Jack’s Apartment

I know exactly who I could take…he thought as his eyes lit up and a smile formed on his face, but then he frowned, if it was a perfect world. His cell phone rang “Hudson,” he said.

“Hey Sparky, got a date for the big ball yet?” Bobby asked.

“No, I’m just going to go by myself,” Jack replied.

“I know someone you could…” Bobby began.

Jack cut him off “Please don’t start with your matchmaking schemes again. Did Darcy forgive you and agree to go?”

“Well not exactly.” Bobby tried to sidestep the question.

“Not exactly. What exactly does that mean?” Jack questioned.

“I just left her all the information on her voicemail and I’m hoping it will be so tempting she will just decide to appear,” Bobby explained.

Jack laughed “In other words you don’t have a date either.” With that Bobby grumbled something about seeing him later and hung up.

Tara’s Apartment

There must be someone I can ask she thought wildly. At that moment the phone rang. “Hello” Tara answered.

“Are you coming over so we can get ready together?” Lucy asked. Tara could tell she was smiling.

“I just realized last night that I don’t have a date!” Tara cried.

“How do you forget to ask a date, Tara?” Lucy could not believe her ears. Not one but both of her friends were dateless.

“I don’t know,” Tara said “It just happened. Hey, who are you taking anyway?”

“Troy” Lucy said.

“Does he have any friends?” Tara begged.

“Tara, the party is in six hours, I think it is a little late for even a blind date. Rest assured you won’t be the only one without a date.” Lucy told her.

“Oh if you tell me Bobby or someone I may just have to hurt you,” Tara exclaimed.

“Well, I doubt he has a date. I think Darcy is still mad at him, but that wasn’t who I meant.” Lucy continued. “Sue doesn’t have a date either.”

“What? Why didn’t she ask Jack?” Tara was amazed.

“You come over and have that conversation with her. I have tried too many times.” Lucy said.

“Okay I will be there in a little while.” Tara concluded and hung up.

Gans Household

“Why can’t I come to the party too?” Tanya asked her mother.

“It is a party for grown-ups,” Donna explained.

“I am grown up!” Tanya exclaimed.

“Good then by staying home with your brother tonight you will have the chance to prove that. Maybe next year you will be invited.” Donna looked at her daughter and wondered how it happened that she was suddenly grown up.

“Which shoes do you think are better?” Donna asked of Tanya.

“Definitely the strappy sandals but can I please paint your toenails?” Tanya begged.

“Yes, but not blue, green or purple,” Donna cautioned.

Tanya rolled her eyes “Mother it is Valentine’s Day-red is the color, of course!”

Leland Home

Myles was stressing. No, he had not asked a date; definitely not that way to introduce someone to his parents. Yes, he had asked Anne. Hopefully she will bring a date, he thought. He had told her to bring one. His parents needed to know that Anne was not baggage or ‘soiled goods’ as his mother had said once. She did lead a fairly quiet existence these days but Myles still felt it was important for her to attend. His only regret in not asking a date was he would have no one to need him other than his parents. Myles sighed and hoped his co-workers would bring dates. At least then his mother would not harp on that. She would be truly offended if anyone came to one of her parties without a date. People beg for invitations to my parties she told him. Your friends better be appreciative of this and find dates that will be also! Myles sighed again. It was going to be a long evening.

Thomas/ Dotson Apartment

The girls were giggling, painting their toenails and fingernails. Both Sue and Lucy had been surprised by Tara’s hair color.

“It does wash out,” Tara told them hesitantly. She couldn’t tell by the looks on her friends' faces if she had just made the biggest mistake of her life.

“I like it,” said Sue, finally. She continued “Not many people could do it Tara but with your personality it just somehow makes sense.”

Lucy agreed “By the time it washes out, I think we will miss it.”

Tara said “Thanks, I think.”

Tara continued on “I have decided if anyone asks throughout the evening I will just say my date is in the restroom or fetching me a beverage. I have decided to call him ‘Air’.

Lucy and Sue started laughing. Sue continued “I will call mine Slim. He can be Air’s best friend. He is very shy and takes his cues from Air as to what to do on a date.” By this time the girls were laughing so hard they were crying.

“Okay, stop,” said Lucy. “You are ruining my make up.”

After everyone was primped and dressed when Tara went to put her shoes on.

“Oh no, I forgot my shoes. I will run home then meet you two there,” she said.

Sue looked at Lucy “I will go with Tara since you have to pick up Troy, nothing worse than being the third wheel on date.”

“Don’t be silly,” Lucy said. “It’s Troy. I don’t mind and neither will he. Besides I am not sure there is room in Tara’s car for you two and your dates!”

Tara agreed “There is no reason for you to be late also. I will be fine. My new boyfriend Air will take care of me”

“Okay” said Sue reluctantly.

Leland Residence

Sue, Lucy and Troy made there way to the door of Myles’ house.

Jack and Bobby met up after parking their cars. Jack looked at Bobby “No word from Darcy?” Bobby just shook his head. “Then it is a good thing I don’t have a date either.” Jack grinned. Bobby just shook his head again.

Myles was standing in the foyer talking to Anne.

“What do you mean you didn’t bring a date?” he asked.

“I didn’t have anyone I really wanted to subject to our parents at this point,” she told him. “Where is your date anyway?” Anne asked.

“I didn’t ask anyone either,” Myles admitted, “for the same reason as you.”

Anne smiled. “I bet Mother had your head on a platter for breakfast this morning.”

Myles replied “Can we please not go there?” With that he opened the door to his guests and greeted them.

“Lucy and Troy how delightful you could come. Troy please feel free to take pictures of anything you want. We can print them off periodically on my computer just let me know when you are ready.”

Sue started to sign for Troy then stopped realizing that Lucy was already signing. She stepped back into the shadows for a moment and sighed. Only to be greeted enthusiastically by Anne.

“Oh Sue I am so glad you could come. I think about you often. I have been tempted to call you for lunch but just haven’t had the courage.” Anne told her.

“I would love if you would call me for lunch,” Sue began.

Myles cut her off saying “Where is your date?”

“I didn’t bring one. I didn’t know it was mandatory for admission.” Sue told him. “Tara is bringing a date though. I think you will really like him!” Sue added slyly.

Myles sighed and opened the door for Jack and Bobby.

“Please tell me you have dates hidden around here somewhere?” Myles asked. Jack just looked at him and walked past.

Bobby said “Well, I left Darcy the message so maybe she will meet me here. If she gets over being mad that is.” Myles just looked at him haughtily and shook his head. With that Tara burst through the door.

“Nice hair, Sheila. Gone all out for the holiday I see,” Bobby teased. “Good thing it isn’t St. Patrick’s Day!”

“It will wash out and Sue and Lucy said it suited my personality,” Tara shot back at him.

Jack opened his mouth to say something, stopped, thought better of it but in the end couldn’t resist “I don’t think they meant you had to change your hair color to red. Your skirt would have been sufficient.”

“Well at least I am original. You're wearing the standard, boring red tie,” Tara retorted. She then looked at Bobby who was laughing loudly now. “And you aren’t even wearing red,” she said with a toss of her head.

“At least not that you can see!” Bobby replied with a grin. Tara opened her mouth to speak but was too flustered by this point.

“Where, pray tell, is your date?” Myles asked. “Sue said you were bringing one.”

“Yes,” Tara raised her chin, “He’s parking the car.” Myles sighed. Jack burst out laughing.

“That is possibly the worst excuse I have ever heard,” he told Tara.

“So,” she turned to him “where is your date? Or were you just to chicken to ask someone?”

Jack stuck his hands in his pockets and stammered “No, I just thought maybe someone should well you know look after Crash in case Darcy doesn’t show.”

“Nice save,” Bobby said flatly.

At that point Donna and D. arrived. Myles said “Thank heavens someone who came with a date.”

D. just looked at him then at the others “See how lucky you are boys when you’re married. There is always a date to be found.”

“That’s a definite plus for getting married,” Jack mused.

Tara, still mad about the date and hair fiasco, looked at him and said “Yes, but you actually have to ask a woman out on a date before you can ask her to marry you.”

Jack held his hands out in front of him and shot back “Back off Red!”

All right, Myles thought, I have to solve this dilemma before my mother finds out and makes a major scene.

“Anne, can you come over here for a moment?” he called to his sister who was still chatting with Sue, both unaware of what was happening around them. With a promise to return, Anne left Sue and went to talk with Myles.

“What can I do for you?” She wanted to know.

“This is the way it is going to play out. You will be Jack’s date. Sue will be my date and hopefully Bobby and Tara won’t kill each other before the evening is over.” Myles explained.

“Absolutely not!” Anne disagreed. “I will not stand in between the two of them.”

“Well I don’t really think they will come to blows and I made everyone leave their guns at home,” Myles pleaded.

Anne just looked at him, incredulous. “Not Tara and Bobby-that would be funny. Jack and Sue. I am not getting in the way of that.”

Myles said “In the way of what. There is nothing to get in the way of.”

“Myles sometimes you are so dense-look at them.” Anne said then pointed.

Jack had turned when Anne had left Sue’s side. He had stopped dead in his tracks. His gaze had swept Sue from head to toe. Sue had been watching the party but turned after a few moments to see Jack staring at her feet.

“He hasn’t even said ‘hello’ yet. It will be fine. Jack will play along. Besides I can’t use Bobby what if his girlfriend really does show up? That would not be pretty or helpful.” Myles was pleading. Anne thought who in her right mind would stand up Bobby? That thought startled her and she agreed but only if it was okay with Jack, figuring he would not play along.

“Jack, Jack, Jack!” Myles called.

Jack jumped “What?” shaking out his reverie wondering what had possessed him to stare at Sue’s feet.

He was still in a state of shock when Myles explained the plan. Jack, of course, agreed because he was not thinking at all. Anne just looked at him and shook her head. He gave her a puzzled look then took her arm and led her into the party. Sue watched them go.

Myles quickly explained the rest to Tara, Bobby and Sue. Tara was not real happy about the plan but Bobby was beginning to think of all the fun he could have with Tara, her hair and the date who was still parking the car. Sue was the most reluctant.

“Oh Myles, I just don’t like lying and I don’t think I am who your parents have in mind,” she told him.

“It will be fine. Besides one look at Tara’s hair and they will love you!” he assured her. Or at least be relieved, he thought.

So off they went to find their table and the rest of the team.

Lucy and Troy came over immediately. Lucy had watched Jack and Anne enter and wanted to know what was going on. Myles gave her the edited version.

Lucy echoed Anne’s sentiments “Myles sometimes you are so dense.”

Myles said “I wish everyone would stop referring to me as dense. I possess a degree from one of the most distinguished colleges this country has to offer.”

“We know, Myles, you have told us before,” Jack reminded him. Anne just looked at Jack and laughed. Sue was watching and wondering if she had missed something somewhere.

As if reading her mind, Anne turned to look at her, smiled then mouthed “Brothers and their plans. This is by far one of his worst. I hope he doesn’t take up matchmaking as a hobby.” Sue smiled back, feeling a little better.

Lucy looked at Tara and said pointedly “I thought you had a date tonight.”

Jack smirked and answered “He seems to have gotten lost on his way in from parking the car!”

Bobby said “Don’t worry Tara I’ll take care of you until he finds his way inside.” Tara glared at both of them, causing them to laugh a little more.

The band began playing and everyone went to dance with their respective dates. As Sue was dancing she caught a glimpse of a familiar face.

“Oh no Myles,” she cried. “It’s Kyle Devlin!” Myles looked at her blankly. “The aide Lucy and I got fired. The one who lied about the commercial I did.” Sue tried to explain hastily. Myles turned her around as they danced so he could get a look.

“Yes, now I know why he looks familiar. My father hired him to run his campaign,” Myles said thoughtfully.

Sue was horrified. “Myles he is dishonest and not trustworthy. We have to tell your father. He wouldn't want Kyle working for him.”

Myles smiled at her naivety. “Sue, this is DC. I don’t think you can find anyone honest in politics and my father can play hardball with the best of them.”

Sue remained unconvinced and worried. They headed back to their table to join the others after the song was done. Myles’ father was giving a little welcome speech. When it was over Lucy said “Don’t look now Sue but I think that congressional aide we got fired is on his way over.” Lucy turned and plastered on her biggest, fakest smile ever.

Kyle walked over and said “Ladies, what a pleasure. I will have to make sure the future congressman knows your track record. He surely wouldn’t want to find any unauthorized bugging material around. And I certainly would not want to bring up any misuse of government property.”

Jack quickly jumped up as Bobby approached the man from behind but Myles intervened first.

“I don’t believe we have met,” he began, “I am Myles Leland the Third and this is my lovely date Sue Thomas. Yes, I said the Third making Myles Leland the Second, my father.”

Kyle quickly backed up straight into Bobby who spilled a drink down his suit. “Hey Mate, watch where you’re going,” Bobby exclaimed.

Tara groaned and said “That of course would be my date.” She then jumped up to help with a napkin, stumbled and managed to knock Kyle’s drink all over the front over his suit and his face.

“Oh I am so sorry. It must be these new shoes. I didn’t practice walking in them at all. Let me help you.” She attempted to dab off his face as he struggled to relieve himself of Tara’s clutches.

“No thanks, I think you have both done quite enough already,” looking first at Bobby then back to Tara he added “You two definitely belong together.” At that point he turned to leave amongst the grins of the people at the table. Tara gave Bobby a sly high five as he flashed his dimples back.

“I knew someday my name would come in handy. I didn’t figure it would be in my own house though,” Myles surmised.

The evening continued on with dancing and food. Before the last set of music all the women were sitting down thinking how much their feet hurt.

“I knew I should not have let Tanya pick out the shoes I wore tonight,” Donna lamented.

“Tara, you seem to dance fairly well in those shoes despite being so clumsy earlier,” Bobby told her. “Let’s have a look at them.”

Tara blushed and said “No, I think they should just stay on my feet.”

“Well you can put them back on when we are done,” Bobby said.

The women at the table then grinned. “You see,” said Tara “that is the problem. I think if I take them off now I will never get them back on.”

“Too bad your date never showed up. Maybe he would have rubbed your feet. Instead now it looks like you will have to walk home in those shoes,” Jack teased.

Tara opened her mouth to answer back but closed it because Bobby was gallantly making her an offer “Hey I will gladly take the place of the date that stood you up and rub those feet.” Tara’s face at that point turned the same color as her hair.

“Tara do you need Air?” Sue asked sweetly. That sent Lucy into peals of laughter which she was only able to contain when Tara kicked her under the table.

"Ouch," said Lucy "Your feet can't hurt that bad."

"What's up with you three tonight?" Jack wanted to know.

"Nothing Slim," Tara responded to Jack while looking directly at Sue. Now it was Sue's turn to blush.

Lucy shook with silent laughter.

“I can’t believe that your feet hurt too. You all have such young feet.” Donna said bringing the group back to the original topic.

“Yes, but we buy shoes for fashion not function,” Lucy told her. Jack tried to take a peek under the table to look at one particular pair of feet. Tara caught him and looked at him expectantly. He just turned his attention back to Anne.

“Don’t you know the motto?” asked Sue. Donna, Anne and the men all shook their heads. Sue looked at Tara and Lucy who nodded in agreement.

“Well aren’t you going to tell us?” Jack wanted to know. This was the closest he had come to conversation with Sue all evening. He had not even been able to steal her for a dance. He was kicking himself for agreeing to Myles’ plan.

She looked at him slyly and grinned “Life is short. Buy the shoes.” Sue responded simply. Troy burst into laughter first as Lucy had been signing to keep him included in the conversation. Jack just looked at Sue, smiled and shook his head. She bit her bottom lip smiled shyly then blushed again and looked away.

D. said “If any one of you repeats that to my almost teenage daughter it will be coming out of your paycheck!” Donna agreed.

The band started playing again but before Jack could ask Sue to dance Myles Leland the Second whisked her away. Bobby grabbed Tara by the hand despite her protests about her feet and led her to the dance floor also.

As Sue was dancing with Mr. Leland she tried to explain the situation between her and Kyle, the campaign manager. “He lied to the congressman, to me, and basically everyone,” she told Mr. Leland. “He made the congressman out to be someone who didn’t know his own mind, who couldn’t sign his name without help.”

Mr. Leland chuckled “Dear, obviously you have not been paying attention when my son has been describing me. Trust me I know exactly the type of person Kyle is – power hungry but also money hungry. He knows the ins and outs of the political climate here and that is what I need to get elected. Don’t worry about me. When I say jump, people that want to work for me ask ‘how high’ or risk being trampled on by someone who will.”

Sue just nodded making a mental note to herself to start paying more attention when Myles talked about his family. “And I thought my mom was pushy and demanding” she said to herself.

At that point Myles cut in, took one look at her expression and said “I told you so.” Sue smiled weakly.

The crowd was thinning and the band was packing up for the evening. Bobby was teasing Tara as he had finally got her shoes off and now would not give them back. Jack and Anne were chatting with some of her parents’ friends. Myles and Sue were helping Myles’ mom to say good bye to some other guests.

As Jack was making small talk his gazed locked on the board where Troy had posted some of the evening’s photos. He excused himself from the conversation and wandered over to have a closer look. There were various photos of people all doing things normally done at a party. Then at the bottom were two pictures taken just a split second apart. They were both panorama shots. The first one was of him looking at Sue. She could not see him but he could tell by her face she was looking for someone. The next one he was still looking at Sue only this time she had found who she was looking for and was smiling shyly back at him. Anne came over at that point, to thank him for the evening.

Jack said “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“That is not necessary,” she told him shaking her head.

“What kind of date would I be if I didn’t?” he answered.

The kind that I have had way too many of lately she thought to herself. He helped her on with her coat then they walked in silence to her car.

“How come your dad's name is Philip if Myles is the third?” Jack inquired as they reached Anne’s car.

“Philip is his middle name as well as Myles’. I guess it was too confusing when he was growing up to have two people with the same name so my father has always gone by Philip,” Anne explained. “Seems like a very good reason not to name your child after you,” she finished. Jack just smiled and nodded.

“I want to thank you for really making me feel like your date tonight. It was nice to have someone be attentive to me, someone who didn’t need me to explain my past or my family,” Anne told him.

Jack just smiled and shrugged. “But…” he began “because there always is one you know,” he finished.

Anne thought for a minute then said “Maybe this isn’t any of my business but I am going to tell you anyway. I know in a perfect world I am not who you would have picked for a date tonight. I saw you looking at those pictures and I saw you both looking at each other when you thought the other wasn’t looking. I watched the two of you work together on the Callahan and Merced case. Figure out a way Jack, you both deserve much better than you what you have.” Jack just looked at the ground then back at Anne.

“I guess what I am really trying to say Jack, is, life is short, buy the shoes. Then take the feet that go in those shoes and make them yours to rub for the rest of your life.” With that she smiled, climbed in her car and added “Then set my brother up with Tara. He needs that kind of spunk in his life” and drove off. Jack stood rooted to the ground and thought about it. The sound of car honking brought him back to reality. He looked up and waved as Lucy’s car flashed by. Disappointed, he thought about just heading to his own car to go home. Good manners got the best of him though and he went back inside to tell his hosts’ a proper good bye.

Jack stopped at the photo board long enough to unpin the two pictures and stick them in his jacket pocket. Someday he figured he would have the courage to ask Troy for real prints but these would do for now. As he headed around a corner still thinking about what Anne said he nearly knocked Sue down. Grabbing her in his arms to steady her he said “I thought you were gone. I saw Lucy leave and I know your car isn’t out there.”

“How do you know where my car is?” She asked him well aware of his arms around her.

He blushed and squirmed a little bit, loosening his grip in the process, then said “Well I didn’t see your car parked outside and I saw you walk in with Lucy and Troy so I just assumed…” his voice trailed off.

“Is that why you were outside saying good-bye to your ‘date’ for ten minutes?” Sue teased.

“You timed how long I was gone?” He raised his eyebrows and looked at her hopefully.

It was Sue’s turn to blush. Then she explained “I was suppose to ride with Tara but she had to go home and get her shoes so I rode to the party with Lucy and Troy, but Tara said she would take me home.”

Jack looked over her shoulder to where Bobby was still teasing Tara, holding a shoe in each hand just out of Tara’s reach. Tara was trying to demand her shoes back but was having trouble being authoritative at this point.

“It all comes back to the shoes; the shoes that she has since shed so she can actually walk. What possesses you to buy shoes that you will probably only wear once? I know the motto,” he answered his own question with a sigh. He looked down at her feet before smiling and meeting her eyes again to continue speaking “I do like yours though. Ruby red and sparkly-are they Valentine attire or do they belong to Dorothy?” Jack asked.

“Multi-purpose, I suppose,” Sue offered. “Although I don’t think I will be skipping down the Yellow Brick Road in them,” she admitted.

“Oh…you never danced with me tonight,” Jack stated.

“You never asked me too,” Sue reminded him, reproachfully.

“If I promise to rub your feet later would you dance with me now?” Jack asked.

“The band is gone,” she looked at him confused wondering when foot rubbing had come in to their relationship.

“Someone must have turned on the CD player then because I think they’re playing our song” Jack told her leaning closer, his eyes twinkling.

“The same song from the Auction?” She asked hopefully.

Jack pursed his lips “Well, I’m not actually sure what that song was but I don’t think it is the same as this one. Sorry” he apologized.

“That’s okay I don’t mind. I would dance with you to any song,” she told him, especially if you are promising to rub my feet later, she added silently.

He smiled and with that he took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. And they danced.

One year later…

“Jack pay attention!” Sue hit him with a file. “We will never get this finished.” They were going through files in the Bureau conference room, making sure all the i’s were dotted and t’s crossed.

He grinned at the paper he was holding then looked at Sue and said, “I know, I saw the shoes and I know you can’t wait to wear them to the party!” And I can’t wait to rub your feet when it’s over, he added to himself.

“If you hadn’t gone out of town for two weeks we would be done with this project but now we are backlogged,” Sue complained.

“I think that ten day trip was very worthwhile even if it was for work. It made me very appreciative.” He glanced down at the ring on her finger. “That ring is very becoming on you,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her.

She wiggled but he caught her and kissed her anyway. With that the file fell to the floor and the contents spilled everywhere. “Now look what you have done!” She exclaimed. “We will never get to the party and we will never tell our friends our news.”

“Calm down, I will clean it up,” Jack laughed. He started picking up the papers, trying to put them in order as he was doing so. Suddenly he stopped, tapped Sue’s leg and said “Look at this” as he handed her a sheet of paper.

She took it and read it, then looked at him and grinned. “We better get to that party, maybe we aren’t the only ones with news.”

Jack raised his eyebrows at Sue and smiled. “I know that hand-writing. I would recognize it anywhere after all this time," he told her.

The paper said simply Tara-Won’t you be my Valentine?


#######

Happy Valentine's

Dive in to the pool of love

I liked how you made it into two Valentine stories! Jack and Sue year #1 and then Tara and Myles Year #2...hmmm, I wonder if Jack had anything to do with setting those two up as per Anne's instructions? Loved the invisible boyfriends, too -- sometimes they are the best kind!

Very clever. Very fun.


Kav

I'm glad that I wandered over to read this...answered a few questions I had about another story. This was great! Loved the humor.

I like the imaginary dates!

And Anne's insight on Jack and Sue!!! :whistle: :whistle:

so cute
lol loved all the shoe and rubbing feet banter
so cute the invisible boyfriends of air and slim
yay sue and jack are engaged.
hmm maybe troy/lucy could hook up and anne/bobby and myles/tara
or is bobby asking tara to be his valentine?

That was sweet.



Hope ~