Chapter 5

His hand on the small of her back, he guided her through the busy restaurant, heading towards the end of the room and seating her on a corner table, the area around them relatively quiet. Sue was surprised when he took the seat next to her instead of sitting in front of her, but she enjoyed his attention. They both changed from their swimming suits into short comfortable clothes and developed quite a hunger after their water slide adventure.

Jack was quiet during the short ride but Sue could tell he was watching her when he thought she wasn't paying attention. He seemed to be in deep thought and she welcomed the silence, wondering to herself if this was finally the day when things change between them. He certainly acted differently, the small deliberate touches, combining with some of his not so innocent comments, made her believe that something was on his mind and she certainly hoped things might change.

Jack nudged her hand and she raised her eyes to meet his, startled to see the waiter standing in front of them. She allowed Jack to order something, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by his presence and averting her eyes from him and the waiter, her heart thumping in her chest. She saw his hand reaching out to hers and lacing his fingers with hers. She raised her eyes. "Sue?" He asked softly, his face filled with worry.

Suddenly, she just knew she couldn't take it anymore; she couldn't let him evade the subject forever. "Jack, what are we doing?" She asked suddenly, watching when he smiled a little at her outburst.

He shrugged his shoulders and she had the desire to smack him at the back of his head for doing that annoying motion that always told her that he was hiding something from her. This time he gazed at her when he spoke. "I'm trying to sweep you off your feet." He declared proudly.

Sue lowered her eyes, desiring the direct answer but somehow still surprised when she read it. Jack's knee bumped into hers and she raised her head to see the waiter arriving with their dishes, placing them in front of them before leaving them alone. She cleared her throat, raising her eyebrow at him. "Sweeping me off my feet?"

"Yeah. Is it working?" He wondered, grinning when she shrugged her shoulders and picked up her fork, developing a sudden interest in her food.

"I think you're on the right track, Hudson." She grinned saucily, tasting her pasta with enthusiasm.

"Ah…and do you have any ideas for improvements?" Jack wondered, taking a bite while he waited for her to speak.

Sue shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I might get rid of the slowness of your actions." Jack chocked on his food, watching with wide eyes as she handed him a glass of water with a sweet smile. She made sure he was able to breathe normally again before she turned serious. "Why now, Jack? Why today of all days? Why not after New York or after Tony or Simon or after we kissed?"

Jack reached out for her hand. "I know I had my chances and I know I avoided each and every one of them. I can never turn back time and get all the chances I missed." He paused, lacing his fingers with hers again. "I met an old friend today. She reminded me that people don't stay around forever and that people change. Suddenly, the thought that one day you wouldn't be there when I need you was more terrifying then ever because that woman waited for me and now that we finally met after all those years, I couldn't be there for her."

"You're…I don't understand…" Sue hesitated. "Allie came and…"

"No…no…not Allie, don't ever tell her that you thought she was Allie, she didn't like her very much…on my last two years in college I shared a small apartment with a woman who turned out to be a wonderful friend and on one, very miserable night, we agreed to marry each other at a certain age if neither was in a committing relationship."

Sue raised an eyebrow. "You were good friends."

"We were miserable that night." Jack chuckled. "Today is the date we agreed on and I met her for breakfast." Her lips formed a silent 'oh' and she lowered her eyes, wondering if he was going to tell her that he was getting married. "I told her that even though I wasn't in a formal relationship, there is a woman whom I would very much like to be with."

"Me?" She raised her eyebrows and Jack rolled his eyes.

"Yes, have I swept you off your feet yet?" He tapped the table with his fingers, waiting for her reply.

She smiled a small smile and shrugged her shoulders, turning to her plate and taking a bite of her pasta. "Hmmm…it's delicious…"

Jack pursed his lips. "I really hate it when you shrug your shoulders like that…" He smirked, surprised when she smacked him in the neck.

"You know, Jack, I hate it when you shrug your shoulders too!"

He chuckled, stealing a taste from her pasta and serving her a piece of his own with his fork. She took her time wrapping her lips around the fork, watching with amusement when his eyes widened and slowly turned darker and darker as he watched her. She closed her eyes and slowly licked her lips. "Hmm…can I have some more, Jack?"

His fingers danced in her hand. Y-e-s. He signed and she felt him shifting beside her, his other hand cupping her cheek before his lips touched hers softly. She stopped breathing, freezing as his touch send shivering down her spine. He kept his touch light, enjoying the sensation of her soft lips, somehow still aware of the fact that they were in public. His hand left hers and moved to her hair, still damp from the shower she took at the water park. He played with the strands of hair, suddenly feeling her hand trailing up his chest.

The sound of something breaking distracted him and he slowly ended the kiss, glancing around them, relieved to see that no one paid them much attention. Sue opened her eyes when he continued to caress her hair and gazed at him with bright eyes, a small smile illuminating her features. "What?" Jack narrowed his eyes at her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing…we might need to work on your kissing technique."

He gaped at her, shaking his head. "I think I created a monster…"

Bobby hurried to place the bags he carried on the kitchen counter, sighing loudly, sweat running down his back as he hurried towards the air conditioner. Jay moaned behind him, locking the apartment door and slowly sliding to the floor, raising her long skirt to her knees and kicking her sandals away. "This was a mistake." She managed to mumble.

"Yes, most definitely." He agreed, turning the air conditioner on. "We should have taken a cab." He walked towards her and sat beside her on the floor, sighing when he realized that even the floor wasn't that cold anymore.

"Bobby, we'll never manage to make lunch in that heat, the thought of getting close to a kitchen and an oven is making me faint."

"We can't live on ice cream, Jay." He joked.

"Yes, we can…oh, no…the chocolates!" She sprang to her feet, rushing towards the shopping bags and gently pulling out a package of mini snacks, placing it in the refrigerator. "Maybe we could still save them." She lamented sadly.

Bobby smiled and reached out for her hand. "Come on, we both need a shower."

"You're assuming you have way too many benefits in this rebound arrangement…"

"Separately." He rolled his eyes, leading her towards the bathroom. "I'll start on lunch and by the time you come out the place should cool some more." He opened the door for her. "Sorry for the mess, I didn't expect any company."

"I need my bag, I have some stuff…"

"I'll get it for you and I'll bring a towel."

When he returned, bare feet and carrying her bag and the fluffiest towel he could find, she was already in the shower, the curtain hiding her from his eyes but not from his imagination. "I've got your stuff and a towel." He said, announcing his presence.

"Thank you; can I use your soap?"

Bobby gulped, having trouble in finding his voice. "Y…yeah, sure…why not?" He thought he heard her giggling and shook his head. "Are you laughing at me?"

"I'm sorry, your voice got really high."

"If you wouldn't be careful, I might actually act on the benefits that stem from the rebound arrangement." He threatened, reaching out for the shower curtain and shaking it a little.

"Bobby!" She squealed. "You wouldn't dare!"

"You think?" He asked.

"Weren't you hungry? Go away…" She laughed when he continued to shake the curtain.

"Alright, don't be long, you promised to make the salad."

The moment he stepped out of the bathroom he started laughing, hearing her humming to herself in the kitchen. He joined her at the chorus. "Food, glorious food. We're anxious to try it. Three banquets a day -Our favorite diet!" Jay burst out laughing while he advanced towards the oven, grabbing a towel and pulling out the baked potatoes. "Just picture a Mammoth steak. Fried, roasted or stew." He raised his hand in the air with a dramatic flare, his thick voice echoing around the room.

"Sorry, no mammoth steak today." Jay laughed, pulling out drinks from the refrigerator.

He accepted the bottle of water she offered him and they both settled next to the counter, sitting side by side on the stools. The potatoes were hot and spicy and the salad refreshing. "These are the best chili potatoes I ever had." Jay complemented, helping herself with a few more.

Bobby thanked her and helped himself with a salad before speaking. "So, what's next on our agenda?"

Jay shrugged her shoulders. "To tell you the truth, all I ever did when I was miserable over a guy was sleep and eat fatty food." She creased her brow. "And I whined…a lot…I don't wanna whine, Bobby, I hated myself when I cried over a guy."

"Isn't this guy worth crying over?" He wondered, taking a swig from his drink while she considered his words.

"More like, I should cry for myself for indulging too many years in this fantasy of us together." She pursed her lips. "I waited for too long, that's all…"

Bobby nodded his head and rose from the stool. Heading towards the refrigerator and pulling out the package of small chocolates. "Come on." He pulled her after him towards the living room. "Leave the dishes…" He chuckled when she made a valiant attempt to clear her plate from the table.

They sat side by side on the sofa; Bobby rested his feet on the coffee table while Jay folded her feet beneath her. He handed her a small chocolate bar. "One chocolate and then you start talking."

She pursed her lips before nodding her head. "We need a toast first."

Bobby grinned and they toasted their chocolate bars. "To a successful rebound."

"Cheers."

The Song is from 'Ice Age2' of course...