"Angst" 3
Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. Honestly. Do you know how much a college student makes?

The butterflies in her stomach woke up just as she stepped off the plane. She claimed her luggage. Okay, so I always pack too much. I probably should have left the work at home. Oh, well, too late now. I don't have to do it if Danny keeps me busy. Hmm. Where is he? She didn't see him anywhere in the waiting room. She decided to check outside. There he was, standing by his rental with a sign that read 'CREGG' on it.

"I haven't forgotten what you look like."
"I know. And I still remember what you look like. Hello." He opened the passenger side door for her, then put her luggage in the trunk.
"Hello. What's with the sign? You intentionally want to look like a chauffeur?" He didn't answer her. He just walked around to the driver's side of the car. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"For opening the door for me."
"I'm a gentleman, CJ. I thought you would've figured that out by now."
"I have. What's up with the sign?"
"I wanted you to notice me from inside. It was also a great diversion if I ran into anyone I know."
"Press?"
"Yeah. Anyway I didn't so I really didn't need the placard. Good trip? I'm glad to see you." He briefly held her hand.
"Great trip. Don't ever complain about the early hours we depart from this day forth, though. Why so early?"
"Because I only have a few days with you and I wanted to get as much out of them as possible." He smiled sheepishly at her. To his surprise, she leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips.
"You are so very sweet. I'm glad to see you, too."
"You gonna help me drive?"
"Sure, just let me know where to go."
"Well, I'll start out driving. We're just going on I95-N straight to Maine, so it's easy. You'll probably be driving then, so just get off on Exit 2 and we're there. Okay?"
"Sounds like a plan. Do you mind if I'm quiet sometimes during the trip?"
"No, I honestly thought there wouldn't be too much said while we're driving there. I planned on talking over the weekend. Why?"
"I'm just tired." She leaned her head back on the headrest.
"And?"
"And we tend to get emotional when we talk about this stuff and a car is not a conducive environment for that kind of exchange."
"Definitely. We'll be there in about three hours, if I stick to the speed limit."
"Which you will because we are not going to get pulled over for speeding. We're not even supposed to be together." She was sorry she added that last sentence but she couldn't take it back now.
"Right. I can see where that would be a problem." He turned the radio up a little louder, in essence eliminating any possibility of further conversation. It seemed they would ride the rest of the way in virtual silence; each lost in thought.

They were in Massachusetts before they knew it. Danny pulled over on the shoulder of the road. CJ was asleep. He put his hand gently on her cheek to wake her.
"We're here already?" She looked around her. "Danny, what's wrong? You want me to drive?"
"That's not how I had imagined the greeting would go."
"Huh? Oh. No? How did you imagine it?"
"Like this." He moved towards her, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her soundly. They didn't break apart for a long time.
"I like that greeting better." She was smiling as she hugged him again. "Come on, let me drive now. I'm awake and you could probably use the rest. Let's switch."
"You sure? You looked pretty comfy there while snoozing."
"I'm sure. You walk over, I'll scoot."
CJ had already adjusted everything to suit her height by the time Danny got into the car.
"You're short." She teased him.
""No, I'm not. I'm almost as tall as you. Boy, they have to move the chair back an inch and suddenly you're short."
"Hush." She kissed him once more before she started driving. "Don't read..."
"CJ, don't ruin it. I know we like to kiss. It's okay. We'll talk when we get there. Drive. I need to sleep."
She smiled at him but he had already closed his eyes and settled in for the ride.

The place was easy to find and Gary immediately recognized Danny. CJ was introduced to him and his wife Koula. She had to listen to them praising Danny for a few minutes. Then Gary stated that 'the lovebirds' should go to their cabin and just let them know if they needed anything. Grinning, he told them Koula would take care of it.
"What did they mean by calling us lovebirds?" CJ asked as they were walking to the cabin. "Are we in the same cabin?"
"Yes, but it's a cabin with two bedrooms so we each have our own personal space but still can talk whenever we want. I saved us a lot of time. Come on, let's just unpack. You get the smaller bedroom because it has more privacy. See? I'm ever the gentleman."

After they had unpacked, CJ sat on Danny's bed. His room was the open one with the TV. CJ had the bedroom with the door on it. "You hungry?"
"I take it you are. Let's go to the Sunrise Grill. But we gotta make it now 'cause they close at 2."
CJ gave him a glare. "At 2?"
"Hey, it's not like it's a big city or something. Don't be such a snob." He threw a pillow at her. She returned the favor. Danny grabbed her and pulled her down on the bed. They began to kiss and he rolled on top of her.
"Uh-uh, Danny. Let's go eat. We talk when we come back."
"We sleep when we come back, then start talking."
"Maybe." She gave him a suggestive smirk.
"Don't start what you're not prepared to finish."
"Good point. Okay, we eat, drink and be merry, for we must sleep, we've got miles to go before we figure out this relationship."
"CJ, don't kill the classics. Let's go."

Danny seemed to have made friends with the local people. CJ waited to comment on it till they got back to the cabin.
"You seem to know a lot of people. How often do you get up here?"
"As often as I can. I love the place. That's why I wanted to share it with you." He put his arms around her. "Sleep with me."
"What?"
"We already made the plans, CJ, remember? Eat, sleep, talk. Come here. I'll play nice."

They laid down on the bed together.
"You can stay over on that side if you want, CJ."
"I don't want to. I wanna be in your arms. I trust you." She snuggled into him with her back towards him; spooning. She heard Danny moaning behind her. "You okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Go to sleep." He pulled her even closer to him and closed his eyes.

They woke up refreshed and ready to start tackling the reason they were both there.
"Okay, Danny, we could save ourselves some words and time by just saying the problem as briefly as possible. Then the other one answers the first thing that comes to mind. Deal?"
"Deal."
They sat down at the table facing each other. Danny grabbed her hands.
"Conflict." CJ started.
"Over rated and overly discussed."
"Conflict."
"Job loss."
She flinched at his honesty. "Consequences."
"Thought of them all." Danny shrugged when she stuck her tongue at him. "I have. We can get past them."
"Discovery."
"Truth."
"You want us to tell the truth?"
"Yes. Better we look like stupid lovers then conniving liars."
"Good enough. Secrecy."
"Necessary evil." He smiled at her.
"So you're okay with it?"
"If it means that we can be together."
"You know that we'll have to hide our work from each other most of the time, right?"
"Right. But not most of the time, just when there is a clear conflict."
"Can you deal with that? Honestly?"
"Yes, how about you? You seem to run faster then I do."
"But I eventually let you catch me. I can deal with it. We can't be too obvious at work because no one can know if we decide to do this. We'll also have to be very careful where we go outside so no one misunderstands anything between us."
"Josh could probably know after a while."
"Josh knows only after WE know where we're headed. This can't go fast. Seriously, Danny. If we do this, it has got to be slow."
"Okay, we go slow. I mean, we already make out. We've already admitted to loving each other. The only thing left is lovemaking. I'm a patient man."
"You wanted me when we took the nap."
"I didn't say I didn't want you, I said I'm a patient man." He leaned over the table to kiss her. "We done?"
"No. There's more left to do before we make love. We could spend more time talking, getting to know each other outside the office."
"Okay. I'm game. We are going to spend the rest of the weekend together doing just that, right? I have a bunch of places I want to take you."
"Take me."
He pulled her out of the chair and into his arms. They thoroughly enjoyed their next kiss. He didn't want to let her go.
"Start showing me."
He pulled her towards the bed.
"All the places you want me to see, take me to one of them."
"Oh."

TBC

Angst - 3 con't