*~*~*~*

“Hey Fish Boy,“ CJ called, walking into the Press room and leaning over his desk. “When did you get back?“

“Last night. Did you miss me?“ he asked, giving her a self satisfied grin.

“I didn’t even know you were gone,“ she snorted. “Except Gail was a little depressed.“

“Gail gets depressed?“

“Yeah, she swims anti clockwise when she’s troubled.“

Danny nodded. He knew nothing about goldfish habits but he was fairly sure Gail didn’t get depressed. Therefore the reference to Gail was probably as close to CJ admitting she missed him, as he was going to get. “So, what can I do for you?“

“I’m having a party, Saturday night. I thought you might like to come.“ She folded her arms across her body and watched as he sat up straighter, surprise etched across his face.

“You’re inviting me to a party?“

“Yeah,“ she licked her lips seductively and turned to leave. “Eight at my apartment. You know where my apartment is, right?“

Of course he knew where she lived. “Yeah,“ he replied casually.

“I’ll see you then.“ She took a step and stopped, glancing back over her shoulder. “And bring your pajamas.“

Danny dropped his jaw. He wasn’t sure but that sounded like a come on, and a blatant one at that. He hoped ‘pajamas’ was a metaphor for something else because he didn’t own any, his own preference was to sleep as nature intended, in the buff.

*~*~*~*

CJ grabbed another beer from the fridge and groaned. She wasn’t sure when it was decided that Josh would be in charge of the music, but she gave a sigh of relief when Donna took over. The loud intrusive songs of Pink Floyd and Dire Straits were soon replaced with the soft strains of jazz.

Taking a length swig from the bottle, she wandered back into the main living room and propped herself up against the wall. Her plan had been to have a small party, just her closest friends, and let them escape the stress that had been their lives for months.

The only person left to arrive was Danny. Everyone else had arrived on time, bringing with them the obligatory alcohol and in Ginger’s case, snacks.

Sam and Josh were already on their second beer, lounging on the couch, feet up on the coffee table.

Donna was searching through CJ’s CD collection, one eye trained on Josh as he opened another bottle of beer.

Toby had taken over the armchair, a glass of Jack Daniels in one hand while his other hand pushed the half full bottle under the cushions. His two assistants perched on either arm of the chair, nursing large glasses of wine and chatting over his head.

Carol was in the kitchen on the phone. After much debating, and Toby and Josh almost coming to blows, they had finally settled on six different pizzas and she was now in the process of negotiating delivery. Which was easier said than done with it being Rush week at the University.

Her plan seemed to be working, as she stole another glance at her watch and wondered if Danny had stood her up.

Danny rang the doorbell and waited. He was running a little late, having stopped off at a drugstore on the way and the found himself stuck on Dupont Circle. He only hoped she wasn’t mad at him.

“Yeah.”

He looked back at the name plate and furrowed his brow. It definitely said Cregg, but the masculine voice was certainly not hers. “Is CJ there? It’s Danny.”

“Hey CJ, the press is here,” Josh shouted across the room, before ambling back to the couch with another beer.

Danny heard CJ’s exaggerated sigh and then he was buzzed up. Tossing the tote bag over his shoulder, he climbed the stairs to her first floor apartment.

Her strawberry blonde head appeared over the banister. “You’re late, Nimrod.”

“I couldn’t find my toothbrush,” he explained, grinning inanely. Well, it wasn’t a total lie. “Hope you didn’t start the fun without me.”

CJ grinned, brushing her hair from her face. “We delayed the games just for you.”

He liked the sound of that. As he finally reached her floor and lowered his tote bag, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he looked up and down her body.

“Haven’t you seen a pair of pajamas before?” she teased, wriggling her hips so that the red satin shimmered across her body.

“Yeah,” he stammered, just not on her.

A chorus of “Hey, Danny” greeted him as he followed CJ into the apartment.

In that split second he wished he was on the record and had thought to bring a camera with him. It didn’t seem possible that he was in a room with the senior staff and their assistants and they were in their pajamas.

Yup, he had to be hallucinating. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and double checked. No, they really were in pajamas - Josh in a pair of baggy light blue ones and Sam in grey shorts and a Princeton T-shirt. Toby, for his part, looked the least comfortable in a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt which did little to hide his paunch. Danny’s eyes finally settled on Carol as she wandered out of the kitchen, a white cotton nightshirt flapping around her thighs. He swallowed and turned to CJ.

“You can change in the bedroom,” CJ offered, pointing down the hallway. “I’ll get you a drink if I can find the whiskey.”

Toby shifted position and tried to hide the bottle even further under the cushions, much to Ginger‘s drunken amusement.

“CJ?” Danny motioned with his hand for her to join him.

“What’s up?”

“I. . .um. . .don’t have any pajamas.” He looked at his feet.

“I told you to bring them, it’s a slumber party, Danny. We eat pizza, get drunk, and crash. Oh, and play games,” she added, grinning. “What did you bring?”

Danny pulled his sweatshirt down over his bottom. “A pair of boxers and a T-Shirt.”

CJ stifled a grin. “Okay, well at least you have something.” She shook her head. “But I’m not on your team when we play strip trivia pursuit.”

Giving her a careful appraisal, he concluded that wasn’t such a bad thing, four questions wrong and he was going to be shaking his family jewels.

When Danny shuffled out of the bedroom five minutes later, eight heads turned to look at him. Unconsciously he tugged at the legs of his Tazmanian Devil shorts.

“Nice legs, Danny,” Donna giggled.

“Uh, thanks.” He glanced at CJ and tilted his head to one side.

Her eyes glided up and down his body before she handed him a bottle of beer and nodded approvingly.

“Can we play now?” Sam whined, his eyes glazed as he waved his beer at them.

Danny’s eyes widened as Carol pulled out the chocolate body paint and twisted the lid with a flourish. .

******

“I’m forty-four years old, I do not play spin the bottle,” Toby growled, trying not to notice as Ginger bent over to pour a drink and her shortie pajamas rode up her thighs.

“Fine,” CJ groaned. He’d complained at every game that was suggested, but the minute it began to get interesting, he suddenly became a willing participant. “Then you can sit and watch. Ginger, wanna go first?” She grinned as Toby’s eyes lit up and he rubbed his forehead nervously.

Ginger moved onto her knees on the floor in front of Toby and leaned over to grab the bottle. She gripped in firmly and spun it around. It stopped seconds later.

Four men let out a collective gasp as Sam slid closer to the edge of the couch and took another swig of his beer. It didn’t matter that he was almost certainly drunk, he was still coherent enough to enjoy the moment.

Bonnie licked her lips and crawled across the carpet. Her hand slipped around Ginger’s neck as she leaned in and brushed her lips against the other woman’s.

Behind her, Toby took a sharp intake of breath and shifted position. His sweat pants were suddenly constricting his blood flow and he was starting to feel uncomfortable.

The fact that Bonnie had been staring him straight in the eye when she went in for the kiss wasn’t helping matters.

“My go,” Josh announced, staring straight at Donna and spinning the bottle. When it came to a halt, he scrunched up his face and grumbled, “I’m not kissing Sam.”

“I will,” Carol declared, walking shakily across the room and dropping into Sam’s lap.

CJ stole a glance at Danny and pursed her lips. He wasn’t as drunk as she’d hoped which meant that she was going to have to distract him later or he was going to see more than a little harmless flirting among the staff. She knew just how to do that.

*****

“Danny?” CJ called, placing the empty beer bottles into a garbage bag.

“Yeah?”

“You’re sleeping in my room.”

His eyes widened and he stole a look in Toby’s direction. The usually gruff Communications Director was oblivious to what was going on around him, sprawled out on the floor, Ginger’s head on his chest.

Carol leaned down from her position on Sam’s lap and blew against Danny’s ear. “I’d hurry up before she changes her mind.”

He didn’t need telling twice. Somewhat shakily he clambered to his feet, swaying as the blood flowed to his head. He only hoped that he wasn’t too drunk and that his blood would flow to other regions as required.

“Danny?” she repeated, hovering in the hallway, her hand on the light switch.

“I’m coming.”

She raised an eyebrow, her lips turned upwards in a smirk.

“CJ!” he warned as he caught up with her.

“Night guys.” Flicking the switch, CJ nudged him in the direction of her bedroom. The last thing she needed was for him to see where the senior staff and assistants ended up sleeping. After the night’s events she had a pretty good idea who was going to end up with who. “Get in here.”

Danny swaggered through the door and plunked himself down on the bed.

“Is that what you usually sleep in?” CJ closed the door behind them and crossed to the dressing table.

He blushed unconsciously.

“Oh?”

“Yeah.”

CJ tugged a brush through her hair and stared at herself in the mirror, “Well, make yourself comfortable.”

Danny swallowed hard and allowed his eyes to roam the room. He was getting mixed signals. She was flirting with him, that much he was sure of, but the line between teasing and actually, well going somewhere seemed to be somewhat blurred.

Watching him in the mirror, CJ couldn’t help but smile. He was so damned cute when he was confused and nervous. A fact which for once gave her the upper hand. She decided to push things a little further as the door to the spare bedroom squeaked open and closed again. The brush was laid back on the table as she stood up and wriggled her pajama bottoms over her hips.

“Uh, CJ? Whatya doing?” Danny stammered, trying not to notice the long pale legs.

“Getting ready for bed.” She crossed the room and pulled back the comforter. “Are you coming?”

Not yet, he thought, but remove the top and I’m there. She had to be playing with him, he concluded. Any minute she was going to tell him to go home. Except she was gazing at him with those big blue eyes and pulling back the comforter on his side of the bed.

“I’m not tired yet,” he mumbled as the distinct sound of giggling filtered through the wall.

“Am I making you nervous?” She licked her lips as her eyes fell to his shorts, which were tenting noticeably.

He inwardly groaned and turned part way to face her. “I was just wondering if we’re still playing games.”

“Oh, Danny, Danny, Daniel.”

There was something about the way she said his full name that had him wanting to let her have her wicked way with him.

“Come here.” It was most definitely an order and she accompanied it with her finger curling in his direction.

He shrugged. It was her party and there was no way he was going to spoil her plans. Slowly, he lifted his legs onto the bed and crawled up to join her.

Her fingers reached for the back of his head and she gently pulled his head towards her, fitting her mouth snugly over his. The kiss was firm and passionate, leaving him under no allusions as to what she wanted. “It’s a new game,” CJ whispered. “It’s called CJ says.”

“And what does CJ say?” he asked, grinning.

“CJ says. . .,” she started, running her hand between them to cup his erection and rolling her thumb over its tip.

A low feral moan escaped his lips and she pressed her lips against his. The last thing she wanted was Toby next door to hear them, it might get in the way of the activities she knew he was presently engaged in. And if anyone needed to get laid more than her, it was Toby.

“Fishboy,” she purred, running a hand under his T-shirt and across his back. “CJ says show her your tackle.”

******

Danny rolled over on to his side and snaked an arm around her waist, a satisfied smile etched across his face.

CJ ran her fingers through his hair before lowering her head to take his nipple between her teeth.

“CJ? Whatya doing?”

Her response was to roll her tongue around the hardening nub.

Danny let out a contented sigh. So much for it being a slumber party, something told him he wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight.

The End

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