A/N: Nothing groundbreaking, other than to say -Diane - you´re still the best beta! Feedback is as always greatly appreciated.
xxx
Continued from chapter 2
xxx
It was a lot more relaxed looking Jack Malone that slipped into the bar a few minutes after seven. He had changed into a pair of faded jeans, a simple white shirt and a battered old leather jacket, but despite the worn look, it was obvious the items had been expensive when he purchased them. The place he had walked into was crowded and darkly lit, but it had a pleasant atmosphere and Jack felt right at home.
Making his way to the bar, he ordered a beer then turned around to lean against the counter as he sipped from it, taking a quick inventory of the surroundings. He always liked to know where everything was when finding himself somewhere new. People were scattered around, some sitting at small round tables, others choosing to sit more comfortably and privately in a booth. He wasn´t surprised not to see Vivian anywhere. He had deliberately showed up late, knowing from experience that she was likely to be even later.
He leisurely finished his beer in about ten minutes and was debating with himself whether to get another, when a young, brunette strolled up to him from out of nowhere, nodded at his empty glass and asked, "Can I buy you another?"
Jack hid a smile; her face was almost a mask from the amount of makeup she was wearing, not really his type, and she was at least ten years younger than he. However, he couldn´t deny feeling a little flattered.
Giving her a small smile, he said, with as much regret as he could muster, "Any other time, I´d have loved one, but unfortunately I´m waiting for someone."
"Too bad." She didn´t appear offended and gave him a quick appraising look. "Another time maybe?" she asked with a smile as their eyes met again.
"Another time," Jack repeated affably, surprising himself by feeling a little regretful as the brunette carefully made her way through the crowd, soon disappearing from his sight. Perhaps he had been alone for too long. Well, maybe not much longer if everything worked out the way he wanted it to.
"Can´t leave you alone for a moment, can I?"
"And your timing is impeccable, as always," Jack grinned for more reasons than one, turning his head to see Vivian easing herself between two men in suits and coming to stand beside him. He checked his watch. Close to half past seven; that was unusually punctual for Vivian. "You´re almost early," he said as he gestured for the nearest bartender, trying to get her attention. "Didn´t you have any pressing cases lying around?"
Viv sighed, unbuttoning her coat. "Just closed a case tonight."
Jack threw a glance at her. From the expression on her face he didn´t have to ask what the outcome had been. She caught the sympathy in his eyes, but smiled a little, shrugging off her distress. At least the distress that was plain to see. "So, are you going to get me something to drink or not?"
"Oh, of course." Jack had forgotten about the bartender for a moment and she had long since been hailed by someone elsewhere.
A sudden rupture of raucous laughter filled the air and Vivian leaned in, speaking closely to his ear, "I´ll go find us a booth. We´ll be more comfortable there. I´ll just have a beer as well."
Jack nodded absently, still trying to get someone to take his order. At last he succeeded, looking around and scanning the area before he spotted Viv waving at him from the back of the room. More or less deftly, he managed to join her with only one little spill. Slipping into the booth, he sat down across from her and proffered her a beer before taking one of the napkins from a container on the table to wipe his hands.
Vivian held up her glass, smiling faintly as she met his eyes. "Cheers, Jack."
"Cheers, Viv."
A minute or two went by with neither speaking, just savouring the beer and studying the people around them. Then Viv put her glass down and said simply, "So, Jack, why don´t you tell me what´s on your mind. Once we´ve sorted that out, we can get started catching up."
Jack hid his second smile that evening. Straight and to the point, that was Vivian all right. "Guess that´s fair." He put his own glass down, but didn´t let it go and instead began to twirl it slowly between his fingers. If Vivian didn´t know better, she would say he was nervous. He hesitated a little longer, then spoke at length, still looking at his beer, "This is going to sound… well, somewhat out of character for me I guess…"
He looked up, smiling sheepishly. "Promise me you won´t laugh?"
Vivian peered at him curiously, feeling slightly amused by the request, then nodded in encouragement, urging him to continue.
Jack took a deep breath, then spoke hurriedly as if he was afraid he was going to change his mind, "Well, the thing is that about two weeks ago I was doing a bit of work for someone. It wasn´t particularly interesting, but I was growing bored so I figured why the hell not. However, I didn´t really have my heart into it, and as a result…" He raised his cast briefly and her gaze flickered to it for a second before settling back on his face. "Let´s just say I got hurt in the most stupid way possible and that I was very lucky that nothing worse happened. In fact, the guys who carved me out of the wreck that was once my car told me I was very, very lucky to practically walk away unscathed."
He bit his lip, looking troubled and thoughtful for a moment and she could almost see how his mind drifted back to whatever kind of accident he had been involved in. Then he shook his head imperceptibly and returned his attention back to her. "At first I was just glad to be alive, but then the whole thing got me thinking."
"About what?" Vivian inquired softly after some time had passed. She didn´t want to interrupt his thoughts, but it looked like he had drifted off again.
Dark eyes focused on her. "About my life, about what I´ve done with it so far. What things I´ve accomplished and what things I haven´t. What I regret doing and what I regret not doing."
Viv couldn´t help but smile, but it was a gentle and understanding smile. "So basically your near death experience triggered all these questions -- very understandable questions -- and that, combined with your occasional idle existence, has led you to having an early midlife crisis?"
For a second it looked like Jack didn´t know what to think of her response. Frowning momentarily and looking a little put off, he said, "I don´t know if I´d put it quite…" He faltered gradually, looked down then at the table for a moment or two then back at her as a grin broke out on his face. Raising his glass to his lips and making a silent toast, he spoke wryly, "Always cutting through the bullshit, aren´t you, Viv? No wonder they made you team leader. There´s no hiding anything from you."
Vivian didn´t reply, but just raised an eyebrow lightly as she drank some too. However, Jack could tell she was pleased by his words. Then suddenly it dawned upon him that with the drastic turn her life must have taken after her divorce, she probably related to and understood more about his situation and what he was feeling than many others would. Some of the questions and doubts that had been following him lately were almost certain to have been keeping her awake at night as well.
He was about to say something, but she spoke first. "Go on."
However, he didn´t and Vivian noticed the expression emerging on his face, recognizing a mixture of sympathy and regret, and sighed slowly. One at a time or they would never get anywhere. Giving him a fond but pointed look, she spoke in a fairly good imitation of what he had said earlier this morning, "Feel free to fix me later, Jack. Let´s get you over with first."
He was slightly taken aback at first, then shook his head, smiled fleetingly and raised his glass in acknowledgement before emptying it in one big swallow.
"Okay..." He began, distractedly and unceremoniously wiping a whiff of foam from his lips with the back of his hand before leaning closer to her across the table. "Since you have a habit of coming to the point straight away, I´ll do the same." He looked into her eyes, seeing nothing but quiet patience. "Do you remember Virginia?"
Vivian´s eyebrow rose again, this time of its own volition.
xxx
It was close to ten when Special Agents Spade, Fitzgerald and Taylor pushed themselves through the doors to Franklin´s, their hearts falling when they saw the amount of people in there.
"It´s a Tuesday night," Danny Taylor mumbled under his breath, glancing around him in dismay. "Don´t people have work to do in the morning?"
Samantha Spade and Martin Fitzgerald exchanged an amused look. "You mean like you do?" Martin spoke with a grin, grabbing Danny´s arm and beginning to pull him with him. "Come on, let´s order some ribs. I´m starving. Sam, try getting us a table, will you?"
"Easier said than done," Sam muttered to herself, looking around. All the tables were occupied and it appeared as though it was the same with the booths. About to turn around and fight her way to the bar to inform them of the depressing news, her gaze fell on the back of someone´s head just visible over the wall of one of the booths. She could just see the beginning of short black hair sticking up and then suddenly a hand, as whoever was sitting there leaned back against the booth, bringing one of his arms up to rest over his head.
For a couple of seconds she stalled, for no reason whatsoever, then she shook her head, wondering if she had just experienced some kind of déjà vu. Dismissing it, she once again was about to turn when a familiar voice called out, "Hey, Samantha! Over here!"
She looked back, seeing Vivian appear from the booth she had just observed, inviting her over. Sam smiled automatically and went over, unsurprised to see that the dark hair belonged to the man who had visited Vivian earlier. From what Vivian had said briefly before getting into work, they were old friends. He was looking up at her with a friendly expression, apparently relaxed and not minding her presence, but his eyes were piercing and unwavering and she suddenly got the feeling that she was being thoroughly studied. Sam felt herself tense involuntarily. Even though she sensed no judgment on his part, she couldn´t help it. It was a knee-jerk response to her by now after so many years of working in a male-dominated field.
"Jack." She gave him a brief nod of recognition and acknowledgement.
"Samantha," he returned her greeting in a low and pleasant voice. "Why don´t you join us?" He somehow managed to indicate the booth with his broken arm. "I doubt you´ll be able to find anywhere else to sit."
"You sure you don´t mind?" Sam asked politely, wordlessly checking with Vivian, who smiled encouragingly. "It´s just…" She glanced over her shoulder towards the bar. "The guys are here, too, and it might make it a little difficult for you two to reminisce."
"Oh, I think we have chatted about the past long enough for now. Don´t you, Jack?" Viv said calmly, finishing her third beer judging from the glasses on the table. "Take a seat, Sam. Martin and Danny should be able to squeeze in as well."
Sam glanced from Vivian to Jack and back again. "Okay, if you´re sure…" She hesitated for a split second then sat down on the bench next to Jack, keeping enough distance between them to avoid him feeling trapped or accidentally jolting his injured arm. It wasn´t that she had a particular desire to be close to him, but sitting next to him made it harder for him to fix her with that intense stare of his than if she sat across from him.
"So, you two already met?"
At first Sam wasn't sure what Vivian was referring to, but then realization struck and she opened her mouth to answer, but Jack was faster. "Yes. This morning. Samantha was kind enough to show me where your office is."
Vivian only nodded vaguely in response and Sam thought she looked a little preoccupied.
Silence fell and began to stretch, both her companions seeming lost in thought--and Sam started to feel a little uncomfortable. But just as she was about to take the easy way out and ask Vivian something work-related, the silence was conveniently broken by the arrival of Danny and Martin carrying trays with drinks and plates with ribs.
"Here we come bearing gifts," Danny exclaimed, putting his tray down on the table with enough force to make the empty beer glasses already there rattle. "The ribs are looking particularly fine tonight I may add."
Without waiting for an invitation, he sat down beside Vivian and arranged the three plates with ribs on the table so everybody present would be able to reach. Then he grabbed one himself, took a bite and began to chew vigorously as his gaze came to rest on Jack, openly and unapologetically watching him. Jack didn´t appear troubled or annoyed, but just stared right back.
Vivian sighed, then spoke good-humouredly, "Jack, allow me to introduce you to Danny Taylor and Martin Fitzgerald. They are some of my finest agents. Danny, Martin, this is Jack Malone, an old friend of mine."
"Nice to meet you." Martin put down his own tray and held out a hand, and Jack leaned slightly past Sam to shake it. "Likewise."
Danny settled for a friendly nod, reaching for a napkin to wipe his greasy fingers, his eyes still on Jack. Still on his feet, Martin looked down at the people seated before him - hesitating - then he sat down next to Sam. "Scoot in a little."
She did as he said, but not quite far enough and Martin pushed her further in to avoid sitting half on, half off the bench. A little exasperated by his antics, Sam reached for the beer he had brought and then grimaced inwardly when she felt her elbow connect somewhat forcefully with Jack Malone´s cast. "Sorry," she turned to him.
He met her eyes steadily. "Don´t worry about it."
"I can move away a little. Martin, would you--" She started to turn to get her co-worker´s attention – he was currently pushing a club soda towards Danny - but Jack´s voice drew her back.
"It´s fine," came his quiet reply. Then a slow grin spread on his face. "Just don´t wriggle too much and I´ll be fine."
Sam looked at him closely, finding nothing but light amusement and decided to return the grin. "Don´t worry, I´m not really in the habit of wriggling."
Jack just nodded, his grin bit-by-bit turning into a faint, almost thoughtful smile as he looked at her. "So, Samantha, was it? I´m afraid I didn´t catch your last name."
"That´s because I didn´t offer it to you."
He raised his eyebrows and made a face and she relented with a small smile of her own. "It´s Spade. Samantha Spade."
It took him a few seconds to make the connection, but before he could comment she gave him a mock warning look. "Say it, and I´ll reconsider my stand on wriggling."
He tried not to smile. "Fair enough."
Smiling to herself, Sam reached out again to take her beer -- this time using her left hand. Bringing it to her lips, she sipped it slowly, absently looking at and listening to Danny who -- judging from the grin on his face -- was in the midst of telling a very funny anecdote. Glancing at Martin, she could tell he was paying avid attention, asking for various clarifications between munching on ribs. Whereas, as her gaze moved to Viv, her boss still appeared to be thinking about other things.
And then she felt it.
Sam looked down slightly, realizing her error.
Apparently, sitting next to Jack Malone, even sitting very close to him, was in no way a guarantee that she would escape his intense scrutiny.
What was his problem, anyway?
Putting her beer down rather hard, she straightened up abruptly, realizing but not really caring that she brushed none too gently against his arm by doing so. Then she turned her eyes to him, meeting his stare dead on.
If she startled him, she couldn´t tell. He didn´t even blink or lower his gaze.
What Sam didn´t know at the time was that Jack Malone enjoyed a challenge.
TBC…