"Oh, I am so happy to see you back, Miss Saffron! New York City has been so less lovely in your absence!"
Saff appreciated Akeem's flattery as they drove into the city from JFK Airport, but it seemed a tad over-the-top, even for someone as naturally kind and friendly as him.
"I was only gone a day, Akeem," she said politely. When she saw him glancing back at her in the rearview mirror, she saw that he looked slightly embarrassed, so Saffron added, "But if you say Manhattan missed me, then I absolutely believe it."
She smiled at him then, really glad to see him again. One thing she liked about Akeem: He asked no questions.
Jack, on the other hand, would handle that job in spades, she knew. And she honestly wasn't sure what to tell him.
When the cab pulled up to the apartment building, Akeem hopped out to take Saffron's bags from the taxi's trunk — only there was no luggage to retrieve. Saff had taken nothing with her back home to London, except for her purse.
"Should I go with you, Miss Saffron? To explain to Mister Jack?" Akeem asked.
Saffy knew he was trying to help and she gave him a good hug for it.
"Thanks, Akeem, but I need to do this alone. It's going to be all right."
Akeem flashed her a "fingers crossed" sign for luck before peeling out down the street in his taxi.
"Well, our buddy has left us a brand new set of burnout marks on the street here," a voice said from behind where Saffron stood on the sidewalk. "If he keeps that up, we'll have to spring for a full set of wheels soon so he can earn a living."
Saff swallowed hard, knowing Jack was in a lousy mood already. So finding an easy way to explain herself would be like pulling teeth.
She turned to face him.
"I'm sorry for what happened," she said, forcing herself to keep a stern, strong look on her face. He had the ability to break her down, she knew, and she refused to let it happen. She was wrong, but he should at least hear her out.
"Good," Jack told her. "You should be."
With that, he stalked back into the apartment building. Saffron took a deep breath, set her jaw and strode in after him.
"I just said that I am!" she snapped. "Now, either you'll listen to what I have to say or…"
"Or what?" Jack asked, whipping around to face her. He was clearly furious.
"Or I'll pack up and go back to London," she answered, not entirely bluffing. "I can, you know! My mum was glad to have me back …"
She almost said "home," but thought better of it. London wasn't as much of a home to her now as New York and her flat with Jack.
" … and she didn't even want me to leave!"
This was something of a lie, but Saffron was committed to it now. Edina really didn't want her to go, but knew that her daughter wouldn't be happy without Jack. So she'd taken Saffron to the airport and seen her off, crying the whole way. This time, Saff could tell, her mother's tears were the real thing.
"Your mom?" Jack scoffed. "Wow. That had to be a first."
Saffron was now close enough to Jack to slap the hell out of him. And she did.
"I was a fool to come back here," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. She turned and started to walk away when Jack grabbed her arm.
"Oh, come on, Saff! You disappear for a day, I worry like hell about you and then I'm not supposed to be pissed off? What the hell is that?"
Saffron forced herself to remain calm.
"I just told you we should talk," she said through gritted teeth. "You refuse to listen."
"You gave me an ultimatum," Jack replied, his own jaw clenched in anger. "I don't do well with threats."
They stood looking at one another now, seemingly at an impasse.
"I'll collect my things," Saffron said, her voice nearly a whisper.
"I'll help you," Jack told her.
When they reached their bedroom, Saffron began hurling random garments into her suitcase while Jack sat on the edge of the bed, watching.
"You really think I buy you saying you're going back to London, huh?" Jack said. Saffron was determined not to fight with him no matter what.
She casually tossed a pair of jeans into the suitcase.
"Creases are all gone now," Jack noted. "So that was a win."
Ignoring him, Saff pitched a couple of t-shirts into her luggage. Jack quickly scanned them.
"Hey! That Stones t-shirt is mine!" he snipped petulantly. Saffron yanked it out of the suitcase and whipped it across the room. Jack glowered at her.
Next, she started flipping her bras and panties into the bag.
"No way!" Jack barked. "I bought a bunch of those!"
Saffron couldn't let that pass without remark.
"Well, then," she said icily, "go through them now and take out the ones that fit you best!"
Jack suddenly grabbed the suitcase and dumped its contents on the bed. Saffron stood gaping as he then went to the window, opened it and threw the case itself out.
"You bloody…"
"... bastard, right? That's what you were gonna say, isn't it?" Jack shot back, slamming the window shut.
Saff furiously began gathering up her clothes, tears finally forcing their way into her eyes. Turning to face Jack, she found that he was already standing there, right next to her. He pulled her into his arms.
She tried pushing away at first, but soon buried her face in his chest, crying as if her heart would break. Jack held her tight.
"I told you I'd never be a bastard to you again and now that's all…"
"... out the window?" Saff said, sniffling against his t-shirt.
They looked at one another then, each really studying the other's face. Jack pushed Saffron's hair back from her forehead.
"Yeah," he agreed, his voice a hoarse whisper.
"Like my bag?" she joked, finding the faintest hint of a smile for him.
"Totally," he replied, pulling her back into his arms.
