DRINKING GAMES
Summary: Lucy and Tara try to convince Sue to join them for a girls night that will include a drinking card game. Bobby over hears the plans and asks if the guys can join in. What will the outcome be? Read and see.
The red and orange glow of the sunset shown through the blinds, drawing an end to another day. Tara and Lucy were talking about getting together for a girls night out.
"Sue, want to go out w/us tonight? Have a girl's night out?" Lucy asked.
"Where are you going?" Sue asked.
"My place. We thought we could get some take out, a movie, some wine… Wanna come over?
"Sure… sounds like fun." The girls start talking amongst themselves. Bobby had overheard the conversation and nudged Jack.
"Hey Sparky, looks like the Sheila's are planning a night out on the town. What do ya say, want to join them?" He suggested.
"I don't recall being invited." Myles said as he walked between the two.
"When has that ever stopped us?" Bobby chuckled.
"Why not? I don't have any plans for the night that can't be changed." Jack said.
"What plans?" Bobby asked sarcastically.
"Well, I do have a standing date every Friday night." Jack said with a wink.
The boy's voices were starting to travel throughout the office, catching the attention of the girls.
"What date would that be, Jack? One with the remote control?" Sue teased.
"As a matter of fact… there's a good basketball game on tonight, and I have a cold beer in the fridge with my name on it." Jack offered defending himself. "What's wrong with that?" He asked.
"Nothing, nothing at all my lonely OLD friend" Myles joked.
"Uh… Old… I'll give you old!" Jack scoffed. As the team came together and started making plans for all of them to hang out. D walked into the office and quickly got an ear full. Soon, the guys had invited themselves to the get together at Tara's.
Lucy and Sue came in holding Chinese and a chocolate cheese cake. Tara held up some wine coolers, beer, and a couple chick flicks. They chatted about what movies they'd gotten, and the newest flavor drinks Tara'd bought. Sue got plates for the Chinese food, and started dishing it out. Levi stayed by her side, as a good hearing dog should, although Sue was pretty sure he was hoping she'd drop something! Suddenly, Levi pawed at Sue's arm, causing her to drop a chicken finger on the floor.
"Levi! NO! That's all you're getting tonight Boy." Sue scolded.
Lucy got her attention. "There's someone at the door." Lucy explained.
"Oh, sorry Levi." She said to her loyal pet. She looked toward the door. "Who is it?"
"Well, good evening Ladies!" Came Bobby's booming voice. "We've come bearing gifts, and alcohol" He said with a wink in Tara's direction.
"Hmmm, I don't recall inviting ANY of you guys!" Tara said.
"So true, yet, here we are." Myles said.
"So, what ARE you Ladies up to tonight?" D asked as he placed a couple pizzas on the counter.
"Chick flick, Chinese, and booze!" Lucy answered. Sue and Tara laughed.
"Well, it just so happens, WE have cards, pizza, and booze" Jack teased. "What do you say, we all share?" He smiled that trademark smile in Sue's direction.
"Huh? What do you think girls?" Tara asked.
"What kind of pizza?" Sue demanded.
"Pepperoni, meat lovers, veggie delight, and ham with pineapple." D answered.
"Well, girls? Should we, or should we toss them out on their behinds?" Lucy asked.
"Well, they are cute, and they did bring their own booze…" Sue OK'd it.
"Great! That settles it! Pass me a beer!" Bobby said, reaching over Tara to take a beer from Jack. He purposely leaned in just enough for her to be able to smell his cologne, and for their skin to brush, sending sparks throughout Tara's entire body.
"This could be BIG trouble for me tonight." Tara said, just under her breath. Sue happened to catch the comment, and smile.
"WAAAIIIITTTT a minute." D called out. "Keys, please." He reached his hand out to the middle of the pile of people standing in a circle.
"Thomas? You too." He wiggled his fingers toward her.
"I'm designated driver for our group." Sue said.
"Yet, you're holding a wine cooler?" D looked at her.
"Yes, the ONLY one I will have tonight. You can keep an eye on me, just in case. Better yet, here… I'll get them later." She said as she handed over her keys as well.
"Why do I feel like your dad on graduation night?" D asked.
After plowing through the Chinese food and pizza, the cards were brought out. Bobby wanted to play this new game he'd watched a couple friends play at the last party he was at.
"So, the object is, not to pull certain cards from the deck. The King is the worst, you have to drink the cup in the middle." He laughed. He continued to explain what each card meant and how to play. Sue watched where everyone sat, and then settled between Myles and D. As the cards were randomly pulled from the middle of the table, each had to tell a truth of themselves, or drink their drink, or their neighbors, or kiss someone. When the jokers were pulled, that person, and two others (the person who's turn it is chooses) pour some of their drink into a big glass in the middle of the table. After a full hour, Tara had confessed that she thought Bobby was hot, and Lucy had kissed Myles. D was allowed to skip the kissing parts because he was married, and he and Sue skipped out on the drinking. Everyone else in the group was drunk and silly. D's watched beeped that it was 1, his time to go.
"Oh, come on Cinderella… is your ride turning back into a pumpkin as we speak?" Myles said sarcastically.
"Cute Myles. Just for that, I'm NOT going to tell you how to keep from getting a hangover tomorrow." D joked.
"I'll get everyone's jackets" Tara slurred. "Here ya go… I don't think the fur collar one is really yours though Myles…"
"Ah, great catch! I bet this is someone else's. OH, I know! It's one of the girls coats!" Myles offered.
"Boy, do I wish I had my camera!" D commented. "OK, so I'll drop Myles and Lucy off. Bobby, Jack, are you coming?" Bobby shook his head no. "I think I'll crash on the couch, right here."
"Hmmm, just be careful about THAT decision! Sue, what about you? Are you OK to drive?" He asked. He knew she was not drunk, but he was worried more about her being tired.
"I'm OK. I've got a coffee for the road. I'll take Jack home, you take the love birds. I don't think I could handle them!" Sue said, rolling her eyes as she looked back at her best friend and Myles as they were locked in a passionate kiss.
"HA!" Jack said, a bit too loud. "I can drive myself Sue, don't go out of your way." Jack argued.
"You're drunk my friend. You're NOT driving, so don't mention it again." Sue said. "Give me any trouble, I've got muscle over there" As she pointed to D.
"Wouldn't think of it. I'll take a cab then." He offered. He was being sincere, even if he did want her to take him home.
"Come on Sparky, let's go." Sue insisted. "You two behave yourselves tonight!" She scolded Bobby and Tara. Tara only smiled, almost as if she was up to something. "Ditto, my friend…" Tara said with a smile. Sue thought twice about leaving, but realized they were big kids, and could take care of themselves. Jack was able to walk down the stairs, even if he was a bit wobbly. He staggered slightly, walking over to the passenger side of Sue's car, and got in. She helped him with the seat belt. Once they arrived at Jack's house, and got inside, Sue started to make some coffee.
"Trying to sober me up?" He asked, smiling that trade mark smirk at her.
"No, the coffee is for me. Coffee only makes for a wide awake drunk, it doesn't make you 'undrunk'." She explained from the kitchen as he took his shoes off and sat down on the couch. "You, my friend, get this:" she handed him a piece of dry toast, 3 extra strength aspirin, a bottle of water and some Gatorade. Take the aspirin with the water, and relax. Eat your toast. Then drink the Gatorade, slowly." She said to him the way a mother would tell a child.
"What's this going to do for me?" He retorted, seeming not to want to do as he was told.
"The toast will absorb some of the alcohol. The aspirin will keep your head from hurting too much, and the Gatorade will replenish the fluids you lost by drinking so much in the first place." Sue explained.
"Oh. And, you know this how? Jack asked, winking at her, expecting some answer like she'd read it in a woman's magazine or something.
"You learn very quickly in college how to keep the hangovers at bay, especially when you have exams the next day." She answered smartly, and twisted herself around to go back into the kitchen.
"Uh…Hu…Oh, really?" Jack was shocked. Had he heard her correctly? Did the ever so perfect Sue Thomas actually just admit to drinking in college? Sue returned to the living room with her coffee and sat on the couch beside him.
"I actually made enough money selling this concoction that I paid for my books my senior year in college!" She admitted.
"You actually got drunk in college… when you were underage?" Jack questioned.
"It's not something that I look back on and am proud of, but yes, I did the same stupid things you did when YOU were in college." Sue answered.
"Oh my goodness! I don't believe it!" Jack said, mocking shock. "So, tell me, how did you manage to NOT have to kiss anyone except me tonight, and how did you not have to drink from the big cup OR do a shot?" Jack interrogated.
"I was the designated driver, I couldn't drink." Sue explained lamely.
""I know you wouldn't have because you were driving tonight, but you didn't HAVE TO. And, what about the kissing? Tara and Lucy both had to kiss Myles and Bobby, and even D." He continued with his digging.
"Just lucky, I guess." Sue offered. "Now, eat your toast." Sue was hoping he'd just let it go, but he wasn't going to, not this time. He had latched onto that tidbit of information and was hell bent on getting the answers that he wanted.
"OK, Thomas, give it up… that wasn't just luck. And if it was, you should be out buying lottery tickets." Jack pushed.
"Jack, how do you think I learned this remedy?" Sue began. Jack just shrugged his shoulders. "I played this game in college, a LOT." She winked in his direction, blushing slightly. "I learned where to sit, and how to set the cards so they do what I wanted them to do, not just something random." She explained with a chuckle.
"Ohhhhh… nice. You suckered us into your little scheme. I see how you are." Jack teased. He was about to continue when he realized, if she knew how to play, and where to sit, and how to set the cards, then only SHE kissing him was her plan all along! A light shade of pink graced his cheeks at his last thought. He smiled, biting the inside of his lip, trying to hide the smile.
"Suddenly quiet Jack?" Sue teased, trying to keep him talking.
"Sorry, drifting…"He started.
"I'll go then, let you get your rest." Sue started to get up. Jack put his hand on her forearm to stop her.
"Don't go. I didn't say I was getting ready to drift to sleep… just lost in thought, that's all. Stay, hang out for a while." He suddenly felt desperate to keep her there, with him.
She sat back down, but Jack didn't move his hand off her arm. He brushed it toward her hand, softly, slowly. The movement gave her goose bumps, sending a shiver up her arm. He entwined his fingers in hers, gently caressing her hand with his thumb. It was subtle and romantic. Sue could feel something stir deep in her soul. She slowly closed her eyes, trying to make the feeling dissipate, to no avail.
"So, I noticed that I only got to kiss you tonight… what luck is that anyway?" he baited. Sue blushed, knowing Jack had figured that part of the scenario out. "So, how was it?" He asked.
Sue blushed deeply. She liked playing this game with Jack, this flirting game they played so often lately. The ball was in her court now, and she knew it. Did she continue and chance something happening? With the amount of alcohol he'd consumed, would anything that DID happen really mean anything? Or, should she do the safe thing, the thing she'd done so often in the past, and just pat him on the head and say goodnight?
"I think the alcohol hindered your performance." She said straight forward, pretending to be serious. Jack took a swig of his grape Gatorade.
"Hmmm, think so, huh?" Jack teased back. He began to lean in toward her. Just as their lips were about to touch, he turned and left a peck on her cheek.
"Now, THAT was something special" Sue joked, while her cheeks became tinted in a dark shade of pink. Jack faked hurt. Suddenly, there was an awkwardness between them. Jack took Sue's hand in his, and gave it a squeeze before he trailed his fingers up her arm to her jaw line. He brushed a stray hair from her face, and followed her jaw line to her chin with the inside of his thumb. He turned his hand backwards, and brushed it down her cheek to her neck. His moves were now slow but deliberate. Jack closed the space between them, making sure to take his time so he wouldn't scare her off.
Sue licked her lips, trying to keep them from feeling so parched. As the space between them disappeared, Sue's heart began to beat so hard she thought it would pound out of her chest. When Jack's lips finally found their target and descended on hers, she let out a breath. Her hands were sweaty and shaking as they reached for Jack's face. She wanted to stop him before it got out of control, before she couldn't remember her own name, before she couldn't say no, and would give into what her body so desperately wanted, needed. Jack's supple lips lightly grazed Sue's. He played lightly, wanting to give her the chance to back away. She didn't. Instead, Sue leaned into his embrace, kissing him fully. He nipped at her bottom lip, and continued his onslaught of passion and deepened the kiss. Sue's hand found the back of his neck, and pulled him nearer to her. Jack ran his tongue along her lips, requesting entrance. She was nervous and hesitant, but granted permission. Their tongues danced in unison with one another as if they'd done it for years. Sue gasped from the passion she felt radiating from within herself. Jack slowly pushed them back onto the couch, until he was lying on top of her. Both desperate for air, Jack broke the kiss, but didn't let up on his quest. He began to place soft, passionate caresses along her jaw line to her neck. "J- Ja- Jack…" she stuttered. His mouth followed her neck up to her ears. He lightly sucked on her lobe, and continued to caresses to the front of her neck, to the other side. He moved his mouth back up to hers, taking in her perfume as he moved closer to her lips again. As Jack's mouth descended upon hers again, his hands began to move down the outside of her leg. He started at the top of her thigh and moved down to just past her knee, and back up again. His hands were strong and confident. They seemed to know just want to do with no effort on Jack's part. Sue's fingers combed through Jack's silky hair. He moaned into a kiss, feeling himself giving away any self control he might have had when the kiss first started. Sue was exploring Jack's sculpted body too. Her hands had found their way into his shirt. How it became untucked was either's guess. He gasped as she raked her nails through his chest hair, and tucked her hands around his waist. He relieved her of his onslaught of her lips only to continue it to her neck again, and the top of her chest. His face was disappearing into her cleavage, but her passion was beyond control. She wanted him. She needed him. She knew he WAS THE one. The only question still burning in the back of her head was the alcohol. Was IT what was allowing him to shed his inhibitions? She didn't know. She didn't know if she wanted to know. What if he really wouldn't remember the most important night, event of her life so far? Her doubts had distracted her from him, from his attack of lustful actions. She turned her attention back to him. She could feel his fingers trailing from her chest, across her stomach and up her arm to her face. He was caught up in the passion as she was. His lips left hers again, following the same path they had before. He caressed her across her jaw line, down her neck to the top of her chest, stopping to open the shirt a bit to expose her collarbone. He began to kiss her there. What seemed to her as out of nowhere, she could feel his hand lightly brush her left breast. He brought his lips back to hers, and lightly squeezed the breast. Suddenly Sue's whole dream world came crashing in. The reality of what was happening, what she was letting happen, slapped her. She pulled away from Jack's attack of her lips and senses, pushing him away.
"Jack… Jack, we have to stop. We can't do this." Sue seemed desperate to stop his advances.
As soon as Jack heard Sue gasp out the word 'stop', he did. He pushed himself off her to a sitting position. Their lips both swollen from kissing. Their faces both a deep crimson color from the situation they allowed to get out of control. Jack chastised himself for not controlling his feelings. He had only meant it to be a kiss. One. Sue quickly got off the couch, and headed for the door. Jack got up, and headed to her. He closed the door before she could get through it. He reached for her hand, taking it in his, lightly.
"Jack, I need to go home now. Please." Sue pleaded.
"Sorry" Jack signed.
That hurt. Why was he saying sorry? At that, Sue knew she needed to leave before she let the tears that were building up spill over. "Good night Jack." She said as she took her hand from his, and walked down the stairs to the cold night air.
Jack just stood there in the window, watching as she got into her car. She looked up just before getting into the car. He could see she was crying. He felt horrible, and guilty. How could he let things get so out of hand? He was enjoying her kisses, her attention, but never meant to hurt her. He had to talk to her.
"I'll just go over there and explain, and apologize." He said out loud, to himself. He grabbed his coat and took a step toward the door. "I can't do that… way too much to drink. Damn it!" Jack was upset with himself for the entire evening. He decided to text her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't mean for things to go as far as they did. I'm sorry if I insulted you, embarrassed you. Call me. I'm sorry." He wrote and hit send. He closed his phone but took it with him to bed, just in case she could find it in herself to forgive him.
The stinging rays of the morning shown thru the window in Jack's bedroom. His eyes squinted even in his sleep. That was sleep that wouldn't last much longer. He rolled over, slowly opening his eyes. He reached for the Gatorade sitting on his end table. He sipped a little while swallowing a couple aspirin from a bottle next to the Gatorade. 'Wait, how did that get there?' Jack thought. He didn't remember putting it there. As his bare feet touched the cold wooden floor of his bedroom, he realized his head wasn't swirling or pounding. He didn't really have a hangover. He staggered into the shower. As he pulled his shirt over his head, he could smell Sue's perfume. He brought the shirt to his nose, and took a deep breath. That one sniff set off an avalanche of memories of the night before. He stepped into the steaming shower, letting the water wash over his chiseled body. The memories flooded back from the night before. He remembered drinking too much, and taking advantage of Sue. He remembered the sweet taste of her lips on his. He quickly finished his shower, so he could check messages. Jack had barely dried off when he reached for the phone. There were no messages on the house phone and none on the cell either. "Good going Hudson. You really screwed this up." Jack scolded himself. He decided he was going to visit Sue, talk to her face to face. After a short drive, and a quick stop, he was at Sue's with coffee for her and Lucy and sticky buns, the best in town. He knocked on the door, no answer. He knocked again, and he could hear scuffing feet approaching the door.
"Uhhh… who is it?" A faint voice asked from behind the locked door.
"Jack." He simply answered. The door slowly opened. He stepped inside with his bag of goodies. "Luc, you ok?"
"Yeah, pounding head." She answered as she walked back toward her room. "Sue's not home, but should be back soon. She took Levi out for a walk about an hour ago. Make yourself comfy. I'm going back to bed, if you'll excuse me." Lucy excused herself and collapsed back on the bed. Jack got up, took her coffee into the kitchen, and started to rummage thru the fridge and cupboards. He found some aspirin and a sports drink. He brought them into Lucy. After making sure she took them, he tucked her back in and went into the living room to wait for Sue. Just as he reached for the remote, the door opened, and Levi bolted toward him.
"No Levi!" Sue scolded. She didn't see Jack. "Oh, Jack! You scared me."
"Sorry. I came by with some breakfast. Lucy is sleeping again… guess she didn't have such a good nurse maid as I did. Her head is slamming." Jack said coyly, trying to see where Sue was with her attitude toward him.
Sue took her coat off, and unhooked Levi's leash. Once she was settled, she sat on the couch, leaving a lot of room between her and Jack. Jack cautiously offered her sticky buns and coffee. She took the coffee, opened it , and took a sip. She smiled at him, but awkwardness soon took over.
"Su-" Jack started.
"Ja-" Sue also started.
"Sorry, you go first." Jack offered.
"Uh, I'm glad to see you're doing well this morning. No hang over?" Sue said, hoping to wipe away the oddness between them.
"Yeah, not much of a headache, thanks to you. Thank you." Jack said with a smile. The quiet began to take over again.
"Sue… about last night…" Jack began.
"Ah, I see the alcohol didn't wash away the memory any?" Sue hoped.
"No, not really." He answered. Sues eyes lowered as she looked away from him with embarrassment. Jack slowly lifted her chin so her eyes would meet his. "We need to talk about what happened." He suggested.
"I know… I'm not sure what to say. I'm…" She started, her cheeks beginning to taint pink.
"Sue… I'm sorry. I didn't mean for things to get out of hand." Jack started. "It was meant to be a kiss… one. I'm embarrassed that I let it go so far. It's just, once our lips met, it was all over for me…" Jack began his explanation.
"You weren't exactly the only one laying on that couch." Sue said, putting her head down. "I'm just as much to blame for last night as you are. Maybe more so." She said.
"How do you figure that?" Jack asked.
"I wasn't drunk." Sue said, looking guilty.
They both chuckled.
"I think maybe we need to admit we're attracted to each other, and maybe our feelings go deeper than we've admitted…(there was a long pause) until now." Jack suggested. He reached for her hands, putting her coffee on the table. He leaned in, again closing the space between them. He lightly kissed her lips. Sue didn't act at first. He pressed his lips again to hers. She instantly responded, countering his every move with her own. After one passionate kiss, Sue backed away.
"We can't do this Jack. This can't happen." She said, her voice cracking.
"Sue…" Jack felt horrible that he again put her at unease with his actions.
"Jack, the rules. We've already crossed more lines that are acceptable to cross." Sue offered.
"You're right, but, for just this conversation… there are no rules that we're breaking. Where would that leave us?" Jack asked. Sue looked him in the eye. She could see the love he had for her. She could see a glimmer of hope he held deep in his heart of a future for the two of them.
"We still can't do this… I can't trust myself around you. That was painfully obvious last night. I should have stopped that LONG before it got to where it did." Sue explained. She finally looked Jack in the eye. Her fingers lightly stroked the top of his hand. "Jack, I'm attracted to you, and I care for you more than just a friend should." Her face turned bright red at that admission. "If things were different, they might be different." She said.
"Why do I feel like we're breaking up, when we never dated?" Jack asked. "Sue, I can't help how I feel. God knows I've tried." He took a breath, letting it out slowly. "Sue, I care about you, as you said, more than just friendship. I want to have the chance to at least TRY to have a relationship. I want… I want…" Jack stumbled.
"You want what Jack?" Sue pushed.
Jack looked at her, a nervous breath escaped from his lips. "You. I want you." He finally answered. Sue's eyes widened with his admission. "I want you, Sue, every part of you. I want to hold you when you cry, celebrate with you when you're happy. I want to make love with you. I want you in my life, as my friend, and lover. I want a future with you. I want to try." He answered.
"J-Jack." Sue began. Her eyes filled with tears. She raised her hand to his face, softly caressing it with her fingers. "I don't know what to say." Her tears began to fall freely, moistening her cheeks.
Jack wiped away the tears as they flowed like a waterfall down her face. "Just say yes." He whispered. Sue looked at him, confused. "Say you're willing to try." Jack urged.
"Neither of us can say that Jack. The rules prohibit it. Neither of us can afford to lose our jobs, no matter how much we want to change things." Sue explained.
"We can work it out. We can figure something out." Jack seemed almost desperate.
"So, you want to start dating, but don't tell anyone? You don't think that our friends are going to notice? What happens when the higher ups DO find out, we'll both get fired." Sue said.
"At least we'll be together." Jack said with a smile. "Maybe things will change, or we can get them changed. I can look into things, maybe a reassignment. I just don't want to let this chance get away.
"I have just one request…" Sue began. "I don't want to let this chance get away either."
"But?" Jack interrupted.
"But… we need to slow this down. I'm not sure I'm ready for what was about to happen last night." Sue started. "I don't know if I'll ever be ready for it… under those circumstances."
"Which circumstances?" Jack innocently asked, although he thought he knew the answer.
"Getting caught up in the passion of a kiss, and embrace. The ones that lead to making love on your couch. That's not how I pictured my first time…" She started, closing her eyes at what she'd just admitted to. "...our first time." She quickly added hoping he hadn't caught that.
"Well, I promise, when we finally do make love, it won't be on any couch. It will be the most memorable, passion filled, exciting night of your life." He started. "And, it will be when you're ready." He smiled, and flashed his trademark smile at her. Seeing him speak those words made her heart soar. Her tears began to fall again. He wiped them away with his thumb, and pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing the top of her head. He pulled away so she could see his lips. "I love you Sue Thomas, and I don't EVER want to do anything to jeopardize that."
"Did I read you right?" Sue whispered thru tears. Jack signed ' I love you'. Sue in turn, signed ' I love you' back toward Jack. She leaned in and kissed him. She smiled as their lips touched. The kiss turned passionate as Sue put her hand behind his head, running her fingers through his hair.
"Well, it's about time. I thought I would grow old and grey before you two got together." Lucy said as she walked out of her room. Jack began to smile as soon as he heard Lucy's voice. He'd forgotten she was home. He broke the kiss from Sue, mouthing 'Lucy' when he got far enough from her lips. Sue's face lit up a bright red, as she peaked from behind Jack.
"Oh, no!" Lucy protested. "You're not stopping because of me." Lucy walked to the counter, grabbed her coffee and sticky bun, and went back toward her room. "Continue where you left off… I believe lips were in full contact." Softly her door closed. Jack and Sue looked at each other, smiling, slightly embarrassed after being caught making out.
"Wanna take Levi for a walk in the park across the street?" Jack suggested.
"Yeah, that might be a good idea… it's getting a little warm in here." Sue said with a wink.
Levi put his paw of approval on the whole idea, and off the family went.