Epico - Chapter 3/?
Epico - A Sorta Fairytale: Chapter Three
Authors: CJ [vylentcrymz], Emilie [emilierevan], Jen [savvy_elf] and Stacy [adayindreamland].
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Dominic Monaghan/Emilie de Ravin, Ian Somerhalder/Maggie Grace, Orlando Bloom/Evangeline Lilly
Summary: Love. Friendship. Growth. Sex. Change. Drama. But mostly just sex. Sure, we have a plot… somewhere around here (now where did I put that thing?), but when broken down into its simplest form, Epico = SEX!
Disclaimer: We don't own these people. They're real, sure, but none of these events have or ever will transpire. No offense is meant and we're making no profit from this. Title taken from the song A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos.
Authors’ Notes: We all really hope you enjoy reading Epico (fyi, that’s Spanish for epic, and if you say it out loud, you absolutely must be wearing a sombrero). We’ve been working on this fic for ages and it’s really become our baby - our alcoholic, sex-addicted, constantly horny, and occasionally violent baby whom we love with every bit of our hearts and souls. We realize that no one will be able to give our baby the same unconditional love we have showered upon it, but our hope is that Epico will be able to bring a smile to your face and warm the cockles of your heart. Or it might rot your brain, but that’s the risk you take when dealing with Epico.
Please remember: Feedback is to us as sex is to Magsian, Domilie, and Orlilly. As in, very important, and something that needs to be done 24/7.
Prologue, 1 and 2
---
Ian smelled like her. Even after he took his morning shower before work, he could still smell her, taste her, and see her whenever he closed his eyes. Paranoia hit by the time he turned off his engine and made his way towards the beach set, gnawing at his stomach like a virus.
Best case scenario, he was just imagining things and no one-meaning Dom-would make a comment about the fact that he smelled like a woman, specifically Maggie.
Ian didn’t even wanna think about the worst case scenario.
He ran a hand through his hair as he reached the set, scanning through the various people to see who was there so far. There was a flash of stripes-which he really hoped weren’t the stripes belonging to Charlie-and he managed to spot a few of the others. He could see Yunjin and Josh from where he was, and a little to the left Naveen and Maggie were having a thumb war.
Maggie. He forgot they were acting together today.
Had yesterday happened but they weren’t talking about it? Or maybe it never ‘happened’, which he really hoped wasn’t the option she’d chosen. All he wanted was to make it through the day without making a complete ass of himself.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ian had a banana in his mouth. Nearly choking on it, he yanked it out and looked to see Dom laughing his ass off just beside him. “What the-”
“You were just standing there, mate,” Dom explained once he recovered, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. “Mouth agape and all, looked like something belonged in there.”
Rolling his eyes, Ian swallowed some of it and gave Dom a good punch in the arm, “Thanks, mate.”
Rubbing his arm, Dom called after the departing Ian, “Just wash it out with some juice, no need to get violent.”
Ian mumbled something under his breath about washing Dom out with acid as he ventured towards the food-table, not looking where he was going until he bumped into something tall and solid.
“Shit!” he exclaimed, blinking furiously as he looked up at the large tree now mere inches from his face. “How the hell did that get there?”
A soft laugh reached his ears and a familiar voice soon followed. “Well, Ian, trees tend to grow over many, many years when someone plants a seed in the ground.”
Ian turned, a little flustered from his run in, and rubbed the back of his neck. There was clumsy, and then there was downright embarrassing. Off to a nice start, he thought to himself.
“Are you alright?” came Maggie’s voice again as she and Naveen stood watching Ian with amused interest. “You bonked your head pretty hard.”
Reddening, Ian nodded and tried to say something back but all that came out was an odd-sounding laugh.
If anyone were to look at Maggie at that moment, they wouldn’t have really thought anything other than how beautiful she looked in the natural light, smiling and enjoying herself. But Ian, for some reason, didn’t read her expression but rather her eyes. She was smiling and laughing, sure, but her eyes betrayed the guise and showed that she was nervous. And if he looked close enough he could see her fighting to urge to bite her lip.
It made him feel a little less crazy, knowing that she wasn’t ignoring what happened. Just a little.
“You sure you’re good, mate?” Naveen asked, folding his arms and nodding a little in Ian’s direction.
Ian reached up to rub his head a little, smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a bit distracted.”
“Probably still got that hangover,” Naveen joked, and Ian managed a laugh that sounded natural while his brain sped backwards to the day before. Events started replaying before his eyes and he struggled to maintain eye contact with anyone.
“Got rid of that yesterday,” he said with a casual glance at Maggie to gage her reaction. “Lots of juice and Ibuprofen.”
Ian found that Maggie was doing just the same, looking to him for a reaction, for a clue as to what was going on through his head. But when their eyes met she looked away, plastering a convincing smile on her face. “I’m sure we probably took a little more than the suggested amount but it worked a charm.”
Losing any hope of talking about it with her anytime soon, Ian politely excused himself and brushed past her to the food-table. By the time he reached it, Maggie walked up beside him and joined in and piling up a plastic plate with some breakfast. She didn’t speak to him but rather to Josh and Yunjin who stood opposite of them, doing the exact same thing.
“The premiere was a blast, guys,” the smile on her face showed no sign of falling. “Should definitely be a weekly thing.”
When her arm brushed against Ian’s, he jumped, nearly losing his entire plate of food.
Yunjin narrowed her eyes in concern, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Ian ran over her words with his, feeling his cheeks burn bright red even though they were under a canopy and the sun was nowhere near his face. He laughed at himself, pathetically. “Just a little jumpy today, too hyper.”
He felt Maggie’s stare and hesitantly turned his head to meet her eyes and finally, finally, she didn’t turn away. The fake smile on her face fell for a moment as a second, stretched out to seem like forever, passed between them. He could see the mechanics in her head working and clicking when she decided something. She made a small noise and turned back to Yunjin and Josh.
Whatever it was she’d decided, Ian was going to go crazy if he didn’t find out soon.
“Hey Ian,” she began casually, barely even looking at him as she spoke. “It’s script day.”
Ian paused to look at her and felt his heart jump into his throat. It was their tradition to get together on script day and read them, just the two of them in her trailer. And she was reminding him.
Which meant she wanted to be alone with him.
His smile widened a little. “Oh yeah, when do we get the scripts?”
“JJ said he was bringin’ em over in about ten, jus' about the time we start to film” Josh told him. “Can’t wait to see what the hell’s gonna happen to us all next.”
Yunjin barely tried to conceal her wicked smile as she picked up a knife and fork. “If all the men are forced to walk around shirtless, I wouldn’t mind,” she said with a hint of laughter.
Maggie shot a look at Yunjin, shaking her head. Yunjin widened her eyes and looked a little too innocent, “What?”
“Nothing,” Maggie laughed before grabbing a spoonful of lettuce and piling it on top of the rest of her food. Letting out a dramatic sigh, she stepped away from the table. “I think I’ll just go eat this in my trailer.”
Walking past Ian, she let her hand drift over his back, drawing a figure eight between his shoulder blades, before heading off in the direction of her trailer. Ian took a large chomp out of his celery and tried to not watch her sashay out of eyesight.
After a few unbearable minutes, Ian pushed away from the table, abandoning his plate. Walking backwards, he stumbled over words to try to explain why he was leaving so abruptly.
“I’m going to…uh….just, well, you know…” after several odd hand gestures, Ian finally just turned around and speedily walked away.
“That’s an odd boy,” Josh mumbled to Yunjin, who laughed before the two of them departed to the beach without giving Ian a second thought.
When Ian finally reached Maggie’s trailer, he was suddenly completely unsure whether he’d felt her touch his back, or wanted her to touch his back. Now was not the time to be imagining things. Before he could contemplate things further, the door opened and Maggie looked down at him with one hand placed on her hip.
“You are such a dork, you know that?” she said, a smile playing on her lips.
“I am?” Ian wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or insulted by that, but he followed her in anyway.
“Yes, you are. A really obvious dork.” She sat down on her couch and watched as he sat at the opposite end.
Ian shifted nervously for a few moments, pausing every now and again to rub the back of his neck, and looked over at her. "Are we going to talk about what happened yesterday?" He asked, watching as she scooted a little closer and rested a hand on his leg. "About the fact that we-"
"Later," she interrupted. "What really matters is that we're both here, in my trailer, alone, and what happened yesterday? Wasn't bad. I think it would be stupid if we didn't take advantage of an opportunity like this."
"I'm not gonna argue, Mags, but I mean... are you sure?"
"I'm sure." She smiled and lifted her hand, placing it at the nape of his neck and playing with his hair. Maggie moved forward a little more and looked at him questioningly. “Why did you walk into a tree anyway?”
Maybe it was the close proximity of her body with his, the way he could feel the heat radiating off of her, or the light caress of her fingertips against his skin, or the curve of her lips, or even the deep brown of her eyes as they focused intently on him. Whatever it was, his apprehension of the situation melted and he felt a shiver of pure heat run up his spine. She was right, yesterday hadn't been bad at all, and he found new confidence growing with every second at the thought of being able to shift it from a one time thing into something a little more.
“You wanna know?” he asked, and when she nodded he leaned forward and rested a hand on her hip as he whispered in her ear, “I did it on purpose.”
Maggie rolled her eyes and slapped his arm playfully. “Yeah, right.”
“How else would I have gotten your attention?”
“Um, a dozen other ways,” Maggie snorted. “And you’re so shocked that I called you a dork.”
Ian relented, admitting the truth as he moved his lips to graze along her neck. “Alright, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“That sounds more like you,” Maggie whispered, her voice catching a little when his lips found her pulse point. “What were you thinking about that was so distracting?”
“Dom, actually,” Ian breathed, laughing a little as Maggie pulled away with a half pout. “What? You asked, I told the truth.”
“I was kinda hoping you were gonna say my name,” she said, resting a hand on his shoulder and playing with the collar of his shirt.
Ian grinned and leaned a little closer. “There’s plenty of time for that.”
His lips met hers in a tender kiss as his thumb gently massaged circles into her hip. When they pulled away, Maggie smirked and breathily explained, “Shooting starts in less than ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes gives me plenty of time,” Ian kissed her chin and then moved to kiss her neck when she pushed him away a little. “What?”
“No time for foreplay.” And before he knew it, he'd been pulled up from the sofa with her legs wrapped around his waist and he was up against the wall behind them.
“Fuck,” he hissed, raising his eyebrows. “You’re quick.”
Maggie grinned and rolled her hips, feeling very pleased with herself as his eyes slid shut and his arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned forward, kissing him harder than before.
“Someone’s gonna notice when we stroll on set in ten minutes,” he murmured against her lips, desperately looking grip of all his control.
“S’okay,” she whispered, reaching between them to undo his jeans. “I promise to fix any impending sex hair.”
Ian spun them around so she was against the counter. His hands snuck up her ‘Shannon’ skirt and quickly yanked her panties down for her to kick off. When she finished her work on his pants, allowing them to fall around his ankles, Ian brought her in for another crushing kiss.
“Condom,” he mumbled against her lips. “In my...wallet.”
Hoisting her up onto his waist again, his cock pressed up against her thigh-so tortuously close-Ian struggled to reach into his back pocket as Maggie placed quick, butterfly kisses all over his neck. Maggie wasted no time in taking the packet out of his hands once he’d taken it from his wallet, ripping it open and sliding it over him.
They stumbled into the small bedroom area, not bothering to close the door or even get on the bed. Pressing Maggie against the wall, Ian brushed her hair out of her eyes, watching as she reacted to his cock pressing just a little bit into her. She dug her heels into his thighs, begging him wordlessly to just fucking do it already. Without a moment’s hesitation, he thrust into her.
Maggie moaned, trying to keep her eyes open as she moved her hips against his. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, nails making crescent moon shapes as they both began to speed up.
“Fuck, Maggie,” Ian groaned, watching her mouth fall open slightly as she tilted her head back. Ian braced one hand against the wall, the other resting firmly on her hip, and attempted to keep his eyes on her face.
He failed when she ground on him, his head falling forward to rest on her shoulder as the speed steadily increased and the temperature of the room managed to sky rocket around them as the minutes passed.
Maggie moaned low in her throat. “Fucking hell, Ian…so close.” She slid a hand down his arm, feeling the heat of his skin, the ripple of muscles, and moved steadily with him. “God,” she moaned again, louder this time.
Ian didn’t think he could last any longer, his entire body shaking in preparation for an explosion. Pushing up her skirt, he pressed two fingers against her clit and moved them frantically.
The action caused Maggie to lose all sense of control over her body, bucking like crazy against Ian, meeting his thrusts ten-fold. “Oh god, oh god….oh GOD! Yes, fuck, right there. Right there….yes, yes, YES!”
And then BANG, like an explosion of fireworks, Maggie came, her contracting muscles squeezing Ian one last time. He quickly followed, thrusting inside of her a few more times until stalling and falling against her.
Time seemed to freeze and stretch endlessly around them. His lips pressed lightly against her neck as she arched against him, letting the last waves of her orgasm wash over her. Their world chose to correct itself as she remembered how to speak English and he remembered how to breath and he raised his head to meet her eyes while she began to speak.
“Fuck,” Maggie mumbled, her breathing slowly starting to steady. “That was a damn good ten minutes.”
Ian nodded a little breathlessly. He slowly slid out of her as she unwrapped her legs, and he heard a small moan of protest before her feet hit the floor. “I think I forgot all my lines.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Maggie said with a lazy smile, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. “You don’t need to know them; you’re only there to look pretty.”
“You’re so mean.” He looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes, his lips forming a small pout and she playfully rolled her eyes at him, swatting him on the arm. “Hey! Violence won’t get you anymore nekkid time with me.”
Maggie raised her eyebrows at him in a faux-curious manner, “And who says I even want anymore naked-time?”
Before Ian could investigate her question, a knock came at the door. Josh’s voice soon followed, “Time to go, Blondie.”
“Shit,” Maggie slipped from between Ian and the wall, adjusting her skirt on the way, and stepped out of the bedroom just as Josh poked his head in. Surreptitiously, she covered the empty condom wrapper with her flip-flop. “Hey, what’s up?”
Josh gave her a curious look and hopped up onto the first step into her trailer, leaning against the cabinet. “Uh…filmin’? Little show called Lost that we’re all here to make.”
Maggie gave him an exaggerated eye-roll, “Go cut your hair, already.”
Letting out a hearty laugh, Josh threw his hands up in the universal oh, snap gesture and turned to go. Before Maggie could try to kick her discarded panties out of view, he turned back around. “You haven’ seen Ian, have you?”
“Ian?” Maggie shook her head. “He’s been acting kinda weird, I just figured he’d gone for a walk or something.”
Josh seemed to buy it and nodded. “Alright, well if you see him, tell ol’ blue eyes to get his ass on set.” He turned to go and then looked over his shoulder. “You alright, by the way? Lookin’ a little flushed.”
Maggie smiled, smoothing her hand down one side of her skirt. “I’m good. It’s just kinda hot in here,” she explained, sighing with relief as Josh gave her one final nod, tapped his watch, and let the trailer door swing shut behind him.
“Coasts clear,” she called out, picking her panties up from the floor and sliding them on. Ian shuffled in, now with his pants back on, and she smiled at him. “That was a close one.”
Ian nodded but didn’t make any move towards her or speak a word, silently leaning against the bathroom door.
“What?” Maggie asked, confused.
“You really don’t want anymore naked-time?” he asked quietly.
“I would never,” Maggie walked up to him and ran her hands up and down his chest, “deny you the pleasure of my company.”
Ian kissed her then abruptly, though it was welcome on Maggie’s part. When they broke away to catch their breaths, “Maybe there’ll be more time for foreplay in future.”
“You’re the first guy I’ve ever heard that from,” Maggie laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. Ian slowly leaned against her so she would press up against the wall and she, moaning softly into his mouth, protested. “We have work to do.”
“I guess, if we have to,” Ian pressed a kiss to the dip of her neck, enjoying driving her crazy.
“Your ass,” Maggie gave his butt a good slap, “needs to be on set, blue eyes.”
---
“You do realize we’re going out to dinner, right?” Orlando’s face scrunched up in scrutiny as he watched Dom chomp away at his Subway sandwich.
“Just having a bit of a snack,” his friend said through a mouthful, smiling cheekily as he rested his arms on his knees and tried to swallow.
Rolling his eyes, Orlando checked his watch and sighed. “Remind me why we’re waiting outside, because as of two minutes ago Evi just left her place.”
The Mancunian beside him choked on his sandwich, laughing it up. “You haven’t heard of Evi’s notorious driving, then?”
“No, can’t say I’ve had the pleasure of hearing that one,” Orlando shrugged. “But I’m sure you’ll tell me, won’t you?”
Dom made a vague noise, swallowing the food in his mouth before turning to Orlando. “Actually, why don’t I let Evi show you when she gets here?”
“Can’t wait.”
“How’re you doing, though?” Dom asked, placing a hand on Orlando’s shoulder, as serious as a man of Dom’s nature could be. “Hawaii proven to be a good vacation spot?”
Sighing, Orlando gave a small nod, his eyes falling to the ground as he went over what Dom was implying. The trip wasn’t a vacation, or at least not completely. It was a distraction, a much-needed one. After everything he’d gone through the past few months…
He stopped himself. Some things just weren’t worth remembering. “Yeah, Dom, it’s been great so far. You’re a lucky bastard to be able to work here.”
“I am, aren’t I?” Dom laughed, slapping his hand on Orlando’s back heartily. “And you’re a lucky bastard for having a friend like me, aren’t you?”
Orlando pointedly rolled his eyes so Dom could see and they both shared a laugh.
“But honestly, I’m glad you’re here. No better place in the world to go to, to take your mind off that awful place…what’s it called? Oh, yes, real life.”
“No better place, definitely,” Orlando offered a smile. “And your friends are amazing as well; they definitely know how to have fun.”
Dom wrapped his sandwich up, saving it for later. “Ah, you haven’t seen the beginning of it! Foxy’s planning on having a Halloween party at the end of the month, it’ll be great.”
“Sorry to say I’ll be gone by then,” Orlando reminded him.
“Oh come on, stay a little longer,” Dom poked him in the arm as he spoke, knowing he’d get to him easier that way. “This time we’ll get you good and drunk so you can make an idiot of yourself.”
“Sounds inviting,” Orlando replied dryly. But after a moment, he relented. “I’ll think about it.”
"You do that, 'Lando. Think about it good and proper, alright?"
Orlando didn't say anything, simply nodding in response. He knew already that he'd be staying for the party, the thought of leaving the protective bubble of Hawaii gave him the chills, but he also knew that he wanted to make it look like he wasn't too eager to stay.
Before he could tell Dom there was a piece of lettuce hanging out of the corner of his mouth, the sound of an engine got rapidly louder and a car he suspected was Evi's tore onto the street. It screeched to a stop just in front of the house and Dom hopped up.
"Evi, luv, I think that was a record!"
She grinned and gave them both a wave. "Hey guys! Oh come on, Dom. You do realize we're going out to dinner, right?"
"Exactly what I said!" Orlando practically beamed, idly wondering why Emilie had chosen to sit in the back instead of next to Evi. He also wondered why she didn't look like she was feeling all that great. "Emilie, are you alright?"
Emilie nodded a little, smiling weakly at them. "I'm good. Sat in the front on the way to the store," she explained, smiling again at Dom's sympathetic wince as he climbed in the back.
"Elf, you can sit up front on the way there. Poor kid hasn't met Evi the Driver yet." He shook his head and motioned for Orlando to sit next to Evi. "See you in the next life."
Not understanding how her driving skills could possibly be that bad, Orlando got into the car and buckled up. He smiled as Evi looked over to check he was in and shot him a tiny grin as she ignored Dom and Emilie giving Orlando words of encouragment. Dom had barely reached for his seatbelt when she slammed her foot on the accelerator and he flew sideways into a poor unsuspecting Emilie.
"Fuck! Evi, slow down!" He slid back as she went round the corner, managing to put on his seatbelt as he shot Emilie an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. You alright?"
“Yeah,” she said at length, wiping away at her dress. “Didn’t have to drool, Dom.”
Orlando looked back to see her pull a small piece of lettuce from her cleavage, only seeming mildly disgusted. It wouldn’t surprise him if that wasn’t the first time Dom had gotten food on her.
When Evi made a sharp turn around a corner, Orlando tried not to make it too obvious he was holding onto his seat for dear life. But Evi, like Emilie with Dom’s piece of lettuce in her cleavage, had become accustomed to the kind of reaction and immediately shook her head. “They invented airbags for a reason.”
Orlando choked out a laugh and grabbed onto the handle just above the window, finally realizing what the damned thing was put there for. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed for the best.
With Dom and Emilie in the back, bickering over who was the worst driver between the Australian and the Canadian, with a few quick comments about Dom’s inability to swallow everything he eats thrown in every now and again, Orlando hoped he could distract himself until they arrived at the restaurant.
He had to admit, the sound of Emilie struggling to tear Dom’s sandwich out of his possession was amusing.
“Now, how do I get into fourth gear again?” he heard Evi say over the radio and his eyes shot open to look at her with complete fear in his eyes.
She immediately cracked up and gave him a dismissive wave, “You’re so easy to scare. This car is an automatic.”
When he breathed a sigh of relief, it came out pathetically forced and Evi laughed at him again. Trying to change the subject, he kept his eyes focused on his feet. “So, what is this dinner in celebration of, again?”
“Maggie’s 21st birthday,” Emilie explained from the backseat, holding onto her seatbelt desperately as Evi made her way down the curvy road. “It was last week but scheduling screwed up and she ended up having to work so late we couldn’t properly celebrate.”
“We all decided it’d be nice to have a night out after the premiere blew over,” Evi snagged her bottom lip as she made a hard turn to the right.
Orlando made a noise as they came to a stop all of a sudden. It took him, Emilie and Dom a second to realize they were just outside the restaurant.
“We’re not dead?” Emilie said through a mouthful of Dom’s sandwich. When Evi gave a nod, she turned to Dom and smiled brightly. “We survived!”
Evi rolled her eyes as they all hopped out of the car. As Dom and Emilie made their way, meeting Foxy, Holloway and Yunjin near the front door, Evi made sure her car was locked up.
Orlando waited for her and offered a smile as she approached, “Your driving skills are very…interesting.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she rolled her eyes again, as if she’d heard that sort of phrasing before. “Let me guess, you won’t be wanting me behind the wheel the next time we go anywhere, right?”
“If there were an emergency and we needed to get somewhere really fast-”
“You’ll ask Emilie because she’s the fastest driver this side of the island,” Evi finished off for him. She was being a far better sport about it than Orlando would have imagined, which he found surprisingly endearing. “Me? I’ll be the person who got you into the situation that turns into an emergency.”
“At least I can depend on you for that,” Orlando pointed out, reaching out to give her arm a comforting squeeze but thinking better of it.
Maggie and Ian got out of a car a few spots down and waved. With a smile on her face, Maggie greeted everyone brightly beside the front doors. “Guys! I'm so glad you could make it... oh man, did Evi drive?”
Evi pointed a threatening finger at the tall blonde, “You may be the birthday girl, but I will kick your ass when you're not.”
Laughing, Ian pointedly stepped between the two girls and motioned for them to go inside.
---
“Happy birthday, Maggie!” Everybody chimed in, raised glasses and smiles throughout the entire table.
Foxy and Holloway fought over who would give a speech first as Maggie’s eyes lingered a little too long on Ian. She brought her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes trailing down to his neck where the warm melted light made that part of him look so entirely attractive. He glanced over at her and the side of his mouth quirked up into a lopsided smirk.
Holloway was standing and talking about the first time he’d met Maggie, but she was only half-listening. It was rude, sure, but she couldn’t help it. Not with Ian in the same room. Not when he was so close she could just…
Everyone burst into laughter at something Josh had said, bringing Maggie back to reality quick enough for her to laugh along with them. They seemed to buy it, she was surprised to find out. Maybe I’m a better actress than I thought.
Josh tipped his glass in Maggie’s direction and gave her big smile, “Happy Birthday, Maggie.”
Once Josh sat down, Dom groaned. He looked down the table and over people’s heads, “Not to be a grouch but we ordered a while ago and…” Perfectly on cue, his stomach growled. “I’m getting a bit hungry.”
“You ate on the way here,” Emilie muttered before taking a sip of her Cosmo.
"Yeah," Dom nodded. "And for some reason, the last half of my Subway sandwich disappeared. What do you say to that, hmm?"
Emilie narrowed her eyes, refusing to respond to that. She turned away from Dom to Evi, who was on her other side. The brunette was holding her hand up to Orlando's, palm to palm. "Comparing manicures again?" Emilie guessed.
Evi glanced at Emilie, laughing. "No. Holloway accused me of having man hands today. I wanted to see if he was right."
"Hey, Emilie. Do a shot with me," Maggie said, distracting the Australian. Evi turned to Orlando, looking at their hands.
"Yours are bigger. Josh is full of shit," Evi laughed. "You have nice hands, though."
Orlando inclined his head. "As do you. And I can vouch for their femininity."
"Thanks." Evi raised her rum and coke to him, clinking it against his glass of Bacardi. "I'll be sure to tell Josh that the androgynous elf thinks I have womanly hands."
Laughing at his outraged expression, Evi leaned across the table towards Foxy. "So where is the lovely Mrs. tonight, Foxy?"
"Uh." Foxy shrugged one shoulder and took a gulp of his beer. "Home with the kids. Said she… I dunno. Didn't want to come."
"That's too bad," Evi replied, frowning slightly. "It would've been nice to see her again."
When Foxy didn't reply, Evi decided to change topics, turning to Orlando for a second. "You two have met, haven't you?"
"Yeah, of course," Orlando replied, nodding. "Somebody introduced us. Can't remember who, exactly," he added, laughing slightly.
"That's really how it happens. Random introductions," Foxy said. "You're the sanest person I've met through Dom, actually. And the most sober, too."
Evi turned just in time to see both Maggie and Emilie pulling a face in unison as the tequila burned down their throats, “Having fun, are we?”
Slapping her hand on the table, Emilie let out a cough and sucked in a sharp breath, “I guess you can say that.”
Dom had his hands in his lap and was rocking back and forth slightly, his eyes squeezed shut. “Come on; bring out the bread….bring out the bread.”
Evi reached over Emilie’s shoulder to tap on Dom’s, startling him. “Are you really that hungry?”
He strained a smile and spoke through gritted teeth, “All they need to do is bring out the bread-accompanied with lots and lots of butter, mind you-and I’ll shut up until dinner arrives.”
“Oh well, that’s ambitious,” Emilie interjected before shaking her head at Maggie’s offer of another shot. “No thanks, I’m not looking for another repeat of the other night.”
“Aw, well that’s too bad,” Dom spoke with a faux-sympathetic tone to his voice. “No naked Emilie tonight, then?”
“Sorry to say you won’t be seeing me naked ever again so you better hold onto that image you have in your head, because it’s all you’re getting from me.”
“Don’t worry, I will. Got a special place to put it too.”
Emilie scoffed, “I was only joking. Don’t be such a pervert.”
“M’not a pervert, I’m just basking in my right to enjoy it, since you did willingly strip in front of me.”
“I was three sheets to the wind; I would have stripped in front of the Pope if he was there!”
Dom’s eyes widened at the thought and he raised his hands into the air, “Bartender, more drinks to this good lady!”
Emilie’s elbow collided with his rib before Dom could snap his fingers and bring even more attention to their table. "Getting me drunk is asking for your own death, Dom. You know how irrational I get."
“You’re irrational when you’re bloody sober, Em.”
He caught her elbow before it could deliver another blow to his side, keeping a good grip on her as she tried to wrestle out of his grasp.
“Oh, come on now, you can try harder than that.”
Growling slightly, much to Dom’s surprise, Emilie gave him a daring look, like she knew exactly what it would take to get him to let go.
His grip instantly loosened and his hand chose, instead, to hover protectively around his lap. Obviously the lack of food had not only made him a tad dizzy but silly enough not to expect cold blooded violence.
Emilie, smiling with all the innocence of a saint, daintily slid her arm from his grip and looked up as if she had never threatened him in her life. "Oh look," she nodded behind him. "Bread."
"If I turn around," Dom said slowly, "will there actually be bread?"
"Dom! Are you implying I'd pretend there's bread so I can smack you?" Emilie asked, offended.
Before he could finish, Maggie interrupted him with a light smack on the shoulder and a shaky finger pointing behind him. "Look! S'your bread, Dom."
“Really?” Dom quirked an eyebrow, turning around.
“Bread for the table, sir.” The waiter handed him a basket of warm rolls, giving Dom a strange look when the Brit adopted a look of astonishment.
“Thanks, mate. So there really was bread!” Dom turned around to face the table again. “I’m sorry I doubted you, Em. I just-”
Dom was cut off mid-sentence when a glass of ice water was thrown into his face by a giggling Aussie.
“Of course there was bread, Dom. Do you really think I’d try a trick as juvenile as that?” Emilie shook her head, laughing at his outraged expression. Foxy tossed a napkin at him from across the table, and once he’d wiped off his face and brushed all the ice cubes off his lap, Dom leaned in very close to Emilie’s ear.
“Revenge is a bitch, love, and I’m a master at it,” he murmured. “So just you wait.”
Emilie tried not to tremble at his breath coasting along ear and neck but did so anyways. She brushed it off as nothing and pressed her hand against his chest, pushing him out of her personal bubble. “I think I can handle anything you throw at me, Dom.”
Dom didn’t seem worried, pointedly ripping a piece of bread and buttering it profusely, keeping his eyes on her as if he was daring her to try something again.
The teasing and general display of immaturity was one Maggie’d seen a thousand times before, so she was bored with watching them before they even finished. Her attention drifted immediately to Ian, who was trying to snag a piece of bread from Dom.
Slipping her shoe off casually, showing hardly any sign of movement above the table, she allowed her foot to gently guide along the floor, finding Ian’s leg like a compass finding north.
She suppressed a giggle when Ian sat a little straighter at the contact, clearing his throat to cover a yelp.
Her foot caressed the smooth cloth of his pants as she ran them up and up and up….until she was leaning further back into her chair and her toes could count the change in his pocket.
Ian licked his lips and his eyes slid shut for a moment before Foxy disrupted the moment, pushing away from the table and nearly knocking Ian over.
“Sorry,” he offered, patting Ian on the shoulder before excusing himself to go outside for a quick smoke.
Maggie tried not to let the frustration show, sitting up straighter in her seat, waiting until Ian settled himself back down. She waited, the seconds passing torturously slow, until he was comfortable in his seat and she slid down a little until her toes could reach his leg. Her foot gently brushed across the hem of his pants leg, pushing it up a little as she began retracing her steps.
She bit her lower lip gently in concentration as she traced his kneecap lightly, but when she looked over at Ian he showed no signs of enjoying her attention. In fact he looked as if she wasn't even touching him at all.
Maggie withdrew her foot and frowned, annoyed at his casual approach to the situation. Why was he barely reacting to her? Maybe it was just the fact they were in a public place, but that had hardly made him pull away before.
Smiling a wicked sort of smile to herself, she leaned back in her chair and traced her foot up the inside of his leg, moving gently past his knee to skim her toes along his inside thigh. If she was going to make him react, she was going to do it good after all.
Her foot very nearly reached its destination when Orlando made a very strange sound and slid back from the table a little, a dark red flush creeping up his neck.
Maggie straightened in her seat so fast she nearly toppled over. He glanced over at her, as humiliated as she was. She offered him an apologetic look and cleared her throat, “I was just stretching…”
Emilie barely glanced over, not reading the undertones of the situation. “What, did you kick someone under the table again? You need to be considerate of us short-legged people, Maggie.”
“You better check for bruises,” Evi joked.
Still not meeting anyone’s eyes, Orlando shifted in his seat. “No worries, I’ll live.”
“Don’t think that’s necessary,” Ian chimed in, a mixture of amusement and relief at not getting caught sparkling in his eyes.
He locked stares with Maggie and over the span of a second they both agreed.
Bathroom. Now.
“Excuse me,” Maggie said, pushing her chair back. “Need to visit the ladies room.”
“Yeah, all the liquor you’ve had’ll make you piss like a racehorse,” Dom said. “Surprised you’re not running for the loos, Em. And don’t women tend to go there in packs?”
No. No. No, fuck, no! Maggie sent telepathic waves towards Emilie, willing her to stay where she was. To her immense relief, Emilie shook her head.
“Maggie’s a big girl, she can go by herself. I’m fine,” Emilie laughed.
Breathing a sigh, Maggie met Ian’s eyes for a brief second before she started towards the restrooms. At the table, Ian impatiently drummed his fingers against the table, willing himself to count to thirty (one, two, skip a few, twenty-eight, twenty-nine…) before he followed. Had to make it as suspicious-free as possible.
“Um, I’m.” Ian stopped, wincing when his voice squeaked. “Gotta use the bathroom. Be back later. I mean, in a minute.”
He stood up as calmly as possible, keeping his expression neutral. No one seemed to pay him any mind, resuming their own conversations as he turned away. As soon as his back was to the party, his face split into the hugest grin and he had trouble stopping himself from breaking into a run.
The restrooms were down a hallway, the men’s room directly across from the ladies room. When Ian neared, a man exited the men’s room, and Ian made as if to walk through the swinging door. As soon as that guy rounded the corner, Ian made an about-face, knocking softly on the women’s restroom.
“It’s clear,” came Maggie’s muffled voice. Ian stepped inside, finding a grinning Maggie waiting. “There’s a lock on the door. As long as we keep it quiet, I think we’ll be-”
Having secured the door, Ian ceased all conversation by reaching for Maggie, crushing her body against his and claiming her mouth with a searing kiss.
“Cocktease,” he muttered, fumbling for the zipper on her skirt. “And it wasn’t even my cock!”
---
Evi placed her hand on Orlando's shoulder, giving him an inquiring look. "You okay? Looking a little red."
“Yeah, just a bit..." he shifted again in his seat, letting out a small laugh. "Nothing. It's nothing. Couldn't feel more welcomed into this group."
"Good, wouldn't want you to be an outsider," Evi offered a warm smile. "Hanging out with you would've been a reputation-ruiner."
"Yet you wouldn't be able to resist," he kidded. "Not with my shiny, buffed nails."
"Stop with the nails," she swatted at his hands and he feigned hurt at the action. "Just because they're shinier than everyone else's doesn't mean you have to BRAG!"
“Just because you’re jealous, Evangeline, there’s no need to get testy.” Orlando tutted, shaking his head at her. “I understand. I’m used to being envied.”
Evi laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. “I’m glad to see that Dom’s description of you as ‘egotistical, narcissistic, and pompous’ was so far off their mark.”
“Did he say that about me?” Orlando laughed, glancing down the table at Dom. “Hasn’t anyone warned you? Never take a hobbit’s word. Elves are much more trustworthy. Noble creatures, elves. Not like those irresponsible little hairy things.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Evi said. “Note to self: Elves are more honest and have better hair. Clearly they are superior.”
"Honestly, wouldn't you rather have a noble Elf who would protect you than a hobbit who'd trade you in exchange for second breakfast?"
Evi shrugged, pretending that she had to think hard about it. Orlando scoffed and pointedly turned so his back was to her.
"Elves are moody," she mumbled, stealing a piece of his bread.
“Wouldn’t you be, if you had to associate yourself with lesser life forms all day?” Orlando sighed dramatically, turning around again. “Hey, is that my bread?”
Evi smirked. “Split it with you?”
Orlando smiled. “Nah. Take it. Elves are also known for their generosity.”
A few minutes went by, and Dom very nearly let out a cry of relief when the waiters returned with trays of food.
“Will these guests be returning?” one asked, motioning to Maggie’s and Ian’s empty seats.
“Yeah, they’re just in the bathroom,” Foxy said. “Come to think of it, they’ve been gone awhile. Wonder what’s taking them.”
“I’m here.” Ian suddenly seemed to appear by the table, running a hand through his hair before he took a seat. “Can you believe there was a line in the men’s room? Oh, food’s here. Great.”
Anyone looking closely might notice that Ian’s smile was a little too wide, his hair perhaps a little too mussed. Then there was the little fact that his shirt was buttoned wrong. However, everyone was too distracted by the appearance of food to notice the little details. Ian surreptitiously checked his fly and, satisfied that he was all zipped up, began eating.
After a minute, Maggie rejoined the table as well, casually adjusting her skirt without bringing too much attention to herself. Once she sat down, however, everybody greeted her with smiles. The smile they received was far bigger than all of theirs combined.
Emilie nudged her shoulder, “You happy it’s your birthday?”
Feeling Ian’s eyes on her, Maggie didn’t fight the redness of her cheeks, nodding. “You betcha.”
Everyone raised their glasses and Holloway spoke up, “Here’s to the Birthday Girl and to all of us havin’ a damn good year.”
When everybody clinked their glasses together and made general ‘here-here’ noises, Maggie was left feeling like she was amongst the clouds. Looking to her friends, to Ian, there was no denying it felt good to know that she was already off to a good start.
Ian’s foot gently rubbed up against hers.
Alright, a great start.
TBC…
Authors: CJ [vylentcrymz], Emilie [emilierevan], Jen [savvy_elf] and Stacy [adayindreamland].
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Dominic Monaghan/Emilie de Ravin, Ian Somerhalder/Maggie Grace, Orlando Bloom/Evangeline Lilly
Summary: Love. Friendship. Growth. Sex. Change. Drama. But mostly just sex. Sure, we have a plot… somewhere around here (now where did I put that thing?), but when broken down into its simplest form, Epico = SEX!
Disclaimer: We don't own these people. They're real, sure, but none of these events have or ever will transpire. No offense is meant and we're making no profit from this. Title taken from the song A Sorta Fairytale by Tori Amos.
Authors’ Notes: We all really hope you enjoy reading Epico (fyi, that’s Spanish for epic, and if you say it out loud, you absolutely must be wearing a sombrero). We’ve been working on this fic for ages and it’s really become our baby - our alcoholic, sex-addicted, constantly horny, and occasionally violent baby whom we love with every bit of our hearts and souls. We realize that no one will be able to give our baby the same unconditional love we have showered upon it, but our hope is that Epico will be able to bring a smile to your face and warm the cockles of your heart. Or it might rot your brain, but that’s the risk you take when dealing with Epico.
Please remember: Feedback is to us as sex is to Magsian, Domilie, and Orlilly. As in, very important, and something that needs to be done 24/7.
Prologue, 1 and 2
---
Ian smelled like her. Even after he took his morning shower before work, he could still smell her, taste her, and see her whenever he closed his eyes. Paranoia hit by the time he turned off his engine and made his way towards the beach set, gnawing at his stomach like a virus.
Best case scenario, he was just imagining things and no one-meaning Dom-would make a comment about the fact that he smelled like a woman, specifically Maggie.
Ian didn’t even wanna think about the worst case scenario.
He ran a hand through his hair as he reached the set, scanning through the various people to see who was there so far. There was a flash of stripes-which he really hoped weren’t the stripes belonging to Charlie-and he managed to spot a few of the others. He could see Yunjin and Josh from where he was, and a little to the left Naveen and Maggie were having a thumb war.
Maggie. He forgot they were acting together today.
Had yesterday happened but they weren’t talking about it? Or maybe it never ‘happened’, which he really hoped wasn’t the option she’d chosen. All he wanted was to make it through the day without making a complete ass of himself.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ian had a banana in his mouth. Nearly choking on it, he yanked it out and looked to see Dom laughing his ass off just beside him. “What the-”
“You were just standing there, mate,” Dom explained once he recovered, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. “Mouth agape and all, looked like something belonged in there.”
Rolling his eyes, Ian swallowed some of it and gave Dom a good punch in the arm, “Thanks, mate.”
Rubbing his arm, Dom called after the departing Ian, “Just wash it out with some juice, no need to get violent.”
Ian mumbled something under his breath about washing Dom out with acid as he ventured towards the food-table, not looking where he was going until he bumped into something tall and solid.
“Shit!” he exclaimed, blinking furiously as he looked up at the large tree now mere inches from his face. “How the hell did that get there?”
A soft laugh reached his ears and a familiar voice soon followed. “Well, Ian, trees tend to grow over many, many years when someone plants a seed in the ground.”
Ian turned, a little flustered from his run in, and rubbed the back of his neck. There was clumsy, and then there was downright embarrassing. Off to a nice start, he thought to himself.
“Are you alright?” came Maggie’s voice again as she and Naveen stood watching Ian with amused interest. “You bonked your head pretty hard.”
Reddening, Ian nodded and tried to say something back but all that came out was an odd-sounding laugh.
If anyone were to look at Maggie at that moment, they wouldn’t have really thought anything other than how beautiful she looked in the natural light, smiling and enjoying herself. But Ian, for some reason, didn’t read her expression but rather her eyes. She was smiling and laughing, sure, but her eyes betrayed the guise and showed that she was nervous. And if he looked close enough he could see her fighting to urge to bite her lip.
It made him feel a little less crazy, knowing that she wasn’t ignoring what happened. Just a little.
“You sure you’re good, mate?” Naveen asked, folding his arms and nodding a little in Ian’s direction.
Ian reached up to rub his head a little, smiling sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just got a bit distracted.”
“Probably still got that hangover,” Naveen joked, and Ian managed a laugh that sounded natural while his brain sped backwards to the day before. Events started replaying before his eyes and he struggled to maintain eye contact with anyone.
“Got rid of that yesterday,” he said with a casual glance at Maggie to gage her reaction. “Lots of juice and Ibuprofen.”
Ian found that Maggie was doing just the same, looking to him for a reaction, for a clue as to what was going on through his head. But when their eyes met she looked away, plastering a convincing smile on her face. “I’m sure we probably took a little more than the suggested amount but it worked a charm.”
Losing any hope of talking about it with her anytime soon, Ian politely excused himself and brushed past her to the food-table. By the time he reached it, Maggie walked up beside him and joined in and piling up a plastic plate with some breakfast. She didn’t speak to him but rather to Josh and Yunjin who stood opposite of them, doing the exact same thing.
“The premiere was a blast, guys,” the smile on her face showed no sign of falling. “Should definitely be a weekly thing.”
When her arm brushed against Ian’s, he jumped, nearly losing his entire plate of food.
Yunjin narrowed her eyes in concern, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Ian ran over her words with his, feeling his cheeks burn bright red even though they were under a canopy and the sun was nowhere near his face. He laughed at himself, pathetically. “Just a little jumpy today, too hyper.”
He felt Maggie’s stare and hesitantly turned his head to meet her eyes and finally, finally, she didn’t turn away. The fake smile on her face fell for a moment as a second, stretched out to seem like forever, passed between them. He could see the mechanics in her head working and clicking when she decided something. She made a small noise and turned back to Yunjin and Josh.
Whatever it was she’d decided, Ian was going to go crazy if he didn’t find out soon.
“Hey Ian,” she began casually, barely even looking at him as she spoke. “It’s script day.”
Ian paused to look at her and felt his heart jump into his throat. It was their tradition to get together on script day and read them, just the two of them in her trailer. And she was reminding him.
Which meant she wanted to be alone with him.
His smile widened a little. “Oh yeah, when do we get the scripts?”
“JJ said he was bringin’ em over in about ten, jus' about the time we start to film” Josh told him. “Can’t wait to see what the hell’s gonna happen to us all next.”
Yunjin barely tried to conceal her wicked smile as she picked up a knife and fork. “If all the men are forced to walk around shirtless, I wouldn’t mind,” she said with a hint of laughter.
Maggie shot a look at Yunjin, shaking her head. Yunjin widened her eyes and looked a little too innocent, “What?”
“Nothing,” Maggie laughed before grabbing a spoonful of lettuce and piling it on top of the rest of her food. Letting out a dramatic sigh, she stepped away from the table. “I think I’ll just go eat this in my trailer.”
Walking past Ian, she let her hand drift over his back, drawing a figure eight between his shoulder blades, before heading off in the direction of her trailer. Ian took a large chomp out of his celery and tried to not watch her sashay out of eyesight.
After a few unbearable minutes, Ian pushed away from the table, abandoning his plate. Walking backwards, he stumbled over words to try to explain why he was leaving so abruptly.
“I’m going to…uh….just, well, you know…” after several odd hand gestures, Ian finally just turned around and speedily walked away.
“That’s an odd boy,” Josh mumbled to Yunjin, who laughed before the two of them departed to the beach without giving Ian a second thought.
When Ian finally reached Maggie’s trailer, he was suddenly completely unsure whether he’d felt her touch his back, or wanted her to touch his back. Now was not the time to be imagining things. Before he could contemplate things further, the door opened and Maggie looked down at him with one hand placed on her hip.
“You are such a dork, you know that?” she said, a smile playing on her lips.
“I am?” Ian wasn’t sure whether to be pleased or insulted by that, but he followed her in anyway.
“Yes, you are. A really obvious dork.” She sat down on her couch and watched as he sat at the opposite end.
Ian shifted nervously for a few moments, pausing every now and again to rub the back of his neck, and looked over at her. "Are we going to talk about what happened yesterday?" He asked, watching as she scooted a little closer and rested a hand on his leg. "About the fact that we-"
"Later," she interrupted. "What really matters is that we're both here, in my trailer, alone, and what happened yesterday? Wasn't bad. I think it would be stupid if we didn't take advantage of an opportunity like this."
"I'm not gonna argue, Mags, but I mean... are you sure?"
"I'm sure." She smiled and lifted her hand, placing it at the nape of his neck and playing with his hair. Maggie moved forward a little more and looked at him questioningly. “Why did you walk into a tree anyway?”
Maybe it was the close proximity of her body with his, the way he could feel the heat radiating off of her, or the light caress of her fingertips against his skin, or the curve of her lips, or even the deep brown of her eyes as they focused intently on him. Whatever it was, his apprehension of the situation melted and he felt a shiver of pure heat run up his spine. She was right, yesterday hadn't been bad at all, and he found new confidence growing with every second at the thought of being able to shift it from a one time thing into something a little more.
“You wanna know?” he asked, and when she nodded he leaned forward and rested a hand on her hip as he whispered in her ear, “I did it on purpose.”
Maggie rolled her eyes and slapped his arm playfully. “Yeah, right.”
“How else would I have gotten your attention?”
“Um, a dozen other ways,” Maggie snorted. “And you’re so shocked that I called you a dork.”
Ian relented, admitting the truth as he moved his lips to graze along her neck. “Alright, I wasn’t paying attention.”
“That sounds more like you,” Maggie whispered, her voice catching a little when his lips found her pulse point. “What were you thinking about that was so distracting?”
“Dom, actually,” Ian breathed, laughing a little as Maggie pulled away with a half pout. “What? You asked, I told the truth.”
“I was kinda hoping you were gonna say my name,” she said, resting a hand on his shoulder and playing with the collar of his shirt.
Ian grinned and leaned a little closer. “There’s plenty of time for that.”
His lips met hers in a tender kiss as his thumb gently massaged circles into her hip. When they pulled away, Maggie smirked and breathily explained, “Shooting starts in less than ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes gives me plenty of time,” Ian kissed her chin and then moved to kiss her neck when she pushed him away a little. “What?”
“No time for foreplay.” And before he knew it, he'd been pulled up from the sofa with her legs wrapped around his waist and he was up against the wall behind them.
“Fuck,” he hissed, raising his eyebrows. “You’re quick.”
Maggie grinned and rolled her hips, feeling very pleased with herself as his eyes slid shut and his arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned forward, kissing him harder than before.
“Someone’s gonna notice when we stroll on set in ten minutes,” he murmured against her lips, desperately looking grip of all his control.
“S’okay,” she whispered, reaching between them to undo his jeans. “I promise to fix any impending sex hair.”
Ian spun them around so she was against the counter. His hands snuck up her ‘Shannon’ skirt and quickly yanked her panties down for her to kick off. When she finished her work on his pants, allowing them to fall around his ankles, Ian brought her in for another crushing kiss.
“Condom,” he mumbled against her lips. “In my...wallet.”
Hoisting her up onto his waist again, his cock pressed up against her thigh-so tortuously close-Ian struggled to reach into his back pocket as Maggie placed quick, butterfly kisses all over his neck. Maggie wasted no time in taking the packet out of his hands once he’d taken it from his wallet, ripping it open and sliding it over him.
They stumbled into the small bedroom area, not bothering to close the door or even get on the bed. Pressing Maggie against the wall, Ian brushed her hair out of her eyes, watching as she reacted to his cock pressing just a little bit into her. She dug her heels into his thighs, begging him wordlessly to just fucking do it already. Without a moment’s hesitation, he thrust into her.
Maggie moaned, trying to keep her eyes open as she moved her hips against his. Her hands clutched at his shoulders, nails making crescent moon shapes as they both began to speed up.
“Fuck, Maggie,” Ian groaned, watching her mouth fall open slightly as she tilted her head back. Ian braced one hand against the wall, the other resting firmly on her hip, and attempted to keep his eyes on her face.
He failed when she ground on him, his head falling forward to rest on her shoulder as the speed steadily increased and the temperature of the room managed to sky rocket around them as the minutes passed.
Maggie moaned low in her throat. “Fucking hell, Ian…so close.” She slid a hand down his arm, feeling the heat of his skin, the ripple of muscles, and moved steadily with him. “God,” she moaned again, louder this time.
Ian didn’t think he could last any longer, his entire body shaking in preparation for an explosion. Pushing up her skirt, he pressed two fingers against her clit and moved them frantically.
The action caused Maggie to lose all sense of control over her body, bucking like crazy against Ian, meeting his thrusts ten-fold. “Oh god, oh god….oh GOD! Yes, fuck, right there. Right there….yes, yes, YES!”
And then BANG, like an explosion of fireworks, Maggie came, her contracting muscles squeezing Ian one last time. He quickly followed, thrusting inside of her a few more times until stalling and falling against her.
Time seemed to freeze and stretch endlessly around them. His lips pressed lightly against her neck as she arched against him, letting the last waves of her orgasm wash over her. Their world chose to correct itself as she remembered how to speak English and he remembered how to breath and he raised his head to meet her eyes while she began to speak.
“Fuck,” Maggie mumbled, her breathing slowly starting to steady. “That was a damn good ten minutes.”
Ian nodded a little breathlessly. He slowly slid out of her as she unwrapped her legs, and he heard a small moan of protest before her feet hit the floor. “I think I forgot all my lines.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Maggie said with a lazy smile, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. “You don’t need to know them; you’re only there to look pretty.”
“You’re so mean.” He looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes, his lips forming a small pout and she playfully rolled her eyes at him, swatting him on the arm. “Hey! Violence won’t get you anymore nekkid time with me.”
Maggie raised her eyebrows at him in a faux-curious manner, “And who says I even want anymore naked-time?”
Before Ian could investigate her question, a knock came at the door. Josh’s voice soon followed, “Time to go, Blondie.”
“Shit,” Maggie slipped from between Ian and the wall, adjusting her skirt on the way, and stepped out of the bedroom just as Josh poked his head in. Surreptitiously, she covered the empty condom wrapper with her flip-flop. “Hey, what’s up?”
Josh gave her a curious look and hopped up onto the first step into her trailer, leaning against the cabinet. “Uh…filmin’? Little show called Lost that we’re all here to make.”
Maggie gave him an exaggerated eye-roll, “Go cut your hair, already.”
Letting out a hearty laugh, Josh threw his hands up in the universal oh, snap gesture and turned to go. Before Maggie could try to kick her discarded panties out of view, he turned back around. “You haven’ seen Ian, have you?”
“Ian?” Maggie shook her head. “He’s been acting kinda weird, I just figured he’d gone for a walk or something.”
Josh seemed to buy it and nodded. “Alright, well if you see him, tell ol’ blue eyes to get his ass on set.” He turned to go and then looked over his shoulder. “You alright, by the way? Lookin’ a little flushed.”
Maggie smiled, smoothing her hand down one side of her skirt. “I’m good. It’s just kinda hot in here,” she explained, sighing with relief as Josh gave her one final nod, tapped his watch, and let the trailer door swing shut behind him.
“Coasts clear,” she called out, picking her panties up from the floor and sliding them on. Ian shuffled in, now with his pants back on, and she smiled at him. “That was a close one.”
Ian nodded but didn’t make any move towards her or speak a word, silently leaning against the bathroom door.
“What?” Maggie asked, confused.
“You really don’t want anymore naked-time?” he asked quietly.
“I would never,” Maggie walked up to him and ran her hands up and down his chest, “deny you the pleasure of my company.”
Ian kissed her then abruptly, though it was welcome on Maggie’s part. When they broke away to catch their breaths, “Maybe there’ll be more time for foreplay in future.”
“You’re the first guy I’ve ever heard that from,” Maggie laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss. Ian slowly leaned against her so she would press up against the wall and she, moaning softly into his mouth, protested. “We have work to do.”
“I guess, if we have to,” Ian pressed a kiss to the dip of her neck, enjoying driving her crazy.
“Your ass,” Maggie gave his butt a good slap, “needs to be on set, blue eyes.”
---
“You do realize we’re going out to dinner, right?” Orlando’s face scrunched up in scrutiny as he watched Dom chomp away at his Subway sandwich.
“Just having a bit of a snack,” his friend said through a mouthful, smiling cheekily as he rested his arms on his knees and tried to swallow.
Rolling his eyes, Orlando checked his watch and sighed. “Remind me why we’re waiting outside, because as of two minutes ago Evi just left her place.”
The Mancunian beside him choked on his sandwich, laughing it up. “You haven’t heard of Evi’s notorious driving, then?”
“No, can’t say I’ve had the pleasure of hearing that one,” Orlando shrugged. “But I’m sure you’ll tell me, won’t you?”
Dom made a vague noise, swallowing the food in his mouth before turning to Orlando. “Actually, why don’t I let Evi show you when she gets here?”
“Can’t wait.”
“How’re you doing, though?” Dom asked, placing a hand on Orlando’s shoulder, as serious as a man of Dom’s nature could be. “Hawaii proven to be a good vacation spot?”
Sighing, Orlando gave a small nod, his eyes falling to the ground as he went over what Dom was implying. The trip wasn’t a vacation, or at least not completely. It was a distraction, a much-needed one. After everything he’d gone through the past few months…
He stopped himself. Some things just weren’t worth remembering. “Yeah, Dom, it’s been great so far. You’re a lucky bastard to be able to work here.”
“I am, aren’t I?” Dom laughed, slapping his hand on Orlando’s back heartily. “And you’re a lucky bastard for having a friend like me, aren’t you?”
Orlando pointedly rolled his eyes so Dom could see and they both shared a laugh.
“But honestly, I’m glad you’re here. No better place in the world to go to, to take your mind off that awful place…what’s it called? Oh, yes, real life.”
“No better place, definitely,” Orlando offered a smile. “And your friends are amazing as well; they definitely know how to have fun.”
Dom wrapped his sandwich up, saving it for later. “Ah, you haven’t seen the beginning of it! Foxy’s planning on having a Halloween party at the end of the month, it’ll be great.”
“Sorry to say I’ll be gone by then,” Orlando reminded him.
“Oh come on, stay a little longer,” Dom poked him in the arm as he spoke, knowing he’d get to him easier that way. “This time we’ll get you good and drunk so you can make an idiot of yourself.”
“Sounds inviting,” Orlando replied dryly. But after a moment, he relented. “I’ll think about it.”
"You do that, 'Lando. Think about it good and proper, alright?"
Orlando didn't say anything, simply nodding in response. He knew already that he'd be staying for the party, the thought of leaving the protective bubble of Hawaii gave him the chills, but he also knew that he wanted to make it look like he wasn't too eager to stay.
Before he could tell Dom there was a piece of lettuce hanging out of the corner of his mouth, the sound of an engine got rapidly louder and a car he suspected was Evi's tore onto the street. It screeched to a stop just in front of the house and Dom hopped up.
"Evi, luv, I think that was a record!"
She grinned and gave them both a wave. "Hey guys! Oh come on, Dom. You do realize we're going out to dinner, right?"
"Exactly what I said!" Orlando practically beamed, idly wondering why Emilie had chosen to sit in the back instead of next to Evi. He also wondered why she didn't look like she was feeling all that great. "Emilie, are you alright?"
Emilie nodded a little, smiling weakly at them. "I'm good. Sat in the front on the way to the store," she explained, smiling again at Dom's sympathetic wince as he climbed in the back.
"Elf, you can sit up front on the way there. Poor kid hasn't met Evi the Driver yet." He shook his head and motioned for Orlando to sit next to Evi. "See you in the next life."
Not understanding how her driving skills could possibly be that bad, Orlando got into the car and buckled up. He smiled as Evi looked over to check he was in and shot him a tiny grin as she ignored Dom and Emilie giving Orlando words of encouragment. Dom had barely reached for his seatbelt when she slammed her foot on the accelerator and he flew sideways into a poor unsuspecting Emilie.
"Fuck! Evi, slow down!" He slid back as she went round the corner, managing to put on his seatbelt as he shot Emilie an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry. You alright?"
“Yeah,” she said at length, wiping away at her dress. “Didn’t have to drool, Dom.”
Orlando looked back to see her pull a small piece of lettuce from her cleavage, only seeming mildly disgusted. It wouldn’t surprise him if that wasn’t the first time Dom had gotten food on her.
When Evi made a sharp turn around a corner, Orlando tried not to make it too obvious he was holding onto his seat for dear life. But Evi, like Emilie with Dom’s piece of lettuce in her cleavage, had become accustomed to the kind of reaction and immediately shook her head. “They invented airbags for a reason.”
Orlando choked out a laugh and grabbed onto the handle just above the window, finally realizing what the damned thing was put there for. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed for the best.
With Dom and Emilie in the back, bickering over who was the worst driver between the Australian and the Canadian, with a few quick comments about Dom’s inability to swallow everything he eats thrown in every now and again, Orlando hoped he could distract himself until they arrived at the restaurant.
He had to admit, the sound of Emilie struggling to tear Dom’s sandwich out of his possession was amusing.
“Now, how do I get into fourth gear again?” he heard Evi say over the radio and his eyes shot open to look at her with complete fear in his eyes.
She immediately cracked up and gave him a dismissive wave, “You’re so easy to scare. This car is an automatic.”
When he breathed a sigh of relief, it came out pathetically forced and Evi laughed at him again. Trying to change the subject, he kept his eyes focused on his feet. “So, what is this dinner in celebration of, again?”
“Maggie’s 21st birthday,” Emilie explained from the backseat, holding onto her seatbelt desperately as Evi made her way down the curvy road. “It was last week but scheduling screwed up and she ended up having to work so late we couldn’t properly celebrate.”
“We all decided it’d be nice to have a night out after the premiere blew over,” Evi snagged her bottom lip as she made a hard turn to the right.
Orlando made a noise as they came to a stop all of a sudden. It took him, Emilie and Dom a second to realize they were just outside the restaurant.
“We’re not dead?” Emilie said through a mouthful of Dom’s sandwich. When Evi gave a nod, she turned to Dom and smiled brightly. “We survived!”
Evi rolled her eyes as they all hopped out of the car. As Dom and Emilie made their way, meeting Foxy, Holloway and Yunjin near the front door, Evi made sure her car was locked up.
Orlando waited for her and offered a smile as she approached, “Your driving skills are very…interesting.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she rolled her eyes again, as if she’d heard that sort of phrasing before. “Let me guess, you won’t be wanting me behind the wheel the next time we go anywhere, right?”
“If there were an emergency and we needed to get somewhere really fast-”
“You’ll ask Emilie because she’s the fastest driver this side of the island,” Evi finished off for him. She was being a far better sport about it than Orlando would have imagined, which he found surprisingly endearing. “Me? I’ll be the person who got you into the situation that turns into an emergency.”
“At least I can depend on you for that,” Orlando pointed out, reaching out to give her arm a comforting squeeze but thinking better of it.
Maggie and Ian got out of a car a few spots down and waved. With a smile on her face, Maggie greeted everyone brightly beside the front doors. “Guys! I'm so glad you could make it... oh man, did Evi drive?”
Evi pointed a threatening finger at the tall blonde, “You may be the birthday girl, but I will kick your ass when you're not.”
Laughing, Ian pointedly stepped between the two girls and motioned for them to go inside.
---
“Happy birthday, Maggie!” Everybody chimed in, raised glasses and smiles throughout the entire table.
Foxy and Holloway fought over who would give a speech first as Maggie’s eyes lingered a little too long on Ian. She brought her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes trailing down to his neck where the warm melted light made that part of him look so entirely attractive. He glanced over at her and the side of his mouth quirked up into a lopsided smirk.
Holloway was standing and talking about the first time he’d met Maggie, but she was only half-listening. It was rude, sure, but she couldn’t help it. Not with Ian in the same room. Not when he was so close she could just…
Everyone burst into laughter at something Josh had said, bringing Maggie back to reality quick enough for her to laugh along with them. They seemed to buy it, she was surprised to find out. Maybe I’m a better actress than I thought.
Josh tipped his glass in Maggie’s direction and gave her big smile, “Happy Birthday, Maggie.”
Once Josh sat down, Dom groaned. He looked down the table and over people’s heads, “Not to be a grouch but we ordered a while ago and…” Perfectly on cue, his stomach growled. “I’m getting a bit hungry.”
“You ate on the way here,” Emilie muttered before taking a sip of her Cosmo.
"Yeah," Dom nodded. "And for some reason, the last half of my Subway sandwich disappeared. What do you say to that, hmm?"
Emilie narrowed her eyes, refusing to respond to that. She turned away from Dom to Evi, who was on her other side. The brunette was holding her hand up to Orlando's, palm to palm. "Comparing manicures again?" Emilie guessed.
Evi glanced at Emilie, laughing. "No. Holloway accused me of having man hands today. I wanted to see if he was right."
"Hey, Emilie. Do a shot with me," Maggie said, distracting the Australian. Evi turned to Orlando, looking at their hands.
"Yours are bigger. Josh is full of shit," Evi laughed. "You have nice hands, though."
Orlando inclined his head. "As do you. And I can vouch for their femininity."
"Thanks." Evi raised her rum and coke to him, clinking it against his glass of Bacardi. "I'll be sure to tell Josh that the androgynous elf thinks I have womanly hands."
Laughing at his outraged expression, Evi leaned across the table towards Foxy. "So where is the lovely Mrs. tonight, Foxy?"
"Uh." Foxy shrugged one shoulder and took a gulp of his beer. "Home with the kids. Said she… I dunno. Didn't want to come."
"That's too bad," Evi replied, frowning slightly. "It would've been nice to see her again."
When Foxy didn't reply, Evi decided to change topics, turning to Orlando for a second. "You two have met, haven't you?"
"Yeah, of course," Orlando replied, nodding. "Somebody introduced us. Can't remember who, exactly," he added, laughing slightly.
"That's really how it happens. Random introductions," Foxy said. "You're the sanest person I've met through Dom, actually. And the most sober, too."
Evi turned just in time to see both Maggie and Emilie pulling a face in unison as the tequila burned down their throats, “Having fun, are we?”
Slapping her hand on the table, Emilie let out a cough and sucked in a sharp breath, “I guess you can say that.”
Dom had his hands in his lap and was rocking back and forth slightly, his eyes squeezed shut. “Come on; bring out the bread….bring out the bread.”
Evi reached over Emilie’s shoulder to tap on Dom’s, startling him. “Are you really that hungry?”
He strained a smile and spoke through gritted teeth, “All they need to do is bring out the bread-accompanied with lots and lots of butter, mind you-and I’ll shut up until dinner arrives.”
“Oh well, that’s ambitious,” Emilie interjected before shaking her head at Maggie’s offer of another shot. “No thanks, I’m not looking for another repeat of the other night.”
“Aw, well that’s too bad,” Dom spoke with a faux-sympathetic tone to his voice. “No naked Emilie tonight, then?”
“Sorry to say you won’t be seeing me naked ever again so you better hold onto that image you have in your head, because it’s all you’re getting from me.”
“Don’t worry, I will. Got a special place to put it too.”
Emilie scoffed, “I was only joking. Don’t be such a pervert.”
“M’not a pervert, I’m just basking in my right to enjoy it, since you did willingly strip in front of me.”
“I was three sheets to the wind; I would have stripped in front of the Pope if he was there!”
Dom’s eyes widened at the thought and he raised his hands into the air, “Bartender, more drinks to this good lady!”
Emilie’s elbow collided with his rib before Dom could snap his fingers and bring even more attention to their table. "Getting me drunk is asking for your own death, Dom. You know how irrational I get."
“You’re irrational when you’re bloody sober, Em.”
He caught her elbow before it could deliver another blow to his side, keeping a good grip on her as she tried to wrestle out of his grasp.
“Oh, come on now, you can try harder than that.”
Growling slightly, much to Dom’s surprise, Emilie gave him a daring look, like she knew exactly what it would take to get him to let go.
His grip instantly loosened and his hand chose, instead, to hover protectively around his lap. Obviously the lack of food had not only made him a tad dizzy but silly enough not to expect cold blooded violence.
Emilie, smiling with all the innocence of a saint, daintily slid her arm from his grip and looked up as if she had never threatened him in her life. "Oh look," she nodded behind him. "Bread."
"If I turn around," Dom said slowly, "will there actually be bread?"
"Dom! Are you implying I'd pretend there's bread so I can smack you?" Emilie asked, offended.
Before he could finish, Maggie interrupted him with a light smack on the shoulder and a shaky finger pointing behind him. "Look! S'your bread, Dom."
“Really?” Dom quirked an eyebrow, turning around.
“Bread for the table, sir.” The waiter handed him a basket of warm rolls, giving Dom a strange look when the Brit adopted a look of astonishment.
“Thanks, mate. So there really was bread!” Dom turned around to face the table again. “I’m sorry I doubted you, Em. I just-”
Dom was cut off mid-sentence when a glass of ice water was thrown into his face by a giggling Aussie.
“Of course there was bread, Dom. Do you really think I’d try a trick as juvenile as that?” Emilie shook her head, laughing at his outraged expression. Foxy tossed a napkin at him from across the table, and once he’d wiped off his face and brushed all the ice cubes off his lap, Dom leaned in very close to Emilie’s ear.
“Revenge is a bitch, love, and I’m a master at it,” he murmured. “So just you wait.”
Emilie tried not to tremble at his breath coasting along ear and neck but did so anyways. She brushed it off as nothing and pressed her hand against his chest, pushing him out of her personal bubble. “I think I can handle anything you throw at me, Dom.”
Dom didn’t seem worried, pointedly ripping a piece of bread and buttering it profusely, keeping his eyes on her as if he was daring her to try something again.
The teasing and general display of immaturity was one Maggie’d seen a thousand times before, so she was bored with watching them before they even finished. Her attention drifted immediately to Ian, who was trying to snag a piece of bread from Dom.
Slipping her shoe off casually, showing hardly any sign of movement above the table, she allowed her foot to gently guide along the floor, finding Ian’s leg like a compass finding north.
She suppressed a giggle when Ian sat a little straighter at the contact, clearing his throat to cover a yelp.
Her foot caressed the smooth cloth of his pants as she ran them up and up and up….until she was leaning further back into her chair and her toes could count the change in his pocket.
Ian licked his lips and his eyes slid shut for a moment before Foxy disrupted the moment, pushing away from the table and nearly knocking Ian over.
“Sorry,” he offered, patting Ian on the shoulder before excusing himself to go outside for a quick smoke.
Maggie tried not to let the frustration show, sitting up straighter in her seat, waiting until Ian settled himself back down. She waited, the seconds passing torturously slow, until he was comfortable in his seat and she slid down a little until her toes could reach his leg. Her foot gently brushed across the hem of his pants leg, pushing it up a little as she began retracing her steps.
She bit her lower lip gently in concentration as she traced his kneecap lightly, but when she looked over at Ian he showed no signs of enjoying her attention. In fact he looked as if she wasn't even touching him at all.
Maggie withdrew her foot and frowned, annoyed at his casual approach to the situation. Why was he barely reacting to her? Maybe it was just the fact they were in a public place, but that had hardly made him pull away before.
Smiling a wicked sort of smile to herself, she leaned back in her chair and traced her foot up the inside of his leg, moving gently past his knee to skim her toes along his inside thigh. If she was going to make him react, she was going to do it good after all.
Her foot very nearly reached its destination when Orlando made a very strange sound and slid back from the table a little, a dark red flush creeping up his neck.
Maggie straightened in her seat so fast she nearly toppled over. He glanced over at her, as humiliated as she was. She offered him an apologetic look and cleared her throat, “I was just stretching…”
Emilie barely glanced over, not reading the undertones of the situation. “What, did you kick someone under the table again? You need to be considerate of us short-legged people, Maggie.”
“You better check for bruises,” Evi joked.
Still not meeting anyone’s eyes, Orlando shifted in his seat. “No worries, I’ll live.”
“Don’t think that’s necessary,” Ian chimed in, a mixture of amusement and relief at not getting caught sparkling in his eyes.
He locked stares with Maggie and over the span of a second they both agreed.
Bathroom. Now.
“Excuse me,” Maggie said, pushing her chair back. “Need to visit the ladies room.”
“Yeah, all the liquor you’ve had’ll make you piss like a racehorse,” Dom said. “Surprised you’re not running for the loos, Em. And don’t women tend to go there in packs?”
No. No. No, fuck, no! Maggie sent telepathic waves towards Emilie, willing her to stay where she was. To her immense relief, Emilie shook her head.
“Maggie’s a big girl, she can go by herself. I’m fine,” Emilie laughed.
Breathing a sigh, Maggie met Ian’s eyes for a brief second before she started towards the restrooms. At the table, Ian impatiently drummed his fingers against the table, willing himself to count to thirty (one, two, skip a few, twenty-eight, twenty-nine…) before he followed. Had to make it as suspicious-free as possible.
“Um, I’m.” Ian stopped, wincing when his voice squeaked. “Gotta use the bathroom. Be back later. I mean, in a minute.”
He stood up as calmly as possible, keeping his expression neutral. No one seemed to pay him any mind, resuming their own conversations as he turned away. As soon as his back was to the party, his face split into the hugest grin and he had trouble stopping himself from breaking into a run.
The restrooms were down a hallway, the men’s room directly across from the ladies room. When Ian neared, a man exited the men’s room, and Ian made as if to walk through the swinging door. As soon as that guy rounded the corner, Ian made an about-face, knocking softly on the women’s restroom.
“It’s clear,” came Maggie’s muffled voice. Ian stepped inside, finding a grinning Maggie waiting. “There’s a lock on the door. As long as we keep it quiet, I think we’ll be-”
Having secured the door, Ian ceased all conversation by reaching for Maggie, crushing her body against his and claiming her mouth with a searing kiss.
“Cocktease,” he muttered, fumbling for the zipper on her skirt. “And it wasn’t even my cock!”
---
Evi placed her hand on Orlando's shoulder, giving him an inquiring look. "You okay? Looking a little red."
“Yeah, just a bit..." he shifted again in his seat, letting out a small laugh. "Nothing. It's nothing. Couldn't feel more welcomed into this group."
"Good, wouldn't want you to be an outsider," Evi offered a warm smile. "Hanging out with you would've been a reputation-ruiner."
"Yet you wouldn't be able to resist," he kidded. "Not with my shiny, buffed nails."
"Stop with the nails," she swatted at his hands and he feigned hurt at the action. "Just because they're shinier than everyone else's doesn't mean you have to BRAG!"
“Just because you’re jealous, Evangeline, there’s no need to get testy.” Orlando tutted, shaking his head at her. “I understand. I’m used to being envied.”
Evi laughed, nudging him with her shoulder. “I’m glad to see that Dom’s description of you as ‘egotistical, narcissistic, and pompous’ was so far off their mark.”
“Did he say that about me?” Orlando laughed, glancing down the table at Dom. “Hasn’t anyone warned you? Never take a hobbit’s word. Elves are much more trustworthy. Noble creatures, elves. Not like those irresponsible little hairy things.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Evi said. “Note to self: Elves are more honest and have better hair. Clearly they are superior.”
"Honestly, wouldn't you rather have a noble Elf who would protect you than a hobbit who'd trade you in exchange for second breakfast?"
Evi shrugged, pretending that she had to think hard about it. Orlando scoffed and pointedly turned so his back was to her.
"Elves are moody," she mumbled, stealing a piece of his bread.
“Wouldn’t you be, if you had to associate yourself with lesser life forms all day?” Orlando sighed dramatically, turning around again. “Hey, is that my bread?”
Evi smirked. “Split it with you?”
Orlando smiled. “Nah. Take it. Elves are also known for their generosity.”
A few minutes went by, and Dom very nearly let out a cry of relief when the waiters returned with trays of food.
“Will these guests be returning?” one asked, motioning to Maggie’s and Ian’s empty seats.
“Yeah, they’re just in the bathroom,” Foxy said. “Come to think of it, they’ve been gone awhile. Wonder what’s taking them.”
“I’m here.” Ian suddenly seemed to appear by the table, running a hand through his hair before he took a seat. “Can you believe there was a line in the men’s room? Oh, food’s here. Great.”
Anyone looking closely might notice that Ian’s smile was a little too wide, his hair perhaps a little too mussed. Then there was the little fact that his shirt was buttoned wrong. However, everyone was too distracted by the appearance of food to notice the little details. Ian surreptitiously checked his fly and, satisfied that he was all zipped up, began eating.
After a minute, Maggie rejoined the table as well, casually adjusting her skirt without bringing too much attention to herself. Once she sat down, however, everybody greeted her with smiles. The smile they received was far bigger than all of theirs combined.
Emilie nudged her shoulder, “You happy it’s your birthday?”
Feeling Ian’s eyes on her, Maggie didn’t fight the redness of her cheeks, nodding. “You betcha.”
Everyone raised their glasses and Holloway spoke up, “Here’s to the Birthday Girl and to all of us havin’ a damn good year.”
When everybody clinked their glasses together and made general ‘here-here’ noises, Maggie was left feeling like she was amongst the clouds. Looking to her friends, to Ian, there was no denying it felt good to know that she was already off to a good start.
Ian’s foot gently rubbed up against hers.
Alright, a great start.
TBC…