The holidays were Annie's favorite time of the year; all the parties, the weather, the reasons to put a fire in the fireplace in the guest house... all of it
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A black tie affair that he had to attend because Porter couldn't. It was never a set of circumstances he enjoyed at least spending time with Annie would be worth it and the food would be excellent.
When Annie opened her door, he couldn't help his smile. She looked fantastic and was sure to make everyone else at the club jealous.
His smile combined with the way he looked made her skin flush and her own smile softened in return.
"You don't look so bad yourself, though..." She reached out and gave his tie a tug, even though it didn't need any kind of straightening at all. Any excuse to touch him, though? She'd take. "There. Perfect."
Clay hated bow ties. He could never get them straight and always felt like they were choking him. From someone who wore neckties every day, he never understood why that was but it happened.
"No." She gave him a sweet smile before she confessed, "I just wanted an excuse to touch you before we had to leave."
Then she stepped back and reached for her clutch, something red that matched her dress. "I'm guessing we should get going before we get distracted." Truth was, she was already distracted. "Club?"
"You don't need an excuse to do that." Other people might, but Annie? Never.
Clay helped her into her coat before taking her arm,"Let's go."
He really just wanted to get this over with so he could enjoy being with Annie afterward. Since her return from Amsterdam, he was determined to rebuild what they had based on as much honesty as possible. It was taking some getting used to on his part, but it was happening.
He was steady and comfortable and with her hand on his, she felt like things were status quo, even if they were off to his mother's country club where things for them were definitely not status quo.
In his car, she reached over and put her hand on his thigh to keep her heart rate normal. Nerves seemed to get the better of her whenever they did something like this and she didn't want to have it happen now. "So, what kind of party is it?"
"So, clearly we're going for the open bar," she teased as the car got closer. Annie knew Clay was an excellent dancer - and by extension could make anyone else look like an excellent dancer - but without him, she felt like she had two left feet. As for holiday cheer, she'd felt lacking recently.
And then there was the lack of a new cover story. "Not yet, no." A deep breath. "Ideas?"
"It is the best part. The food's always pretty good."
He hoped the party did it's job and let Annie have some fun. She needed it after everything she'd gone through recently. It would also let her just be Annie Walker, not Annie Walker CIA Agent.
"You could always say you're in between jobs. There are enough layoffs lately it's completely believable and won't get you trapped when the new cover does come through."
"So, I'll look like a slacker, rather than someone who's gainfully employed?" She grinned at him as they drove. "I might as well just tell them that I'm your kept woman."
She knows that she's not anything like that, but it's amusing for her to joke about it. It's not like she can tell anyone what she does do for a living and she'll have to wait for a proper cover anyway. It doesn't dawn on her until after she's said it that he might not like the joke, especially considering they're just now reviving their relationship.
"They might, considering the way I'm dressed." Then she looked it over. "Well, no. I'm not quite... glittery enough."
Still, all the teasing was fun and she laughed. "You know they love to contrast and compare lives, just to make sure they're all keeping up with the Joneses. They'll ask, I'll deflect. It'll be fine, don't worry."
Annie looked at him as he ran through the litany of compliments and she finally reached over and took his hand.
"I love you, you know that, right?" She squeezed gently and sighed before looking at the club as they approached. She wasn't sure if she believed everything he'd just said, but it was nice to think that he believed it.
"I love you too." So yes, he knew and reciprocated. Clay believed everything he just said to Annie and more. A little bit of this evening was so he could show her off.
When he handed the keys to the valet, he then walked to the passenger side and helped Annie out of the car to go into the club.
Stepping out of the car, she took his arm easily and, for the briefest moment, took the time to admire him again.
"You really do look amazing," she murmured. "And for everything you said? I'm sure when the women hear about my uselessness, they'll be swarming you to show what a better catch they are."
When Annie opened her door, he couldn't help his smile. She looked fantastic and was sure to make everyone else at the club jealous.
"You look amazing."
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"You don't look so bad yourself, though..." She reached out and gave his tie a tug, even though it didn't need any kind of straightening at all. Any excuse to touch him, though? She'd take. "There. Perfect."
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Clay hated bow ties. He could never get them straight and always felt like they were choking him. From someone who wore neckties every day, he never understood why that was but it happened.
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Then she stepped back and reached for her clutch, something red that matched her dress. "I'm guessing we should get going before we get distracted." Truth was, she was already distracted. "Club?"
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Clay helped her into her coat before taking her arm,"Let's go."
He really just wanted to get this over with so he could enjoy being with Annie afterward. Since her return from Amsterdam, he was determined to rebuild what they had based on as much honesty as possible. It was taking some getting used to on his part, but it was happening.
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In his car, she reached over and put her hand on his thigh to keep her heart rate normal. Nerves seemed to get the better of her whenever they did something like this and she didn't want to have it happen now. "So, what kind of party is it?"
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Then it dawned on him, Simon, Lena, and the FSB knew Annie's cover. "Did you get a new job yet?"
Best to get the story straight in the car.
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And then there was the lack of a new cover story. "Not yet, no." A deep breath. "Ideas?"
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He hoped the party did it's job and let Annie have some fun. She needed it after everything she'd gone through recently. It would also let her just be Annie Walker, not Annie Walker CIA Agent.
"You could always say you're in between jobs. There are enough layoffs lately it's completely believable and won't get you trapped when the new cover does come through."
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She knows that she's not anything like that, but it's amusing for her to joke about it. It's not like she can tell anyone what she does do for a living and she'll have to wait for a proper cover anyway. It doesn't dawn on her until after she's said it that he might not like the joke, especially considering they're just now reviving their relationship.
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Annie never gave the impression, as far as Webb was concerned, that she'd be anyone's kept woman.
"Hopefully, no one will ask and make it easy on both of us."
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Still, all the teasing was fun and she laughed. "You know they love to contrast and compare lives, just to make sure they're all keeping up with the Joneses. They'll ask, I'll deflect. It'll be fine, don't worry."
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"You look amazing. Anything they say will just be because they're jealous, the women because they aren't you and the men because they can't have you."
As far as her deflecting, Webb was sure Annie would be just fine when it came to handling the people at the club.
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"I love you, you know that, right?" She squeezed gently and sighed before looking at the club as they approached. She wasn't sure if she believed everything he'd just said, but it was nice to think that he believed it.
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When he handed the keys to the valet, he then walked to the passenger side and helped Annie out of the car to go into the club.
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"You really do look amazing," she murmured. "And for everything you said? I'm sure when the women hear about my uselessness, they'll be swarming you to show what a better catch they are."
This time, she was only half teasing.
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