"When was the last time you just did something for the fun of it?"
"What's fun?" Jack asked sarcastically. Sue put her hands on her hips and stared at him sternly. He grinned up. "The last thing I did for fun was go out for dinner with an old friend. He's moving to California, so…"
"So you felt obligated to have one last meal with them. I can see how that was fun." He looked up at her quietly with a contemplative look on his face, but she just grinned back. "Please, Jack? I don't want to get stuck sitting next to some strange guy on every single one."
"Fine. Fine. Alright, I'll go with you. What time are you going there for?" he asked quietly.
"So!" Lucy chirped happily, as she walked into the office. "Sue managed to talk you into going to the carnival with her. That's great. You two will have a blast."
"Why couldn't you two go together?" he asked Lucy, but she just waved him off, telling him to ask Sue while she packed to leave.
"Um, Lucy is going out of town this weekend. An ex-boyfriend ran off with an ex-best-friend." Jack ouched in sympathy while Sue nodded silently. "Anyway, this ex-best-friend invited her to the wedding. It's a pride thing. A girl can't not go to her ex-boyfriend's wedding on matter of principal. He would get the proverbial 'last word'."
"I see," he said softly. "That ever happen to you?" he asked softly. She smiled a little forlornly.
"I haven't had enough boyfriends and best-friends for that to happen to me."
"You're kidding. A heart-breaker like you must have a long line of disastrous relationships to show for it."
"Jack, seriously," she said softly as words evaded her. "Anyway, that's why we can't go together. Besides, she's still trying to find someone who'll go to the wedding with her."
"Well, has she asked Bobby or Myles?" he suggested. "Lucy!" he called after Sue shrugged. "Did you ask Bobby or Myles to go with you?"
"No, actually. Thanks."
With amused smiles, they watched Lucy practically sprint from the office and they chuckled softly. She looked back at him and he nodded in agreement, chuckling even more as she giggled like a schoolgirl.
"So, what time do you want to be there for?"
"Well," she mumbled, calculating roughly in her head and aloud. "Opens at noon… time for lunch… not first thing…" she rambled until she noticed Jack watching her. "I was thinking out loud, wasn't I?" He nodded silently, making her cheeks take on a light pinkish hue, but she recovered quickly. "Sorry. Well, I guess around one o'clock. The sun will be out by then and the all the rides will be up and running. Do you mind terribly?" she asked again, realization finally dawning on her that she hadn't actually given him a chance to say if he had other plans or not. "Oh, no! You do have other plans!"
"Sue…"
"I'm so sorry. Never mind it…"
"Sue."
"No, it's okay. It's not a big–"
"Sue!"
"Sorry…" she whispered.
"Sue, I would be happy to go with you to the carnival. I don't do this kind of thing often and the last time I went to an amusement park, I still had acne, but I'll go with you. However, I do need to know where this thing is going down and when you want to get there so I can pick you up."
"You don't need to pick me up."
"Technically, I do. You can't bring Levi and let him sit there all day. Plus, I'd rather you didn't drive without Levi with you. Besides, what's the point of two cars when I can easily pick you up and we can go together?" He smiled. "So, where is it?"
"The big field at the southern city limits?"
"Right, I know the place. I guess, uh… jeans and a t-shirt for this."
"Yeah," she said softly. "I'm gonna wear jeans and a sleeveless top. Probably, we should bring sweaters for the evening. It can get kind of cold on the rides. You know; the speed they go at?"
"Got it. So… I'll pick you up at twelve-thirty? Ten to fifteen minutes to get there. Maybe we could take a few minutes and stop for lunch," he suggested lightly. Sue smiled at him.
"If you want to stop for lunch, we'll do that before we take the drive. If it's actually been as long as you say since you last went on a ride, you definitely don't want to eat before we start at the carnival."
"Right. Very good point. Okay, I'll see you tomorrow at half past noon."
"Okay. Well, it's six o'clock. I guess I'll be going. Bye, Jack," she said softly as she shut down her computer.
"G'night, Sue."
Sue bustled around her apartment for nearly an hour, putting things away and straightening out any disarray she could find, positive that once they came home, he'd come up for a cup of coffee. She fussed over the same little thing three times and finally, at twelve thirty-five, Levi bounded towards her and ran over to the door. With a deep sigh, she buzzed Jack in.
"Hi, Ja…" Her voice died in her throat when she saw him standing there, looking great in snug stone wash jeans and a burgundy short sleeve polo. Little did she know that Jack was barely more capable of speech at the moment. Her flared jeans and pink sleeveless polo-style top hugged her curves like none of her formal suits ever could. After a few seconds, they both regained their senses almost simultaneously.
"Hey, Sue. You ready? Filled Levi's bowl, left a newspaper down or something."
"Mm-hmm," she mumbled softly then turned to call Levi. "Levi, come here, boy. Listen. Your food is over there, and if you need to go, there's a newspaper over there. Are you going to be a good boy for me while I'm gone?" He barked once and smiled at her before she kissed his head and scratched behind his ear. When she moved away, Jack leaned in.
"Don't worry, sir," he said, making sure Sue could see him. "I'll have her home before midnight." Levi barked once and Sue smiled gently at Jack's antics. With a soft chuckle, they both left and locked the door behind them before getting to the car.
Instead of going straight to the car, they walked for a block and decided to eat at a small pizza place around the corner. They chatted back and forth, half in sign, half in spoken words and laughed between themselves as she tried to teach him to read lips. When they walked out, their heads were thrown back in laughter and his arm was around her shoulders. Barely two minutes later, they were at the car and Sue had to bit back the whimper in her throat at the loss of heat provided by Jack's arm.
"Jack," she asked softly, a sudden curiosity having attached itself to her, "what made you decide to come with me today?"
"You," he replied simply. Sue's eyes snapped to face him and he cast her a crooked sideways grin. "You're a very persuasive person when you want to be. I saw what it meant to you and, I have to admit, it did sound like a good time."
"Well, in case I forget after, thank you for a great day," she murmured. He chuckled for a second and threw her another glance.
"The day hasn't even started yet, Sue. How do you know it will be great?"
"Because y–" she started, but thought beter of it. "Because I just know. I have a good feeling about today." She put on a wide smile and looked out her window at the passing buildings when, finally, a ferris wheel poked out from between structures. "We're almost there," she chirped giddily. "It's just past these buildings."
As they turned off the main highway and onto a small road, they saw the rides emerge like giants in a fairy tail. She couldn't help the energy that seemed to radiate from her as they pulled the car into an empty parking space and got out, heading towards the amusements. The woman behind the ticket booth was dull and quiet, opening her mouth only to spew out the price list. She looked sickened by Sue's uncontainable joy, but Sue wouldn't let the carnie get her down. She slid her hand into the booth and let the woman secure the bracelet around her wrist and waited for her to secure one on Jack's, which took a little longer than she liked since the woman took the time to smile up at him and tickle his palm.
"Is there a particular ride you'd like to go on first?" he asked watching her eyes glitter like diamonds. At a glance, you could count nearly twenty rides, some for kids, and Sue's eyes couldn't move fast enough between them, smiling in evey direction like a big kid. He chuckled and tapped her shoulder to get her attention. "Which one first?"
"Do you see one you'd like particularly?" she asked back.
"No," he said softly, rolling his eyes after a moment, "but I do see one I'm not too sure about." He pointed out ahead of them and she turned to stare at 'The Tunnel of Love'. She turned back to him. "Looks corny." She laughed.
"It's like a flat roller coaster. You just move through this tunnel of flowers and cupids and fountains with, what I'm told, is really bad music. It's supposed to be romantic, but I can't imagine how since you're ready to be sick."
He laughed and pulled her towards the closest ride, looking up at the row of seats hanging from an arm and swinging like a pendulam before gaining momentum and completing full turns as it started up with the current passengers.
"The '1001 Nights' is nothing. On the 'Invertor', the whole row of benches turn while the arm swings."
"I couldn't be happier that it's not here."
The ride didn't last terribly long and everyone got off to make way for the next batch of thrill-seekers. Soon they got off, Jack's legs a little wobbly from when Sue had encouraged him to let his feet dangle — especially since they were in the front seats — as they plummeted to Earth. A shaky smile had plastered itself to his face now and he stared up at the steel monstrosities, trying to brace himself for the one she would pull him into next.
"Let's keep low this time," she said as she led him to the 'Scrambler', a ride that looked like a three-armed eggbeater that had three cars on each. He watched as it spun faster and faster and he wasn't too sure at first, but he smiled down at her, just the same. When the ride came to a stop, he watched people get out, looking dizzy and stumbling sideways at times. The gate opened and the operator let in a dozen couples, including them. Jack was about to climb in when the operater came over and pointed to the sign on the safety harness. 'Smaller person on the inside.' He apologized and stood back to let Sue on, then finally climbed in beside her and pulled the bar closed. The seat wasn't tight, but Sue felt a need to squish herself into her corner of the ride.
Slowly, the ride started and Jack looked off to his side quietly as they began to spin, but after a few seconds, he watched Sue struggled to stay on her side until the centrifugal force of the ride sent her into Jack's arms, making them both giggle lightly. The cars felt like they would detach from the ride and fly outwards, but they always swung back around, almost inducing whiplash.
"That one was great," he said as she stepped catiously onto the small step and squeaked in surprise as Jack took her by the waist and lifted her easily to safety. She thanked him before they half ran to the emtpy line of the about to start 'Rock 'n' Roll' which flung you out sideways due to speed and physics. They climbed into the last car and pulled the harness down over themselves, anxious to get the ride going. Biting their lips, they felt the ride being to spin and the more it spun, the higher the cars went until the center of the circle of seats began to rise on an angle that set the cars into a wave-like motion.
When they climbed out of the car, they held onto each other as they legs wobbled beneath them. They laughed and decided to take several moments to sit on a bench and relax. Jack looked down at his watch, then back up at Sue in surprise. He showed her the face of the leather band timex on his wrist.
"Have we really been here for an hour and a half already?" she asked aloud. Silently, they both went over the rides they'd conquered and added in the wait time before nodded together in a mild state of disbelief. Without another moment's thought, they took off running through the park and spotted the massive 'Pirate Ship' ride. Sue smiled and pulled a reluctant Jack along as she headed towards the ride.
The short cue worried him, especially since he'd yet to see the thing in motion and, once they were on the loading platform, he knew it was a bad idea. Sue grinned wickedly, pulled him to the last seats at the very stern of the boat, and tugged him down next to her, locking the safety arm down and holding his hand tightly as the boat began to swing back and forth. With a sickening groan, he suddenly realized why she had chosen the last seats; they went the highest! He screamed as it dove down from its highest point and he felt himself sink deep into his seat as G-force took over.
"Warn me... next time..." he said between ragged breaths. Sue smiled evilly and began to chuckle. His head snapped up to look at her again. "You think this is funny?" he asked. Then, without another word, he pulled her into him and started to tickle her furiously. "That" he drawled after releasing her, "was funny."
Grinning up at him, entirely breathless, she could not help but feel her heart jump erratically at his suddenly youthened features. He looked younger and happier and she could not remember too many times that she had his face quite so bright with exhileration. She could not help smiling up at him, just staring at him silently as he chuckled absently. Jack's laughter died down and he suddenly realized that she was not moving and looked down at her.
"Something interesting?" he asked quietly. She smiled again and nodded her head.
"I've never seen you looking so... refreshed. So rejuvinated," she breathed happily. He grinned sheepishly and thanked her softly for her compliments. "I'm serious, Jack. You look happier than I've seen you looking in a long time. Today was good for you."
"I think so, too. Thank you for pulling me along. I know I wasn't exactly thrilled to start, but... this has been really fun."
"It's not over yet. There are still half a dozen rides left. Ready for the next one?" she asked brightly. Jack smiled and nodded before letting her walk off in another direction. The spinning plateau of half eggs was turning madly out of control and, for the briefest of seconds, he looked at Sue as if she was partially insane, but she just regarded him with a light trace of disappointment.
"Don't worry; we won't go very fast. How fast you spin depends on how much weight is in the car. We won't spin fast," she said lightly. Jack grinned mischeviously. "What?"
"Excuse me," he said to two nearby teenagers. The boy and girl regarded him quietly for a moment. "Would you mind getting into the same car as us? I heard that the more weight you have in the car, the faster you spin. So, would you?"
They nodded happily and, when it came time to get into the car — nearly twenty minutes later — Sue was surprised to find the two adolescents getting in with them. Jack smiled and told her quickly what he planned behind her back, making her chuckle softly. They pulled the bar down on their laps and waited excitedly for the ride to start up. When it did, Jack let out a tiny harumph of disappointment at they lack of speed, but almost as the sound ended, the ride dove into crazy spins, sucking them back into the walls of the car. The speed it turned at was almst nauseating and they all screamed as it spinned non-stop for one straight minute.
Slowly, the ride died to a standstill and they lifted the bar slowly, letting the two youths get out first and chuckling to themselves as they held each other for support. However, their laughter was short lived as they tried to stand in the still swaying car, nearly falling into each other. They laughed at themselves and hobbled out of the car to the gate and out of the ride, still chuckling uncontrollably.
"I officially love the 'Tilt-a-Whirl'. That ride was amazing!" Jack said lightly, laughing harder and harder. "Next year, we should make a day of it. The whole office. Let's all come here together," he chortled. Sue's smile stretched across her face.
"I think that's a great idea. I'd be especially interested to see Myles on these things. What do you think: have fun or be sick?" she said lightly, making him chuckle again.
"Let's go on that next," he said, pointing to the 'Round-up', a circular cage that required you to stand against the walls as it spun. He took her wrist and pulled her into the line-up that stretched about fifty people long. They waited one turn and, with a lot of luck, they squeezed into the two empty places near the ride's entrance. They buckled in and held onto the handles, his hands brushing hers gently, making her flinched subtly, but he just smiled over at her.
The ride began to spin and he felt himself being drawn slowly into the wall of the ride. Suddenly, the ride began to lift up higher and higher at a steep incline and they felt as though they were riding a wave, a gentle up and down motion caused by the height of the ride. They both closed their eyes and when he put his hand over hers a second time, she moaned softly beside him and he felt her relax. After a few minutes, the cage began its descent to horizontal a few degrees at a time until it was flat and, eventually, slowed to a stop. They wobbled out together, their arms slung around each other's shoulders as they fought to go down the steps and stay erect at the same time.
"That was an... interesting ride," he said softly, his legs still not entirely steady under him. Thankfully, Sue already had her balance back and was supporting him. "That skating did you well. I can't understand how you're already steady again," he muttered. She laughed him off lightly and helped him get back on his feet. "What's next?"
"How about the 'Spider'?" she suggested softly.
"'Spider'?" he questionned warily. "What's the 'Spider'?"
"Well, it's kind of like the 'Tilt-a-Whirl', but not."
"Thanks for that detailed description," he said sarcastically. Sue nudged him in the ribs and pulled him along to the ride. Jack stared up at the monstrosity before him. The ride did, indeed, look like a spider, long legs with small black cars on the end of each leg. The line-up was long and they had to wait in line for two ride lengths before there was finally room for them. They squeezed into the tiny cab and locked the lapbar in place. The machine tuned slowly as the operater filled the last car with two more passengers.
Then, the machine whirred to life and began to spin, driving and rising in a wave-like trajectory. Meanwhile, the small cars at the end of the legs spun wildly in place while the main form turned faster and faster, forcing Jack and Sue to grip the seat and each other to keep from feeling like they'd fly out of the ride. They screamed as the ride sped even faster and the dips felt like they would slam into the ground.
"That was intense," Sue mumbled softly once they were off the ride and walking around between amusements. They decided a small rest was definitely in order and sat on the bench, looking around at the suddenly deserted rides. Jack glanced at his watch and motioned to Sue to peek. "It's five o'clock already?" she questionned in astonishment. He grinned gently and let out a small bark of laughter.
"Well, except for that pirate boat thing, we stood in line for every ride. Then, sometimes, like right now, we'd sit down and take a few minutes to regain our balance or just take a short breather between rides. My heart needs a break every now and then."
"Are you alright?" she asked immediately, worry flushing though her face like a waterfall. He nodded his head silently.
"Yeah, I'm fine. How about, since we're almost alone right now, we do one more ride, and then go for supper. That way, we'll miss a line-up for one ride and the dinner time rush."
"That sounds like a plan."
They ran along for a moment before noticing the large purple spaceship burried in the corner. He looked at Sue, but she just nodded enthusiastically.
"There are two kinds of spaceship rides. One of them has these long stretchers along the walls and you lean against them and they bounce up and down as you spin. In the other one, it's these big seats with lapbars. I prefer the stretcher ones. Once the ride is spinning fast enough, you can lay sideways."
Jack smiled and they both ran to get in before the door was closed. They scrambled up the steps and saw the long columns of material on the walls and Sue giggled happily. They laid against the bands by the door and Jack took the time to look around, his ears pounding from the driving beat of the house music in the ride. Even Sue bobbed in time to the music. She could feel the vibrations, she told him. They waited for the ride to start and when it did, it started with a vengence. The machine spun faster and faster until they were stuck against the wall, centrefugal force keeping them in place once again. Jack could barely turn his head, but when he did, he laughed heartily. Sue was lying almost upside down against the wall. She urged him on and soon, Jack was lying diagonally beside her, his head less than a foot away.
Suddenly, the benches slid up and they jerked higher up the wall from the thud of the sliding seats. They laughed hard enough to be heard over the music even and it became infectious. Everyone began turning around and laughing together. The operater in the center was smiling and, with a grin, sat back an extra minute, wondering to himself what they would all do when the ride slowed down. Sue looked up in time to see the carnie sit up straight and start pressing buttons. She looked over at Jack, who barely noticed her until she tapped his shoulder.
"The ride will stop soon. We need to turn back around!" she yelled. Everyone looked around and, with a flury of movement, they all fought the force against them and straightened up once more. The seats jerked back down into place and they landed with a dull thud on their feet, waiting for the ride to stop moving. With a smile, the operater clapped as they all filled out, their legs unsteady and their steps all over the place. With their arms back over the other's shoulders, they wobbled their way to their car and reached inside for their jackets before locking back up and going to the restaurant.
"This is really good," she said softly, eating her shish taouk in surprised marvel. "Since when do you eat such foreign foods?"
"I don't really. A friend pulled me to this place once and I remembered it as we walked by. It tastes just like a chicken pita."
"Hmm..." she said, taking another bite. When she looked back up, Jack was staring at her and chuckling softly. She swallowed the food and looked back up at him. "What?"
"You've got ths drizzled of garlic sauce down your chin." He reached out and wiped it off with his thumb, making her laugh and she faught to maintain it at the brush of his warm hand on her face, but he just continued to chuckle and wiped it off on his napkin. Although she felt momentarily tense, the rest of the meal passed very quietly with unimportant conversation about trivial things like the latest movies and television finales.
"That was delicious," he said softly, smiling. "Plus, the walk back will give us enough time to digest before getting back into rides. Ready to start walking back?" She nodded softly and they began the three block walk back to the carnival, slow and leisurely, chit chatting about nothing and everything until they finally arrive back at the machines. By now, the sun had fallen a little and all the lights were on on the rides, illuminating the entire area in all kinds of colors. They were about to go back to the '1001 Nights' to see the city lit at night, but Jack stopped and tapped her shoulder.
"Cotton candy?" he asked softly. She laughed delicately and he went over to the confection stand and bought a small bag of pink and blue candyfloss. They sat down on the small bench beside the tall ride and ate the puffs of sugar, laughing at their colored teeth for a moment. The split the two colors and Sue tried to pay him for half, but he shook her off and insisted she put her money away. They balled up the empty bags and threw them into a bin before moving to get in line for the ride, but Jack tapped her shoulder again.
"What about that one?" he asked her, making her smile as she accepted and they moved towards it. By the time they were in line, the 'Sling Shot' was working again. That's when Jack's stomach flip-flopped. The disc of seats climed up the tower slowly, the absolute tip about six to eight stories up. Then, he watched in horror as the entire circle of seats plummeting to the bottom in a dead fall. He turned to Sue with apprehension in his eyes, but she just smiled up at him.
"You already agreed. Now, I want to try it. I've never been on this one before." She looked up the tower as the next batch of people rushed towards the ground before the brakes were thrown on. "This should be good."
Jack and Sue were ushered into the ride and they took a brief second to orient themselves for the best view of the city. Sitting in the back row, they pulled down the overhead harnasses and pulled them down and buckled them up. They waited silently as they machine filled with people and, soon, they saw the carnie get behind the controls and press the glowing green button. Slowly, the machine started it's ascent towards the tip of the tower. They both looked up to see how far they had left, but a steel awning blocked their view of the rest of the tower.
"Sue," he said, taking her hand, "if we don't live through this, I want you to know you're a great partner," he mumbled sarcastically. She grinned back and sobbed dramatically.
"You, too, Jack."
They didn't even have a chance to take a breath before the ring of seats unhooked. The scream that Sue let out was high and squealed like something from a horror movie and Jack didn't do much better. Their screams echoed across the air and they couldn't help laughing as the machine slowed to ease the rest of the way down the shaft. They stared at each other and laughed uncontrollably as they got off the platform, holding on to the railing and trying to stiffle their chuckles, but to no avail.
Still giggling like pre-schoolers, they made their way through the throng of people towards the next ride they wanted to try called the 'Maelstrom'. Basically, it was another fast wave machine, but the screams coming from it her almost scary. Sue couldn't hear them, but when Jack saw her eyes sparkling brightly, he knew that they were going on it. Jack and Sue stood in line for a few rides worth of time and, after three turns, they were allowed in on the fourth. As Jack stepped in, he saw the operater out of the corner of his eye and stopped him before he left his post, stepping back to let Sue in first.
"Another whipping ride?" he asked softly. She shrugged and he stared at her. "You've never been on this one?"
"No. My first time, same as you." He grinned with a twinkle behind his eyes.
"Well, we'll have our first together then, won't we?" he said with a smile, watching her eyes widen a little, just like he thought they would, before turning back and waiting for the ride to begin. The cars began to circle the track and jerked harshly at the first dip, making Sue tilt into Jack a little. By the time the carts were really moving, Sue was pinned into Jack who had wrapped his arm around her to hold onto the saftely bar in their laps, trying to stay in the ride. They laughed and screamed together and Sue let the euphoria of being so intimately close to Jack enhance the thrill of the ride until she was breathless. Suddenly, the ride reduced its speed dramatically and they regarded each other, curious of the stop. That's when it rolled backwards.
"Oh, my–" The two of them let out a yell as the machine began to roll backwards and picked up speed, jerking them sideways as they rolled over each wave. Sue's back was pressed into Jack's side and his arms tightened as the ride rolled on, both of them screaming hysterically. As the ride continued, Jack maintained his grip on the handlebar, but he took a moment halfway through the ride and just sat there, inhaling the smell of Sue's shampoo, the scent intoxicating with its vanilla and coconut fragrance. The perfume overwhelmed his senses and he knew exactly which ride he wanted to try after their current one.
The trains slowed gradually and Sue maintained her death grip on the handle for an extra few seconds before the operater came over and unlatched it to let them out. They emerged gently, their arms sore from their griping the bar too tightly and they made their way off the platform, slightly pained, but still thoroughly amused. Wandering aimlessly — or so Sue thought — through the park, they looked up at unsuspecting passengers on the 'Sling Shot' and laughed at the terrified faces of the freefalling people.
As they slowed to a stop, Sue looked up and spotted the 'Tunnel of Love' straight ahead of them. She gazed up at Jack in disbelief as he pulled her towards it. Her protests were weak and held no chance of dissuading him to the contrary. She tried to break away from him, but he simply stopped and turned to observe her through hooded eyes.
"What's wrong with the 'Tunnel of Love'?" he asked softly, his eyes smoky and intense. In that moment, the weakness of her legs made her feel like she'd been perfectly steady the rest of the day. Pride commanded that she remain upright and, with Herculanean effort, she straightened up and looked him square in the eye.
"Nothing at all. It's just... you said earlier that you didn't think it was worth getting in."
"No..." he drawled. "No, I'm pretty sure it was you who said it wasn't worth getting in. I've never even heard of it. I'm a little leery, but I want to try it and form my own opinion." His voice was calm and his composure was deceiving. In truth, his pulse was jumping wildly in his chest and he was not entirely sure that bringing the woman he loved into this ride was a great idea. It was quite possible that this ride would ruin the mood entirely or that she would feel weird around him afterwards, but he'd worry about that later. For now, he was determined to try his best to finally confess to her. With a small boyish smile, he coaxed submission from her and dragged her to the ride.
The line-up passed relatively quickly and, within fifteen minutes, they were sitting in a small car, very similar to a bumper car, with a very loose safety belt. They smiled together as Jack uselessly buckled it before the ride began.
The tiny car moved through the track at a slow pace without another couple in sight. They passed through the first chamber where cupid fountains sprayed a very fine mist all around them while fake birds twittered softly. With a chuckle, they went through to the next section. It was even worse that the first! Large poesies and colorful roses were scattered all over the room, assaulting their eyes and forcing them to refrain from looking around the room. As they passed into the next room, he smiled as Sue gasped softly.
Fake candles were scattered all over the chamber and thin sheets of white gossamer material fluttered in the lightest of winds. With a sudden lurch, the train stopped on them. Sue turned to look at Jack, who was equally concerned, but not nearly as disturbed as Sue was.
"They'll fix it. In the meantime…" he murmured, wiggling his brow suggestively. Sue smiled up at him, concealing the desperate desire for him to be sincere as he curled an arm around her shoulders. She sighed.
"Jack, stop kidding around," she said unemotionally, but Jack just pulled her closer and lifted his other hand to cup her cheek. He swallowed hard and turned her face towards his, leaning into her with that same intense, fiery gaze from before. Sue's mind fogged over and she couldn't help remembering the last time his eyes had burned like that: when he let go of her after she almost fell while observing Arif Dessa's telephone conversation.
"Who said I was kidding?" he breathed out before inching his face closer to hers. She held her breath and swallowed again as she watched him quietly moving forward. She dared to speak.
"What are you–" and before she could finish, he was on her. His lips were warm even though the tips of his fingers were cool and he tasted of blue raspberry candy floss. It was several minutes later when she realized she was kissing him back with a zeal and passion that matched his own. Her own lips were as sweet as Jack's and she parted them a little, letting her mouth taste every corner of his. She whimpered against him as his tongue peeked into her mouth and sought ever wayward molecule of sugar he could find. His hands cupped her face delicately and held her against him until both of them nearly begged for oxygen. Reluctantly, unhappily, they parted slowly, their lips still clinging softly to his, the sugar lightly gluing their lips together.
"Jack," she whispered as she stared warmly into his eyes.
"Sue, I couldn't have had better luck than this ride stopping right here in the most romantic sector." She smiled up at him shyly and watched his lips continue to speak. "I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I was too… scared; too cowardly to admit that I was in love with you. I'm sorry I took so long Sue, but I have loved you since… since day one. It was only when I saw you with David that… I realized that I wanted you all to myself. I could live a happy life as a garbage man if you were with me. I don't even care about the policies anymore. I can't take another day without you by my side. I love you too much to let this slip by."
When he looked up, he finally noticed tears streaming down her cheeks and brushed them gently away, smiling softly and looking deep into her watery eyes. She returned his smile with a tiny one of her own, and tried desperately to process what he had said, but the words blurred in her mind. After what felt like an eternity, she opened her mouth, finally able to string together a coherent series of words.
"You love me?" she asked him softly, choking on a sob as he nodded his head. "You're not saying it sarcastically, are you? Because my vision is too blurred to tell right now." He chuckled lightly and shook his head gently, cradling her face in the palms of his hands. Sue sniffled a little before leaning into his warm hands and whimpering quietly. "I, uh… I'm not sure what…" she mumbled incoherently. "Jack?"
"Sue," he breathed out. "Stop hyperventilating and believe me when I say I love with all my heart."
"I thought you were…"
"With Allie?" he asked softly, her cheeks turning bright pink. "No. I haven't been for quite a while. Sue Thomas, I am completely and entirely in love with you and I'm sorry I took so long in finally saying it." She gazed down, unable to meet his eyes while hers stung with unshed tears. He lifted his hand to her chin and delicately lifted it up to look into her eyes. "Sue, please say something?" he begged softly.
"I love you, too, Jack," she sobbed out, her voice cracked, but happy. Jack smiled and pulled her lips to his once again, grinning against her wet kiss, her own smile warm against his. Their mouths danced tentatively together for a few seconds before they broke apart, their foreheads resting lightly against each other. He kissed the tip of her nose and she chuckled tenderly.
Suddenly, the small car whirred beneath them and sprang to life, trucking along the rest of the tunnel. They laughed softly at the perfect timing and turned back to face forward as the cab made its way through the veil, along a watery trench and finally pulling into the loading dock.
"Sorry, folks. The ride malfunctioned a little bit. Apologies for the inconvenience."
"No…" Jack breathed quietly. "No inconvenience at all. Perfect timing."
"That doesn't happen normally."
"I'll take abnormal any time," Jack whispered before putting his arm around Sue's shoulders and leading her back to the car. "C'mon," he told her, "I promised Levi I'd have you home by midnight."
"Do you have a curfew?" she asked him and he shook his head. "Good. I'm tired of dreaming. Tonight, I just want to lay against you and wake up to your kiss… instead of Levi's."
Jack laughed and nodded his head. "I'm all for that, but that doesn't say much for Levi."
"Such is life."
-Fin-