Morning
Although by now he�d seen it all before Jim couldn�t help but stop and stare as he entered the bedroom. A naked June spread across the bed, one leg on top of the sheets that tangled around her body. She looked warm and comfortable, the pale soft skin of her neck, the place where he loved the most, down to her breasts just visible when she moved on to her back. He leant forward to kiss her when the alarm went off by her side, immediately jumping up and reaching over to switch it off then falling back onto the bed June never even opened her eyes. He smiled as he watched her slowly begin to wake, her slender arms stretching out then retreating at the sudden rush of cold air to her skin. �Morning.� He whispered still staring.
She opened her eyes and smiled up at him. �Good morning, you took a shower?�
�Do you mind?�
�Of course not, you practically live here right, thoughtful of you to get up early though.� She turned over, scrunching the pillow up beneath her.
�Couldn�t sleep, too many things going on in my head.�
�Mmm�� She had closed her eyes again and Jim laughed as he began to dress. �Now you can�t do that, we�ll be late.�
�Go away and let me sleep, it�s all your fault anyway.�
�Mine?!�
�Yes yours, keeping me up all night.�
�That was your fault not mine, damn demanding woman.�
She giggled and hid her face. �Good god, is that how I�ll be known now? As some sex starved older woman.�
Jim bent down next to her. �Only by me.�
�Well that�s okay then.� She pulled the sheets back and smiled at him. �I�m not really a morning person.�
�Oh I don�t know, you look pretty good to me.� He kissed her forehead. �I�ll go make coffee.� He stood up and pulled a jumper on.
�Are you going to be this handy every morning?�
�I�ll certainly try to be.�
*
June dressed in her short grey skirt and tight black jumper; she admired herself in the mirror. Not a bad figure for a woman of her age, she thought with satisfaction. She collected her things, straightened the bed covers and went downstairs. A rather happy looking Jim was lounging on the sofa reading the morning paper and humming to himself. She walked straight past and into the kitchen, re-boiling the kettle and making herself coffee.
�You look nice.� Jim leant against the doorframe watching, the paper rolled up under his arm.
�Thank you.� She turned round to smile at him, grabbed the paper and sat down. �Don�t roll it up, everything gets out of order for me.�
�Is this a house rule?� He asked with mock seriousness.
�No, just an observation.� She put her glasses on and began to read the headlines.
Jim sat across from her. �You don�t want any food?�
She shook her head.
�I can make you toast, something light.�
�I�m fine.�
�You should eat breakfast, most important meal of the ��
�Jim�� She complained irritated. �I had enough of that from my father, just let me read in peace.�
�Just trying to help.�
�I know but I like quiet mornings. You always want to talk.�
�Well I apologise.� He got up.
�And don�t go all stroppy on me.�
�I�m not, I�m going to work, it�s a long walk and I assume you don�t want to be seen giving me a lift in.� She said nothing. �Thought so. Seeya later.�
June took her glasses off and listened for the sound of the door slamming, there it went, first real morning together ruined. She must try harder. The old lady�s words kept reappearing in her mind, �don�t want to end up alone�, she didn�t intend to.
Lunch
It had been a busy morning and June had regretted wearing the damned tight skirt, especially as she had spent the majority of the day running back and forth. And answering telephone calls, why did it seem her entire day could fly by dealing with telephone calls. Surely somebody else could do that. Annoyed she had grabbed a sandwich for lunch, only eaten half and been called down by Gina Gold for yet another confrontation on June�s need for officers and Gina�s reluctance to spare them. June wasn�t the argumentative type but this woman could certainly wind her up. Another plastic coffee from the machine and back upstairs, finding the room practically empty, Brandon talking on the phone and a forlorn looking Jim at his desk scribbling something down she took a deep breath and went across to him. �I�m sorry I was so snappy this morning.� She whispered, turning her back on Brandon hoping this way he wouldn�t notice.
�It�s fine.� He shrugged without looking up.
�Well obviously it isn�t fine or I wouldn�t be getting the silent treatment.�
�What do you want from me? One minute I�m too chatty the next I�m too quiet. You want to avoid us being seen at work and when I play by these rules I still lose. I can�t do right.�
�Jim,� She had the urge to bend down and take his hand as she spoke but resisted and took another sip of the now lukewarm liquid.
�Come on Jim, we got a lead.� A high female voice came from behind them. June turned to see Cathy putting her jacket on, sweeping her long hair aside and smiling gleefully. About the lead or about interrupting them June wondered. �Sorry to steal him Sarge.�
�That�s fine, it wasn�t important.�
She moved aside as he got up, noticed the pained expression on his face and shook her head regretfully. She never was very good at all this, and judging his moods and knowing how to treat them wasn�t exactly her strong point. Perhaps she was too hard on him, perhaps she was too short, too quick to judge and give answers without having time to think it through. His feelings for her were obviously real, it was clear to her that nobody had ever cared as much as he did, never paid her that much attention or opened her up to complete adoration the way he did. But what if that wasn�t enough, what if his feelings, strong as they were, weren�t sufficient enough to carry her own.
�Erm Sarge.�
�Yes Brandon.� She responded automatically.
�I�m off to this Club, see what I can find out.�
�Sure, that�s fine.�
�You okay, you look kinda ill.�
�I�m fine. Really Brandon, just a long day. Let me know how it goes.� She put her glasses on, turned her computer screen towards her and put her attention back to where it belonged, this was why relationships were a problem, they messed everything up, demanded your attention twenty-four seven and took it away from work.
Evening
June was surprised to find the front door unlocked, the smell of cooking as she entered and Jim�s coat hung up wet at the bottom of the stairs. She found him in the kitchen with a bottle of wine in his hand.
�Jim?� She queried.
�For you, to have with dinner.� He smiled. �Your wet, you should change. And dinner has been ready for ten minutes, so whenever you want it.� He filled a glass with the deep red liquid.
�I thought, I mean I didn�t think you�d be here.�
�Excuse me?� He looked up hurt.
�I mean I thought after today, after this morning��
He put the bottle down. �June we had a disagreement.�
�Yes, and you ignored me all day.�
�Now that wasn�t just because of you, it was the damned kids at that centre and being stuck with Cathy � what a team!� He grinned as he moved closer to her and began to take her coat off. �It doesn�t matter, we had an argument we move on. Besides it�s the weekend, and I plan to enjoy it.� She smiled to herself while he disappeared into the hall with her coat. �Did you say dinner was ready?� She called.
�Yes, why?�
�Will it keep�� She said to herself as she turned the over off and cut him off at the door.
�What�s wrong?�
�Nothing.� She reached up beneath his shirt. �I�m just not very hungry yet.� She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him and immediately his arms were around her back. She pressed her body tighter against him, pleased with his sharp intake of breath her hand began to wander down his body until he grabbed her fingers and brought them up to his lips. His smile was enough to send a shiver through her stomach; he didn�t have to say anything. �And you thought I wouldn�t be here�� He whispered as he bent forward to kiss her neck. �I love you.� How many times could he say this to her, how many different effects could it have on her? She lifted her head to respond but he picked her up. �Jim�I�m not a teenager.�
�Oh just enjoy it.�
She settled her head against him and closed her eyes. When her back hit the duvet she remembered where she was and watched as he knelt over her. She reached forward and lifted his shirt over his head, as his mouth moved over her neck and chest. His hands were tight against her body, smoothing over her jumper and down her skirt until he reached the hem. His knee rested between her legs as he slid his hand beneath her back finding the fastening and easily unhooking it, she urged him on with a foot digging in his leg. Lifting herself up slightly and moaning into his mouth incoherent words of encouragement, he slowly rolled the skirt down over her hips. He moved to the side slightly to allow more room for manoeuvre and she kicked her skirt off and taking the advantage moved on top of him. She kissed him deeply, holding his hands at his side. �Perhaps I�m too insecure�� She queried.
�This probably isn�t the best time to judge that, considering the position I�m currently in.�
She laughed, her forehead resting against chest. �We�re too old to be having sex in the middle of the afternoon, especially like this.�
He loosened his hands and twisted her over leaning forward and kissing the base of her neck. �Perhaps that�s why we should make love instead.�
She squeezed his shoulder. �Ok, I�ll agree to that.�