CHAPTER 10

Thanks to all who have taken their time to review. I look forward to hearing from you all! Sorry for the delay, but my little one has been sick and THAT keeps me away from the writing… She fell asleep early tonight… Let me know what you think.

The next day, Jack and Sue went to the rink for one last run through of their routines. There was an obvious tension between them. Neither knew where they stood, and both were too scared to ask.

"Hi." Jack said, looking at her with a shy smile.

"Hi." Sue said back, blushing a bit.

"So, are you ready? This is our last practice. Tomorrow is the charity event." Jack said.

"I know. I'm ready- we're ready, but I'm still nervous. You?" Sue asked.

"Yeah." Jack admitted. He skated to her, wrapping his arms around her. She leaned back and they spun slowly.

"We should work on the short program. We haven't spent a ton of time on it." Sue said.

"OK." Jack said. They noticed the director waving at them, and skated over to her.

"Hi Jamie." They said in unison. "How are you?" Sue asked.

"I'm great! Getting very excited about tomorrow. You?" Jamie asked.

"Nervous." Jack admitted.

"Don't be. I'm sure you'll be great, I've been watching you guys practice." The two friends smiled. "I just wanted to let you know that we've got the sounds system up and ready. We've put the speakers face down on the ice in the corners. I've spoken to the two musical acts you have and they've agreed to up their bass to help you hear the music." She said.

"That's awesome!" Sue exclaimed. "Do you think we could do a run through with the music actually on? We've been using timing with Jack's MP3." Sue said.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Jamie said. "What do you want to hear first? I'll go put it on for you." She offered.

"Just A Kiss" Jack said. Sue looked at him curiously. "Well, I figure, like you said, we haven't practiced that nearly as much as "Cowboy". And… I thought maybe we could have Bobby and Myles come down so we could at least tell them we need them." Jack continued. Both laughed at the fact that they hadn't mentioned to either of their friends that their help was needed!

"OK, let's start with that one. We can see how loud we need the bass. Jamie? Can you sit in the audience and give us some sense of if the volume and bass are too loud for people watching?" Sue asked.

Jamie shook her head yes. She made her way up to the booth and turned on the music, pushing the bass up more than usual. Sue gave a thumbs up that she could feel it under her feet. Jamie restarted the music, and headed for a seat in the middle of the arena.

Sue and Jack started at opposite ends of the rink, skating toward each other. The routine began, and they fell into it as if they were meant to dance together on the ice forever. As the routine ended, Jamie stood and applauded loudly.

"Bravo! Bravo!" She shouted. Jack and Sue mocked bows at center ice and skated off. "That was incredible!" Jamie commented.

"Was it too loud?" Sue asked.

"Not at all. Once everyone gets in here, we'll turn it up more because the bodies will absorb the sound. Just then Bobby and Myles entered the rink and made their way down to ice.

"Hey guys!" Jack said excited to see his two friends. "Bobby, Myles, this is Jamie, she's the coordinator of the charity skate. Bobby and Myles work with me and Sue." Jack explained while introducing them. They all shook hands, greeting one another.

"Do you want me to put "Cowboy" on for you?" Jamie asked.

"Yes. First, we need to explain to our friends what we need from them…" Sue said, biting her lip, hoping they wouldn't run in the opposite direction.

"Us?" Myles asked, intrigued.

"I'll walk slowly." Jamie said as she parted their company.

"Yeah… We need the two of you to be part of our dance…" Sue began.

"Guys, you know we would love to help, but honestly, neither Myles or I can really skate." Bobby started.

"That was why we nominated you two for this honor." Myles added.

"We don't exactly need you to skate, just stand on the ice, near the boards, opposite each other, so Sue can flirt with you…" Jack explained.

"Oh, well, in that case…" Myles started. "If I get the chance for Ms. Thomas to actually flirt with me, and it's for charity, how can I possible say no?" He asked.

"OK, what do we need to do?" Bobby asked.

Sue skated to the spots in which they needed to stand. "Bobby, you'll stand here. Myles, on that side." Sue skated back to the three men. "You just need to look handsome and confident, maybe over confident. Turn on the charm. You're both supposed to be hot shot movie stars who were supposed to turn my head, but didn't. I'll skate up to Bobby first, flirt a bit, wave to him, skate backwards to Myles, flirt with you, and then blow you off too. I skate to Jack, who will be there. He'll have a cowboy hat on, which I'll steal. I will put it on my head, and skate off. Jack will follow. As he catches me, I will take the hat off and toss it to one of you. At that point, just pick up the hat, and get off the ice." Sue explained.

"Do you think you can handle it?" Jack asked.

"Jack? Of course we can. What do you take us for a couple of amateurs?" Myles asked smugly.

"Would you mind if we did a quick run through, so you'll know what we mean, and it won't be completely foreign to you tomorrow?" Sue asked.

"Sure Sue, anything for you, Love." Bobby said. Bobby stepped onto the ice where they were. Myles took his place across ice. As soon as he stepped onto the ice, he slipped and nearly fell. He tried to brush it off, but Bobby couldn't resist.

"Real professional there Myles, real professional." Bobby teased. Sue took her spot in the center of the ice, Jack toward the end boards, just past the other men. Sue gave her signal to Jamie to turn on the music. Instinctively, she looked to Jack for her cue, even though she could feel the beat under her feet. She took off skating toward the opposite end of the rink, and began her routine. She skated up to Bobby, spraying him with snow from the ice, flirted, and moved to Myles. She repeated the routine of flirting, then pushed him to the side for the likes of Jack. She pretended to take his hat, and put it on her head, then as they got just past Myles, she tossed the hat in his direction. He gingerly picked it up, and carefully exits the ice. He doesn't move from his spot, he just sits. Bobby does the same. Neither can take their eyes off the couple gracing the ice. As they finished at center ice, in perfect time with the beat of the music, both men broke out in a grand round of applause.

"Wow! You two were great!" Bobby complimented.

"That was some of the best ice dancing I've ever seen! Especially for a pair who haven't had a lot of time to prepare. Well done!" Myles added to Bobby's compliment.

"Thanks." Jack and Sue said in unison, both reaching for a bottle of water. They sat and began to take their skates off.

"I do say, I think Randy squared is about to be squished!" Myles boasted.

"Don't jinx us Myles! One slip and we're in deep trouble out there." Jack said nervously.

"We'll be fine." Sue tried to reassure. The group left and headed their separate ways.

Sue was no sooner in her car when her Black Berry beeped. She picked it up and looked at it, it was Jack.

"Hello Jack." She said, trying to hide the smile on her face.

"Hi." Jack answered.

"Miss me already?" Sue asked laughing.

"Actually, yes." Jack said matter of factly. Sue smiled and blushed a deep shade of pink.

"Oh." Was all she managed. "Jack? Did you call for something other than to make me blush?" Sue said sweetly as she bit her bottom lip.

"Actually, I did. Do you have plans for dinner?" He asked.

"Not yet." She said back, tempting him to ask her out.

"Wanna have dinner with me?" He asked.

"Depends…" Sue said with a teasing giggle in her voice.

"I'm buying." Jack said with a chuckle. "Where do you want to go?" He asked.

"Don't know. Italian though. We need pasta for tomorrow." Sue said.

"I'll meet you at your house, say…6?" Jack smiled as he hung up the phone, not waiting for an answer.

Sue smiled and drove to her apartment. She took a long hot shower and got a comfy pair of jeans and a blouse on. She sat on the couch looking over mail.

"Hey you!" Lucy said as she entered their apartment. "I didn't know you were going to be home tonight."

"I'm not actually. I took my car to the practice today, and he asked me to dinner. He's picking me up at 6." Sue said casually.

"He asked you out?" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Yes, to dinner." Sue said, again casually.

"Is this a date?" Lucy cautiously asked.

"Yes. A dinner date." Sue said once again, staying very casual with her answers. She knew she was driving Lucy crazy with the vague answers. Lucy quickly sat down next to Sue, her voice was at least one octave higher than usual.

"Is this a "date" date, dinner date?" Lucy asked, hopefully.

"You could probably call it that." Sue said, finally allowing a slight smile to turn her lips up on the edges.

"EEEEEEE!" Lucy squealed!

Sue laughed along with her friend, but didn't let on all the details. She still wanted to string out the torture.

"Do you think… tonight will be the night?" Lucy asked, nearly giddy.

"That…depends on… what does "the night" mean?" Sue asked, a bit nervous of what Lucy was asking.

"Do you think that he'll kiss you?" She squeaked out.

"I hope he kisses me goodnight… again." Sue said with a devilish smirk on her face.

"Wh-What do you mean again?" Lucy asked with a shocked look on her face, her mouth wide open. Just then, the bell rang. It was Jack. "Come in!" Lucy yelled in the general direction of the door. "I want those details my friend… " Lucy urged.

"Another time… I have a dinner date, and he's waiting…" Sue said with a big smile on her face as she walked past Lucy arching her eyebrow. "Come on Levi…" Sue called. "Don't wait up." She said as she walked down the stairs with Jack. Lucy stood at the top of the stairs with a shocked look on her face, her mouth still open.