Friends Author. Eileen Thomson E-mail: indigotoast@yahoo.com Summary: A July Nicfic Challenge story, using the words bohemian, duchess and leech Author's notes: I allowed that Jake and Nick were good friends in NYC . More notes appear at the end. --+-- Bad weather, rain and wind, has been raging all day and Nick has given up work in disgust. He feels the storm leech his concentration and decides to quit early. He goes into the house and changes into shorts and a t-shirt; he knows he will not be going out again in this weather. As he comes down the stairs the phone is ringing. "Nick Fallin" "Nick? It's Aunt Liz, Nick can you hear me?" "I can barely hear you," says Nick. "Listen, Je... is going to coming to your house, could you keep …. there till…. at lunchtime and ….. up" "I don't understand you," says Nick reiterates. "I'll …to phone la…." As he puts the phone down there is a knock at the door. "Jake, what brings you here? Come on in." "I'm not going to get home; the rain has washed out one of the roads. Feel like having a house guest?" "I think I have one already and tries to explain the phone call from Liz. Let me get you shorts and a t-shirt and you can hang up your things to dry, You might as well be comfortable." "This is just like old times" Jake comments "Remember when we used to have nights like this in NY?" "Happy times!" Jake and Nick have just finished dinner when the front door bangs. "Someone is anxious to get in," laughs Nick. Opening the door Nick faces a most attractive girl. Standing in flat shoes, she is almost at eye level with him. Her hair is long and black, and is woven into two braids that hang down each side of her long neck. Her skin is the color of latte and as smooth as silk. Nick realizes he is staring "Can I help you?" "I'm Jez; your Aunt said you would put me up for the night!" "I'm so sorry, I was expecting a man.Are.. you studying here in Pittsburg?" "I coach track at Pittsburg University" says Jez replies in an anxious voice Nick laughs and tells her she looks about fifteen. "Can I come in? I'm afraid of the lightening" "Oh God! I'm sorry, please come in and meet Jake He is staying as well, since roads are out. "Well since everyone is comfortable, do you mind of I change out of this wet dress and into sweats as well?' Nick shows Jez up to the guest room and leaves her to get comfortable.Within minutes she is downstairs and dressed as Nick and Jake are in shorts and crop top. The trio settles down to a night in front of the TV with a few beers and the conversation is good. The company slowly melts Nick's apprehension at having a stranger in his home. At midnight they all split up and go to their own rooms. Nick quickly falls in to a deep sleep. When he wakes he remembers he has been dreaming about walls. Nick gets up and goes to the bathroom, its here he can hear music; he puts on his shorts and goes downstairs. The sweet smell of marijuana is in the air so he knows it's not Jake. He can see no-one in the lounge, "Jez?' he calls out softly Her hand comes up over the couch and she waves. Nick looks over the top and Jez is sitting with her back to the couch. "Come and speak to me, the storm has me freaked!" "I'm on probation, Jez. If I get caught with any drug in my house I will be in deep trouble" "When did they last check you?" "Yesterday at the office." Jez laughs. "What are the chances of them coming out in this weather in the middle of the night to check you again?" Nick grins. "Not much." He watches as she heats the marijuana and crumbles it, then rolls the neatest of joints. She lights up and takes a hit, then another. She offers the joint to Nick and he barely hesitates before taking it. Inhaling deeply he takes one hit then another before passing it back to Jez. They pass the joint back and forth till she makes up another. "Put that CD back on please won't you?" `Another brick in the Wall' spews out of the speakers. "Now I know why I was dreaming about buildings. He howls with laughter. "Let's play a game" Jez suggests. Little known trivia!!" Nick is a known trivia nut, so he says, "Okay, you start." Jez begins. "Coconuts kill more people in the world than sharks do – around 150 per year." Nick counters" Four hundred quarter pounders can be made from one cow." Jez continues," When the Titanic sank there was 7,500lbs of ham on board" Nick answers "Coca-Cola was originally green." By this time, both Jez and Nick are in gales of laughter and getting quite rowdy. Jez continues though it is hard for her to talk, she is laughing so hard. "There is a town in Texas called Ding Dong." Nick paused for a moment before continuing, a sly grin curving his lips." During conscription for WW11, there were nine documented cases of men with three testicles." "You win, I can't beat that!" With all the rolling about Jez's shorts have slipped and Nick can see a tattoo on her hip "Duchess, is that you?" "No, I'm', I'm bisexual. That is my girlfriend. She is uptight and very high class. Duchess is her type." "Does she have your name on her hip?" "Yes, I'm Bohemian. Free and easy, hippy to the core!" "Any more tattoos?" Nick asks. Jez pulls down her shorts till they are almost off and kneels to let Nick see the small tattoo on her other hip. It says "x kiss here". So he does. Sex with a marijuana high is a joyful thing full of laughter and loud noises, kissing and rolling about the floor. When they finally settle on the couch and passion is spent, Nick pulls a cover over them and falls asleep to the sound of thunder. It is the sound of thunder which wakes him again. Nick jumps It's not thunder but someone banging on the door! .He pulls on his shorts and opens the front door. He freezes with shock. His probation officer, Durkin is standing there with the plastic cup in his hand. "Let me in, Mr. Fallin," handing him the container. "Who is it, Nick?" The sound of the childish voice shocks Nick and he turns quickly towards the couch. Jez is standing there in just her thongs and she looks so young that for a moment Nick is scared. "Shit! Fallin, have you added another wrinkle to your perversion? I want to see some ID from you young lady" "I'm over 18. Are you the police?" Jez moves her eyes to the stairway and Nick takes the hint and walks upstairs to the bedroom. "Jake, you have to help me" Hurry while Jez has his attention!" "Nick I swear you will get us all put in jail!" He hurries to the bathroom and starts to fill the cup. "Hurry, he's coming! " The probation officer comes into the room as Nick is washing his hands. Jake is behind the bathroom door. Nick hands the cup to Durkin and asks," Happy with her ID? I make sure she takes it everywhere when we go out." "Sorry, but I had to check." Jez runs past them on the stairs calling to Nick "They are on the way. They will be here in ten minutes." As Nick let Durkin out, his Aunt Liz and Jez's mother arrive to pick her up. "At my place next time," Jez whispers as she goes out through the door, "I think it would be safer." Nick closes the door at their backs and slides down to sit on the floor. He puts his head in his hands and his shoulders shake. "Nick you are a certifiable lunatic! Why do you have to live on the edge all the time?" Jake notices that Nick is laughing fit to burst and sits down to face him. "You could have got us both jailed. What is so funny?" Nick is laughing so much he tips over to his side. He can barely speak and holds his hand out towards Jake and splutters, "Friend!" I allowed the sample switch because Jez distracted the probation officer… Come on folks. Artistic license! Without the help of Suzanne Moore this would not be any good. She gave it class For this I give thanks. With her encouragement I will write more.