Nirvana

Harley dropped onto her back on the mattress and let out a sigh while James laid beside her on his back. They both stayed silent, trying to catch their breath. She turned her head toward him, to find him already staring at her, he let a smile grace his face before he asked her, "I thought you said this was a one time thing?"

She shrugged, "It was supposed to be."

"And what changed your mind?" James asked curiously.

"That thing you do with your hips." She told him with a straight face. James raised his eyebrow at her, but she didn't elaborate so he rolled on top of her, his forearms on the bed on either side of her head.

"What thing?" He asked, his face only a few inches from hers. She challenged him by looking up at him with a raised eyebrow and she said nothing. So James pushed his hips against hers at the exact right angle, and when she sucked in a breath James smirked, "That one?"

"I hate you." Was all Harley muttered.

Still, James didn't move. Instead he pushed her hair from her face and told her honestly, "I like you having your own place."

"What hooking up on a desk in a bar isn't your thing?" Harley asked with a smirk. However she had to admit that she enjoyed it too. She moved into the apartment above the bar the minute into became vacant again, the privacy and comfort of not having to crash at someone's home or use someone's shower was possibly one of the best feelings.

James shrugged, "Nah I'm more for the bathrooms of bars."

She let out a laugh, reached down and pinched his butt, making him in turn lean down and nip at her shoulder. She had to admit she was curious about how often he hooked up with girls he barely knew, but that was the last thing she would allow to come out of her mouth. Especially right now.

James knew exactly what she was thinking, and he was quick to tell her, "I've only ever done that once. Just so you know."

Harley shook her head, "Not my business."

Trying to make it fun James asked her, "What's the weirdest place you've had sex?"

Harley had to think about it for a minute before she surprised him by answering, "The hood of a car in an empty parking lot."

James stated at her perplexed for a few seconds before he cracked a smile and told her, "Well you definitely have me beat."

"A bar bathroom is really the weirdest?" She was surprised. James had this air to him, she assumed many things about him that she was beginning to realize didn't go with the truth.

"I'm not so adventurous, I'd rather rock your world inside a house or apartment. Where we don't have to be careful or quiet." He told her with a smirk.

Harley grinned, leaned up to his ear and whispered, "Oh but that's the best part of sex in public."

- - -

Harley sighed to herself as she ran a cloth along the surface of the bar top. She glanced at the clock, eleven in the morning. She looked down at her hands, and then her wrists, and instantly her face heated up. Mere days ago she found herself underneath James, his one hand holding both her wrists over her head. They had managed to make good on breaking her apartment in. Bed, shower, couch. And then he left, and she hadn't spoken to him since.

She pulled herself out of her thoughts as Kelly and Sophie both walked in, Kelly's arms full with flowers and cards. Harley raised an eyebrow at her, and as she set everything on the bar top Kelly simply told her, “Caught up with the delivery guy outside. Who knew you had so many admirers. Happy birthday.”

Harley smiled, and picked up one of the bouquet of flowers, peach roses. She knew they were from Shea, even before she opened the card that Kelly handed her. She couldn't help but laugh as a gift card to Etch fell out with the corresponding note in the card telling her to treat herself to a half decent dinner once in a while. Kelly read the card and burst into laughter, knowing Harley barely had time to cook for herself, and if she wasn't making herself frozen Lean Cuisines she was eating at the diner across the street from the bar.

Yellow daisies were the second and last batch of flowers, Harley already knew they were from Rich, they were the most predictable ones on the team and always had been. He had never in the near year they had known each other gotten her anything but yellow daisies. She forced herself to think it was nothing more than him being sweet, but it got harder and harder for her to do that when she saw the card. 'Love, Rich.'

Sophie saw that and raised her eyebrow and Kelly asked jokingly, “I thought you and James were hooking up?”

Sophie glanced between them and asked curiously, “Which one is James?”

“The tall dark haired one with the blue eyes. New guy.” Kelly told her, making Sophie grin.

“So the one that has the 'fuck me' smile?” Sophie asked, making Kelly laugh and Harley simply flushed bright scarlet. When Kelly and Sophie began to make jokes and cat calls Harley slipped behind the bar and threatened to spray them with the one of the pop dispensers.

Kelly rolled her eyes but still warned, “Don't you dare.”

“Then quit it.”

Kelly shrugged and acted innocent, “Quit what? I was just stating the obvious.”

Harley shook her head and put both bouquets of flowers in the biggest jars she could find behind the bar, and set them by the bottles of liquor. She tucked both cards into her bag under the counter and turned to Kelly, shook her head and told her, “I regret even telling you about me and James.”

“You didn't have a choice. The two of you came waltzing out of the back looking guiltier than Charles Manson.” Kelly stated, making Sophie snort as she made her way behind the bar to grab a water from the cooler.

Ignoring her comment Harley grabbed her back and her sweater before she asked Kelly, “Ready?”

“Yes. Tell me again why we're going shopping?” Kelly asked as Harley dragged her out of the bar.

They made their way down the street, and Harley simply told her, “I've decided I deserve a new pair of shoes for my birthday.”

Kelly laughed and told her, “Like you really need more shoes.”

Shrugging Harley stated, “You can never have too many pairs of shoes.”

Kelly shook her head at that and wandered over to the sandal section while Harley went immediately for the highest heels she could find. She fit the stereotypical 'girls and shoes' to a T, although when anyone brought it up she pointed out that she once had a boyfriend who had more hats than she had shoes, which was saying something.

Her phone buzzed in her back pocket again, but she ignored it again. She hadn't responded to anyone's Happy Birthday texts but a few of the guys on the team that had sent her them rather early. She picked up a pair of four inch pink sued heels, before her eyes landed on a pair of five inch python print pumps and immediately she put the suede pair in her hand back onto it's display shelf.

“Excellent choice.” Harley jumped, hand on her chest, as a younger saleswoman approached her with a smile on her face. She laughed at herself and the saleswoman told her, “Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Can I get you a size?”

“It's fine, and yes please. Seven and a half?” Harley asked, thankful when the woman smiled and told her she would meet her up at the til when she was ready. Harley put the display shoe down and wondered over to find Kelly, who was already standing at the til talking to another worker. She smiled when she saw Harley coming and Harley asked her, “Ready to get out of here?”

Kelly nodded and the blonde from earlier joined them at the til, shoe box in hand, with a smile on her face she asked, “Can I get your name please?”

“Harley Callahan.” Harley waited patiently as she typed it into the computer, before bagging them and handing them to Harley.

Before she could even dig through her bag for her wallet she was told, “It's been paid for.”

Harley's head snapped up and then toward Kelly, who shook her head, before she asked, “What?”

“Paid for in advance. There's a card in the bag. Have a great day.” Harley turned away from the til and as she and Kelly walked out of the store she yanked the card from the bag and ripped the envelope open. She was expecting Rich, instead she found 'Happy birthday, James.' inside the card. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face before Kelly seen it and clapped. It was then that she caught on and she said, “You knew. You were the one that gave them the card right?”

When Kelly nodded Harley was quick to pull her phone out, sending Shea a text saying 'fuck you', no one else would have known to do that. Her thoughts were confirmed when he replied with 'you're welcome'. She glared down at her phone before looking at the card again, and she pulled James' number up, opening a new text and typing and sending it before she could convince herself not to.

'I'd thank you now, but I think we'd both rather I do that when you get back.'

- - -

James was never the guy on the team that would take the seat on the plane beside his captain, he certainly was never ballsy enough to do it this early on with a new team, but for some reason today was different. He dropped into the spot beside Shea before anyone else could, and he spoke quietly, “I'm not so sure that was such a good idea.”

Shea shook his head and reassured him for the third time since the two had come up with the plan, “Trust me, it was. Harley buys herself a new pair of shoes every year for her birthday. She goes to the same store every year.”

“Why are you helping me?” James asked curiously, he had thought about that a lot since he had ran the idea of sending Harley flowers by Shea, and he came up with the better idea. Quickly James explained himself, not wanting to make the wrong impression, “You barely know me, and I just would have thought you'd be more into helping...other guys over me.”

Shea nearly laughed at the fact that James didn't want to out right say Rich, and he reassured his new teammate, “The Rich and Harley show has been over for a long time. He doesn't need any help because he doesn't have a chance. I'd like for her to be happy, so if that's you then great. But don't take this lightly, that girl is like my sister, you hurt her you won't survive long enough for Rich to get to you.”

“Might be a little early for this, but I don't plan on screwing this up.”