A/N - Thank you again for all your kind reviews!
Chapter 12
Sarah had just thrown her clothes on when the intercom rang in her room. She heard Becca mutter a few curses at the noise before throwing a pillow over her head. Sarah answered the com as quietly as she could and was pleased to hear her father's voice on the other end.
"I'll be right down Daddy," she whispered.
"Everything ok Sar? Why are you whispering?"
"Becca's still asleep," she explained. She heard a faint "oh" come through the system. "I'll be down in a minute."
She took a look in the mirror and was not satisfied with the outfit she'd chosen. The loose poets blouse was her "signature look" according to Becca, but today she didn't feel right in it. Searching through her closet, she found a sweater that Becca had picked out for her. The cut was form fitting, and the v-neck was low while still being modest. Paired with the jeans she was already wearing, she was much happier with her appearance than before. She grabbed the boxes of cookies and made her way to the building exit.
As soon as she was through the door, Toby latched onto her. "Sarah!" he called out, and she quickly handed the boxes to her father so she could scoop the four year old up in her arms and spin him. His giggles immediately brightened her day.
When Toby finally let her go, she offered a quick hug to her father. Karen's belly had gotten so big that it made hugging her very awkward. "Becca won't be joining us?" her father asked as they piled into the car.
"She'll be by later. She had a late night last night."
"Oh," he said, "You didn't want to join her? It's college Sarah, you should enjoy it while you can." Karen chuckled, and Sarah knew that her stepmother understood what Becca's late night entailed even if her father hadn't.
"She was on a date last night Daddy. Besides I was over a friend's house last night baking all those cookies."
Suddenly protective, her father questioned, "Do we know this friend?"
"I don't know if I mentioned him, but he's supposed to come today."
Karen's face lit up when Sarah revealed the gender of her friend, but her father's face became murderous. Both women laughed at his reaction which only made it worse. "We're just friends, Daddy. Besides, you'll probably love him."
"We'll see about that," he muttered. With that her father stopped asking questions, and she was able to talk with her step-mother.
Karen immediately complimented her on the sweater. She insisted that it was such a good look that they would need to go shopping for similar shirts before the baby came and she no longer had the time. Sarah accepted the offer happily and both women started talking about the baby. Karen was convinced that it was a girl but her father was hearing none of it. He was convinced that it was another boy and as a result they were at a deadlock with decorating the nursery, buying clothes, or even picking out a name.
Toby, still excited about being a big brother, chatted happily about how much of a help he had been. Sarah listened, realizing how much she was missing at home. She hadn't been home in weeks and was suddenly very homesick.
When they arrived at the fairgrounds, Sarah found the bake sale booth and dropped off her cookies. She checked the schedule and confirmed what time slot she had to work the booth. "It looks like we have a few hours before I need to be back here," she informed her family. "Why don't I take the squirt on some rides? That way you don't have to worry about walking too much, Mom."
"That sounds perfect," Karen agreed. "I'm going to drag your father through the craft tent." Her father groaned, and Karen rolled her eyes in response. After agreeing to meet back at the same spot later, her parents headed towards the oversized tent that was full of local craft vendors, and Sarah corralled Toby long enough to buy some ride tickets before he darted towards the Ferris Wheel.
Becca showed up about an hour before their shift at the bake sale booth with Mark in tow. Toby eagerly greeted Becca and quickly latched onto Mark after he was introduced. Luckily, Mark seemed to like kids and was more than happy to cater to Toby. The four of them managed to get on a few rides before they had to make their way to the meeting spot.
Karen looked exhausted, and Sarah suggested that she sit at the booth with them. Karen eagerly accepted the opportunity to sit for an hour, and Robert collected the over stimulated Toby and headed to the games, apparently determined to empty his wallet. Mark joined them, eager to talk to her father about his law practice. Becca had mentioned who Sarah's father was, and Mark had been keen to meet him. Her father's firm was one of the best in the area, and Mark was hoping to score an internship. Sarah had to admit, helping watch the currently hyper Toby was probably a good way to make a positive impression.
They took over the bake sale booth and settled in for their hour shift. Apparently Sarah's cookies were a hit, and there were very few left. Several people had come back asking about the recipes. The few that came during their shift happily chatted with Karen and rightfully showered the woman with compliments. Her shift was almost over, and Robert had returned with Toby and an armful of cheap toys. She was so busy laughing at her father's predicament that she didn't notice the customer who had come up to the booth until Becca elbowed her in the ribs.
"Ow, what was that for?" she snapped angrily.
"We have a customer," the blonde responded nonchalantly. "I'm pretty sure that you will want to help him."
Sarah finally turned to find Jareth waiting patiently to be helped. "Jareth," she exclaimed, "You made it!"
"I told you I would." He smiled and the butterflies that had plagued her last night returned to dance in her stomach. "I was hoping to actually try some of the fruits of our labor, and I see that I was almost too late."
"Yeah, they were a real hit." He grabbed a bag of peanut butter cookies and handed her the money. It was the batch that she had forced him to mix on his own. He took a bite of and shock crossed his face.
"These are amazing. I did not realize that I was such a great baker." She laughed at his self-important tone.
"Too bad you're such a slow learner," she teased. Before he could respond, the next pair of girls arrived at the booth, and she quickly explained the basics to them.
After handing over the booth, she headed towards the benches that her family had moved to and motioned for Jareth to follow. Clearly there had been an audience to their little exchange. Becca was smiling like an idiot, clearly convinced that she had been right all along. Her parents, on the other hand, were both clearly were expecting introductions.
"Daddy, Mom, this is Jareth. He is the friend I mentioned." Karen extended her hand to Jareth when Toby squeezed in between them.
"What about me?" he whined.
"And this is my obnoxious little brother," she kidded.
"Ah yes, Toby, I have heard a lot about you. I am pleased to meet you," Jareth offered while squatting down to be eye level with Toby. He offered his hand to her brother and was clearly surprised when the kid threw his arms around Jareth and gave him a bear hug. Before Toby let go, he leaned in and whispered something in Jareth's ear. Jareth laughed and promised that he wouldn't.
Standing again, he offered his hand to Karen who eagerly accepted it. Her father, however, was looking at Jareth strangely. Finally he spoke up and asked, "You seem familiar, where do I know you from?"
"Ah, well Sarah conveniently forgot my surname in the introductions. My full name is Jareth King."
Karen gasped, and her father's eyes widened in surprise. "I guess that would be it. How did you end up meeting our Sarah?"
"He is the TA of my Business Management class, Daddy. We've been talking before class recently." It wasn't the whole truth, but she didn't need her father worrying about a drinking problem that Jareth didn't have.
"Well, I guess it's a small world," her father mused before finally shaking Jareth's hand. Before she realized what was happening, her father had pulled Jareth and Mark away to talk business. Toby, trying to be "one of the adults" had followed and immediately began fidgeting next to their father. Figuring that she would have a hard time stealing Jareth back, Sarah sat with Karen and Becca and immediately groaned as both women turned their attention to her.
"So Jareth is a friend?" Karen asked almost too casually, the unspoken "just" clearly heard.
Becca scoffed before adding her two cents. "They would be more if she would actually make a move."
"Becca, knock it off. We're just friends. I mean, he is the heir to King Industries, and I am just a college student. What would he see in me?"
Karen smiled and assured her, "Take it from someone a bit older than yourself, I can tell he doesn't see you as just a college student." Before Sarah could argue, Toby made his way over to the table. It was clear that his energy had finally faded. He cuddled up next to his mother and promptly fell asleep. All three women laughed which caught the attention of the men.
Robert smiled at his sleeping son. "I guess that answers how much longer the tyke will hold out." He looked at his wife and added, "And you look as exhausted as he does, Karen."
"That happens when you are eight months pregnant," she joked. "Just leave us here for a bit and we'll be good to go in no time."
Sarah hadn't even thought of the strain a long day at a carnival would put on her stepmother. While Sarah gave her credit for trying to hide it, she was clearly exhausted and uncomfortable. Sarah knew that a quiet night at home would be just what she needed. And with Toby passed out, there would be no tantrums getting him into the car. "As much as I love having you all here, maybe you should head home. That way everyone gets to rest tonight."
"Oh, don't worry about me," Karen argued. "We haven't even treated you to dinner."
Sarah laughed and after a few more minutes of arguing, it was agreed that her family would head out, and Karen could treat her to as many meals as she wanted when Sarah came home the next weekend. Before she could even protest, Jareth had scooped Toby up and was carrying him to her parents' car. He had the kid strapped in without Toby even stirring. How had he gotten that good with children?
After saying her goodbyes to her parents, including a kiss for her soon-to-be-born sibling, she gently shook Toby. He would be mad that they were leaving, but he would be worse if he woke to find that she hadn't said goodbye. "Hey Kiddo," she smiled as he rubbed his eyes sleepily, "Time for you to head home."
At the word home, he quickly focused on his surroundings and whined, "I don't wanna go home! It's not fair."
There was something about the phrase that always pulled at the back of her mind. But she shook off the feeling and focused on her pouting brother. "It does no good to pout, Kiddo, life's not fair. Mom's tired and so are you. Besides, you'll see me next weekend." At that, he perked up. She quickly gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. "I love you Squirt."
She backed away from the car and was surprised to see Jareth and her father still talking. Jareth noticed that she was done saying her goodbyes and nodded towards her. She headed over to the men and caught the last part of the conversation. "Think about my offer Robert," Jareth said causally as he shook her father's hand. Her father assured Jareth he would and gave her another quick hug before getting in the car.
She waved as her parents pulled away before turning to Jareth. "What offer?"
"I simply extended the same job offer I had a few years ago – house counsel for the Northeast Hub." She looked at him confused – her father had never mentioned an offer from King Industries, and he had certainly never mentioned Jareth before.
"He never told me about that or that he had met you."
"Our communication was limited to phone conversations previously, and he declined for family reasons at the time. I made the offer right after Toby was born." That had been terrible timing. Their family issues had been a lot for her father to handle. "Still, he is an excellent attorney, and I let him know that the offer stands."
"With another baby on the way, that may still be bad timing," she reminded him.
"Ah, but there is no spoiled teenage daughter to cause trouble this time."
She punched his shoulder. "Jerk," she teased, knowing full well that he had been provoking her. "Still, that's very generous. Thank you."
"You father is a brilliant attorney, and I was actually quite disappointed that he declined the offer. I am glad I got the opportunity to speak with him about it more."
She saw Becca waving them over and decided to leave the conversation as it was seeing as she really didn't know how to thank him. As she got older, she had became more familiar with her father's work. At a law firm, his hours were never certain, especially being paid by the hour. She had heard the arguments with Karen and knew that they would both be happier if he left the firm. As house counsel to a company like King Industries he would have more control over his time – something that would be precious with two small children.
When they met back up with Becca and Mark, the blonde wasted no time in labeling the rest of the evening a double date and dragging them all back to the Ferris Wheel. There was no line for the ride, and they were immediately shuffled into cars. As she squeezed next to Jareth she sighed, "Sorry about Becca. Once she gets an idea in her head there's no arguing with her. She's convinced that we're a couple."
"And how ever did she come to that conclusion?" he asked smugly.
"It may have something to do with you dropping me off in a Ferrari," she scoffed. There was no way she was mentioning that she told Becca about the kiss.
"I didn't take her as the gossip."
"You haven't spent enough time around her then," she laughed. "The girl thrives off of rumors."
The ride lurched and began to slowly turn. It was just getting dark and the lights on the rides were starting to come on. Something about it seemed magical to her, and she was content to take in the view. When the ride jerked to a stop, they were stuck at the top and would have to wait their turn to exit. Jareth leaned over and pointed towards the food trucks. "Care for dinner?"
She felt the flush on her cheeks from his closeness and prayed that the fading light hid it from him. "Of course. There's nothing better than greasy carnival food."
The rest of the night played out much like a date, though she refused to consider it one. Jareth had treated them all to an assortment of incredibly unhealthy, greasy, and most importantly delicious junk food, and they unwisely followed that up with some of the more intense rides. Mark's stomach protested, and while he luckily didn't lose his dinner, he also refused to go on anymore rides.
That led to the games and the ridiculous contest between Mark and Jareth that resulted in both girls walking away with an armful of stuffed animals. She had to threaten to sew the ridiculous trophies to the backseat of the Ferrari to get Jareth to stop. The glare she received should have been frightening, but she was too amused by how simple it had been to manipulate him. In the end, she'd given away most of her prizes to children at the carnival. The only one she kept was a large orange monster. Something about it was so familiar and comforting that she didn't want to part with it.
When the evening ended, Jareth drove her back to the dorm as Becca had gone home with Mark. When they came to a stop in front of her building, she found that she wasn't sure what to say or do. Today was not supposed to be a date, but it had certainly felt like one. She felt her eyes drop to his lips and she shivered slightly remembering the feel of them. She wanted to kiss him, she realized, and it scared her. "Sarah, I …"
She didn't let him say anything. Instead she leaned over and hugged him. It was more than the quick, friendly hug she had given him before and she felt him stiffen in surprise before he relaxed and hugged her in return. She was the one to pull away. "Goodnight Jareth," she whispered as she slipped from the car. She didn't turn, but she knew that he had waited until she was safe in her dorm before he drove away.