Chapter One: The Beginning
Page Seven3, July 1999 Saturday Sam smiled, remembering she needed to stop by the little candle/incense shop sometime this week to replenish her own supply of
house scents. "Ready?" "Yup."
"You're still dressed for work." She
looked Janet up and down, frowning for a moment at the smaller woman's khaki shorts, strappy tank, and walking sandals.
Then, with a sigh, she gave in. "Alright…just a sec." Janet grinned, tossing her bag on a chair and
using her hand to knock some dust off another before sitting down to wait. "Something feminine, Sam."
Sam popped her head around the wall, sticking out her tongue before ducking back into her bedroom.
Janet had been after her to tap into her girly side for weeks. "Ready yet?" Sam sighed, sliding on one of the sundresses Cassie had picked out for her when they'd gone shopping just before she'd left for the islands.
Pale rust
with small white flowers, it was perfect for a warm summer day.
She looked up as Janet appeared in the bedroom doorway, pausing in the act of almost violently slapping the clinging dust off
her rear from where she'd been sitting when she saw what Sam had chosen. "Oh good. I was hoping you'd wear a dress.
It's always fun to watch Daniel for the first couple minutes after you show up in one." Sending the other woman a
glance she hoped conveyed her utmost disgust, Sam strapped her sandals, grabbed a light cream sweater, and headed out the door. "Umm…wallet?"
"I'm wearing the holder the Colonel gave me for Christmas." Janet slowed to a stop, her eyebrows rising.
"The one you wear around your upper thigh?"
"Yup. Driver's License, credit cards, cash, etc…I figured I'd give my change to you since Cassie's saving up pennies." Janet was still snickering as they left and Sam couldn't help but smile back.
"Just don't tell him, okay?" "After all the grief I gave him over it, not a word." * * * * * *7:55 AM "Daniel! Wake up." The smell of rich coffee and croissants broke through Daniel's sleepily thick, fortified defenses, rousing him in spite of his intention to ignore the
girls and sleep all day.
He had like…years of no-sleep to make up for today and they wanted to go…shopping.
For clothes.
As if he needed any more clothes after Christmas.
He knew the real reason.
They were going Cassie-birthday shopping and wanted to watch where his eyes strayed to see what he'd like for his birthday since the two dates were so close together.
Therefore, he'd be on the spot the whole time.
No thanks. "Daniel, c'mon." Janet's voice must be getting deeper…losing some of its smooth huskiness, too. "Daniel! Don't make me come get you."
That wasn't Janet…that was Jack.
Daniel opened his eyes, saw Jack's twisted, screwed up expression less than an inch away, quickly re-closed his eyes, and turned over.
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