Hi all, here is another chapter! It's a longer one this time with some Jack and Sue cuteness. I promise there will be more Jack and Sue cuteness coming in the next few chapters, I'm so excited to write them! I'm hoping to update at least once a week if I can!
As always, I own nothing but my OCs!
Lucy and Sue pulled up to the restaurant at the same time as Jack. He grinned and waved at them, moving towards them as they excited the car.
"Glad you could join me, I was starting to feel a little lonely!"
"Jackson, you have guests seated indoors," Lucy said, gesturing at their colleagues who were seated at a large table near the entrance.
"I was under the impression we had a special guest, and being the gentleman I am I decided to meet her at the door." Jack explained, "Where is our guest of honour?"
"Emilia and Myles will be arriving shortly, they were just looking for a parking space," Sue said.
"Together? Well, it appears Myles has out-gentlemanned me. And to think he'd steal the spotlight on my birthday of all days."
"Jack, out-gentlemanned is not a word," Sue teased.
"You too Sue? That's no way to treat the birthday boy!" Jack said with mock betrayal.
Lucy rolled her eyes, but upon hearing footsteps and voices turned to see whether their friends had arrived.
"Well, here they are!" Lucy said, waving in greeting.
Myles and Emilia joined the three and exchanged the usual greetings.
"Emilia, it's been a while. How are you?" Jack asked as they entered the restaurant.
"I'm well, thank you. Happy birthday by the way, I was unsure what to get so I got some ideas from Myles." Emilia said as she nodded in greeting at the other members of the team seated at their table.
"Myles helped with the gift?" Demetrius asked, "How thoughtful."
"Let me guess, it's a cashmere sweater?" Bobby called.
"No, it's a really fancy pen!" Tara said, smiling at Emilia as she sat down opposite her.
"I'm afraid you won't know until Jack opens it." Emilia said sheepishly, hoping that the gift would be well received.
"Go on then mate, don't keep us waiting!" Bobby cried as Emilia passed over the small package.
"Well, if you insist!" Jack said, pulling at the wrapping paper. He grinned as he saw what the paper contained.
"Myles, I didn't know you knew me so well." Jack said, turning the gift for the team to see.
"Vouchers for any event at the Kennedy Centre?" Bobby cried, "You're gonna be bringing me right?"
"Don't bet on it Crash!" Jack said, grinning at Bobby before turning to Emilia. "Thank you, I love it."
Emilia let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I was worried about what I could get at such short notice."
The team spent a while talking, sipping at the drinks they had ordered at arrival. As usual, the conversation was flowing, with Jack filling in any gaps which Sue missed.
"...and then he realised it was a prank, and he was doing a fake press conference!" Jack said, laughing. As the rest of the team joined in laughing, Myles rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Yes, yes, enough about me." Myles said, quickly changing the subject, "let's focus on the birthday boy."
"But we have so many other stories. What about the bachelor auction video? Or the-" Bobby teased before being cut off by Lucy.
"Are we gonna order food or what? I'm starving!"
The rest of the team muttered in agreement, perusing the menu.
Jack turned to Sue, pushing the menu toward her.
"What catches your eye, other than the dashing gentleman before you?" Jack said, leaning towards Sue in his chair. He hoped she would believe he was looking at the menu with her, but he'd already decided what he wanted. It was an innocent ploy the be close to her without arising suspicion.
Sue smiled, looking down at the menu and pointing. "I already know. Ribs". She looked up and smiled at him, their eyes locking on one another. She noticed their closeness but she was frozen in place. She knew that soon enough people would notice their closeness, but his eyes seemed to lock her in place. Pushing her hair behind her ears she pushed the menu towards him slightly. "What about you?"
"It's gonna have to be a rib eye steak," Jack said, not removing his gaze from Sue's.
"What? No raw fish?" Sue said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. She could feel a slight blush rising up her body, noticing the warmth of Jack's breath almost caressing her neck. She could smell his cologne, the one she knew so well and tried her hardest to not lean in closer.
"Well, considering the birthday boy never pays I thought I'd get my money's worth! I want the thickest juiciest steak I can get to bulk up my cholesterol. Can never have too much!"
Sue's eyebrow raised and the twinkle in her eye dimmed slightly, replaced with concern.
"Jack, you need to look after yourself. I don't think I could- we don't want a repeat episode of the heart attack."
Jack smiled, putting his hand over hers. "I'm kidding Sue. Of course I look after myself. I couldn't put you, or the team through that again... The hospital was far to boring anyway." He smiled trying to lighten the mood, rubbing his thumb across Sue's knuckles in reassurance. Sue smiled, a blush still playing on her cheeks, reassured by Jack's earnest response.
The rest of the team had noticed the pair at the head of the table drifting closer and closer but decided to leave them be.
"Well isn't he the lucky birthday boy?" Bobby whispered, grinning at Jack and Sue.
"Maybe the wish from his birthday candles finally came true?" Tara chirped.
"How long do you reckon it will take them to realise we've all noticed?" Dee asked the team.
"I'm betting in the next five minutes." Lucy said.
"Nah, they won't last that long, I give it two minutes tops." Bobby disagreed.
"Look at them, they'll be oblivious until something interrupts them," Tara said, gesturing at the pair, who were still seemingly lost in each other's eyes. "Like the waiter."
"Or you dropping something," Bobby muttered, teasing her for her clumsiness receiving a light smack on the arm from Tara.
"What are the odds ladies and gentlemen? May I suggest the winner is exempt from dinner payment?" Myles said, playing the referee role.
"Deal."
