[REPOST] Stargate SG-1 fic: The Logic of Picking Up Women
This story has been lightly edited for content and clarity since it was first published in 2012. See the original here.
Jack's finally got some time off from work and intends to spend a quiet week at his much-neglected cabin in Minnesota but the woman sitting next to him in the diner has other ideas. Set during SGU time.
1,581 words | [PG-13]
The diner at the edge of town-a rundown place with torn vinyl, cracked Formica, and peeling paint-was mostly empty this time of day. Jack preferred it that way. His patience with people was wearing a little thin lately. He slid off his shades, slipping them into the pocket of his shirt. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust.
The waitress, Glenna, waved at him with a laminated menu. “Coffee, General?”
Jack nodded, settling on a well-worn stool at the counter. A second later, Glenna set a mug down, filling it with efficiency born of experience. She smiled sweetly, and he was taken back forty years. She was still a looker even in her seventies.
“Haven’t seen you around much,” she said, her tone casual but tinged with admonishment.
Jack grimaced as the hot liquid burned the inside of his mouth. “I don’t get back much.”
“Uh-huh. Where you stationed now? Do generals even get ‘stationed?’”
“Washington,” he murmured, hoping she wouldn’t pry further. He didn’t want to think about work.
Glenna harrumphed. “Sounds dreadful.”
“You have no idea.”
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She patted his hand in genuine sympathy, a smile tugging at her lips. “Usual?” She left before he could answer.
Jack let out a sigh he hadn’t realized he had been holding. Relief had flooded him the moment they touched down in Minneapolis, but it wasn’t until now that he felt he could really relax. He was more than a little irked this was his first real vacation in almost two years. The whole thing with the Lucian Alliance and now the Destiny had them all working overtime. The world needed to have a few less crises as far as he was concerned.
Glenna returned after a moment to lay a newspaper in front of him and refill his coffee. He mumbled a thanks as the bell above the door tinkled. The older lady hurried off to seat the newcomers, her cheery voice inviting them in along with a welcoming smile.
Jack flipped open to the sports section with a sigh, tension easing with each second the clock ticked. He sipped on his coffee, deep into a commentary on last night’s hockey game when a familiar scent wafted over. His heart immediately sped up-the blood surging to various parts of his body.
A few stools over, a woman sat down-her dark hair cascading around her shoulders and blocking her face. Jack swallowed hard and tried to concentrate on the hockey scores, but the perfume enveloped him, distracting all of his senses.
The woman let out a huff. “What’s good here?” she asked no one in particular.
A smile spread across Jack’s weary face-his spirits lifting-but he fought to contain it. He took another sip of coffee before clearing his throat. “The hashbrowns are killer.”
“Hashbrowns?”
“Yeah, they put onion and green peppers in them.”
“Hmmm.” She continued to examine the menu like it held the secrets of the universe under its layer of grease. “What about the pancakes?”
“Huge. And real maple syrup.”
“Really? Like straight from the tree?”
“Is there any other kind?” It was taking a little more effort to keep his face straight.
The woman tried to hide a giggle but failed miserably. The sound caused Jack’s heart to skip a beat. It was like music-a song he hadn’t heard in a long time.
“So,” she said, flipping her hair behind her back and shooting him the most beautiful smile he had ever seen, “you come here often?”
Jack grinned in spite of himself. “Not as often as I’d like.”
“Too bad.” Her lips made an adorable little pout.
Glenna appeared with his plate of food and a full pot of steaming coffee. “Anything else, General?”
Jack was sure he saw her wink at the woman. He shook his head as he picked up his fork, digging into the hashbrowns.
“General?” The woman slid over to the stool next to him, making herself comfortable. “Air Force?”
“How’d you know?” he asked around a mouthful of food.
She flashed a knowing smile at him before hiding it in her cup of coffee. “You just look like a flyboy.” Jack’s breath caught when she glanced back up at him-long lashes fluttering.
“And you can tell from just looking?”
Her eyes traveled up and down his body sending more shivers through him. Then she laughed, the sound adding a pleasurable tingle to the mix. “My dad was Air Force. A general, even.”
“You don’t say. Small world.” Unable to keep his growing smile in check he chose to fill his mouth with more food, quickly taking a sip of his coffee to wash it down.
Glenna returned, her order pad already in hand. “If you’re done flirting with the general I can take your order.”
The woman flushed bright red. She leaned forward to whisper rather loudly to Glenna. “Was I that obvious?”
The older woman snorted. “An angry bull in a china store full of red vases would be less obvious.” Jack bit his lips to keep from smiling but he still caught Glenna’s attention. “And you,” she said loudly, “you’re a bit old to be picking up random women, don’t you think?”
Jack nearly choked on his bit of toast. “I wasn’t-” he sputtered, pounding a fist on his chest.
Glenna laughed outright. “You’re not as subtle as you think you are, Jack. You never were. Don’t think I never noticed you checking me out back in the day.”
Jack was sure his eyes grew as large as saucers as he stared, slack-jawed; the women laughing fully. Glenna finished taking her order and disappeared again. It was several minutes before the woman stopped giggling and Jack regained his composure. He glanced sideways at her. She was staring straight ahead, her hands wrapped tightly around her mug as it hovered a few inches from her mouth, a big shit-eating grin on her pretty face.
“I wasn’t-” he started, but she interrupted just as abruptly.
“I didn’t think you were.”
She continued to grin madly at her coffee. Jack huffed, stuffing a forkful of eggs into his mouth with the fervor of a starving man. Finally, the woman set down her mug and swiveled to face him.
“I’m Sam, by the way.” She stretched her hand out, face still slightly red.
Jack accepted her offered hand, feeling her soft skin under his rough fingers. “Jack.”
“I heard. General Jack.” She practically beamed at him, setting all his nerves on fire again with just a look. He hoped his own blush wasn’t as evident as hers, but judging by the mischievous twinkle in her eyes, he wasn’t so lucky.
Jack quickly finished his coffee and took a deep breath. “I’m not usually this forward, but do you wanna get out of here?”
Sam’s eyebrows rose, the flush returning. Jack felt sixteen again, his pulse speeding up, and his breath hitching as the prettiest girl in the place smiled back at him. He didn’t wait for her response, tugging at her arm even as he slid from his stool. He tossed a twenty on the counter just as Glenna returned, a plate in one hand, pot of coffee in the other.
He saw her shocked expression reflected in the glass. It quickly morphed to amusement as Jack nudged Sam out the door.
“This is mine,” she said, gesturing at a Ford near the entrance. When she turned back to look at him he surprised her with his lips on hers-a kiss full of longing and passion and tasting of coffee.
It was several moments before Jack finally broke contact. He rested his forehead against hers, still breathing hard, his hands cradling her face. He could feel the heat coming off of her. Or maybe that was him. Either way, the temperature seemed to have gone up a few degrees. Her jaw worked under his fingers as she fought for her own control. Slowly, her tongue slid across her lips, and she let out a long breath.
“Wow,” she murmured.
“Sorry, couldn’t wait any longer.”
He could feel her smiling. “No, it’s perfectly understandable.”
He pulled back slightly to catch her gaze. Her mouth was set in a half-smile. He gave her his own lopsided grin. “’Cause you always tend to make out twenty minutes after you meet a guy?”
Her smile grew, showing a row of cute dimples. “Only generals.”
Jack couldn’t help himself any longer-a full-body laugh bubbled up. He let his head fall against hers again-the smell of her perfume wrapping around him like a comforting blanket.
“God, I missed you.”
Sam answered with her mouth, lips crushing into his-her tongue insisting on entry. He was more than willing to oblige. His hands slid down to encircle her neck, thumbs brushing her collarbone. Her fingers answered by curling into the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer. When her hands drifted down to the waist of his pants, sliding under his shirt, he pulled away with a great effort.
“Maybe we should take this back to my place.”
Sam smiled up at him then dug her hand into the pocket of his jeans. “I’ll drive.” Jack let out a startled gasp as she groped for his car keys. Sam giggled into his shoulder when he groaned. “I’ll get us there faster.”
He couldn’t argue with that logic.
[based on this picspam i made for a challenge]
