Erica hadn't understood much of her conversation with Reggie, but she did
manage to establish that Jack had gone to the Valley Inn. And something
about bringing him some sugar. Well Jack would understand that she just
didn't do the cooking thing. She paused as she entered to peek in the box
one more time. A smile spread across her face. It was breathtaking. Jack
was right, he really did know her better than anyone. Snapping it shut, she
rushed forward, her eyes eagerly scanning the room, wanting nothing more
than to fling herself into his arms. Finally, finally she was going to have
everything she had ever wanted. And this time she was never going to let it
go.
Erica froze. Tears sprung to her eyes, her heart plummeted. How could she have believed that she could truly have her heart's desire? Believed that he loved her, and only her. That she could finally prove her father wrong. Jack had dropped a bomb on her, had ripped down the carefully constructed barriers around her heart, had walked out of her office and right into another woman's arms. THAT woman. Defying the tears to fall, Erica spun around and rushed toward the the entrance. She wanted to be far away from here. She wanted to forget what she had seen, what had shattered her heart. And yet her mind was wrapped around that image and refused to let it go. And then she stood still. Something had stopped her flight. Tipping her head up, Erica hissed, "No Mother, I am NOT going back in there!" A few moments later she was still rooted in the same spot. With an exasperated sigh, Erica relented, "Okay, have it your way, But I am not promising to be nice!"
Stalking over to Jack's table, Erica's eyes were full of fury, masking the pain in her heart. Jack's face lit up when he saw her approach. His reaction was not lost on Erica, but she shoved the flicker of hope away quickly. "This is what you call giving me your heart totally and completely?" she spit out, "Well you can keep it!"
Anna rose from her chair, trying to soothe the situation. "Erica," she started, "You don't understand...."
Erica cut her off, turning her rage away from Jack for a moment, "Oh I think I understand perfectly," she snarled, and then turned away from her, leaving no doubt that she had no further interest in Anna. Anna slipped away from the table, sure that neither of them even noticed.
Jack was on his feet now, prepared for battle. "You had no right..." he began. "No right?? I have every right when that she-spy digs her claws into my man!" Erica exploded, advancing on him.
"She's not a spy anymore," Jackson corrected calmly.
"I DON'T CARE!" Erica proclaimed, not so calmly.
"Your man," Jack repeated slowly, with a glint in his eye, placing a hand on each of her shoulders, leaning over until he was looking directly into her eyes.
"Oh no you don't!" Erica demanded, so close to him now she could feel his breath on her cheeks, the intensity in his eyes consuming her. "Don't put this off on me," she charged, "This is about you. You claimed to love me, You asked me to spend my life with you! YOU walked out! And right on to....."
Jack ended the battle in the only way they both could win. He crushed his mouth to hers, pulling her into his arms, leaving no question that she was the only woman he wanted. Erica's mind cried out for her to resist, but her body had other plans. She clung to him, kissing him hungrily, her hands instinctively running through his hair, urging him closer. Releasing her, Jack looked down into Erica's face, his voice husky as he promised her, "Don't you know? You are the only woman for me. Forever."
"Well there is really only one way to be sure," Erica proclaimed. Jack held her gaze, patiently awaiting an explanation. Flipping her hair, Erica pronounced, "I'll just have to marry you." She thrust the ring at him with one hand, and held out her other hand expectantly. Jack was stunned into silence for a moment, and then raising her extended hand to his lips, he knelt before her. Erica was suddenly aware of the attention they were eliciting. She glanced around briefly to confirm that all eyes were indeed on them. But when she turned back to Jack, and looked down into his eyes, everyone else drifted away. She was aware of nothing but the love that shone in his eyes.
"This romantic enough for you?" Jack grinned. As a smile tugged at Erica's lips, Jack spoke from the heart, "You are everything that means anything to me. You are my life. Spend your life with me. Will you marry me Erica?"
His words hit their mark. The shackles fell from around her heart, the last of her defenses crumbling. Her heart was screaming, "YES!" and yet she was silent, so overcome with emotion she couldn't get the words out. Watching anguish spill across Jack's face, Erica nodded enthusiastically as tears of happiness filled her eyes. Finally, she was able to whisper, "Yes, Jack, oh yes!"
His face glowing with happiness, Jack slipped the ring onto her finger, binding them heart to heart and soul to soul, both of them at long last complete.
"Are you going to get up here and kiss me?" Erica teased Jack.
"I was a bit younger the first time I did this, you know," Jack quipped.
"Not to mention the other three times," Erica smiled.
With a growl, Jack pulled on both her hands until she tumbled toward him, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Wrapping his arms around her, "Now," he muttered, "I'm going to kiss you."
Erica froze. Tears sprung to her eyes, her heart plummeted. How could she have believed that she could truly have her heart's desire? Believed that he loved her, and only her. That she could finally prove her father wrong. Jack had dropped a bomb on her, had ripped down the carefully constructed barriers around her heart, had walked out of her office and right into another woman's arms. THAT woman. Defying the tears to fall, Erica spun around and rushed toward the the entrance. She wanted to be far away from here. She wanted to forget what she had seen, what had shattered her heart. And yet her mind was wrapped around that image and refused to let it go. And then she stood still. Something had stopped her flight. Tipping her head up, Erica hissed, "No Mother, I am NOT going back in there!" A few moments later she was still rooted in the same spot. With an exasperated sigh, Erica relented, "Okay, have it your way, But I am not promising to be nice!"
Stalking over to Jack's table, Erica's eyes were full of fury, masking the pain in her heart. Jack's face lit up when he saw her approach. His reaction was not lost on Erica, but she shoved the flicker of hope away quickly. "This is what you call giving me your heart totally and completely?" she spit out, "Well you can keep it!"
Anna rose from her chair, trying to soothe the situation. "Erica," she started, "You don't understand...."
Erica cut her off, turning her rage away from Jack for a moment, "Oh I think I understand perfectly," she snarled, and then turned away from her, leaving no doubt that she had no further interest in Anna. Anna slipped away from the table, sure that neither of them even noticed.
Jack was on his feet now, prepared for battle. "You had no right..." he began. "No right?? I have every right when that she-spy digs her claws into my man!" Erica exploded, advancing on him.
"She's not a spy anymore," Jackson corrected calmly.
"I DON'T CARE!" Erica proclaimed, not so calmly.
"Your man," Jack repeated slowly, with a glint in his eye, placing a hand on each of her shoulders, leaning over until he was looking directly into her eyes.
"Oh no you don't!" Erica demanded, so close to him now she could feel his breath on her cheeks, the intensity in his eyes consuming her. "Don't put this off on me," she charged, "This is about you. You claimed to love me, You asked me to spend my life with you! YOU walked out! And right on to....."
Jack ended the battle in the only way they both could win. He crushed his mouth to hers, pulling her into his arms, leaving no question that she was the only woman he wanted. Erica's mind cried out for her to resist, but her body had other plans. She clung to him, kissing him hungrily, her hands instinctively running through his hair, urging him closer. Releasing her, Jack looked down into Erica's face, his voice husky as he promised her, "Don't you know? You are the only woman for me. Forever."
"Well there is really only one way to be sure," Erica proclaimed. Jack held her gaze, patiently awaiting an explanation. Flipping her hair, Erica pronounced, "I'll just have to marry you." She thrust the ring at him with one hand, and held out her other hand expectantly. Jack was stunned into silence for a moment, and then raising her extended hand to his lips, he knelt before her. Erica was suddenly aware of the attention they were eliciting. She glanced around briefly to confirm that all eyes were indeed on them. But when she turned back to Jack, and looked down into his eyes, everyone else drifted away. She was aware of nothing but the love that shone in his eyes.
"This romantic enough for you?" Jack grinned. As a smile tugged at Erica's lips, Jack spoke from the heart, "You are everything that means anything to me. You are my life. Spend your life with me. Will you marry me Erica?"
His words hit their mark. The shackles fell from around her heart, the last of her defenses crumbling. Her heart was screaming, "YES!" and yet she was silent, so overcome with emotion she couldn't get the words out. Watching anguish spill across Jack's face, Erica nodded enthusiastically as tears of happiness filled her eyes. Finally, she was able to whisper, "Yes, Jack, oh yes!"
His face glowing with happiness, Jack slipped the ring onto her finger, binding them heart to heart and soul to soul, both of them at long last complete.
"Are you going to get up here and kiss me?" Erica teased Jack.
"I was a bit younger the first time I did this, you know," Jack quipped.
"Not to mention the other three times," Erica smiled.
With a growl, Jack pulled on both her hands until she tumbled toward him, her eyes sparkling with laughter. Wrapping his arms around her, "Now," he muttered, "I'm going to kiss you."