Chapter 11. Dinner Out
“Come on, Jack!”
“Daniel, I said no! If you’re that uncomfortable, you do it!”
“Why didn’t you just make a reservation?”
Jack lets out a long exaggerated sigh. “Because, Daniel, I didn’t think we’d need one! I didn’t realize they’d be this busy!”
“Well, I still think you should try. After all you’re the host. Put that multi-faceted personality of yours to some good use, don’t you agree, Teal’c?”
Jack’s frown stretched into a near grin, confident that Teal’c would back him in this situation, as he focused on the Jaffa’s stoic features.
“I agree, Daniel Jackson.”
“Teal’c!” Jack screeched out his name in disbelief and then shook his head in disgust. “You know I think you do that just to throw me off!”
“That would be most unkind, O’Neill.”
“You’re telling me? Thanks for the backup, buddy!”
“You are most welcome, but I still must agree with Daniel Jackson.”
“Yeah, right.”
Jack knew when it was time to admit defeat. They had formed an alliance against him and with no backup; well, it just wasn’t worth it.
“Ok, Daniel, you win. Which one?”
Daniel grinned excitedly at Teal’c and then strained his eyes around the room as he searched for the target.
“Right there, that one!”
“Where?” Jack was frustrated and stalling. He really didn’t mind playing along with Daniel’s idiotic idea, but damned if he’d let them know it and the prospect of a little hot sex, although not mandatory was definitely a possibility and not an undesirable one either. “There’s like ten of them in that direction, Daniel. Pick one!”
“Stop stalling, Jack. Right there, third table from the rear. She’s taking the order for that table, brunette, long hair, nice legs…”
“There?”
“Yes! Right there. She’s been looking at you ever since we walked in.”
Jack turned his head and looked at the string of men sitting along the crowded bar.
“How do you know she’s looking at me, Daniel? She might be looking at you!”
“I know when I’m being ogled, Jack. It’s definitely you. She’s looking at you like you’re a big, juicy steak and she’s gonna eat you right up!”
Even Teal’c smiled as Jack swiftly stiffened his neck and pulled his shoulders back, totally surprised at Daniel’s odd description.
“Oh, for cryin’ out loud! You’ve been watching too many movies!”
Daniel pushed his glasses up on his nose and kept his face totally serious as a thought occurred to him that would speed this whole process up a bit. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone as Jack watched, mouth slightly agape and motionless.
“No. No, I don’t think so but I guess it’s up to you. I’ll just call Sam and cancel.”
“Cancel? Why?”
“Well, surely you don’t think we can squeeze her in here at the bar? I mean there isn’t room, Jack. We should just reschedule for another night. I’m sure she’ll understand.”
Daniel was playing his ace in the hole trying to get the desired reaction from Jack and it seemed to be working. Jack glanced nervously at his watch and realized that Carter was probably already on her way here. She wouldn’t be happy at a last minute cancellation.
“Oh, all right, I’ll do it!”
He took a final swallow of beer and set the bottle on the table.
“You have stated that previously, O’Neill.”
“All right, all right! I’m going. And I hope you guys enjoy this because we’re not doing this again! Is that clear?”
Both men shook their heads in agreement as Jack stood up from the stool and made his way slowly across the crowded bar area and into the dining room.
Halfway across the room, the brunette looked up and a seductive smile spread slowly across her face as she met his eyes. ‘Well, I guess Daniel was right,’ he thought and unconsciously his stride changed to a cocky swagger and a warm, teasing smile tickled his lips and sparkled in his eyes.
“What must O’Neill trade for this preferential treatment?”
Daniel furrowed his brow and wrinkled his nose just a bit as he answered.
“Actually, it’s more of a favor, Teal’c. He doesn’t really have to trade anything it’s more along the lines of compliments and convincing the other person to agree with your request.”
Teal’c cocked his head the slightest bit and stared momentarily at Daniel, as if judging whether or not he was being truthful. Finally, a few words slipped from his mouth as he turned back towards Jack to watch the unfamiliar scene unfold.
“Are you not the one to insist that O’Neill is less than diplomatic?”
“Oh, this has nothing to do with diplomacy, Teal’c. This is totally different! Jack has a way with the ladies.”
“I see.”
“Ooh! Watch this, Teal’c. He’s really good at this!”
Daniel’s eyes were alight with childlike enjoyment as he watched Jack begin to work his magic.
“You have participated in this exercise previously, Daniel Jackson?”
“Um, yeah, a few times…but not for a long while. Watch!”
From their crowded perch they had a nice view of Jack’s back and the waitress that Daniel had pointed out. Jack’s features were completely hidden from them as he chatted with the woman but even so, Daniel knew that Jack was smiling that warm smile of his, the one that convinced you he was lovable and totally harmless.
The woman was smiling but still shaking her head ‘no’. Then she dropped her head in an almost bashful manner and Daniel wondered what Jack had said to make her blush. He watched as Jack raised his arms from the elbow and if Daniel was interpreting correctly that meant “What? You’re kidding!” or maybe “Please?”
Teal’c turned to look at Daniel, obviously getting a totally different interpretation from the body language of their friend.
“It seems that O’Neill is having little success.”
Daniel’s head snapped around to look directly at Teal’c.
“What? No, just give him a minute. They usually put up a show of resistance but it always works!”
Then he turned back to watch Jack who had slipped one hand in his pocket and was reaching out to the woman with the other. He barely touched her arm and the woman’s head quickly moved to meet his eyes. She was laughing and Jack was bending his head down slightly, twisting his body as he looked toward the floor.
“Was that…Oh, my god, he’s not!”
“I believe he is, Daniel Jackson.”
“He’s doing that “innocent” thing, Teal’c. I’d be willing to bet he’s even blushing.”
“Blushing?”
Daniel turned his eyes back to Teal’c as he recognized the confusion in his voice.
“Yeah, you know that thing Sam does sometimes …when she turns all pink and starts to fidget or dig in the dirt with her toes?”
“Indeed, but I have never seen O’Neill exhibit such behavior.”
“Neither have I but…”
“Hi, guys!”
Daniel and Teal’c turned in unison towards the familiar, smiling voice, Daniel’s intense interest suddenly turning to slight discomfort.
“Oh, Sam! Hi!”
She chuckled and then frowned as she studied their faces.
“What’s going on, guys? Am I late?”
“Um, no, not really. We were just waiting…”
“Ok, well let’s go to our table. I’m starving.” She cocked her head to one side and smiled brightly at her two companions.
“Um,” Daniel scrunched his face into a mask of displeasure before looking into Sam’s eyes. “We don’t have one yet.”
“What? Sure we do. I made the reservation myself.”
Daniel and Teal’c’s eyebrows made a run for the sky and Sam smiled back at them with slight confusion telling in her eyes.
“Oops!”
“Indeed.”
“Are you guys ok? Where’s the colonel?”
“He’s uh…”
“O’Neill is attempting to…”
Daniel interrupted Teal’c quickly, fearful of his blatant honesty.
“He’s trying to get us a table, Sam. We didn’t realize you made a reservation.”
Sam didn’t respond, she just turned her eyes towards the crowd of people in the room, searching for Jack among the unfamiliar faces. Suddenly, her eyes found him and she seemed to freeze in place. Her eyes squinted slightly, her head tilting to one side as she pushed her jaw forward and then lifted her chin. He was flirting. All out flirting, she could see it from across the room and the woman was definitely responding as she moved slightly closer to Jack, smiling and placing one hand on his chest. Sam felt the heat of anger flood through her system and tried to push it down again. She knew she shouldn’t show any concern over his behavior but still the pangs of jealousy were unmistakably coiling around her and triggering every feminine response she’d ever had. For just a moment she allowed her emotions to take control and came to a quick decision.
Daniel turned to Teal’c, pulling his lips back in a quick, tight grimace but Sam was already moving by the time he looked back towards her.
“Um, Sam!”
Sam turned to the hostess behind her and smiled warmly.
“Would you mind seating them? I’ll be right back.”
The woman nodded her head and waited for Daniel and Teal’c to follow.
“Uh, Sam…”
“It’s ok, Daniel, I’ll just get the colonel.”
Her voice was light and natural but Sam stared into his eyes with an almost evil smile and then started quickly across the room.
“Oops!” Daniel muttered again, so lowly that only Teal’c could hear but when Daniel turned to look at his friend he was almost smiling. “Teal’c?”
“Oops, indeed.”
Then Teal’c turned to the hostess and held out his arm, bowing slightly to indicate they would follow. They were quickly seated and ordered drinks for the four of them. The hostess moved away and Daniel began to fidget in his seat.
“Daniel Jackson, are you ill?”
“What? No, Teal’c, just…well, you know.”
“I do not.”
“Ok, well, I’m not sure I believe that … but you know…Sam and Jack. You know how they are.”
Teal’c cocked his head and stared at Daniel as if he had suddenly gone insane.
“Ok. You pretend if you want but you know what I’m talking about. This should be interesting.” Daniel stretched his neck and moved just a bit so that he could see his two companions. “Just think of it as watching their backs, ok?”
Teal’c turned his gaze to Major Carter. She was striding purposefully across the room, her eyes trained on O’Neill as she moved. There was a distinct determination in her step as she pulled her shoulders back and forced her hands to remain open and swinging casually at her side. Teal’c thought he had detected a bit of anger flashing in her usually calm blue eyes just before she’d moved away and his lips pulled back in the slightest of grins but he quickly restored his features to their usual form before he spoke to Daniel.
“I do not believe that Major Carter would wish to create a disturbance.”
“No, she wouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean she won’t make Jack squirm a bit!”
Sam forced a smile onto her face but couldn’t really change the look in her eyes as she moved silently towards Jack. He was flirting and enjoying it! She clamped down on her … what was it? Jealousy? No, she wouldn’t admit to that. She just didn’t want the colonel getting in over his head and felt obligated to save him the embarrassment. Right! Moving closer, she laid one hand gently on his shoulder, fingers squeezing lightly and feeling the slight tensing of his muscles as she pressed her fingers against him.
His head turned automatically towards her touch and she smiled up at him with her most seductive smile.
“Jack.”
“Oh…Sam!”
He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar and she couldn’t help the slight smile that surfaced in answer to the guilty look in his eyes. He was tightening the muscles in his face, crinkling the skin around his eyes and intensifying the smile lines that lived there as he stared down at her and then glanced nervously back at his companion.
Sam leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his cheek, the same kind of kiss she would give Daniel or Teal’c without thought.
“Dad’s waiting for us. You ready?”
She smiled brightly at his surprised expression watching as total confusion and then apprehension spread across his features.
“Dad? Jacob’s here?”
Jack stared at her for a moment and then turned away from the women to search the crowded tables as the waitress studied Sam intently. She raised her chin in a defiant stare and opened her mouth to speak but stopped as Sam’s hand slid down Jack’s back with a definite touch of familiarity and her eyes warned off any thought of intrusion.
“See Teal’c and Daniel? They’re just over there.” Sam leaned closer to Jack and made a small pointing sign in their direction as her other hand rested possessively on his lower back.
“Ah! Yeah, I see them.”
“Well, then?
“Oh! Right!” He turned back to the brunette and gave her one of his brightest smiles. “I guess we should go. It was nice meeting you.”
“Yes, very nice. Perhaps we’ll meet again?”
Jack smiled openly and then remembering Sam was beside him glanced over at her quickly. Her head was cocked to one side and her eyebrows were slightly raised in silent question. Never taking his eyes off Sam, a small smirk danced on his lips as he spoke.
“Yes, perhaps. Sam?”
“You go ahead, I’ll be right there.”
Jack cocked his head slightly and his eyes questioned her intentions. She read them and silently assured him that it was ok for him to go.
Across the room, Daniel was stretched to his full sitting height as he watched them. He chuckled lowly and then spoke quietly to Teal’c.
“Hoo hoo! Look at them! She’s making him squirm all right. I wish I could hear this conversation!”
Teal’c nodded his head and continued to watch as Jack slowly moved away from the women.
“Oh, my god! He’s leaving them there together? What the hell is he thinking?”
“I believe he trusts Major Carter.”
“Of course he does, Teal’c but that isn’t Major Carter…that’s Sam.”
Teal’c turned his face to Daniel in confusion, his expression, while unchanged to the casual observer, told Daniel he should explain.
“I think the soldier has taken a backseat to the woman, Teal’c. Sam is running this show. Get it?”
Teal’c turned back to where Sam stood chatting with the brunette and O’Neill moved across the room, seemingly in slow motion. He took a few more steps and stopped, some undefined concern nagging at him as he turned back towards Sam who was still standing with the other woman.
“I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t realize…”
Sam interrupted the sentence and shifted into her dominant military persona as she studied the young woman.
“Not a problem but now you do.”
“Yes, well you should keep him on a shorter leash, you know?”
Sam smiled and raised her chin just slightly then nodded her head in agreement.
“I don’t see a ring though.”
“Ah, no. But…”
“Hey, I understand, I’ve got eyes.”
“So…we’re clear then?”
“Clear? Disappointed but yes, crystal clear.”
“Good.”
The look in Sam’s eyes was intended to convey the message that the woman was playing way out of her league and it seemed to hit home.
Jack was watching closely now and they were making him a bit nervous. He could see the intense looks and slight movements that pushed his instincts into alert mode. If they’d been men he would have sworn they were sizing each other up, squaring off to see who would throw the first punch. He glanced quickly over his shoulder and could see Daniel staring at him with a satisfied smile plastered obviously across his face and made a mental note to torture him later. Then he turned and took one step back towards Sam but she raised a hand for him to stop, smiled once more at the woman and headed towards him. She fell in step beside him and felt his hand come to rest lightly against her back guiding her forward.
“Carter, next time maybe you should just send a memo?” He raised his arm in front of him and drew it through the air as if indicating a headline. “To the Citizens of All Nations Under The Sun. You are cordially invited to attend the Court Martial of Colonel Jack O’Neill and Major Samantha Carter!”
Sam chuckled slightly but she could hear the tension in his voice.
“Next time? I’m sorry; I don’t know what you’re talking about. Sir.”
“What? You don’t know . . . That! That’s what I’m talking about. I thought you were going to…what were you thinking anyway?”
Sam stopped suddenly and he turned to look at her, their faces only inches apart and the tone of her voice a strange mixture of teasing and accusation.
“I was thinking that I’m hungry, Jack. And besides, you started it.”
She was grinning as if she’d just won the million-dollar lotto and he couldn’t help but smile back. They started to walk again and he leaned close to her and spoke just above a whisper.
“Well, actually…it was Daniel.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Really. He wanted a table and I was trying to get one.”
“By flirting with the waitress?”
Jack turned back towards the woman, smiling suggestively and felt Sam’s hands suddenly grasp his shoulders and turn him back again. He did his little ‘bobble head doll’ move as he looked into her eyes innocently and shrugged his shoulders.
“So….”
“So?”
“I take it Dad isn’t here?”
“No.”
“And you were just . . .what?”
She turned smiling eyes to his but kept moving. It was her turn to shrug her shoulders and look innocent.
“Oh, nice! What did you say to her, Carter?”
“Me? Nothing, Sir, just polite conversation.”
“Polite conversation, huh?” Brown eyes twinkled with doubt as he watched her. “And . . .”
His voice trailed off in indication for her to finish the sentence.
“And, let’s eat. If you behave yourself and you can put off pummeling Daniel, I might let you help me work on the car tomorrow.”
“Oh, well, that sounds like a real treat!” Sarcasm was practically dripping from his lips as he eyed her steadily.
“You’d have to be there early though.”
“Carter, I’m not sure I want to spend my Saturday working on your car!”
Without missing a beat, she toned in.
“It is a lot of work, Sir, you might need to stay over.”
“Not to mention you just blew my chance for a little hot sex after dinner!”
“There’s still a chance of that, Sir.”
He stopped in mid-stride, the implication of her words finally sinking in. His eyes were almost crossed in surprise and confusion as he stared into her teasing smile.
“There is?”
“There’s always a chance, Jack.”
“There is.”
She felt his hand press a bit more firmly into her back, fingers moving in a slow, almost undetectable caress as he urged her to move forward again.
“So what’s with the car?”
“Um, I’m not really sure.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Oh, yeah. It could take the whole weekend.”
“The whole weekend?” A slight pause as he stared into her eyes. “Yeah, I think I might be able to help you with that.”
Daniel and Teal’c watched as they slowly approached, stopping and talking, eyes blazing, hands gesturing and then they’d start to move again. It was an old dance, one they’d seen many times before just not usually in a crowded restaurant or even on earth for that matter.
“Will you look at them, Teal’c? Isn’t it obvious that something is going on between them? I mean, what is that if not a lover’s quarrel?”
“You assume much, Daniel Jackson.”
“Oh, yeah, I know. They’re all about honor and the military regulations but look at them! Do they look that different from all the other couples in this room? My point is . . . if they’re not, they should be!”
“I believe O’Neill and Major Carter are capable of making their own decisions and that we should not interfere. Major Carter has simply retrieved O’Neill to join us for dinner.”
“Oh, right! And I’m sure they’ll have some cock and bull story about what they’re arguing about! Maybe that last piece of alien technology we brought back to the lab for study. Or some hockey game! Anything except that waitress Jack was flirting with!”
Teal’c lifted his chin and smiled slightly at Daniel’s words.
“Perhaps a wager then?”
“What? Oh, ok, I’ll take the alien technology. You?”
“I believe it will have something to do with the mechanical state of Major Carter’s car.”
Daniel stared into the face of his smiling friend and scrunched his brow in suspicion as he watched an uncharacteristic twinkle appear in Teal’c’s eyes then shaking his head, turned to watch his two friends approach the table.
“Hey, guys!”
“Hey, Jack. Well that took long enough! What were you two talking about?”
“What? Nothing really.”
“Nothing?”
“Yeah, well actually, Carter’s got a little problem with her car.”
Daniel’s head snapped towards Teal’c, who simply bowed his head slightly and smiled.