Chapter Two
Tony took a deep breath and looked at the Chart House, a nice restaurant on Old Town, Alexandria’s waterfront. It was a fairly classy place even though it didn’t have a dress code or anything like that. This section of Alexandria was yuppie and being on the water with boats all around gave it a certain atmosphere. It reminded Tony of Long Island, not the Hamptons, exactly, but the relaxed atmosphere of tourists and old money blending together. The shops were a mix of boutiques and quirky little places, home made ice cream, hand made jewelry, bookstores, antique places, the Torpedo Factory, which used to be just what its name implied and was now an art gallery.
With the Potomac laid out in front of him, the shops behind him, and only a few tourists around, the night was quiet and peaceful, a counterpoint to how Tony himself felt.
Tony knew he looked good"damned good, in fact. He’d opted for black dress pants and an emerald green designer shirt that matched his eyes perfectly. Now that he’d styled his hair a few times, it was getting easier and Tony was very pleased with it. If only he could calm his nerves. Flirting with Gibbs at work was one thing, but taking it off work and into the real world changed the playing field and the stakes were never higher. It went way beyond admitting his bisexuality to someone he didn’t know was interested. This was Gibbs, the man he admired so much. Could Tony deal with his potential rejection?
Lingering outside on the dock that led to the restaurant, Tony hesitated. Could he, and more importantly should he, take this step? It’d change everything. Tony could lose a job he’d come to love, and the affection from a boss he was way too invested in. Torn between his options, he flipped his phone open and dialed Abby, knowing she’d understand.
“You are so not running from this, Tony,” she said by way of a greeting. “Get in there and knock his socks off. You know he’s interested. He isn’t going to kick you to the curb. Did we not examine all of this last night, every look, the way he was when you showed up with your red hair? Even McGee and Ziva admitted he couldn’t take his eyes off you.”
“Abbs,” he said, frustrated. “What if we read this all wrong?”
“We didn’t,” she assured. “Tony, you have to have faith. Have faith in yourself, have faith in Tim and me, have faith in Gibbs. We’re all people you can trust, right?”
“Not your job on the line,” he replied on a heavy sigh.
“Not yours either. Kick uncertain DiNozzo out and bring back Tony the Sex Machine, the guy who knows he had Gibbs’ attention, the guy who knows Gibbs is probably talking about him to Fornell right now.” Her voice softened. “You can do this, Tony. I know you can. You want him, and trust me, he wants you. Has he ever called McGee honeybuns? Has he ever called McGee or Ziva his loyal St. Bernard? He needs you more than he can admit and he wants you on a personal level. We all see it and you know it. Stop being so uncertain. Get in there and see what happens.”
Tony chuckled, feeling some of his self confidence return. “What do I have to lose?”
“That close intimate relationship with your hand,” Abby retorted. “Get off the phone and get in there Tony, or I swear to God, I will send Gibbs photo manips of you, showing you have red hair all over.”
“You wouldn’t! And I don’t!”
“Try me, Tony Bear! The camera and Photoshop can make everything seem real. I love you, Tony Bear. Get in there and do your thing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If Gibbs reacts the way we expect, he’ll make the first move and you won’t have put anything on the line. Understand me?”
“Yeah, Abbs. I know.” She was right, he realized. All he had to do was wait for it to come to him.
Tony hung up then, squaring his shoulders and striding into the restaurant. He’d arranged earlier for a table of one, to be seated close to the Fornell/Gibbs party.
Gibbs was halfway into his shrimp cocktail appetizer when the atmosphere in the room changed. The air stilled, as if some force was holding its breath. Gibbs knew that feeling in his gut. Something was going to happen. His hand rested lightly on his gun and he eyed Tobias, seeing his friend in the ready position as well.
When Tobias snorted, his body language relaxing, Gibbs arched an eyebrow, head whipping around to see what had Toby so amused. It was DiNozzo"redheaded DiNozzo"being led to a table a couple over from them. Tony took a seat that gave Gibbs a great angle view of him and began to study the menu.
“You tell DiNozzo about this place?” Tobias asked, clear amusement in his voice.
“Hell no,” Gibbs growled. The Chart House was relatively well known; it wasn’t as if it was a secret hideaway. And Tony had an apartment in Old Town, so this had to be a coincidence.
“Wonder what bimbo he’s bringing here tonight,” Fornell muttered. Gibbs felt his eyes narrow at that thought. He wanted DiNozzo eating alone.
“Did ya get a load of the hair?” Fornell asked. “Redhead.”
“He looks good as a redhead,” Gibbs said quickly, wondering why he was defending DiNozzo.
“Sirs?” Gibbs looked up as the waitress materialized at his shoulder. “The gentleman over there asked me to bring you these. He said one of you is his boss?”
Tobias rolled his eyes and muttered, “Ass kisser.”
Gibbs took the drink, a potent bourbon, and swirled it thoughtfully. Without worrying about the consequences of what he was doing and the tongues that’d wag, he stood up, walking the short distance to Tony’s table and sitting across from him.
Tony looked up and Gibbs read something in his eyes that he’d never seen before. Something Gibbs desperately wanted to understand. There was hope there, and something deeper, more intense. It turned his eyes a darker green.
“Got a date?” Gibbs asked causally.
“Flying solo tonight, Boss,” Tony said and there was a slight tremor in his voice that Gibbs picked up.
“Join us.”
“Not crashing your party.”
“Bought the drinks,” Gibbs pointed out. “Makes it your party now.” He swallowed hard. “My treat, DiNozzo.”
Tony’s eyes flashed and Gibbs bit back a gasp at the brief glimpse of what had to be desire in them. This was a mistake, a huge mistake. He couldn’t allow himself to get involved with DiNozzo. It’d be a disaster for both of them.
Even though Gibbs knew this, he couldn’t help pressing the issue. “You shouldn’t eat or drink alone. Why Toby and I come out tonight. We married the same girl on the same day years apart.” Gibbs stood, jerking his head over to the table. “Come on, Tony. Not taking no for an answer.”
Tony stared at the table for a moment before lifting his head, nodding. “Okay then, but if you front the food, I’m taking care of the drinks. I’m not into free rides, Boss.” Gibbs was glad to see that Tony’s confidence seemed to have returned, his body language less tense, his eyes meeting Gibbs’ easily.
Hearing Tony’s voice dip into a lower register just as he called Gibbs “Boss” did things to his overactive imagination. “Not ‘boss’ off work, Tony. Don’t give me a power trip.”
He hadn’t intended his voice to come out that husky, that sexy, but it had and Tony’s hand clenched the glass of beer tighter. “What then? What do I call you…’Boss’.” A smirky little smile appeared on Tony’s face as he stood, twisting and then bending down to grab his beer. His ass was perfectly displayed in those dress pants and when he turned, Gibbs realized from the bounce and settle Tony presented that he wasn’t wearing anything underneath.
Ah, hell. He was in trouble. “Fucked.”
“You want me to call you fucked?” Tony asked, eyebrows rising.
“Gibbs. Just call me Gibbs, DiNozzo.”
“Okay, but if you want to be called"“
“Don’t make me wack you in this place.”
“That comes later?” Tony asked, all innocence. “I’ll play the game any way you want to, Boss. But for now, let’s eat.”
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