally when—Lisa. Lisa?” Hugh reached his hand up from her shoulder to stroke her hair. “Wake up. Come on.”
“I’m going to hate you by the time this night is over,” she growled, looking up at him. “I’m awake. Fine.”
“Ok. Because I’m not letting you get away with anything tonight, madame.”
Lisa’s eyebrow arched mischievously and Jesse cleared his throat, looking down at the floor. “I don’t understand,” he muttered, hands digging into his pockets. “I don’t—we’re going to sort this out.” A finger pointed menacingly in Hugh’s direction. “I’m not going to keep Lisa on her feet after the night she’s had. I’m not that cruel. But one of these days…”
“Jesse?” Lisa didn’t remove her head from Hugh’s chest, but her eyes locked with his. “Please. Will you please…”
“I’m not going to say a word,” he said evenly, his jaw set. “I’m not getting in the middle of this. But you…” stepping forward, Jesse took Lisa’s arm and brought her a few feet away from Hugh, lowering his voice. “Lisa, listen. You know what you’re doing, and it’s your life and all… but you come to me if you ever need… I mean, if Hugh ever…”
Hugh Laurie braced himself against the counter and gritted his teeth, trying not to take it personally. Lisa and Jesse were friends, and of course she would be his first priority. Still…
“Jesse.” Lisa put her hands on either side of his face and she beamed at him. “Hugh doesn’t have a mean or spiteful bone in his body. Don’t you think of it for even a minute. But thank you so much…” Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his cheek and then pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for watching out for me.”
Jesse blushed, shaking his head as she stepped back. Then he pointed at Hugh, one stern finger, and then changed it to two, from his eyes to Hugh’s face and back.
“I’m watching you.”
“Thank you,” Hugh said seriously, and Jesse nodded quickly, backing out of the door and nearly running Robert over as he departed. Lisa turned around.
“That was unfortunate,” she said lowly as Hugh came nearer and wrapped his arms around her, lowering his face into her hair. “I wish he hadn’t seen that…”
“It’s done, though,” he muttered, his chest moving against hers as be breathed deeply. “Nothing to do about it now. But… we should probably head out before we have another—”
The door swung open and Lisa levitated what felt like three feet out of her skin. Robert glared at them both.
“Lisa. Hugh. Get your asses out here right now and go home!” Muttering under his breath he walked away, heading for his car. “Making perfectly innocent bystanders park themselves outside of bathrooms, lie to the faces of unsuspecting females in need of facilities, causing drama and strife everywhere they turn, spare me actors, I swear…”
Hugh took Lisa’s arm and led her out, looking around before allowing her to follow him out of the restroom.
“We’ll take my car, I think,” he said, opening the door for her.
“Ha, ha,” said Lisa, scowling at him. “Thank you.”
Ok, full disclosure. My life has been absolutely ridiculous these last few months, and I have had next to no energy for writing. But that's no excuse! This is a mere tiny bit of an addition, and I would recommend going back a few chapters (or hell, start back at the beginning, that should keep you occupied for a while!) to refresh your memories of what's been going on thus far. I have promised to finish this story and I will... eventually... but I also don't want to cop out. So without further ado, just a tiny bit more until I come up with a good idea...
~*~*~
Previously, on Just Friends...
“Jesse was so worried about you he stalked me standing outside the girls’ bathroom. When I finally disappeared he busted in and found you in Hugh’s arms, having, as he said, your face sucked off. In the meantime, your eyes are still making me very nervous, you haven’t sat down since you finished with the police, and I want to get you home—or to a hospital—or something.”
“I don’t need a hospital,” Lisa said, relaxing into Robert’s side and frowning at the door to the mens’ room. Raised voices were starting to seep through but she couldn’t tell what they were saying. “I’ll just go to Hugh’s like we planned, and he’ll make sure I stay up until my pupils are back to normal and no one is worried about my lapsing into a coma.”
“You do realize Hugh’s not an actual doctor, right?” Robert squeezed her arm. “He just plays one on tv.”
“Robert.” Lisa glared at him before bursting out laughing. “I cannot believe you just said that.”
~*~*~
“What do you mean, you’re divorced?”
“You know,” Hugh said conversationally as he kept his elbow in the small of Jesse’s back and forced him down against the counter, “trying to sound stern really doesn’t do much when your nose is squished against a mirror.”
“Then let me up and tell me what the hell you’re talking about,” Jesse sputtered, and Hugh tried very hard not to give him a peevish shove as he let him up.
“Jesse…” Hugh dry-washed his face and leaned back against the sink, crossing his arms. “This information is not public. Jo and I… she came over and she brought the papers and it’s done. Lisa and I just… we… I don’t know.”
“That’s not good enough for me,” Jesse said, glaring at him and opening the door—only to encounter Lisa’s raised hand, about to knock.
“Jesse? Can I talk to you?”
“Normal people have these conversations in chairs,” Robert all but shouted from behind her. “In rooms where they don’t have to sit on sinks and there’s no possibility of a literal shit storm happening in the background! Normal people don’t—” His voice faded out as Lisa closed the door behind her.
“Ok,” Lisa said, taking Jesse’s arm and walking him to the side. “I can explain.”
~*~*~
“Explain?” Jesse looked from Hugh to Lisa and back again. “I don’t—how long has this been going on?”
“Jesse, please,” Lisa’s hand trailed down his arm and she took his fingers into a two-handed grip. “Please, I need your word. Your friendship is so important to me, and I just need to know—you have to keep this to yourself.” His eyes met hers and Lisa bit her lip at the anger she still saw. “Jesse?”
“I don’t understand.” He pulled his hand away from her and leaned against the wall. “I just don’t—can you start at the beginning?”
Lisa’s shoulders sagged and Hugh unconsciously reached for her. Jesse tracked these movements with his eyes and finally groaned.
“Oh for bloody hell’s sake,” he said, “just go ahead, you guys are practically shooting off sparks. I can’t believe I never saw this before.”
Lisa nearly collapsed the final twelve inches in Hugh’s direction and his arm circled her waist, holding her up against him, anchoring her to his side, his fingers gripping her upper arm. Lisa reached one arm around his back and flattened her palm against his spine, as her other arm circled around his stomach. She hugged him close, closing her eyes. The events of the night weighed on her eyelids and as Hugh began to speak the vibrations of his chest started to lull her into a sleepy complacency.
“Nothing’s happened, Jess,” he was saying lowly. “We’ve been—since the beginning of this season, I guess—well, something was different, I can’t even say what… You have to know that Lisa has been steadfastly trying to keep me on the straight and narrow. We’ve both been fighting these feelings; whatever they are… it’s been hell. And then finally when—Lisa. Lisa?” Hugh reached his hand up from her shoulder to stroke her hair. “Wake up. Come on.”
“I’m going to hate you by the time this night is over,” she growled, looking up at him. “I’m awake. Fine.”
“Ok. Because I’m not letting you get away with anything tonight, madame.”
Lisa’s eyebrow arched mischievously and Jesse cleared his throat, looking down at the floor. “I don’t understand,” he muttered, hands digging into his pockets. “I don’t—we’re going to sort this out.” A finger pointed menacingly in Hugh’s direction. “I’m not going to keep Lisa on her feet after the night she’s had. I’m not that cruel. But one of these days…”
“Jesse?” Lisa didn’t remove her head from Hugh’s chest, but her eyes locked with his. “Please. Will you please…”
“I’m not going to say a word,” he said evenly, his jaw set. “I’m not getting in the middle of this. But you…” stepping forward, Jesse took Lisa’s arm and brought her a few feet away from Hugh, lowering his voice. “Lisa, listen. You know what you’re doing, and it’s your life and all… but you come to me if you ever need… I mean, if Hugh ever…”
Hugh Laurie braced himself against the counter and gritted his teeth, trying not to take it personally. Lisa and Jesse were friends, and of course she would be his first priority. Still…
“Jesse.” Lisa put her hands on either side of his face and she beamed at him. “Hugh doesn’t have a mean or spiteful bone in his body. Don’t you think of it for even a minute. But thank you so much…” Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his cheek and then pulled him into a hug. “Thank you for watching out for me.”
Jesse blushed, shaking his head as she stepped back. Then he pointed at Hugh, one stern finger, and then changed it to two, from his eyes to Hugh’s face and back.
“I’m watching you.”
“Thank you,” Hugh said seriously, and Jesse nodded quickly, backing out of the door and nearly running Robert over as he departed. Lisa turned around.
“That was unfortunate,” she said lowly as Hugh came nearer and wrapped his arms around her, lowering his face into her hair. “I wish he hadn’t seen that…”
“It’s done, though,” he muttered, his chest moving against hers as be breathed deeply. “Nothing to do about it now. But… we should probably head out before we have another—”
The door swung open and Lisa levitated what felt like three feet out of her skin. Robert glared at them both.
“Lisa. Hugh. Get your asses out here right now and go home!” Muttering under his breath he walked away, heading for his car. “Making perfectly innocent bystanders park themselves outside of bathrooms, lie to the faces of unsuspecting females in need of facilities, causing drama and strife everywhere they turn, spare me actors, I swear…”
Hugh took Lisa’s arm and led her out, looking around before allowing her to follow him out of the restroom.
“We’ll take my car, I think,” he said, opening the door for her.
“Ha, ha,” said Lisa, scowling at him. “Thank you.”
