Title: Through the eyes of a...sales advisor
Author: Dr Sarah Fraiser-Jackson
Rating: PG for slight language
Pairing: Jack/Sam Sam/Pete
Spoilers: Christmas time after Affinity
Disclaimers: Nope, still not mine...
Summary: The Jack/ Sam relationship through the eyes of a sales advisor...does what it says on the packet really
x
Sometimes I don't like my job, the people are rude and demanding, especially this time of year. But other times I love it, helping people out and hearing about their lives. Take yesterday for instance...
I was polishing the glass on my counter when some customers walked in, not that this was a rare occurrence but it did send a gust of cold wind and a sprinkle of snow into the shop. Three men walked into the store, two of them were together and arguing over something while the other walked off to a different department of the store. The first two were walking towards my section.
The first man was older; his hand ruffled the snow out of his short silver hair then brushed it off his shoulders. The second was younger, not enough to be his son, the thought that they might have been a couple did cross my mind, well you can never tell these days! They were both good-looking and obviously close even if they weren't acting it; their argument was obviously reaching its peak as they neared me.
"Daniel that's enough, I don't want to hear anymore about it you understand?" The older said as if speaking to a child, no they couldn't be father and son; the age gap didn't seem big enough.
"But Jack, you haven't listened to a word I've said." The younger one, Daniel was scowling at Jack.
"If the wind changes you'll be stuck like that."
"Jack, you have to do something! You can't just..."
"Ah!" Jack was holding up his index finger. "I said no more."
It seemed to me that they'd had this conversation before, what ever they were bantering about.
They reached my counter and started to look at the displays, I continued polishing the glass as I listened to the rest of their conversation.
"So what are you going to get her?" Daniel asked pushing his glasses back up onto his nose.
"Something." Jack replied looking at the range of necklaces and bracelets in the cabinets. "To be honest Daniel, I haven't a clue."
I thought I should make my presence known, they poor man obviously needed help whether it was just to get the other off his back.
"Good evening, can I help you at all?" I said.
"Uh, hi. I'm looking for something special." Jack smiled at me; his deep chocolate eyes were reflecting the light.
"For your wife?" What? I was curious!
"Uh, not exactly." Jack said almost embarrassed.
"Ah, you're in love with this woman and she's out of reach in some form or another." I was always good at sussing out other peoples problems, no good with my own but is anyone?
Jack's reaction was classic, a splutter and his cheeks flushed red. Daniel smiled and tried to suppress a laugh.
"Transparent Jack, like a window." Daniel chuckled.
"Oh go and find T, make sure he hasn't gotten himself into trouble." Jack snapped.
Daniel smiled before wandering off to find their friend, supposedly the one that walked in with them.
"So Mr..." I start.
"O'Neill." He smiles again. If I weren't an old lady I'd be falling at his feet over that smile. "But just Jack would be fine."
"So Just Jack, how do you plan on getting this woman, does she have a name?" I know, I was starting to push it but the more information; the better the gift will suit the lucky woman.
"Ca...her name is Samantha."
"So how do you plan on going about it?"
Jack looked stumped. He wasn't the sort of man to plan things in intricate detail, more of a spur of the moment guy but something like this really needs a bit of forward planning. He finally shrugged.
"I hadn't really thought that far ahead." He admitted.
"You my friend need a plan of action." I said leaning on the counter. We discussed the present situation between them, the fact that they were both in the Air Force that she was his second and engaged to another man. He admitted that he could have done something sooner, anything, but he was scared. He talked about his son and his ex-wife, just skimming the surface of this mans trauma's was enough to bring a tear to my eyes. He talked for ten minutes, I let him, the shop was fairly quiet and I felt a kindred spirit to this man, my son having died in a car accident years before his son passed.
"I just have to do something, I won't loose her." He finished.
"Well then, you need a nice gift but that isn't everything, you need to be open with her. None of this silent crap you men are so good at."
"So what do you reckon I should get her?"
"Me? This is your gift to her, it has to be something special from your heart." I said, I would have loved to pick out what I had in mind for him but it was ultimately up to him.
"This one." He said after a while of looking at the jewellery.
He was pointing to a silver pendant with a small sapphire, the colour of Sam's eyes, or what he had told me about the colour of her eyes were like, in the shape of a star. I smiled at him; it was perfect; men aren't as useless as they make out.
I took the pendant out of the cabinet carefully and found a gift box to put it in; I wrapped it up and handed the package to him. By this time Daniel and his friend were back and standing some distance away, Daniel was explaining something in great detail it seemed to the taller man, T.
"Jack, I wish you all the luck in the world." I said after he had paid. "Just remember to talk to her and everything will be fine."
"Thank you, I'll let you know how it turns out." He grinned and turned back to his friends.
As they walked out of the store, I could see Daniel questioning him. The other one didn't seem to talk much, but it didn't matter, Daniel did enough talking for all three of them. Jack was refusing to tell Daniel anything.
I just hope that he told her after all that trouble, Christmas has been and gone and still no sign of Jack or his friends. Maybe next year he'll come back to buy another gift and tell me all about it...
The end...or is it?