AN: Thanks for all the reviews and the story alerts, you guys are great. Make me smile they do, each and every one :)
I was originally going to split this chapter into two but I couldn't quite decide where to leave it, so here it is in totality...
Sam was actually a little disappointed when she came back and the guy seemed to have left nothing but his empty glass and a beer bottle with the half picked off label behind. Could he have been the one who warmed her seat? Nah, too much of a coincidence. She sighed as she passed his empty stool. Maybe it was the fact that it had been a while or just the second glass wine swaying her but she had decided that he and his twelve year old boy's haircut were cute and she would not have minded if he actually came over to talk to her. It was never her habit to chat up guys in bars when she was alone but this guy seemed different. While he was obviously not overly discrete he was not pushy and she liked that. Most other guys in his position would have come over, said something idiotic and have been told to 'get bent' by now. It was not that she was fussy...well actually that was so not true. She was very fussy, especially since the whole Hanson-lunatic experience. Admittedly she had terrible taste in men and that was why she had resolved to stay single for the foreseeable future, but this man had seemed to tick a whole different set of boxes. Not that it mattered anymore, it was obvious he was gone...oh wait, she had been wrong about that assessment.
Sam spotted him trying to casually hide behind the plastic palm tree near her chair. She smiled to herself as she pretended not to notice him. The guy was quirky if nothing else. 'Covert' was obviously not his middle name so he definitely was not black-ops material but hey that was another good thing. No way she was going there again either.
Just as she finished her dessert a shot of tequila was set on the table in front of her. A little surprised she smiled.
"It's from the gentleman-"
"Behind me, yeah I know." She nodded her thanks to the waitress and after just a few seconds twisted in her seat. "You do realise that fake palm trees don't make good hiding places?"
He poked his head through and smiled a sickeningly sweet smile that instantly drew her to him. "Who said I was hiding?" For that she gave him a look and he knew he was busted. "So you drink tequila then?" he asked, clearly trying to change the subject.
After a momentary pause Sam decided to give him a chance. "Never alone." she answered somewhat cheekily.
"Good." He picked up his drink and confidently came round to stand in front of the table. "On three-"
"Three." she declared and left him standing. He had not even put the salt on his hand.
"That's not very sporting you know." he told her as he opted to run the lime around the rim of the glass.
"Who said drinking was a sport?"
Jack shrugged, he liked this woman, she could obviously hold her own. Downing his shot he invited himself to sit beside her.
He offered her his hand. "Jack."
Hesitantly she took it. "Sam."
Instant electricity passed between them and for a moment neither of them spoke. Then Sam found herself shyly looking away. This Jack was really interesting and already she got a sense of where this was headed, unless he turned out to be as ass of course.
"So...Samantha, what takes you to The Springs?"
Normally Sam hated it when anyone called her by her full name but whatever way he had just said it she did not mind at all. "Work." she answered cryptically. They still had not given her, her full cover story so she had no idea what to say. "But I don't want to talk about that." Oh she really did, not that that would ever be allowed. "What about you?"
"I live here."
"No kidding? Right here in O'Malley's?"
He matched her expansive, sarcastic grin. "Work in The Mountain." he offered, casually flicking his head in the general direction of the hulking great facility.
"Ah, NORAD." Sam stated knowingly. The info seemed a little odd, he did not seem the type to be stuck underground.
"You know about that?"
"A little, I'm a scientist."
"Oh!" The corners of Jack's mouth turned down, he did not like that piece of intel.
Sam narrowed her eyes. "You don't seem all that impressed."
"No, no it's not that. It's just that scientists tend to be all...sciencey and I was never very good with that whole math-geek thing."
"I'm not a math-geek!" She frowned deeply, it caused her eyes to drop a shade and it made him smile.
"Well you certainly don't look like one, that's for sure."
"You want to watch it buddy." Sam hated stereotyping and she allowed it to show through in the sharpness of her tone.
Jack felt his eyebrows rise. It seemed she was sensitive about the whole math thing, okay, no big deal. "Time for another drink? More tequila? Yes, I think that's what's in order. Shona?"
"Yeah Jack?"
"Could we get another round of drinks over here when you get a minute please?"
"Sure thing, solider."
"So you come here a lot then?" Sam asked as she observed the casual nature between the two of them. She chose to ignore the whole 'soldier' remark knowing it would lead them into a conversation she would rather not be tempted to have.
"Yeah, I used to." Absently he rubbed the place where his ring used to be, reminded of how much Sara and Charlie had loved this place.
Sam watched as a shadow darkened his features, she recognised baggage when she saw it. "Divorced?" she asked her eye lingering on his preoccupation with his ring finger.
"Ah...sort of." He caught the fact that she was watching him closely and stilled his hands. "I am single though...long story."
"Uh-huh." She knew that one. Then she saw something else. Genuine sorrow rang briefly in his eyes and she wondered if maybe he was a widower. "So, NORAD but not science, how does that work?"
He looked into her eyes. "Work again, seriously?" He did not want to get sucked into having to lie to her.
"Well what then?" She had no idea how she ended up back on the one subject she was trying to avoid.
He was stumped, where was that tequila? "Boyfriend?" he asked and internally winced.
She almost snorted at his subtlety. "Nope, not at the moment and so not going there as a conversation starter." More silence descended and it was just a little uncomfortable. "TV?" she asked, wondering why.
"Ahh..." He was sure that there was no way she would appreciate the finer points of the Simpson's.
"Don't tell me. Sci-fi?" She rolled her eyes.
"Oh hell no! Guy's going off on missions to blow up alien spacecrafts to protect the planet? Ple-ease, as if anyone would believe that!" They both found themselves laughing nervously knowing that that was exactly what had happened not so very long ago. Thankfully the shots arrived and it saved them from having to continue with the suddenly terrible topic.
This time Sam counted them in and they found themselves slipping into comfortable conversation about everything and nothing starting with the weather and where they were originally from.
"Care to dance?" Jack asked after a while, completely spontaneously.
"Now?"
"No next week!" He shrugged, "Then too actually...if you'd like?"
She smiled somewhat coyly at him and touched her earring again. "Sure."
As he rose Jack was completely unsure if she was accepting his request for a dance or a date. He really hoped it was both. "You know you've got a beautiful set there." he observed as he held out her chair.
"Excuse me!" she shot up and spun on him, the sharpness in her eyes taking him by surprise and making him hot in a whole new way.
"The earrings and necklace, they really suit you."
"Oh, oh that set. Ah...thank you." Sam was highly embarrassed and felt herself flush, she had been sure he was talking about...well that did not matter now. "They were my mother's." she stated, trying to settle herself after her mistake.
"Obviously a woman of great taste, like her daughter." Jack could not help but feel himself stir as her cheeks turned the most adorable shade of pink he had ever seen. He had also caught the fact that she had said 'were my mother's' and knew not to continue the conversation. Slowly he led her out onto the floor where the soft music brought them close together.
Sam felt herself tingle as he slipped his arm around her waist and held her lightly. Already she knew she could really fall for this guy and sincerely hoped he would stick around for a while when she moved here. She reckoned the chances were quite high that they would bump into each other regularly, especially as he worked in NORAD which she would have to travel through every day to get to the new Stargate facility. Suddenly she realised she did not even know its official title yet. The paperwork had been so rushed she had not had time to read it all properly.
Samantha had gone completely silent as they swayed in perfect time around the floor. She was an amazing dancer and effortlessly kept to his every move. The more lost she got the closer she crept to him and he was finding it hard to breathe. She was so stunning and now her body heat was seeping into his own. "Samantha?" he asked gently, trying to bring her back. "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing." she smiled up at him, then thinking quickly she became aware of the music. "I was just thinking how much I love this song."
Jack listened. He recognised the words but did not know the name.
"Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you got to do is call and I'll be there…"
Lucky for Sam she did like this particular song a lot and found herself explaining why. "It's all about loyalty, you know? And what's life without people you can trust? I mean really, really trust. You know what I'm saying?"
Jack knew exactly what she was saying and found himself only able to nod sincerely at the passion in her tone. He was also sure that it overlaid just a hint of hurt. She smiled at him again, slowly this time as she came to realise that he did in fact understand. This was a woman he could really get to know and trust given half a chance. Already they seemed to be able to read each other without words. He swallowed the lump back down his throat and forced out a breath he did not know he was holding. Gradually they stopped dancing and despite the newness of everything they were doing she was drifting towards him. His lips dropped closer to hers and very carefully she allowed him to make contact.
The single kiss was sweet and slow, new territory, worthy of respect. Hesitantly he broke from her and checked to see if she was alright. The soft flush was back on her skin and he knew he held a similar hue. Once more he kissed her and they went back to dancing, this time her head rested on his shoulder and he closed his eyes at the feel of her so close to him. It had been a long time since he held anyone like this and the sensation was a little overwhelming. Sara had been his high school sweetheart and sure he had dated other women while they were separated, he at the academy and her at college but even the love of his life and mother of his child had not made him feel like this. He pulled her closer to him, knowing that from this moment on, in some way or another, this woman would play a significant part in his life.
Jack was holding her so tight that she never wanted him to let her go. His arms spoke of a promise that she had never felt before and it made her crave more. Sam had never classed herself as a needy person but this was just divine. He was like a cool glass of wine on the hottest of summer days and she could just drink him all night long. Abruptly the song seemed to end and she found herself simply latched onto him. A little embarrassed she freed herself, although he did not let her go far. "I think I need to sit down."
"Are you sure?"
Suddenly he looked concerned and her jellied legs became even more wobbly. "Yeah just for a little, it suddenly got very hot in here."
"Yeah it did!" he retorted with a cheeky smile, his brown eyes dancing. She forced out a kind of soft snort, batted his chest and allowed him to lead her off the dance floor, his palm pressed firmly against the small of her back. "Maybe you need some fresh air?"
She hesitated then smiled when he made no attempt to lift his coat. "Yeah okay." She liked the fact that he was not putting any pressure on her. They were simply going out for air but if she could help it, it would be coming up for air that they would need to be doing.
AN: So tomorrow night, chapter three... Jack and Sam walking the quite city streets...