Author's Note:
If my previous chapter was strange and a bit uncharacteristic for some of you I do apologize and must say I kinda agree on that. I just couldn't resist writing a humorous chapter addressing Sam's fear of the unknown and that she would rather try to avoid it where possible. Maybe this next chapter of mine would clarify chapter 3 for you more clearly.
Anyway thanks for the support and reviews, it is appreciated from the bottom of my heart.
XXX
She stared at it for a few moments, her eyes growing bigger and bigger, before exclaiming in horror and frustration, "I have absolutely nothing to wear for tonight!" Looking down at her bare legs she added quickly, "And my legs need some serious waxing too!"
XXX
THE DATING GAME – CHAPTER 4
Friday, 13H00
"This is Teal'c."
"Hi Teal'c, it's Sam. Do you have minute?"
"Colonel Carter…should you not be present at the debriefing with the General, SG-12 and Doctor Jackson?"
"Uh, yeah…that's why I need your help."
"Of what assistance can I be?"
"I…normally I would have asked this from Daniel, but since he is at this meeting too you are the only one I can count on at such short notice."
"Indeed."
"Is it possible for you to go to the meeting and make apologies for me?"
"What should I state as the reason for your absence?"
"Uh, tell them I'm sick or something and had to go home…I'm sure you can think of something really good to say."
"You require me to provide a false truth on your behalf?"
"What? Oh no…nothing that serious. I merely need you to go and bend the truth for me a little bit."
"I see."
"Teal'c, please. I won't be asking this if it isn't an emergency."
"May I inquire the nature of the emergency?"
"It's…kinda personal, something that I can't discuss at this moment."
"I see."
"S-so? Will you be able to cover for me?"
"As a warrior I can not condone such withholding of the truth, but as your friend I will consider it my duty and honor to come to your aid in such a manner."
"So I can take that as a yes?"
"Indeed."
"Thanks Teal'c…I owe you big time."
XXX
Friday night, 18H50
It was a beautiful summer evening.
The soft sound of traffic was heard, people returning after a hard day at work.
In one particular house a blond haired woman was staring at her reflection in the mirror of her bedroom with a very critical eye and every second or so she would turn to observe her image from a particular side. She had her hair done at an expensive hair salon that afternoon, including some much needed waxing and manicure that her body urgently required. Her makeup she had applied very lightly barely a few minutes ago, she was a firm believer in the natural look, and a pair of small, golden earrings was decorating her ears. Additionally she was dressed in a short, black evening dress with a V-line that simultaneously revealed a lot of flesh and yet covered just the necessary. The picture was completed with a pair of beautiful, yet plain, sandals on her feet.
A casual observer would have considered her to be the very personification of calmness and composure, but any close friend of her would have been able to identify the tell signs that indicate otherwise. The slight tremor of a bottom lip, the continuous rubbing of palms against each other and especially the way she kept on checking the time on her watch spoke a lot about the emotional turmoil she was experiencing at that moment.
With a slight frown between her eyes she remembered how hesitant she was at first to buy the dress earlier that day, but a very persistent saleslady had convinced her that the dress was made for her, that it shouted conservatism, mixed with sex appeal – and the bonus was that it definitely complimented her long, slender legs. At that stage she had been blinded with the dazzling image she had seen staring back at her from the shop's mirror, including the fact that for the first time in her life she had actually looked and felt like a woman in all the senses to herself, and as such she did not really bother to argue a lot with the saleslady when the woman told her that the astronomical price for the dress was going to be worth it.
But now…she was no longer so sure as to whether she had made the correct decision. After all she was not quite sure as to what Jack O'Neill's whole intentions were with this dinner date, nor what her expectations were, but then on the other hand since destiny decided that she had to go out with him that night she might as well make the best of it. After all that night might be the only time that she would get to really make a serious impression on him and if that was the case the dress was going to be the answer.
Sighing, she bit on her bottom lip and tucked absentmindedly at the short sleeves of the dress. Her eyes were telling her that there was nothing that she could do to improve on her current appearance, but her heart kept on whispering that maybe she was overlooking something and to make matters worse it kept on reminding her too that it was going to be Jack O'Neill standing at her door at any moment, not just any man.
Feeling a nervous flutter in her stomach, she groaned and hurried to her kitchen, where she quickly poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down it down like her life depended on it.
There was no denying it; she was a nervous wreck. She felt like a young schoolgirl about to go on her first date and completely hated the whole sensation of it.
The sound of a doorbell ringing made her jump slightly, the glass nearly felt out of her hand as a result. Putting the glass quickly down on the kitchen table she swallowed and whispered, "Right…this is it."
Making her way to her front door, her pace must have been too slow, because the tune sounded up again; she stared at herself one last time in the mirror hanging from a hall, before taking a deep breath, removing the locks from the door and opening it with almost one fluent movement.
And there he stood.
For what seemed like an eternity they just stared at each other.
Although Jack O'Neill was dressed in a classic black suit Sam could not believe how good he looked. At the back of her mind she had always been aware of his natural good looks and had noticed on many occasions how women would stare at him, sometimes they tried to hide that fact but mostly they did it openly, but years of working close to him had made her grew accustomed to it all, therefore she was slightly shocked at realizing that she was actually completely speechless at the sight of him. Maybe, she tried to convince herself, it was because she had never seen him dressed in such a style before – she had seen him in his dress uniform on many occasion, but that was just not the same to her.
"You look…nice," he finally broke the silence between them.
At first she wanted to feel affronted by his remark, but then realizing that this was Jack O'Neill speaking – the man who normally did not express his feelings openly – and upon seeing the way he struggled to keep his eyes from wandering over her body and how his whole demeanor cried out that he was definitely delighted with the way she looked, she allowed a smile to tug at the corner of his lips and responded, "You look nice too."
"Ah…" he stated and smile in return, "Ready to go?"
"Sure, just give me a moment to gather my purse," she said and quickly disappeared to collect the item from where she had left it on a table close by earlier on. After barely a few seconds she was back. "I'm ready," she said and proceeded to lock the door behind them.
When she was finished Jack indicated a hand to what was obviously a rental car in front of her home and stated, "Shall we?" Standing to one side he allowed her to pass him and followed a few steps behind. When they reached the car she was about to open the door to climb in, but the slight sensation of a hand on her arm stopped her.
"Allow me," she could hear him whispering close behind her.
Smiling, she merely nodded her head and when he opened the door, allowed her to get in and then gently closed the door behind her, she stated softly, "Thanks."
Walking around the car he climbed into the driver's seat and appeared to be fumbling with the keys, before finally managing to find the correct one to start the vehicle.
For the next couple of minutes they drove in silence, each one observed in their own thoughts.
"So…" Jack eventually spoke up, while pretending to concentrate on the traffic in front of him.
"So?" she replied in turn, forcing her gaze away from her window to face him, not quite sure as to what was going to follow next but feeling that she had to acknowledge him somehow.
"Wanna explain to me why you tried so hard to cancel tonight?" he asked, without turning his head to look at her once.
"Uh…thought it was the right thing to do?" she responded with a semi-question of her own.
"Why?"
"I…I really don't know. Maybe I was scared."
"Of me?" This time he glanced at her quickly, but in the semi-darkness of the vehicle it was difficult for her to make out the expression on his face.
"No!" she exclaimed and then realizing that she had put too much emotion behind that one word, she brought her voice down a few octaves and barely spoke louder than a whisper, "No…not of you. I can never be scared of you."
"Then what was it?" he continued with his questioning, when she did not respond immediately he turned his head to her quickly and inquired, "Carter?"
Swallowing, at first thinking of lying but then realizing that he of all people deserved the whole truth, she barely managed to utter, "I…I was scared of tonight. I was scared of what it may…mean."
"Oh," he replied.
For a while she waited for him to continue talking and when she realized that he had no intention of saying anything soon she stated, "I'm...I…I didn't mean to hurt you by that. At that moment I just thought it was the best thing to do…for both of us."
"I see," he responded. Then, without warning, he suddenly turned the car into a side street and came to a sudden stop in an open parking space.
For a few seconds he just stared in front of him, appearing to be deep in thought, before turning to face her.
"Your choice," he spoke after a while.
"I…I don't understand?" she whispered, slightly afraid at this sudden change from the expected.
"Carter…" he sighed and rose his hand slightly in the air, "Sam…there is nothing more that I would like to do than to go to this dinner with you, but…I can't force you."
Struggling to a rain on her emotions, she could only stare at him.
When he realized that she was not about to say anything he continued on, "Do…" he appeared to struggle the right words to say. "Do you want to go down this road with me…maybe see where it may lead us?"