A Sky Without Zeppelins (28/?)

[amberfocus]

                                                       original banner art by theotherwillow

                                                                  Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rose’s bright, shiny new job is beginning to look exceedingly dull when seen through the eyes of a tour guide with absolutely no imagination. Oh, she knows it will be much more exciting than it’s been laid out to be, but the junior tech showing her around is talking in such a monotone that she’d almost rather have one of those exceedingly perky, bubbly women who has a constant smile plastered on her face even when her dog just died and wouldn’t look out of place with a wad of chewing gum in her mouth.

She’s being given a guided tour of the entire building, at least the parts of it that are open to all employees. She’s already seen far more than most employees will ever see, but her oblivious tour guide is doing everything by the book. Every single thing in excruciating detail. Maybe in his real job he has to be detail oriented. Maybe the details are important. She stops herself from sighing and stifles a yawn, then forces herself to pay attention.

“For now you’ll be a floating assistant to anyone who needs your help on the inventor’s floor and in your free time you will be allowed to pursue your own project for school. Upon graduation and your beginning full time employment here at Illuminate Corporation you’ll be considered a junior inventor and be given a small lab of your own off to the side of one of the senior inventors. Whichever senior inventor you are assigned to will be your direct boss and he or she will monitor your activities on a daily basis.”

Rose finds that if she just makes little noises of agreement from time to time he smiles and goes on to the next thing he has to show her. She doesn’t like the vibe she is getting off him at all. He’s not smarmy or anything like that, he’s just showing far too much interest when he looks at her. She’s never been one to like being ogled, rarely dresses for that type of male attention and today is no different. She’s wearing simple black trousers and a well-fitting but not tight turquoise blouse. Over that she has on the lab coat she was issued in human resources.

Her worst fear comes true in the lift when the man, Rose thinks his name is Jeffrey or George or Jimmy or something that starts with that same soft sound, turns to her and says, “I don’t normally do this, but I was wondering if you’d like to grab a bite to eat with me after work today?”

Rose looks anywhere but at his face and says, “I have plans tonight.”

“Tomorrow night then?” he asks hopefully.

Rose sighs and looks at him. “I’m sure you’re a very nice man, George--.”

“Jeffrey,” he interrupts looking a bit put out that she didn't remember his name.

“Right, Jeffrey. I’m sure you’re a very nice man, but I--.”

“Don’t date men you work with?” he asks. “So many women have that rule and it’s such a silly self-imposition don’t you think?”

She wonders just how many women have used that as an excuse to get out of a date with him. “I have no problems dating men I work with,” she says firmly.

“Good, then I’ll meet you after work on Tuesday,” he says in a pushy way.

“No,” she says and shakes her head. “I have a boyfriend.”

“Are you exclusive?” he asks.

Rose grits her teeth. This is obviously a man who doesn’t like taking no for an answer. Even if she didn’t have a boyfriend she doesn’t like the pushy, boring type. She sighs. “Yes, we’re exclusive. And I’m madly in love with him. Sorry.”

“Ah. Well, can’t blame a guy for trying. You’re very beautiful.”

“Thank you, but I’m quite uncomfortable with this line of conversation. It needs to end now,” she replies tightly.

“Yes, yes, sorry.” The lift doors open and they emerge onto the floor she recognizes as the one Jonathon works on. This is where her tour will end and she’ll be assigned. She is so relieved that she won’t have to spend more than a few minutes longer in this man’s presence that she let’s out a huff of air. A smile lights her face as she sees Jonathon standing in the doorway to his office chatting with Donna. A moment later Donna leaves and he turns his eyes towards the lift and his welcoming smile is like a balm, smoothing away all the tension of the last few hours.




Rose looks exhausted when Jonathon finally sees her at four p.m. and he hopes that it is simply that she’s had a long day and not that she’s feeling any aftereffects from the Caligo. Even though Dr. Milligan had given her a clean bill of health he can’t help but worry a little bit about her. He feels this may be his lot for the rest of his life, worrying about his Rose.

The man showing her around, a junior tech assistant by the name of Jeffrey if Jonathon recalls correctly, notices him standing in the doorway of his office and smiles insincerely. He instantly feels sympathy for Rose. She got the boring one, too. He tears his eyes from Rose when he realizes the man is speaking.

“Miss Tyler, this is Dr. Smith, he’s one of the newest inventors to be signed on here at Illuminate Corporation. Dr. Smith, Miss Tyler.”

“Yes, we’ve met,” Jonathon says with thinly veiled humor. “Good to see you again, Miss Tyler.”

“Likewise, Dr. Smith,” Rose says with a twinkle in her eye. He beams at Rose, ridiculously happy to see her. All trace of exhaustion vanishes from her face as she smiles at him, the big bold smile that takes over her entire face. He doesn’t like the tension that comes into Jeffrey’s body when he notices the way Rose looks at Jonathon or the way he’s looking back at Rose.

“Mr. Lumin said you’d be beginning work today,” Jonathon replies smoothly. “If you’re done with your tour I’m to take over showing you the ins and outs of your day to day activities.”

Rose bites her lip to keep from giggling. He can tell she’s thinking about the ins and outs of other activities they’d done the night before. He can’t quite keep the smirk off his face when Rose realizes he knows exactly what she’s thinking. He grins even wider as a blush graces her face.

“Yes, this was the last thing on our scheduled tour. I’m quite done with her,” Jeffrey says officiously. “Welcome to Illuminate Corporation.” The smile Jeffrey gives to Rose is far more sincere than the one he’d flashed on Jonathon and he finds that he doesn’t like it one bit as the junior tech eyes Rose appreciatively. “You may have her now,” he concludes. “Hope to see you around, Miss Tyler.”

“I’m sure you will,” Rose says and even though she doesn’t physically roll her eyes Jonathon can practically hear her doing it in her head. “Not if I see you first,” she mutters under her breath when he’s out of range.

“We’ll start with a tour of my laboratory,” Jonathon says pulling Rose by the arm into his office. He shuts the door behind him. “Lab’s this way,” he tells her and they move through to the room behind the office. He shuts the door to that as well and this time turns the lock. “He did say I could have you now.”

Rose giggles again as he backs her into the door and kisses her hard and then just as quickly releases her and grins. “Welcome to Illuminate indeed,” she says in a breathy voice. “No scratch that,” she says and in a very pompous voice identical in inflection to Jeffrey’s says, “Illuminate Corporation. Thought he might actually explode or something if the word corporation didn’t follow the word Illuminate every time he said it.”

“He’s very good at his job.”

“I don’t doubt it, but he couldn’t have been more boring if he tried. And he asked me out on a date,” she says. “He was very pushy about it, too. Didn’t want to take no for an answer.”

Jonathon’s fists clench. “What’d you tell him?”

“Told him I didn’t think my lover would let me out of the bedroom long enough to date other men,” she tells him with a cheeky grin.

“What?” He looks at her in astonishment. She snorts and bumps his shoulder with hers.

“No, I told him I had a very serious boyfriend that I was madly in love with,” she replies. “Because I do. But I didn’t tell him who because, well, I don’t know... Are we supposed to keep our relationship a secret at work? We didn’t talk about it, but…” She trails off and looks at him uncertainly.

“It’s up to you, Rose. Mr. Lumin already knows about it and he’s okay with it and that’s the important thing. It won’t hurt my career, but it might make people look at you in a different light,” he says slowly.

“You mean they’ll think I got hired on because I’m sleeping with you?” she asks.

“Could do. Pretty young girl, older man, people will talk. It’s in their nature to pick things like this apart and seldom in a nice way,” he says.

“You’re not that much older than me,” she says. “You’re only thirty-four.”

“Twelve, almost thirteen years. When do you turn twenty-two?”

“April 27th,” she says.

“But that’s next Monday!”

“I know,” she says with a light grin.

“Were you going to tell me?” he demands a bit put out.

Rose shrugs. “We just got serious. Didn’t want you to think you had to do something. It’s not like I know when your birthday is, either.”

“What if I want to do something for you?” he asks her.

“I suppose that’d be all right,” she says with a shy smile. “When is your birthday anyway?” she asks him.

“July 5th,” he says immediately.

“Hmm…I’ll have to plan something for you involving me, a beach, and a bikini,” she says with a wicked grin. His heart catches in his chest and he must change his expression for she looks at him curiously. “What?”

“You think…I mean you think you’ll still want to be with me in…in July?” he asks hesitantly.

“I love you, you idiot,” she says rather more sharply than she intended. “I want to be with you forever.” Then realizing what she’s just said she slaps her hand over her mouth, her eyes huge. It is clear she didn’t mean to let that slip out quite so early in their relationship. It is even clearer that she means it.

He doesn’t let her hand stay over her mouth, instead pulling it away and raising it above her head, trapping it there. Jonathon’s other hand catches hold of her other wrist, not allowing her to push him away. She doesn’t even try as his mouth descends on hers and he devours her hungrily, his body pushing hers hard into the door again, his desire for her more than evident.

She’s kissing him back with just as much need and he isn’t sure he’s going to be able to get his want back under control if this kiss doesn’t end soon. He releases her wrist and his hand creeps down to the button on her trousers. Finally she tears her mouth from his and turns her head gasping for air. His lips descend to his favorite point on her neck and Rose stifles a moan.

“Jonathon,” she says. He ignores her, working her zipper down until she repeats herself rather more insistently. He breaks away from her neck and then looks her in the eyes. “I’m not shagging you at work,” she says.

He realizes then what he’s doing and he lets go of her, taking a step back. Rose adjusts her clothing and puts herself back together. He swallows hard and then takes in several deep breaths. “Sorry,” he says. “I’m sorry. I have a hard time not just grabbing you and…”

“It’s okay; just…we can’t do this here. Kiss, I mean, if it’s going to lead to this. Not here. The minute work is over though, before dinner even, you are so taking me to your place and shagging me rotten,” she tells him.

He grins at her. “Yes, I am.” He runs his hand through his hair ruffling it and Rose makes a little noise of desire that he can’t help but smirk at. “Let me show you where you’ll be working in your free time.” He opens a door off to the side of his lab. “This is the junior inventor’s lab. Every senior lab has one attached. You’ll use this one as all the other ones are full.”

“Am I going to be working under you?” she asks him. At the look he sends her she huffs, “Get your mind out of the gutter, Jonathon, and answer the question.”

“For the most part, yeah. Your specialties in robotics and computer technology fit in best with what I do here. That’s not to say you won’t be helping out in some of the other fields from time to time if one of the other senior inventors or techs needs help.”

She bumps into him in the small space and he can’t help but reach for her again. Despite her earlier words she raises her face to his for a kiss and he takes full advantage of the moment. It is several minutes later when he feels her hands on his chest pushing him away. “We can’t keep doing this,” she says huskily. “Not here.”

He steps back into the main lab breathing hard and gestures for her to follow then goes and sits down behind a table, his inventor’s paraphernalia all over it. “Come here,” he says. “But stay on that side of the table. I’ll tell you what everything is while my body calms down.”

Rose smiles and leans over the table and he tells himself firmly to stop looking down the front of her blouse. He puts his mind on automatic, engages lecture mode, and with a fully interested audience he soon loses them both in the intricacies of his work. It is only the rattling of the door knob at five o’clock that brings them both back to reality.

Rose jumps up and goes to unlock the door. “Oh, hello, Miss Noble,” she says formally. Mr. Lumin is big on using titles, thinking it creates an atmosphere of respect, but it still seems odd to use them at times like this.

Donna smiles at her. “Hello, Miss Tyler,” Donna responds. “How’s your first day going?”

“I think I’m going to like it here,” Rose says.

“I have some papers for you to look over and sign. They don’t have to be turned in right away, not until you start working full-time. It’s information regarding your benefits package.”

“Thanks,” says Rose taking the manila envelope that is stuffed with papers from Donna.

“Mr. Lumin asked me to ask you two if you’d like to join us for dinner tomorrow,” she says.

Jonathon glances at Rose. She gives him a small nod and he turns to Donna. “Yes, that’d be fine.”

“Great. I’ll collect you tomorrow after work then.”

They say their good-byes and Jonathon and Rose exit the building together. They are careful not to hold hands until they exit the Illuminate campus. The minute they are out of sight he reaches for her hand and she laces her fingers through his. In unspoken unison they make a dash for his apartment building, barely making it into his flat before the first layer of clothing hits the floor.

Jonathon is grateful Rose has a condom in her purse because they are unable to make it as far as the bedroom. They make hard and passionate love in the middle of the living room floor. He’s pretty sure he’s got rug burns on his knees but he couldn’t care less as he pulls her into his arms afterwards. He thinks he’s going to really like working with Rose if the result of delaying their passions is this.

Ch. 29:  http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/181612.html 

Comments

[taliah-rose.livejournal.com]

I totally love how Rose just blurts out her true feelings to Jonathon without thinking, especially because she tries so always be in control of herself and to do the sensible thing! Of course, her spontanious confessions seem to have a direct line to Jonathon's ...ahem! Randy little sod that he is!

I bet Rose's 'forever' slip will gives him something to ponder over later, especially with the baby TARDIS next to him!

[amberfocus.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she does tend to blurt at the strangest moments and he does react in a very randy way every time. *giggles* He'll definitely think on it.