Howie rushed over and kissed both Maya's cheeks "You're a peach." he whispered. "I'm going to go take a shower now." he said loudly, heading for the back of the bus. Maya began to laugh, and Allona looked at her strangely.
"What's the joke?" she said.
"Nothing... nothing..." said Maya, zipping that imaginary zipper again for good measure.
"Oooh, girly, you're a sneak." said AJ, pulling her to his lap as Allona went back to her bunk. "So, she likes the flowing locks? And what is it that YOU like, Rumple?"
"I like throwing you around!" she said, and promptly hopped up and flipped him down.
AJ grabbed the meat of her thumb and twisted, causing Maya to fall down on top of him. Maya was speechless. "Mr. McLean, that was excellent! Where did you learn how to do it?"
"Billy showed me what you did to him at the interview. Pretty good, huh?"
"Impressive." Maya said, smiling, sitting up, straddling him. "Now I'll show you something else: if you want to dislodge someone who is on top of you like this, choking," she grabbed his neck, gently. "Reach through with your hand and grab one arm, then arch your body in that direction and they'll go flying off."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
"What if I DON"T want to dislodge you?" said AJ as he pulled her down for a deep kiss.
~~~~~
Allona had hopped down from her bunk and glanced towards the front of the bus, smiling when she saw Maya and AJ in the midst of another kiss. Boy those two had clicked pretty quick, she thought to herself, happy for her friend. "Hey you two! Get a room already....geez....doing all that smarmy mess in front of us single people....yeesh..." she groaned playfully from the back of the bus.
"Well, Miss Thang, if you weren't such a work-a-holic you might not be so single," Maya reminded her, sticking her tongue out at her friend and partner.
"Yeah, yeah....as if..." Allona laughed. She found the book she was looking for in her extra bag and climbed back into the bunk, her legs dangling over the edge. "Hey...are we fixing this piece of junk bus or what?" she yelled up the aisle.
"I think Billy and the driver went to find a phone book in the rest center," she heard Maya answer between muffled giggles from her and cackles from AJ.
"Cool. Now you two keep it down. I don't mind if you're happy and having fun, just please don't force me to listen to it..." she laughed as she settled back with her book.
Howie had been done with his shower for several minutes and had been standing at the door, listening to the exchange between Allona and Maya. He toyed with the idea that Maya had given him, then decided to save that little bit for later. He pulled his damp hair up and stepped out of the bathroom in nothing but a pair of jeans. He saw Allona sneak a little glance in his direction, then dart her eyes directly back to her book.
"Hey sunshine, any coffee left?" he smiled as he walked by, tickling the bottom of her still bare feet.
"STOP THAT!" she squealed. "And yes, I think there's a little left," she said absently, still reading.
Maya and AJ watched as Howie came forward and poured another coffee. Maya pointed to his hair and gave him a questionning glance, seeing him mouth the word "later" to her. She laughed and shook her head. If those two ever got their act together, it would be a miracle.
Making his way to the back again, Howie stopped by Allona's bunk once more. "What can I do for you now Mr. Dorough?" she asked sweetly without looking up.
"I've got a favor to ask you Allona," he told her matter-of-factly.
"A favor? Should I be worried?" she laughed.
"No, of course not. I want you to take Hapkido lessons with us. It'll be fun. We can throw each other around like Maya and Bone up there. There's an odd number of us guys...so...."
"No way," she shook her head. "Besides, Maya can demo on AJ and you can practice with the other three."
"Oh come on Cherry, why not?" he said, giving her a cute pout and puppy dog eyes.
"I just don't want to...I'm not coordinated for that stuff. I'm perfectly content doing my yoga thank you," she said firmly.
"Not even for me?" he tried again.
"Not even for you Dorough," she assured him. "I'm just not the Hapkido type. You can do it without me," she said, turning back to her book.
"I'm going to tickle your feet until you say yes," he threatened, holding his fingers just under her feet and raising his eyebrows to her questionningly.
Allona narrowed her eyes at him. "You wouldn't..."
"Oh, but I would...."
"That's sadistic.. ahhhhhhyhnyyyyhhhhhhhhhyyy yyyhhhhhhhaaaaaaiiiiiiiiii sttttooooooopppppppppppp! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! ok, ok, ok, ok, ok...."
Howie let go of her foot. "You'll take the class."
"IF you promise to NEVER do that again." glared a recovering Allona.
"Oohh.... hard bargain. Never? Never ever?"
"Never ever."
"Well," he sighed, "OK. Maya, you owe me big time!" he shouted.
"Oooh, this was your doing?" Allona shouted to her friend.
"Mmmmmmmmph... go 'way... busy kissin'...... Mmmmmppphhhhhh..."
"Good lord, when did THAT happen?" said Allona, staring at AJ and Maya wrapped up in each other.
"Get with the program!" teased Howie, "Those two are destined to be together... and I am destined to have the rest of my rub. C'mon, don't force me to repo the chocolates..."
"You know...I should renig since Maya put you up to that. I should have known she had something to do with it," she laughed. "I'll still get out of it....you watch.." she said sneakily. "I just don't see the appeal in all that yelling and tossing about," she groaned. "And...lay a finger on those chocolates and I'll bend you into such a pretzel during your first yoga session...."
"Aw...you wouldn't do that to me would you?" he pouted again.
"Hey...this is chocolate you are talking about here..." she laughed. "But since you promised to leave my feet out of any further altercations, get up here and I'll finish that massage you claim I owe you while we wait for the bus to be fixed."
"Great! Oh wait.." he remembered something, and went dashing back to the bathroom, emerging a few moments later in shorts instead of jeans. "Lower half today," he beamed.
AJ and Maya watched with amused expressions. "Damn...if I were Howie, I'd just jump her," AJ chuckled. "But you know, I think the boy is having fun teasing and tormenting her," he said, looking down to Maya and planting another kiss on her. "Wait, on second thought, something could be happening," he gathered as they heard moans coming from the bunks.
"Nah, not that. She's just turned him into goo rubbing his lower back and legs probably," Maya smiled. "I would, however, love to be a fly on the wall when he gets around to her with that hair down. She won't be able to resist then, I don't care how much determination she has," she laughed.
"Hmmm..." said AJ, smiling at her. He tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "So, what's it gonna take to break down your resistance, hm, Rumple oyster ears ninja of my heart?"
"Well..." said Maya, taking her lower lip between her teeth as she considered. "I could send you on a great quest like Jason for the golden fleece... bring me back the medusa's head... no help from the Argonauts..."
"But..."
"But, I'd miss you too much. So instead, I only ask for a little time, a lot of kisses, and your best behavior in class."
"That I can do." AJ kissed each of her fingers. "But you know I'd find Medusa if I had to..."
"You geek." Maya ran her fingers down his fine cheekbones. "I'm pretty crazy 'bout you, Mr. McLean."
"Likewise, Rumple." AJ pulled Maya in til they sat chest to chest, her legs wrapped around him. "Um... Rump?"
"Hmmm?" Maya hugged him tight.
"How much time is a little time?"
"Not long..." murmured Maya. "Not long."
"Well, that's good, Rumple cause the things you do to my body..."
"I can tell..." giggled Maya, which caused AJ to tickle her til they both lay laughing on the floor.
"We end up on the floor a lot."
"Yup. Go figure."
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