Disclaimer: I don't own Human Target and intend no copyright infringement.
"You didn't call me yesterday." Cassandra's voice was a mixture of concern and lots of mocking amusement.
"I'm sorry, I just… I just…" Jamie wasn't quite sure what to tell her. I spent the evening watching the sun set snuggled up in Chris' arms sounded so totally positive, optimistic and life-affirming – that coming from her, Jamie, of all people?
Cassandra would probably die from shock.
"The guy who took you to the aquarium…?" More amusement from Cass, but no more mocking and it was tinged with a definite note of curiosity.
"He's… quite nice…" Although Jamie was on the phone she lowered her head and eyed the floor. A delicate pink hue suddenly made her pale face shimmer.
"Did you show him your apartment yet?"
"Subtleness is really not your thing, is it?" Jamie pressed her lips together in disapproval.
"You've been subtle all your life. The whole idea behind moving to San Francisco was turning a fresh leaf, wasn't it? Show him your bedroom. Unless of course you still haven't set up that bed of yours and are still sleeping on a mattress on the floor."
Jamie decided to ignore the question. "Well, tonight we're going out to a bar, to meet some of his friends and, I don't know, whatever you do at a bar…" Only now she realized how nervous she was about the evening. What if his friends didn't like her?
"Every evening at a bar ends at some point. Take him home with you."
… … …
Jamie wasn't the only one nervous about the evening, however.
"Do you realize how ironic it is that you put me under pressure to bring a date and then both of you show up alone?" Chance still couldn't quite believe it.
"Monica came down with a flu bug this morning", Winston said. "And I can't ask anyone else from the book club – she'd find out and I would have to find another one… again." He gave Guerrero a sinister look. He had no solid proof that that lowlife had somehow caused his expulsion from the first book club, but…
"Job came in, K had to grab it", Guerrero shrugged, openly grinning at Winston's book club remark. "You know how things are on the freelancer market."
"Your date's name is K?", Winston asked.
"Yeah. Last name is Smith."
"K. Smith? Could there be a more obvious false name?" Winston rolled his eyes in a well-practiced gesture of exasperation.
"She's got all the legal documents, dude."
"Why am I not surprised?"
Chance rubbed his forehead. He usually enjoyed his friends' bickering. He had been very unsure about Guerrero meeting Winston and the first year had definitely been volatile, mildly put, but by now there was more show to their endless back and forth than true animosity. When push came to shove, Guerrero would protect Winston and vice versa.
Today, though, they were getting on his nerves. What would Jamie say if she found out she'd be alone with three guys? She was cautious by nature, stuff like that could make her bolt. He didn't want to scare her.
… … …
It turned out Jamie was way too busy pretending this whole bar thing was not completely new to her to be scared of Winston and Guerrero. Granted, when she saw Guerrero she hesitated for the briefest of moment – the girl had good instincts – but that was it. They settled down at a table, Jamie took in her environment with wide-eyes, the waitress came…
"Could you change the channel, please?", Jamie asked her, a request that definitely took Chance by surprise. The TV was rather far away from them, blaring away pretty much unheeded by the patrons, they couldn't even hear it from where they were sitting, why was she asking for another channel?
Guerrero, eyebrows arched in immediate interest, obviously asked himself the same. "You don't like Queen of Style?"
Jamie turned pale as a sheet.
"Queen of Style?", Winston asked. "What the hell…?"
"It's on next", Guerrero explained. "A fashion-based show. Runs from Monday to Friday, each week in a different city. Five contestants are given a common motto. Equipped with a budget of 500 bucks and four hours of time they have to put together an outfit matching the motto – dress, shoes, accessories, hairstyle and make-up. They can take a friend to act as shopping counselor. Each day one contestant is filmed during her shopping tour and awarded points on a scale from one to ten by the other contestants. A star designer provides extra commentary and additional points. The winner will get the title "Queen of Style" and one grand prize money."
"You thinking of participating?" Winston laughed out loud. "Or why else do you know all that shit?"
"Private business, dude", Guerrero shot back.
Jamie uneasily wriggled about on her seat. She seemed to be wanting to say something, but apparently, for the life of hers, couldn't come up with anything.
Why in the world… could it be…? Naah, not her, not in a million years… on the other hand…
"Did you take part in that show?", he incredulously asked her. "And this is the episode you're in?"
The look on her face said everything.
"We've got to watch this at the office!", he burst out, laughing.
Jamie stared at him in sheer horror.
Yes, Chance knew he was being mean. But on the other hand…. His mischievous side got the better of him.
"Come on!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet. "You're a TV star! Let's enjoy that on a big screen!"
… … …
"Why did you participate?", Chance asked, handing Jamie a carton of Chinese takeout. She was sitting next to him, deeply sunken into the sofa. Carmine, sensing her uneasiness, had sprawled himself over her feet, providing his special way of dog comfort.
"Cass' idea. The shopping counselor. She's my best friend", Jamie mumbled.
"Did she force you at gun point?" Munching away, Guerrero picked around in his noodles. "'Cause that's the impression you make, dude."
"She wanted me to try something new…"
Could you be any more motivated if you tried?, Cass on the screen asked an extremely sullen looking Jamie.
She looks like she's going to bite the make-up artist's hand off., the designer commented.
The motto for the outfit was "A night at the opera". Winston wondered if any woman in the world had ever looked more miserable in a dressing gown than Jamie. Not to mention the face she made when they put high heels on her feet.
Even before her rather spectacular fall.
Cass on the screen prevented Jamie from buying the first dress that half-way fit – in mint green. Instead she made her put on a dark red gown, very simply cut but extremely suitable for Jamie's thin, tiny figure. Lo and behold, she suddenly had a décolleté and, thanks to the high heels, a butt!
"Do you still have that dress?", Chance asked.
"Must be somewhere", she shrugged.
The show ended with Jamie getting 36 out of 40 possible points.
"Who won in the end?", Winston wanted to know.
Jamie's reply was barely audible: "I did."
… … …
"Aren't you proud of yourself?", Chance asked as he gave Jamie a lift home. Parking space was scarce in the street where she lived and thus he had to stop two blocks away. Of course he insisted accompanying her to her door to make sure she arrived safely.
"It was Cass' achievement, not mine."
Half-way to her apartment a sudden downpour of rain caught them by surprise – no chance to take cover, they had to keep moving – and were drenched when they arrived at her doorstep. Jamie had no choice, she had to ask Chance in.
"You're not much into furniture, are you?", he commented, rather astounded. The apartment was almost devoid of any kind of furnishings. This looked as if she only just had moved in, there were still boxes standing around everywhere, she seemed to be living out of them.
Jamie didn't reply.
"You're freezing", he said. "I'll draw you a bath."
… … …
As Chance opened the faucet and watched the water swirl into the tub he couldn't help but think how horribly miserable Jamie had looked in her dripping wet clothes, face pale as a ghost's… he shouldn't have made her watch that show. What had he been thinking? He had seen it as a harmless prank, he had wanted to laugh along with her, but instead he had made her completely unhappy.
What had frozen her so badly? He poured soap into the water – unfortunately no real extra bubbly bath soap, she didn't seem to have that kind of stuff. He wondered if he should just leave now – yeah, his clothes were drenched, too, but he had come back to the office in much worse shape.
Or should he…? No, he would only upset her even more.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
… … …
At the calling of her name, Jamie stepped into the bathroom.
And froze.
"When you said you'd draw me a bath, I figured I would actually get to use it."
"There's plenty of room in here…" Chance couldn't have replied with a more innocent voice.
"You. Are. In. It."
"Now, seriously, don't tell me I don't look appealing… with the foam and all…" He blew a bit of foam in her direction.
Jamie didn't say anything, she just stood, staring at him, frozen to the spot.
"What are you so afraid of?", he asked softly.
She still didn't reply, but she also didn't walk away.
Chance reached out and took her hand. "Of this?" He kissed her hand.
"Or this?" He rose from the water and kissed her forehead.
Jamie fought a smile as foam brushed against her nose.
"Or of this?" His hand wandered to the hem of her wet shirt, he grabbed it and pulled it off over her head.
Jamie started shivering.
"The water is warm. Once you're in here you won't shiver anymore, I promise."
He opened the button of her jeans and pulled her pants down.
"You're beautiful", he whispered. "Amazingly beautiful."
He removed her bra and she shivered even more, staring at him wide-eyed, on the brink of panic, but not running away.
"Trust me."
He pulled her panties down, too.
Jamie took the tiniest of steps towards the tub. Chance reached out, embraced her and pulled her with him into the water.
"Don't worry, I got you."
… … …
"Don't you dare use office equipment for your damn side jobs!", Winston thundered as he found Guerrero in the middle of the night sitting at his desk, working on the computer. A massive traffic jam thanks to the unexpected downpour and a subsequent mass accident had forced him to crash on Chance's sofa.
"Just some research, dude", Guerrero replied darkly and turned the screen blank before Winston could see the photo of Jamie he had been looking at.