Chapter 4
Jack was still trying to come up with a reason he could live with for why Sam had looked so damn sexy as she glared into her blank computer monitor. He was still contemplating what she could possibly have planned for that weekend and what he could plan to take his mind off it as he got out of his pickup in his drive way. He almost didn't hear his name being called.
"Colonel O'Neill? Hey, is that you?" the voice, familiar, but not recognized, called.
Jack turned to find the source of the voice and removed his sunglasses as the setting sun was now hidden behind the hills to the west of his house. "Wegner? That you?"
"Yes, Sir," Josh said as took Jack's proffered hand and shook it enthusiastically. "This your place?" he asked with a gesture that indicated Jack's house.
"Yeah," said Jack, smiling. "That your place?" Jack asked, pointing in the direction from which Lt. Wegner had just come.
"Yes, Sir. My wife and I just moved in this month," he replied, still smiling.
"Well," said Jack, sweeping his arms open, "welcome to the neighborhood."
"Thank you, Sir. It's been a while since you've come out to take a hop at the field."
"Yes, well…you know how it is. Never enough time to do the stuff you enjoy," Jack said smiling half-heartedly. "You working the weekend? Maybe I'll come out and take a hop."
"Oh, sorry Sir, I have a big benefit show to do this weekend," Wegner said, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded flier about the show. "Hey, if you're not doing anything, perhaps you'll want to come see it."
"Benefit, huh?" said Jack, taking the flyer, but not really looking at it. "Well, I'm not much for fancy-schmantzy crowds. Maybe I can just give you a donation?"
"You don't even have to do that, Sir," Wegner said, his smile fading slightly. "It's just a little dinner and music…nothing fancy. A small crowd, the place only seats 250. The crowd will be mostly Air Force…and mostly associated with the Academy hospital. Most of the performers work at the hospital. I just thought you might like a good meal and a little entertainment. If you want to donate, though, I'd be happy to accept your contribution."
Jack took a glancing look at the flier. "Chicago, huh?"
"Oh, yeah. Those ladies do a fine job, if I do say so," Wegner said, the smile returning full to his face.
"So, what do you do?" Jack asked, suddenly curious.
"Oh, I'm just the MC…or narrator…whatever you want to call it. You won't have to listen to me much," Wegner said with a wink.
"I'll think about it," Jack said, folding the flier. "Thanks…and if I don't see you before, have a good show. But don't forget to hit me up about the donation."
"Okay, Sir," Wegner said. "Have a good weekend."
"You too, Wegner," Jack replied as he turned to walk up his sidewalk and into his house.
Jack was still trying to get Sam's reflection off his mind the next morning. He hadn't really slept, so he decided to call Teal'c and see if he was interested in a round of golf. Teal'c was interested, as was Jonas. Teal'c drove them to the course where they met Jack and started a round of instructional golf for Jonas. Five hours and some very disgruntled golfers later, the trio returned to the club house. Jack was feeling more relaxed, but didn't want to hang around. He'd noticed some of the glares being directed at them as they approached and decided he didn't want that much attention being drawn to his two alien friends. "Sheesh! We let everyone play through," he thought as he gave one particularly annoying quartet an equally nasty glare back.
He invited the boys back to his place for a beer since he felt staying at the club house was a bad idea. Teal'c and Jonas readily agreed to join him and before long, they were all seated in O'Neill's living room sipping on their bottles.
"So…anybody know if Carter had plans for the weekend?" Jack asked as nonchalantly as possible.
"She told me she was planning a quiet weekend to catch up on her sleep," said Jonas. "You know, golf is a much more difficult game that it appears to be."
"Yes," said Jack, "that would be the reason so many golfers are smiling when they're on the course."
"I observed very few smiles on the course today, O'Neill," Teal'c said, raising one brow.
"Exactly," said Jack, tipping his bottle back for another swig. "Pizza anyone?"
A couple of hours later, the pizza had been delivered and eaten, a movie had been selected and watched and still the conversation had not gotten rolling. Then as Teal'c was throwing away his pizza plate and preparing to leave, he noticed the rumpled flier that Wegner had given to Jack the night before.
"Are you planning to attend this benefit, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as he returned to the living room, flier in hand.
"Huh? Oh, no. The kid across the street gave that to me last night," Jack said, his thoughts once again returning to his sexy Major. "No…I'm not going there," he thought.
"What is it?" Jonas asked, ever the curious one.
"It appears to be dinner and a show – selections from the Motion Picture, Chicago," said Teal'c as he handed the flier to Jonas.
"Chicago. Hmm…the AF8. I wonder who they are?" Jonas asked. "The AF8, that sounds familiar for some reason. Do you know who they are?"
"All I know is Wegner said they were mostly Academy hospital employees," Jack said, kicking his shoes off and putting them up on his coffee table.
"Hospital…yeah, that's it," Jonas said, excitement rising in his voice. "Dr. Frasier mentioned the AF8. Gosh, it's been some time ago, though. Maybe a month or so."
"Fraiser?" Jack asked, putting his feet down and sitting forward.
"Yes. I think she's involved with this benefit in some way," said Jonas. "We should go and support her."
"Indeed, Jonas Quinn," Teal'c said.
"I don't know," said Jack. "I mean, if she wanted us to be there, why wouldn't she have told us about it?"
"That's a good question," Jonas said, his brow raising.
"Well, maybe we can get a table in the back?" Jack said, suddenly curious.
"But, I thought you said…" Jonas began, confused and not for the first time that day.
"All the more reason to go," said Jack, sitting back again and smiling.