SCENE 8
EATING LEFT OVERS IS CONSIDERED FOREPLAY
A week ensued of calm uninterrupted productivity. Work at the book store was consistently busy. Customers were polite and eager to make purchases. Time passed in a well ordered fashion. For Sarah it was a week of absolute torture. Neither the goblins nor their king had paid her any visits. Her underwear was all accounted for and the corset lay in its box. The return of normalcy made her tense and anxious. Would they visit again? Would there be a next time with Jareth?
Brianna wanted to take off for the weekend. The weather was promising to be warm and sunny and the lake was only two hours away. The two of them could sleep out under the stars. She thought some time relaxing meeting a couple of hot, tanned studs was just her roommate needed. Such prescription for fun caused Sarah a degree of guilt that made her question her sanity. "You know what Brianna, it has just been a long, busy week at work," she said beginning her excuses. "I think I'd rather just relax at home."
With her roommate packed and pointed towards water, sun, and men Sarah decided to hold her breath. It was the beginning of the weekend- surely even kings need a little r'n'r. This time would be different though. This time she would be prepared for guests. She spent the latter part of the afternoon frying pork chops, tossing a vinaigrette salad, and slicing fruit. At four o'clock she set out enough plates to accommodate her self and at least five others in case of goblins.
Five o'clock arrive. The little house remained quiet.
Six o'clock.
Seven o'clock.
She went to her room and opened the closet. Only clothes, shoes, and boxes were to be found. She sighed. It wasn't as if plans had been made, or definites had been exchanged. Then why had she hoped? Why had she held her breath? All right so he had paid her a nice and slightly (no highly) suggestive compliment. He hadn't asked to be her boyfriend. 'Ghads Sarah!' she rolled her eyes. 'You've dreamed about him returning. You've imagined scenarios involving bath toys and bubbles. But who's to say he even stopped to think about you again?' She turned, walked back to the kitchen, and slumped in a chair. 'He was just being his normal, suggestive self. The compliment didn't mean anything more.' The food was cold. Her appetite had dwindled with her hope.
On cue Dink, humming to him self, appeared around the corner. He smiled. "Hello lady!" he waved.
"Hi Dink," she answered with a sigh.
He smelt the food; saw the table set, and then her sad expression. "Is everything ok?" he asked approaching.
"Yes. I'm just feeling a little foolish is all."
"Foolish?" His face brightened. "Well that's nothing to be sad over! King tells us that we're a bunch of fools all the time, and we're his most loyal subjects."
She shook her head in quiet amusement. She then looked at the table. "Are you hungry Dink?"
"Always!"
"Well then help your self. Any of your friends- Fash, Meep, or Blot- hungry as well?"
"Probably, I'll go ask." He disappeared down the hall. A few moments later the sounds of clamoring and laughter told her that yes indeed the goblins were hungry.
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Every muscle in his body was sore. It had been one of those days. 'No weeks,' he corrected. The fae who had been hen pecked and chased out on the last court day was hassling him. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he walked. The matter had actually been drug before Oberon him self. Anyone who paid attention or had a memory long enough to recall the previous year's court day knew about Jareth's house rules and the chickens' sworn duty.
Unfortunately this particular moron had felt some how justified to hold the Underground responsible for emotional damage and loss of dignity. When Jareth explained before Oberon that the individual in question had been found becoming acquainted with a male statue in a matter that was hardly publicly appropriate his hens had reacted as they had been trained. "If anyone should be seeking claims for emotional distress it should be every other court member who had the horrific experience of witnessing such a display." After the laughter had subsided Oberon had ruled in Jareth's favor.
With the ordeal behind him all he wanted was a plate of warm food and then clean sheets to stretch out on. He found the castle to be rather quiet. Upon further inspection he found that neither Dink nor Stench nor Weech had spent any time in the kitchen. "Dink!" he bellowed out loud.
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They had eaten nearly everything.
Several goblins had appeared whom Sarah had never met before. They all sat crammed elbow to elbow around her table. One rather over powering female goblin named Weech inspected all of the food with obsessive interest, and everything including the vinaigrette salad needed gravy. She made do without. Dink was most enthusiastic about the fried pork chops wanting to know the spices that she had used. Sarah felt her spirits lifting as she talked and laughed with the group.
When they had stacked their plates and settled in the living room Dink startled her by gasping quite loudly and then dashing for the closet.
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"Where in the world is dinner?" Jareth demanded. He had been dealing with idiots all week. The last thing he needed was for his goblins to have forgotten how to cook.
Dink kneeled gasping for breath. He had run the distance from Sarah's living room to the castle's kitchen. "Greetings sire. Sorry sire. We were making ready to start dinner when the lady invited us to her place."
Here Jareth checked his anger. He couldn't very well be opposed to them spending time with his lady. He was tired though and worn out. "And just what exactly am I supposed to do for dinner then? See if she has any left-overs!"
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"Left-overs?" repeated Sarah. Now this was a promising development. If she could get him to come here to her place… "Dink, tell his majesty that he is welcome to come over and eat."
Every nerve in her body went hey-wire. She made the goblins select a movie to watch. In the kitchen she cleaned the table and set out a new placemat. As she readied a plate to reheat in the microwave she felt her heart beating rather fast. 'Easy girly,' she warned her self. 'You are rushing head long into dangerous territory. It's just dinner.' Despite her warning she found herself retying her pony tail and double checking her face in the reflection of the toaster.
Jareth appeared around the corner. He looked tired and a little put out. She smiled, teetering close on too eager. Having sent Dink into the living room, she returned her attention back to the left-overs. "So you haven't eaten yet?" she asked casually. He said no briskly. "Anything you're opposed to- croutons, pork…?"
"I'll eat whatever you have." He sat down. He took a good deep breath trying to calm his frazzled nerves. Spending an evening with Sarah couldn't very well be a bad thing and the food did smell good. He watched her move around the kitchen. The view was also very enjoyable.
"Here you go. Pork chops, salad, and fruit. Juice?"
"Yes thank you."
She then stood there a little awkwardly. Should she stay and watch him eat? Should she join the goblins? She fiddled with her own glass between her hands.
Jareth nudged the chair next to him with his foot. "Sit down. Keep me company," he offered.
"So," she paused. "how has your week been?"
"Busy." He took a bite of the pork chop. It was like an instant calmer.
"Not one of those fancy affairs you told me you had all of the time?"
He scoffed. "Hardly! No it was more of a moron affair."
She noted his tone of voice. "You sound rather annoyed. What happened?"
He paused in his eating. "Well as the result of breaking one of my house rules a fellow fae was attacked by one of my trained hens. He was rather put out and thought he could embarrass me before the high court."
"Ah!" she replied. "Wait- you have trained hens?" The idea seemed a little humorous to her.
"Sharp beaks, long talons, and the ability to fly at eye level: they're very underestimated. Laugh all you want," he then added as she began to giggle. "I find them indispensable."
She checked her laughter, taken aback how easy it was to laugh in front of him. "So this fae did he deserve to be attacked?"
"Yes and the court agreed with me. Enough about my boring kingdom spats, tell me how you have been?"
"Oh well fine. I haven't any trained hens or dogs or any other such animals to look after, but work kept me out of trouble. Do you want any more?" she asked as he finished eating.
"Some more fruit would be nice. Those strawberries are delicious." He watched her as she stood and retrieved the fruit bowl.
He was again struck by just how normal it was to be with her again. What he considered normalcy- kingdom affairs, court days, royals- was beginning to feel like the oddity. They hadn't had a single argument or confrontation and this was evening number two. Either both of them were feeling out of sorts or some sort of polite virus had infected them. "Why Sarah?" he suddenly asked.
Fruit bowl in hand she looked back at him puzzled. "Why what?"
"This." He indicated his plate. "This too." He waved towards the living room where the goblins were laughing.
"I-I just." She stopped, wondering how much she should say. Perhaps if he would stand up and corner her, or make some sort of suggestive remark then she could avoid her reasons for accepting him and his subjects back into her life. Absently she set the bowl back down on the counter. "I don't know."
He considered his options. "You weren't oh let me think… hoping for something?"
"Hoping for something? Like what?" she avoided looking at him.
"That perhaps," he stood up from the table. "seeing as is it another Friday evening that you'd find yourself in the company of certain small folk?" She heard him cross the floor the tapping of his heel barely auditable.
"The goblins are always welcome here," she offered quietly. She looked up to find him right in front of her. Her heat pounded in her chest.
Jareth smirked at her. Weighing his choices he decided to play coy with her. "You weren't hoping for anyone else?" He leaned forward confidently.
She prepared her self for a near fainting fit. He was very close. He smelt of a million comforting scents. Instead something inside her sort of snapped. "Who?" she bit out with a crooked grin. "You? Really Jareth, do you think I just mope around here pining for you?"
He leaned a tad closer his hair nearly falling against her forehead. He seemed to give a good deal of consideration to her question. His expression suggested that he did sincerely hope that she did sit around pining for him. "It does sound like a rather nice thought," he finally said. "And the mental image is rather…well…"
The thing inside her that had previously snapped not only snapped a second time, but then poked her quite intensely in her rib cage. This action caused her to raise her arm and give his shoulder a decent punch.
"Ow!" he exclaimed completely startled.
"You know I very well don't!" she scolded him.
His smirk returned, slowly morphing into a grin. "Liar!"
"What?" she sputtered.
He returned to his leaning position. "There are seven plates stacked next to the sink. There are six goblins in the living room. I can only assume that dish number seven belongs to you. But," his hands shot out on either side of her to grip the counter.
'Oh crap!' went some little female inner voice.
"There are eight cups sitting around the table. You were expecting one more. Don't tell me that you just momentarily forgot how to count." Her breath came shallow. He noticed. It pleased him tremendously. His eyes ran the length of her. "It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find that you had donned the corset again."
She leaned away from him her backside pressing against the counter's edge. "I hate to disappoint you but…"
"No corset?" he asked leaning forward cocking his head slightly to one side.
"No." She shook her head.
"I'll have to make do."
Was he going to kiss her? It certainly felt, seemed, appeared to be that he wanted to. Of course they weren't even actually touching. He was just close. Oh so very obtain ably close. Sarah wasn't sure what to do. Should she finish this apparent initiation? Or at least put a hand on his chest? 'Dang it! Real is so much more complicated than dream scenarios!' If this were one of her little fantasies he'd have already kissed her, banished the goblins, and been making sweet love to her on whatever clear space they could manage the deed on top of. 'The table would work so very well.'
He saw that she was smiling quite warmly at him.
"Miss! Miss! Miss!" cried Fash in alarm.
They both exhaled sharply. He pulled back, paused, and then leaned away. She awkwardly looked down, finding anything to focus on other than his face. "Fash," she heard him say his voice tight. "this had better be a life-threatening emergency."
The goblin appeared in the kitchen door way. "The machine! We broke the magic image machine!"
Nothing the goblin was rambling about was making much sense to her. Brushing against him she moved away. "I'm coming Fash." The VCR was eating the tape. The black film was being spewed from under the flap. "Oh crap!" She hit the stop button.
"Here," said Jareth. "Move." He tapped the machine three times with his pointer finger then made a twirling motion. The film was sucked back into the machine followed by a rewinding noise. When he looked at Sarah again he found that she had sat down in the center of the couch with several of his subjects surrounding her. The movie began to play again.