Sam didn't have Jack's company while she pulled out the cake recipe she'd printed from the Internet, but she had Jaffer's complete attention, and that was almost harder to ignore than Jack was. Jaffer had no problem sitting on the floor right at the edge of the kitchen and staring at her, waiting for something to fall on the floor for him. Sam would frequently look over as she measured ingredients, and his cheerful brown eyes were constantly on her. Jaffer was a lot like Jack in that respect, although his reasons for constantly watching her were a little different than Jack's. At least at that particular moment.
"Maybe Shawn would like to come keep us company?" Sam asked Jaffer as she put the cake into the oven. "Jack wouldn't mind Shawn coming over."
"Shawn's going to come over this weekend."
Jack's voice came from the hallway, and Sam almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn't heard the shower turn off, much less the bathroom door open.
"What?"
Yeah, that's it. Stall and pretend that you hadn't thought about inviting more company over. Jack smiled.
"He's coming over this weekend. He insisted we have to have a real birthday party, and that if we didn't he was going to have Dotty zap me with her death ray eyes."
"Dotty doesn't have death ray eyes."
Jack nodded, "I know. But he pouted and whined enough that I finally agreed." Yeah, like he'd tell Shawn no. Sam knew better.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked him, scowling. "I thought you didn't want to do anything for your birthday, and here I find out you're going to have a huge party this weekend!"
"You didn't ask what I was doing this weekend, Sam," Jack said, reasonably. "You asked what I was doing tonight. My birthday. Which is nothing. And I'm not having a huge party this weekend."
"You lied."
"I did not."
"Yes, you did."
"I did not. I wanted to have a quiet evening at home, and that's what I'm having."
She wasn't sure if she should be mad or not. He was right; she had asked him if he wanted a party, he had told her he wanted to spend the night at home. He hadn't said he wasn't going to have a party, he'd just said he didn't want to have any company that night. He'd wanted to spend the time alone. With her, if she was interested. Which of course, she had been. But then she wondered if she'd horned in on what he might have wanted to be a completely quiet night. Just him and Jaffer. Maybe she'd invited herself to his house when he'd wanted to be alone?
He watched her, waiting for her to think things through, and hoping she wasn't going to blow up at him. For one thing, he hated it when she was mad at him. For another, it would completely ruin his night if Sam walked out of the house. He decided to stop her before she could make it that far in her deliberations.
"Sam, I'm sorry. I didn't want it to be a big deal. I just wanted to spend some quiet time, and I thought my birthday would be a good day to ask for it."
"Did you want me to come over?"
He actually looked surprised at the question, which told Sam the answer before he even opened his mouth.
"Of course I did." He scowled. "I can't believe you even have to ask me that."
She shrugged, and Jack pulled her into his arms, guiding her head to his shoulder.
"Sam... no matter what I say, or do, I love having you with me. Even if I'm feeling completely anti-social, I'd still want you with me..."
"Really?"
He nodded, and hugged her close.
"Silly woman. You complete me. How could I not want you close?"
Now she felt like crying. God, when he was romantic and sweet like that, she was thrown completely off balance. She was more used to the tough guy image, even though she knew it was just that; an image.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Just don't be mad."
"I'm not mad."
He turned his head and nuzzled her bare neck with gentle lips, and Sam shivered at the touch.
There was a snort from below them, and both of them looked down and saw Jaffer looking up the two of them, his tail wagging idly, and his cheerful brown eyes going back and forth between the two of them. Jack realized he had something in his mouth, and scowled, fairly certain he knew what it was.
"No. Go put that back."
Jaffer ignored him, his tail still wagging.
"I mean it."
"What does he have?" Sam asked, letting go of Jack and kneeling down beside Jaffer. She didn't see anything in his mouth, but it was obvious there was something there, just by the way his jaw was set. She tried to pry it out of his mouth, getting drool all over her fingers, but unable to even get hold of whatever it was. "Jaffer, drop it."
Yeah, that worked for Jack, but not for Sam. Jaffer's tail wagged, but his jaw was set tight, and whatever it was in his mouth, it was apparent that he wasn't going to drop it for Sam.
Jack sighed, and shook his head. Crazy dog was setting his own timetable, apparently. Ah well.
"Jaffer, drop it."
A small box fell into Sam's hand, and although it was absolutely drenched with slobber, there was no denying what it was. She gasped, despite herself, and looked up at Jack, who had a completely unreadable expression on his face.
"Open it, Sam."
"Maybe Shawn would like to come keep us company?" Sam asked Jaffer as she put the cake into the oven. "Jack wouldn't mind Shawn coming over."
"Shawn's going to come over this weekend."
Jack's voice came from the hallway, and Sam almost jumped out of her skin. She hadn't heard the shower turn off, much less the bathroom door open.
"What?"
Yeah, that's it. Stall and pretend that you hadn't thought about inviting more company over. Jack smiled.
"He's coming over this weekend. He insisted we have to have a real birthday party, and that if we didn't he was going to have Dotty zap me with her death ray eyes."
"Dotty doesn't have death ray eyes."
Jack nodded, "I know. But he pouted and whined enough that I finally agreed." Yeah, like he'd tell Shawn no. Sam knew better.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Sam asked him, scowling. "I thought you didn't want to do anything for your birthday, and here I find out you're going to have a huge party this weekend!"
"You didn't ask what I was doing this weekend, Sam," Jack said, reasonably. "You asked what I was doing tonight. My birthday. Which is nothing. And I'm not having a huge party this weekend."
"You lied."
"I did not."
"Yes, you did."
"I did not. I wanted to have a quiet evening at home, and that's what I'm having."
She wasn't sure if she should be mad or not. He was right; she had asked him if he wanted a party, he had told her he wanted to spend the night at home. He hadn't said he wasn't going to have a party, he'd just said he didn't want to have any company that night. He'd wanted to spend the time alone. With her, if she was interested. Which of course, she had been. But then she wondered if she'd horned in on what he might have wanted to be a completely quiet night. Just him and Jaffer. Maybe she'd invited herself to his house when he'd wanted to be alone?
He watched her, waiting for her to think things through, and hoping she wasn't going to blow up at him. For one thing, he hated it when she was mad at him. For another, it would completely ruin his night if Sam walked out of the house. He decided to stop her before she could make it that far in her deliberations.
"Sam, I'm sorry. I didn't want it to be a big deal. I just wanted to spend some quiet time, and I thought my birthday would be a good day to ask for it."
"Did you want me to come over?"
He actually looked surprised at the question, which told Sam the answer before he even opened his mouth.
"Of course I did." He scowled. "I can't believe you even have to ask me that."
She shrugged, and Jack pulled her into his arms, guiding her head to his shoulder.
"Sam... no matter what I say, or do, I love having you with me. Even if I'm feeling completely anti-social, I'd still want you with me..."
"Really?"
He nodded, and hugged her close.
"Silly woman. You complete me. How could I not want you close?"
Now she felt like crying. God, when he was romantic and sweet like that, she was thrown completely off balance. She was more used to the tough guy image, even though she knew it was just that; an image.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Just don't be mad."
"I'm not mad."
He turned his head and nuzzled her bare neck with gentle lips, and Sam shivered at the touch.
There was a snort from below them, and both of them looked down and saw Jaffer looking up the two of them, his tail wagging idly, and his cheerful brown eyes going back and forth between the two of them. Jack realized he had something in his mouth, and scowled, fairly certain he knew what it was.
"No. Go put that back."
Jaffer ignored him, his tail still wagging.
"I mean it."
"What does he have?" Sam asked, letting go of Jack and kneeling down beside Jaffer. She didn't see anything in his mouth, but it was obvious there was something there, just by the way his jaw was set. She tried to pry it out of his mouth, getting drool all over her fingers, but unable to even get hold of whatever it was. "Jaffer, drop it."
Yeah, that worked for Jack, but not for Sam. Jaffer's tail wagged, but his jaw was set tight, and whatever it was in his mouth, it was apparent that he wasn't going to drop it for Sam.
Jack sighed, and shook his head. Crazy dog was setting his own timetable, apparently. Ah well.
"Jaffer, drop it."
A small box fell into Sam's hand, and although it was absolutely drenched with slobber, there was no denying what it was. She gasped, despite herself, and looked up at Jack, who had a completely unreadable expression on his face.
"Open it, Sam."