A story about a geek and the quest for her perfect man......... who just happens to be on pretty much everyone's Most Wanted list. Yikes!
Maggie Grace works at Stark Industries and has fallen in love with The Winter Soldier - Bucky Barnes. Unfor...
For about a nano second, I thought my face had literally frozen and I'd given myself away by staring at Bucky like a complete muppet, but fortunately, I recovered myself almost as quickly as it happened, and I somehow managed to say "You're American".
Geeze - that's a great opening line to your future hubby Maggie......now concentrate – you're here to do a job.
"Er, yeah, I suppose I am" said Bucky, his voice soft and quite low. He suddenly seemed a little embarrassed. He cast his steely blue eyes downwards and I took the opportunity to fully take in his appearance.
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He was wearing a grey kind of military style jacket, over a dark red tee shirt and had jeans on and sneakers. His scruffy, shoulder length brown hair was pretty much covered by a baseball cap, pulled low over his head and he had black leather gloves on. He had stubble on his face and truth be told, I don't know if I would have actually recognized him from a distance. He was wearing a backpack and looked - how can I say it? – ready for action. As though, if the need arose, he could take off and be gone before you'd even know it.
I suddenly realized I was staring, and should probably say something else, instead of standing there like a lemon.
"So.......what are you doing over here then? Vacation? Work? You speak pretty good Romanian for a Yank" I smiled, trying to make out that this was totally normal and my heart wasn't actually about to leap out of my chest and intertwine itself firmly with Bucky's.
"I.....I've lived here before" was all he said in reply.
"Oh, cool". I said, thinking, but trying to look like I wasn't.
When did he live here then?
Sudden realization.
Oh shit - of course - Hydra - remember?
Right, come on Maggie, stay focused. Just say something conversational that any other tourist would say.
"Well, this is my first time, and....so far, I'm loving it."
No reply.
"I'm here to research a book. Like - my book - that I'm writing."
Nothing.
"It's about food....." I blurted out. Food? Why on earth did you say that? You know zilch about food apart from that you eat it!
Desperately winging it "..............I'm looking into the eating habits of Europeans compared to Americans" (Yeah Maggie, that's sure to be a bestseller!)
Finally, a reaction.
Bucky lifted his head and looked at me, raised one eyebrow in a slightly bemused way and said "Food....well.....that's certainly........different."
"Well, yes it is." I replied with conviction (yay, progress). "We all have to eat after all. Speaking of which - (handy segue way here) - I really could use a bite to eat........is there anywhere you'd recommend?"
God I'm good!
Bucky hesitated. Was he going to go for it, I wondered, or have I pushed too early?
I hadn't.
"Well, there's a small place round the corner that sells mici" he replied.
"I could show you"
Thank God!
"Mici?" I asked casually.
"Um, okay" he said "they're like a kind of sausage – like a spiced meat roll – really tasty and the only thing worth eating round here".
"Sounds good to me." I smiled.
"They are." He said, and he smiled back.
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Yes – yes he did...........he smiled at me, and, in that instant, as I saw the sun reflected in his brilliant blue eyes and the corners of that gorgeous, kissable mouth turn up, I knew I was forever going to be his, no matter what (or die trying!),
"Okay, well , after you" I said, gesturing for Bucky to lead the way. Then, "Oh, by the way, what's your name? Mine's Jen......Jen Bradley"
What's he going to say I wondered.
"Er, Jim.........Erskine". He said, not looking at me, as he started to walk through the stalls, towards the edge of the market.
Erskine - I'd heard that name before....why was it familiar? My brain was racing.
"Well, nice to meet you.....Jim" I said as I followed him.
Erskine Erskine Erskine, my head kept repeating. Where DID I know that name from? It came to me suddenly of course - the doctor who gave Steve the Super Soldier Serum! Operation Rebirth! Steve must have told Bucky all about it. Of course! So that confirms that Bucky must have at least SOME memories back surely? I wonder what the guys back at base are thinking about this!
I hadn't realized that I'd actually made a sort of "eeek" noise out loud until Bucky turned to me and said "Sorry - you okay?"
Oh shit.
"Yeah, yeah, fine" I said, thinking hastily "just sneezed!" and I laughed, as if to show how daft I was.
He seemed satisfied and we continued through the market until we reached a small cafe on the outskirts, very basic and not somewhere I'd usually have thought about eating in, but, come on, lets face it, I'd eat anywhere and anything if Bucky said it was good, so it was a fairly moot point.
We sat at a table by the window and Bucky ordered the Mici for us. I looked round the cafe, taking in my surroundings. Nothing appeared to match, and everything looked worn, like it needed a good coat of paint. I wasn't holding my breath for the quality of the food, but when it arrived and I took that first bite, I must admit, I was in heaven. It was delicious - spicy, meaty and so full of flavor.
"Wow" I said, with my mouth half full. "That's amazing!"
"Glad you like it" replied Bucky, giving another of those fabulous smiles (I think he's warming to me!).
I decided to go for it, and in between mouthfuls of Mici, said "So, where else would you recommend for an aspiring food writer to see while I'm here?"
Bucky paused and looked like he was thinking. After a moment or two, he looked me straight in the eyes and then said something I didn't in a million years think I would be hearing so soon.
