Knight of Passion
by BJ


Natalie bolted for the door of her apartment. She tripped over the cat.

"Sorry Sid..."

She had just opened the door leading into the hallway. To her suprise she
found Schanke standing there.

"Uh...Schank...I uh..."

Natalie felt a sudden chill and remembered what she was wearing
or...wasn't wearing...She quickly donned her coat.

"Nat...Am I uh, interrupting something?"

Schanke was searching the room behind her.

"Actually..."

"Ha! Okay, okay...Sorry Nat...I know when I'm not wanted...No
problem...I'm outta here like..."

His eyes were still searching the room.

Natalie was still flustered and pulled the coat around tightly around her.

"Did you have something you wanted to ask me Schank?"

"What?"

"You aren't usually awake at this hour either..."

"Oh, yeah right...Um. I have no idea of what...Oh yeah...Captain said
something about wanting to talk to you ASAP. She couldn't get through
though...the line was busy or something."

Schanke was peeping around Natalie's shoulder.

"I was talking on the phone."

"Oh."

"It was an old friend of mine."

"Uh huh."

"A really old...friend."

"Good conversation?"

"Really good and...informative."

"Informative."

"Pleasant."

"Pleasant?"

"Very."

"Very pleasant and informative huh?"

"Yep."

"Okay. Well...Just give the Cap a call soon...and I'll catch er, talk to
you later..."

"Okay Schank and thanks..."

"De nada..."

Schanke was still smiling on the way down the hallway.
Natalie shut the door and leaned against the frame. She blew out a
breath. Lousy timing Schanke. But, then again, Schanke thought that he
had interrupted something also...Natalie smiled at the thought.

"I only wish he HAD!"

She opened the door to the hallway again and peered around the edge.
Coast was clear.

She fumbled with the keys and locked the door only to find that she had
locked Sidney out in the hallway with her.

"Darn it!"

She opened the door and pushed Sydney inside.
Then she locked it again. And closed her coat in it.

"I am going to start screaming in a minute!"

Then, she smiled wickedly to herself...

"I certainly hope so..."


She finally made it down to the parking garage and got in her car. She
turned the key. It wouldn't start.

"No..."

She tried again.

Nothing.

"Arrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!!!"

She began to pound her fists on the steering wheel. She thought about
catching a cab...her purse was upstairs. She thought about walking...her
shoes were upstairs. She banged her head on the steering wheel. The
beeper in the pocket of her coat went off. She looked at the number...

It was Nick.

She yelled and pounded the dashboard.

She got out of the car and kicked the side of it.

She got back in the car and turned the key again.

The car started.

Natalie sighed.

She put the car in drive.

She got a ticket on her way over to the warehouse district.

The lift button wasn't working.

She kicked it.

The lift ascended to the second floor.

She flung open the sliding door.

Nick was coming down the stairs...

He was dressed to go to work.

"No way mister...you are not going ANYWHERE!!!"

**************************************
Hours Later

Nick was unbuttoning his shirt when Natalie burst into the loft.

"Nat, are you okay?"

"Okay?"

"Yeah...you don't usually make this sort of an entrance."

"Well, I've never had a morning quite like this or a phone conversation
quite like THAT either. Where do you think you're going?"

"Nowhere."

"Why are you dressed?"

"Because I haven't had a chance to undress.

"Oh...but I thought you were in bed wearing nothing but..."

"A smile?"

"Uh, huh."

"You called me just about the time that I got in the door. And I was
so...caught up in our discussion..."

"About that discussion..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry Nick..."

"Why? I enjoyed it."

"You did?"

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

"Well no, I just, I mean..."

"Nat, come over here and sit down. Can I take your coat?"

Natalie gasped.

"I-no, uh I..."

"Nat! You came all the way over here in that?"

"Well, by the time Schanke came by and thought..."

"Schank came by? What on earth for?"

"Captain sent him over with a message for me.He got a really silly grin
on his face when I answered the door.I think he thinks there was some
hanky panky going on at my place."

"Hanky panky huh? Think he went home to gossip to Myra?"

"Probably."

"Well...we wouldn't want to make ol' Donny out to be a liar now would we?"

"What?"

Natalie sat down on the edge of the couch.

Nick came over to sit beside her.

They sat there for a moment looking at the floor, the ceiling...their feet.

"Nat? Where are your shoes?"

"Long story."

"I've got a while..."

Nick gave her a sexy smile.

Nat gave Nick a wink.

"About that foot rub..."

"Oh, the foot rub..."

"Yeah, you know. It's the one that starts with the massage..."

"Like this?"

"Oh yes...and then..."

"The calves..."

"Yes..."

"I forgot the instep...a light kiss...right here."

"Yes..."

"And then...the calves..."

"Uh, huh..."

"Then...the thighs..."

Then...the phone rang...

Nick left the sofa and went to answer it...

"Yeah Schank...Natalie's here."

At the Schanke home...

Don gave Myra a thumbs up...

Nick sighed and placed the receiver in the cradle and went back to where
he was with Natalie...she wasn't there.

"Nat!?"

A voice called from upstairs...

"Ring, Ring!!!"

Nick picked up the phone, Nat was on the other one.

"Hello?"

"Hey big boy, why don't you come up and see me some time?"

"Depends..."

"On what?"

"On what you are wearing..."

"Why...just a smile of course..."

Nick slammed down the phone and raced upstairs...

The End