CHAPTER 10

Jack sat in his car outside O'Malley's nervously drumming his fingers on the steering wheel like he had been doing for the past twenty minutes. Alright, you're just taking the next logical step in this relationship. You haven't made any commitments yet. No pressure. You've faced off with System Lords; this should not be that hard. Why is this so hard?! He finally got out of his car, adjusted his shirt, and made his way inside where there was a young hostess at the front.

"Hi, welcome to O'Malley's. Do you have a reservation?"

"Um, no. Actually I'm supposed to be meeting somebody. Is there a woman here waiting?"

"You're going to have be a little more specific, sir."

"Right. Um, she has a flower and a movie with her."

"Oh yes, she's sitting in a booth at the bar. The one in the cute blue cardigan," she said as they both looked over her shoulder. Jack followed her gaze but didn't see what she was talking about. "The waiter's blocking her right now, but she's right over there."

Sure enough, he could see the sleeve of a blue sweater behind the waiter who looked like he was taking her order. Time seemed to slow down infinitely as the waiter finished scribbling in his notepad and started to move away. Step by step, Jack's eyes moved up the arm of the blue sleeve to the plunging V neck line up to the soft, pink lips and then her big blue eyes...

"Shit!" cried Jack as he instinctively ducked behind the hostess desk.

"Are you ok, sir?" asked the young lady giving him a bizarre look as he took one more glance before darting out the door.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit!" Jack said over and over as he paced back and forth next to his truck.

Yup, sure enough sitting there was Sam Carter. What was he going to do? I could just leave. I mean she hasn't seen me yet. It's not like she would want to see me anyways. He ran his hands through his hair and down his face exasperated. Oh yeah, he's definitely gone and fucked this up big time.

Sam sat nervously fidgeting between adjusting her top and checking her watch. It was twenty minutes past the agreed upon time and she was starting to feel more and more foolish as each second ticked by. She checked her phone for a message. Nothing. She sighed and started tapping her glass of water when she heard the restaurant door open. As she looked towards the door in anticipation, her eyes widened as she saw Jack O'Neill walk in. She fumbled looking for anything she could hide behind. Finally finding a menu, she quickly ducked behind it hoping he didn't see her.

Shit! Shit, shit, shit, shit! What is he doing here? She panicked silently. She peered over the top of the menu towards the door. When he was no where to be seen, she relaxed her shoulders and sat back upright. She jumped when she heard his voice.

"Sam, what a coincidence. What brings you out this way?"

"Just grabbing a bite to eat," she answered once she recomposed herself.

"Mind if I join you?" asked Jack as he slid into the booth across from her without waiting for an answer.

"Actually...yes. I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh? Janet? Daniel?" he asked playfully watching her eyes shift down. "So not Janet or Daniel. Is it a guy?" His eyebrows were raised now.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes."

"Good evening, sir," greeted the waiter as he laid a cocktail napkin in front of Jack. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"That's ok. He's not staying—"

"I'll take the seasonal beer," he interrupted with a smile much to Sam's chagrin. "Whatever you have on draft. Thanks."

"He's not staying. You're not staying," she said to the waiter and then to Jack respectively.

"I'll leave as soon as your friend gets here. So who's the lucky guy?"

"What do you want?" she asked not answering his question. Maybe if she could satisfy whatever reasoning he had, she could get rid of him quicker.

"I want...to keep you company while you wait."

"And why would you want to do that?"

"Well honestly, it's probably either me or that guy sitting behind me at the bar who hasn't taken his eyes off you since I got here."

Sam looked over his shoulder and caught eyes with a young man in a very tight salmon colored V neck that was plunging almost as low as hers. He gave her a quick wink and flashed a cocky smile.

"He has not."

"Oh trust me. He's very interested in you."

Sam started to protest again when suddenly a large figure appeared next to them. She looked back at Jack and oh she really wanted to wipe that smug grin off his face.

"Hey sweetheart. Is this guy bothering you?"

"No, I'm fine."

"How about you let me buy you a drink?"

"No thank you."

"I can show you a real good time."

"I've already said no...twice so please move on."

"What do you want this fool for anyways? He's just sitting here. If you were my girl, I'd be knocking out anyone trying to bother you."

"So you admit that you're bothering her?" Jack finally spoke up.

"Uh..." the man stammered.

"Also, she can more than handle herself. Especially with the likes of someone like you. So why don't you do as she says and move on?" continued Jack while shooing him away with his hands too. The man scoffed but turned to head towards a group of young women at the pool tables.

"Thanks. Now, will you please leave?" she asked as she continued to check her watch and look around for anyone new that had entered.

"Wow, you must really like this guy. I've never seen you this nervous before."

"I'm not nervous."

"Could've fooled me," he responded with prodding eyes.

"Ok, I've never actually met him," she conceded.

"A blind date?"

"Yeah, of sorts."

They both turned towards the door when they heard it open. An elderly man that looked to be in his late 70's entered with a walker.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that's not him. Is he running late?"

"I'm sure he has a very good reason."

"How do you know that? What if you're getting catfished?"

"Do you even know what that means?" she scoffed.

"I used it right, didn't I?" he replied proud of himself.

"I'm going to say that was a lucky try. Anyways, it doesn't matter. I wouldn't expect you to understand; but I just know because I know him. He would never do something like that. He's sweet and sincere and funny and—"

"And yet, he's not here. I am."

Her gaze drifted down almost in despair as she was coming to the realization that J might actually not be coming. "When were you going to leave?"

"Tell you what. How about a game?" he asked motioning his head towards the pool tables. "You win and I'll leave. If I win, you let me buy you a drink."

"Fine," she relented since nothing else was working.

They got up and headed over to the pool tables. Sam went to pick out a couple of sticks while Jack grabbed the rack of balls and set them up on one end.

"You want to break?"

"Challengers first."

He lined up his shot and struck the cue ball hurling it towards the group of solids and stripes for a nice strong break that ended up pocketing the red 3-ball and purple striped 12-ball.

"I'll take stripes. You look like a solids kind of person."

Scanning the table, he spotted his next target. "14-ball. Corner pocket."

Jack bent over and lined up his shot again before sinking it perfectly. He glanced up at Sam with a smirk on his face at her somewhat impressed expression. He missed the next shot as the ball careened off the edge of the pocket. Sam proceeded to knock in two balls in a row with ease, including an impressive bank shot to avoid one of his striped ones.

"I see someone really doesn't want to lose."

"I tried to ask you nicely. Now I'll just have to kick your ass before getting my way," she replied with a coy smile.

Sam walked around the table until she was in front of him. As she bent over to take the shot, Jack couldn't stop his eyes from wandering to her ass. He even thought he saw her wiggle it a little at which point he had to take a long sip of his beer to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. She's getting a little flirtatious. That's a good sign. She barely missed the shot, giving Jack a chance. They alternated the next makes and misses until they were tied.

"I'm sorry," said Jack after his last miss.

"Huh?"

"I don't think I've said 'I'm sorry' yet, but I am."

"For what? Almost getting me killed or actually getting me fired?" she asked as she struck the cue ball forcefully driving another one into the pocket.

"Which one are you more upset about?" he asked playfully.

"You almost got me killed!" She used a little too much force this time as her target bounced off the side and knocked one of Jack's striped balls in. "And you actually got me fired!"

"But I also saved your life!"

"Technically, Teal'c did." Jack shrugged in reluctant agreement before sinking another shot.

"You're mad. I get it, and you have every right to be. But I was just doing what I thought was right."

"No, you had it out for me from day one in the briefing room. You're so full of yourself that you always think you're right."

He shanked his next attempt at her comment. "Well, technically I was right."

"But it wasn't any of your business. Yes, there can be an important mission that doesn't involve Jack O'Neill," she said when she saw the look of 'everything about the SGC is my business' on his face.

"It wasn't anything personal," tried Jack as if that made any of this better. Sam easily sank the next shot tying them up again.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one who has to leave." Sam missed again leaving just three balls left on the table—one solid, one striped, and the 8-ball. She could've ended the game if she hadn't missed, but now it looked like an easy path to victory for Jack who was a surprisingly good pool player. "What are you really doing here right now?" she asked almost sadly.

"You know, I'm not really good at the whole talking about feelings thing."

"Because you're incapable of trusting anyone."

"I have to trust people every day to watch my six."

"Trusting someone with your life is easy compared to trusting them with insight into your heart. You push everybody around you away by keeping them at bay. It's easier. Safer. When people try to get close, you make jokes to build up a wall so that maybe, just maybe, they won't see how broken you really are inside. But that's exactly why you're going to end up alone inside that wall. Everyone—even Daniel, Michael, and Teal'c—they'll all leave eventually. And then what?"

The words had just flowed out of her mouth before she could really process what she was saying. She was now staring at his body frozen in a crouched position over the table. As he saw the color she painted him with, he continued to stare at the 9-ball sitting unobstructed by the side pocket. It was an easy shot even for an average pool player. He pulled back the stick, then let it fly hitting it in a spot that sent the yellow striped ball wide right.

"Well, that's my cue to leave," he said emphasizing the pun to lay down another one of his metaphorical bricks. "Have a good night Sam."

She swallowed hard watching as he grabbed his jacket and threw a few bills at the bar on his way out never looking back at her. She stood alone at the table still holding the pool stick in her hands staring at the door. Her mixed emotions from the night were all over her face from the sadness in her eyes to the anger in her clenched jaw. But in that moment, all she felt inside was shame.