~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You take a lot of chances with your feelings
No one ever really knows what you feel
And fiction is the only way you're dealing
You turn your pretty head when it gets real
You take it so slowly
And your eyes look so lonely
And it's only when you think about me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And his whole attitude was just so arrogant, like he's so sure he's got it. God, this guy is just so... ughh."
Prue was just finishing describing Jack to her sisters. The four of them were all on their lunch hours, at a picnic in Golden Gate Park.
"Maybe he was just trying too hard to make a good impression on you, honey," Paige suggested. "I mean, from what Phoebe and Piper have told me, you have an excellent reputation, not only at Buckland's but at antiques centers all over the city."
"Paige has a point," Phoebe agreed. "It sounds like maybe he was intimidated and overcompansating."
"Wow, Pheebs, it really sounds like being a psych major agrees with you," Piper commented.
Prue shook her head. "I definately don't think that's it, though. You should have seen him after this morning's staff meeting. He was just so full of himself, bragging about how we're going to raise enough money to get Buckland's permanently in the black."
"Okay, or he could just be a world-class jerk," Paige amended.
Prue smiled, and nodded in complete agreement. "Oh yeah. Yeah, I think that's it."
Paige grinned, and popped a potato chip in her mouth.
"So, aside from his attitude problem, what did you think of him?" Phoebe asked. "Is he good? At his job, I mean. Or to look at. Either one would be just fine, really."
Prue threw a chip at her. "I was too busy being repulsed by his amazingly big ego to notice anything else."
"You mean to tell me that the size of his ego prevented you from checking out the size of his... other qualities?" Piper asked suggestively. Paige and Phoebe burst out laughing.
Prue snorted, and looked down, trying not to grin. "Shut up. You don't have to work with the... jackass..."
"Ohh, but maybe we want to," Phoebe replied. She turned to Piper and Paige. "See, by the way Prue's blushing, I'd say that this guy was a major hottie, personality aside."
"He's not that good-looking," Prue protested. Her sisters all raised their eyebrows, clearly not buying it. Prue sighed. "Okay, well maybe he is. Unfortunately, he knows he is, which brings the general appeal factor way down."
"Okay, so maybe he's not exactly boyfriend potential, but he can still be a lustbunny," Paige said. "You know, the kind that are nice to look at, just as long as you don't have to listen, too."
Prue giggled. "I like that idea. I like it a lot."
-x-
When Prue got back to her office, Jack was perched on the edge of her desk. The smile she'd been wearing all through her lunch with her sisters instantly faded as the instant dislike of him she'd felt earlier came rushing back. This time, however, there was another feeling mixed in, an attraction she was actively trying to supress. This task became easier once she realized that he was checking her out, and not for the first time.
"Jack," she greeted coolly.
"Prue," he returned, in a much more cheerful tone. "Have you seen the wand we're supposed to appraise?"
Tanya had showed it to her on her way upstairs. "Yeah. It's very unusual. Any ideas on its origin?"
He shrugged. "A few. I was hoping you would allow me to take you to dinner so we could discuss that, among other things." He looked absolutely certain that she'd say yes.
Prue raised an eyebrow. Was this guy for real? "Are you asking me out on a date?"
He nodded, as if it should be obvious. "Uh, yeah. When should I pick you up?"
"Don't bother," she replied flatly.
He looked shocked, unable to believe that she'd refused him. "Why not?"
"Because..." she struggled. As much as she hated to admit it, a part of her really wanted to go. "Because of two reasons, actually. One, it's not my policy to mix business with pleasure. I've found it can produce some very... awkward.. results, and nasty consequences I just don't want to deal with right now."
"Fair enough," he conceded. "But what's the second reason?"
"I just had a baby," she replied, surprised that this hadn't occured to him as a reason for her refusal.
He looked at her blankly. "And? What, is the father hanging around ready to go all Dawson on you the minute you look at someone else?"
"No, actually, he's not 'hanging around', as you put it," she corrected.
His blank stare persisted. "So then what's the problem? You had a kid, you didn't join a convent."
She rolled her eyes. He just wasn't getting it. "The problem is that I don't exactly have time to for this kind of thing anymore. I can't create a stable home for my daughter if I'm going out with different guys every week."
"You think we'd only last a week?" She sent him a pointed look. He decided to switch tactics. "Okay, but what about you? Don't you get to have any fun? You're too young and too gorgeous to be spending every night at home."
"It's not about me," she protested. "I have a child now, I can't be irresponsible."
"And how is putting some balance in your life irresponsible?" he inquired.
"Because it just is!" she cried, frustrated at his refusal to take no for an answer. "Because Ava needs me to take care of her, because I'm all she has, and damnit, why am I defending myself to you anyway?"
As they were talking, their argument had gotten more and more passionate. Now, in the heat of the moment, he grabbed her, drawing her into an intense, lasting kiss. Neither of them had expected this, but she was much more surprised than he was when she found herself kissing him back.
****************
A/N: Jack seems like a bit of a jerk in this chapter, I know, but I'll make it better soon. I always did like him with Prue. Any other P/J fans?
~from the song "Think About Me" by the Goo-Goo Dolls~
You take a lot of chances with your feelings
No one ever really knows what you feel
And fiction is the only way you're dealing
You turn your pretty head when it gets real
You take it so slowly
And your eyes look so lonely
And it's only when you think about me
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And his whole attitude was just so arrogant, like he's so sure he's got it. God, this guy is just so... ughh."
Prue was just finishing describing Jack to her sisters. The four of them were all on their lunch hours, at a picnic in Golden Gate Park.
"Maybe he was just trying too hard to make a good impression on you, honey," Paige suggested. "I mean, from what Phoebe and Piper have told me, you have an excellent reputation, not only at Buckland's but at antiques centers all over the city."
"Paige has a point," Phoebe agreed. "It sounds like maybe he was intimidated and overcompansating."
"Wow, Pheebs, it really sounds like being a psych major agrees with you," Piper commented.
Prue shook her head. "I definately don't think that's it, though. You should have seen him after this morning's staff meeting. He was just so full of himself, bragging about how we're going to raise enough money to get Buckland's permanently in the black."
"Okay, or he could just be a world-class jerk," Paige amended.
Prue smiled, and nodded in complete agreement. "Oh yeah. Yeah, I think that's it."
Paige grinned, and popped a potato chip in her mouth.
"So, aside from his attitude problem, what did you think of him?" Phoebe asked. "Is he good? At his job, I mean. Or to look at. Either one would be just fine, really."
Prue threw a chip at her. "I was too busy being repulsed by his amazingly big ego to notice anything else."
"You mean to tell me that the size of his ego prevented you from checking out the size of his... other qualities?" Piper asked suggestively. Paige and Phoebe burst out laughing.
Prue snorted, and looked down, trying not to grin. "Shut up. You don't have to work with the... jackass..."
"Ohh, but maybe we want to," Phoebe replied. She turned to Piper and Paige. "See, by the way Prue's blushing, I'd say that this guy was a major hottie, personality aside."
"He's not that good-looking," Prue protested. Her sisters all raised their eyebrows, clearly not buying it. Prue sighed. "Okay, well maybe he is. Unfortunately, he knows he is, which brings the general appeal factor way down."
"Okay, so maybe he's not exactly boyfriend potential, but he can still be a lustbunny," Paige said. "You know, the kind that are nice to look at, just as long as you don't have to listen, too."
Prue giggled. "I like that idea. I like it a lot."
-x-
When Prue got back to her office, Jack was perched on the edge of her desk. The smile she'd been wearing all through her lunch with her sisters instantly faded as the instant dislike of him she'd felt earlier came rushing back. This time, however, there was another feeling mixed in, an attraction she was actively trying to supress. This task became easier once she realized that he was checking her out, and not for the first time.
"Jack," she greeted coolly.
"Prue," he returned, in a much more cheerful tone. "Have you seen the wand we're supposed to appraise?"
Tanya had showed it to her on her way upstairs. "Yeah. It's very unusual. Any ideas on its origin?"
He shrugged. "A few. I was hoping you would allow me to take you to dinner so we could discuss that, among other things." He looked absolutely certain that she'd say yes.
Prue raised an eyebrow. Was this guy for real? "Are you asking me out on a date?"
He nodded, as if it should be obvious. "Uh, yeah. When should I pick you up?"
"Don't bother," she replied flatly.
He looked shocked, unable to believe that she'd refused him. "Why not?"
"Because..." she struggled. As much as she hated to admit it, a part of her really wanted to go. "Because of two reasons, actually. One, it's not my policy to mix business with pleasure. I've found it can produce some very... awkward.. results, and nasty consequences I just don't want to deal with right now."
"Fair enough," he conceded. "But what's the second reason?"
"I just had a baby," she replied, surprised that this hadn't occured to him as a reason for her refusal.
He looked at her blankly. "And? What, is the father hanging around ready to go all Dawson on you the minute you look at someone else?"
"No, actually, he's not 'hanging around', as you put it," she corrected.
His blank stare persisted. "So then what's the problem? You had a kid, you didn't join a convent."
She rolled her eyes. He just wasn't getting it. "The problem is that I don't exactly have time to for this kind of thing anymore. I can't create a stable home for my daughter if I'm going out with different guys every week."
"You think we'd only last a week?" She sent him a pointed look. He decided to switch tactics. "Okay, but what about you? Don't you get to have any fun? You're too young and too gorgeous to be spending every night at home."
"It's not about me," she protested. "I have a child now, I can't be irresponsible."
"And how is putting some balance in your life irresponsible?" he inquired.
"Because it just is!" she cried, frustrated at his refusal to take no for an answer. "Because Ava needs me to take care of her, because I'm all she has, and damnit, why am I defending myself to you anyway?"
As they were talking, their argument had gotten more and more passionate. Now, in the heat of the moment, he grabbed her, drawing her into an intense, lasting kiss. Neither of them had expected this, but she was much more surprised than he was when she found herself kissing him back.
****************
A/N: Jack seems like a bit of a jerk in this chapter, I know, but I'll make it better soon. I always did like him with Prue. Any other P/J fans?
~from the song "Think About Me" by the Goo-Goo Dolls~