F2: An Extra Ticket

"I'm Mickey Dalton," Mickey cut in.

"Kayla mentioned you." Jaden nodded and noted that the other man didn't offer to shake hands; neither did he.

"She didn't mention you," Mickey shot back.

"She did to me," said Theresa. "Here's the work order, Mickey." She held out a piece of paper that Mickey took without looking.

"Well, I have to go. Thanks for lunch, Kayla." Jaden leaned down and kissed her. "I'll call you later." He nodded to the others. "Good-bye, Theresa, Mickey."

Mickey's face got dark and he stalked out of the room. Theresa murmured a good-bye, glancing at Kayla and then down at her desk, not bothering to hide a smile.

Jaden walked towards the door, taking one of Kayla's hands in his so that she'd follow.

"What was that for?" she asked.

"What? I can't kiss you? You kissed me first," he told her, pleased when she laughed. "Anyway, it was because I wanted to, like I want to call you later and see you again."

"I'd like that."

Jaden was still smiling as he walked outside to hail a cab.

* * * *

The following Sunday, Jaden pointedly refused the Chicago Fire knit hat Kayla held out to him.

"Oh, come on," she said. "It will keep you warm and show some home team support."

"I'd look ridiculous." He kept his hands in his pockets.

"So what? So does everyone else."

"You'll be warm."

"I'm fine."

Kayla gave him a coy look and took a chance. "I'll think it's sexy."

He raised an eyebrow. "You will?"

"Sure."

"All right." He held out his hand for the hat and put it on. "There, how's that?"

"Rrrowr."

"Oh, please."

She grinned and took his hand as they walked to their seats for another Fire game, this time against the New York/New Jersey Red Bulls. Kayla was glad that Jaden was willing to come; she and her brother had season tickets, but he hadn't been able to come and so she'd asked Jaden.

He'd agreed after a token argument, and she suspected that was more for her benefit than anything. Still, she preferred his company to anyone else she might have asked, and he did look cute in the hat.

"How are things at work?" Jaden asked. "Mickey leaving you alone?"

"He's no worse than usual." She shrugged and looked away, pretending interest in the player warm-ups. "He just has a thick skull. I'll get through eventually, even if it's with a baseball bat."

"You sure?" Jaden turned to look at her. "Don't play that down. He didn't look too happy when I was in your office."

Mickey hadn't been happy—at all—with that. He'd stomped around in a fury for the rest of the day, to the point where everyone else had gone out of their way to avoid him. All the while, whenever he'd had to come to the front office, he'd thrown dark, angry looks at Kayla. Possessive looks, she'd thought, and they made her nervous.

"It'll be okay," she said, hoping she sounded convincing. "I can handle myself."

"I have no doubt."

She was relieved when he let the subject drop. In truth, Mickey had done more than just stomp around. He'd cornered her when Theresa was out to lunch one day and told her in no uncertain terms that no brainiac in a suit would ever want her, and that she'd do well to look to her own, specifically him.

Between her anger and her fear, she'd snapped and told him to go fuck himself. He'd sneered and walked away.

The worst part wasn't that he'd actually scared her, it was his comment about Jaden being smart and not wanting her.

She put it out of her head, determined to enjoy the game, and Jaden. He was more interested in the game this time, she noticed. He'd been curious last time but now he was watching intently.

"Guess you're an official fan now, hmm?" she said at halftime.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been staring at the field like you're studying for a test. Usually it's only the die-hard fans who look that intense."

"I read up on soccer last week," he said. "I'm just trying to match what I read with what's going on. Seeing if the application matches the theory."

"Oh." She nodded, not sure she understood exactly what he meant.

He gave a self-deprecating smile. "Sorry. I don't like not knowing things, so when I get onto something new, I have to learn about it. I did the same thing in school when a friend of mine got into movie animation. I read a bunch of stuff. This time it was soccer, and I have to admit, it was fun. I don't usually read about sports."

No, she thought, he probably read about economics and science, which Kayla had only a basic understanding of. She knew she wasn't stupid, but she wondered if she seemed so compared to someone like Jaden.

After the game, Jaden took her hand as they walked out. "I also read up on pierogies and restaurants. Are you game to try a new place?"

"Jaden, I eat things besides pierogies."

"I haven't seen you eat anything else."

"You're just not around me often enough."

"Maybe we should change that."

Kayla raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should."

They ate at the restaurant Jaden had found, and Kayla's pierogies were delicious, as was Jaden's chicken marsala. While they relaxed with some coffee, Jaden caught her eyes. "I wouldn't mind being around you a little more. Want to come back to my place?"

Kayla met his gaze. "Yes."

* * * *

Jaden's apartment was on a quiet street not far from his office. He wondered what Kayla thought would happen; hell, he wondered what he expected to happen. He didn't make a habit of bringing women to his place, or of going to theirs. Not that he hadn't had the occasional hook up, but he'd tired of them.

He didn't think that would happen with Kayla. She was too much fun to get tired of.

"Here, I'll take your coat." Jaden held his hand out.

She stuffed her hat and mittens in one sleeve before handing it to him. "Thanks. This is a nice place. I bet you keep it this neat all the time."

"I try. I admit I have someone come in to clean every couple of weeks. Truth is I spend a lot of time at the lab on projects, so I just don't have the opportunity to mess it up."

He hung her coat up on a rack by the door and turned back to her. Her face was pink from the cold and the light green sweater she wore highlighted both her eyes and her curvy figure.

"Want some wine or anything?" he asked, gesturing her to sit.

"Wine sounds nice." She curled up in a corner of his overstuffed sofa.

In the kitchen, he spied a note on the counter. It was a reminder about a work project and he decided to worry about it later. Kayla was much more appealing than his work. He grabbed some glasses and a bottle of wine and brought them out to the living room. "Look, I'm showing some team spirit. It's red wine."

Kayla laughed. "I knew you'd come around."

Jaden smiled and poured the wine, then stretched back on the opposite side of the couch. They talked for a while, a meandering conversation that covered home, family, hobbies and more. A couple of times he felt himself tuning out the conversation as part of his brain insisted on going over the project he'd left himself a note on and he forced himself to ignore it.

They had more wine and shifted closer together on the couch. She was warm and smelled delicious. He was about to lean in for a kiss when a bunch of mental pieces fell in place.

"Damn."

Kayla looked at him, confused. "Sorry?"

"No, not you." He hesitated, then bent down for a quick kiss. "Sorry. I just thought of something for work and I have to write it down before I forget." Muttering to himself, he got up and found a notebook by his computer. He brought it back to the couch and started writing.

"What's that?" Kayla peered over his shoulder.

"Chemical links and reactions," he said absently as he drew letters, numbers, and figures on the paper. "One of my projects hasn't worked like I thought it would and now I think I figured it out."

"Oh."

He wrote for another couple of minutes and set the notebook down. "There. Now I can ignore it until Monday." He turned and smiled at Kayla. "I am sorry. You're much more attractive than that is."

"I'm more attractive than chemistry?"

"Now, see, chemistry is a funny thing." Jaden moved closer. "There's chemistry that makes medicine, or there's chemistry between two people. I think you and I have plenty of chemistry."

"You think?" Kayla ran her tongue over her lips. "Or is it just the wine?"

He chuckled. "No, it's not the wine. See?" He kissed her, lingering on her lips before pulling back.

"Yeah, that's chemistry," she said in a breathy voice.

"The thing with chemistry is, one has to experiment." Jaden kissed her lips again, this time teasing the corners of her mouth with his tongue. "You never know what might work."

Kayla smiled against his lips and dragged her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. He closed his eyes and made an approving sound. "Looks like that works," she said.

"Like I said, it's all about experimenting. Trying new things and seeing what works." Jaden slipped a hand under her sweater. Her skin was soft and warm and he felt her tense under his touch. He brushed her skin lightly.

"I never knew . . . chemistry could be so . . . exciting." Kayla's heart raced as she looked into his dark, mischievous eyes.

"It is." Jaden leaned in and kissed her neck; she hissed out a breath. "When you put things together, sometimes they move from their ground state into an excited one." He kissed her again and this time he meant it.

Kayla moaned as one of his hands tunneled in her hair to keep her in place as his tongue explored her mouth. She brought her arms up and splayed her hands on his back, savoring the solid, warm feel of him.

They both laughed as they shifted on the couch so that his body covered hers. His laugh turned into a groan when she rolled her hips against him.

"Looks like someone's excited," she murmured. She wiggled again, eliciting another groan as she rubbed against his erection.

"I bet I'm not the only one." Jaden's voice was deliciously rough.

He sat back and pulled her with him. In a flash, her shirt was off, followed by her bra and then Jaden was licking and sucking on her nipples. Her excited state ratcheted up a few notches.

Determined to return the favor, she reached down to undo his belt and zipper. They laughed again as they began to get tangled while they angled for position. At last Jaden gave up and leaned back to let her finish.

Kayla glanced up at him while she unbuckled the belt and then unzipped his jeans. She tugged the waistband down and he raised his hips to help her slide them down over his hips, along with his boxers. He finished by kicking them off and pushing them aside.

She grinned. "I think this qualifies as an excited state, don't you?" He groaned as she stroked his shaft, and she gave a satisfied laugh.

"God, Kayla, that feels good."

"That's the idea." She moved her hand in a steady rhythm, grinning to herself when she felt him jump under her touch.

"I think that's quite enough of that, and we need more room."

"What?"

Jaden sat up and pulled her to him, kissing her thoroughly. She reached down to get his t-shirt off and heaved a relieved sigh when their bodies met. Jaden's lips never left hers as he moved from the sofa to the floor, bringing her with him.

He lay on his back and reached between them to undo her jeans. The feel of his fingers so close to her sex sent a shock of sensation through Kayla's body and she helped him slide her jeans off. She couldn't stifle a soft cry as his fingers slid through her wetness and then pushed inside. Her muscles clamped around his fingers and suddenly she wanted him inside her more than anything.

She pushed his hand aside and rose up, grasping his cock with one hand to guide him inside. He put his hands on his hips to steady her and the both groaned with relief as he slid into her.

Jaden gripped her hips, resisting the urge to thrust hard into her. She was so hot and wet around him that it was a difficult struggle, but he managed. God, she felt good. He didn't think anyone's body had ever matched his so well. He looked up at her half-closed green eyes and brushed her hair back.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah." She opened her eyes and smiled. "You?"

"Better than okay." He put a hand behind her neck and urged her down for another kiss.

Kayla closed her eyes while they kissed. She reveled in the sensations from his hands, his mouth, and his cock inside her. They found a rhythm and it was the right pace to drive her towards an orgasm, yet slow enough to make her impatient for it to arrive. Whenever she tried to speed up, Jaden tightened his grip on her hips and slowed down.

"Jaden, please," she whispered.

"Don't want to rush," he said, but he sounded strained.

She realized he was close, too. "We can always do it again," she told him as she nipped at his earlobe.

"Feels too nice to rush," he said again, but his body belied his words.

Jaden moved faster, thrusting up into Kayla's heat, wishing it didn't have to end. He looked up at her, cupping her face so he could watch her expression. She closed her eyes and he could feel her inner muscles tightening as she got close to coming.

"Kayla."

She opened her eyes and fixed on his as she came. She cried out and moved even faster, trying to make the feeling last. Jaden felt his own orgasm rush through him and he held her steady as he thrust into her. He loved the way she felt around him and the way he felt inside her.

A sense that there was more between them than soccer and sex, far more, rose up in him as they lay on the floor. He skimmed his hands over her back until she gave a small laugh.

"You're going to make me fall asleep if you keep doing that, and I can't imagine this is very comfortable for you."

Jaden took stock. The carpet on the floor wasn't bad, but Kayla's soft, warm body on top of him more than made up for it. Still, she was right. Ideally he'd pull a blanket over top of them both and they'd fall asleep.

The reality was that he was not so comfortable, he suspected Kayla wasn't either, and he had no blanket on the couch.

He nudged Kayla's head up so he could kiss her. "Come on, as nice as this is, the bed is nicer."

She slid to his side and knelt on the floor while he sat up. "Are you sure? I'm a big girl, you know. I can go home."

Jaden gave her a wry look. "Seriously? You think I'm only asking you to stay to assuage my guilty conscience or something?"

"I'm just saying that you're not obligated to ask me to stay. I can handle it."

He kissed her once more. "It's not an obligation, Kayla. I want you to stay."

* * * *

"He's taking you out and you need a dress?" Theresa grinned and clasped her hands together in glee. "It's serious! I knew it would be serious!"

Kayla couldn't stop a laugh. "It's not that serious. He's asked me to some kind of work thing and I don't actually need a dress, just something dressier than what I have."

"When can we go shopping?"

"I knew I could count on you," Kayla said.

"When shall we go? I love dress shopping." Theresa would have gone then and there, Kayla knew, but they still had a work day ahead of them.

"What do you need a dress for, Kayla?" Mickey's voice ruined her mood.

"None of your business, Mickey."

"Hey, be nice, sweetheart. I just asked a question."

"Don't call me 'sweetheart.' It's still none of your business."

"It's the smart guy, right? The doctor? He asked you somewhere?" Mickey snorted. "That'll be as much fun as a root canal."

"Or as talking to you," Kayla said under her breath. "Mickey, leave me alone. For the last time, it's none of your business."

"Let me tell you something, Kayla." Mickey came over and braced his hands on her desk. She glared at him. "Your Mr. Ph.D. is going to get tired of you real soon. How far do you think your business degree from the community college will take you with him?"

"Shut up, Mickey." Kayla got up and walked to the back room where they kept the files.

He followed and wouldn't let up. "What are you going to say when you're in a room full of people like him? You think they talk about the things you like? You think you walk in their world? They walk over people like you, Kayla."

"You finished? Because I stopped listening a while ago." Kayla snarled as she went through a filing cabinet for nothing in particular.

"They walk over people like me, too!" Mickey put a hand on her shoulder and spun her to face him. "You're better off with someone like me, Kayla. I understand you better than he will, and more important, you'll understand me."

"Fuck off!" She pushed him back. "I'll decide who understands me and who doesn't. And I don't want to understand you."

She shoved past him and into the main room. "Theresa, I have to go."

"Sure, where—" Theresa stared as Kayla stormed out the front door and slammed it behind her. "Well. Never mind that."

"Where'd she go?" Mickey demanded.

"Away from you, and frankly, I don't blame her."

* * * *

Kayla stared at herself in the mirror. Was it too much? Not enough?

"Kayla, you're fine." Theresa patted her friend's shoulder. "Jaden said it was dressy but not formal, and that's what you have here. It's understated, classic and classy. You'll knock him dead."

"That's not really how I'd like the evening to end," Kayla said.

Theresa laughed. "I'm being figurative, dummy."

Kayla sighed and looked in the mirror again. "Are you sure? I don't want to, you know, do anything wrong. Don't want to embarrass him."

"How in the world could you do that?"

"I don't know." Kayla tugged at the sleeves and neckline of her dress, then at the hem. "It's just . . ." She sighed. "I'm going to be in a room full of people a lot smarter than I am. What if I say something stupid?"

"Mickey said something like that, didn't he?" Theresa demanded. "Since when did you start listening to anything that asshole said?"

"I'm not. I mean, I don't. But he's right about the fact that Jaden is really smart, and so are the people he works with, and I'll never be that smart."

"You are plenty smart," Theresa admonished. "Being smart doesn't always mean you got good grades or have a bunch of degrees. Now, knock it off. Don't let Mickey the Idiot ruin a good thing for you. That would be stupid."

"Okay, you're right." Kayla gave a sharp nod and shook herself. She would not let Mickey get in the way. "You sure the dress is all right? Not too short or anything? Maybe I'm overdoing it? Underdoing it?"

"Kayla, stop. It's gorgeous. The blue is a perfect color for you, and those shoes . . . oh, those shoes." Theresa gave a wistful sigh. "I wish I could wear shoes like that. Or have legs like yours. Or both."

"Stop. Your legs are fine." Kayla gave up the mirror and went over to get her necklace and earrings. "Okay. I have to stop this and I have to go."

"Yes, you do." Theresa handed her a small clutch purse. "Now, forget about whatever Mickey said, and go enjoy yourself."

"Right."

Kayla went downstairs and took a cab to Jaden's apartment building. He was waiting downstairs for her and smiled as he came outside.

"You look terrific." He put his hands on her waist and drew her forward for a kiss. Kayla sighed as he held her close. "Mmm. You smell good and feel good, too. What say we skip this and go upstairs?"

"No." She poked him in the chest. "I got all dressed up for you, now you take me out."

"Yes, ma'am." He looked her over again and saw a red pin on her lapel. Grinning, he tapped it with a finger. "Couldn't leave the soccer team home, eh?"

"Just a sentimental reminder of how we met."

"Oh, man! I forgot my pierogie pin."

"Smart ass."

* * * *

Jaden was pleased Kayla had agreed to come to the dinner. It was a fairly low-key event, a company thank-you to the group for a long-term project that had recently been completed. There was a DJ, an open bar, and even a brave few dancers. He liked that he had someone to bring to one of these events.