3. Jaffa Tango
Three months after "Eavesdropping" –
“Sir, are you sure about this?”
Sam’s doubtful mindset was apparent in her speech as she sat next to Jack in his truck watching the steady stream of people entering the building.
“Absolutely, Carter. It’ll be a piece of cake!” His smile was warm and assuring as he looked back at her innocently.
“I’m not sure that’s a fair assessment, Sir. What’s your stake in this? Do you have a bet with Daniel?”
He looked at her with a mildly offended expression. “It hurts me that you’d think that, Carter. There’s no bet.”
“And where’s Janet? Why isn’t she here?”
“Some emergency in the infirmary. She’ll be here later if she can make it, but for now you’re it. So, are we going in or not?”
Sam looked at him as if she were a lamb to the slaughter. She was taking deep breaths as her mind raced for a logical reason out of this particular situation.
“If not, I need to go find Teal’c.”
“Where is Teal’c?”
“He’s inside with Daniel. They left earlier so that Teal’c could get ready. Daniel’s his second, helping him with whatever….” He waved his hand in the air as his voice trailed off, not knowing exactly what Daniel was doing.
“Sir, I don’t think I can….”
Jack looked at her a bit exasperated. Time to play the trump card. “Ok. Well, I could bring up that “Battle of the Bands” thing he just did for you…made him feel like an idiot…not that he’d ever complain.”
“Oh, God! I thought he enjoyed doing that!”
“Carter! He’s a Jaffa! Warrior, pride, intimidation…somehow a tambourine just doesn’t do much to enhance that image.”
“I never meant to….”
“I know, Carter and Teal’c did it willingly…for you. So, if you’re sure you want to ignore that and all those times Teal’c has been there to back you up or done something just because you asked, well….” He let out a long sigh. “I’m sure he’ll understand. He won’t say a word but you know he’s going to be disappointed!”
“All right! All right! I’ll do it, just stop with the guilt trip already!”
Jack grinned broadly. Worked every time.
“It’ll be great, Carter. You’ll see.”
She opened the door to the truck and stepped out into the early evening air.
“Yeah? Then why do I feel like I just agreed to my own execution?”
Jack laughed as he removed the bags from behind them and fell in step beside her. “Don’t worry, Carter, I’ll protect you.”
“Funny, Sir. Very funny.”
Jack opened the door and they stepped into the foyer and made their way across the main room. They stepped through another door and glanced around the almost empty room looking for some sign of Teal’c or Daniel.
“Now what?” Sam looked at him questioningly.
“Well, they have to be here somewhere. Take a seat at one of the tables and I’ll find them.”
Jack returned a few minutes later, smiling. “They’re in the dressing rooms. Teal’c won’t come out. He’s still applying his makeup.”
“Makeup?”
“Yeah, seems he’s really into this thing. You ready?”
“I suppose.”
She stood and walked beside Jack to the dressing rooms, more skeptical than ever of this little fiasco.
Jack opened the door and motioned for her to go in first. Sam stepped through and all of her senses were immediately assaulted with the chaos in the room. There were men and women of all shapes and sizes moving erratically about the small enclosure in various stages of dress. Everyone seemed to be talking at once and there was a constant murmur of excited voices and laughing. Sam’s mouth fell open and she turned to Jack wide-eyed.
“No way!”
He laughed and pointed to the screen in the back corner as he held out the bags to her. “Will that do?”
“Maybe, but you’re coming with!”
“Ah, no, Carter. I’ll just wait here.”
“No, Sir. You stay. I stay.”
“Oh, for crying out loud! All right, go on! Though I don’t know what you think I’m going to do in here.”
“Teal’c has Daniel, I’ll have you. You can help.”
“Carter, I don’t think that’s appropriate, me being you CO.”
“Well, it isn’t exactly appropriate for you to order me to do this then, is it, Sir? You’re going.”
She grabbed his arm and pulled him behind her into the room and he followed, grinning, all the way to the back corner.
“I’m not ordering, just asking. Teal’c’s your friend, too. You can change behind the screen. I’ll stand guard. Ok?”
“There had better not be a bet involved here.” She looked at him with warning pouring out of her eyes. “Payback is hell…Sir!”
Jack held up his hands in an act of submission. “Scout’s honor, I swear.”
“Somehow, I just can’t picture you as a boy scout, Sir.” She smiled as she disappeared behind the screen and Jack turned to watch all the movement going on around them.
He could hear Sam moving around behind the screen and a sharp zipping sound as she started to undress. She was mumbling to herself as the screen behind him shook randomly.
“Holy Hannah!”
“Everything ok, Carter?”
“Not even close!” She muttered. “I can’t believe I’m doing this! Where did you get this, Sir?”
“Oh, they gave Teal’c information on costumes. I picked it out. Like it?”
“Yeah. Terrific. Did you bring hose?“
“In the box with the shoes.” He heard the lid impact the screen and the chair creak as she sat down to slip them on. “Need any help, Carter?” He grinned as he waited for her to respond, planning his evasive tactics if something was launched from behind the screen.
“Got a psychiatrist handy?”
He chuckled and let his imagination run loose as he listened to her mild grunts and groans mixed in with occasional profanity as she struggled with the costume.
“Stay put, Carter. I’ll be right back!”
“Sir!” She yelled out, but he was already on his way across the room.
She continued to pull at the ornate costume, wiggling it onto her body. She felt it stretch a bit, as she pulled and was immediately thankful for the costume maker’s fore thought. The dress was black, with a single strap over her right shoulder and it hugged her like a glove to just below her hips. There was a huge flounce at the bottom that was dramatized by the front split rising to mid thigh. The bodice was almost completely covered in iridescent beads and she laughed as she looked at her shimmering reflection in the mirror, tugging absent-mindedly at the rose positioned at her waist. She slid the zipper home, the material molding itself against her skin and was amazed that her lungs could still fill with air. How the heck was she supposed to dance in this thing?
She stepped into the heels that O’Neill had brought and then squeezed a large amount of gel into her hand, applying it liberally to her hair. She combed through it until it was completely slicked back, with not a tendril drifting free and then reached for her lipstick. She spread the bright red gloss across her lips and replaced the cap, tossing it back into the bag. She added the smoky eyeshadow and heavy handed black eyeliner and tossed them beside the lipstick. Then she slipped on the elbow length gloves and stared at her reflection. She barely recognized herself as she turned slowly watching her reflection in the mirror. She smiled and then giggled, still unsure that her appearance would create the desired effect but she had to admit, she looked the part. Sam has disappeared beneath the costume and make-up…and in her place stood a bonafide Spanish enchantress. She shook her head and muttered quietly.
“How you doing, Carter?”
She gave one small tug at the dress and stepped from behind the screen. “Ready, Sir.”
Jack turned and she watched, amused as his eyes opened wide. “Whoa! You look great!”
“You don’t have to say that, Sir. I know it looks ridiculous.”
“No, Carter. You look…great!”
She stared at him for a moment and then smiled as she realized that he really liked her appearance.
“Thank you, Sir.” She giggled.
“Something’s missing though.”
Sam looked down in surprise. “What?”
Jack disappeared behind the screen and returned with dangling rhinestone earrings and a bracelet. He dropped them in her hand and waited as she put them in place and then handed her the long stemmed rose he’d secured from a roaming vendor.
“Can’t be a vamp without a rose.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and waited as she made a few final adjustments. “Let’s go find Teal’c, senorita.”
Daniel and Teal’c stood just outside the door waiting patiently for Sam. Teal’c was dressed in the standard Tango costume, which made him look like a very strange oversized matador. His short waistcoat shimmered in the same manner as Sam’s but was a bit more subdued, allowing him to maintain his dignity. The tight lines of the costume exposed his bulging muscles and snugged tightly against his massive form. Sam giggled slightly as they approached, amazed that he could still seem so intimidating. The look on his face did nothing to add to her confidence.
“Are you all right, Teal’c?”
The slight nod of his head was his only response.
Sam and Jack looked to Daniel for an explanation. “Uh, slight case of nerves, I think. He’ll be fine.”
“Well, the costume looks great, T. And look at Sam! Isn’t she terrific?”
“Indeed. You are most impressive, Major Carter. This costume suits you well.”
“Thank you, Teal’c. You’re very handsome yourself! I’ll be the envy of every woman in the room.”
Teal’c bowed gracefully as she smiled at Daniel and dropped her eyes bashfully to the floor.
“They’re just starting to announce the contestants, guys, so we need to get going.” Daniel motioned for Teal’c to lead the way and looked back at Sam and Jack as he began to move.
They stepped into the ballroom, now filled with contestants and observers. The sounds of the seductive Latin tango filled the room as people mingled on the way to their table and lights twinkled across the dance floor, reflecting on its highly polished surface. Sam felt a sudden rush of fear tickle her throat, not the bone-chilling kind of fear that she was used to. This was a different kind of fear and it was totally unfamiliar. She suspected it was the same thing that had a grip on Teal’c and she vowed to overcome it. They couldn’t both freeze up or this would be very ugly. She looked at Jack and smiled slightly wondering how he had convinced her to compete in this thing in the first place.
Daniel and Teal’c had moved away and were joining the other contestants waiting near the dance floor. Jack was waiting for Carter to move, but she seemed frozen to the spot.
“You ok, Carter?”
“Tell me again why we agreed to this?"
He smiled and waited until their eyes met before he responded. Then he took her hands and squeezed them gently in his. “Because Teal’c’s our buddy and he’d do it for us.”
She smiled warmly back at him.
“He wants to do this and he deserves our support, so I thought having the most beautiful woman in the room as his partner couldn’t hurt.” He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek and she smiled warmly. “So, you ready?”
She shook her head but still didn’t speak; she just smiled back at him.
“Hey, did I tell you you’re beautiful, Sam?”
She dropped her eyes away from his unable to hold the gaze at the compliment. He squeezed her hands again and she looked up.
“You and Teal’c are gonna be great! And first dance after the competition is mine, ok?”
“I’ll be waiting, Sir.”
“It’s a date then. Now get out there and kick some ass, Carter! It’s showtime!”