Chapter Twenty-Six

Meet The Parents: Part I

Don't own The Office, but I love the show! LOL

Thank you to my reviewers! Homemade Snickerdoodle cookies for you reviewers! (Don't worry -- I'm a good cook!)

"Jack!" Melissa had squealed when Jack had put the ice cube on her neck. It was cold, but it had felt so nice...she remembered him kissing her there before. She liked his kisses better than that ice cube...but it was still sexy. And that's what Jack was, after all. "That's cold!"

He held her close, one arm wrapped around her while he kept the ice cube on her.

"Jack!" she squealed again. "Stop it!"

She felt so safe with Jack...so happy and carefree like she was a little girl again...

"Persuade me," he said.

Her lips moved to his. She savored every kiss with him. His kisses were like no other–

Melissa heard a door open. No door had opened with her and Jack...maybe this was a different dream. Maybe it was one where she was coming home from a day of work. Maybe Jack would be in this one, too.

She heard bags being put down on the floor and two different voices softly talking. That was not her's and Jack's voices...those were...her parents!

Melissa's eyes shot open and awoke to harsh sunlight. She had fallen asleep on the couch, and Jack was laying next to her!

"Shoot!" Melissa whispered to herself. She looked at Jack, who's head was to one side, resting on the cushion.

How could she have forgotten? She knew her parents were coming home, but she didn't even think about finding an excuse for Jack!

Okay, she thought. He's a vet...he works with me! Yeah, that's a good start.

What time was it, even? She rubbed her eyes and looked at the red-numbered clock on top of the television set. It read 12:00 AM. The power was still out.

Yeah...and his car was damaged from hail, and I decided to give him a lift–

Melissa heard her parents start walking up the stairs. None of them said anything, probably for fear of waking Melissa up, even though her bedroom was downstairs.

Her father's hand swooped down at the arm of the chair to grab the remote to turn the television on (probably to see if it still worked), but stopped when he saw Jack and Melissa.

"Dad!" Melissa said cheerfully, trying not to look nervous. "How was your trip?"

Jack's eyes opened and looked at Melissa. He turned his head to meet a tall man with light blue eyes and brown hair.

"Melissa..." her father's voice trailed off. "Who is this man and what is he doing here?"

"He's keeping me company!" she said quickly, before Jack could put his two cents in.

Her father raised an eyebrow.

"I mean..." This is sounding all wrong! "Jack is a new vet at Elm Creek. He started on Monday, and I told him that I was home alone, and since...well, you know how I don't like storms, right? Well, Mr. Sparrow here offered to keep me company, just in case a tornado came."

Jack's eyes flickered with irritation at the name "Mr. Sparrow."

"And he would have gone home, but the storm got too severe, and before we knew it, the lights were out!" she said. "So he spent the night...It was harmless, Dad! He didn't try and do anything! We just sat here and talked."

His ice blue eyes remained locked on her's, searching for any sign of lying. Her father's eyes were almost harsh looking right now. She prayed that he would believe her. After all, Jack didn't try to do anything. At least not last night.

Her father's eyes left her's and went to Jack's. "Where's your car?" he asked. "I didn't see on in the driveway as I pulled up."

"He walks everyday," Melissa said for him. "He lives on Yukon, in one of those town homes. He's a gas efficient kind of guy."

I don't think I could sound any more stupid if I tried. "A gas efficient kind of guy"? What was that? she thought.

"And what are you wearing?" her dad asked.

"Clothes," Jack said. "Was awful hot last night, but didn't dare change into somethin'. The lass even offered me a new pair."

"I know you're wearing clothes, Mr. Sparrow, I can see that. No offense, but why are you dressed so odd?"

"Theme days!" Jack said, standing up and clapping his hands. "Friday was Pirate Day."

"At a vet's office?" Her dad remained skeptical.

"Aye, me matey!" Jack said, closing one eye and using one hand as a hook. "Down to th' brig with ya!"

Melissa thought she was going to die from trying not to laugh. Jack looked like a total idiot trying to persuade her dad, especially when he was a true pirate trying to act like a stereotypical one.

"Um...Jack, how about we go check on your house?"Melissa quickly stood up before her father could even react to Jack's charade. "Just so...you know...everything's okay. Assess the hail damage and whatnot."

"Wonderful idea, love!" Jack said.

A confused Mr. Lewis frowned at the two of them. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Sparrow," he said politely.

Melissa took her car keys and went out the front door. It was only until they were both in the car that she laughed until she was crying.

"Jack," she said, wiping a tear away. "What was that?"

"Pirate day," he said. "Pretty clever, eh?"

"I don't think that a vet's office would have theme days? This isn't an episode of The Office. But I have to say..." She started the engine. "'Aye, me matey!'? You're crazy, Jack."

"Well, thank goodness I am, otherwise this wouldn't 've worked."

"I don't think it worked, though. I just bought us time. You did nothing but make yourself look like a fool and–"

She was interrupted by a long kiss on the lips from Jack.

"You know, for someone twenty years older than me, you're a pretty good kisser," she said.

"Thirteen."

"I'm sorry?" she asked, backing out of the driveway.

"Thirteen. I'm not thirty-eight. I'm thirty-one. Do I look that old?"

Melissa felt her face turning red. "No, it's just...I assumed that since–"

"I'm so undeniably handsome, not to mention intelligent, that I would have had to have been on God's green earth much longer than you to achieve such handsomeness and intelligence that only you and your mother and father could dream of."

Melissa turned onto a different street. "First of all, that made no sense. I just assumed that you were older because...I don't know! I'm a bad guesser at age, alright!"

"So the first time you saw Kate, you thought she was thirteen?"

She hit his arm. "That's not very funny. But I'll give you one thing: you are handsome and you are kind of smart."

"I know I am."

She rolled her light blue eyes at him, the ones that both her parents had. "Oh, please. You're so full of yourself."

"I am not, now eyes on the road."

Melissa couldn't help like she and Jack shared a bond already. It was almost like Melissa was becoming a different person while around him. She could feel herself getting a little more loose and not keeping up the good-girl image that had once been effortless. Already this morning, she had lied to her dad, something she had done only a few times (both in desperate situations).

"Where 're ya kidnappin' me to?" he asked.

"Oh...just a leisurely drive," Melissa said, a small smile creeping upon her face.