From: danak35@yahoo.com   
      
   Keywords, disclaimer etc. in part 1   
      
   A normal Life - What is this love II - part 2.   
   by DanaK35   
      
      
   Sunday morning   
   One week later   
      
   "I am telling you, Lea, this man is driving me crazy."   
   Kate had arranged the last set of books and was now   
   straightening the flowers on the counter.   
      
   "How can he drive you crazy, when you have seen him all   
   but once?" Ever-sensible Lea asked.   
      
   "That is just it ? I cannot get him out of my head. You   
   should have seen him, those eyes and that mouth, oh, I am   
   telling you, he could have been just what the doctor   
   ordered?"   
      
   Truth was, she hadn't slept in 4 days, she kept seeing his   
   face and hearing his voice whispering sweet nothings in her   
   ear and woke up several times a night, heart racing.   
      
   "Sure, Kate, then why didn't you just ring the FBI up and   
   ask for him there?"   
      
   She looked at her incredulously. "I can't just call the FBI ?   
   what would I say?"   
      
   "I don't know, but if this G-Man is really that hot, Kate, then   
   it's probably worth a try, but you know what, we cannot deal   
   with this now, we are opening our shop in exactly five   
   minutes."   
      
   She shook her head at her friend's logic. Lea was right of   
   course, there were more important things to do.   
      
   Going went back to stacking even more books, she hoped   
   to forget those dark eyes if only for a while.   
      
   *****************   
      
   FBI Headquarters   
   Sunday   
      
   Walter Skinner closed the file he had been reading and   
   took of his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose.   
      
   The case didn't go well and he'd been down to Winston-   
   Salem twice already, to convince the only witness to testify   
   against his employer. Fat chance of that happening.   
      
   Furthermore, Mulder was behaving erratically even towards   
   Scully and he hadn't seen or heard anything from both of   
   his agents, which worried him more than he liked to admit.   
      
   Until now, at least Scully had always been reliable.   
      
   Putting his glasses back on he decided to leave the case,   
   Mulder and even Scully behind him and go home or better   
   yet go somewhere, where he didn't have to think about his   
   agents or the case or anything FBI related at all.   
      
   He wondered what he was doing at the office on a Sunday   
   and then out of nowhere he remembered Kate Maguire and   
   her insistence on having a good time. He hadn't thought   
   about her since, but as he passed the "Starbucks" in his   
   car, the memory of their afternoon came back.   
      
   It had been nice to talk to someone as fresh and open as   
   Kate. Someone who lived in a completely different world, a   
   world, where conspiracies and murder and distrust didn't   
   play any role.   
      
   He stopped in front of the coffee shop, oblivious of the no   
   parking zone and went in, looking around for a sign of her.   
      
   She wasn't there.   
      
   Scolding himself at his disappointment he walked back to   
   his car to drive home after all, then found himself on his   
   way to Georgetown.   
      
   Of course, her bookshop would be opening today.   
      
   Time to get some champagne.   
      
   ******************   
      
   Lea and Kate were so busy they did not know where to turn   
   first.   
      
   Never had they expected to attract such a crowd.   
      
   Kate was busy helping a couple of computer engineering   
   students with their books, when Lea came over, tugging at   
   her sleeve.   
      
   She grinned, "I would say G-Man has just arrived."   
      
   Kate almost dropped the book she was showing to one of   
   the guys, when she recognized him.   
      
   He had just entered the shop, scanning the room with a   
   concentrated glance until he spotted Kate.   
      
   There it was again, that hint of a smile that barely touched   
   his face, but made his dark eyes smolder.   
      
   Lea took the over the book and the students as Kate   
   mumbled a hasty 'Excuse me' and made her way through   
   the crowd to greet him.   
      
   *********   
      
   Skinner entered the crowded bookstore. The place was   
   packed and as he looked around for a sign of Kate, he was   
   surprised at how much he liked the place instantly.   
      
   He had expected a small, dimly lit student haunt but instead   
   the shops' walls were painted a bright yellow, with birch   
   wood shelves, dark parquet floors and deep red velvet   
   couches and chairs.   
      
   The walls were decorated with what seemed original   
   paintings from an artist he didn't recognize and a counter   
   separated the public area from the office space.   
      
   Behind this counter stood a tall young woman, her black   
   hair fixed in an unruly ponytail, clad in jeans and wearing a   
   bright smile when he entered.   
      
   Before he could try to approach her through the sheer   
   masses of customers she disappeared.   
      
   He stood in the doorway, trying to decide whether to stay or   
   leave after all, when he saw her approaching from the far   
   end of the shop.   
      
   Her radiant smile seemed to brighten the room and as she   
   came towards him, he thought of how he hadn't noticed   
   before how beautiful she really was.   
      
   Her dark red pixie-cut accentuated her pale face with high   
   cheekbones and sparkling green eyes. She was wearing a   
   black velvet dress, a huge violet scarf and flat shoes.   
      
   "Mr. Skinner!" she exclaimed, "how nice of you to grace our   
   humble business with your presence."   
      
   She stopped short of embracing him, taking an   
   embarrassed step backwards.   
      
   He extended his hand. "Hi Kate. There is absolutely   
   nothing humble about this place," he said grinning.   
      
   She smiled back. "Isn't it great? I'd never thought we'd   
   attract such a crowd."   
      
   He reached into the bag he was carrying and handed her a   
   bottle of champagne. "Here? this is supposed to be a   
   congratulations present, but I can see you are busy?"   
      
   She turned back to the crowd once more, shrugging.   
   "Thanks, Walter, I wish I could open it with you, but?"   
      
   He held up one hand and gave her the bottle. "Don't worry,   
   I stopped here to congratulate you, not to keep you from   
   working?"   
      
   He stared at her hard and once again her heart starting   
   jumping madly in her chest.   
      
   "We'll close at 5 today?" she said, looking up at him   
   inquiringly.   
      
   He regarded her for a long moment.   
      
   "OK then, why don't I go on ahead to the coffee place and   
   you can join me later," he suggested. "If you make it, fine, if   
   not ? I try not to take it too personally."   
      
   He couldn't believe he had said that. He sounded almost   
   like a normal man, trying to fix a date with a beautiful   
   woman.   
      
   "It's a deal!" She smiled her dazzling smile again   
      
   Before he could say anymore she turned back to her   
   customers, leaving him standing in the doorway.   
      
      
   ***************   
      
   He was sitting on the same sofa, when she entered the   
   coffee shop, shortly after six, noticing that he'd taken the   
   time to change from his severe business suit into jeans and   
   a black polo shirt.   
      
   It suited him very well and emphasized his broad shoulders   
   and lean hips.   
      
   "Hey! Sorry I am late." She said as she dropped her bag   
   next to him.   
      
   He looked up, trying not to show how relieved he was that   
   she'd indeed shown up. For the last half hour he had felt   
   like a fool, sitting there with his coffee and paper, waiting   
   for a woman he barely knew.   
      
   Yet, wasn't this what people did, when they tried to get to   
   know someone?   
      
   He couldn't remember.   
      
   "Hi, busy afternoon, was it?" He asked and when she   
   nodded. "Can I get you a coffee?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)