|
Suggested
Rating: for young adult and older
readers
Setting:
Season 7, between the events of Avenger 2.0 and Birthright
Synopsis:
Janet and Daniel inform their friends about their relationship.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters and
places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret
Productions. This piece of fan
fiction was created for entertainment only and no infringement on copyrights
or trademarks was intended.
Part 5: REVELATIONS
- by
Michelle Lunsford
Daniel
brought the vehicle to a halt and glanced over at the petite woman in the
passenger seat. “You ready for
this?” he asked, reaching for her hand.
Janet met
his gaze as she released a heavy sigh.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
He smiled
reassuringly and gave her hand a squeeze. “Come on. It’ll be fine.”
Janet
nodded and returned his smile.
“You’re right,” she agreed, unlocking her
seatbelt. “Let’s
go.”
Daniel
exited the car, quickly moving around to open the passenger door. As he guided Janet up the walkway he
heard the sound of Sam’s car pulling into the drive, followed by
Jack’s truck parking on the curb.
Janet offered her keys and he took them, moving forward to unlock her
front door.
Within
minutes Janet’s house was alive with the hustle and bustle of
friends. Sam was busy helping
Janet in the kitchen, setting out last minute hors d'oeuvres. Jack and Cassandra sat at the dining
room table discussing the evening’s exhibit. Daniel stood quietly to one side, arms
casually crossed against his chest, watching the goings-on with interest.
“You
seem inordinately pleased this evening, Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c said,
moving to stand beside the archaeologist.
“What
makes you say that, Teal’c?”
The Jaffa tilted his head
fractionally and raised an eyebrow.
“It was simply an observation.”
Daniel
smiled and gave the larger man a friendly pat on the shoulder. “And an astute observation it
was, my friend. Stick around and
just maybe you’ll find out the reason why.”
Teal’c
responded with a somewhat quizzical look, but any further conversation was
interrupted when Janet announced that the food was ready.
“Everybody
dig in,” Janet ordered, placing a final tray of fruit on the table.
The
dining room table immediately became the focus of activity. Daniel moved forward, grabbing a
plate. He caught Janet’s
eye as she headed back into the kitchen.
She smiled and gave a barely perceptible nod, her expression
communicating a plethora of information in that one instant. ‘She and Sam must already be
talking,’ he reasoned.
After
discussing it, he and Janet had realized that neither was the type for making
a large, public announcement about their relationship. So they had decided to simply ease it
into conversation at some point during the gathering at Janet’s home,
going more for the one-on-one angle.
Janet had requested she be the one to officially give the news to Sam,
which left Daniel to inform Jack and Teal’c. ‘I better get with it,’ he
thought as he worked his way around the table.
Plate and
drink in hand, Daniel headed for the den, where he spotted Jack already
settled in on the sofa and checking the sports channels on Janet’s
cable for any news of the latest hockey scores. Daniel dropped onto one of the empty
cushions beside his friend. The
next thing he knew, Teal’c had drawn up a chair beside him, sat down,
and fixed him with one of his typical stoic looks.
“Daniel
Jackson, O’Neill and I have something we wish to speak with you
about.”
“Yeah,
we do,” Jack added, casually flipping off the TV. He turned, facing Daniel, who suddenly
found himself feeling like the victim of a well-planned interrogation.
“Okay,”
Daniel replied calmly. He was
beginning to suspect his friends were about to save him the trouble of
broaching the subject he needed to address, but there was no way he was going
to reveal his hand before absolutely necessary.
“Cassie
was telling me you were here earlier tonight,” Jack began, his tone
even. “Way before the
exhibit ever got started.”
Daniel
had to fight not to smile. Jack
had intentionally let the comment hang in the air, loaded with all manner of
implications. Fortunately, he had
an honest excuse to answer this one.
“Of
course – Cass had mentioned she needed to take a few additional pieces
of her artwork to the school before tonight. I knew Janet had her hands full
getting ready for this little party,” he waved a hand in the general
direction of the dining room, “and so I offered to give Cass a
lift.”
Jack
nodded, but continued to eye him suspiciously.
Teal’c
made the next volley. “And
yet I am quite certain I heard Dr. Frasier acknowledge at one point this evening
that she could not have gotten by without your assistance in preparations for
these festivities.”
Daniel
shrugged, swallowing the cheese and pepperoni he’d been working
on. “Well, seeing as how I
was already here, it would have been rude not to offer to help.” He bit into a piece of fruit,
wondering where they’d fire from next.
“What
about the cake?” O’Neill challenged.
Daniel
donned his trusty befuddled expression.
“What about it?”
The older
man rolled his eyes. “Oh,
come on, Daniel. We’re talking
about that honking huge chocolate cake on the table in there.” He pointed, with a good bit of force,
towards the dining room.
“The one that says Congratulations
Cassie – the one we all assumed Janet had gotten in honor of
Cassie’s senior art exhibit – the one Cassie told me that you actually brought instead.”
Daniel
looked back and forth between the two men. Thus far he’d been able to
project a sense of nonchalance, but the façade was getting more
difficult to maintain.
“What’s the big deal, guys? I’ve gotten Cass gifts before
– we all have.”
Teal’c
cocked an eyebrow. “Have
you and Doctor Frasier not been joining one another for meals at the SGC
cafeteria on a somewhat more frequent basis during recent days?”
‘Okay,
now you’re starting to play dirty,’ Daniel reflected wryly. Sure, he and Janet sometimes met in
the cafeteria, but they’d certainly done that before starting their relationship. Maybe they had been hanging around
together at work a little more often, but Daniel was pretty sure he’d
been maintaining a strictly friendly attitude towards Janet during those
times. He made a point of
selecting another piece of cheese from his plate as he contemplated how to
answer his friend’s question without giving too much away.
“Maybe,”
he responded with a casual shrug.
“Guess I don’t really keep up with those kinds of things
in my schedule.”
“Oh,
for crying out loud.” Jack
threw up his hands in exasperation.
“Daniel, are you – or are you not – seeing Janet
outside of work?”
Daniel
met Jack’s eyes and managed an expression of surprise that wasn’t
entirely fabricated. He’d
not really expected them to get to the point quite so quickly.
“Uh,
Jack, I hate to break it to you, but we’re all seeing Janet outside of work… right now.”
Daniel
couldn’t be sure, but he thought Teal’c almost smiled at his
little quip. Jack, however, did
not appear to be as appreciative of his sarcastic humor.
“Teal’c,
I’m going to kill him.
I’m just giving everyone fair warning right now.” Jack raised his hands, slowly
beginning to mimic a strangling motion towards the archaeologist’s
neck.
“Daniel
Jackson, I believe what Colonel O’Neill is attempting to
ascertain,” the Jaffa
interrupted, “is whether or not you and Doctor Frasier have become
romantically involved.”
Daniel
steadily met their gaze.
Teal’c stared back, his eyes revealing a hint of amusement but
nothing more. Jack was fixing him
with a pointedly expectant look.
“Well?”
O’Neill pressed after several seconds of silence.
Unable to
fight it any longer, Daniel allowed a smile to work its way across his
features. “Yes,” he
said simply.
“Oh
crap!” Jack exclaimed, with a decidedly disgusted huff.
Daniel’s
smile faded, and his brow creased in offended confusion. “I beg your pardon?”
“Do
not be concerned,” Teal’c replied. “I believe O’Neill’s
outburst is not in response to your revelation, but rather to the fact that
he now owes me a sum of forty dollars.”
Daniel
glanced back and forth between them, perplexed, until realization finally dawned. “Oh, please tell me you two did not have a bet going about
this.”
Jack
merely sighed in resignation as he reached for his wallet.
“And
you bet against me?” Daniel asked, turning a look of incredulity
Jack’s direction.
“Thanks a lot for the vote of confidence.”
The
Colonel handed over the cash, and then held up his hands in a placating
gesture. “What can I
say? I never thought you’d
get up the nerve to actually ask the Doc out.”
“Now,
now Colonel – you should know better than that.”
Three pairs
of eyes turned towards the dining room doorway, where a decidedly amused
Janet Frasier stood, hands resting casually on her hips.
She
caught Daniel’s eye, and smiled fondly at him. “When Daniel finally sets his
mind on something, you know how determined he can be.”
Daniel
openly returned her affectionate gaze.
While he’d enjoyed the challenge of stolen glances and the
unobserved little touches when they could be managed, he much preferred being
able to express his feelings without pretense. He wasn’t sure how much of their
conversation she’d overheard, but laughter was clearly dancing in her
eyes. He marveled again at how
beautiful she was, in her strong yet simple way, and sent a silent prayer of
thanks heavenward for the fact that he had finally set his mind on her.
When it
became apparent she and Daniel were unabashedly staring at one another, Janet
nervously cleared her throat.
“Cassie’s ready to cut the cake,” she announced. “She wants everyone to be in
here, so come on.”
~ * ~ *
~ * ~ *
~ * ~ *
~ * ~
The
evening continued, pleasantly enough, but Daniel was glad when things finally
began to wind down. He knew Janet
had to be tired – she’d put a lot of effort into making it a
special night for her daughter – and even though she could sleep in
tomorrow, knowing her, she probably wouldn’t.
Everyone
pitched in with the cleanup, making quick work of the job. Jack and Teal’c headed out
first, but Sam had offered to stay and finish up in the kitchen. Daniel busied himself running a
sweeper over the carpet. Although
he couldn’t make out any words, Daniel could hear Sam’s voice,
mixed with Janet’s, as they rambled on behind the kitchen door. The sounds were occasionally
punctuated by the distinctive ringing of female laughter, and Daniel would
momentarily pause, his mind deliberating between mild curiosity and
down-right paranoia regarding what they might be discussing.
He was
just finishing up with the sweeper in the den when he felt a light tug on his
sleeve.
“Hey,
Daniel – you got a minute?”
He turned
to find Cassandra, a slight hesitance in her manner as she gazed up at
him. “For you, I’ve
always got a minute,” he replied, smiling. “What can I do for you?”
“I
was wondering if I could talk to you about something.” She cast a glance over her shoulder,
in the general direction of the kitchen.
“In private.”
Daniel
eyed her warily. This was
definitely something new in his experience of dealing with the teen, and he
wasn’t quite certain how to handle it. “Is anything wrong?” he
asked cautiously.
“No,”
she assured, but offered no further explanation.
It was
obvious Cassandra wanted to discuss something to which she didn’t want
her mother to be privy, and that clue alone sent warning bells ringing in
Daniel’s mind. Speculations
of everything from suicidal friends to unwanted pregnancies began spiraling
through his imagination.
‘Get a grip,’ his inner voice warned. ‘Whatever it is, she’s
willing to confide in you. If
it’s trouble, you can figure out how to involve Janet later.’
“Alright,”
he finally answered. “How
about we go to your room and talk?”
Cassandra
nodded, and he followed her towards her bedroom. He made a point not to close the door,
and was relieved when Cassandra didn’t object. He pulled out the desk chair,
positioned it facing her bed, and sat down. He’d expected her to crawl onto
the bed, as she’d done the only other time he’d been invited
inside her hallowed territory, but to his surprise she remained standing.
“I’m
going to come right to the point,” the girl began without preamble.
Daniel
felt his eyebrows go up in mild surprise, but he nodded, encouraging her to
continue.
“I’ve
always been fond of you, Daniel – ever since I was little. I mean, yeah, I’m fond of Jack
and Teal’c too, but there was always something in you that I liked,
right from the start.”
Cassandra sought his gaze and Daniel was struck by the earnestness he
saw reflected in her eyes. She
went on, “And I want you to know that I’m absolutely thrilled
that you and Mom have gotten together.”
“I’m
glad to hear that,” he replied.
It wasn’t exactly a news flash – Cassie had given every
indication that she was happy with his and Janet’s relationship –
but Daniel had to admit, hearing her actually say it eased his mind
considerably.
Cassandra
placed her fists on her hips, leaning her weight slightly on one leg. It was a fair imitation of a posture
he’d seen Janet take several times in the years he’d know her
– a move he’d come to translate as I mean business, so pay attention!
“Still,
seeing as how I’m really the only other family Mom’s got,”
Cassandra persisted, “I feel I have the right to ask you
this.” She leveled her gaze
directly at Daniel. “What,
exactly, are your intentions?”
The
question was so bold – almost ludicrously so – that Daniel almost
laughed out loud. But the
sincerity of her expression halted his reaction, and he quickly redirected
his thoughts in order to give her inquiry serious consideration. ‘When,’ he wondered,
‘did that cute little girl grow up into such a remarkable young
woman?’
His mind
raced, and Daniel leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he
sought the right words.
“Cassandra,
I appreciate your honesty,” he replied, his voice calm and even. “And I’m going to be
equally honest with you. I care
about Janet very much, and I take my relationship with her very
seriously. However, I can’t
speak with any certainty regarding where that relationship is going to end
up, because frankly, I just don’t know.”
He
paused, gauging her reaction. He
had to give her credit – she was unflinchingly returning his stare,
continuing to stand her ground.
Taking a deep breath, he leaned back again in the chair.
“What
I do know,” he went on, “is that I want to pursue that
relationship as far, and for as long, as Janet is willing to allow. I have no intentions of walking away
from this. And I give you my word
that, as much as it’s within my power, I’ll never do anything to
hurt either Janet or you.”
A
slightly tense silence held between them before Cassandra finally responded
with one, succinct nod.
“That’s
good enough for me,” she said, a hint of her normal levity returning.
Daniel
released a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.
“I
know Mom doesn’t need my permission,” she added. “You don’t either, for
that matter. But it makes me feel
a lot better knowing for sure how things stand. Thank you.”
“You’re
welcome,” Daniel answered sincerely. He stood, took a couple of steps to
narrow the distance between them, and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. “And Cass, while I may not need
your permission, as you say, it means a great deal to me to have your
blessing.”
A smile
blossomed across her features, and her head cocked slightly. Daniel thought he detected a flash of
surprise in her eyes.
“Really?”
she said softly.
“Of
course,” he answered, returning her smile. “I don’t want you to
forget that you’re important
to me too. For me, this
isn’t just about Janet – it involves the both of you.”
Cassandra
bit her lower lip, as if deliberating, and then suddenly threw her arms
around him in a bear hug.
“Daniel,
that is so sweet,” she declared, her voice clearly carrying an
undercurrent of adolescent enthusiasm now. “You’re really great
– no wonder Mom is so crazy about you.”
“Crazy
about me, huh?” Daniel
grinned surreptitiously as she pulled back from their embrace.
The teen
matched his grin, cast a quick glance toward the open door, and leaned in
conspiratorially. “I
actually caught her singing along, at the top of her lungs, to some old
seventies love songs radio station while she was cleaning the house this
week.” She gave Daniel a
playful nudge with her elbow.
“Yeah, I’d say she’s crazy about you alright.”
Daniel
nodded appreciatively, taking the playful remark for what it was. However, he couldn’t deny that
the image Cassie had just painted for him had certainly intrigued him.
“Well,
I better go see if your mom needs any more help with the cleaning,” he
said. “Congratulations
again, on your exhibit tonight.”
“I’m
glad you could be there,” she replied, following him towards the door.
He turned
to leave when her voice called him back.
“And
Daniel?”
He
paused, meeting her gaze.
“Yes?”
“Thanks…”
she hesitated, and then eventually shrugged before adding, “for
everything.”
He smiled
affectionately at her, and on impulse dropped a light kiss on her
forehead. “Goodnight,
Sweetpea,” he whispered, calling her by the pet name he hadn’t
used since she was a child.
“Goodnight,”
she replied, closing the door behind him.
Shaking
his head slightly at the extraordinary conversation that had turned out to
be, Daniel returned to the den and met Janet coming from the kitchen. "Need help with any other
cleaning?" he asked.
"Nope. All done," she replied, flipping
off the kitchen light. "Sam
just left a few minutes ago. Are
you heading out too?"
He
glanced at his watch. It was
getting late, and he reminded himself of his earlier observation that Janet
had to be worn out. But even
though he’d been in her company most of the night, they hadn’t
had much time alone, and now that it came down to it he didn't really want to
leave.
"I
could stay for a few minutes,” he suggested. “That is, if you don't
mind?"
Janet
smiled warmly. "Of course I
don't mind." Taking his
hand, she motioned towards the sofa.
“Come on, I want to compare notes.” She plopped down onto the cushions,
pulling him down beside her.
“Sam was absolutely thrilled when I told her the news.”
“I
gathered that by the way she kept grinning like a Cheshire cat, and giving me
that ‘you sly little devil’ look the whole time she was
here.”
Janet
playfully slapped at his arm.
“Oh, don’t jest.
She really was happy.”
“I
know,” he replied, twining his fingers around hers and giving her hand
a loving squeeze. “What all did you two talk about
anyway?”
Janet’s
expression took on a kittenish air.
“Sorry, details are just between us girls.”
“Uh-huh,”
Daniel remarked dryly, well aware that he’d get no more from her on
that score.
“I
caught the last part of your conversation with the guys,” she
continued, “but what was your impression of their take on it?”
Daniel
wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“Well, once Jack got over the rub of losing out on his bet, he
did seem pretty pleased about the news.
Teal’c was fairly smug about the whole thing – at least,
in so much as he ever gets smug – considering he’d not only been
right about us, but also made forty bucks from the deal. On the whole, I’d say they were
happy.”
“I’m
glad it worked out this way,” she replied thoughtfully. “Not that it would have changed
how I feel, but it makes it even better knowing our friends are happy for
us.”
“Yes,
it does,” he agreed, pulling her a little closer.
Janet
snuggled her head against his shoulder.
"So, what were you and Cassie up to? I noticed you two had snuck off."
"Just
a little conversation," he replied vaguely. Cassandra hadn’t exactly sworn
him to secrecy, but he did feel the details of their talk had been shared in
confidence.
Janet glanced up at him and Daniel happily watched as her
brown eyes twinkled with curiosity.
"Actually,
she wanted to talk about you and me." He allowed the comment to hang in the
air.
Janet
eyed him patiently as she pulled her legs underneath her. When he revealed no further details,
she donned a more persuasive expression, batting her eyelashes encouragingly.
"And…?"
she pressed.
Daniel
felt his pulse quicken in response to Janet's unexpected flirtatious demeanor
and he smiled impishly.
"Sorry, that's strictly between me and Cass." At Janet's expression of mock
sternness, he added, "But I assure you, it was all positive."
Janet
sighed, shaking her head in defeat.
"Fine. Keep your
secrets. As it turns out, Cassie
and I had our own little chat, just the other day."
Daniel
didn’t miss the slight tilt of her head, a sign of playful defiance to
reinforce her obvious taunt. 'So
this is where the payback comes,' he deduced. Aloud he asked, "And I suppose
that’s all just between you girls
too?"
Janet ran
a finger teasingly across his forearm.
"No, not exactly."
Her touch
kicked his already elevated heart rate up a notch. Daniel forced himself to wait
patiently, but Janet merely smiled back at him, her eyes dancing with
mischief. ‘Well, two can
play this game,' he decided.
Ducking his head, Daniel peered at her intently over the rims of his
glasses. He intentionally lowered
his voice, aiming for somewhere between imploring and inviting.
“Janet…?" He drew her name out in a long,
charming drawl.
She
steadily returned his gaze, seemingly impervious to his efforts. Then a coy smile began to tug at the
corner of her mouth. "It
would seem that we've been the main topic of conversation lately among her
friends,” Janet confessed.
Daniel
blinked at the woman sitting beside him, uncertain if he should be gratified,
mortified, or out right horrified by this revelation. "Really?" he finally
managed.
"Don't
worry,” Janet replied, giving his leg a reassuring pat. “I think such discussions have
been confined between her two best friends. But Cassie told me the consensus seems
to be that she's extremely lucky."
"Really?"
he said again, still perplexed.
Janet
nodded, and Daniel noticed her smile was growing even more roguish.
“Apparently,
if you were some unattractive, idiotic jerk, then Cassandra would be much
pitied by her friends,” Janet went on. “But, since her mother has
garnered the interest of someone who is – now how did she put it…
intelligent, considerate, and very nice-looking – then Cassandra is in
no danger of suffering her friends' condolences."
Daniel's
eyebrows shot upwards. "Cass
actually said that?"
Janet
chuckled lightly in response to his obvious discomfort. "Actually, her exact words were, 'Mom, Daniel is brilliant,
absolutely adorable, and flat-out, one-hundred-percent gorgeous to the hilt
– my friends are convinced you've snatched a dream'."
Daniel
blinked in shock as his eyes darted toward the teen's closed bedroom
door. He really didn't know what
to say in response to that.
A light
touch on his face drew Daniel's attention. Janet was staring up at him, a vaguely
coquettish smile playing across her lips.
She
tenderly traced the line of his brow as she whispered, "And I happen to
agree with her."
Her hand
moved again, slowly dragging through his hair before coming to rest at the
nape of his neck. Her fingers
lightly brushed across his skin there, and Daniel felt a shiver begin to
crawl up his spine.
When
Janet kissed him, Daniel felt as if his mind exploded. Certainly their first kiss had been a
pleasant experience, but this was simply amazing. Her scent washed over him, pulling his
senses along as if on some exhilarating carnival ride. The mere proximity of her presence
seemed to electrify the air between them, and her feathery touch as she drew
fingers across his face, neck, and arms left alluring trails of heat on his
skin. He reached for her,
wrapping his arms around her waist, and it seemed as if she literally melted
into him. His heart began to race
as he realized Janet was seeking to deepen the kiss – her efforts
resulting in a delightful combination of gentle offering and passionate
demand. As he found himself
happily surrendering to this wonderful experience, Daniel fervently hoped his
attempts to respond in kind were being received with equal appreciation.
Janet
eventually broke contact and he reflexively gasped for air. Pleased that she didn’t withdraw
from his embrace, Daniel slowly opened his eyes and took in the sight before
him. Janet was staring up at him,
still displaying that bewitching smile.
Her eyes were wide and bright with the warmth of her
obvious affection and happiness.
In that moment Daniel was convinced she fairly radiated the wealth of
her beauty.
‘Well,
it’s certainly cliché,’ he thought, ‘but right now I
do believe I could step right into those big brown pools and gladly allow
myself to drown.’
“You
have that look on your face,” Janet said softly, snuggling against him.
Daniel
sighed, utterly content with the sensation of her being in his arms. “And what look is that?”
Janet bit
at her lip in thought. “The
one that says you’re thinking about some delightful little puzzle and
you can’t quite decide which is more appealing – working the
puzzle itself, or arriving at the answer.”
Daniel
raised an eyebrow, surprised at the detail of her interpretation. “Since when did you become so
analytical about my expressions?”
She
grinned. “Oh, I’m
afraid I’ve been studying the man that is Daniel Jackson for quite some
time.”
“Oh
really?” he replied, his insides suddenly going acrobatic. “I’m not so sure that
doesn’t give you an unfair advantage, Doctor,” he added
good-naturedly.
“Well,
you’ll just have to work overtime to catch up,” she said with
equal humor.
In
response he placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose. ‘Oh, I definitely plan
to,’ his thoughts gladly agreed.
“So
what’s the puzzle?” she asked, her fingers returning to their
little dance at his nape.
“You
are,” he replied, lightly kissing her forehead.
Her eyes
reflected charmed delight.
“How so?”
“Well,
I think I’m trying to figure out exactly what to make of this persona
you’ve suddenly revealed – the heretofore unseen
flirtatious-Janet.” He
shifted position slightly, making it easier to pull her a little closer. “I mean, I’ve become
acquainted with, and am terribly fond of, friendly-Janet,
compassionate-Janet, and vivacious-Janet. I’ve even come to respect and
admire I-can-be-hard-as-nails-Janet.
And, as long as we’re on the subject, I have to admit that I
also adore the loving-but-firm-mother-Janet. But this new character you’ve
introduced tonight…”
“Yes?”
she asked, her tone a clear indication she was enjoying this little game.
“Definitely
appealing,” he answered, dropping another kiss on her forehead. “But it’s going to require
further study before I draw any final conclusions.”
“I
see,” she said, her smile stretching into a full-blown grin. “I think that can be
arranged.”
Daniel
nodded as he leaned towards her.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he whispered
invitingly, before meeting her lips in another kiss.
Daniel
lost all sense of time, his mind fully engaged in the wonder of Janet
Frasier, when suddenly a familiar sound became apparent to his senses.
“Hey
Mom, I was wondering if you’d seen—oops!”
A heavily
awkward silence filled the room as everyone clumsily exchanged looks, with
varying degrees of embarrassment.
Cassandra was, surprisingly enough, the first to locate her voice.
“Oh
my gosh – I am so, so
sorry.” Her words came out in
quick succession, and she was already backing out of the room. “Daniel, I thought you’d
already left – obviously I was wrong. Mom – um, never mind, it
wasn’t that important anyway.
I’m going back to my room now… so I can crawl into my bed
and die of humiliation. Yeah,
that’s it. Just forget I
was ever here.”
As Cassie
disappeared around the corner, Daniel met Janet’s gaze. He could see chagrin was slowly giving
way to humor, and before long she had to bury her head in his shoulder,
fighting against peals of laughter.
He affectionately rubbed along her back, and chuckled lightly into her
hair.
“Well,
that was certainly
interesting,” he commented.
“Oh
goodness,” Janet eventually uttered, having managed to get her fit of
laughter under control. She wiped
at the tears her mirthful outburst had produced. “Poor Cassie – I
don’t think she ever expected to be on the flip side of that particular
scenario.”
Daniel
nodded in agreement, and as Janet gazed up at him he was again struck by her
beauty.
“You
know, you look absolutely radiant when you’re smiling like that,”
he said, gently brushing her cheek with his palm. A hint of color warmed her face,
making her look even more fetching, and he placed another kiss on her
mouth. “But it is
late,” he admitted, pulling away with some reluctance. “I better be going.”
They
kissed one last time at the front door, Daniel again marveling at the fact
that he found their variance in height such a bewildering enticement. As he drove home, Daniel’s mind
hummed along, recounting over and over that surely he had to be the luckiest
man in the world.
~ END ~
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