“I’ll be fine and I did have a good time, it’s Mardi Gras it’s guaranteed to be a good time right?” Garcia replied through chattering teeth.
“Come on let’s get you out of those wet clothes,” Morgan said as he quickly yanked Garcia’s shirt up and over her head before she could protest. Garcia instinctively wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to cover her body, but Morgan took it as a sign that she was cold. So he wrapped the towel around her shoulders and began to vigorously rub her bare shoulders and arms. He was so focused on warming her up and getting her dry that he didn’t notice her body had stiffened, nor that she stared up at him with large fright filled eyes. It wasn't until his hand grazed her black stain covered breast and a gasp escaped her lips that Morgan seemed to focus on their current situation. His eyes fell to her satin bra, and then swiftly he clamped his eyes shut as he turned around.
“Shit I’m sorry Garcia.” He began apologizing with his back still to her.
“It’s ok, “ She voice squeaked out, as her face turned beet red. “I’m just going to go change in the bathroom.” She threw out as she rushed to the bathroom, yanking up her small luggage bag near the foot of the bed on the way.
“Ok,” Morgan replied and then held his breath until her heard the bathroom door click shut. “Shit,” He cursed under his breath. His moment of embarrassment quickly turned to confusion and then fright as he noticed the large bulge in the front of his pants. “Oh shit.” He grumbled as he rushed to his duffle bag and pulled out a shirt and quick threw it on, he then rushed to the door.
“Where are you going?” Garcia’s voice called out to him as she exited the bathroom still drying her damp tresses, but now wearing a pink spaghetti strapped camisole and matching pink pajama shorts. Morgan turned to face her but then turned away quickly because the sight of her seemed to arouse him even more, and his bulge was very evident.
“Uhm, I was going to go get some dinner from that place up the block.” He answered as he opened the door.
“The place we had lunch at yesterday?” She inquired.
“Yeah.”
“Well they deliver sweetie, so you don’t have to go out in that monsoon.” Garcia said hoping to dissolve the tension withing the room.
“It’s ok I don’t mind. I’ll be back in a bit.” Morgan said and then hurried from the room before she could protest further. Garcia stared at the closed door and wondered if he would come back at all.
“Hey sorry I took so long, Morgan said as he entered the room, happy to be someplace dry. “There was a line out the door.”
“That’s ok I’m not that hungry, and I’m just glad you came back.” Garcia said from her spot on the bed.
“What are you talking about silly girl?” He asked as a frown creased his brow. He moved and sat the bags of food on the small dinette table beside the door.
“Well I got the impression that I ran you off, which usually happens when a man see me naked. They usually don’t come back.” Garcia stated with a slight smile as she bowed her head a bit and focused her attention to the fingernail she picked at.
“Garcia my leaving had nothing to do with seeing you…” He began but stopped because he felt like he was lying and that was something he never had to do and would never do with Garcia. “Ok that’s not entirely true,” He admitted and could see her self esteem crumble before him, as her shoulders sagged a bit and her head hung even lower. “But not because I was repulsed or anything, it was actually the opposite.” He admitted and she quickly shot disbelieving eyes up at him.
“What?”
“I got a hard on, ok there I said it and I’m sorry and please can we never speak of it again.” Morgan stated as he avoided her gaze and busied himself with preparing their food.
“You’re telling me that 'you' got a boner after you saw 'me' nearly naked, that you were sexually aroused, and you expect me to just let that go?”
“I was hoping that you would be gracious enough to do that yes, I’ve embarrassed myself enough and feel like I’ve disrespected you, so please don’t torture me about it.”
“Derek,” She called out to him softly and he couldn’t stop himself from facing her. “For a girl like me to learn that a guy like you is sexually attracted to them, well there’s nothing disrespectful about that. It’s flattering. Ok so give me a moment to bask in this. It’s not every day I learn that a majorly hot hottie finds me sexually attractive.” Garcia said with a large smile on her face.
“It’s not just sexual Garcia. Yes I think you’re sexy.” Morgan stated and received a giddy smile from Garcia. “But you’re also smart, funny, witty, and the only woman I feel comfortable enough with to tell anything to. I’m…” His words ended abruptly as his eyes widened a bit.
“What?” Garcia asked in concerned, seeing by the look on Morgan’s face that something was wrong. For a moment Morgan could only stare at her in wonderment as his mind finally registered what he was feeling, and had been feeling for a long time. He suddenly realized that he loved Penelope Garcia, and more importantly he was in love with her.
“Morgan?” Garcia’s worried voice drew his attention.
“Cornbread,” He blurted out as an overwhelming need for air nearly overtook him. He needed to get away to clear his head and think.
“Cornbread?” Garcia repeated her concern instantly turning into confusion.
“Yeah I forgot the cornbread and a plate of southern soul food is never complete without cornbread.” He announced as he turned and quickly moved to the door. “I’ll be right back,” He threw out as he quickly exited the room closing the door, and leaving a very baffled Garcia behind him.
He sat nursing his second beer as he stared at a small picture, which captured him and Garcia cuddled up and smiling. It was the most recent picture he had of them from the New Years Eve party that was thrown at the BAU. He was so engrossed in the image and lost in his racing thoughts that he was oblivious to his surrounding, the live jazz band playing in the corner and other patrons chatting beside him at the bar. It wasn’t until a bronzed penny was placed before him that he pulled his attention from the picture he held. He turned to the person who had gifted him with the penny, and found a beautiful black woman who wore a skin tight red cocktail dress, flashing him a very sexy smile.
“That’s for your thoughts.” She said softly with an accent that told him she had been born and raised in New Orleans. “Or for anything else you’d like.” She added and made her advances clear when she placed her hand on his upper thigh very close to his groin.
Morgan threw her a kind smile as he reached down and removed her hand from his leg and gently placed it on the bar top. “On any other day before ‘today’ I would have happily taken you up on your kind offer, sweetheart.”
“Oh and why not today?” She asked as she reached out her hand and rubbed the back of his head, and again he shrugged off her advances.
“Because today I realized that I’m in love with my best friend,” Morgan stated and then took another swig of his beer.
“Oh you’re gay,” The woman said in a relieved tone.
“No,” He answered with a smile and a chuckle and then held the picture out for her to see.
“Well she’s very lovely, has a very kind smile and gentle eyes.”
“Yeah, Penelope is a beautiful woman inside and out definitely one of a kind.”
“So what you afraid of, Chere?” The woman asked as she seated herself on the stool beside him. He turned and looked at her with questioning eyes and she answered them. “A man in love is usually a happy man, not a man drowning his sorrows in a jazz bar. What she don’t return your affections?”
“I honestly don’t know, I haven’t told her how I feel yet.”
“Again I ask, what you afraid of?” The woman said softly and then waited intently for him to answer.
“I don’t know a lot of things. I’m afraid she won’t take my love for her seriously, that she’ll think I’m playing her like I’ve done to other women. I’m afraid of rejection too she’s kind of got a boyfriend.”
“Kinda?”
“She told me she’s not in love with him, but she likes him. He’s a decent guy. She also told me there’s another guys that she is in love with, and I don’t know if I can compete with this mystery guy, or if I should even try to. If this other guy makes her happy then maybe I shouldn’t bother her with my newfound feelings.”
“Do you love this woman?”
“Yeah." he asnwered with a nod. "Yeah I really do,” Morgan said as he stared at the picture still in his hand.
“Then go tell her, better yet show her. Is she here in New Orleans?” The woman asked and Morgan locked large eyes onto the woman beside him, and then looked down at his watch.
“Fuck,” He hissed out as he leaped from his bar stool, pulled money from his pocket, tossing it on the bar. He then paused long enough to turn to the woman still seated at the bar. “Thank you,” She simply threw him and wink and a smile, and then watched him and he rushed from the bar.