A/N: I enjoy reading all the wonderful stories on here that I seldom take the time to write one. I have written before but this is my first time on this site. This idea popped into my head and practically wrote itself. Hope you all enjoy. Consider it a thank you to all who spend their time sharing their stories with us. Terie


"The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth"


This was it! He had reached the end of his rope and it was time for some decisive action. Why was it so hard to deal with a female? He would never understand them, but he, Jack Hudson, was a planner, a strategist. He could do this. He had to do it. On that note, he stepped up to his white board and began with the already known facts.

First: Subtle hints do not work with Sue Thomas. One might ask how he had come to this conclusion, so under this first fact he wrote down the failed missions. His carefully planned “chance encounter” went nowhere. He paused to think about that wonderful plan fizzling. He had studied so hard on that one. He had timed it just right, but jogging in the park where she walked Levi gained him only a movie with her and two teenagers. The evening was fun but Sue never indicated to him she would like more. The next mission was unplanned but he definitely felt he should have scored some points for his seizing the moment. There they were in the hotel. Yes, she was upset, but the moment seemed just right to tell her how much he was worried about her. The net gain on that one was a smile and a “see you in the morning” followed by her being kidnapped. Next came what he thought was the least subtle move when she asked him to double-date with Randy. He thought he had made it clear to her he was not doing it for Randy. That gleaned him a nice evening with her but nothing more. After that he listed all the lunches and dinners they shared together, each one a mission in and of itself and yet nothing. Conclusion: Subtlety did not work with Sue Thomas.

Second: Being coworkers and friends was no longer enough. Under this fact he listed several reasons. His physical attraction to her had grown exponentially as he got to know her more. He found himself staring at her throughout the day, often losing time and missing numerous conversations. His dreams had become “Sue centered” so much he would catch himself expecting her to react to him in the daytime as she did in his dreams. His desire to have the right to protect her and care for her went beyond the bounds of their current status. More than anything else was his overwhelming need to not have to say good bye at the end of the day but good night and hold her close till he could say good morning the next day. Conclusion: His heart had moved into the deep commitment territory.

Third: Words did not work in conveying fact number two. Under this fact he listed the numerous times he attempted to talk to Sue only to have it interrupted or he blundered it. Stuck on this fact, his minded drifted back to several painful conversations and, what he termed “almost conversations”.

The time he was in the hospital and Allie interrupted. The incident at the elevators when he attempted to explain Allie and he couldn’t present a clear thought. The opportunity he had when he walked her home after that amazing undercover kiss and was completely tongue tied. At this point he made a side note on the board to not attempt any serious conversation after kissing Sue Thomas. Of course the biggest blunder was when he thought she was leaving for New York and he tried to tell her how he felt. He didn’t just put his foot in his mouth, he put a whole shoe store in it and he was interrupted before he could straighten it out. Conclusion: Any important conversation with Sue Thomas must be written out, studied, and memorized before execution.

Fourth: Since words would not work well, a plan of action must be taken. Under this fact he must map out a systematic plan to move Sue into the deep commitment territory. The strategy was to remove all subtleness from the plan. From now on, he would be up-front, forceful, a take charge guy. He would formally ask her out to dinner and make sure he used the word “date.” It would be a romantic place but with plenty of light so she could read his lips. He would bring flowers when he picked her up and set plans for a second date when he brought her home. In fact, a nice lingering kiss outside her door at the end would put a nice cap on the evening. Conclusion: With all that, Sue would melt in his arms and he could move her beyond friendship.

Jack stepped back from the white board he had set up in his bedroom, a huge smile on his face and a bright twinkle in his eye. Who said the course of true love never did run smooth? As far as he was concerned, all you needed was a good plan.

Oh, isn't there a proverb about plans? This is going to be priceless! So glad to see you sharing something here, Terie!!!

I'm just I can just imagine how his carefully planned mission will get sidetracked.

Of course, if he just dragged her in his bedroom, show her the board, then kiss her senseless, it might get him somewhere ...

Keep going, Terie !

Interesting story. like the insight to the planning of the past.
time to try something new.
Marlo I agree with you- Jack, just drag her into your bedroom and show her the board!

Dianna

i'm already laughing, i have a feeling things are not going to go as planned

So, after laughing my head off with your post I went back and read the tittle...and laughed some more...Do you think Jack knows that even the best plan is doomed to be changed somewhere along the line?

Oh dear ... its that whole thing of "the best laid plans of mice and men" ... Jack - things always go wrong!! Plan for the unexpected and even then it will still go wrong!

I cant wait to see how much trouble he gets himself into!!

Wonderful beginning

Jack is very determined. Good for him. As to his plans, we shall see.

Terie I'm so excited you're doing this. I promise to make dessert next time we have lunch.

The fact that Jack has a whiteboard in his bedroom should suprise me, but somehow it doesn't! He kind of is the king of subtlety isn't he?

Terie, nice to see you writing.

I have to ditto Bell everytime I read your post I kept laughing

You can just tell something is going to go a bit pear shaped!

Sam still laughing

This is fantabulous! This just cracked me up! I love how Jack is analyzing the past failed attempts and then logically comes up with a new game plan!!!!! I hope he doesn't erase the white board. They should hang it above their bed when they get married!
kav

I think the proverb goes something like "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" Just as long as the astray part and the course of true love, no matter how unsmooth (is that a word) end at the same destination...Jack and Sue together with lots of fuzzies...I know, my mother is always telling me I am a hopless romantic. I'm not hopeless...I am HOPEFUL!

Great start!
Kim

Did you wash away this morning? Or melt in the humidity that followed? I'm ready for more!

Oh, this ought to be good....

Oh wow. That was an incredible beginning. I can't wait to see where you're going to take this. And with all those interruptions, you'd think Jack would realize to plan for the unexpected....

Great job! MORE!!!

wonderful start looking forward to more

cath

I can't wait to see Jack putting his plan into action!!!!! Maybe Sue has a plan of her own???

Great work,

Jen

Interesting beginning... Can't wait to read more!!!

O'seam

I'm absolutely hooked!

You're off to a wonderful start...

A/N Thanks to all your wonderful replies. It makes me happy to know I am putting a smile on so many faces. I do love the different ideas for the white board. They may come in handy for another story!

PART 2

She was frustrated. Even being raised with three brothers, she would never understand the workings of the male mind. What was he waiting for, a 2x4 to the head, a sign from heaven? How much more obvious did a girl have to get? Doesn’t anyone teach guys how to read signals? Isn’t that part of the “dating language”? She was never going to get the answers to these questions. Now, what should she do? That was the question that she had to answer and answer now!
Sue, propped up in bed with a cup of hot tea, began to review entries in her diary. Looking over their past encounters might give her a clue as to how to proceed with future ones. At the least it might show where she blundered or Jack missed the signal.

She had always been attracted to him. What girl wouldn’t be? However, Jack did not indicate a return of that attraction. There were a couple of times she thought he might be, but something always interrupted the moment and then it was gone. Skimming through numerous “Jack” entries in her diary, her eyes settled on the one she was looking for. This was the one that started her heart hoping in the “dating” direction, the chance encounter in the park. She was so sure he had planned it. She smiled her brightest smile, accepted his company for the evening, and even asked him if this was a “chance encounter”. He never really answered her question and although she smiled numerous times throughout the evening and told him how much she enjoyed it, he did not follow-up with a second encounter. What more could she have done?

The next entry she looked over was the time in the hotel when he told her how much he was worried about her. It was all she could do to stay standing. She could not believe he did not see her melting to mush as he moved in close and spoke those wonderful words. Didn’t he understand that she would have never let him invade her personal space like that unless she welcomed his closeness?

She almost cringed at this next entry. She had actually used the situation with Randy as an excuse to ask Jack out on a date. When he told her he was not doing it for Randy, she thought, this was it. He had finally gotten it! Sadly, Jack still missed the signal. Not only was there no follow-up date but embarrassment hit a high with her when they had to actually go on an undercover date right after the one with Randy. Jack’s comment that they needed to stop dating like this took her by surprise. He denied saying dating but insisted he said meeting. He was so firm about it that she dropped it but she knew there was an obvious difference in the way you hold your mouth when you say the sound of “d” verses “m”. Things just seemed to fizzle after that.

She also noted in a number of her “Jack” entries that carrying on a serious conversation regarding feelings was doomed to failure if Jack took the lead. He had a hard time getting started and then he would stumble around for the words so that she had a hard time piecing it together. There were numerous conversations like that but the worst was when he thought she was leaving for New York. Even after writing the conversation down word for word in her diary had not helped her make heads or tails out of what he was actually saying. The war between her heart and her mind over the interpretation was still going on.

After reading over the entries numerous times and finishing her tea, she finally had come to a few conclusions. First, Jack could not read signals, so warm smiles, lowering her eyes, and emphasizing how much she enjoyed something was not going to work. Second, Jack could not talk straight, so action must be taken. Third, Jack moved slower than a turtle with her so she needed to move toward him. Could she do that? Yes! Her mom had always taught her to be assertive, push forward, engage in conversation. Well, she needed to follow that advice. She needed to look boldly into Jack’s eyes, put actions to what was in her heart, and begin a conversation with Jack before he tried to stumble into one first.

The key word here was assertive. This is what she needed to be and maybe, just maybe Jack might move a little toward her. She knew that the course of true love never did run smooth but a little assertiveness might just clear that path a little bit.

this is going to be so much fun, i bet they are both going to make a mess out of things hahah

Oh, one could really, really hope that were true, and yet I have a feeling the comedy is going to come in seeing how much it isn't!! This is great, Terie!!

Oh Terie! So happy to see this! What a refreshing fun story!

I can't wait to see what you are going to do with this! I hope you're having as much fun writing it as we are reading it!

Jill

Sue ... assertive is good ... somehow I give Sue's plan way more chances to succeed than Jack's

I just love the way Sue and Jack are on the same wavelength. This had lots of comic potential.

Kim

Cute beginning. This promises to be fun!

I know Kim, I have about have about half a dozen different endings on this going through my mind and all off them ending hilariously!


Sam

enjoying the story.
There is this book it's called Dating for Dummies...

Dianna

i love this,

cath

Watch out, Turtle Boy...Sue is on the loose!

Jack and Sue are both making plans. This should be most entertaining.

Oh Teri, this is so much fun and I need something light-hearted to read at the moment. I love that Sue has a diary full of examples of Jack not getting it! Loved how you fit the proverb in...now they're both determined and heading in the same direction...right?

kav

Jack and Sue give whole new meaning to Men are from Mars Women are from Venus - looking forward to the planets colliding!

yup yup

I am hoping that they kind of meet in the middle

Enjoy as the "plan" unfolds. Have a great day! The words in italics are Jack's thoughts at the time of the conversation.

Part 3

A beleaguered Jack was staring at his white board again. In his hand he held a large red marker and with bold strokes wrote the letters D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R across the plan he had so carefully written down a week ago. He blinked several times but still could not shake the images of what had to be the most disaster-filled date of his life. His only consolation was that just this morning he had received a memo stating that several F.B.I. policies were being rewritten and the inter-unit dating policy was one of them. Not that he was going to attempt another date with Sue in the near future. He doubted she would say yes anyway so it was best to back off and regroup a little. He needed a new plan, that much was obvious. But first, a painful but necessary review of the old plan must be done.

Sitting on his bed he started at the beginning. He looked at his first step: formally asking her out. The way that started, should have been a prophetic sign for him to quit while he was ahead. It took him three days before he had a chance to talk to her alone. In that time, he had carefully written out exactly what he was going to say, he had memorized it, and repeated it to himself several times. He even practiced it in front of a picture of her just to immune himself to her smile. His delivery began well.....

“Oh Sue, can I talk to you for a moment?” He broke into a huge grin here as he congratulated himself on getting her alone and speaking one sentence coherently!

“Sure Jack, what’s up?” She stepped very close to him. He could smell the faint scent of what must be her shampoo. Then she did it! She smiled that lovely smile and bit her lower lip. His entire speech went right out of his head.

“Uh, well.... uh. Hungry? How about dinner?” Real smooth Hudson, that let’s her know where you stand.

“Thanks for the offer Jack but I already have a previous engagement for tonight.” Engagement! What engagement! He hadn’t seen a ring. He didn’t know she was seeing anyone else? Wait a minute. Calm down. She must mean other plans for tonight.

“No, no, I didn’t mean tonight. I meant another night, any night, whichever night you’re free.” That sure sounded desperate and he still hadn’t used the word date.

“Oh. Well, I’m free Friday night if that works for you. What’s the occasion?” Relief! She’s free Friday. Now what else did he need to tell her?

“Friday works well for me. You can get dressed up. I’ll pick you up at seven.” Good, he remembered about the dress part. No! He still hadn’t said the word date. He had to work that in.

“All right Jack, that sounds nice.” Yes!!!! Mission accomplished. Now date, date, date.

Starting to walk away, he casually replied “Ok. See you at 7:00 on Friday. That’s the date.” There he had said it.

Jack groaned in remembrance at how he had totally messed up the date word. There was no way she would have figured out his intentions from that conversation.

Oh man... I was groaning too. Jack, Jack, Jack... what are we going to do with you???

Looks like Strike 1

Kim

and because he's trying soooo hard!!! And this That's just so heartstoppingly sweet. And of course Sue has absolutely no clue and is probably giving herself a pep talk about how Friday wasn't a date anyway!!!

kav

Poor Jack. He can face an AK-47, but facing Sue's smile turns him into mush.

Ugh, Jack what are we going to do with you
Ok, Sue I guess it is your turn

Dianna

poor jack

i know i shouldn't but i'm sitting here chuckling

cath

poor jack here lett me help you.

sue? would you like to go on a DATE with me friday night at seven.

good right.

I was just You know, Jack, you should just write the lady a letter, because you are obviously not gifted with spoken words!!!

Even I can make the difference between the date and a date, and I speak French

I'm really enjoying this so far, Teri!! Definitely put a smile on my face. Too funny how his entire speech flew out of his head as soon as she smiled at him... Hoping that Sue is feeling good about their upcoming date, even though Jack failed to call it one!! Hopefully he has more luck when they're actually out together...

As funny as it is that Jack wrote everything down and practiced saying it, I have to admit that I actually do that (not asking for a date because I'm married and we don't waste time asking if the opportunity arises). I advise people to do that too come to think about it. Terie this is frightening me a little (in a funny way)!

I caught up and wow is all I can say. Jack is so stupid sometimes. He overanaylzes things too much. Keep it up and I cant wait to read more.

Terie, I think this is comedy in it's best form. Please continue!!!!

Jen

Do you mean like when you're thinking about things you need to say to someone (like a friend, your boss or something like that...) cause, I do that all the time and the funny thing is that I often talk to myself in English, although it's not my native language
Terie, I can't wait for their date (and for the date ) You're writing this confusion beautifully...