Chapter 6: Huh? What?
Jareth chuckled. "My game, my rules, Sarah." He looked up into the face of his cousin. "Amazing isn't it? She's so small and yet, she holds so much power." Coming back around to face Sarah, "Sarah, my dear you are tired. Why don't I escort you to your room, so you can rest?"
"Here? But mom?" Sarah took his offered hand to stand.
Jareth said softly, "No, my dear. I will send you back Above. Wait for me here, Cousin. I'll be right back."
o0o0o0o0o
Sarah came awake the next morning. The alarm clock by her bed read 6:43 am. A slight moan escaped as she sat up. She remembered starting to unpack. She remembered meeting a man, Corin, no, Cory who was Jareth's cousin. She remembered a quick trip Underground and back, then nothing.
Picking up her journal, she noted that she had written an entry. She sighed as the reason she was awake at O-dark-thirty made itself known again. Bathroom. Right. Shower. Food. Her body complained. 'Right.'
Personal needs out of the way and dressed in a faded t-shirt that had frowning Grumpy care bear on the front and faded jeans. Sarah went looking for breakfast.
She found in in the motel coffee shop. Tucked in a corner booth, Sarah was enjoying a bowl of oatmeal and juice when two shadows loomed over her.
"Mind if we join you?" asked Cory, breaking into her thoughts as both he and Jareth slide into the booth with her. Jareth say next to her as Cory sat across. Both men were dressed in faded jeans and shirts. However, Cory's was more mundane whereas Jareth's was his usual white poet shirt.
Groaning softly, Sarah muttered, "It's way too early to deal with you two."
"Dear Sarah. As lovely as ever," Jareth purred softly into her ear. "Sleep well?"
Cory chuckled. "Don't worry Sarah. I gave out the excuse last night that you were too tired to socialize and wanted nothing more then to unpack and sleep. You were sleeping like a little angel when we checked on you last night."
A waitress came over and took Cory's and Jareth's order. "Oh. And Jenny?" Cory said with a business man like air to him. "Anything Sarah wants is on my tab. She'll be working for me this summer." .
"WHAT?" Sarah cried.
"Sarah," Cory smiled. "Since you don't want to act, I thought I would hire you for the summer as my personal assistant. Normally, I would hire a temp for the position over the summer but since you're here. You'll do."
Jareth chuckled. "Sarah. Don't worry. Corindel and I have discussed this. You can work for him in the morning, doing whatever office work he needs done and in the afternoon, you can study or work on your stories. You did say you wanted to be a writer?"
"Well, yea?" Sarah's mind is reeling things are going too fast for her. She isn't sure she could trust these two but so far, they haven't said anything she could find fault with.
"You will also have use of my computer to work on whenever you want," Cory explained. "Plus you also have to continue with your studies with Jareth. He seems most insistent."
Sarah tried to find fault but since she really had no interest in trying to compete with her mother in acting anymore or tried to get her mother's attention by following in her footsteps, she sighed. "Jareth, where do you come into this?"
"An intelligent question, my dear Sarah," the Goblin King smirked.
"Just answer the bloody question."
"I don't. This is between you and my cousin," he said, watching her. "This is up to you."
Sarah thought it over and nodded. Jareth chuckled, gave her a slight kiss on her cheek, as he scooted out of the booth. "Well, that's settled. I need to return. I will see you later Sarah," he called as he walked out of the diner.
Cory chuckled. "You are amazing, Sarah. I have never in all my centuries of knowing him to see him this happy. Come on, I'll show you around."
Sarah snorted. Happy wouldn't be the word she would use.
o0o0o0o0o
Corindel gave Sarah a quick tour of the motel and headed over to the theatre. It was an old rustic looking barn on the other side of a paved parking lot. He pointed out a few things of interest along the way including the fact that he owned about 200 square acres of land that the motel and theatre rested on.
After he shown her his office, he leaned back against his desk, "So you are willing to give it a try?"
Sarah shrugged. "I have a question first. Besides the mundane need for a secretary, what do you get out of this?"
"My dear Sarah."
"DON'T!" She shouted, stopping him. "Don't ever call me that. You haven't earn the right," she hissed, as she glared at him. "Answer the bloody question and no mystic answer either."
Corindel silently chuckled as he got under her skin. Now he could see what his cousin had fallen for this slip of a girl. She had fire and she had intelligence.
"Sarah, what I get out of this doesn't really matter," he said with ease, "Relax. I won't harm you. Jareth may be a relative, he is also a friend. Leave it at that."
o0o0o0o0o
The afternoon sun felt warm on Sarah as she sat under an ancient oak tree in a small wooded garden behind the motel. She was using the marble bench provided as a table top. The Labyrinth tome was laid out in front of her as she was making vicarious notes in a black journal.
"My dear Sarah," Jareth said as he appeared sitting on the bench looking down at her. "So studious in your studying. Shall I test what you've learned so far?" With a wave of his hand, the tome and the journal disappeared.
"HEY!" she looked up at him a bit peeved. She had just gotten to a good part in the book.
He chuckled. "Really, Sarah, it's time I tested your knowledge so far," he chided. His mismatched eyes holding no emotions. "Don't you agree?"
He began to question her about certain aspect of the Labyrinth. At a couple of points, he seemed pleased with her progress, but sadly disappointed that she hadn't gotten far. "I would've thought you have gotten further then this."
"Well, I do have a life you know," she growled back, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm doing the best I can under the circumstances.
He chuckled. "So you are. As a reward for doing well so far, how about I take you out for dinner this evening? Your choice. A place here Aboveground or at my castle."
"You're serious? You want me to go on a date with you?" Her mouth dropped open in surprise.
"My dear Sarah. What is wrong with that?"
Sarah stared up at him. Her mind trying to wrap itself around the fact that he wanted to take her out someplace.
"Well, Sarah?"
"Uh sure, but not at the castle," She said. "It's not like I don't trust you. Hell, I don't trust you. But I would love to go out for dinner."
"Excellent," he said, standing offering her a hand to help her up off the ground. "I'll see you about an hour after dark. Be ready."
o0o0o0o0o
Dear Jareth,
Just a quick entry. I have to get ready. You actually asked me out on a date. A date?
Cory hired me to be his personal assistant for the summer. I wasn't too sure about accepting, there didn't seem to be any strings attached that I could see. I haven't yet seen my mother. I've been here all day and she hasn't shown up. This worries me as it could be a plot.
Well, got to run. I don't have much time to get ready. Will write more soon.
o0o0o0o0o
So many of you commented on Uncle Fluffy. It was quite hard coming up with a family tree but I think I have it figured out. I'm not sure how many have ever read Harlequin romances, but I read so many of the things that I now read only the last three chapters of the books. Jareth's personality is more or less based off the blasted things. Until next time. --GF