He awoke to find big, brown, worried eyes studying him intently.
"What are you doing, Jack?"
"I was sleeping," he responded, hoping to head off the conversation he saw brewing in her eyes. He failed.
Lucy intentionally let her gaze roam over the couple before her, noting Sue's head nestled on Jack's shoulder, her hand resting against Jack's upper leg. She knew her friend would be embarrassed when she woke up. Returning her scrutiny to the man before her, she repeated, "I mean, what are you doing?"
He rubbed his free hand over his face, trying to squelch the irritation her words sparked. He wanted to spout off that it was none of her business but that wasn't entirely true. Sue was her best friend and Lucy was naturally protective of her, as was he. And it wasn't as if he hadn't asked himself the same question repeatedly since boarding the plane and surprising Sue with his plan of being her ears for her, or, as she had so eloquently put it, her 'dog'. Avoiding the question he instead went on the offensive. "I'm simply combining my vacation with your wedding."
"That does it," she exclaimed with a loud whisper, hoping not to wake up any sleeping passengers as she began to unbuckle, "Trade seats with me."
"What? No!"
"Jackson Samuel Hudson, you cannot come on this plane with Sue, flirt outrageously with her, and then just walk away. She isn't like the others," she hissed between tight lips.
"Like what others?" he asked, not bothering to mask his growing ire.
"The population of Bimboville," she muttered sarcastically. "There are too many to name. You know, the ones that can flirt right back at you and the 3 guys seated next to you at the bar. If you do that to her on this trip and then go back to DC and the status quo...Arghhhh! Trade seats with me now!"
"No!"
"Okay, fine. It doesn't matter anyway," she suddenly said. "I've given up on you and have decided to switch my attention elsewhere."
"Hallelujah!" he declared. "Sue will be as glad to know that as I am."
"Sue? Did I say anything about Sue? I've still got plans for her. You're just no longer in them. I pretty much gave up on you when you dropped the ball yet again after she stayed in Washington instead of taking that job in New York."
He gave her a skeptical look. "W...wh...what do you mean?"
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "Think back. Have I been as annoying in trying to get the two of you together? And have you not noticed Peters visiting our office more and more? There are other fish in the sea, Jackson. Fish that actually know how to bite at the bait and aren't afraid to be hooked."
"Peters? Sue wouldn't be interested in him."
"They've eaten dinner together a couple of times," she informed him, ignoring the swat from her fiancée. "So never mind my question. It doesn't matter. I've got her paired with Daryl's high school friend Scott. He's a cutie and should get along great with Sue. After a week together in such a romantic setting, who knows where it might lead." She gave him a sappy smile and slid back in her seat, turning her back on the conversation.
"Luce," Jack hissed, "What kinds of things do you have planned?"
Turning and peeking between the seats, she told him, "It doesn't matter. Just drop it. I promise not to bug you about Sue any more. I think you are being a great friend to her, coming and being her ears in the hotel. And who knows, if things go my way, you won't have to work very hard because Scott will be keeping her company."
She felt Daryl's eyes on her as she finished with Jack. "What?" she tried to ask innocently.
"You know 'what'," he replied with a grin. "You told me Sue was helping Agent Peters with a tape he needed transcribed."
"Yeah, so?"
"Sooooo," he said, hanging onto the word, "They didn't go out."
"Did I say that he and Sue had been out? No," she continued, answering her own question. "I said that they'd had dinner a couple of times. I'm leaving it up to Jack to jump to the wrong conclusions."
Daryl laughed, taking her hand and squeezing it fondly. "Do you think he realizes he's being played by a master?"
"He doesn't have a clue," Lucy giggled, leaning across to give him a lingering kiss. "And you don't need to say a word."
"I think you can arrange for my lips to be otherwise engaged," he flirted with an audacious leer.
Lucy laughed delightedly. "Do you know that we are absolutely perfect for each other? Just like the infuriating couple behind me," she added with a scowl. "I just hope they can get their act together on this trip. If paradise doesn't do it for them, nothing will!"