Surrounded

Chapter Two

*Chapter dedicated to: Knight*

You know why, and happy birthday.

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"Birds of a Feather" - The Civil Wars

     She had gone back to her meal when she sensed him behind her. He placed a hand on the counter on either side of her, effectively trapping her. Leaning down, he growled out, "Hello, Cookie." She couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips, or the way her heart sped up. Chuckling, she turned on the stool and hugged his neck, "Hello, Arlo."

     The man smiled and wrapped one arm around her waist, picking her up for a bear hug. She giggled and hung on for dear life as he spun her around, gaining smiles from the other patrons.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at work."

"The new guy picked it up faster than expected, so I wanted to surprise you."

"Yeah, well you're lucky I knew it was you, otherwise you'd have received a very different welcome," she cocked her eyebrow.

"That's my Cookie," he smirked. He settled himself on the seat Alice had just vacated and propped his head up with his elbow on the counter, body turned to her. "So how much longer before you head back?" She glanced down at her watch, "about 20 minutes."

"Damn, and here I was hoping to kidnap you."

"Is it really kidnapping if I go willingly?" She watched the genuine smile form on his lips before placing her money on the counter and grabbing her wallet. Arlo held her hand to steady her as she slid from the stool and led them out to the street.

     Walking back to the office, she tried to hide her disappointment at the lack of contact, reminding herself that he didn't feel that way about her. She startled a bit when he place a hand on her lower back, realizing that he was also holding the door open and attempting to usher her in. Reminding her feet to move, she hurried through the door and smiled at Alice. She made her way behind her desk and confirmed that the schedule was done and hit the button to send it out to the drivers. "Hey, Alice, I'm gonna take off for the afternoon. I just sent out the schedule, please let them know to call or text my work phone if they need me?" The woman smiled, her eyes glancing at Arlo by the door. "I'm sure it will be fine, dear. There have never been issues with your scheduling before."

"Thank you, Alice"

She headed toward Arlo and the door, but before she could push it open, he was there. Smirking back at her, he pushed it open and let her step through first, leading the way to her truck.

Clicking her seat belt into place, she turned the key and started the truck. "So, where to?"

"When's the last time you went to the range?"

"I don't know, probably a couple weeks?"

"Well, there's your answer."

     The drive to the shooting range was short, since it was located just on the other side of town. They talked about what had been going on in their lives since the last time they saw each other. For her, nothing at all, unless you counted her dream which she wasn't inclined to share. For him, it was also the same, but she couldn't help relax as his familiar voice recounted the details of his day.

"You know, the face you make when you're lost in your head is pretty cute."

     Her eyes rolled as if they had a mind of their own, a groan rumbling in her throat. "Yeah, cute," she thought. "Exactly what I want to be considered when I daydream about wearing your hand as a necklace."

     If he noticed her inner turmoil, he kept it to himself. And for that, she was thankful. He always had a way of knowing her tells, so she knew she couldn't fib her way out if he decided to question her. Luckily, he was back to telling her about the new guy at work and she could steal a few glances at his profile as he watched the small town outside the windshield. The way his eyes danced and his face lit up when he laughed were enough to make her heart stop. "I'd kill for him to look at me like that. Like I was the only woman in the world."