<Episode 47>
The day felt like it was taking forever to finish. Jack and Rachel tried not to let anything on while they were out working with the others. Finding a moment here and there to be alone was the only thing that made it bearable. Finally the day was over and they had the evening to themselves, just as long as Sparky, Arron or somebody didn’t walk in on them. Good thing Jack knew a pretty good spot when he wanted to be alone. Of course she knew where it was, but Rachel was the only one he didn’t mind knowing about it. They sat there looking up through the grating at the darkening sky. It was something hey done before but tonight was different. Rachel snuggled up against him instead of closing the jacket she had around her, “Most people wouldn’t think this is the perfect spot for a first date, but I love it,” she said.
“Are you kidding?”, he asked. “We’re underground looking at the through a street grate. All we need is some Barry White playing and a box of wine and this is my ideal date.”
Rachel smiled, “You are a very weird person.”
“You’re just now figuring this out,” he smiled back. Giving her a quick kiss he held her tighter,” I wish I could’ve done better for you though.”
“I got you right here and right now. That’s all I need,” she assured him. Biting her lip a bit she went, “Jack, how many times have you tried going past the just friends thing?”
“Let’s not go there.”
“Come on Jack tell me.”
“I might be a bit dense at times but even I know better than to talk about past relationships with the current girlfriend.”
“I just want to avoid some of the blunders you made before. I won’t think any different of you, I promise,” she actually crossed her heart.
Eventually Jack relented, “It happened twice. There was this one time in high school I started dating this girl I liked hanging around with named Amber. Things were cool until she became a tad possessive.”
“Define possessive.”
“Well if she ever found me talking to a another girl, even if it was somebody we both knew, she would get angry and start claiming I was going to cheat on her or she was trying to steal me away from her. I tried breaking up with her but it took three times before she got the hint.”
“I think I would have called her psycho.”
“I was trying to be nice,” he said. “Then I tried it again with a girl named Mattie. We got along great, we even liked a lot of the same thing that’s why we started dating.”
“What happened there?”
“It turned out we were too much alike and started to get on each other nerves. Things went to hell in a hand basket before either of us knew it. We didn’t talk to each other for a long time after that. We did start talking again and salvaged the friendship but it wasn’t the same.” Looking out the grating again he said, “She always said she’d sing at either my wedding or my funeral. I wonder if she did.”
“Now there’s a lovely thought,” she said.
“Why do you think I never asked Mom about it? Alright, your turn. Did you ever go beyond just friends?”
“Once,” she admitted. “A guy I knew named Greg. Fortunately we both realized we weren’t right for each other and broke it off.”
“And that’s why you’re the smart one,” he said. “I still wish I could take you someplace better than this.”
“We have to make do with what we have,” she told him. Getting up she faced him and pulled out an old walkman radio with some ear bud speakers out of her pocket. “Take this for example, I found it in a closest and it still works.” Grinning a bit she told him, “Maybe if you’re lucky we can work on the Barry White part of your ideal date.”
“Works for me,” he said standing up. Putting one of the buds in his ear she did the same while looking for a station. After a bit she found a slow song they could dance to. Putting his hands on her sides he raised an eyebrow when she took his hands and slid them down to her waist.
“You’re the boyfriend now, you can keep them around the Equator,” was all she said.
“I’m liking the perks so far,” he said, she smiled in response. After a couple of songs Jack went, “I have to know, when did you know how you felt about me?”
“Honestly I’m not sure,” she admitted. “Although when I was watching you float in that tank after Allen broke your arm I was starting to realize my feelings for you were starting to be a little more than professional. I convinced myself it was nothing more than friendship. Then Dusty made that sharing he bed comment. Somebody else was voicing how I feeling and I was never so freaked out in my life.”
“You too huh?”, he said.
“Your turn.”
“I’ll be honest, I thought you were hot when I first saw you. Then I got to know you a little better. I was finding I cared about you and wanted to find out more about you.”
“Is that why you hung around World Inc. all the time?”, she joked.
“Well it definitely wasn’t the party atmosphere,” he chuckled. “But what really pounded it home,” he reached up and traced the faint scar on her neck, “was when you got hurt. I was suddenly picturing my life without you in it and I couldn’t stand it the thought of it.”
“Well you’re stuck with me for the long haul,” she told him. “Or until you do something incredibly stupid. Whichever comes first.”
“Well I’m due for something incredibly stupid,” he joked. Rachel slapped him lightly on the back of the head. Resting her head on his shoulder Jack held her tight while they danced. Then there was a slight buzzing that he couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. Rachel reached into a pocket and pulled out a cell phone Melissa gave her. “Don’t answer it,” he pleaded with her, “don’t answer it, don’t answer it.” She flipped it open, “Oh my God she’s answering it.”
“It might be important,” she told him. “Hello? Yeah I know where Jack is.” She held up a finger to keep him quiet. “A meeting in ten minutes? We can be there, bye.”
“Oh that sounded real important,” he commented as she shut off the phone.
“You never know,” she told him. “Besides if it turns out to be a really boring meeting and if, IF you behave yourself I might find a way to make it up to you.” She smiled and walked past him. Jack glanced at her butt then at his hand. Almost as if she was reading his mind she spun around and pointed a finger at him, “Don’t you even think about it.”
“What?”
***
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