Okay, enjoy this guys, might be the last chapter for a while. Not entirely
sure what I'm doing with this, but hey, neither do any of you, lol, well
duh. Also, I get millions of reviews for this, which I absolutely love, but
I wonder if you guys have read Escape, No gift, No Santa Clause, No
Mistletoe and Mission Impossible cause they get fewer review and at the
moment I think No gift and Escape are much better than this. Anyway, just
wondered if you guys read them, if you do please review, if you don't you'd
probably like them. On with the show.
Chapter Twenty-one
The dress itself was simple, no frills or fancy cuttings or layers. It was black though and Irina knew black set Jack off worse than any other colour. That was why she chose it. It had two black straps over each shoulder, thin and elegant, leading down to the back of the dress where it began just below the shoulder blades. There was a thick bronze-gold stripe running from her waist to the bottom of the dress on the opposite side, it didn't stand out but it added to the shape. The neck was low, cutting down low enough to look good but not too low and the material was clingy.
Too clingy in Jack's opinion, it showed off her body perfectly, better than anything he ever remembered her wearing. It clung to her hips and stretched across her abdomen and chest, fitting her like a second skin in places and flowing down her legs to the middle of her calves.
Vaughn was impressed, so was Sydney who had taken a seat next to her temporary husband and was wide eyed and looking at her mother with something mixed between admiration and pride. Dullard clapped his hands together, circling Irina who was reacting with a tinge of red and her head down. Whether this was acting or real, no one could quite be sure. She kept her eyes to the ground, feeling at the silk and listening intently to the compliments she was getting.
"Perfect, this dress was made for you," Dullard spoke, his hands still clasped and his head ducking and weaving to get the angles of vision right. "I've never seen anyone look as good as you and your daughter. Such natural beauty, but this dress..." he trailed off, sighing.
"You look great mom," Sydney commented, sincere though trying to make it look like this was simply the reaction she expected her alter ego to have. "We have to buy it." Irina nodded, letting her eye glimpse at Jack.
Vaughn nodded, "He's right, it is very nice." Irina grinned, three good reviews, but still Jack said nothing and she refused to look at him. An uncomfortable silence followed, spanning only a few seconds as everyone waited for Jack's response, Dullard growing impatient and almost suspicious of the man's decision not to speak.
Seeing he was rousing suspicion, Jack decided he either spoke or risked ruining the operation, he planned on a monotone comment that presented itself as though he was undecided but unable to stop himself he said something quite aside from undecided, "Stunning, honey, absolutely stunning." This brought a grin to both the owner of the shop and Irina who knew perfectly well he wasn't acting and a look of complete shock to Vaughn and Sydney's face. Jack glared momentarily at himself in the mirror. "We must get it."
Irina grinned at him, looking up at him and cocking her head and deciding to play with him, knowing she had the upper hand, "You're sure it isn't too tight?"
Jack would have glared had Dullard's eyes not been glued to him, instead he smiled, "No, I think it's perfect."
He thought he was out of the woods, his compliment should have earned him Irina's silence, but she appeared far too enthralled at his behaviour as Chris Pearson to stop now, "I don't know," she told him, "Do I have the right shoes?"
Jack stared at her a minute, catching the difficult grin she was throwing him and narrowed his eyes, "I'm sure if we don't I can buy you some." Dullard's face lifted.
But Irina still looked unsure, "I don't know, it's very tight around the legs," she motioned to the top halves of her thighs and Jack wondered where she was going. Then she told him, "I'm not sure it would be much use for dancing."
Jack looked at her shocked at what she was obviously asking him to do, she grinned at him and then turned to Dullard who was still maintaining his ethereal smile, "We dance a lot and any dress that I can't dance in would be totally useless."
He grinned and nodded, "I'm sure it will be fine." He promised.
Irina smiled at him, "Still, I want to be sure," she held a hand out to Jack whose eyes lowered to the ground as he tried to gain some more control, the woman truly was trying to win here and he was doubtful she could do it. Still, god knew what would happen should he find himself dancing with her. Irina cocked her head at her husband's hesitance. "Come on, I have to be sure." It was a plea to everyone else but Jack saw it as the tease it was, he glared at her before grabbing her hand roughly and pulling himself up.
It was no longer a problem for her to meet his eyes as there was no way of avoiding them, they were directly in front of her own, "What do you propose we do?" he asked, anger and passion bordering his voice only enough that she would notice.
She grinned, her calm exterior still unwavering despite the fact that inside she'd just melted, "I don't mind, you're the man. Lead." The last word was powerful, god knew why, but it was and it urged him to keep going with the battle, not to just give up and move away.
So he did.
The remaining three watching on: Dullard thinking them simply a passionate couple fueled by money while Vaughn and Sydney once again glimpsed a peek into the tension and passion that still obviously still existed.
Jack grasped her waist with his remaining left hand, the other still holding her as he tried, unsuccessfully, to relax into a position he hadn't been in in twenty years. He moved three steps, slow as he stared at her, defenses down but only revealing anger and passion on his part and amusement and teasing on hers. He got sick of the movement and pushed her away, thankful for the air as she twisted quickly and expertly, twirling three times before stopping a meter from him, their arms stretched but their hands still together, her body swinging in to land, her back against his chest, her arm crossing her own chest to hold onto his other hand, her entire body pressed against his made her delirious and soon both hands were dropped and she stepped back, grinning at him as he couldn't help but smirk, knowing that she'd dropped his hands and not the other way around.
"You are good dancers," Dullard commented, slightly thrown by the unreadable looks the couple was throwing, "And the dress is perfect." Irina nodded, agreeing with Jack as his own head bobbed up and down, unable to stop himself. He continued to smirk, aware he was under the scrutiny of both women.
"I still have two to try on," Irina commented, raising Sydney to her feet. "We'll go and change."
She winked at Dullard who smiled at Jack, "You are a very lucky man, my friend."
Jack stared at him before finding his voice, "You have no idea."
The following dresses had been nice but not as nice as the first two which they purchased, Vaughn ending up with the large blue bag that carried Sydney's and Jack with Irina's. Once out on the streets that continued to the following two shops, 'Fruit' and 'Blue Frame'. Neither shop offered much in the way of dresses but Sydney did find a lovely pair of jeans that Vaughn knew could have been found for a tenth the price elsewhere along with a white top and a handbag. Irina bought herself a hat and a belt, but took little notice in the dresses, content to just watch her daughter as she tried the clothing on.
Vaughn continued to gain confidence with Sydney, ending up walking with her in the front, hands clasped as they talked about the people and environment they found themselves in, knowing that eventually they would have to talk about how to deal with their new found addiction but silently deciding to ignore it and pretend they truly were careless until later on.
Behind them, Jack walked beside Irina, head down, cursing himself for being so daft as to dance with her, but still proud to have thrown her before she could throw him. She was, he noticed, glancing up at him every few seconds, trying to work something out, obviously confused over something and at the same time, still with the smug amusement she always seemed to have.
He eventually got sick of her glancing up at him and said, his voice level, "Irina, whatever it is, I would appreciate it if you would drop it or say it out loud," his voice was hushed so Sydney and Vaughn couldn't hear, "Either way, just stop with the little glances."
She grinned and he glared back, "It's nothing."
That aggravated him and straight away he knew that she was trying to get him to ask her again. He put it off for a few minutes, staring at the pavement as they walked, but eventually gave up, "What is it?" his voice was still hushed but harsh at the same time as he became angry at himself for not being able to ignore her.
She sighed, "I'm shocked," He stared at her, sick of the riddles. "By you."
"Why?" he asked curtly, "What is so shocking about me?"
She smiled, "Many things, but I'm quite amazed that you are happy to see Sydney and Vaughn now an item." She stopped, watching him as they continued to walk, the two in front oblivious to their talk.
Jack was shocked that she had found out that he was happy for his daughter, he had been sure he was hiding it better than most other things, so he tried to deny it, "I'm not."
Irina shook her head, sending tendrils of hair flying, "No, you are."
"Do not presume to know me," Jack told her, "I am most unimpressed that Agent Vaughn decided to tell her."
"Ahhhh, but you told him to," Irina paused, "Remember?" He smiled a little before quickly hiding it, "Is it just that you are happy to see Sydney happy or are you glad it is Agent Vaughn."
He glared at her a moment, a tram rushing past, crammed with people reading the paper in suits. "Agent Vaughn is a lot better than the other possibilities," it was an indifferent answer that revealed no real answer to her question so she just continued to stare at him, not opening her mouth with a response, then he relented, "
I think both really."
She grinned in triumph before continuing, "You like Agent Vaughn," she paused, "Don't you?"
Read and review, I'm rushing to update everything so this isn't proofed at all, this might be my last update for a while because I get my school books today and I have to study them before going back in a few weeks, anyway, hoped you liked it. Not my best, but okay, I guess.
Chapter Twenty-one
The dress itself was simple, no frills or fancy cuttings or layers. It was black though and Irina knew black set Jack off worse than any other colour. That was why she chose it. It had two black straps over each shoulder, thin and elegant, leading down to the back of the dress where it began just below the shoulder blades. There was a thick bronze-gold stripe running from her waist to the bottom of the dress on the opposite side, it didn't stand out but it added to the shape. The neck was low, cutting down low enough to look good but not too low and the material was clingy.
Too clingy in Jack's opinion, it showed off her body perfectly, better than anything he ever remembered her wearing. It clung to her hips and stretched across her abdomen and chest, fitting her like a second skin in places and flowing down her legs to the middle of her calves.
Vaughn was impressed, so was Sydney who had taken a seat next to her temporary husband and was wide eyed and looking at her mother with something mixed between admiration and pride. Dullard clapped his hands together, circling Irina who was reacting with a tinge of red and her head down. Whether this was acting or real, no one could quite be sure. She kept her eyes to the ground, feeling at the silk and listening intently to the compliments she was getting.
"Perfect, this dress was made for you," Dullard spoke, his hands still clasped and his head ducking and weaving to get the angles of vision right. "I've never seen anyone look as good as you and your daughter. Such natural beauty, but this dress..." he trailed off, sighing.
"You look great mom," Sydney commented, sincere though trying to make it look like this was simply the reaction she expected her alter ego to have. "We have to buy it." Irina nodded, letting her eye glimpse at Jack.
Vaughn nodded, "He's right, it is very nice." Irina grinned, three good reviews, but still Jack said nothing and she refused to look at him. An uncomfortable silence followed, spanning only a few seconds as everyone waited for Jack's response, Dullard growing impatient and almost suspicious of the man's decision not to speak.
Seeing he was rousing suspicion, Jack decided he either spoke or risked ruining the operation, he planned on a monotone comment that presented itself as though he was undecided but unable to stop himself he said something quite aside from undecided, "Stunning, honey, absolutely stunning." This brought a grin to both the owner of the shop and Irina who knew perfectly well he wasn't acting and a look of complete shock to Vaughn and Sydney's face. Jack glared momentarily at himself in the mirror. "We must get it."
Irina grinned at him, looking up at him and cocking her head and deciding to play with him, knowing she had the upper hand, "You're sure it isn't too tight?"
Jack would have glared had Dullard's eyes not been glued to him, instead he smiled, "No, I think it's perfect."
He thought he was out of the woods, his compliment should have earned him Irina's silence, but she appeared far too enthralled at his behaviour as Chris Pearson to stop now, "I don't know," she told him, "Do I have the right shoes?"
Jack stared at her a minute, catching the difficult grin she was throwing him and narrowed his eyes, "I'm sure if we don't I can buy you some." Dullard's face lifted.
But Irina still looked unsure, "I don't know, it's very tight around the legs," she motioned to the top halves of her thighs and Jack wondered where she was going. Then she told him, "I'm not sure it would be much use for dancing."
Jack looked at her shocked at what she was obviously asking him to do, she grinned at him and then turned to Dullard who was still maintaining his ethereal smile, "We dance a lot and any dress that I can't dance in would be totally useless."
He grinned and nodded, "I'm sure it will be fine." He promised.
Irina smiled at him, "Still, I want to be sure," she held a hand out to Jack whose eyes lowered to the ground as he tried to gain some more control, the woman truly was trying to win here and he was doubtful she could do it. Still, god knew what would happen should he find himself dancing with her. Irina cocked her head at her husband's hesitance. "Come on, I have to be sure." It was a plea to everyone else but Jack saw it as the tease it was, he glared at her before grabbing her hand roughly and pulling himself up.
It was no longer a problem for her to meet his eyes as there was no way of avoiding them, they were directly in front of her own, "What do you propose we do?" he asked, anger and passion bordering his voice only enough that she would notice.
She grinned, her calm exterior still unwavering despite the fact that inside she'd just melted, "I don't mind, you're the man. Lead." The last word was powerful, god knew why, but it was and it urged him to keep going with the battle, not to just give up and move away.
So he did.
The remaining three watching on: Dullard thinking them simply a passionate couple fueled by money while Vaughn and Sydney once again glimpsed a peek into the tension and passion that still obviously still existed.
Jack grasped her waist with his remaining left hand, the other still holding her as he tried, unsuccessfully, to relax into a position he hadn't been in in twenty years. He moved three steps, slow as he stared at her, defenses down but only revealing anger and passion on his part and amusement and teasing on hers. He got sick of the movement and pushed her away, thankful for the air as she twisted quickly and expertly, twirling three times before stopping a meter from him, their arms stretched but their hands still together, her body swinging in to land, her back against his chest, her arm crossing her own chest to hold onto his other hand, her entire body pressed against his made her delirious and soon both hands were dropped and she stepped back, grinning at him as he couldn't help but smirk, knowing that she'd dropped his hands and not the other way around.
"You are good dancers," Dullard commented, slightly thrown by the unreadable looks the couple was throwing, "And the dress is perfect." Irina nodded, agreeing with Jack as his own head bobbed up and down, unable to stop himself. He continued to smirk, aware he was under the scrutiny of both women.
"I still have two to try on," Irina commented, raising Sydney to her feet. "We'll go and change."
She winked at Dullard who smiled at Jack, "You are a very lucky man, my friend."
Jack stared at him before finding his voice, "You have no idea."
The following dresses had been nice but not as nice as the first two which they purchased, Vaughn ending up with the large blue bag that carried Sydney's and Jack with Irina's. Once out on the streets that continued to the following two shops, 'Fruit' and 'Blue Frame'. Neither shop offered much in the way of dresses but Sydney did find a lovely pair of jeans that Vaughn knew could have been found for a tenth the price elsewhere along with a white top and a handbag. Irina bought herself a hat and a belt, but took little notice in the dresses, content to just watch her daughter as she tried the clothing on.
Vaughn continued to gain confidence with Sydney, ending up walking with her in the front, hands clasped as they talked about the people and environment they found themselves in, knowing that eventually they would have to talk about how to deal with their new found addiction but silently deciding to ignore it and pretend they truly were careless until later on.
Behind them, Jack walked beside Irina, head down, cursing himself for being so daft as to dance with her, but still proud to have thrown her before she could throw him. She was, he noticed, glancing up at him every few seconds, trying to work something out, obviously confused over something and at the same time, still with the smug amusement she always seemed to have.
He eventually got sick of her glancing up at him and said, his voice level, "Irina, whatever it is, I would appreciate it if you would drop it or say it out loud," his voice was hushed so Sydney and Vaughn couldn't hear, "Either way, just stop with the little glances."
She grinned and he glared back, "It's nothing."
That aggravated him and straight away he knew that she was trying to get him to ask her again. He put it off for a few minutes, staring at the pavement as they walked, but eventually gave up, "What is it?" his voice was still hushed but harsh at the same time as he became angry at himself for not being able to ignore her.
She sighed, "I'm shocked," He stared at her, sick of the riddles. "By you."
"Why?" he asked curtly, "What is so shocking about me?"
She smiled, "Many things, but I'm quite amazed that you are happy to see Sydney and Vaughn now an item." She stopped, watching him as they continued to walk, the two in front oblivious to their talk.
Jack was shocked that she had found out that he was happy for his daughter, he had been sure he was hiding it better than most other things, so he tried to deny it, "I'm not."
Irina shook her head, sending tendrils of hair flying, "No, you are."
"Do not presume to know me," Jack told her, "I am most unimpressed that Agent Vaughn decided to tell her."
"Ahhhh, but you told him to," Irina paused, "Remember?" He smiled a little before quickly hiding it, "Is it just that you are happy to see Sydney happy or are you glad it is Agent Vaughn."
He glared at her a moment, a tram rushing past, crammed with people reading the paper in suits. "Agent Vaughn is a lot better than the other possibilities," it was an indifferent answer that revealed no real answer to her question so she just continued to stare at him, not opening her mouth with a response, then he relented, "
I think both really."
She grinned in triumph before continuing, "You like Agent Vaughn," she paused, "Don't you?"
Read and review, I'm rushing to update everything so this isn't proofed at all, this might be my last update for a while because I get my school books today and I have to study them before going back in a few weeks, anyway, hoped you liked it. Not my best, but okay, I guess.