Clarissa and Nikki were chuckling quietly to each when the men arrived that morning. Thomas just ignored them – it didn't bother him, but Jack didn't like being excluded from 'office jokes' and it irritated him immensely. He spent many occasions over the course of the day trying to extract information, but neither of the women were giving anything away – though they did throw him a red herring...
Nikki came into the lab and winked at Clarissa. "I need a bit of eye candy!" She commented. "Please tell me you kept those photos?"
Jack looked up with interest. Photos?
"The ones of Jack? What the topless ones?"
Jack nearly choked on his coffee. Eye Candy? Topless photos – of him? What? - Or more to the point...when?!
"Mm-hm" Nikki nodded. "I want to look at them...again..."
"There on here somewhere. I saved them in a folder called 'Sexy hunks'."
Jack nearly choked on his drink again.
Nikki looked up at him and giggled. "Easy, tiger!" She glanced back at Clarissa. "Shush! You'll give him an inflated ego!"
"You're the one who called him 'eye candy'!" She chuckled back.
Thomas came into the lab, having been stood by his office door for a while, listening. "Sorry – 'Sexy Hunk(s)'?! How many have you two got on there?!"
"Just Jack!" Nikki answered brightly.
"I might have put a few of Max on there..." Clarissa added, vaguely.
"Clarissa!" The younger woman complained.
"Well, he is my husband!" Clarissa retorted.
Nikki sighed, dramatically. "Fine. I guess I'll let you off – as long as you keep the ones of Jack on there!"
Thomas cleared his throat loudly. "Urm, I'm not sure that this is work-related, ladies..."
"Oh shush, Thomas!" Clarissa chuckled, "This is our lunch hour and we all need a bit of enjoyment out of life sometimes..." She turned back to Nikki, opening her drawer. "I've got chocolate and popcorn, so – salty or sweet?"
Jack nearly choked on his coffee for a third time and the three of them looked at him.
"Sip it, Jack! That's the third time you've nearly choked on it!" Nikki exclaimed – as though she had no idea why it kept happening. She looked at Clarissa. "Salty. I'm sweet enough already!" She took the popcorn and sauntered past Jack to the brand new microwave that now stood next to the kettle. Having started the machine, she turned to see Jack staring open-mouthed at her, his mug leaning dangerously in his unguarded hand. "What?" She commented lightly as the microwave buzzed and whirred behind her.
"Argh! Shit!" Jack leapt out of his chair and yelled in response to the coffee that sloshed into his lap. It was a knee-jerk reaction – the coffee wasn't really hot any more.
"Oh Jack – be careful!" Clarissa scolded him as Nikki walked back into the lab with the popcorn. "Shall we look at them in 'HD' again?"
"HD?!" Jack suddenly found his voice.
"High Definition." Clarissa explained – though it was pretty clear from his face that Jack knew what it meant and had actually been protesting against their activities – which seemed to be growing in ridicule by the minute.
After that, Nikki and Clarissa spent the rest of their lunch hour munching on popcorn and apparently pouring over the photos – much to Jack's annoyance, though in reality they were actually watching a DVD with no sound.
"Hungry, Jack?" Nikki called over to him at one point. "Want some popcorn?" She smiled at him, playfully.
"No thanks." He muttered, standing up and leaving the room. No matter how annoyed he was with the situation, he couldn't be angry with Nikki, when she smiled at him like that.
"Oh, Jack! Come! Join us!" Clarissa exclaimed – somewhat over-enthusiastically, when he returned.
"No thank you!" He snapped at her sharply. "I don't wish to sit gazing at pictures of myself! - or pictures of Max for that matter!" He slumped into his desk chair, looking glum and fed up.
Nikki giggled slightly – but she knew when it was time to stop. She didn't want the harmless banter to turn into something else. She didn't want him to be upset. She walked over to him, stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Cheer up, sweetheart. We're only teasing you. We were watching a DVD."
"Really?"
"Mm-hm" She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Ok?"
Jack rubbed her arms and gave her hand a squeeze. He nodded. Nikki always knew how to make him feel better. She leaned down and whispered in his ear so that Clarissa couldn't hear her.
"Good luck for your fight later, darling."
That evening, Jack went off to his fight more or less happy – although he was aware that he still hadn't got to the bottom of whatever was going on at work, the words from his lucky charm were spurring him on.
The next morning...
Jack came into work with the familiar cut by his eye – that weak spot.
"Morning!" Nikki said brightly.
"Morning" he replied.
"So..." Clarissa commented, coming over to them, "How did your fight go then?"
"Well, I lost the first round..." He started as Thomas leaned against the door frame of his office, folding his arms across his chest.
Clarissa smirked and held out her hand. Nikki rolled her eyes and sighed, before getting out her wallet and handing the older woman a tenner. Jack and Thomas stared at the two women, open-mouthed.
Eventually, Jack found his voice again and continued. "...but then I won the other rounds, so I won the whole fight."
Now it was Clarissa's turn to sigh. Nikki smiled at Jack delightedly, as the older woman grudgingly handed back the tenner. "That's my man!" Nikki giggled, replacing the money in her wallet. "I knew you wouldn't let me down, Jack!"
"W...what?" he stammered.
Thomas cleared his throat and chuckled. "Let me get this straight. You two had a bet on Jack's fight?"
Nikki nodded "Mm-hm. I backed the right horse. I knew he'd win!"
Jack grinned broadly at her.
"What? You think women can't make secret bets?!" Clarissa retorted indignantly to Thomas's look of amusement.
Thomas sighed. "You, - a total stranger would know you're 'secretly betting' Clarissa! Nikki? You look at her and think 'Butter wouldn't melt'!"
"Ooh, Clarissa!" Nikki and Jack sniggered. "Need to work on your poker face!"
"I had my lucky charm" Jack whispered in Nikki's ear, handing her a cup of tea. Nikki smirked as he added. "hm-mm, 'Butter wouldn't melt', indeed! - but I know better!"