Her first text came early the next afternoon. She was lying in bed, attempting to sleep in late, when an unfamiliar buzzing startled her awake. Glancing up at the cell phone sitting on her night stand, she let out a groan. Her head dropped back to the pillow, and she blindly reached for the device before pushing one of the buttons to make the screen light up.
"Did you remember to charge the phone?" - J.
Sighing, Sam took her time while typing out a response.
"No. It's still sitting in the box. I'll do it later." - S.
A moment passed, and then it vibrated again.
"You're just not happy with yourself unless you're being a brat, are you?" - J.
Rolling her eyes, Sam jabbed at the keys with her thumb.
"If you are unhappy you could always go cruise the middle school?" - S.
It buzzed again almost immediately.
"Careful." - J.
It was a warning, and Sam wisely obeyed it.
"What do you want, Jack? I'm trying to sleep." - S.
When it buzzed again, she almost didn't want to look at it.
"No sleep for the wicked. Get up. I'll take you out for lunch." - J.
Sam made a rude noise in the back of her throat.
"It's Saturday. Don't I get a day off?" - S.
It took a minute, but the phone finally buzzed once more.
"You can sleep when you're old, and before you make some smart ass comment about my age, keep in mind that you still haven't received the second half of your punishment. Get that cute ass out of bed. I'll pick you up in an hour." - J.
Sam threw the cell phone so that it landed near the end of her bed, and crossed her arms over her chest. Bossy fucker. She just wanted to go one day without having him push her around, or telling her what to do. Apparently, that day was not going to be today.
***
The sun was exceedingly bright when she left the house. Squinting her eyes against the blinding glare, she made her way down the steps, and immediately noticed that Jack had parked four houses away from hers.
When she reached the car, and got inside there was music softly playing from the radio. He was smoking a cigarette, and he turned to waggle his eyebrows at her in greeting before pushing a button on the dashboard to change the station. Shaking her head, Sam sighed.
"Morning, beautiful." he said with a grin. "Are we going to be pissy today?"
Sam pursed her lips as she thought it over. "Possibly. It depends on what's on your agenda."
His eyes widened, and he smirked at her. "I have no agenda. I have an empty stomach, and I enjoy the pleasure of your smart mouthed company. I plan on feeding you. Food this time," he said in amusement. "Are you hungry?"
"I could eat." she replied agreeably.
Her blue eyes lifted to his dark hair after she answered. It looked damp as if he had recently showered. He was also sporting a thin layer of stubble. It was apparent that he hadn't touched a razor to his face that morning, and it added to the aura of danger that usually permeated him. Only, he didn't seem very dangerous at the moment. His mood appeared to be good natured.
Starting the car, he turned his head, and smiled. It made him look a lot younger than he was, and Sam gazed at him in wonder. Then to her surprise, he leaned towards her, tilted his head, and kissed her mouth very gently. When he pulled back to peer into her stricken blue eyes his smile was still in place.
Sam lifted her eyebrows as she met his gaze. "That was very boyfriendy."
Jacks brows knitted as his smile transformed into a grin. "Was it?"
She nodded solemnly as she looked at him. "It's kind of weird to see you act normal. You should probably stop before it starts to freak me out."
Jack chuckled before rolling his eyes. "I'll try to act crazier so you're more comfortable." Pulling the gear shift into drive, he pulled away from the curb.
***
He ended up driving them to a small, Mexican cantina that Sam had never been to before. Upon walking through the door, they were quickly seated by a young latino girl who had a friendly disposition, and a welcoming smile.
Handing them their menus, she turned to Jack to ask them what they would like to drink. Ordering a bottle of beer, he glanced at Sam, and raised his eyebrows in question. "Lemonade?" She quickly nodded, and he tilted his head at the young waitress to indicate that as well.
Once she had walked away, Jack shifted in his seat. "The owner of this place doesn't speak any English," he told her. "He relies on his staff for most things. That was his daughter, Mia."
Opening her menu, Sam glanced over the list of exotic entrees before she responded. "Do you come here a lot?"
Jack shrugged then absently scratched the side of his face. "Occasionally. They have really good fajitas here. I stop in once in a while to order them."
There were three pages of options. Her family ate out infrequently in general. It was her first time in a Mexican restaurant, and she wasn't quite sure what to order. Especially since little of it seemed to be in English.
"So, what did you do last night after I took you home?" he wondered curiously.
It was the first time that he had shown an interest in her life outside of the time they spent together. The question instantly took her by surprise, but she quickly recovered. "I had dinner with my family, watched a movie with my little brother, then fell asleep reading a book."
His dark eyes were genuinely interested as he asked, "Which book?"
"It's called The Giver. I like it so far. It's different."
His lips tilted slightly while he rubbed the tops of his thighs with his hands. "I've read that. It's been quite a few years though. I recall liking it as well."
Sam lifted a brow. "You read?"
Her dubious expression seemed to wound him a little. "Yes, I read. I have other interests outside of sex," he said with a laugh.
Now she was curious. "Like what?"
He shrugged as Mia returned to the table to set down their beverages. Thanking her, he turned to Sam expectantly. "Do you know what you want?"
Sam's eyes widened as she looked down at her open menu. She glanced up at Mia, smiled, then turned to Jack. "It's a little difficult to decipher. I'm not sure what a lot of it is."
Nodding, he turned to the waitress, and ordered for the both of them. He spoke in fluent Spanish as he did it. When she eventually walked away, he turned back to Sam. "Don't worry, You'll like what I got you."
