A/N: I spent the summer binging on Sue Thomas FB Eye, and while I enjoyed it very much, like a lot of viewers I was disappointed that Jack and Sue were never given 'closure' for their relationship. I don't like loose ends, so I decided to solve that little issue through the magic of fan fiction.
I know there have been a lot of takes on this topic, but I hope you'll indulge me as I offer up my version. It wouldn't leave me alone, so here we are...a two part story that takes place the day of Sue's Good bye/Welcome Back party.
Part two will be published soon. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura.
Sitting with his friend Jack at a table in their favorite lunch spot, Bobby Manning smiled as he ate his last bite of pie. "Well, I guess you dodged a bullet this time, eh, mate?"
Having been preoccupied with thoughts about all the frustrations he'd endured over the past few days, Jack Hudson looked at his friend in confusion. "What?"
"You know, with Sue deciding to stay in DC and all." Bobby gave his friend a knowing wink. "Let me guess...you used the ol' Hudson charm to talk her into turning down that fabulous new job, right? A nice dinner...a nice chat...maybe even a hug and a kiss or two...and tah-dah...she changes her mind and keeps her old job. Good goin', Jack..."
"Um…well...no. That's not what happened...at all." Pausing as the waitress came by to refill their coffee cups, an embarrassed Jack winced slightly. "Actually, we haven't had a lot of time to discuss her promotion with all the bad stuff that's happened to me this week, and besides, I'd never want to influence her one way or the other when it came to taking such a great promotion, so...you know, I guess she decided to stay all on her own." He shrugged slightly, hoping to change the subject. "You know, that guy who was impersonating me online and buying all that fancy stuff is such a loser! Did he really think he'd get away with that kind of fraud? I mean, if he'd stuck to small ticket items it wouldn't have been so obvious, but he spent thousands of dollars...of my money! And now I have a couple of weeks worth of work to do just to get my credit cards straightened out! I mean, thank God, the companies are gonna work with me to fix it, but still...it's such a pain...and my credit rating might really take a hit...I have to get new cards...change the numbers on all my accounts..." He groaned softly. "What a mess."
"Yeah...it's a mess alright." Bobby nodded as he listened to Jack's complaints. "Bad news, that." Aware of how anxious his friend Jack was to change the subject away from Sue's job situation, he decided it'd be more fun to stick with the original topic. Chuckling, he put his fork aside and shook his head. "So...she still doesn't know, right? And she decided to turn down that great job anyway? That should tell you something, Jack...if you've been paying any attention at all, that is..."
"Who doesn't know what?" Pretending to concentrate on stirring some sugar into his coffee, Jack grew more irritated as he tried to ignore his friend's ornery smirk. "Come on, Bobby...I don't want to talk about Sue right now, so give it a rest. Let's just finish our lunch in peace, okay? No need to be nosy...I've got enough on my plate as it is without you butting in on my personal life..."
Unfortunately for Jack, once his buddy had glommed on to an idea, he was like a dog with a brand new bone. Leaning back in his chair, Bobby laughed before continuing in a sarcastic tone. "So I guess that means you've yet to tell her that you're head over heels in love with her, right? Brilliant…that makes perfect sense. It seems that everybody in the office knows how you feel about Sue except Sue herself, but I suppose it's no big deal. I'm sure she'll be willing to wait around in the DC field office forever until you manage to say something about how much you love her, won't she? And of course, she won't consider another promotion...like say, that senior analyst's job that's just opened up in the Seattle field office...you know, the office that Henry Walker runs? We both know Walker's got a reputation as a ladies' man, but I'm sure he'd never make a play for some pretty blonde analyst who's new on the scene, would he? And even if he did, it wouldn't matter to you at all, since you don't have anything going on with Sue anyway." Sipping his coffee, Bobby shrugged, well aware that Jack was getting steamed. "You know, someday some guy is gonna sweep her off her feet, and you're gonna be left with a broken heart…all because you won't own up to your feelings."
Exhaling slowly, Jack rolled his eyes. "Contrary to what you may think, Crash, I'm sure she knows I care about her...a lot.," he ventured quietly, hoping that Bobby would shut up and move on to another topic. "We work well together…we're good friends...I'd even say we were close...I mean, you know, we do spend a lot of time together..." He fidgeted with his napkin. "So...you know...it's all good…so drop it, okay?"
"Are you two as close as she was with the drongo, Tony Capono? He wanted to be really close to her...a lot closer to her than you've ever been. His intentions towards her weren't honorable by any stretch of the imagination, right?" Bobby cocked an eyebrow at Jack. "I mean, Sue's a beautiful woman, and it's not hard to imagine another guy from another FBI field office asking her to take a new job somewhere far from here...a job with...you know...extra benefits...and you'd be left high and dry...all alone in DC...without her. She probably wouldn't think twice about taking a different job with the Bureau, especially if she thinks there's nothing to keep her here..."
"You think I don't know that?!" Angrily slamming his cup on the table, Jack glared at Bobby before launching into an angry tirade. "You think I enjoy watching from the sidelines when jerks like Tony Capono come waltzing into our office, thinking they own the place, openly flirting with her as if I'm not even there? You think I don't die inside every time some random guy asks her out to some fancy black tie event, and she agrees to go without giving me a second thought? You think I don't worry about her moving thousands of miles away from me so she can take a different job?" Closing his eyes, he sighed heavily. "If only it was as easy as me simply telling her how I feel, there might not be an issue, okay, Bobby? But as much as I want to say something to her, I don't want her to feel like I'm pressuring her to ignore that stupid rule about agents not dating within their division, especially since I was her training agent, and as it stands right now in our unit, technically, I'm also one of her supervisors. That kind of relationship with her would go against all sorts of FBI regs, and it even might hurt her career, so I've decided to put my feelings for her on hold. I'd rather maintain my friendship with her instead of us having to deal with all those issues..." He pinched his lips together in frustration. "...and she seems fine with things staying like that, so…"
Bobby rolled his eyes at Jack's explanation. "Yeah...too bad you're not smart enough or resourceful enough to figure out how to get around that little bit of bureaucratic nonsense, eh, Sparky? After all, you've always been one to follow the rules to the letter, right?" Seeing Jack's scowl, he laughed. "If I remember correctly from our days at Quantico, you're the one who said he'd never met a rule he couldn't bend to his own liking. It's the lawyer in you, isn't it?" Bobby couldn't help but smile at his friend's increasing annoyance. "Although as dense as you're being right now, maybe I should reconsider whether or not I think you're capable of solving that sort of problem…"
"I said to give it a rest, Bobby!," Jack growled. "I've had a terrible week and I'm not in the mood…"
Shrugging, Bobby laughed out loud. "Listen, mate, I'm trying to help you figure things out. I'm merely showing you the error of your ways, that's all. As far as I can tell, you're just making excuses for not following through..."
"You know, maybe you should mind your own business instead!" Tired of his friend's needling, Jack shook his head, glowering over the rim of his cup as he took another sip. "Anyway, I'm not sure I need your kind of 'help', Crash. Considering how things went down when Darcy took that new job in LA, you may not be the best guy to be giving me advice about dealing with women…"
Flinching at the mention of his former girlfriend, Bobby's smile faded as he hastily drained his cup, setting it aside before standing up to leave. Exhaling slowly, he nodded at his friend as he pulled out his wallet. "Yeah, you're right, Jack...that romance didn't turn out like I'd hoped, but here's the thing...looking back on it now, I've got no regrets. I gave it my best shot, okay? I gave it my all, and she knew exactly how I felt about her before she left, so even though I struck out, at least I went down swinging." He threw a twenty dollar bill on the table. "As far as I can tell, mate, you haven't even stepped up to the plate for Sue, have you? Now, that's not the Jack Hudson I know, but you do what you want when it comes to your feelings for her. Just don't expect me to feel sorry for you when the game's over and you've been shut out." He paused, checking his watch. "I've gotta make a stop before I go back to the office. See you later."
Stung by his friend's blunt assessment, Jack watched Bobby quickly stride out the diner's front door. Mentioning Darcy's departure to Bobby had been a low blow, and Jack knew it'd be necessary to offer an apology at some point, but he'd lashed out when the truth in Bobby's words had hit a little too close to home for his comfort.
As he thought about Sue's decision to stay in DC for the near future, he wondered if she wasn't merely postponing the inevitable. As capable as she was at her job, it was logical to assume that another great promotion would soon come up that was more to her liking than the one in New York, and she might be gone for good before he'd have a chance to say anything that might make her think about staying.
She hadn't discussed her most recent chance at a promotion or her possible move to New York with him at all. He was supposed to be one of her very closest 'friends', and yet she'd left him completely out of the loop while she'd considered her choices, much to his chagrin.
He shook his head, angry at himself. "I should have talked to her about that promotion...but what would I have said? That she should've taken the job? I mean, it's a great career move...but...I love her and I wanted her to stay. Could I really have suggested that she move and leave me behind in DC? Am I that strong? Nope...I'm too selfish. There was no way I could be unbiased…and maybe she doesn't care what I think anyway..."
Given those circumstances, Jack knew it was entirely possible that he'd arrive at the office one day to find that she'd left DC for parts unknown...all because he hadn't taken the time to tell her how he felt.
"What is wrong with me?," he muttered to himself. "It's not like it's that hard. I've had other girlfriends...I know what to say and how to say it. I just need to find the right time…the right words..."
However, he soon realized saying the right thing might be challenging after all. He needed to do more than fall back on a few trite cliches. Things with Sue were different because she was different. She was truly a remarkable person. She'd overcome so much in her life in order to become a strong, successful woman, and yet she was also completely down to earth...kind, empathetic...funny...beautiful inside and out...always seeing the best in everyone...including him.
The deep connection he felt with her sweet, gentle nature couldn't easily be described with worn out platitudes. She was an incredible woman whom he respected and admired...a woman he loved with all his heart. There was so much at stake...so much to lose...and he had to get it right the first time...
Although he'd never admit it to Bobby, Jack had clung to a tiny sliver of hope, thinking that maybe Sue had stayed in DC because of him, only to have the awful realization that she might be seeing someone else that he didn't know about...that maybe Sue was seeing David again, or someone equally as annoying.
She hadn't said anything about someone new...but still...it was an unfortunate possibility.
He grunted in frustration as he glanced at his phone. He wasn't going to dwell on that right now. He had to stay positive. I'll never know unless I ask...
As he put his phone aside, he thought about everything that had happened to them since they'd become acquainted, and he couldn't help but smile. She was right...there was never a dull moment when they were together, and it wasn't hard to imagine how interesting his life would be if they were a couple. She would challenge him...make him crazy...make him laugh...make him love her more every day...
He'd often suspected she was fond of him in some way, but he wanted so much more than that. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but...he wasn't really sure what she wanted from him.
Was that the real barrier to them being together? FBI regulations might serve as a good excuse, but maybe there was another barrier to his happiness.
Was he afraid that she didn't feel the same way? Did she want more from their relationship as well? And what if she was happy with things the way they were? What if she didn't feel the same way? What would he do then?
There was only one way to find out the answers to those questions.
Whether he liked it or not, Jack knew that Bobby had been correct about everything he'd said. Grumbling to himself, he stared into his coffee cup. "I'm making excuses for not following my heart when it comes to Sue, and that's not gonna cut it anymore. I can't let it go any longer without doing something about it, or I'm gonna lose her."
He closed his eyes as he remembered that frightening incident a few days ago. "That hit man was gonna take me out...I didn't even have a chance to reach for my gun. If the guys hadn't backed me up, I'd probably be dead, and she would've never known how I really feel about her. Life's too short. I can't wait any longer…I've gotta have my say."
It was time to man up...to give it his best shot. He needed to make a significant change in how things stood between him and Sue, or he might end up regretting his inaction for the rest of his life. The question was how to go about doing that without ignoring the FBI's fraternization policies.
Sipping the last of his coffee, he gazed out the window as he thought over the awkward situation. He had to be bold enough to make a game changing decision if he wanted to keep Sue in his life. "What is it Dad always says? 'Nothing ventured...nothing gained'…"
Nodding resolutely, he pulled out his cell phone and placed a quick call before sending Dimetrius a text message saying he'd be late getting back from lunch.
After grabbing his jacket, he paid for lunch and made his way back to the Hoover, hoping that he was making the correct choice.
Ooooooooo
"Well?" Lucy Dotson smiled expectantly at her friend.
"Well...what?" Sue Thomas shook her head in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Well, you never told me what happened this morning." Lucy giggled, tugging at Sue's elbow as they walked back to work after lunch. "What did Jack say when you told him you were staying in DC?"
"He was glad...he said it was good for the team, since I'd be hard to replace…"
"Oh, come on...I saw you two talking in the hallway this morning before he knew what you'd decided...and something was up. He looked so serious…almost emotional." Narrowing her eyes at her friend, Lucy smirked. "I'm sure he must've said something more personal…like maybe how he's in love with you and that's why he wants you to stay here..."
"No, he didn't say anything like that, and even if he had, I'm not sure I'd want to share it with you! I don't need my personal life broadcast all over the office!" Indignant at the invasion of her privacy, Sue glared at Lucy. "And anyway, whatever he said to me, it's nobody's business but mine, is it? Besides...Jack and me...it isn't going to happen, so stop bringing it up. He doesn't think about me like that, okay?"
Taken aback by her friend's angry outburst, Lucy gasped in surprise. "Are you serious? Jack's crazy about you…"
"No...he's not." Shaking her head, Sue waved off Lucy's comment as she walked on. "I'd like to believe you, but...he's never given me any real indication of feeling like that…he's always nice to me, but...you know, he treats everyone well...so..."
"Right." Lucy rolled her eyes at her silly friend. "Sue, I've seen the way he looks at you…the way his face lights up when you walk into a room. He talks about you constantly...and he's always 'randomly' showing up somewhere so he can have one of those 'chance meetings' with you, isn't he? And you should've seen him that night after that Jonathan guy took you from that hotel room. I thought Jack was gonna lose it...he was frantic with worry...and, you know, he was so jealous of Tony...and of David, too..."
Annoyed with Lucy's continued forays into matchmaking, Sue stopped in her tracks, putting her hands on her hips as she explained her take on Jack's real motives. "He was concerned about me because Tony was reckless, that's all...and you know he'd worry about any member of the unit that was in trouble, not just me! We're just friends, okay? Anyway, we can't date, even if he was interested, which he's not. You know that…so let it go..."
Nodding, Lucy arched an eyebrow at her friend. "So you're telling me that when you two were in that lawyer's office and he kissed you…you felt nothing from him but the lead agent's normal concern for a team member?"
Feeling herself blush, Sue tried not to smile as she pulled on Levi's leash. "That was just for the undercover operation…it was no big deal..."
"It sure was! You two could've pretended to be having an argument in that office, or you could've pretended to be working on something for the lawsuit...but instead, you pretended to kiss each other." Seeing Sue's sheepish expression, Lucy laughed. "You were pretending to kiss each other, right? Or was it the real thing? I think it must've been the real deal..."
"He knew...um...that I didn't know...that Janice had come into the office. I was putting spyware on the computer and he was worried that I'd be caught, so he rushed in to help me...he asked me to trust him...and I did. I was surprised, but it was...you know...it was just…a kiss. It was...very nice, but..." Throwing up her hands in exasperation, Sue shook her head. "It doesn't make any difference, Lucy. It was just a response to a moment...you know, good teamwork. There was no good reason for us to be there in that office, so we invented a story about why we were...kissing each other. We were just trying to maintain our cover!"
Lucy laughed out loud. "Oh, I imagine that's true...if your cover story was about being two people in love with each other! You saw how he acted when Bobby was teasing him about you two making out in that office...he knew his secret was out...it was obvious he'd enjoyed kissing you."
Puffing out an exasperated sigh, Sue shook her head. "You're just seeing what you want to see." She reached down to scratch Levi's ears, hoping Lucy wouldn't notice how disappointed she felt. "Look...Jack has had plenty of chances to tell me...to say something...if he...if he wanted to be more than friends...if he had romantic feelings for me...but he never has. He...just doesn't care...about me...like that. He's never said anything that would lead me to believe we're anything else but friends."
"Friends who kiss each other passionately? Hmm…" Lucy reached out to give her friend a quick hug. "But I've seen how you two behave when you're around each other, and it's so obvious you belong together! You know what they say...actions speak louder than words…and I've seen how he acts toward you..."
Sue nodded in agreement. "True...but without words, actions are often misunderstood. I've misinterpreted his actions in the past...usually right before one of his old girlfriends shows up, and then I feel really stupid for believing he might care for me. I don't want to make another mistake like that, Lucy, so please...drop it, okay? We have a professional relationship, and it needs to stay that way."
"Come on…you can't seriously believe he's not in love with you..."
"I can't deal with this anymore." Groaning in frustration, Sue quickly walked away from her friend. "I need to get back to the office so I can finish that report for Randy…"
However, Lucy was not about to give up without a fight, so she hurried to catch up with Sue. "But, if things were different, and if you could date each other...and if he was interested...which he is...then you'd be interested in dating him, too, right?"
Sue knew she'd been cornered by Lucy's probing questions, so she answered truthfully. "Yes, of course…" Blushing again, she turned away from Lucy. "I...think...I think he's really nice, and he's so smart...and very good looking…and charming...and funny...but it's not ever going to happen..."
"And I know you're in love with him. Don't bother to deny it...I've seen the way you look at him, too..."
Giggling softly in spite of how annoyed she was with Lucy, Sue nodded in agreement. "Okay, yes. I suppose I am in love with him...but please, Lucy...no matchmaking, okay? It would be so embarrassing if you tried that and he wasn't interested! I'd never be able to face him! I'd have to take that job in Seattle!" Seeing Lucy's coy smile, Sue's expression grew serious. "Promise me...no more matchmaking…"
Seeing how the match would quickly be made on its own as soon as her two friends got their acts together, it was an easy vow to make. "Fine. I promise…"
"Thank you. Now maybe I can finish that manpower report in peace this afternoon." Smiling as she turned to Lucy, Sue shrugged. "I know you just want me to be happy…but things have a way of working out if they're meant to be…"
"I guess you're right." Lucy laughed to herself as they walked into the Hoover. She'd keep her promise, but she also knew 'things' might get a little nudge from her to help them on their way to 'meant to be'.
Oooooooooo
Feeling unsettled as she sat down at her desk, Sue glanced at Jack's workspace and was surprised to see that he wasn't there. "It's almost 2 o'clock…," she murmured to herself. "Tara mentioned that Bobby got back from lunch an hour ago. I wonder where he is..."
Shaking her head, she stared at her computer's monitor. "It doesn't matter...it's none of my business. We have a professional relationship...that's all…and I have work to do..."
However, her mind kept wandering back to her earlier conversation with Lucy. She couldn't deny it...she found Jack Hudson very appealing on so many levels, and in the past, she'd had many pleasant daydreams about them dating...about him being in love with her...and maybe even having a future together...but it was all childish fantasy.
And in spite of what she'd told Lucy, Sue had entertained the thought at one time that maybe Jack was attracted to her, but he'd never acted on it...probably because having a romantic relationship with a subordinate would ruin his career, and she wouldn't be willing to put him in that awkward position. "We're just friends, and that's good enough…"
Another more disturbing possibility might be that maybe he had a girlfriend she didn't know about. "He's so...amazing. Of course he must have someone else...most likely a beautiful brunette. Maybe he's back with Allie, and not interested in me at all. It's probably my overactive imagination."
Nodding resolutely, she promised herself to focus on being strictly professional in her dealings with him. "We're not getting together. I need to let it go...but I wonder where he is. I hope I didn't forget a meeting or something…."
Thinking that perhaps she'd missed a call asking her to meet him somewhere about a case, she checked her Blackberry. "Nothing. So where is he?" Groaning softly, she rolled her eyes at her own silliness. "Never mind! I have work to do…"
Her question was answered about five minutes later, when Jack came sauntering through the door, looking as happy as if he'd won a multi-million dollar lottery. As he passed her desk, he gave her a cheeky wink before hanging up his jacket and strolling over to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.
Finding his curiosity piqued, Bobby soon joined his friend. Grabbing a mug, he eyed Jack with interest. "I thought you'd gotten lost, mate...you took an extra long lunch…"
"Yeah, well, I had errands to run, too." Trying to act casual, he stole a glance at Sue, pleased to see her beautiful smile when their eyes met. "So is D back from court yet?"
"Should be back any minute." Bobby cleared his throat as he poured a cup of coffee. "Listen...about lunch…"
"Oh, yeah...that reminds me." Jack handed Bobby a five dollar bill. "Here's your change…"
"No...just listen, okay?" Putting the money in his pocket, Bobby shook his head. "I was way out of line with what I said about you and Sue. You're right...I should mind my own damn business…"
"No big deal. After all, I'm the one who brought up your ex leaving town, right? That's a lousy thing to do to a friend." Jack shrugged slightly as he dumped some sugar into his mug. "Besides, I'm kinda glad you verbally slapped me upside the head. I needed it. Oh...there's D…"
Entering the office with a satisfied smile, Dimetrius greeted his co-workers happily. "Well, we did it. The testimony Myles and I gave in court today sealed the deal on taking down that joker Mike Boyle. He's begging for a plea bargain at this very minute."
After accepting congratulations for another case closed successfully, he glanced at Jack. "Gotta minute?"
Surprised, Jack nodded. "Yeah, sure. Your office?"
"Yeah."
Curious looks passed between their co-workers as Jack followed the acting supervisor into his office, closing the door behind them. "So...I'm guessing you've already heard my news. Sorry...I was gonna tell you myself this afternoon, but I see it didn't work out that way."
"Yeah, I got the call on my way back from court. No big deal." After taking off his jacket, Dimetrius sank into the chair behind his desk. "Are you sure you want to do this?
Jack exhaled slowly. "Yeah…I am...and I assume you know why…"
Dimetrius nodded. "I do...and I hate that it's happening, but I completely understand the reason, and for what it's worth, I think it's the best choice you could make. So...when?"
"Next Tuesday." Jack cleared his throat. "I...er...I know that's not a lot of time to get someone new in here, but...you know, that's how it worked out. By the way...um...I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anybody yet. I need to talk to Sue...I want her to hear it from me first."
"Of course." Dimetrius smiled as he stood to shake Jack's hand. "Good luck...with everything…"
"Thanks. I appreciate that." Smiling, Jack nodded towards the door. "I've got a few things to finish up, so…"
"Okay. Hey, don't be a stranger, Jack…"
"Oh, I won't. I'll definitely keep in touch."
Jack left the office and nonchalantly walked back to his desk, stopping on the way to speak to Sue. He waved at her to get her attention. "Hey...I need to talk to you. Let's go get a cup of coffee."
"I'm busy, and you've been out of the office a lot already today..." Slightly irritated by his demands, she shook her head. "...and you just had a cup of coffee." She tried to ignore his dimpled grin. "Anyway, I can't go anywhere. I need to finish this manpower report, so I don't have time for you right now."
"Oh." Surprised at being shut down so completely, he frowned. "Maybe later?"
"Maybe...If I finish this project, then yes, we can talk later." She turned back to her work and began typing, signaling the end to their brief conversation.
"Yeah...maybe. Okay." Suddenly feeling awkward, he quickly sat down at his desk. "Well, I've got work to do myself, so…"
As she watched the drama unfold before her, Lucy could hardly keep from screaming in frustration. Slowly making her way over to Sue's desk, she stared at her friend, waiting to be acknowledged.
Finally Sue rolled her eyes and turned to Lucy. "What?"
"Why aren't you going to get a cup of coffee with that gorgeous man?," Lucy signed. "He was practically falling over himself trying to get your attention…"
Sue signed back. "I have so much to do! This report is due Monday morning!" Sneaking a peek at Jack, Sue was quite embarrassed to find that he'd caught her in the act, especially since she knew that he'd apparently realized he was the topic of her signed conversation. He smirked at her, waggling an eyebrow before turning back to his computer.
"Did you see that?," Lucy signed, almost falling over in surprise. "He's flirting with you!"
"Lucy...would you please leave me alone?," Sue exclaimed loudly. "I have things to do!"
"Fine!" Heaving an exaggerated sigh, Lucy sat down at her desk and crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot loudly in aggravation. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. Maybe she could work it out where Jack and Sue were the last two in the office at the end of the day...just a little nudge in the right direction, so they'd finally talk to each other, and without any real matchmaking on her part, so she could keep her promise to Sue.
She quickly sent out an email to certain parties, asking for a bit of indulgence as she described her plan. It was against protocol, but this was almost an emergency.
Seeing the amused glances from her coworkers, Lucy laughed to herself. Things might just work out after all.
Oooooooooo
The rest of the afternoon seemed to drag on endlessly as Sue tried to finish with the manpower report. It felt as if she'd been staring at the same page for the last hour, but nothing was getting done on the forms.
Sighing softly, she quickly flicked a glance Jack's way, wondering what he was working on so diligently. She couldn't help but smile as she admired his beautiful eyes...those expressive dark brown eyes that were rimmed with those ridiculously long eyelashes...those sparkling dark eyes that seemed to look deep into her soul…
She was startled out of her reverie when he looked her way and smiled. Blushing furiously, she bit her lip as she turned back to her computer. "I have to get this done…," she murmured to herself. Focusing on her monitor again, she willed herself to concentrate. "I want to finish it before I go home…"
Jack wasn't having any better luck as he tried to prepare a case file to send to the A-USA's office. He'd worked closely with Sue on the undercover aspect of the case, and everything he read in the folder seemed to remind him of her...something funny she'd said...where they'd eaten lunch one afternoon...how she'd worn her hair one day...the scent of her perfume...the day she'd worn that snug red sweater…how good it felt to finally kiss her...
He glanced over at her, wondering what project she was working on that late in the day. Evidently it was something distasteful, since she kept wrinkling her nose. "She's so cute…," he said to himself. "What was I thinking, waiting so long to tell her that I love her…"
Groaning softly at his lack of focus, he shook his head. "Maybe that's why we're not supposed to date within our unit...too distracting...not that I care...she's a great way to be distracted…"
His musings were brought abruptly to a halt as she turned to him with a brilliant smile. Feeling his heart pound, he tried to act normal. "Um…" He held up the folder. "...Hillary Kern. I'm getting ready to send it to Justice."
"Good." She shrugged as she pretended to turn back to her computer. Giving him a sidelong glance, she smiled. "I'm glad all our hard work paid off."
"Yeah, me, too." He turned back to his computer and entered some information. "We make a good team."
"We do." Exhaling slowly, she tried to check her calculations on the spreadsheet. "We really do."
"Yeah."
They were so caught up in pretending not to notice each other that they lost track of time. The pair barely acknowledged the goodbyes from their colleagues who began to leave for the day.
It was late in the afternoon when Jack finally checked his watch, surprised to find that it was 5:45. Looking around the office, he realized that almost everyone had already left, except for Lucy and Sue. Determined to talk to Sue that evening, he continued to peck away at his keyboard while watching her from the corner of his eye. He needed to tell her what was going on with his plans before she heard the news through the FBI's extremely efficient grapevine, but she seemed in no hurry to leave.
Clearing his throat, he got Lucy's attention, and she nodded, walking over to Sue's desk and waving at her.
"What's up? Oh, the time...our plans." Sue groaned as she glanced at her watch. "Sorry, I didn't realize it was so late. Are you ready to go to dinner?"
"Actually…" Lucy grimaced slightly. "I was wondering if we could take a rain check. I got a call from my grandmother a few minutes ago. She's feeling kind of blue, and she wants me to come over this evening. I hope you don't mind…"
"No, of course not. I'll be fine. I think there's some leftovers in the fridge...or I can open a can of soup..."
Seeing Jack sign 'thank you' from behind Sue, Lucy smiled. "Great! Thanks. I'll see you when you get home…"
"Okay. See you later. Tell Alice I said hello." Sue waved as Lucy left and then turned back to her computer. "Good...maybe I can finish this. Oh..." Surprised, she found Jack standing in front of her desk. "Yes?"
'Um...well...I heard Lucy say that you've had a change in your dinner plans, so…" He swallowed nervously before continuing. "...er...I was thinking about going to Parnelli's to get one of their house special pizzas, and I wondered...if you'd like to join me. I mean, it'd be better than leftovers or canned soup, I suppose...and you'd have company." He grimaced slightly. "I guess I should've taken you out to dinner to celebrate your promotion, but since you've decided to stay...maybe we can celebrate that, instead…"
She demurred. "I'm sorry...I can't. I need to finish this manpower report by Monday morning, or else Randy will yell at me, so I'm going to stay late...you won't want to wait for me, I'm sure, but thanks for asking..."
"Wait a minute." Jack was astonished. "He actually yells at you? I guess he and I need to have a little chat about how he treats you…"
Shrugging slightly, she giggled. "Well, I can't actually hear him yell, but his face gets all pinched up." She made a funny face to show Jack what she meant. "Seriously, though...I want to get this report done before I leave…"
"Come on, Sue." Jack sighed sadly as he reached out to take her hand. "It feels like I haven't really seen you all week, you know? I mean, yeah, we talked about case related stuff, but not anything else, and...I missed spending time with you, okay? With everything that's happened this week, I could use a friend…someone to talk to...someone to listen while I complain bitterly about what a rotten week it's been..." He offered up a small smile, batting those beautiful eyelashes at her. "Please?"
Feeling her resolve gradually slipping away, she scrolled through the report on her monitor. "Tell you what...if you can wait until I finish this, I'll go have pizza with you, okay? It'll be about thirty minutes."
"Works for me! Good company is worth waiting for." He nodded towards his desk. "I've got some things to tidy up, too, so just let me know when you're ready."
"Okay. Maybe having something to look forward to will inspire me to work. Now...no more talking!"
He winked at her. "Maybe I'll just talk really quietly to myself so you can't hear me."
"Very funny." She giggled as she started typing. "Do you want me to go to dinner with you, or not?"
"My lips are sealed!" Grinning happily, he sat down at his desk and opened a program on his computer, hoping to pass the time while Sue finished her work. He could hardly wait. Romance was in the air, and maybe things were going to work out the way he wanted for a change.
It looked like his bad week might end on a high note after all.