Chapter 15

The room was quiet, everyone had gone. Carla and Bill decided to get dinner and sleep at their hotel. Jack had gone home to shower and change. Anne threatened to make him disappear if he showed back up within the hour. Sue was alone and feeling lonely as Anne walked through the door.

"You have the best timing." Sue said.

"How's that?" She asked. Sue only smiled at her. "Feeling too alone?" She asked. Sue nodded. She reached into the closet and took her book out. "This will keep you busy." Anne said with a wink.

"Thanks. I can only imagine the dreams I'll have after reading this…" Sue joked.

"Hopefully a certain special FBI agent is in them…" Anne teased back. Sue blushed but laughed along with her. "You and he are really just friends?" She asked in disbelief.

Sue nodded. "Just friends."

"Can I ask, why?" She asked.

"Rules at work." Sue explained.

"And you don't think a shot at true love is worth breaking a few rules?" Anne asked as she sat on the edge of Sue's bed.

"I don't have a lot of real life experience, period. Before this job, I was pretty much in school and living with my parents. This is my dream job. I can't jeopardize my position or Jack's." Sue said, not convincing Anne.

"Really? Try again." She said pressing Sue for the entire truth.

"That's part of it…" She began

"What's the other part?" Anne pushed.

"I- I'm really new to the whole 'dating' thing. I've only had a few dates and one short term boyfriend in my entire life. In car terms, I've barely had my tires kicked… Jack's…" She hesitated while trying to find a good comparison.

"And Jack's been in for his 100 thousand mile tune up?" Anne joked. Sue nearly choked.

"Well, I don't know that I'd go quite that far, but, yeah, he's been around a lot more than I have." Sue said suggestively.

"That's not such a bad thing when it comes to men though. It's given him the time to figure out what he really wants, and what he doesn't. I've been married to the same man for the better part of a half century. Most of it's been good, some really bad, but most in the middle. We're satisfied with each other. He's a good man. We got married young, high school sweet hearts, both thought we were ready. I think he regrets not having the time to wander a little shall we say." Anne said.

"That's a horrible thought." Sue gasped.

"I'm not saying I think he regrets marrying me or our life together. I don't think either of us could see ourselves with anyone else. I think he has some wild oats that never got sewn." Anne laughed. "I'm just saying I think it's not such a bad thing if a man has been around the block a couple of times. He knows what he wants when he finally finds that right woman." Anne reassured.

"How do I know it's me he wants?" She paused. "If I cross that line with him, and he doesn't want the same thing, then I've thrown everything away. I couldn't work in the same office every day with him knowing what a fool I made of myself." Sue cringed at the thought.

"Jack doesn't strike me as the type of guy who would let you cross a line he wasn't interested in crossing. I'm sure he would find a way out of it without embarrassing either of you." Anne reassured.

"For now, I think I'll stick with sweet dream, subtly induced by this novel." Sue smiled.

"Well, you enjoy your book. I'll be back in the morning. Honey, tomorrow, we're going to move you. We're putting you in a regular room and you can go home on Saturday, as long as things still look good." Anne explained.

"Thanks." Sue said.

"I'm headed out. I'll see you tomorrow." Anne said. "The overnight nurse is Tillie, she'll be able to help with anything you might need."

"Thanks Anne. Drive safe." Sue called as Anne walked from the room. Sue opened the book and began to read. She'd gotten to the point in the book where the two main characters finally realize they're meant for each other, and get together. The further she got into the story, the deeper the shade of pink became that colored her cheeks.

Jack waited for Anne to disappear behind the cover of the nurses' station desk before he snuck into Sue's room. Sue glanced up from her book and smiled when she saw it was Jack.

"Hi. What are you doing here? Didn't Anne threaten you earlier if you came back?" Sue asked.

"She did, but technically, I haven't left yet, so…" He said, glancing back over his shoulder. "What are you reading?" Jack asked, noticing the color on her cheeks.

"That book Anne gave me." She answered. Jack tried to peek over her shoulder, but Sue put it face down on her chest.

"Want me to read to you for a little while?" he asked innocently.

"No, no… that's OK. I don't think you'd really like this…" she said making an excuse.

"Let me be the judge." He said grabbing the paperback from her.

"Jack…" Sue protested. Jack opened to the page she had book marked and began to read.

"…he pulled her forcefully into his arms, lust filling his eyes as he claimed her lips…" Jack began, his cheeks tinted just a bit. He chuckled, clearing his throat. "Is that what you think a first kiss should be like?" He asked.

"I didn't say that… it's just a book, which I didn't write…" Sue defended.

"But you're reading it…" Jack teased. Sue blushed.

"True." She said.

"See, the way I see it…" Jack began putting the book mark in the page he was reading and putting the book in her lap. "A first kiss should be something sweet, spontaneous, special…" He said as he leaned forward and gently grazed his lips over Sue's. Sue gasped at the unexpected move on Jack's part. It was barely a peck, but it held all the promise of a future for the two. His hand moved to her cheek. Anne walked in just as Jack was about to press his lips to hers again.

"You know, I was going to throw you out on your butt…" Anne said with a wink. "I'm leaving, might I suggest you do too? The overnight nurse isn't a romantic like I am…"

"Yeah…" Jack said. He slowly got up from Sue's bed and walked toward the door. "See you in the morning?" He asked. "Good night."

"Night." She said back. "It will be now." She said smiling as the door closed.

Jack looked at Anne who had a silly grin on her face.

"Don't you start." He said in warning. Anne simply made a zipper on her lips and locked it, tossing the imaginary key over her shoulder and giggling. "Hmm…" Jack said.

"I'm glad you finally made your move." Anne said. Jack wagged his finger in her direction smiling. "Speaking of moving… we're moving Sue in the morning. Stop by and see me, I'll let you know where to."

"Thanks." Jack said. "I'll walk you to your car. You shouldn't be out here alone." He said.

"Such a gentleman. Usually there's a group of us or we get the security officer to escort us." Anne said. "Thank you for the armed escort." She said with a smile.

Jack gave her a quick hug. "Thanks for everything, really. I can't tell you what it means knowing Sue's ok."

"I think I know." Anne said as she got into her car, waved and drove away.