Author: Colleen
Rating: PG
Summary: Sarah and Jack are the perfect couple... sweet, handsome, loving... honest...
Pairing: Jack/Sarah/thirdparty
Jack trudged down the vacant stree, his mind rushing. The others were still at Irving Hall watching the show. However, even the best act in vaudeville couldn't take his mind off her, off of their relationship. She could deny it as much as she wanted, but it was obvious that things between them had been strained for the past three months. She had become distant and her demeanor was now... well... less enthusiastic about them. About their future (if they even had a future anymore).
Tonight, for example, he had invited her to the show with him, their first real date in at least three weeks. She declined saying she had an awful headache and didn't think she could bear going out, especially not somewhere as rowdy as Irving Hall. However, she kissed him on the cheek and demanded he go have a good time. She didn't want to keep him from enjoying himself on account of her.
Now he was standing at a street corner. To his left was the path to the lodging house; to his right was the street to her apartment. Turning right on his heels, he quickened his pace, head held high in determination. It was time to settle this.
Jogging up the steps of the fire escape, he felt his palms sweat and his throat dry out. He stopped outside the window to compose himself and listen for anything out of the ordinary. The curtains were drawn making it impossible to make out any other figures, but he didn't hear any voices. He took this as a good sign. He knocked softly on the window. A few moments later she peered out cautiously.
"Jack?" She asked, opening the window. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going out with your friends."
He ran his fingers through his hair. "Well... " he trailed off. What could he say?
Sarah sighed disdainfully. "Jack, can't this wait until tomorrow? I'm exhausted and my head is throbbing."
His hand shot up to the window before she could close it. "No, this can't wait. Can I come in?"
She grabbed a robe to wrap around herself and climbed out the window, closing it behind her. "I
d better come out here so I don't wake anyone else." She explained through chattering teeth. As he moved to wrap an arm around her shivering frame, she shied away and stood across from him. "So talk."
He leaned back against the rail and phrased his words carefully. "I want to know what's going on."
She furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"
"Dammit!" He slammed his hand against the railing. "You know exactly what I mean, Sarah. I don't know why, but lately we haven't been spending a lot of time together."
"Well, we're both busy during the day and I'm usually exhausted when I get home. Not to mention --"
He shook his head. "No, that's not it. Every time I see you... I mean, you've been distant. You avoid me when I see you on the street."
"When did I avoid you?" She asked innocently.
"It's happened at least six times."
"Jack," she smiled softly, placing her hand over his. "There are a lot of people in New York."
"I call out your name."
"When you have fifty people around you --"
"You. Were. Alone." He muttered through gritted teeth.
She pouted. "Look. I don't understand what brought this on. I'm sorry if you're not my entire life, but I have responsibilities to my family. I have my own life to live."
"And what? There's no room in that life for me?"
She groaned in exasperation. "No! There is room, but you have to share it with a lot of other things." An awkward silence surrounded them. Jack drummed his fingers against the cool steel beneath them. "Maybe... I don't know. Maybe I have been more distant than usual." He grunted in agreement. "But why are you so worried? Sometimes people need their space."
"For five months?"
"Jack, don't you think I would have broken it off by now if I truly felt our relationship wasn't working?"
"I don't know. Woudl you?"
She turned his face to hers and looked him directly in the eye. "Jack, I love you. There is nothing that will change that." He tried to turn away, but she wouldn't let him. "Have I ever lied to you?"
He stared into her eyes intently before smiling softly. "No. I guess you haven't."
"So you feel better about, well, us?" He nodded. "Good," she said with a triumphant grin. Giving him a small kiss, she turned back to her window.
"Sarah," Jack called softly.
"Yes?"
He shifted nervously from one foot to the other. "You would," he took a breath. "You wouldn't lie to me, right?"
"Of course I wouldn't." As he started uncertainly down the steps, she added, "Maybe tomorrow night, if I feel ok, we could have dinner."
He nodded with a smile. "I'd like that." When he reached the bottom, he looked up to see her still standing outside looking down at him. "Goodnight," he said. She smiled in reply.
Now in high spirits, Jack walked back to the lodging house, the recent conversation still fresh in his mind.
"You wouldn't lie to me, right?"
"Of course I wouldn't."
"Of course she wouldn't," he thought. "That's not like her. She does love me."
Sarah let out a contented sigh as she sank back down onto her bed. Soon, an arm wrapped around her waist as another body joined her. "Damn, I thought he would never leave," a voice whispered into her ear. "You don't think he'll be back, do you?"
Sarah grinned. "Not a chance," she said confidently as her fingers stroked his cheeks. "See, I've learned something from this relationship. Handling Jack Kelly takes nothing more than a batting of eyelashes and a smile. After that he's in the palm of your hand."
Her companion snickered. "I'm sure that's a tidbit one Mr. Joseph Pulitzer would've loved to have his hands on."
"Besides," Sarah continued. "He knows I would never lie to him."
The young man was planting small kisses along her jaw. "But you did lie to him." He accused.
Sarah batted her eyelashes innocently. "Now when during our conversation did he ever ask if I was... involved with anyone else?" She smiled smugly as she gently pushed her lover back onto the bed.
It had never felt so good to be on top.