How To Lose Friends And Alienate People
“If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Winston Churchill
He stood in the corner watching as she moved effortlessly through the crowds, pausing occasionally to speak with someone. He hadn’t seen her look quite so radiant before, with her hair in loose ringlets and a dress that was a cut above daring; she looked as if she most definitely belonged in this atmosphere with these people, and if he were blunt, she did belong. He was the one who did not, judging by the way Morrow and Gibbs had reacted to his presence by her side.
Of course he’d met Gibbs briefly in passing, when he’d learned of Jeanne’s antics. No introductions had been made that day, and nothing had occurred since then until the party, but he thought the least the man could do was to be civil. He’d been dodging Gibbs all night, because he had a feeling if he was cornered, the man with the eyes of steel, as he was calling them, would either beat him to a pulp for taking his girl from him or give him the “if you hurt her, so help me God…” lecture which he could do without; he already had that once before and it done that relationship the world of good.
Tony couldn’t work out why he’d offered to be her plus one, since Kate seemed to be doing a marvellous job on her own. Perhaps it had been his own insecurity rearing it’s head again, or that he wanted to show her that he planned to be more in her life than just the person to fool around with when she needed something more than what a pint of Ben and Jerry’s offered.
Whatever the reason, he was glad he did choose to attend because not only did he get to see his girlfriend, or lover or whatever she was, in her element, he also got to see the tattoo on her body that he loved staring at so much in the mornings.
It was his most cherished part of Kate Todd, amongst other things.
With Kate out there mingling, Gibbs somewhere other than where he was and the brunette and redhead duo at the bar who seemed to be eyeing him up for a feast, Tony had time for some wool-gathering. He could drift back as far as his mind would let him, or he could focus on more recent events, whatever he chose; just as long as the champagne glass he held remained full by the end, it was all good.
The first thing that came to mind was Kate, naturally. Since Jeanne’s arrest, and the first few days afterwards, she’d become slightly distant and quiet. The time she didn’t spend out at work, she spent in her office. Even after he’d gotten off his ass and not only finished installing her security system but upgraded it too, Kate seemed insecure. He’d try talking to her, listening to her but none of that was doing him any good when she wasn’t talking or listening in return. He had, at one stage, considered calling Abby but not really knowing why he chose to go down that path. He had thought that maybe speaking with another girl would maybe soften Kate up a little, particularly if she was close to her, which by all accounts Kate was.
In the end, all it took was a little eavesdropping on his behalf and a little trust on Kate’s. Plus a lot of interference from one Detective Fornell. Tony didn’t understand why past lovers always came back to bite them in the ass. First it was his, then it was hers.
Both of hers.
He’d woken in the middle of the night, surprised not to see her next to him. He ran his hand over the mattress, which was frozen, suggesting she’d been up for a while. He’d gotten out of bed and went out into the hall to look over the balcony to see if she was downstairs, and that’s when he heard her voice coming from the den. When he’d convinced himself that going upstairs to stand outside the door and listen to her side of whatever conversation she was having was in their best interests as a couple, she was already halfway to ending the call. And that’s when the name jumped out; Ari.
The rest of the conversation was inconsequential, all Tony knew at the time was that she was talking to her ex at god knows what time of the morning, while he stood in the freezing hallway in his boxers. When he heard her sigh and tell him to come in, he realised Kate was about to tell him a few things; and she started with the fact that Fornell had given her, at her request, Ari’s location and telephone number. She seemed almost dumbstruck by the fact Ari had not only achieved his dream of being Paris’ top rated and most sought after cardiovascular surgeon, but he was also married with two children and a third on the way.
Overall, she was proud of him for getting to where he wanted to be.
When Tony had the chance to look in her eyes, he could see the weight had been lifted and realised that all these days, she’d been wanting closure on that part of her life after it had been dragged up again against her will, and it seemed she’d got it.
They’d coped well over the four weeks since, more determined not to let anything stand in the way of their blossoming relationship. Kate had eventually come to realise that she needed to talk more instead of holding it all in, and as it turned out, Tony was one hell of a listener.
When he refocused on the present, he realised Kate and her tattoo had vanished from sight. He scanned the room, searching for the bare backed female in the emerald green dress with the tribal phoenix tattoo centred between her shoulder blades and couldn‘t see her anywhere. At the same time, he realised the brunette who had been eyeing him up from the bar was headed his way.
****
Kate could tell by the way Tony had suddenly become very focused on a particle of dust floating by that he had zoned out. She had warned him, seconds before they entered the house, as she fixed his tie while they stood on the stairs, he may very well be bored if she had to mingle with colleagues and all that jazz, but boy was he persistent. When she had finally stepped away from Hollis Mann, director of photography at Moda Vida Magazine, Tony was well into his daydream and Kate left him to it. The room was overcrowded anyway and she needed the fresh air.
Stepping through the French doors, Kate walked round the garden, admiring the rose bushes and magnolias, before eventually coming to the pool house. Even this building hadn’t escaped the fairy lights that seemed to be springing up everywhere throughout Morrow’s property, it was however, the only building that didn‘t have any have naked demi-gods with serving trays of champagne filled glasses. She’d given herself an allowance that night, and decided that if she was going to party, she was going down with the best of the them, to hell with the hangover she’d likely suffer in the morning.
Perhaps she’d blame her little binge session, and the full glass of champagne she currently held, on the absolute bastard that was Jethro Gibbs. And sometimes, she thought that perhaps that name was a little too good for him.
He had to go and make an ass of not only himself, but of her as well. He had to go and make a mockery of Tony’s job, of his age, and if he’d had the chance ask him what it was he seen in Kate or why it was Tony's ex-fiancée who’d been harassing them. Why he couldn’t just let the whole situation go and be happy for her like he said he would? It was never like Jethro to break a promise, and it certainly wasn’t like him to lie to her, but perhaps he hadn’t been entirely truthful when he’d said he was happy if she was happy. And it didn’t exactly help matters that Jen had returned specifically for this occasion.
Life was getting harder to live the longer she spent in Washington. Things were so much easier when there was no Tony, no Jen or Jeanne and Jethro wasn’t jealous. But no Tony meant a happy but not quite ecstatic Kate, so it couldn’t be all bad.
She was digressing, which seemed to be a recurring theme in her life these days.
Jethro Gibbs was an arrogant, self centred, antagonizing bastard who these days was making her life unbearable. That was the point she was trying to get across to herself and so far, with a little help of alcohol, it was working.
Maybe that was the problem. He’d certainly been at the party longer than her, so he had more time to do the rounds of the bar and get his mood to below despicable with the help of him more than likely seeing Jen, and he’d decided that after all he’d said he was just going to tell the plain truth.
She hated it, and him and the whole situation.
Having wandered round the pool a few times, and running things through in her head, Kate decided it was time to find Tony and pull him out of the potential trouble he may have gotten himself into in her absence.
The temperature had dropped several degrees in the time she’d spent in the pool house and Kate wanted nothing more than to be at home in her fleecy pyjamas, with Tony on the couch but she was required to spend at least one more hour making sure she met everyone she needed to, before she was allowed that pleasure. Before she could even get anywhere near the patio stairs, someone caught her arm and dragged her off to a bench nearby. She didn’t even bother attempting to scream, because there was only one man she knew of who could manage to smell of sawdust and coffee despite not having been near either all night.
Not a word passed between them as they sat down and Jethro wrapped his jacket around her shoulders. He sat as close as he could without sitting in her lap, in the hopes of transferring some heat to her body; as magnificent as she looked, the dress was not designed to keep her warm. Hell, it barely managed to contain the lithe, supple body she hid under the power mad suits she generally wore to work.
“Maybe I’ll get myself a little young thing.”
Kate cast a look in Jethro’s direction, wondering where he was heading with his comment. It was as if since Tony had arrived on the scene, Jethro had been on a steady road to a mid-life crisis; his comment prompted Kate to start looking for signs of one in the future.
“You know this was all for you of course, don’t you? This house, the cushy lifestyle.“
“Excuse me?”
“Kate, I’m not the only one who sees you. Tom does too. He told me, a few years ago, that if we hadn‘t been involved he‘d have snapped you up quick smart. Tonight he realised that you weren‘t with me after all and proceeded to inform me that it was a damn shame you weren‘t.”
“Quit it.”
“He thinks we’re well suited.”
Kate stood abruptly and started pacing the ground in front of Jethro. He had to lay this crap on her, on top of everything else, didn’t he. There was no way Tom had ever felt anything more than fatherly affection toward her, although she’d once thought the same of Jethro and this is where it had led them.
“I know what you’re doing.”
“Drowning my sorrows due to the fact that there’s more than one man here who wants what he can’t have and the fact there’s a boy who has exactly what it is that we want.”
“If you don’t stop with the bitching and your complete and utter bastardly ways, Jethro, you’re going to lose me for good. Is that what you want?”
“Kate…I don’t know what I want.”
“Yes, you do. And I believe there’s a redhead in there who, despite my better judgement, has exactly that.”
“I don’t want Jen.”
“Don’t lie to me. You know you do and you’re going to have to settle for her or someone else, because believe it or not, you can’t have me anymore and no amount of self pity is going to have me running to you.”
Thrusting her glass at him and shrugging off his jacket, Kate turned and headed back towards the house, leaving Jethro alone to think about all the things she’d said and not daring to look back at his face for fear she may just do exactly what she said she wouldn’t.
As Jethro watched her walk away as fast as those damn killer heels could carry her, he realised, again, he’d lost his best friend and most likely wouldn’t get her back this time.
Author's Chapter Notes:
as before
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry for the long wait. Family things happened and I had to deal, but am back.