Choosing Corners: Breakfast Bikinis & Toast

Sometime during the night, I fell asleep sitting on the balcony, my legs dangling through the black iron bars, hanging out into the open space above the street. Jack had folded up his jacket and placed under my head as a pillow, but my neck still felt like I had been hung when the morning sun sparkled into my eyes and woke me. I climbed back inside to find Jack with a towel wrapped around his waist and another scrubbing water out of his hair. I probably stared at his naked chest a bit longer than I should, but it is not like he would not have done the same to me.

"Morning," Jack said, "Sleep well?"

"What do you think?" I said, rolling my eyes and pushing passed him on my way to the bathroom.

"I think somebody woke up on the wrong side of the window," Jack said.

I paused in the process of closing the door and said, "Ha, ha, ha, ha. Did you wait all night just to say that?"

Jack said, "Just an hour or so this morning."

I rolled my eyes and closed the door. In record time, five minutes, possibly less, I was ready to face the world for another day of fun and adventure. The rest of the shit likely to come my way better watch out because I was not in the mood. Jack looked more than mildly surprised when I exited the bathroom fully dressed and ready to go while he was still pulling up his trousers. I refrained from commenting, but could not resist flashing him a smile with suggestive eyes taking in his nicely toned ass.

"You think this place serves coffee?" I asked, pretending innocence while watching him finish dressing.

"Probably, but I wouldn't chance it," Jack said.

I said, "You probably don't want to chance me without my morning caffeine fix."

Jack nodded, zipping up his boots and said, "Can I buy you a Coke?"

"Sure," I said, grabbing my purse from the table, "But it better be cold."

"No promises, but I'm sure if you hold it a couple of seconds, it'll freeze solid," Jack said.

"Just because I didn't warm your bed, doesn't make me cold," I said.

Jack said, "What makes you think I'd even let you?"

I crossed the distance between us and laid my hand on his shoulder, rubbing his muscles through the silky dress shirt. He raised an eyebrow at me as my finger tickled against his cleanly shaved neck and I leaned in close, brushing my lips against his cheek. Feeling the nervous trembled just beneath his surface, I smiled and said, "Because you're not smart enough to say no." I pulled away before he could respond and walked out the door.

With flushed cheeks, Jack caught up to me in the elevator. His face was a mixture of embarrassment and seriousness, but his eyes were laughing. I pushed the button for the ground floor and we rode in silence. It was hard, but I did manage not to laugh at him.

The cabaret had miraculously transformed itself into a breakfast cafe complete with virgin white tablecloths and bright white lights. The room was busy with over half the tables full, although the food did not look or smell particularly memorable. I am guessing the popularity had more to do with the bikini and sarong clad waitresses. Jack was definitely taking note, although he may have just been avoiding looking at me.

"Table for two?" asked a young man, toned and tanned from head to toe. I smiled taking him in, especially appreciative of his leopard print briefs. Jack barely glanced at him as I said, "Yes, please."

The young man grabbed a pair of menus from the bar top and gestured for us to walk ahead. I nodded and said, "Lead the way." Jack shook his head as the man took off ahead of us, weaving through the tables. I sighed, enjoying the view.

Jack's hand rested on my shoulder and, in my ear, he whispered, "Stop staring." I glanced toward him for a moment, laughing and said, "You first."

"I'm not staring at him," Jack said.

"I never said you were," I said, walking after the young man. "I can certainly understand why you would though. I mean, if I were you, I'd be jealous of that physique too."

Loud enough to turn heads, Jack said, "You must really want a spanking."

"Maybe from him," I said, making the young man blush as I took a seat in the chair he held out for me.

Jack sat down across from me and took his menu from the man. Looking right at him, he gestured toward me and said, "Go ahead if you feel up to it, she's most definitely in need."

The man shook his head and scurried off, clearly not wanting to get in the middle of anything between us. I shook my head at Jack and said, "That was mean, you probably scared that poor boy half to death."

"If I didn't, you were going to give him a heart attack, the way you were going," Jack said.

"You're the one who started to make a scene," I said and blinked as a sudden flash of light temporarily blinded me. Jack nearly tipped the table over when a familiar feminine voice stopped him in his tracks.

She said, "Jack Barker and Virginia West. Imagine the coincidence of finding the two of you down here."

"Gina," I said turning toward the voice and holding an arm up against the glare of lights, "What are you doing here?"

"You first," Gina said and pulled a chair up to our table without bothering to ask if we objected to company.

"I'm debating between ordering breakfast and giving V here a sound bare bottom spanking," Jack said, nonchalantly.

"Do I get a vote?" Gina asked winking at me.

"No," I said, before Jack could think about it. Gina and Jack both laughed.

"Breakfast it is then," Jack said, pausing to wag a finger at me, "But don't make me warn you again."

"Are you sure?" Gina said holding up her camera, "I mean I've got a fresh roll of film and you don't get an opportunity to photo document something like this everyday."

"True," Jack said making me wonder if he was considering it for a moment. "Unfortunately, I think we've already called enough attention to ourselves."

Gina nodded and said, "Yeah, that's pretty impressive in a skin factory like this too."

"So what are you doing here?" I asked again.

"Working of course," Gina said, "I've been promised a comprehensive tour of the local Mayan sites and they're even going to let me take a few snapshots."

"Who's giving the tour?" Jack asked.

Gina shrugged and said, "You wouldn't know him."

Jack smiled. "You might be surprised," He said.

"Your turn," Gina said, neatly avoiding Jack's question, "What are you guys doing down here?"

"Vacation," I said, "Jack's been wound up so tight lately, he was just going to blow if we didn't get him out of L.A."

"This isn't exactly a resort," Gina said obviously skeptical, "Do you typically vacation in dives or is this one of those adrenaline racing vacations?"

"The brochure made it sound better than it is," Jack said. "It's a typical problem when you don't dig deeper than surface."

"Then you should have known better," Gina said.

"She should have," Jack said, nodding at me, "But she never listens to anyone, but herself."

"I can totally see why you were thinking about spanking her," Gina said, amused with herself, "I for one, still think it would be a good idea."

"So what sort of Mayan ruins are in these parts?" I said, changing the subject.

"The typical sort," Gina said dismissively, "What do you think Jack, can I tempt you into it?"

"Let's talk again, after breakfast," Jack said, studying his menu. "We missed dinner last night and I'm starved."

"That's a great point," Gina said, digging through her purse to pull out a notepad and a pen. "I've been meaning to do a story on Quondam's disciplinary system and this is just perfect; Jack Barker's tips for giving a good spanking."

"I'm sure the story will read much better, if you experience it first hand," I said, smiling suggestively.

Jack nodded behind his menu and said, "I like that idea. After breakfast we can go up to the room and I can practice my swinging on the pair of you."

Gina smiled sweetly and said, "I do so love the offer, but I have to decline. A journalist must remain impartial from the story in order to do a fair and balanced job."

A waitress stepped up to the table to take our orders, interrupting any further discussion of Gina's fascination with Quondam's spanking system. Jack ordered first because neither Gina or I had managed to do more than look at the menu. On Jack's suggestion, proving I do listen at least occasionally, I ordered a coke with my egg and potato skillet. Gina went with a sugary pastry and chocolate milk because she obviously does not have enough energy already.

Left alone again, Gina said, "So, do you ever run into anyone else from the survival camp?"

"I can't say it's never happened, but not often," I said wondering if she was hinting about Brian. "Why?"

"No reason, I was just thinking it's kind of odd how we run into each other here and there, but I don't really see anyone else from there," Gina said.

Something told me she was hiding something. Maybe it was the way she stared down at the table cloth and nervously folded up the edge or maybe it was the look of regret shimmering in her eyes. I do not know for certain, but I was certain she was holding something back and her mere presence was enough to convince me there was trouble just around the corner. I think Jack sensed a little bit of the same because he was watching the entrance very carefully and he had found a reflection in a vase behind me that was helping him watch the bar at the same time.

"Who would you really want to run into anyway?" I asked trying to see if I could get a reaction out of her, "Olivia?"

"God, no!" Gina said, "Why would you even think about that bitch?"

I laughed and said, "The only person I might like to see again is that hunk, Brian. He was cute and smart too."

Gina smiled, "Yeah, he had eyes for you too. Thought he was going to keel over when Rick had you out at the flagpole, stark naked. Remember that?"

I blushed proving I did indeed remember. "How could I forget?" I said.

"So when's he supposed to get here?" Gina asked.

I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head at her a bit surprised by her bluntness. She smiled and shook her head at me. "Obviously we're both here waiting for him," She said.

"Obviously," Jack said.

"Obviously," Another female voice said, suddenly pulling a chair to the table, opposite Gina. We all turned to stare at her, caught off guard and a little rattled to say the least.

"Olivia," I said and at the same time Jack said, "Stratford."

"What are you doing here?" Gina asked.

Olivia forced a smile before letting it drop and quickly showed us she had a gun in each hand, pointed at Jack and I. "There's a car out front," She said, "We've got a few things to discuss, but this isn't the place to do it. So, what do you say we all quietly go outside and get in that car?"