Authors Note:
Sorry I didn't get last nights chapter of this posted last night ... I literally fell asleep sitting on the couch with my laptop on my lap, fingers poised over the keys ... my neck was very sore when I woke up! So anyway, here's a twice the size chapter to make up for none yesterday. Oh, and I changed the cab at the end of the last chapter to a water taxi because duh, Venice is more water than road. Been google mapping extensively but I've never been to Venice so please excuse any errors because of that. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 8: Shopping!
"The world would be so lonely, in sunny hours or gray. Without the gift of friendship, to help us every day." Hilda Brett Farr
The water taxi took them down a narrow canal past row houses all tightly packed together. It felt like the city was looming over them, until the canal flowed into the lagoon and open water. A short time later they were docking outside the Palazzo Ducale – a large white structure that stood out for its white roof, unusual amongst so many red ones.
"Take care Signor," their boat driver said. "The piazza, she is icy this time of year, like a pond no?"
"Sure, of course," Lorne agreed, understanding what the other man was referring to. Piazza San Marco – Saint Mark's square - was the lowest point in Venice and at high tide water came up from the canal and flooded the square. In winter, because it was so cold, that water would turn to ice before low tide let it drain back to the canal. "We'll stick to the covered walk ways," he commented, still wanting Jennifer to see the famous square. "Thanks." Paying the boat operator quickly, Lorne stepped onto the street, turning and holding out a hand to help Jennifer.
Her hand felt warm in his, despite the coldness of the day, a fact that had Evan flashing back in that moment outside the exhibition venue and the way she'd blushed at his teasing suggestion of jealousy. Jennifer had taken him by surprise there. Sure, he'd noticed the exhibition's director seemed a little too interested in him but he'd put it down to art 'groupie-ness' – admiration for an artist's work spilling over into their regard for the artist themselves. He'd certainly had no intention of taking Ms Fiorelli seriously – even if Jennifer hadn't been with him. It had been a small thrill that Jennifer hadn't corrected the Italian woman's assumption that she and Evan were a couple. What Jennifer hadn't noticed was that Evan hadn't corrected Sophia either. In fact he'd liked it a little too much being linked to Jennifer in a romantic sense.
His thoughts were so much on Jennifer the whole time they'd been there that he'd genuinely been astounded that Jenn for one second could have felt jealous. He really wanted to draw the obvious conclusion from that – that she was interested in him for herself – but romantic interest wasn't the only motivator for jealousy. Sophia had claimed Evan's work in so presumptuous a way it would make equal sense that Jenn's jealousy was driven by that. Evan had been serious though – he really needed to talk to Jennifer, to reassure her that she had nothing to worry about as well as find some way to test the waters on the source of her jealousy, without making any declarations with lasting consequences.
Turning his attention to his companion, Evan found himself smiling easily. Jennifer was standing on the sidewalk, watching people as they walked by. Every now and then her eyes would track to their surroundings – the buildings, the sky threatening to rain on them, even the paving under their feet wasn't beneath her notice.
"You hungry?" he asked, putting a hand to the small of her back with the briefest of contact to signal that they should start walking.
"I am," Jennifer admitted as though she'd just noticed that fact. "And I could kill for a coffee."
"I don't think we'll need to resort to that extreme," Evan quipped. They walked a small distance until they could turn and make their way into the Piazza San Marco proper. The famous square was surrounded by beautiful old buildings – in the distance he saw the arch underneath the clock tower that led to the commercial district of the Rialto. If they couldn't find what Jennifer needed in the market shops he'd take her there.
"Can you believe this?" Jennifer murmured, looking left and right as they crossed to the walk way on the edge of the square.
"It's something alright," Evan agreed, not wanting to spoil her fun by admitting that he'd seen it before. "One of the few places in Europe where the sounds of people talking is dominant over the traffic."
"Oh - I hadn't noticed but it's true – you can hear all the voices," Jennifer smiled, delighted. "I like it. So, where should we go?"
"There are quite a few cafes here," Evan offered, "some of them pretty famous."
"Sounds perfect."
"I think if I'd suggested we go and have coffee in the local jail you'd be equally as agreeable," Evan joked.
"Are you kidding?" Jennifer arched a brow. "A jail in Venice? Of course I would."
Evan laughed. "You're making my job of impressing you too easy Doc."
"You don't have to try to impress me Evan," Jennifer said seriously.
Evan looked at her assessingly, once again questioning the meaning behind her words. When had Jennifer become so mysterious to him? Back on Atlantis, prior to her unprecedented interference with the art competition, he'd never had to think about Jennifer. She'd been his friend and he'd known where he stood. Now she had him second guessing seemingly innocent statements ... or maybe it was that conversation with Colonel Sheppard that was at the root of his new uncertainty. Realising he'd been starring at her, Evan shrugged. "I know this competition was your idea Jenn, but coming here was mine. I just want you to enjoy yourself."
"I am," Jennifer said simply. Spotting something up ahead she grabbed his arm. "Oh, let's go there!"
Evan let himself be dragged to a quaint little cafe, deserted outdoor tables contrasting with the outlines of many people sitting inside. It was warm inside, both of them shedding their thick jackets as they sat at a small table near the back. At the back of his mind Evan had been thinking their coffee time would be perfect for pursuing the whole jealousy thing but once they'd been served he realised it wasn't the place for a serious conversation. The place was pretty crowded and everyone was talking – none of them loudly but when combined the background noise was distracting enough that he'd feel like he have to yell for Jennifer to hear him.
Instead he sat back, enjoying the atmosphere and Jennifer's reactions ... and the contrast between their vacation life and what they'd left behind on Atlantis. Not that he couldn't be himself there – he could, but it was a different Evan Lorne than the one he was portraying now. This Evan Lorne dressed casually, felt comfortable enough to enjoy having coffee with a beautiful woman without continually checking every security feature of the establishment, and talked about things like architecture and history and art. It reminded him of the past, when he'd taken a trip around Europe and indulged himself visiting any gallery that took his fancy. Before he'd known that the Goa'uld and the Wraith existed and that life on Earth was a lot more precarious than he'd believed.
"Finished?" Jennifer's query brought him back to the present.
"Eager to get spending are we?" he teased.
"Not particularly," Jennifer chuckled. "Eager not to look like your poor country cousin tonight is more like it."
"You'll look fine no matter what you wear," Evan said gallantly.
"That's very generous of you kind Sir," Jennifer shrugged. "But I'm aiming for something better than just 'fine'." Standing, she effectively ended the conversation, shifting from foot to foot as she waited for him to pull on his jacket. "You really don't have to trudge along with me Evan," she said earnestly. "I'm sure I can find a dress shop on my own."
"I won't be trudging," Evan countered. Hand at her back he urged her from the cafe back out onto the street. "As I recall there're plenty of shops in that direction," he pointed towards the clock tower and the street beyond it.
"Fine," Jennifer sighed before letting him guide her forward. "But only if you promise not to comment."
"That doesn't sound like much fun Jennifer," Evan said seriously, shooting her a sideways glance and holding in the urge to laugh at the almost horrified look on her face. "How about we just agree to go with the flow?"
"That sounds like something more in your favour than mine," Jennifer muttered, frowning.
"Ah, but ... I hate to remind you whose fault it is we're here," Evan said sagely.
"You're not going to let me forget that, are you?"
"Not while it's so useful," Evan returned, laughing. "Lighten up Jenn," he urged. "You can trust me to act appropriately, okay?"
"Okay," Jennifer fell silent as they walked through narrow streets, zigzagging a little as they emerged at one of the many canals and were forced to veer away again. A short time later Evan spotted a shop with a title that suggested it would have something suitable.
"This looks promising," he commented, getting a nod of agreement from Jennifer. Pushing the door open he let her walk in first, settling back to let her tell the assistant who immediately approached her what she wanted. Stopping beside one of the mannequins, wearing what looked to him like a simple black evening dress, Evan looked at the tag and then whistled. It was expensive – which put him in an awkward position. He wanted Jennifer to feel comfortable at the exhibition opening but he didn't want her spending her hard earned money on a dress she'd probably have little chance to wear again. Unfortunately he was pretty sure Jennifer would knock him down and stomp all over him if he suggested that he would pay for her dress.
"Would you like to take a seat Signor?" the assistant waved an inviting hand towards a waiting area set up near the changing rooms. She'd already escorted Jennifer to one of those rooms, presumably to get undressed enough to try something on. Feeling a little ... tense at the thought of Jennifer taking off clothes not that far away from him, Evan quickly decided he should think about something else. He just had to think of something distracting enough.
"Signor?" the assistant stood, waiting for him to answer.
"Ah, sure, okay," Evan sat down, glancing around and realising he was totally outside his element, surrounded by fabrics and styles he had no knowledge of. He liked the colours though and in all honestly, feeling like a fish out of water was a small price to pay for the chance to see Jennifer Keller dressed up.
"I am Luisa. Perhaps you have a preference for your lady's attire?" the assistant asked him. "You are going to an exhibition with many important people, no?"
Again he probably should have corrected the woman's mistaken belief that he and Jennifer were 'together' but he didn't. "We are," he confirmed. Eyes narrowed he thought for a moment and then continued. "Browns, nothing too heavy." The artist in him was already imagining Jennifer dressed in something that would compliment her delicate features and bring out the hazel of her eyes.
"Yes, yes," Luisa smiled. "I have just the thing!"
"Let my ah lady try on a few different dresses first," Evan suggested casually.
"Ah," she smiled knowingly. "This I can do. Every woman enjoys the chance to preen in front of her man." With a laugh the young assistant almost skipped away to select a few things for Jennifer to try on.
Evan sat back, ignoring the return of that hot under the collar, clothing a little too tight feeling thinking anything intimate about Jennifer brought to the fore. The assistant passed him again, her arms loaded with different coloured fabrics, knocking on the closest door and quickly disappearing inside.
It took longer than he expected to get one small woman into one dress ... but when Jennifer emerged, smoothing down the skirt of a red velvet dress that clung tightly to her upper half before flowing to the floor he quickly decided every second of the wait had been worth it.
"Well?" Jennifer stopped, shifting from one foot to the other, projecting shyness and hesitation.
"You look ... amazing," he admitted.
Her eyes shot up, locking with his. He watched her assessing him and it was obvious she was trying to decide how much of his reaction was genuine and how much the cushion of friendship that would always have him erring on the side of favourable.
"Honestly, in that dress you'd fit in just about anywhere," he insisted, letting her see the sincerity in his eyes.
"Oh," she blinked and then a brilliant smile blossomed, her eyes sparkling at him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," he said simply.
They looked at each other for a few moments more, both silent. He wasn't sure what she was thinking – but he was all to aware of the direction his own thoughts were heading in. Namely that he'd like to ditch the exhibition opening and spend the evening discovering any other facets of beauty Jennifer had been hiding from him.
"You like?" Luisa appeared in his line of vision, her expression amused.
"Of course," Evan tried for easy going but didn't quite pull it off, if her chuckle was anything to go on.
"Come," Luisa urged Jennifer. "Let us wow your man with another dress."
"He's not -," Jennifer broke off, sharing an amused glance with Evan before she disappeared again.
That was the pattern they followed for the next hour. Jennifer would emerge in another stunning dress, looking like she'd been born to wear such clothing, and he would compliment her accordingly. Evan could see how much fun Jennifer was having in the way her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shone, her voice light and carefree and her laugh ringing out regularly.
It was a combination of enjoyment and torture for him – because he truly enjoyed seeing Jennifer so happy and comfortable with herself. But seeing her in so unfamiliar a setting, wearing clothing like nothing he'd ever seen her in before, sent his thoughts into the realms of 'man notices woman, man really, really wants woman'. He'd be lucky to get out of the shop without Jennifer noticing how taken he was with her.
"This is the last one, I promise," Jennifer told him, hurrying away in the simple black dress he'd seen when they'd arrived.
Evan shifted, trying to get comfortable. He'd looked away, towards the window and the street outside, when Jennifer emerged, turning back only when he heard someone clearing their throat.
And then every thought just fell out of his head – he was sure his mouth was hanging open and his eyes too wide but he couldn't bring himself to care.
Luisa had taken his request to heart, choosing for Jennifer a dress in a rich, chocolate brown. It was strapless, leaving Jennifer's shoulders and arms bare and revealing enough cleavage to draw any man's eyes. It clung to her curves tightly – there was plenty of skirt dropping all the way to the floor but the fabric was light enough that it clung to Jenn's hips and legs, creating a short train at the back that would drag on the floor when she walked.
"There is a matching jacket," Luisa said, "to keep you warm until you are inside."
Evan nodded, still speechless.
"You don't like it," Jennifer's expression dropped from expectant to disappointed. She'd half turned away before Evan's words stopped her.
"Oh I like it," he said in a low, serious tone, his eyes intent.
Jennifer flushed as soon as her eyes met his. Rather than reassure her, Evan let his eyes wander from hers to travel over every detail of her attire, before returning to look at her. "I really like it," he repeated.
"That's ... um, good?" Jennifer almost questioned, looking from him to Luisa and back again.
"When you steal the words from a man's lips this is very good," Luisa advised her, chuckling when Jennifer blushed an even brighter red. "Come," the assistant urged. "You will get changed and then we will settle on a price for your dress."
Jennifer nodded. "I'll just -," she told Evan, smiling awkwardly and then quickly disappearing into the change room for the last time.
When Luisa emerged with the brown dress over her arm, Evan was waiting. "About the dress," he began, following her back to the front of the shop. "Is it possible you could let me pay for most of it now and just charge Jennifer a small amount when she comes out?"
"You wish to buy her the dress but you think she won't accept it?" Luisa queried, frowning.
"Something like that," Evan agreed. "Look, we're not ah .., a couple," he admitted. "She'd going to this thing tonight for me and I'd really rather she wasn't out of pocket financially because of it."
"You care for her much more than a mere friend would," Luisa nodded, sure that she was right. "You are a good man. I will help you."
"Thank you," Evan quickly pulled out his wallet, checking to make sure Jennifer wasn't in sight. Handing Luisa his credit card, he watching impatiently as the transaction was put through, quickly signing the slip just before Jennifer emerged. She looked up, her eyes meeting his, her face once again flushing red as she hurriedly looked away.
"Come," Luisa invited Jennifer to step up to the counter. "You have made a very wise selection Signora," she smiled, showing Jennifer the ticketed price with a heavy discount applied.
"Wow," Jennifer grinned, looking very pleased with herself. "I was going to buy it regardless of the price," she admitted ruefully. "Now it's only half a weeks wages instead of the entire week." She looked towards Evan, her expression turning pointed. "And don't you comment about woman spending too much on one dress."
"I wouldn't dream of it," Evan returned sincerely.
"Well, good," Jennifer hesitated for a moment and then turned back to Luisa to finish purchasing her dress and the jacket. "Now I just need some shoes to match," she murmured.
"I know just the place," Luisa offered. "My sister works there – I will call her and she will show you the perfect shoes, no?"
"Really?" Jennifer looked both surprised and grateful. "That would be so great – thank you!"
"You are welcome," Luisa said simply. It took her only a few minutes to hold a conversation in rapid fire Italian with her sister before she hung up the phone, smiling. "Renata is waiting for you – at Venetia Shoes – on the other side of the square."
"I can't thank you enough for all your help," Jennifer said simply. "I felt like a princess or a model – and at my height that just never happens."
"You are most welcome," Luisa smiled at both of them as she walked them to the door. "I wish you a magical evening."
"Thank you," Evan said warmly, holding the door open for Jennifer and then joining her on the sidewalk. "Lead on," he told Jennifer, ignoring the quizzical looks she was giving him. Eventually her silence and those quick glances got to him and just before they reached the shoe shop he stopped. "Okay, what?" he demanded.
"Nothing," Jennifer shot back.
"Jenn," Evan said intently, making it clear he wasn't moving until she told him what was bothering her.
"It really is nothing," Jennifer insisted. "Just ... you were really patient back there, and now you're following me to buy shoes and I just ... I really appreciate the company but I can't help but wonder why you're going to so much effort for me."
"So, not nothing," Evan commented. He looked away for a moment, considering his words, before returning his gaze to her. "Okay, one, it's not an effort to spend time with you, shopping or otherwise, because two, I enjoy seeing you enjoying yourself." He paused, giving her a teasing grin. "And three, any man who doesn't see the attraction in watching a beautiful woman model clothes for him needs to have his head examined."
Jennifer stood, processing his words. "Oh. Okay," she frowned, looking up at him and then away. And then she blushed. "Oh," she murmured, a smile growing on her face.
"Shoes," Evan reminded her, amused.
"Huh?" Jennifer blinked, flushing bright red when she realised he was waiting for her to move again. "Right – shoes," she smiled weakly. Turning, she pushed open the door and walked inside, Evan at her heels.
They were seen to immediately, Renata just as friendly and helpful as her sister. Five minutes later they were back out on the street.
Jennifer looked a little lost for a moment, her eyes tracking back the way they'd come before she turned to Evan. "Do you need to ...," she trailed off awkwardly.
"I'm good," Evan said simply, intending to wear the suit he'd brought with him. He watched as she nodded, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. "Do you want to talk about this?" he gestured between them.
"No!" Jennifer exclaimed hastily.
"Ah ... o-kay," Evan's brow rose at how emphatic she was. Had he misunderstood when he'd thought she welcomed his attention and his reactions to her? "Maybe we should go back to the hotel then. We've both been up for hours – you should probably get some rest before tonight."
"Okay," Jennifer said meekly, falling into step with him as he headed for the nearest water taxi point. She was silent the whole way back, as he helped her from the boat, and all the way into the hotel foyer. The lack of conversation lasted all the way until they reached their rooms, when he'd unlocked his door and was about to go inside.
"Evan," she said urgently.
"Yes?" he stopped, looking at her.
"I really enjoyed today ... shopping ... with you," she put extra emphasis on the last part. "You made me feel beautiful."
"You are beautiful," Evan said smoothly, meaning it.
"Um ... thank you," Jennifer replied, not as smoothly. She unlocked her door but hesitated, Evan watching her curiously as she seemed to struggle with herself.
"Um ... just so you know, because it's only fair right?" she looked at him earnestly.
"Know what?" Evan urged when she stopped.
"You're beautiful too – well, not beautiful because you're a man and men aren't supposed to be beautiful, right?" Jennifer rambled, her face red again. Taking a deep breath she looked him in the eye and spoke in a rush. "I think you're hot," she declared just before she rushed into her room, the door slamming closed behind her.
Evan stood for a moment, flabbergasted. And then he grinned. He hadn't been wrong ... Jennifer Keller liked him. And suddenly he was looking forward to the opening that evening ... very much.
