Hello! Never before have so few words taken so long to materialize:) After several re-writes, this is what popped up on my screen. Thanks for all the wonderful ideas and thoughts. Can't tell you how much I appreciate them.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dukes, and no infringements intended.
BALANCING THE BOOKS
CHAPTER 7
FIRST DATES
Whenever Special Agent Jackie Johnson was on assignment, she was always 'all business,' but this assignment hadn't been ordinary from the start. She always came equipped with a neat and tidy itinerary. Yet, Hazzard county and the driver of one orange Charger had disrupted those plans.
The auditor found herself watching the hands on the clock slowly tick by, waiting for the end of the workday. Jackie should have been concentrating on entries that didn't balance, but her brain was no longer in control of her thoughts; her heart was, and on that Friday, the only topic it was interested in was Bo Duke.
Acknowledging that she had been staring at the same line most of the afternoon, Jackie gave up. She wasn't getting anything done, so there wasn't any sense in pretending that she was. Telling herself that she'd get this infatuation out of her system by the end of the weekned, Jackie packed up her briefcase. For the first time in her life, she was quitting early.
Boss Hogg couldn't have been happier. Her presence was a thorn in his side. The previous days, it was he who was kicking her out of his bank at five o'clock; he was required by law to tolerate her presence during regular banking hours, but he wasn't about to extend her overtime. The round, little bank president knew about the 'irregularities,'; he just didn't know if she was good enough to catch them. He'd done his best to cover his tracks, but he wondered if he'd taken enough care. The past week had made him so nervous that he'd barely eaten a bite. Having lost a few pounds, he hadn't even noticed. Every few hours, he was in front of the agent, inquiring about her progress. Watching her pack away her things sooner than closing time lulled him into a false of sense security. He was certain that if she was willing to close shop early, she must not have found his creative entries.
Despite being the enemy, Jackie had formed a civil relationship with Margaret and the tellers. Bidding them a good evening and wishing them a nice weekend, Jackie stepped out into the late day sunshine. Strolling by Cooter's, she waved and said hello, but didn't stop for their usual chatter. Cooter Davenport raised an eyebrow, assuming that only Bo Duke could be behind making a sensible girl appear like an air-head. Living and working in the center of town, he'd seen the couple the night before.
Reaching her room, Jackie dropped her things at will. Rushing, she quickly changed from her business suit into jeans and a blouse. Glancing at the clock, again, she reminded herself that there had been no reason to rush. She had plenty of time, and now all she could do was wait, becoming more nervous as the time got closer.
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Jackie may have found it difficult to work that day, but Bo had been in an incredibly good mood; one that Luke and the Dukes couldn't help but notice. The boys hadn't talked about Bo's disapperance the previous evening, and Bo hadn't mentioned the Special Agent. It wasn't until Luke asked his cousin if he wanted to do something that evening that Bo finally confessed to having a date, a real date, with Jackie. Beaming from ear to ear, Bo was so proud of himself that he failed to take note of his cousin's reaction.
The Charger slid in behind the Mustang right on time. If Bo had thought to look up, he would have found Jackie at the window, in the same place he'd left her not even twenty-four hours ago.
Taking a deep breath, Jackie tried to calm her nerves and her fast heartbeat. It had been silly to make him knock. She'd seen him drive up, but she wasn't thinking clearly.
"Hi!" she greeted as she opened the door.
"Howdy!" Bo said back. "Wow! You look great."
"Thank you," she replied, lowering her eyes. "You look very nice, too."
An awkward silence followed while each of them tried to decide what to say or what to do next. In an unplanned move, Bo stepped forward. Wrapping his arms around Jackie, he pulled her close. Beginning the evening the way they had ended the prior one, Bo slightly pulled back.
"I've been waiting all day to do that," he confessed with a mischievious grin.
"I've been waiting all day for you to do that," Jackie replied, though until that moment, she hadn't even realized it herself. A wave of embarrassement and shock swept over her, but Bo quickly erased it with a light kiss.
"I was hoping you'd say that," he chuckled, tremendously pleased.
His mirth was contagious, and Jackie found herself laughing. Bo Duke had an uncanny ability to make her do that, and as quickly as the awkwardness had appeared, it disappeared.
"Ya know, I was thinking," he said, turning to a more serious subject, but never releasing her.
"Should I be worried?" Jackie joked, unaware that she had struck a raw nerve with the blonde. She didn't know exactly what she was witnessing, but Bo's million dollar smile evaporated. Raising her hand to cup his face, she whispered, "I'm kidding, Bo. What were you thinking?" She didn't fully understand her own feelings for him, but she knew she never wanted to cause him pain.
"I was thinking that, if you don't mind driving to Capitol City, they've got a lot more restaurants there. Thought you might like something different than the diner across the street," Bo suggested, cautiously.
"That sounds like a great idea," she replied, trying to sound as sincere as possible.
Insecurities forgotten, her response put Bo back at ease and he visibly relaxed. Of course, he hadn't admitted that there was an underlying plan to his plan. By taking her to the next town, he wouldn't have to worry about running into Luke, Cooter, or anyone else that might think Jackie was still available. Until Bo was certain that she wasn't, he didn't want to take any chances.
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"Bo, this was a great idea!"
"Shoot honey, we ain't even there, yet," Bo replied.
"Who cares! I've had more fun driving with you than……..well, I can't remember when," Jackie told her date, being rewarded with the smile that could make her forget how to breathe. "You're a great driver."
"Thanks! You probably don't drive like this on the streets of Chicago, huh?"
"Ah no! It might be interesting, but dangerous," she giggled. "Hey! Maybe we could try racing. You know the Mustang against the General. I always wondered how she'd do. Maybe now I'll get to find out."
"A race? Don't have to ask me twice," Bo stated, looking forward to the challenge.
"Now, how bout you show me just how you get this car to fly?" Jackie giggled.
The young couple had been having a wonderful time tearing up the secluded roads of Hazzard County en route to Capitol City. Bo was only more than happy to show off his proficient driving skills; something that many of his other dates didn't always appreciate. Yet, as soon as Jackie mentioned 'jumping' the General, Bo turned serious. He'd not been able to forget that it was one of his jumps that had caused Jackie's accident, and the mere mention of the topic brought a dark cloud down upon him. Since that day a week ago, Bo had not even attempted to get the General air-borne, despite Luke's suggestions on several occasions.
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Bo said, trying to dismiss the suggestion.
Why not?" she asked, believing she already knew the answer. She'd noticed how quickly he would change gears whenever the accident was mentioned, and she didn't want him to continue feeling guilty. "Bo, the accident wasn't your fault."
Nodding in agreement, but not agreeing, Bo continued to try to change her mind. "I just don't think it's a good idea."
"That's not fair, Bo! You said you guys do it all the time. I've experienced it from underneath, the least you can do is let me see what it feels like to be on top." Realizing that her comment could be taken in a different context, Jackie had to quickly turn to look out the window.
Bo's eyes quickly darted to his passenger. Seeing her trying to regain her composure, Bo couldn't help but grin. He liked the innuendo, but he knew it wasn't what she meant. Reversing their roles of trying to put her at ease, Bo gave in. "Okay!" There's a spot coming up that I can use. You gotta hang on, though. You're not used to this, and the last thing I want to do is see you get hurt."
"I trust you completely," she told him.
Seconds later, squeals, giggles, and one loud, rebel yell could be heard coming from inside the General Lee. Outside, a lone thud echoed through the hills. When she recovered enough to take a breath, Jackie assured Bo that she was not only fine, she loved it. Putting the issue to rest once and for all, they resumed their journey to enjoy the rest of their evening.
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Bo had been telling the truth; Hazzard's neighboring city did have more restaurants to choose from. If he had his choice, he would have taken his date to one of the more upscale establishments. Being from a big city, he was sure that she was more accustomed to the finer things in life. Yet, being from Hazzard, Bo's finances simply wouldn't allow it. Disappointed with his limited means, he hoped that she wasn't disappointed with his choice.
Selecting a casual environment with affordable prices, Bo longed for dimmer lighting and a more romantic environment. Picking up Jackie's hand after placing their order, Bo soon learned a lesson about creating one's own ambience; lighting and atmosphere was only what you made of it. The food was good, too, from what they could remember of it, but they were more interested in the company they were keeping.
Finding themselves outside a theater, Jackie tried to surpress the grin as Bo proudly announced that their newest theater offered four different selections. She didn't want to burst his bubble by informing him that the theaters in her home town offered as many as twenty. Letting Bo make the choice, they soon found themselves having their first argument.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Bo asked his date when he saw that she was in the process of buying the tickets.
"Getting our tickets, why?"
"Yeah, and you're paying for them!" Bo stated, never before having had a date even offer to do such a thing.
"So?" she questioned, confused by his reaction.
"I'm the guy! I asked you out, remember?"
"Yeah," she agreed.
"So, I'm the one that does the paying," Bo stated.
"You bought dinner," Jackie replied.
"So?" Bo asked, repeating one of her earlier questions.
Jackie Johnson didn't know what to think of the situation she suddenly found herself in. There was nothing out of the ordinary to her about splitting the expenses of an evening out, especially on a first date. In this situation, she would have thought it would have been appreciated, but Bo looked anything but grateful. He wasn't angry, but she could certainly tell he was confused. Though the notion was rather quaint, Jackie Johnson was used to being self-sufficient, and at the very least, an equal partner in any type of relationship. Though she doubted that Bo was trying to be obstinate, she knew she just couldn't cave in. While she was trying to decide what to do, the clerk interupted them.
"Folks, you need to move on. Do you want the tickets or not?"
"Yes," they both replied.
Bo rushed to Jackie's side, where another tug of war began taking place.
"Look, I can't take money from both of you!" the cashier spat. "Get out of line til you settle this."
Following the girls' instructions, Jackie did just that. She not only removed herself from the line, she kept walking. She wanted to know just how adamant Bo Duke really was about this subject, and there was no time like the present to find out. Jackie Johnson was an auditor and agent for the United States government. She had her own place, her own things, and she could take care of herself. While Hazzard's simple lifestyle was unique, and had somewhat of an appeal, which she couldn't quite explain, there were some principles she wasn't willing to compromise on. If Bo Duke was so old fashioned to believe that a woman's place was in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, well then, there wasn't anymore to discuss.
"Hey! Where you going?" Bo yelled, running after her. "Don't you want to see the movie?" he asked, sounding as disappointed as he looked. Getting in front of her, Bo stopped her forward progression. "Jackie?"
"Bo, I'm not used to this," she told him. "It's not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but I'm used to being an equal, and I'm don't want it any other way."
Bo stared at her, completely at a loss for words. This certainly wasn't a conversation that he'd ever had with a girl before. He'd never even thought about it or the message his own actions might be sending. "I wasn't trying to make you feel like you weren't an equal. I just never had a girl try to pay for anything when we's been on a date. Round here, it wouldn't be considered right." Watching her reaction, Bo was doing anything he could to salvage the evening. "Jackie, I've never met anyone like you before so I'm not really sure how to act or what to do. Guess I was just trying to impress you, but I didn't do a very good job of it, huh? I'm sorry."
"I've never met anyone quite like you, either, Bo. Guess we've both got some learning to do?" Jackie offered.
"Hey! I'm all for learning, when I like the subject," Bo chuckled. Reaching out for her, he said a silent prayer of thanks when she didn't pull back. "And, if you're a modern woman, well, I'm all for progress," he told her.
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Jackie wasted her money. The only feature the young couple sitting in the back of the darkened room were interested in was the Bo and Jackie show. From the moment they took their seats, there wasn't an inch of space that could be found between them.
The drive back to Hazzard was much slower and mild than the ride out of town had been. No jumps or brilliant maneuvers were needed. The only thing on Bo's mind was the woman curled up next to him and how long he could prolong their arrival. Taking every detour he could recall may have slowed the inevitable, but he couldn't prevent it. Bo and Jackie found themselves back where the evening had started; at her door.
"I should go," Bo whipsered, moving just enough to allow his lips to form the words. However, neither of them were making any effort to leave. In a moment that would forever affect their lives, no words were needed. An invitation was extended and accepted, all with just a look.