| Choices Chapter 8 |
| Wrapping up the 'experiments' |
| Jack pulled his bike into the side street behind Danielle�s place and parked it. He wished he could do this without hurting her, but he had a feeling that was going to be unavoidable. He walked around to the front, his helmet in his hand, and rang the doorbell. Danielle answered the door, somewhat taken aback by the big black helmet. She had been expecting flowers, maybe, but not that. �You really ride a motorcycle, Jack?� He laughed. �Is that so hard to believe?� �Oh, come on, Jack. A man your age? You�re a respected prosecutor.� �All the more reason to enjoy it while I can.� �Well, don�t think you�re ever going to get ME on it!� He parked the helmet on the table in the entryway and they went into the living room. �I was going to make dinner, but then decided I didn�t want the hassle of cleaning up. Feel like ordering out?� Jack sighed. At least he wouldn�t ruin the effort of a home cooked meal. �Danielle, we have to talk.� The warning bell in her mind went off at the tone of his voice. �OK, Jack. About what?� Jack fidgeted for a few moments, then took a deep breath. �Danielle, I made a big mistake. I was right the first time � I�m taken. I ran into Lennie last night at an AA meeting. We both must have had the same idea about not going to our usual meeting. And I realized something. It�s not about the sex. I love him, Danielle. Body and soul. I miss him so much it hurts.� He looked up, almost afraid to see her reaction. Danielle sighed, found herself fighting back a tear. �You warned me, Jack. I thought it would take a little longer than this, but I was pretty sure this was going to happen.� �Then why even try?� She reached out and caressed his face. �Because you�re worth it.� Jack caught her hand and kissed it. �You may not have lost yet. He told me yesterday he was with somebody; one of his old partners. Somebody he�s always been very close to. I may not be able to win him back, Danielle. But if there�s even a chance, I�ve got to try.� She pulled her hand away and looked into his eyes. That Jack was a complex, passionate man, she knew well. Just how deep his love for this cop was, she had never truly suspected. She nodded. �You will, Jack. I have no doubt of it.� Another tear leaked out. He reached out and gently wiped it away. �Danielle, I wish I could do this without hurting you.� She shook her head. �No, Jack, it just doesn�t work that way. But I�m a big girl, I knew what I was getting into. I�ll get over it. But I think you�d better go now.� She walked him to the front door. As he picked up the helmet she couldn�t resist asking. �Tell me, Jack, does he ride with you?� Jack couldn�t help smiling. �Yeah, he loves it.� She sighed. Yet another reason why it never would have worked anyhow � He brushed the hair back from her face and leaned in to gently kiss her forehead. �Goodbye, Danielle.� �See you in court, Jack.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lennie wasn�t sure what to expect from Friday night. He had a feeling that given Mike�s laid back attitude, his decision wasn�t really going to change anything. He had been looking forward to spending the night, now he wasn�t sure he should. He was glad Ed was heading out to Atlantic City for the weekend. Ed had tried to talk him into coming along, but agreed that spending the time with Jack would probably be more important. So he had packed an overnight bag anyhow, figured he�d sort it out one way or another. He felt things tightening as Mike opened the door and waved him in. �Hey, Lennie!� He tossed the bag into a corner then turned to find Mike hovering inches away from him, a predatory grin taking over his face. Lennie couldn�t resist; he grabbed Mike and slammed him into the wall, licking his lips. Mike was clearly startled, not expecting Lennie to take control like that. �I�m the senior partner here, Logan. Remember that.� The grin returned, full force. �Yes, SIR!� His eyes danced with laughter and delight as Lennie leaned in for the kiss, plundering Mike�s mouth for all he was worth. // Lennie�s a dom! Who�da thought! // This was going to be an interesting night! Lennie enjoyed the feel of Mike�s body trapped between his and the wall, squirming against him. But finally he pulled away, wanting to move on with the game. �All right, rookie. Enough of that. Don�t you think it�s time you got into uniform?� He watched Mike squirm, trying to figure out what he wanted. �Uh, which uniform, sir?� �YOUR BIRTHDAY SUIT, SON! How else can you present your weapon for inspection! God, don�t they teach anything at the academy these days?� The rookie scrambled to obey, clothing flying across the room in his attempt to please his superior. Finally he stood at attention, proud that his �weapon� was as upright as the rest of him. �Presenting weapon, SIR!� The senior officer bent to examine the rookie�s piece, running a single finger down its length. It was clearly locked and loaded, ready for action. The inspection continued to the ammunition pouch below, then back up the other side. The rookie gave out a soft moan. �What�s that? Don�t like having your weapon inspected?� �Oh, no sir! I mean, yes sir, I like it a lot!� �Well, if you�re going to work with me, you�re going to have to learn to like it quieter then! What if we were on a stakeout and somebody heard you moaning like a schoolboy?� The rookie looked down, ashamed. �I�m sorry sir. It won�t happen again.� �It better not. Now let�s get going.� He grabbed the rookie�s wrist and dragged him back to the bedroom, pushing him down onto the bed. �Allright, here�s the situation. Frankie Silvestri is holed up in that building (points to the closet) We�re stuck here for god knows how long until somebody goes in or out. One sound out of you and they�ll know we�re watching them. You understand me?� The rookie nodded enthusiastically, not wanting to even say �yes.� �Good.� His partner began a full, proper weapons inspection this time. He managed to keep silent as warm lips enveloped him, swallowed a groan of delight as fingers and mouth worked together to bring him closer and closer to the edge, choked back a cry as Lennie took him right to the edge then backed off. Lennie sat back for a minute, both to let him recover and to enjoy the look of frustration on the young rookie�s face. It was a beautiful face, chiseled and strong, wavy dark hair framing it perfectly. Without warning, he dove back in, trying to make the rookie lose it. It worked; he gave out a strangled cry at the sudden contact, and within moments lost it entirely as his climax came over him. �Damnit, boy, they made us.� The rookie looked so downcast. �I�m sorry, sir.� He smiled at the boy fondly. �Well, to teach you a lesson, I think maybe you should clean MY weapon.� That perked him right up. �Yes, SIR!� The rookie scrambled up, eager to regain favor in his partner�s eyes. The older man stretched out on the bed, clearly intending to lie back and let the rookie do all the work. That suited him fine. He crawled into position and began a most thorough cleaning, paying careful attention to every millimeter, polishing it over and over with his tongue until his partner cried out with the release. �Ahhh, yes, well, at least there�s something you do well, Logan!� Mike laughed and laid down beside him as Lennie caught his breath. �Didn�t know you were into D/S games, Lennie!� Lennie grinned sheepishly. �Kinda snuck up on me the last few months. Started right after my �disappearing� act. Jack got suspended for being drunk in the office, so to keep him occupied for the next couple of days I made him my �personal assistant,� getting my license replaced, getting me the cell phone, running errands, and stuff. It sort of took on a life of its own that evening.� Mike shook his head. �You a Dom I can see. But Jack as sub? Strange world, Lennie.� Lennie grinned. �You should have seen him Memorial Day weekend when I had to wear the uniform.� Mike raised an eyebrow, chuckling. �Oh, man, he�s got it BAD.� Lennie sighed. �I hope you�re right, Mike.� �Lennie? Something on your mind?� He told Mike about their chance meeting yesterday, how much it had affected him, how badly he wanted Jack back in his life. �So as much as I wish I could have both of you, tonight is it for us, Mike.� He looked so sad. Mike reached over and caressed Lennie�s face. �I understand, Lennie. I said, no commitments. But have you considered a compromise?� Lennie looked at him, his face a question mark. �Lennie, it�s obvious to me that you two have something special, and I haven�t even seen you together yet. But you�ve still had fun with me this week, and it hasn�t affected your feelings for him one bit. What makes next week any different? Love and sex don�t always have to go together. You and Jack can have your life together, with all that implies, and still have sex with other people. You don�t have to play by the same old boring rules we grew up with.� Lennie smiled. �You sound like somebody else I know. She keeps telling us we have to figure out what WE want the rules to be before we can agree to them.� Mike nodded. �Smart lady, this friend of yours. Think about it. Why do most marriages fail?� Lennie looked at him. �Cheating?� �Exactly. Lennie, do you feel like you�re cheating on him right now?� Lennie sighed. �No. But I keep thinking I should.� �You�re not cheating because from the beginning you and I established the rules that we�re not interested in a �relationship�; the sex is friendly, nothing more. No matter what we do, it has NO bearing on how you feel about him. You�re not used to thinking of that as an option, but it is. Lennie, it�s your life. But if I were you, I�d write those rules open-ended. That way, if he gets an occasional craving for a woman, he can deal with it without putting you through hell again. Which by the way, if he ever DOES, he answers to me.� Lennie laughed, touched by the fierce protectiveness in Mike�s voice. He wrapped his arms around Mike, pulling him close. �Thanks, partner.� Mike�s fingers slid through his hair, pulling him in for a kiss. Mike was right. He felt a warm tenderness here, something precious in its own right, but entirely different from his love for Jack. They could coexist in his heart. Now if he could just have the opportunity to try to convince Jack � Mike pulled back. �You know what, Lennie? If this is going to be your last night as a bachelor, how about we go out? I�m guessing you�ve never even checked out the local scene?� Lennie shrugged with his eyebrows. �Overdue, then. Come on, let�s have some fun. I know exactly where to take you. But you�ll need something better to wear � Mike got up and began digging around in a dresser drawer. Lennie gave in to the inevitable and crawled out of bed, retrieving his jeans. �Can I at least wear these?� Mike glanced back at him. �Black would be better, but yeah, they�ll do. Ah, here�s what I�m looking for!� He tossed Lennie a black mesh tank top. Lennie held it up, trying to find the ends. It was SO not his style, but, hey, what the hell. Tonight he�d play along with Mike. He turned around to see Mike was now wearing its twin in bright green along with a pair of black jeans. Mike looked him over with a critical eye. �No, not black.� He turned back to the drawer. �Blue to match your eyes.� �When did you notice what color my eyes are?� �Eight years ago.� �You really had a thing for me all this time? Kept it a damned good secret, Mike.� �Had to, Lennie. You know what it�s like out there.� Lennie sighed as he switched tops. Mike nodded. �Much better. Let�s go!� Lennie felt seriously underdressed for going out, but knew enough about the world he�d been dancing around to know that some people would consider him over-dressed. They grabbed a cab and Mike gave an address in midtown Manhattan � high class neighborhood. They got out at what appeared to be a private entrance. Mike pushed the buzzer, and a few moments later the door opened. They stepped in to face what was clearly a bouncer. To Lennie�s relief, he smiled at Mike. �Hey, Logan, who�s your new friend?� �Lennie, this is Mandel. He keeps us safe here. Mandel, this is Lennie.� They shook hands. �You vouch for him Mike?� �With my life.� �Good enough for me. Welcome to the Leather Rose, Lennie. Enjoy!� Lennie followed Mike into a room that was already getting crowded, and it was still early on a summer Friday night. He was glad he�d let Mike provide the clothing; if anything he was still rather conservative compared to the rest of the crowd. No shortage of people-watching opportunities here! Women in skintight spandex and latex, men in leather and lace, something for everyone of any persuasion. Mike laughed as he watched Lennie take in the crowd. He grabbed his arm and steered him toward the bar. �Guiness and a club soda� he called out to the bartender. They collected their drinks and moved to grab two chairs together at the end of the bar. �I take it you�re a regular here?� Mike nodded. �It�s a private club, Lennie. Very secure. Expensive, but worth it. You�d be amazed at the faces you see here. High power individuals who party as hard as they work.� Lennie looked around, marveling at the amazing variety of people. �Holy shit.� Mike followed his eyes, wondering what had caught Lennie�s attention. �I thought you gave up on girls, Lennie. Might as well with that one � she�s a real ice queen. Nice to look at, but she�s basically got her pick of who she plays with. I�ve never even gotten close enough to ask her name.� �Abbie.� �Huh?� �Her name is Abbie.� Lennie gazed at her, transfixed. His sweet, darling Abbie was dressed as a true dominatrix. Tight leather bustier and miniskirt. Fishnet stockings, thigh high boots with 5-inch heels. Leather cuffs and collar. He slowly became aware that Mike was talking again. �Huh? Sorry, Mike, can you repeat that?� �I said, you know her?� Lennie nodded. �Until a few weeks ago, she was Jack�s assistant.� �You have got to be kidding.� �It gets better. Remember that friend who was giving me advice about writing my own rules?� �Her?!� Lennie nodded. �Damn, Lennie!� Lennie was debating whether to go over and say hello when she turned and looked right at them. He could see the recognition dawn on her face from across the room as she strode toward them. �Lennie? What are you doing here?� He grinned, trying to hide his embarrassment. �Hi, Abbie. Just checking things out, I guess. Oh, this is Mike. Mike, Abbie.� Mike flashed his best charming grin. �A pleasure to finally meet you, Abbie.� She looked him over, wondering how he knew Lennie. She�d seen him around the club, but he was almost too pretty for her taste. �You too, Mike.� Lennie jumped into the gap of silence. �Mike was my partner before Rey, Abbie. He thought while I was in my �experimental� phase I should at least check out the scene. So we ended up here.� She turned her attention to Lennie. He looked so different wearing just the mesh tank. It just didn�t seem to be his style. But then, seeing her like this was probably sending HIS head spinning. �So why haven�t you called? I�ve been worrying about you guys.� Lennie winced. �Sorry, Abbie. I left on Saturday, ran into Mike that evening, and I guess I�ve been trying to not think about it since then. At least until yesterday.� Mike grabbed his arm. �Hey, there�s a booth opening up over there. I�m gonna go grab it.� Lennie nodded, and he took off. �Abbie, you want something before we leave the bar?� They got her drink and caught up with Mike. Lennie slid in beside him, leaving the other seat for Abbie. She was definitely picking up on a powerful vibe between these two. She was glad Lennie had found a friend he could �play� with, but wondered what effect this was going to have on getting him and Jack back together again. Which she was firmly convinced was the right answer. Lennie caught her up on the events of the week, including their run-in at the AA meeting yesterday. �I miss him so much, Abbie. I can�t just sit back and let it happen. I�ve got to try to win him back.� Mike�s arm was wrapped around Lennie�s shoulders, but he didn�t seem to be at all fazed by Lennie�s comments. He seemed completely supportive. The pretty boy went up a few dozen steps in her book for that. �What, the �scene� here isn�t all you need?� She laughed at Lennie�s almost relieved �Hell, no!� He smiled at her. �No, Abbie, this isn�t right for me. I�m just not into this casual, anonymous atmosphere. Mike is different, we�ve been friends for years. I trust him.� He squeezed Mike�s leg beneath the table, and felt the arm tighten around his shoulders. �But I need Jack.� She nodded, glad that that had not come into question. Mike jumped in. �I�ve been telling Lennie that WHEN they get back together, they need to set some new rules. Like not insisting on absolute exclusivity.� Abbie thought about it. While it was obvious what the benefit was for Mike, she could see his point. �So the next time Jack wants some skirt, he doesn�t have to throw his entire world into conflict.� Mike grinned, looking pointedly at Lennie. �Exactly what I said.� Lennie looked at them. �You two never met before tonight, and yet I get the feeling you�re already conspiring against me.� Abbie laughed. �For you, Lennie, always FOR you, never against.� �But where do we find this mystery woman who wouldn�t mind just being a fuck-buddy? Somehow, I don�t think Danielle is going to be that good a loser� Abbie bit her lip and smiled coyly at Lennie. �Oh, I can think of someone who wouldn�t mind a bit. Especially if you were there too, Lennie.� Lennie�s jaw almost hit the floor. It was bad enough seeing Abbie in this getup; the thought of sharing Jack with her was more than his poor tortured brain could handle. �Uh, Abbie �� She laughed, finding his bewilderment absolutely irresistible. She reached across the table and took his hand. �It�s OK, Lennie. Right now, just focus on getting him back. We�ll deal with the rest later.� He nodded and squeezed her hand, still not trusting his voice. She decided to make it easy on him. �Listen, I�ve got to go, I�m meeting somebody. But keep me posted this time, will you?� �I will, Abbie. Promise.� She got up and started to walk away, then turned back. �Hey Mike � you gonna be here next week?� �Uh, yeah, I guess.� �Great. You know where to find me.� She winked at him then walked away, giving them a good long look at that perfect ass. It was Mike�s turn for the mouth-hanging-open look. Lennie chuckled and slapped his thigh. �Come on, I think we�ve done enough damage here for one night.� A little while later they were back at Mike�s apartment, snuggled together under the covers. For some bizarre reason, neither of them really felt like playing after that conversation with Abbie. But cuddling was just what the doctor ordered. Lennie sighed as he felt Mike�s arms slide around him. �Thanks, Mike.� �For what?� �For opening my eyes to a lot of things.� Warm lips pressed against his neck. �Any time, Lennie.� He drifted off to sleep, happier than he�d been in ages. Continue to Chapter 9 Send me some feedback Back to the Story Index Disclaimer: These characters belong to Dick Wolf and NBC. I'm just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
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