The next morning, Jack was awakened by the insistent buzzing of the
delivery men with Hannah's and Kate's furniture. Glaring at the digital
clock on his bedside table, Jack hoisted himself out of bed and ran his
fingers through his messy hair. It was nine o'clock. He cupped his hand
over his mouth and breathed into his hand, almost gagging at the smell that
immediately enveloped him. Stepping into the bathroom, Jack swished some
Scope around and spit, rubbing at his face with the heels of his hands.
Jack stumbled over to the door, buzzing the delivery men up into his apartment. After giving them some general direction as to how the room was to be laid out, Jack disappeared into the small kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Collapsing into a chair, Jack put his head into his hands and tried to ignore the incessant bumps and thumps coming from the adjacent room, where they were attempting to bunk the girls' beds. Jack knew that his daughters probably wouldn't be too happy about bunking, but there was no way they'd be able to fit two beds, two dresses, and two desks into that small room otherwise. As it was, one of their desks had to go into the living room already. Another crash from the room next door. Jack winced and poured himself a cup of coffee in an old chipped mug, when suddenly the phone rang.
"Malone," he answered, mechanically.
"Jack?" The line crackled with the smallest bit of static. At the sound of that voice so familiar, yet so forgotten, Jack's brain crackled with some static, too. "Jack, it's Samantha."
Without a word, Jack fell back into his chair, stunned.
"Are you there, Jack?" Samantha asked, the tiniest hint of desperation in her voice, undetectable to Jack.
"Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm here," Jack answered, obvious surprise brimming in his voice. "I'm just, uh, surprised to hear from you, Sam. How've you been?" He couldn't stop the small smile that was threatening to break out onto his face, nor the butterflies that began fluttering around his insides.
"I'm good, Jack. How have you been?" There was an almost uncomfortable pause between her statements, as if she was weighing her words carefully.
"Things have been a little hectic around here lately," Jack said, with absolutely no desire to get into the Maria-children saga he was currently suffering through. "But, uh, what's up? Why did you call?" he asked, curiosity finally sinking in.
"Well, I'm in town for a few days, making sure everything is set with the hall and the synagogue," Samantha explained.
"Synagogue?" Jack asked, rubbing his temples. "You're not Jewish!" he exclaimed, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, I know," Samantha said shortly. "But I-I love him, so I guess I really don't mind, and he's not a very religious man, so it's just for the wedding, and—"
"Sam!" Jack finally cut in, stopping her runaway train of thought. "It's ok. I was just asking," he finished, a smile still on his lips. He cracked the kitchen door, peeking in to make sure that the movers weren't having any problems, as he hadn't heard any crashes or curse words in several minutes. Satisfied, Jack returned to his chair and took a sip of his coffee.
"Well, the reason I'm calling is because I was wondering if you wanted to do lunch today," Samantha finally said, cutting straight to the chase.
Her request almost sounded defensive, Jack mused. He glanced at the clock on the microwave and saw that it was quarter after ten. He realized that he still had to shower sometime after the movers finished which would probably be soon, considering the lack of noise coming from the other room.
"We could do lunch," Jack said, trying to sound as casual and unenthused as possible. "You wanna meet up at noon?"
"Sounds great," Samantha said, she, too, trying to sound indifferent. "Uh, where should I meet you?" she asked.
"You have to ask?" Jack said, a mock tone of surprise in his voice. "Meet me at Nancy's," he replied, referring to their old meeting place.
"O-okay," Samantha replied, trying not to sound flustered. She hadn't been expecting that.
"Great," Jack answered, signing the form that one of the delivery men had given him. "Thank you," Jack said to him, showing them to the door. "By the way, Sam," Jack began, peeking into the bedroom and nodding with approval when he saw the setup. "How did you know to call me at home?" he asked, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice.
"I, uh, already called the office," Samantha confessed. "Vivian told me you took the week off," she replied.
"Oh," Jack replied, smiling. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then," he said, stepping back into the kitchen to finish his coffee before he showered.
"Yeah, I'll see you at noon," Samantha said before hanging up, leaving Jack with a whole new situation to deal with.
"As if my plate wasn't already full enough," Jack said to his coffee mug, shaking his head. "She probably just needs closure before marrying Mister Body Part," Jack said aloud, trying to snuff out the small flame he felt burning in the pit of his stomach. Finishing his coffee with a brisk swallow, Jack set his mug down with such force on the old table top that it shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving just the handle in his hand.
Jack stumbled over to the door, buzzing the delivery men up into his apartment. After giving them some general direction as to how the room was to be laid out, Jack disappeared into the small kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. Collapsing into a chair, Jack put his head into his hands and tried to ignore the incessant bumps and thumps coming from the adjacent room, where they were attempting to bunk the girls' beds. Jack knew that his daughters probably wouldn't be too happy about bunking, but there was no way they'd be able to fit two beds, two dresses, and two desks into that small room otherwise. As it was, one of their desks had to go into the living room already. Another crash from the room next door. Jack winced and poured himself a cup of coffee in an old chipped mug, when suddenly the phone rang.
"Malone," he answered, mechanically.
"Jack?" The line crackled with the smallest bit of static. At the sound of that voice so familiar, yet so forgotten, Jack's brain crackled with some static, too. "Jack, it's Samantha."
Without a word, Jack fell back into his chair, stunned.
"Are you there, Jack?" Samantha asked, the tiniest hint of desperation in her voice, undetectable to Jack.
"Uh, yeah, yeah. I'm here," Jack answered, obvious surprise brimming in his voice. "I'm just, uh, surprised to hear from you, Sam. How've you been?" He couldn't stop the small smile that was threatening to break out onto his face, nor the butterflies that began fluttering around his insides.
"I'm good, Jack. How have you been?" There was an almost uncomfortable pause between her statements, as if she was weighing her words carefully.
"Things have been a little hectic around here lately," Jack said, with absolutely no desire to get into the Maria-children saga he was currently suffering through. "But, uh, what's up? Why did you call?" he asked, curiosity finally sinking in.
"Well, I'm in town for a few days, making sure everything is set with the hall and the synagogue," Samantha explained.
"Synagogue?" Jack asked, rubbing his temples. "You're not Jewish!" he exclaimed, trying not to laugh.
"Yeah, I know," Samantha said shortly. "But I-I love him, so I guess I really don't mind, and he's not a very religious man, so it's just for the wedding, and—"
"Sam!" Jack finally cut in, stopping her runaway train of thought. "It's ok. I was just asking," he finished, a smile still on his lips. He cracked the kitchen door, peeking in to make sure that the movers weren't having any problems, as he hadn't heard any crashes or curse words in several minutes. Satisfied, Jack returned to his chair and took a sip of his coffee.
"Well, the reason I'm calling is because I was wondering if you wanted to do lunch today," Samantha finally said, cutting straight to the chase.
Her request almost sounded defensive, Jack mused. He glanced at the clock on the microwave and saw that it was quarter after ten. He realized that he still had to shower sometime after the movers finished which would probably be soon, considering the lack of noise coming from the other room.
"We could do lunch," Jack said, trying to sound as casual and unenthused as possible. "You wanna meet up at noon?"
"Sounds great," Samantha said, she, too, trying to sound indifferent. "Uh, where should I meet you?" she asked.
"You have to ask?" Jack said, a mock tone of surprise in his voice. "Meet me at Nancy's," he replied, referring to their old meeting place.
"O-okay," Samantha replied, trying not to sound flustered. She hadn't been expecting that.
"Great," Jack answered, signing the form that one of the delivery men had given him. "Thank you," Jack said to him, showing them to the door. "By the way, Sam," Jack began, peeking into the bedroom and nodding with approval when he saw the setup. "How did you know to call me at home?" he asked, a hint of amusement creeping into his voice.
"I, uh, already called the office," Samantha confessed. "Vivian told me you took the week off," she replied.
"Oh," Jack replied, smiling. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then," he said, stepping back into the kitchen to finish his coffee before he showered.
"Yeah, I'll see you at noon," Samantha said before hanging up, leaving Jack with a whole new situation to deal with.
"As if my plate wasn't already full enough," Jack said to his coffee mug, shaking his head. "She probably just needs closure before marrying Mister Body Part," Jack said aloud, trying to snuff out the small flame he felt burning in the pit of his stomach. Finishing his coffee with a brisk swallow, Jack set his mug down with such force on the old table top that it shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving just the handle in his hand.