A/N: I know the pacing of this story has been a little slow so far. I´ll see if I can speed things up a bit. (No promises, though! g ) Oh, one more thing. Diane? This isn´t going to turn into a J/S/M triangle fic. In this one, Martin doesn´t stand a chance.
xxx
Continued from chapter 3
xxx
"Yes?" Jack inquired politely, growing a little bemused when Samantha kept staring at him without saying a word. He attempted a joke and asked, "Do I have something on my face?"
Sam still didn´t respond.
Jack broke eye contact, glancing down at the table and Sam could swear she saw a flicker of a smile. When he turned to her again she had it confirmed.
"Okay. Point taken." Sam arched an eyebrow skeptically, but judging from the expression on her face, Jack decided she was becoming less exasperated. "It´s a bad habit of mine."
"Staring at people?" Or maybe not.
He hesitated, then said good-humouredly, "I wouldn´t call it that. I just--"
"Have no manners and the curiosity of a five-year-old," Vivian interrupted suddenly from across the table, shooting Jack a knowing look. "Never mind Jack here, Sam. One of his greatest strengths -- and weaknesses -- is to always wanting to get inside someone else´s head."
"Oh, I don´t know about--" Jack began, but was once again interrupted, this time by Danny Taylor, who leaned in over the table to get a better look. "So what do you do, Mr. Malone? How do you know Viv?"
"It´s Jack," Jack corrected with a smile, noticing how everybody´s attention was now focused solely on him. Even if he hadn´t known, it wouldn´t have been difficult to guess they were working in some kind of law enforcement by the way they were all looking at him. Friendly interest, for sure, but it was clearly mixed with professional curiosity as well. He could tell Vivian was finding the situation somewhat entertaining as she grinned at him over the brim of her glass. "I met Viv several years ago here in New York, I was trying to get some information and she was trying to get the same albeit in a somewhat more official way." He met Vivian´s eyes and they shared a small smile. "We ended up having a little give and take and it all worked out for the best. As to what I do…"
"Jack does a little bit of everything," Viv chimed in, smirking slightly. "What is it you call yourself?" Oh yeah, security consultant."
"Sounds better than unemployed lay-about."
Vivian practically snorted, drawing amused looks from all her agents. "Yes, Jack, that´ll be the day."
Jack gave her a half smile, but admitted nothing, and then turned back to Danny. "I help with arranging and setting up security for both businesses and private homes. I´m also occasionally called upon to investigate certain matters that… well, that the employers involved would rather keep to themselves and deal with privately once they get the results."
"Really." Samantha´s comment was dry enough to catch Jack´s attention.
"What´s that supposed to mean?" he asked, not defensively, but genuinely curious. "It´s perfectly legal what I do."
Sam took a sip of beer, then spoke calmly without looking at him, "Well, it´s just that in our line of work we sometimes deal with people like you. And in almost every case, out of some sense of misguided loyalty, we´re kept in the dark long enough to endanger the investigation and potentially the life of our missing person."
Jack nodded slowly, taking in her words and her profile as she continued to gaze straight ahead. He got the impression she was still somewhat annoyed with him and, in return, he began to get a little annoyed as well. "I see how that can happen. Still my loyalties lie with my employer. However," he added with some emphasis as Sam finally turned her head to look at him, "I would never withhold information from the police or the FBI, for that matter, if I deemed it to be of any use to you."
"If you deemed it to be of any use to us?" Sam´s tone of voice had gone from dry to incredulous and Martin put a hand on her arm trying to get her attention, but he was ignored.
"Yes."
"And you´re qualified to make that decision?"
There was some borderline hostility between them now as they stared at each other, their faces close together as both had leaned forward to make their point. Sam could smell the beer on his breath and realized he probably smelled the same on hers. So she moved back a little, inwardly annoyed when she hit the roadblock that was Martin´s shoulder.
"I like to think so."
There was a certain curtness to Jack´s reply that hadn´t been there earlier, and even though it was to be expected, Sam felt her hackles rise. As she continued to hold his gaze firmly, she absently wondered how this man so effortlessly managed to get under her skin. She had to admit she doubted he was deliberately trying to provoke her, but somehow he did just that.
"Well, I´ll have you know--"
"Kids, kids, stop the fighting." It was Danny who spoke up, having watched with great fascination the ping-pong like exchange between Samantha and Jack, but deciding enough was enough. He didn´t want his pleasant evening ruined by a pointless argument and he was surprised that Sam had gone along with it. Or that Vivian hadn´t put an end to it; but from the expression on her face, he gathered that his boss was getting a little personal enjoyment from watching Jack having to defend himself. Perhaps she wasn´t too thrilled about his line of work either.
"We´re all among friends here, right?" He smiled conciliatory, gazing from Jack to Sam, who shrugged, apparently not quite convinced. However, after a second or two, Jack´s frown decreased and he briefly returned the smile. Danny grinned and pushed a plate toward them, adding with a flourish, "Here, have some ribs. There´s nothing Franklin´s ribs can´t fix."
"You sound just like Martin," Sam responded darkly, but was unable to stop her answering smile from showing slowly as Danny gave her his most ingratiating look and she heard Martin´s feigned outrage at her comment.
"I resent the fact that people seem to think I think only with my stomach."
His words were met with various versions of 'whatever' and exaggerated eye rolls from his co-workers and Danny seized the moment to quickly launch into another humorous anecdote. It all served to quickly dissipate the tension from the table.
Sam turned to Martin and spoke to him idly for a few minutes with Danny offering the occasional comment. But her mind wasn´t really on the conversation and Martin had to repeat himself more than once when she failed to answer. She was more focused on the man sitting on her other side, who was currently questioning Vivian about issues of jurisdiction, and every time he moved, she felt his bad arm press into her side. However, she could hardly blame him for having broken his arm, and she had always thought life was too short to carry a grudge - particularly such a silly one as their little discussion earlier warranted. So Sam set her irritation aside, excused herself to Martin and turned to Jack just as there came a lull in his talk with Vivian.
He could hardly miss her movement and turned his head slightly. Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, he spoke quietly, reaching for his beer, "I hope you´re not in the mood for round two, Agent Spade? If so, I concede defeat already."
There was no reproach in his voice, just wry amusement. Jack could hold a grudge when he wanted to, but this wasn´t one of these times.
When Sam didn´t reply, he turned to fully face her. "What?"
She was silent for one moment longer as she looked into his eyes. Jack got the strange feeling that she was reading something from him and his brow furrowed in question. Then she shook her head imperceptibly as if wanting to clear it before giving him an almost abashed smile. "Sorry, and no, I was actually going to make you a peace offering and buy a round, it´s just…"
"What?" he repeated softly and Sam could practically feel it as his entire attention was directed her way.
She felt just a little self-conscious without knowing why, but she shrugged it off with a smile and said lightheartedly, "It´s just that you don´t strike me as a man to easily concede defeat."
The words were out of her mouth before she had the time to really think about what she was saying, and she cringed inwardly. She had meant it all in good fun, but it had sounded just a little too…intimate for her liking.
If Jack thought the same, he pretended not to notice and just smiled as he said, "Coming from you, I´ll take that as a compliment. Now, what was it you said about buying a round?"
xxx
"Abandoning us so soon?"
Jack looked up from his wallet, watching Samantha as she approached him. Judging from the direction she was coming from, she had just been to the ladies room.
He smiled briefly then glanced down to resume what he had been doing, awkwardly counting the bills in his wallet. "I have a meeting tomorrow morning, but don´t worry, I know it´s my turn and I´m still going to buy one last round before I´m out of here."
"Well, that wasn´t what I was getting at, but thanks anyway," Sam spoke, the smile on her face unseen by him but he could still hear it in her voice.
Turning her head, she gazed back at her fellow agents still seated in the booth and, from what she could tell, engaged in deep conversation. Without conscious thought, she made a spontaneous decision and sat down on a barstool beside Jack instead of joining them. Ever since eleven, the place had cleared out a great deal and it was actually possible to get a seat at the bar now.
"I just thought that someone who describes himself as an 'unemployed lay-about' wouldn´t be leaving a bar till way past midnight – much less have an early morning meeting."
Jack grinned to himself and didn´t look up. "Well, maybe I did exaggerate a little earlier. I do occasionally work."
"Yeah, I guess you do."
Sam eyed him speculatively in the silence that followed, taking in his appearance. He had shrugged off his leather jacket a long time ago, but she could tell the shirt was expensive. It wasn´t really any of her business, but she and Jack had chatted amicably enough in the last hour or so, without any further aggravation on either part, and she had to admit he was friendly and easy to talk to when not cornered. In fact, she had surprised herself by actually finding him interesting, wanting to know more about him.
Deciding on an approach, she observed casually, "I didn´t know the security business paid so well." At this he looked up. "I mean," she made a vague gesture in his direction, finishing with his shoes, "those items aren´t exactly cheap. Should I be thinking about changing careers?"
Jack didn´t reply at first, turning to the bar and putting a wad of bills on the bar counter - he had found that was the easiest way to get the bartender´s attention – before speaking lightly, "How very observant of you, Agent Spade. And no, I wouldn´t suggest you changing your career. It doesn´t really pay well."
He was about to continue, but paused as the bartender made a beeline for them. Hesitating, Jack decided on one last beer for himself and ordered one as well for Viv and Martin and another club soda for Danny. Looking at Sam, he asked, "What can I get you?"
She glanced at her watch. She really shouldn´t. But then she met his eyes and found herself shrugging and saying with a smile, "Oh, what the hell, in for a penny…give me another beer."
Her answer elicited a small smile from him and he made the order. As the bartender set out to work and the drinks accumulated on the counter between them, he turned back to her, picking up the thread without difficulty, "In fact, my work is often tedious and involves filling out a lot of forms."
"Ah, paperwork," Sam nodded in sympathy. "I know all about it. So did you marry a wealthy socialite instead?" She accepted the beer he handed her, but then abruptly hesitated with it halfway to her lips. Realizing she came off as overly curious, she grew serious. "Sorry, I´m out of line. You don´t have to answer; I´m just curious."
Jack gave her a smile to let her know he didn´t mind. "Occupational hazard, I assume?"
He took his own beer. They didn´t toast, but held each other´s gaze as they both sipped it carefully. The bartender had been more than generous filling the glasses and Jack made a mental note to leave a just as generous tip.
He hadn´t really minded it earlier when Vivian´s colleagues showed up – they had been done discussing the past by then – but he wouldn´t have minded having her just to himself either. They met up so rarely that he considered every moment they spend together precious. However, Jack had to admit that he had been having a good time tonight. Perhaps even more so after the rest of the team showed up.
He could tell how they each filled an important position on the team and how well they complemented each other. And, more importantly, he could see that everybody genuinely liked not just working with each other, but also spending time with each other after work. For a second, he experienced a brief stab of regret, recalling his days in the army, but then he pushed it away. He wasn´t in the mood for melancholy tonight.
"So…" Jack began when a sudden impulse caused him to turn around and look back at the booth he had been occupying for most of the night. Sam followed his gaze in confusion, wondering what had caught his attention. All she could see was Martin, head bent, gazing into an empty glass – after a game of pool he and Danny had happened to change seats – and Viv, who wasn´t looking their way either.
"Something wrong?"
Jack shrugged, dismissing the impulse and turned back to Sam. "No, I just… just had a feeling I guess. Anyway… what were we talking about again?"
As Sam repeated her question and Jack started to tell the story of his wealth, Martin only dared to throw the most furtive looks in their direction. Jack Malone had come a little too close to catching him the first time round.
TBC…