Chapter 146 - Having a Party

Cate’s next few hours flew by in a rush of activity, leaving her slightly dazed and a little tired. After Jon left her office Cate spent the next 45 minutes reading and signing the forms contained in the blue folder presented to her by the Director. It was no easy task, as she was interrupted every few minutes by a friend or colleague as news of her imminent departure spread throughout the Branch.

Mandy called to express her excitement and jealousy and to promise her help in packing for the adventure. Danny came down the hall to give her a teasing “about fucking time you listened to me” speech and a heartfelt hug. Bobby, Steve, George, Brandon, and Troy each stopped by to confirm the news and offer their congratulations.

Finally Cate had to close and lock her office door to stop the interruptions so she could focus on the details of the contract. She needed to be sure she knew exactly what she was getting herself into.

When she finished reading Cate picked up a pen. With a slightly trembling hand she inked her signature on the line, over her printed name. Then with a deep breath Cate closed her eyes and smiled. Done. She was going to Hollywood with Jon.

After securing Floyd’s signature on the personnel forms Cate took the documents to the Human Resources Office in the Headquarters building. She obtained the necessary signatures and approvals there, then was directed to a FAX machine at the back of the office to transmit the documents to the HR office in DC.

As Cate stood waiting for the lengthy contract to finish its FAX transmittal, she gazed out the window, down onto the parking lot three floors below. This was the first moment of quiet she had to reflect upon what was happening to her. Everything had happened so fast; she hadn’t really had time to think anything through.

A little smile touched Cate’s lips as she recalled Danny’s words of warning: “Sometimes you have to just NOT think, you know? Go with your gut…Trust your heart.” When was the last time she had done that? Decades ago. It had been a mistake then, a huge one, to follow her heart. But she was older, wiser, a different person now. Somehow she knew that this time she was doing the right thing, trusting her heart.

Trusting Jon.

Cate’s smile widened as she saw a familiar form emerge from the main floor exit. Jon walked quickly across the lot to his rental SUV, parked several rows back. Even from this distance Cate could see the white flash of his smile and the spring in his step as he strode across the pavement. He must have just left the Director’s office, she thought. And now he’s going back to the villa. She felt a little tingle run up her spine at the thought of meeting him there, the setting for the romantic intimacy they had enjoyed over the past week. She couldn’t wait to see him again.

Cate shot a dirty look at the FAX machine as it slowly fed another page of the contract through the scanner bar. Soon, she told herself. Be patient. You’ll have all the time in the world with Jon. Soon.

She smiled again at that wonderful thought.

It was after five when Cate finally called it a day. Once she had taken care of all the paperwork for her detail she returned to her office to try to gather together some semblance of a continuity folder for whoever would take over the course director duties for the new class. Cate knew she didn’t have to take on the task; all her colleagues were experienced course managers. But she needed to do it for herself, to give herself some closure and to convince herself that this was no longer her job.

After she packed up her range bag Cate paused for a moment by the door as she looked around her office. She would have to come back tomorrow and take care of a few things, but this would be the last time she “officially” left her office for the day. When she came back she would be in a new office, a new building, a new position. This chapter of her life was ending; a new one was about to begin. With a bittersweet little sigh Cate flicked off the lights and pulled the door closed behind her.

*****

“SLICK!” Cate heard Danny cheerfully bellow out her nickname, followed by a chorus of cheers, whoops, and claps from the corner table. With a shy grin she weaved between the red-and-white checked tablecloth-covered tables of Sonny’s front room, making her way toward the group. Jon followed close behind her, wearing his own happy grin.

Jon hadn’t even bothered to try to disguise himself with a baseball cap and dark sunglasses this time. He was too excited, too happy to care if everybody in the State of Georgia knew he was in the bar. He was here with Cate. That was all that mattered.

Jon couldn't resist placing a gentle hand on the small of Cate's back as they approached the table. He saw the corner of her mouth curve upward at the contact. She was so much more comfortable with his touch now than she had been the last time they had entered this room together, a week ago.

Answering the greetings from the group, Jon pulled out Cate's chair for her before settling into the seat beside hers. Danny reached over to pour cold beer from a pitcher into the two empty glasses waiting on the table. "By the way, Slick, your tab's running at the bar," he said with a grin and a wink. "You know the rules."

Cate chuckled. "I know, I know. Pay raise equals open bar." She smiled at Jon. "Good thing you got me that contract. This bunch will drink away my first week's pay in one night."

Jon laughed. "I can float you a loan if you need it," he teased, leaning toward her with a smirk. "And you can repay me with... services," he purred suggestively in her ear, his voice soft enough that only she could hear it.

Cate's blue eyes flashed as she looked coyly at him, returning his smirk. "That I'd do for free," she murmured in reply before turning her attention back to the group gathered around the table.

Jon chuckled throatily and picked up his beer. Damn, he hoped they didn't have to stay here too long. He knew they would have fun here at Sonny's, but there was other fun to be had, back at his villa. He and Cate needed to celebrate privately.

For the next hour the group relaxed, laughed, and talked about work, sports, and families. Jon willingly answered questions from the guys about the movie-making process and about filming action scenes. Not to be outdone, Mandy asked Jon to describe what it was like to film a sex scene. She grinned triumphantly when she succeeded in flustering him as he searched for answers to her pointed, direct questions. Even several of the guys at the table squirmed at her interrogation.

Cate giggled softly and shook her head as Jon shot her a look that said "Help me!" Slipping her hand under the table to gently rub his thigh, she gave him a grin before turning to the gang. "Alright... we need another round?"

"Bet your ass we do!" Steve responded, picking up a pitcher and dumping the remaining beer into his glass. Danny and Troy did the same with the other two pitchers on the table.

Cate felt Jon's thigh tense under her hand as he pushed back his chair and half-stood. Surprised, she turned to look at him and saw him reaching into his front jeans pocket. What the... AHA! Cate grinned and reached into her own pocket, ready to meet the challenge.

Jon pulled out the unit coin Cate had given him last week and tossed it onto the table. "This is how you do this, right?" he grinned. "One one-thousand, two-one thousand...." He started to count down the ten seconds according to the "rules" of this little game.

Jon's challenge was immediately answered by a cacophony of loud "smacks" as the instructors all produced their own coins. Cate was the last to lay hers down beside Jon's on the table, just as he finished counting.

"Looks like the round's on me," Jon announced with a smile, reaching for the empty pitchers. "Be right back."

Cate smiled happily as she watched Jon cross the room to the bar. Not realizing it, she let out a contented little sigh as she admired his strong grace as he weaved between the tables then sauntered across the small dance floor. She turned her attention back to her colleagues and saw every one of them grinning widely at her.

"So when were you going to tell us?" Bobby asked.

Cate's eyebrows elevated. "Tell you what?" she asked, surprised.

Troy let out a little snort of laughter. "Yeah, don't try to play innocent. We all know the nonverbals. Your pupils are dilated, you're flushed, your breathing shallowed out..."

Mandy cut in. "You want him. You're having all KINDS of naughty, sexy thoughts about being his 'Personal Trainer,' aren't ya?" She gave Cate a little wink. "Dirty Bitch."

Cate nodded and grinned sheepishly, grateful for Mandy's rescue. She didn't want to admit it to her colleagues that she and Jon already had a relationship, even though she was pretty sure they already knew. And there was no way she could lie to them outright; they would be able to read her deception in a second.

"Well, Hell yes!!" she answered enthusiastically to Mandy's question. "What do you expect? I mean... DAMN! Just LOOK at him!"

"Oh Jesus. Here we go..." Danny groaned, rolling his eyes. He gave Cate a glance and a little wink as he raised his glass for a drink.

"So Catie, I talked to the Director about getting an instructor on loan from one of the tactical branches until we can fill your position...." Floyd interrupted, smoothly diverting the conversation away from the personal interrogation. "He's going to let me have Joe back for a couple months. It okay if I put him in your office?"

Cate nodded. "Whatever you need, Floyd," she replied. "I'll go in tomorrow and get my personal stuff out of the way so he doesn't have to work around it." She paused for a minute, realizing what she needed to do. "And when I come back in a few weeks with Jon, when he does the PA stuff, I'll get all the rest of my stuff packed up and out so you can reassign the office. I know you need the space."

"No hurries, Catie," Floyd replied with a gentle smile. "You're still part of the team. You're just TDY for awhile."

Cate nodded, a lump suddenly rising in her throat. She really didn't want to leave FTB after she returned from her detail in California. But she had no choice, other than to decline the promotion. She wasn't sure that was something she wanted to do. And she still had to work out what she and Jon were going to do when she came back here and he got ready to go out on tour...

"Here you go. First glass goes to the Woman of the Hour." Jon's voice turned Cate's attention back to what was happening as he leaned over her shoulder and set a full pitcher on the table in front of her. She watched silently as he handed the other two pitchers he had brought back from the bar over to Mandy and Danny, then sank down into his chair. Cate refilled her glass then filled Jon's before passing the pitcher over to George.

Floyd cleared his throat and raised his glass, pausing for the others at the table to follow suit. "To Catie. You're finally getting what you deserve." He grinned as a chorus of chuckles followed his toast. "Congratulations," he continued, his voice softening. "I'm really proud of you."

"Hear, hear," Danny echoed, clinking his glass against Mandy's. Everyone at the table touched glasses before drinking in toast, then looked expectantly at Cate, awaiting her response.

Cate cleared her throat, trying to dislodge the lump of emotion there. "Thanks, Floyd," she answered hoarsely. She smiled as her gaze swept around the table, over the happy smiles of her friends and colleagues. "Thanks everybody. I'm gonna miss teaching with you. You're..." She choked slightly on her words as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. "You're my family."

She paused for a moment then raised her glass in silent salute, unable to continue. She took a drink from her beer as her friends acknowledged her words with another round of "hear, hears", then she looked at Jon. He returned her smile and slipped an arm around her shoulders, giving her a friendly little squeeze before releasing her.

"Slick, don't you have to get out of here pretty soon?" Danny asked.

"Huh?" Cate replied, startled. What the hell is he talking about?

"You're taking Jon to the airport, right?" Mandy chimed in. "Don't you need to get on the road pretty soon?" She gave Cate a direct look. "I'm sure you don't want him to miss his flight."

"Oh... oh yeah," Cate answered, catching on. She gave Danny and Mandy a grateful smile. Damn, they were good friends, always looking out for her. "Yeah, we have a few more minutes, but then we need to get going." She didn't look at Jon when she heard his soft chuckle, knowing he was on the same wavelength.

Cate sipped at her beer for the next ten minutes while the group laughed and bantered. Finally Jon slipped his hand under the table to give Cate's knee a little squeeze before speaking. "Guys, it's been great, but I have to go," he announced. "Thanks for everything you've done for me -- all of you. I had a great time being part of your world." He gave the instructors a grin. "I look forward to seeing you all again in a couple weeks. Next time, I'm buying."

"Deal!" Bobby agreed enthusiastically.

Jon held Cate's chair as she rose, then both said their goodbyes. Mandy rose and gave Cate a hug, whispering in her ear that she would call in the morning about coming over to help pack. Then she blushed as Jon gave her a lingering hug and a big, smacking smooch on the lips.

Cate laughed at Mandy's reaction, giving her a look that said "See? Not so easy to resist, is it?" After a round of handshakes, Jon guided Cate to the door.

Floyd said his goodnights and followed Jon and Cate out of Sonny's, into the parking lot. He paused beside Cate's car to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then turned to Jon, extending his hand. "Jon. It's been a pleasure to have you here. Come back anytime."

"Thanks, Floyd," Jon replied, firmly shaking the Boss' hand. "Thanks for everything. I mean that." He glanced at Cate with a little smile.

Floyd leaned toward Jon over their handshake, dropping his voice. "Take good care of her, Jon."

"I will," he promised with a heartfelt smile.

With one last grin Floyd turned and strolled over to his beat-up white pickup truck, climbed in, then was gone.

Jon and Cate climbed into her car then turned to grin at each other. Finally. Now it was their time. Just the two of them.

Cate started the engine and guided the Mustang out of the lot and onto the road. When they reached the highway she turned left, headed south away from the Center.

Jon gave Cate a confused look. This wasn't the way back to the King and Prince. "Where are we going?" he asked.

Cate kept her eyes on the road but her lips curved into a gentle smile. "Home," she answered softly.