Chapter 5 of We All Fall Down
I worked hard last night to get through some writer's block and so I finally got chapter 5 of the WIP all set.
“It smells like Mr. Clean died here.”
Those were the first words that Samantha Spade heard when awoke from her slumber. Her eyes inched open but the bright light streaming in from her closed blinds made her involuntarily shut her eyes. Her throat was dry and sore feeling and she wondered if in her drunken haze if she had cried all night. She could hear him moving around in her kitchen. For some reason it didn’t bother her to think that Jack Malone was going through her stuff. It was odd, she had felt so violated when Joshua Dugan had been alone in her apartment but harbored no feelings about Jack’s being there. Emotionless wasn’t the true word of course but she had to keep up the facade of lying to herself. She couldn’t readily admit that she had fantasied about waking up one morning to find him there.
“Hey,” he had noticed that she was awake now and with her eyes opening again she saw his blurred figured. “Feeling better?” he asked in a low tone.
“Yeah,” she managed to say but made no effort to move from her place on the bed.
“I called Maria and lied to her- I told her I was still at the office.”
Her eyes met his.
“I just didn’t think she would understand.”
“I’m sorry.” She said in a whisper not saying what she longed to say I’m sorry I’ve now messed up your life too.
“Hey, don’t go apologizing. I chose to stay here. I’m not only your boss but your friend.”
“Thanks.”
Samantha noticed a look pass over his face, “I have to ask you this. I noticed that everything in here has been washed. Did something happen when Josh...”
“Consensual,” she got out staring at the ceiling.
“Good. But you still...”
“Big mistake.”
“Okay. Let me see if I can make us some breakfast. Is your stomach in the mood?”
She nodded slightly slowly sitting up.
“Stay there, I’ll bring the food to you.”
She could near him rummaging through the small kitchen and it didn’t bother her that he was touching her food. It was so weird how with Jack she felt like sharing an important part of herself. Brushing aside the notion, she called out, her voice stronger, “Find anything?”
“Geez Sam, do you ever go shopping?” he yelled back the sound of the fridge closing. "Your Wonder bread is all moldy and a cup of yogurt is past due.”
“I usually eat out.”
“Then someone’s paying you better than they pay me.”
She smiled, still staring at the ceiling but enjoying the conversation. “I’m not really into cooking.”
“Me neither,” his voice echoed from the kitchen, “but Maria likes to cook.”
“That’s nice.”
“Yeah. Ah, I finally found something edible.” Jack strode in a few minutes later carrying two strawberry pop tarts on a plate. “Your breakfast is served.”
“Thank you.”
“I expect a good tip especially seeing you must make more than I do,” he gave her his infamous wink that at once made her want to kiss him and slug him.
She slowly gnawed on one of the pop tarts. “Aren’t you eating?”
“I’m not a pop tart type of guy.”
“They are pretty good.”
He sat down on the edge of her bed. “They look like plastic to me.”
“Have the other one.”
“Thanks but that’s okay.”
“Try it.”
“No.”
“Jack, try it.”
“I repeat, no.”
At that instance she broke off a piece of the pop tart she was eating and thrust it upon his mouth. The pastry touched his lips and he involuntarily opened his mouth. The pastry went in and so did the tips of Samantha’s fingers.
She saw something dance over his eyes and felt the sudden rush of her heart (but maybe that was the liquor inside her.) She didn’t fall in love, that was against her rules but looking at Jack at that moment she felt she could love him. (But maybe she was still drunk.)
They both pushed away at the same time. Samantha removing her fingers, Jack quickly standing up.
“I should get going back to the office,” he said grabbing his jacket from the chair in her bedroom. He felt it too.
“Okay,” she replied watching him leave the room. Then she called out, “Jack, wait!”
He stopped, turning around and came back in.
“I need...I want...” She couldn’t say the word “you”, Samantha Spade didn’t need or want anyone. She didn’t fall in love. If they one day found each other in bed it would just be sex, nothing more. And when the affair ended she wouldn’t care, she would just find someone new to keep her warm at night. “I need to go to work.”
“Not in this condition, I’ll have Danny drop off some paper work for you to do.” Why not you drop it off. “Take care, Samantha.”
She heard the front door close and she wasn’t sure if it was the liquor, the case, Josh or the fact that Jack had just left that made her start crying. She must have dozed off for when she woke the remnants of the pop tart where on the floor and the plate that Jack had carried them shattered in two. She stared helplessly at the plate remembering how Jack’s strong hands had held it. She looked down at her fingers that had been in Jack’s mouth and had no urge to wash up.
To be continued...
“It smells like Mr. Clean died here.”
Those were the first words that Samantha Spade heard when awoke from her slumber. Her eyes inched open but the bright light streaming in from her closed blinds made her involuntarily shut her eyes. Her throat was dry and sore feeling and she wondered if in her drunken haze if she had cried all night. She could hear him moving around in her kitchen. For some reason it didn’t bother her to think that Jack Malone was going through her stuff. It was odd, she had felt so violated when Joshua Dugan had been alone in her apartment but harbored no feelings about Jack’s being there. Emotionless wasn’t the true word of course but she had to keep up the facade of lying to herself. She couldn’t readily admit that she had fantasied about waking up one morning to find him there.
“Hey,” he had noticed that she was awake now and with her eyes opening again she saw his blurred figured. “Feeling better?” he asked in a low tone.
“Yeah,” she managed to say but made no effort to move from her place on the bed.
“I called Maria and lied to her- I told her I was still at the office.”
Her eyes met his.
“I just didn’t think she would understand.”
“I’m sorry.” She said in a whisper not saying what she longed to say I’m sorry I’ve now messed up your life too.
“Hey, don’t go apologizing. I chose to stay here. I’m not only your boss but your friend.”
“Thanks.”
Samantha noticed a look pass over his face, “I have to ask you this. I noticed that everything in here has been washed. Did something happen when Josh...”
“Consensual,” she got out staring at the ceiling.
“Good. But you still...”
“Big mistake.”
“Okay. Let me see if I can make us some breakfast. Is your stomach in the mood?”
She nodded slightly slowly sitting up.
“Stay there, I’ll bring the food to you.”
She could near him rummaging through the small kitchen and it didn’t bother her that he was touching her food. It was so weird how with Jack she felt like sharing an important part of herself. Brushing aside the notion, she called out, her voice stronger, “Find anything?”
“Geez Sam, do you ever go shopping?” he yelled back the sound of the fridge closing. "Your Wonder bread is all moldy and a cup of yogurt is past due.”
“I usually eat out.”
“Then someone’s paying you better than they pay me.”
She smiled, still staring at the ceiling but enjoying the conversation. “I’m not really into cooking.”
“Me neither,” his voice echoed from the kitchen, “but Maria likes to cook.”
“That’s nice.”
“Yeah. Ah, I finally found something edible.” Jack strode in a few minutes later carrying two strawberry pop tarts on a plate. “Your breakfast is served.”
“Thank you.”
“I expect a good tip especially seeing you must make more than I do,” he gave her his infamous wink that at once made her want to kiss him and slug him.
She slowly gnawed on one of the pop tarts. “Aren’t you eating?”
“I’m not a pop tart type of guy.”
“They are pretty good.”
He sat down on the edge of her bed. “They look like plastic to me.”
“Have the other one.”
“Thanks but that’s okay.”
“Try it.”
“No.”
“Jack, try it.”
“I repeat, no.”
At that instance she broke off a piece of the pop tart she was eating and thrust it upon his mouth. The pastry touched his lips and he involuntarily opened his mouth. The pastry went in and so did the tips of Samantha’s fingers.
She saw something dance over his eyes and felt the sudden rush of her heart (but maybe that was the liquor inside her.) She didn’t fall in love, that was against her rules but looking at Jack at that moment she felt she could love him. (But maybe she was still drunk.)
They both pushed away at the same time. Samantha removing her fingers, Jack quickly standing up.
“I should get going back to the office,” he said grabbing his jacket from the chair in her bedroom. He felt it too.
“Okay,” she replied watching him leave the room. Then she called out, “Jack, wait!”
He stopped, turning around and came back in.
“I need...I want...” She couldn’t say the word “you”, Samantha Spade didn’t need or want anyone. She didn’t fall in love. If they one day found each other in bed it would just be sex, nothing more. And when the affair ended she wouldn’t care, she would just find someone new to keep her warm at night. “I need to go to work.”
“Not in this condition, I’ll have Danny drop off some paper work for you to do.” Why not you drop it off. “Take care, Samantha.”
She heard the front door close and she wasn’t sure if it was the liquor, the case, Josh or the fact that Jack had just left that made her start crying. She must have dozed off for when she woke the remnants of the pop tart where on the floor and the plate that Jack had carried them shattered in two. She stared helplessly at the plate remembering how Jack’s strong hands had held it. She looked down at her fingers that had been in Jack’s mouth and had no urge to wash up.
To be continued...