Memoirs of a Texan Abroad (3/14)

[texankate]

Title:  How Jensen Ackles Hated Mr. Right, Shagged Mr. Wrong, and Finally Got a Clue
Author:  texankate 
Pairings/Characters:  J-squared, Jensen/ Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jared/Sandy, Chris/Steve, Usual Suspects  OFCs, OMCs.  S1 'The Tudors', S1 'Primeval'.
Rating:  Up to NC17 in places

Disclaimer: If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream,. In other words: complete and utter fiction. I own nothing but my twisted and sordid little brain. I even had to borrow my disclaimer.

Summary:  When Jensen left everything behind for his big shot overseas assignment, he only wanted a life of adventure.  Will he choose passion with a sexy foreigner?  Or will he realize that true love was in his back yard the whole time?

Chapter 3

The rest of the week flew by. Johnny didn't stop by, but Jensen did find a daisy sitting on his keyboard on Friday morning. That afternoon, he did a last Internet search to make sure he had all the info he would need for London. Jensen picked up his printouts and left for the station.

Natalie was home when Jensen got there. He'd seen her briefly on Wednesday, but she had been flying most of the week. She followed him down to his flat, where Jensen dumped his backpack and his coat.

"So what do you have planned for the weekend?" she asked.

"Well, tonight I'm going to recuperate from this week, and tomorrow I'm going into London," Jensen said. "How about you?"

"Well, I'm going away with some friends tomorrow morning. But I'm free tonight, if you want to do something," she said. "If you don't want to go out, we can rent a movie and stay in."

"That sounds fantastic. Is there a movie place around here?" Jensen asked.

"There's a Blockbuster over by Three Bridges," she said. "We can stock up on videos and grab takeout at the same time. Sound good?"

"Absolutely perfect," Jensen said. "Just give me two minutes to change."

"All right. Just come on up when you're done. The back door will be unlocked."

Riding with Natalie was a frightening prospect. He'd seen drivers careen around the narrow streets, but there were several times Jensen though they were going to smash into other cars, only to miss them by a whisker. She explained, as they whipped in front of a Ford Focus, that the trick was to learn exactly what your auto was capable of, and to get a feel of exactly how large it really was. So every time they had a near miss, it was really just a complex calculation that she'd gotten right. There weren't any dings in her car, so Jensen guessed she knew what she was talking about.

The Blockbuster was a familiar sight. The same signs and promotions, the same two-year-old movies still on the new release shelf. There were some movies he'd never heard of, and Natalie explained that while most American movies eventually made it over to the UK, most British films didn't get enough buzz to make the jump across the pond.

"Ooh, he's lovely," she said, picking up the latest Brad Pitt film.

"That he is. And so is he," Jensen said, tapping the picture of George Clooney on the back of the box. "Two hotties in one movie. I think they have a winner?"

"Very much so," Natalie said, with a growl. "We probably have time for two. Anything else look good?"

"Ooh, they have the Firefly boxed set!" Jensen may or may not have squealed.

"What's Firefly?" Natalie asked.

"It was a television show by the guy that created Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Jensen said. Natalie's rolled her eyes.

"It's not horror," Jensen said. "It's a kind of a western in space. Come on, we'll watch the first episode, and if you don't like it, I'll never make you sit through another one, I promise." Natalie didn't look enthused, but she gave in. They paid for the movies and went out in search of take-out. Natalie suggested Indian food, which he'd never had. She promised that England had the best Indian food outside of India, so Jensen promised to give it a try. If all else failed, they bought a bag of M&Ms at Blockbuster, and Jensen could live on them for one night.

They ate vindaloo on the floor of Natalie's sitting room while they watched the pilot episode of Firefly. Halfway through, she was remarking on how cute the actors were. By the time they were through, she had declared her undying love for Captain Reynolds.

"I really want to watch the rest of the episodes, but we still have the Pitt/Clooney lust-fest," she said, wrinkling her brow.

"I tell you what, I'll have my sister bring over my boxed set of Firefly when she comes to visit. That way, they can watch them any time we want. Unless, that is, you want to go ahead and buy your own set," Jensen suggested.

"She's not coming to visit until July, right?" Natalie asked. "I don't know if I'll be able to hold out that long."

"Well, the offer stands," Jensen said. "Let's put in the Brad and George and break into the wine and the chocolate. I've had a long week."

It was nearly midnight when they finally shut off the television. Jensen said goodnight and stumbled downstairs. He brushed his teeth and ran a damp cloth over his face before he crawled into a pair of pajamas and snuggled under the duvet. He was just about asleep when he realized that he hadn't told Natalie about Johnny. I'll tell her next time, Jensen said to himself. She probably knows all about him.

The morning dawned bright but chilly. Jensen showered and pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt, and ran his fingers through his hair. Not the most glamorous look, but it would do. Over breakfast, Jensen checked the weather forecast, which promised a beautiful day. It seemed like an auspicious start to an adventure.

He grabbed his backpack and headed up into the sunshine. The walk to the train station seemed short that day. Jensen bought a day's travel card, which would not only be his passage to and from London, but would also give him unlimited use of the Tube, if he needed it.

The train was fairly crowded, but Jensen found a car in the back that still had empty seats. He pulled out his guidebook and read while the train chugged along. That didn't last long, though, before he was staring out of the windows at the passing scenery. They stopped about every ten minutes. Horley, Red Hill, Croydon. Soon enough, they were traveling in the outskirts of London, and then into Victoria Station.

The guidebook promised that you could catch a double-decker bus tour outside of the station. Jensen wandered around until he saw a promising looking fellow waving leaflets.

"Hello, sir. Would you be interested in having the best view of scenic London?" he asked, handing Jensen a leaflet. "All you see on the tube is the gray concrete walls. With us, you can see all the sights. What do you say?" Jensen looked at the map of the routes, and they seemed to hit all of the high spots. But apparently Jensen didn't look like a guaranteed sale, so the man kept pushing.

"Best part is, our tour includes a river trip. You can get on the barge at the Tower of London, and take it all the way down to Westminster. See London by bus and by boat, what do you say?"

Jensen paid for his ticket, and climbed aboard the bus. Because the day was chilly, most of the people were sitting down below. But Jensen figured you couldn't really see anything from down there. That's why God invented coats. Jensen pulled his jacket tighter, and climbed up to the second deck. There was an empty seat in the back, and Jensen settled across from a young woman about his age. She smiled, and said something in German. Jensen just smiled in return and nodded.

They pulled away from the curb and headed into the London streets. The architecture was amazing, and Jensen started in on the first of five rolls of film that he'd brought with me, as well as the first memory card for his digital. They drove through South Kensington and then around Hyde Park, with constant commentary. Their guide was a funny fellow, and he pointed out both the famous and infamous as they drove through the residential neighborhoods.

There are certain things that one can see, if only for a few brief seconds, and you can check them off your list. Jensen took his map and started circling the things that he wanted to come back to-museums that he'd never heard of that sounded too intriguing to pass up. He circled Harrods as well. He had a mother, a sister, and a sister-in-law to think of, too.

By the time he finally glanced down at his watch it was well past lunchtime, and his stomach was growling. Jensen stepped off of the bus and stopped in a little convenience store and bought a packaged sandwich, chips, and a soda. The crowd on the bus had thinned a little, and Jensen had a section all to himself. He ate his lunch as they tooled around London, down Regent Street and through Piccadilly Circus. Jensen got off the bus again at the National Gallery. He wanted to change routes to one that would take him by the Tower.

That route took them through old London, the areas where the banks and papers now resided. They drove past St. Paul's Cathedral, then on past the Mansion House and the Bank of England. They crossed the river by Southwark Cathedral, and then crossed back over on the Tower Bridge. Jensen left the bus at the Tower of London. It was too late in the day to go inside, so Jensen walked the perimeter until he found the dock with the tour barges.

He boarded the barge, and found his way onto the top deck.   As with the bus, he didn't see why you'd bother if you're not going to take advantage of the view. The boat floated up the Thames towards Westminster and Big Ben. The guide pointed out things you'd never see if you weren't on a boat, and it was amazing to get a view that most people never did. They pulled into the dock at Westminster, across from the London Eye, the enormous Ferris wheel that was erected for the Millennium.

It was getting late, and Jensen was starting to drag. He climbed up to street level, and looked around for the tube station. Once underground, Jensen followed the signs that pointed out the route to take to get back to Victoria Station, and he stood on the platform until a train pulled up with a deafening roar. He found a seat and relaxed as the train to him back to his original starting point.

Victoria Station was as crowded as it had been that morning. Jensen still had time to kill, so he browsed in the little shops scattered around the station. He picked up a paperback mystery in W. H. Smith's, and discovered a wonderful new store called Lush, which was full of organic bath goodies. He bought what amounted to a large Alka Seltzer for the bathtub that smelled like citrus and a shampoo that was the color of old moss but smelled like herbs.

He checked his watch, and realized that he was close to missing the train. He grabbed a coffee, and went to his platform to wait. Once he was on the train, Jensen settled back into his seat, opened his paperback, and enjoyed the feeling of adventure. Things were looking up, and Jensen had a very good feeling about the next six months. He had no idea where he would end up, but that was half the fun, wasn't it?

Jensen started the work week alone, again. At least he would finally get to meet Douglas on Thursday. He began his day with an email home to his family. It served the dual purpose of assuring them that Jensen was okay and making them horribly jealous. So he was a little petty. Sue him.

Johnny wasn't as busy as he had been, and he stopped by Jensen's desk twice a day with an extra cup of tea. Wednesday afternoon, he stopped by with an invitation for the evening. He and some of his friends were going out to a pub, and he wanted Jensen to tag along. Jensen was a little hesitant, and Johnny put on the full court press.

"They're a good lot," he said. "I think you'll like them. And I know they're dying to meet the gorgeous American I keep talking about." With all the flattery, Jensen was starting to think he wanted something. So Jensen asked.

"Why is this such a big deal?" Jensen asked.

"It's not, really," Johnny said, a touch of evasiveness in his voice. "You've already met my mates from work. I thought you might as well go ahead and meet the rest now. If you can't meet them tonight, you'll have plenty of opportunity in the future."

"Oh really? And why do you say that? Are we going to be spending lots of time together?" Jensen asked, batting his lashes in obviously false coyness.

"Of course. Especially once we're married," he explained, doing an admirable job keeping a straight face.

"Married, you say?" Jensen said, nodding along.

"Of course. We'll fall madly in love, first. Then we'll get married. Adopt a couple of kids and travel around the world. It'll be great, I promise," he said, finally breaking into a grin.

"Mm hmm," Jensen said. "Sounds like you have everything planned out. What are we naming their kids, if it's okay to ask?"

"Well, the oldest one, a boy, will be named Patrick, after my father, of course. I figured you'd want to name our daughter, who will, by the way, be a champion surfer and marine biologist who studies dolphins," he said.

"Talented girl," Jensen chuckled.

"Takes after you," Johnny said. "But it all starts with meeting my friends at the pub tonight. Are you sure you don't want to join us?" The promise of hanging out with a handful of good-looking men, because, of course, Johnny wouldn't have unattractive friends, was starting to sound too good to pass up. And Johnny really did deserve a treat for thinking up that little fiction off the top of his head.

"Oh, all right," Jensen said, sighing in defeat. Johnny shook his fists in victory.

"Outstanding. I'll swing by and get you around five o'clock?" he asked.

"Sounds good."

Johnny and his friends didn't disappoint. They were hot as hell, with killer accents that made Jensen's knees week. He sat at a table with the four of them, and enjoyed being the center of so much masculine attention.

"Okay, let him see if I've got this right. You're Kris, and you're an architect, right?" The tallest of the bunch nodded. He had curly, sandy hair and blue eyes. He also blushed a deep red whenever Jensen talked to him.

"And you're Henry, right?" Another tall man, probably over six foot, nodded. He had close-cropped hair and impressive muscles. "You're in the military?"

"Indeed," he said, staring intently into Jensen's eyes, causing the Texan to blush. Johnny cleared his throat and sent his friend a warning look. Henry shifted back in his chair and picked up his pint.

"Callum," Jensen said, pointing to the man next to Johnny. He had an infectious grin and lean body. "And you're a guide?"

"Yeah, I take rich city people on adventure get-aways in the mountains. Make sure they get home in one lily-white piece," he said, with a grin.

"And you've known Johnny since you were kids, right?"

"Yeah, our mothers are distantly related. We've known each other since short pants. I chalk his killer charm down to my corrupting influence," he said, barely dodging a punch from said corrupted friend.

"So does my mother. Which is why she tells me to stay away from you," Johnny said, with an evil grin.

"I can see how much stock you put in her opinions," Jensen said, drily.

"So, tell us about you," Henry said. "I've never met a real Texan cowboy before."

"Well, to be honest, I'm not really much of a cowboy. Yes, I can ride a horse, but the only animals we raise are hunting dogs. At least, since the incident with the fish tank."

"Fish tank?" Callum asked. "What did you do to the poor fish?"

"Not me. My brother shouldn't have been trusted with life of innocent creatures like that," Jensen said. "It always made me nervous when Mom let him baby-sit us after that. I just remembered their little bodies floating upside down, with the guy in the diver suit looking up at them." Jensen shuddered dramatically. "Still creeps me the fuck out that he's a doctor now. My brother, that is. Not the diver." They all laughed.

"So you can ride a horse?" Johnny asked.

"My cousin raised quarter horses, and I got to help feed and exercise them when I was in junior high and high school," Jensen explained. "But there were no cows involved."

"What about your parents?" Kris asked. It was the first time he'd volunteered anything into the conversation, really, and Jensen smiled at him.

"Well, my dad's in the oil industry which means he traveled a lot when I was a kid," Jensen said. "My mom teaches school. I have an older brother and a younger sister. One's a pediatrician, and the other one is still in college. The doctor has a wife and two kids, who I absolutely adore. There are assorted aunts, uncles and cousins, too. Nothing too shocking, I'm afraid."

"Do you miss them?" Callum asked.

"Well, I just saw them a couple of weeks ago, so it's not so bad at the moment. Give me a couple of months, though, and I'll be going through withdrawals, probably," Jensen said.

"Well, it's their duty to look after him, then, isn't it boys," Johnny said, kissing Jensen on the cheek. "We'll keep your mind off of being lonely. You won't have time to miss anyone, right mates?" They all grinned. A very small vain part of him wondered if they were thinking of giving Johnny a run for his money. Either way, it looked like Jensen was in for a world of fun.

The next morning, Jensen was the first one into the office. He was bent over a site analysis when Douglas wandered in. Jensen didn't hear him until he rattled his chair.

"Oh, good morning," Jensen said, putting on his friendliest smile.

"Jensen, right?" he said, extending his hand. Jensen took it and nodded.

"That's right. And you're Douglas."

"Yes. It's wonderful to finally meet you. Alasdair had nothing but good things to say about you."

"That's good to hear," Jensen said. "How was your trip?"

"It was very nice. We were visiting my wife's family in South Africa," he said.

"Your wife is from there?" Jensen asked.

"No, her parents are English. She grew up in Bristol," he said. "When her father retired, they moved down there. It's gotten to be quite popular for Brits to move down there. For the price of a two bedroom semi-detached here you can buy a ten acre spread down there." At least, that's what Jensen thought he said. Douglas's not-so-light accent pegged him as Scottish, and he took the whole fast-speaking thing to a new level.

Jensen caught him up on the project status, and let him catch up on a month's worth of email and voicemail while Jensen forged ahead. There was a steady stream of visitors to their area, happy to see that Douglas had returned. The only one Douglas seemed surprised to see was Johnny. Then again, he was there to see Jensen, not Douglas.

"All right there, Douglas?" Johnny said, handing him his morning tea.

"Hello Johnny," Douglas said. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine," Johnny said, sitting on the corner of his desk. "I just came by to check on our American friend." He gave Jensen a brilliant smile.

"He's been looking after me," Jensen said, rolling his eyes. "Because I'm so helpless."

"I can tell," Douglas said.

"I also wanted to ask if you have plans for the weekend." Johnny said. "I know you're off tomorrow, so I thought I'd better ask now."

"Well, I'd planned on going down to Brighton tomorrow and see the sights," Jensen said. "Which I know you'd despise. As for the rest of the weekend, I thought I might go back into London. Why?"

"Well, there's a rugby match on Saturday, and I was wondering if you'd like to go?"

"I've never really watched rugby," Jensen admitted.

"It's good fun. A little rougher than American football, too," he said, throwing down the gauntlet.

"I've already told you. If you had nearly seven foot, three hundred and fifty pound men trying to hit you, you'd want shoulder pads, too. I guess rugby players are too small to do that much damage," Jensen concluded, with a sympathetic sigh. "I think it's cute that they've found a way to, well, compensate."

Johnny gave him a ferocious glare, to which Jensen responded with an overly bright smile. Douglas watched them with an amused look on his face. Johnny grabbed for his tea, but Jensen pushed back from the desk and rolled out of reach.

"Let's settle down, kiddies," Douglas said, with a chuckle. He pointed at Johnny. "You go on, and let him get back to work. And you," he continued, turning to me. "You stop mocking our sports." Jensen gave him an impish grin and shooed Johnny off.

"You never gave me an answer," he pouted.

"Give me a call on Saturday morning. I'll give you an answer then," Jensen said. He shook his head in resignation, and walked back to his side of the floor.

"You and Johnny seem to have hit it off," Douglas said. His voice was completely neutral, which set off alarms in Jensen's head.

"He really has been looking after me," he replied. "He's helped me get settled in, made sure I got home after a night out with the gang, you know." Douglas looked like he wanted to tell him something, but he held back. Maybe he decided that he didn't know him well enough yet. Jensen hoped he wasn't one of those bosses who looked down on office romances. Johnny and Jensen weren't even in the same department, really. No, he had to be imagining things. Jensen shook off his doubt, and returned to his analysis.

As they were wrapping up for the day, Douglas asked him if Jensen was planning to do a lot of sightseeing during his stay.

"As much as I can," Jensen said. "It's like a six month working vacation for me."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know that Lucy and I are quite fond of taking drives on the weekends. If there's anything you really want to see that is a little out of the way, just let us know. We'd be happy to take you around," he offered. Jensen marveled at his kindness. It looked like Bob would have some competition in the Best Boss category.

"That's really kind of you," Jensen said.

"We'd love to. I'd like for you to meet Lucy. She's been looking forward to meeting a real Texan," he grinned.

"I hope I can live up to the hype," Jensen said. "So far, everyone seems rather disappointed that I don't wear a cowboy hat and boots to work."

"Just say y'all a lot. I'm sure that will be enough for her," he said.

"That I can do," Jensen laughed. He switched off his terminal and grabbed his jacket and backpack. "Y'all have a good weekend, all right?"

EcoDyne Solutions was one of those progressive companies that paid lip service to the idea that happy employees work harder. In the spirit of that idea, they adopted the concept of the 9/80 work week. Simply put, by working one extra hour for nine days out the a ten day work period you got to have the tenth day off, as long as you were caught up on work.

They had adopted the 'every other Friday off' schedule about a year earlier in Houston. Jensen had been thrilled to see that the Gatwick office worked the same kind of schedule. Now he would have a three day weekend ever two weeks. It would make some of the more distant locations easier to visit.

On his first Friday off, he took the train to Brighton, a seaside town that had been known for pleasure and excess. These days, it was one of the more hip and trendy towns, with a vibrant arts community.

The town sloped down from the station to the seaside, and he walked easily down to the touristy section. He turned left off of the main street, and walked down toward the Brighton Pavilion. It had been built in the early 1800s by the Prince Regent, as a pleasure palace getaway from his hectic life of debauchery in London.

It was a remarkable blend of architecture. The main influence was Moorish, but he could see other influences in some of the finer details. He pulled out his camera and started in with the picture taking. Even with the chill of the day, there were people lounging on the lawn. Children raced back and forth, while their exhausted mothers chatted on benches.

He toured the inside, and it was every bit as gaudy as promised. There were huge dragon chandeliers, opulent rugs and furnishings, and everything that would stand still had been slapped with a coat of gold paint. The only slightly reserved rooms had been redone by Queen Victoria, and they were much more his style. He ended his tour with the requisite visit to the gift shop, and he left with a backpack full of goodies.

Afterwards, he wandered through the extensive shopping area, buying a few gifts here and there. His feet were starting to hurt, and he remembered that he'd have to walk uphill to get back to the station. He trudged back to the station, and collapsed in exhaustion in an empty car. The ride back to Crawley was quiet, and he curled up with his journal.

The trip wasn't long, and soon enough he found himself stumbling out of the train. He didn't feel like cooking, so he stopped at the chip shop Natalie had pointed out. He curled up on the couch, and tried to decide if he was up for rugby the next day. As he collapsed into bed, Jensen decided that he could sit through anything, as long as he was sitting next to Johnny.

The man in question called at nine the next morning. Jensen was already up, and finishing his breakfast and watching some sort of soap recap on the television. He licked the jam off of his fingers before he picked up the handset.

"Good morning, beautiful," Johnny said. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm feeling good, why do you ask?" Jensen teased.

"Are you feeling up to rugby?"

"I don't know. Are you going to give me grief about American football?" Jensen asked.

"Probably. No, certainly."

"All right then. When do you want to pick me up?" Jensen asked, a goofy grin on his face.

"Game's at one. Would you like to grab lunch first?" he asked.

"Yes, please."

"Well, then, I'll pick you up around 11:30," he said.

"Sounds good to me."

They hung up, and Jensen went into crisis mode. What did he have that was warm, and still sexy? He threw open his drawers, trying to find something that would take his mind off of rugby,   He found a fitted black sweater, and which he paired with a gray collared shirt. It would look good with jeans and boots. Now, to do something about the rest of him.

He'd just finished putting on his boots when he heard a knock on the front door. He grabbed his keys and opened the door. Johnny let out a low whistle. That was when Jensen noticed he was wearing athletic gear.

"Johnny, are you going to watch the game, or play in it?" he asked.

"Play," he said. "Didn't I tell you?"

"No, not really," Jensen said, sighing to himself. He followed Johnny up to the street.

"Don't worry, Henry will keep you company," he said, opening the passenger door. Jensen slipped inside and moped while Johnny walked around to the other side. "Just remember, if Henry gets fresh, let me know and I'll thrash him."

Henry didn't get fresh, but he did keep Jensen laughing for the entire game. First, they went over the basic rules of the game. They moved on to vocabulary, full of exotic words like 'scrum'. Then Jensen noticed that the lack of man-made equipment made the natural equipment much easier to appreciate. He reckoned there might be something to the game after all.

Johnny's team dominated the other team, so he was in a fantastic mood when Jensen saw him afterwards. He grabbed Jensen, getting mud and dirt on his clothes. But with a victory kiss like that, he could have rolled Jensen in mud and he wouldn't have minded. The team piled into their cars, and headed to their local pub, where they spent the rest of the afternoon and evening drinking. Halfway through the evening, Johnny pulled Jensen onto his lap. By the end of the evening, they were curled up in the corner, making out and ignoring everyone else in the bar.

"Let's get out of here," Johnny whispered, as he licked Jensen's earlobe.

Jensen moaned softly. "Sounds good to me," he said. He stroked the side of Johnny's face and showered kisses along his jaw line.

They managed to keep their hands to themselves, for the most part, until they made it to Johnny's place. Jensen had no idea how they managed the stairs, because all of his attention was focused on Johnny's roving hands. Johnny fumbled with his keys, as Jensen growled impatiently. They nearly fell through the doorway, and Johnny slammed the door shut with his foot. They shuffled toward the bedroom, shucking clothing all the way. Jensen briefly patted himself on the back that he'd worn his nicest silk boxers, but Johnny had them off of him before he managed to complete the thought.

Johnny's athleticism on the rugby pitch wasn't a fluke. Jensen was happy to learn that his superior hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills carried into the bedroom. And stamina. The man had stamina.

Two hours later, Jensen was happily sated and barely able to keep his eyes open. He turned onto his side, and snuggled down into the pillow. Johnny moved behind him, spooning up against his back. Warm, sated, and full of adventure, Jensen fell into the deep sleep of the well and truly shagged.

Johnny didn't take Jensen home until late Sunday night. Jensen hated getting back into his beer soaked and smoky smelling clothes, but he couldn't walk from the car to his front door in Johnny's bathrobe-there were limits to how far he would take the walk of shame. He saw the curtains stir at Natalie's as they said goodbye on the sidewalk.

"I meant what I said," Johnny said, nuzzling his ear. "We should go away for the weekend. Get away from work, everything."

"I'd love to," Jensen said. "We can talk about it later this week. Right now, I need to get to bed."

"Now, that's a good idea," Johnny said. He grabbed Jensen's hand and pulled him toward the door.

"I mean sleep," Jensen laughed. "We didn't get much last night, and I need my beauty rest."

"You look good to me," Johnny said.

"Goodnight," Jensen said, pushing him away. He watched Johnny get back into the car and pull away, and went inside.

He locked the door behind him, and walked back to the bathroom. He turned the bathtub tap and let the tub fill with hot, steamy water. He brushed his teeth, humming happily as the tub filled.

He was about to slip into the suds when Natalie knocked on the back door. He pulled his robe tighter, and answered the door.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, I just wondered if you had a minute." Natalie replied.

"Well, I was just about to take a bath," he said. "Is it urgent, or can it wait for tomorrow?"

"I just need five minutes," Natalie said. Jensen looked longingly at the tub.

"Okay, come on in," he said. They went into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"I saw Johnny drop you off," she said.

"Yeah," Jensen said, blushing. "I kind of spent the night at his place last night."

"Is it serious with you two?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know," Jensen said. A small part of him was annoyed that Natalie was prying into his affairs. "I really like him, and he seems to really like me, so maybe. Is that a problem?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt," Natalie said. "Look, I shouldn't have said anything. Just ignore me, and have a good time with Johnny." She stood up and headed for the back door.

"Why do you think I'll get hurt?" Jensen asked, stopping her with his hand on her arm.

"Johnny is a bit of a lad, you know?" she said, sitting back down

"What do you mean?"

"He's been out with nearly every gay man in that office, and half of the single women," Natalie said, rushing through her words."

Jensen felt a sick knot form in his stomach. "What about you?"

"A couple of dates. It didn't go well," Natalie admitted. "But that was ages ago. It's just that you're new, you're foreign, and you're gorgeous. I just wanted to warn you, really. He may not be looking for something serious."

"Right," Jensen said. Of course he wasn't. "I'll admit, when he took me out to meet his friends, I kind of thought maybe he was a little serious."

"You met his friends?" Natalie asked, surprised.

"Yes. We met them for drinks the other night. They cracked me up," Jensen said. "Especially Callum."

"I'm surprised. He usually keeps his work friends and his real-life friends separate," she said, chewing her lip. "It sounds like he's more serious than I gave him credit for." She stood back up.

"Listen. Just ignore what I said. Johnny obviously likes you quite a bit, and you should enjoy it. Have fun and don’t worry," she said. "What's an adventure without a sexy foreigner, right?" They both grinned, although Jensen's was a little forced. He let her out of the back door and locked up.

His bath was starting to cool, so he gave it a couple of hits with the hot tap before sinking into the suds. He tried to forget what Natalie had said, but the words raced through his mind, refusing to let him think of anything else.

Johnny had seemed to really enjoy the weekend. Of course he did, the little voice in his head snapped. He got what he wanted, and you just let it happen. Jensen had soaked for less than twenty minutes when he pulled the stopper and grabbed his towel. He climbed into his pajamas and crawled under the duvet, exhausted in body and spirit. It was the damn mind that kept him up until after midnight. Maybe that's why he decided to ignore it, and do what the heart demanded.

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