Adding Fuel to the Fire: An Elliot Stabler Story

Chapter Four

The eighth consecutive week that Johanna and Elliot met up to play pool marked two months since they had met.

The night began with a drink at the bar, making conversation with each other and with Tommy, the bartender they had gotten to know well over their weekly visits. The bar was especially crowded that night due to an out-of-town college lacrosse team and their fans celebrating a win against a local college team. Since college sports were not especially competitive in the area, the local college team and all of their fans invaded the bar as well, drinking with the out-of-town team.

"Everything okay?" Elliot questioned when he noticed Johanna drinking more rapidly than usual.

"I'm sorry, I'm a little nervous," she admitted as they stood facing each other near the end of the bar since all the barstools were preoccupied.

"What's wrong?" Elliot wondered.

Johanna shook her head as she took another large sip of her drink then replied, "I'm taking that test on Wednesday to become a certified ABA therapist."

"Why are you nervous?" he asked. "You're going to do fine."

She shook her head again; "I bombed the practice test this afternoon!"

"Don't stress," Elliot put his hand on her arm and gave her a gentle comforting squeeze, which sent flutters through both of their stomachs. "The more relaxed you are, the better you'll do."

"You're right," she agreed as Elliot dropped his hand from her arm. "I just want to do well on it. Plus, if I don't pass it this time, I can't take it again for another six months."

"Then you'll have six more months to prepare for it," Elliot encouraged. "It won't be the end of the world."

She nodded reluctantly in agreement.

"I know you're good at your job," Elliot reassured her. He knew she wasn't worried about working on her own or making more money. She viewed the test as an evaluation of how well she does her job. "You know you're good at your job too."

She looked up at him and into his sympathetic grey/green eyes. He stared back into her dark green ones.

The connection they were making was abruptly interrupted when a rowdy lacrosse player bumped into Johanna, sending her into Elliot's rigid body. Instinctively, he wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her and used his other hand to shove the lacrosse player away from her.

"Watch it!" Elliot yelled sternly.

Oblivious as to what just happened, the lacrosse player simply muttered, "Oh, sorry," over his shoulder.

"You okay?" Elliot asked Johanna with his arm still around her.

"Yeah," she laughed a little – the lacrosse player hadn't hurt her in the slightest, but she appreciated his concern and was simply flattered at Elliot's protective reaction. She reminded herself that he is a cop and probably has that reaction for everyone.

Elliot's phone buzzed in his pocket, causing him to remove his arm from her waist and retrieve it. He looked at the name that flashed on his screen. It was Olivia.

"I have to take this, sorry," he apologized as he walked to the hallway at the back of the bar where it was quieter.

Johanna understood and turned back to the bar to order another round of drinks.

"Can I, uh, buy you a drink?" Another one of the lacrosse players questioned as he walked up to the redhead.

Her ego pulsated a little at the advance from the college kid, who was probably at least five years younger than she was.