Memoirs of a Texan Abroad (7/14)
Title: How Jensen Ackles Hated Mr. Right, Shagged Mr. Wrong, and Finally Got a Clue
Author: texankate
Pairings/Characters: J-squared, Jensen/ Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jared/Sandy, Chris/Steve, Usual Suspects OFCs, OMCs. S1 'The Tudors', S1 'Primeval'.
Rating: Up to NC17 in places
Disclaimer: If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream,. In other words: complete and utter fiction. I own nothing but my twisted and sordid little brain. I even had to borrow my disclaimer.
Summary: When Jensen left everything behind for his big shot overseas assignment, he only wanted a life of adventure. Will he choose passion with a sexy foreigner? Or will he realize that true love was in his back yard the whole time?
Chapter 7
He didn't bother checking his voicemail until the next morning. Much to his surprise, Jared had left a message.
"Hey Jensen. It's Jared. I hope you're having a good time with your family, and no one has taken an unexpected tumble down a mountain. I have a favor to ask, and I wondered if you would give me a call." He left his office number as well as the hotel number. Jensen wasn't sure if he had softened enough towards Jared to do him a favor, so he saved the message for later.
He called Douglas to let him know he'd gotten in without a problem. Jensen asked if Douglas needed him to come in, his boss just laughed. That out of the way, he decided that he'd better go ahead and see what Jared wanted. Unless the big favor was to take a nap, Jensen didn't think he'd be up for it, but he didn't want to be rude.
He tried the office first. A cheerful young woman answered the phone. In Jensen's mind, he pictured her as a tiny blonde with a huge chest and a short skirt. Not fair to her, but she really didn't have to be so damn chipper.
"Mr. Padalecki will be with you in a moment, sir," she chirped. Jensen waited on the line, forced to sit through really bad pop music for much too long. He was about to hang up when someone finally clicked on the line.
"Jensen?" Jared asked.
"Hey dude," Jensen said.
"How is your trip going?" Jared asked.
"I ditched the family in Bath," Jensen replied. "What's up?"
"Well, like I said, I have a favor to ask," Jared said. He sounded nervous. "When does your family fly back?"
"Saturday morning," Jensen said.
"Would you maybe-perhaps-possibly want to come up to London for dinner that night?" Jared asked, in a rush.
"I don't know, I imagine I'll be in a coma by then," Jensen said. He didn't think they'd gotten to the friendly dinner stage. "What's the occasion?"
"The client wants to take me out to dinner and a show," Jared explained. "Kind of as a thank-you for the work I've been doing. The thing is, he pretty much said I need to bring a date."
"Why don't you take one of the girls from the office? That chipper young thing that answered the phone sounded like she could use a good meal," Jensen said.
"Oh, please. I wouldn't trust her not to say something awful and piss off the client," Jared sighed. "I need someone with a brain. I personally would prefer someone who'd look good in a suit. You are the only person I know here that fits both criteria. Please?"
"I don't know. Like I said, I have to drop them off at the airport that morning," Jensen said. Jared sounded so earnest, though, and he was saying some complimentary things. Then it hit Jensen that Jared had been picturing him in a suit. A part of him was offended, but a part of him liked that Jared liked what he'd imagined. "What's the show?"
"Something based on the songs of some eighties pop group. It's all the rage, apparently," Jared said. "What do you say? I'll get you a room here, so you don't have to go all the way back to Crawley all alone, late at night. My treat, for doing me a huge favor." Maybe Jensen was still groggy from the trip, but he said yes before he could stop himself.
"But you owe me, buddy," he said, giving in.
"I'm all over it," Jared promised. Jensen could hear his grin over the phone. "I'll call you later on this week with all of the details, okay?"
"Cool. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Jensen. You're a lifesaver."
That changed Jensen's plans a bit. He hadn't packed anything remotely suit-like. He guessed he'd have to walk into town and go to the mall. He'd need shoes, too. He heard Natalie moving around upstairs, and decided to invite her along. She was happy to help.
"So tell me about this Jared fellow," she said, leering. "Is he cute?"
"I guess. I'm still not completely over the whole jerk thing, though," Jensen said.
"Still, it doesn't hurt to look your best," she said.
"It's not like that, honestly," he protested.
"Sure. Of course. We'll find something monk-like for you. Wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea," she said, trying to keep a straight face.
"You know, never mind. I don't need the abuse," Jensen said, with a mock-fierce expression.
"Oh, don't be that way," she said. "We'll find something nice, I promise."
She volunteered to drive, especially since they would hopefully be coming home with packages. They parked in the garage, and headed into the mall. She steered Jensen away from the large department stores, and into the younger, trendier boutiques.
"I have to be careful," he said, as she handed him a shiny green dress shirt. "It's a dinner with a client, but not THAT kind of client. I don't want to look like I should be standing on a street corner."
"Oh, don't worry. This isn't America. It's Europe, and you can get away with more. Or less, as the case may be," she grinned, passing a jacket through the dressing room curtain.
They didn't find anything in the mall, and wandered out into the outdoor plaza. They didn't find anything in Crawley, and Natalie convinced him to take the train in to London. They wandered around the nicer shopping areas Jensen spotted the perfect thing. The suit was made of lightweight summer wool in charcoal gray. The salesman suggested a plain white dress shirt, but Jensen switched it up with a dark, wine colored shirt with a light gray tie. When he tried it on, Natalie let out a low wolf whistle. Jensen grinned.
"Think this will do?" he asked, twirling in front of the mirror.
"You look smashing, darling," she said. "Of course, you could try something else underneath." She walked over to a table and grabbed a lightweight cashmere sweater in black.
"Here. Try this with the white shirt underneath. With the green tie," she suggested.
"Won't it be too hot? I mean a jacket, a sweater, and a shirt. It's summer, for chrissakes," Jensen said. But he dutifully tried it on.
"You never know when it'll get chilly," Natalie said with a vague wave. "It's never a bad thing to have options."
He had to admit, he liked the combination. He ignored the price tag and added the sweater, shirt, and tie to the pile. He changed back into his jeans, and told the salesman that he'd take it all.
Natalie pulled him over to the accessory section next, where they picked out a belt and an inexpensive set of cufflinks. After Jensen winced at the total on his credit card, they went for shoes. He skipped the traditional loafer for a pair of black boots.
"Those will look smashing," Natalie said. "He won't be able to keep his hands off of you."
"Not the intended result," Jensen said, alarmed.
"Okay, the client will think you're an elegant, trendy young man. And he'll think there must be more to Jared than engineering if he managed to get a fellow like you. Does that sound like a good result?" she asked.
"That will do," Jensen said. "And if I haven't said it yet, thanks. I really appreciate all of this".
"Please. How often to I get a real live doll to dress up?" she said. "We'd better get home before we do any more damage."
Jensen hung the suit in his room, and dumped the rest on the bed. It was just about dinner time, and they decided to order pizza and watch a DVD. He changed into sweats and headed upstairs. They were about to phone in their order when they heard someone come in.
"You're back!" he said, as Josh and Mackenzie walked in, carrying their suitcases.
"We decided to come on in tonight, instead of stopping," Mac said.
"That's cool," Jensen said. "I guess I should make introductions. This is Natalie, my landlady. Natalie, this is Mac and this is Josh. Where's Mom?"
"Pleased to meet you, Natalie," Josh said, shaking her hand. "Mom is downstairs."
Jensen froze. The suit was out in plain sight. "I'll go downstairs and see if she needs help with anything. We were about to order a pizza, does that sound okay to you?" he asked.
"Sounds good."
Jensen tore downstairs, and found Donna in the bedroom, hanging her clothes in the wardrobe.
"Nice suit," she said. "What's the occasion?"
"Nothing," Jensen said. Unfortunately, with three children, she'd learned to spot lies from a mile away. She just looked at him, with that disappointed 'Why do you lie to me? I'm your mother!' look. He broke.
"Jared has a client dinner this weekend. He called and asked if I'd go with him. He doesn't know anyone else in the UK that he feels is tactful enough not to insult the client," he explained.
"Well, it's kind of you to help him out," she said, showing remarkable restraint. Inside, however, he knew she was jumping up and down.
"Well, he owes me big," Jensen said. "I'm going to ask him to bring me salsa next time he comes to visit."
They went back upstairs and waited for the pizza. After dinner, they all piled on the sofas in Natalie's sitting room and watched Russell Crowe strut about in a manly fashion. There might have been a plot, but everyone besides Josh was more concerned with the biceps and the growl, to be honest.
They spent the next few days going into London. After three whirlwind days, it was time for the rest of the Ackles to go home. On their last night, Mac and Jensen went to the market and bought the ingredients for fajitas. Donna made homemade tortillas, guacamole, and good, strong margaritas. Natalie was in heaven, and Jensen made sure that Donna left all of her recipes, so he could repeat the meal for the guys at work.
The next morning, he fully planned on taking them to the airport. He called a cab, but although they sent a large vehicle, it wasn't quite large enough to fit four people plus all of the luggage. He felt bad about sending them off, but Donna gave him a hug and a kiss, and said not to fret. He hugged them all, and sent them on their way.
With his family gone, he turned his attention to his evening in London. Jensen made sure everything was packed in his garment bag, both the sweater and the other shirt. He put his shaving kit into his overnight bag, and threw everything else into his backpack. Finally, he locked up and headed for the station. He tried to ignore the little flutter in his stomach, but it was there, persistent, if slight. It looked to be an interesting evening.
Jared's directions were accurate and efficient, two hallmarks of a good engineer. Everyone else Jensen had met in England gave directions via pub. 'Okay, you're going to come out of the station and you'll see a pub called The Prince of Wales. Take a left there, and go about 150 meters, and you'll see another pub called the Queen's Arms. You'll want to take a right there…'
He took the Tube from Victoria, and when he came back up to street level, he was impressed by the neighborhood. He turned right and walked down a lovely street, and found the hotel, which faced out onto a garden area. He felt a little self-conscious walking up to the front desk, but the man behind the counter was politeness itself.
"Excuse me, I'm with Jared Padalecki. My name is-"
"Ah, yes. Mister Ackles. Welcome to Regent House Hotel," he said, with a kind smile. "Mr. Padalecki has left your key here, and instructions that you are to order whatever you need. Will you be joining us in the dining room for lunch? Or shall I have something sent up to your room?"
"I'll be back down in a few minutes, thanks," Jensen said. A bellhop took his bag, and led him up to his room. Jensen tipped him, and watched as settled Jensen's belongings in the wardrobe and on the bed. After he had left the room, Jensen looked out of the windows and happily noted that his room looked out over the garden.
He laid out all his clothing for the evening. When his stomach gave a ferocious growl, he went downstairs and ordered a lunch of salmon, new potatoes, and salad. He felt a little underdressed for the china, crystal, and elegant chandeliers, but the food soon took his mind off of things.
After lunch, the concierge suggested that he might want to take advantage of the hotel spa. After plunking down serious change on the suit, Jensen wasn't sure he should be dropping any more just to get a massage, and when the handed him a menu of services, he nearly gasped at some of the prices.
Jensen asked if he would be able to pay for the spa services separately, but the concierge, Malcolm, as he asked to be called, said that Jared had requested that Jensen put it all on his account. Jensen balked for a moment, until he remembered the marinara sauce and the muffin. Jared really seemed to be trying to make it up to him. So with just a little guilt, Jensen indulged in a massage.
Inga, the masseuse, was brilliant. She soothed away all the knots from his trip with the family, and a few that had to do with Johnny, too. He hadn't felt that relaxed in months, and he tried to figure out how he could have one of those massages once a week. It would certainly make his life more fun.
An hour and a half later, he stepped out of the spa feeling rejuvenated and actually looking forward to dinner and a show. He checked the time, and realized that he'd have get a move on or risk being late.
Jensen stepped into a shower that was as big as the entire bathroom in his old apartment. He let the strong jets finish what Inga had started. Fifteen minutes later, he dried his hair and went back into his room to dress. A quick check of the weather had Jensen hanging the sweater back in the wardrobe and pulling on the dark red dress shirt.
He heard a knock on the door a few minutes later. When he opened the door, he had to admit he looked at Jared's reaction. He was gratifyingly dumbstruck.
"Come in," Jensen said, turning away and leaving Jared to close the door behind him.
"Y-You look amazing," he said.
"Thanks," Jensen said, trying not to blush. "I hate tying ties. I can never get them straight."
Jared reached over and straightened his tie. Jensen had to fight off a shiver as Jared's knuckles brushed his chin.
"There. You look amazing," Jared repeated softly, red rushing up his cheeks.
"So what time do we have to meet your client?" Jensen asked, trying to put some space between them. Jared didn't answer immediately, and Jensen had to poke him in the arm to get his attention. "What time?"
"Oh, yeah. We should probably get going," Jared said. Jensen grabbed his wallet and room key, and let Jared guide him out of the room and to the elevator. Jared's hand remained on the small of Jensen's back the whole time, and to be honest, it didn't disturb Jensen nearly as much as he thought it should. Jared looked pretty amazing, himself. The navy suit was cut to show off his broad shoulders, and the simple, yet obviously quality shirt and tie were reserved, yet elegant. The concierge had a cab waiting, and Jared gave the driver the address of the restaurant.
They pulled up outside of the restaurant, which was housed in an older, residential building. Jared paid the fare and jumped out of the cab. He almost opened Jensen's door, but managed to hold back. Jensen followed him up the steps to the entrance. Jared gave their names to the maître d', and they were shown to their table. Jared's client was already there, and he rose to greet them. He was older, with silver hair and a manner that spoke of old money.
"Jared, so glad to see you," he said, shaking Jared's hand. "And who is this young man?"
"This is Jensen Ackles, a friend of mine who's working over here for the moment," Jared explained. "Jensen, this is Gerard Winters."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jensen said, and offering his hand. Gerard took it in his firm grasp.
"Pleasure is ours. Jared, you've already met my wife, Eugenia," he said. Jared nodded to the older woman seated to Gerard's right. "Darling, you remember Mr. Padalecki. This is his friend, Mr. Ackles."
"It's lovely to see you again, Jared," Eugenia said. "Do sit down." Gerard motioned for Jensen to take the seat to his left, and Jared pulled out his chair for him before taking his own seat across from Gerard.
In the beginning, the conversation was general. How did Jensen like England? How long would he be there? And then a couple of awkward questions about how long he and Jared had been dating. They glossed over those, and soon enough business took over the conversation. Eugenia shot Jensen a sympathetic look, and raised her glass to him. He grinned and returned the gesture. Gerard must have seen the exchange, because he instantly apologized for letting business dominate the conversation.
After dessert, Gerard took care of the check, and they left for the theater. Eugenia commented that all of her friends had raved about the musical, and even the Prince of Wales had come to a performance. At the theater, they were shown to a private box and a steward took their drink orders.
The wine was necessary. Jensen love musicals, but this one reeked. They had tried to create a story that would thread together the most popular hits of the group, but since half of their songs were about sex, and the other half were about dancing or raging against Cold War villains, the plot was pretty thin. He saw Jared grimace a couple of times, and he reached over to pat his hand. He looked over at Jensen and rolled his eyes, and Jensen had to stifle a giggle. They ended up poking each other in the side and knocking their knees together every time something ridiculous happened.
Gerard and Eugenia seemed to agree with their assessment. Eugenia apologized over and over, and offered to take them to a better play next time. Jensen told her not to be silly. They'd had a lovely time, and there was no need for her to apologize. He could see that Jared appreciated his smoothing things over. When Jensen was sure that the others were looking away, he mouthed 'You owe me big time.' Jared grinned and nodded, slipping an arm around Jensen's shoulders.
After a night cap at one of Gerard's favorite bars, Jared and Jensen took a cab back to the hotel. They didn't say much on the ride, just sat quietly. Some weird impulse made Jensen lean his head over to rest on Jared's shoulder, and Jared adjusted until his arm was around Jensen's shoulders and Jensen was curled up next to him. When they got to the hotel, Jared walked him to his room.
"I really can't thank you enough," he said. "I owe you big time, I know."
"You do, at that," Jensen said. "But honestly, I had fun. Gerard and Eugenia are adorable. You know, they've been married for nearly fifty years!"
"And they still flirt," Jared said, shaking his head.
Jensen opened his door, and stepped inside. Jared lingered outside, hesitantly. He could see that Jared wanted to come inside, and maybe explore the chemistry that was blooming between them. Jensen didn't feel ready for that, though, but he did lean up and kiss Jared on the cheek.
"Thank you for a lovely evening," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure. Tomorrow. Good night," Jared said, with a touch of disappointment.
"Good night, Jared."
Sleep didn't come easy that night. Jensen ran over and over the list of reasons that flirting with Jared was a bad idea. And then he went over the reasons that it was a good idea. What surprised him was that the biggest con wasn't their past history, but the fact that he didn't want Jared to be a rebound guy. And he was afraid that's what was happening: he missed Johnny, and was using Jared as a substitute.
At some point, he did fall asleep. He had made up his mind to be get up early and be ready to leave by the time they had breakfast. But his late night caught up with him, and he was awakened by the phone, an hour later than he'd planned to get up.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Jared said.
"MmHmm," Jensen mumbled, checking the bedside clock. He sat up when he saw the time. "Oh, man. I overslept."
"It's okay. I just got up, myself," Jared said. "How about I have breakfast sent up to your room in about forty-five minutes? Will that give you enough time?"
"That's fine," Jensen said. He could shower and pack in less than that. "See you then."
He took a quick shower and changed into cargo shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt. It was quite a different look from the night before.
Jared was a few minutes late, and he apologized as he kissed Jensen's cheek good morning. It startled him, but then he realized that he had actually leaned into it a little. Stop it! he told himself. Jared was dressed much like he was, wearing baggy cargo shorts and a button down shirt, and he looked like he'd had a rough night, as well.
The hotel delivered breakfast a few minutes later, and Jensen gasped when he saw the amount of food.
"I forgot to ask what you wanted, so I got a variety of stuff," Jared said. They split the Belgian waffle, and divvied up the full English. Jensen got the bacon and the mushrooms and Jared took the sausage and the tomatoes. There was also a basket of scones, with clotted cream, croissants, fruit juice, and a pot of tea. They fell on it like a plague of locusts, and didn't talk much at all until they were done.
"What do you have planned for today?" Jared asked.
"Well, I have a ton of laundry to do, and I should clean up, now that I've got the place to myself again," Jensen said.
Jared frowned. "Oh."
"What about you?" Jensen said, cheerily, trying to ignore Jared's slight pout.
"Well, I was kind of hoping you'd want to hang out today. Maybe go see the sights. As much as I'm here, I never really get the chance to go and see things," Jared said.
"I'm a little tired of London, at the moment," Jensen said. "I just spent three days here with my family, and I'm in the mood for something not as hectic."
"What about something outside of London, then," Jared asked. "I was reading the guidebook, and they talked about Kew Gardens. It's the large botanical gardens out in Richmond."
"I've read about it, but I haven't been yet," Jensen said. It did sound like fun, and from what he'd seen of the weather that morning, it looked like they'd have a beautiful day.
"C'mon. It'll be fun," Jared coaxed. Jensen tried to remember all of the reasons this would be a bad idea, but they just weren't coming.
"Okay. Let me get everything packed up first, though," he said. He finished packing, and put his belongings in Jared's room so he could go ahead and check out.
"Listen, let me pay for at least part of the room," he said. "I kinda went crazy at the spa yesterday."
"Nope. My treat. You did me a huge favor, and it's the least I can do to repay you," Jared said.
"You say that now. But when you see the bill…"
"Not a problem. Now let's go."
They took the tube out to Richmond, and wandered through the town until they saw the massive gates. They bought their admissions and a guidebook, and set out to explore the three hundred acres of gardens. The sun was shining, and Jensen thought it might be the beginning of a wonderful day.
Next
Author: texankate
Pairings/Characters: J-squared, Jensen/ Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jared/Sandy, Chris/Steve, Usual Suspects OFCs, OMCs. S1 'The Tudors', S1 'Primeval'.
Rating: Up to NC17 in places
Disclaimer: If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream,. In other words: complete and utter fiction. I own nothing but my twisted and sordid little brain. I even had to borrow my disclaimer.
Summary: When Jensen left everything behind for his big shot overseas assignment, he only wanted a life of adventure. Will he choose passion with a sexy foreigner? Or will he realize that true love was in his back yard the whole time?
Chapter 7
He didn't bother checking his voicemail until the next morning. Much to his surprise, Jared had left a message.
"Hey Jensen. It's Jared. I hope you're having a good time with your family, and no one has taken an unexpected tumble down a mountain. I have a favor to ask, and I wondered if you would give me a call." He left his office number as well as the hotel number. Jensen wasn't sure if he had softened enough towards Jared to do him a favor, so he saved the message for later.
He called Douglas to let him know he'd gotten in without a problem. Jensen asked if Douglas needed him to come in, his boss just laughed. That out of the way, he decided that he'd better go ahead and see what Jared wanted. Unless the big favor was to take a nap, Jensen didn't think he'd be up for it, but he didn't want to be rude.
He tried the office first. A cheerful young woman answered the phone. In Jensen's mind, he pictured her as a tiny blonde with a huge chest and a short skirt. Not fair to her, but she really didn't have to be so damn chipper.
"Mr. Padalecki will be with you in a moment, sir," she chirped. Jensen waited on the line, forced to sit through really bad pop music for much too long. He was about to hang up when someone finally clicked on the line.
"Jensen?" Jared asked.
"Hey dude," Jensen said.
"How is your trip going?" Jared asked.
"I ditched the family in Bath," Jensen replied. "What's up?"
"Well, like I said, I have a favor to ask," Jared said. He sounded nervous. "When does your family fly back?"
"Saturday morning," Jensen said.
"Would you maybe-perhaps-possibly want to come up to London for dinner that night?" Jared asked, in a rush.
"I don't know, I imagine I'll be in a coma by then," Jensen said. He didn't think they'd gotten to the friendly dinner stage. "What's the occasion?"
"The client wants to take me out to dinner and a show," Jared explained. "Kind of as a thank-you for the work I've been doing. The thing is, he pretty much said I need to bring a date."
"Why don't you take one of the girls from the office? That chipper young thing that answered the phone sounded like she could use a good meal," Jensen said.
"Oh, please. I wouldn't trust her not to say something awful and piss off the client," Jared sighed. "I need someone with a brain. I personally would prefer someone who'd look good in a suit. You are the only person I know here that fits both criteria. Please?"
"I don't know. Like I said, I have to drop them off at the airport that morning," Jensen said. Jared sounded so earnest, though, and he was saying some complimentary things. Then it hit Jensen that Jared had been picturing him in a suit. A part of him was offended, but a part of him liked that Jared liked what he'd imagined. "What's the show?"
"Something based on the songs of some eighties pop group. It's all the rage, apparently," Jared said. "What do you say? I'll get you a room here, so you don't have to go all the way back to Crawley all alone, late at night. My treat, for doing me a huge favor." Maybe Jensen was still groggy from the trip, but he said yes before he could stop himself.
"But you owe me, buddy," he said, giving in.
"I'm all over it," Jared promised. Jensen could hear his grin over the phone. "I'll call you later on this week with all of the details, okay?"
"Cool. I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Jensen. You're a lifesaver."
That changed Jensen's plans a bit. He hadn't packed anything remotely suit-like. He guessed he'd have to walk into town and go to the mall. He'd need shoes, too. He heard Natalie moving around upstairs, and decided to invite her along. She was happy to help.
"So tell me about this Jared fellow," she said, leering. "Is he cute?"
"I guess. I'm still not completely over the whole jerk thing, though," Jensen said.
"Still, it doesn't hurt to look your best," she said.
"It's not like that, honestly," he protested.
"Sure. Of course. We'll find something monk-like for you. Wouldn't want him to get the wrong idea," she said, trying to keep a straight face.
"You know, never mind. I don't need the abuse," Jensen said, with a mock-fierce expression.
"Oh, don't be that way," she said. "We'll find something nice, I promise."
She volunteered to drive, especially since they would hopefully be coming home with packages. They parked in the garage, and headed into the mall. She steered Jensen away from the large department stores, and into the younger, trendier boutiques.
"I have to be careful," he said, as she handed him a shiny green dress shirt. "It's a dinner with a client, but not THAT kind of client. I don't want to look like I should be standing on a street corner."
"Oh, don't worry. This isn't America. It's Europe, and you can get away with more. Or less, as the case may be," she grinned, passing a jacket through the dressing room curtain.
They didn't find anything in the mall, and wandered out into the outdoor plaza. They didn't find anything in Crawley, and Natalie convinced him to take the train in to London. They wandered around the nicer shopping areas Jensen spotted the perfect thing. The suit was made of lightweight summer wool in charcoal gray. The salesman suggested a plain white dress shirt, but Jensen switched it up with a dark, wine colored shirt with a light gray tie. When he tried it on, Natalie let out a low wolf whistle. Jensen grinned.
"Think this will do?" he asked, twirling in front of the mirror.
"You look smashing, darling," she said. "Of course, you could try something else underneath." She walked over to a table and grabbed a lightweight cashmere sweater in black.
"Here. Try this with the white shirt underneath. With the green tie," she suggested.
"Won't it be too hot? I mean a jacket, a sweater, and a shirt. It's summer, for chrissakes," Jensen said. But he dutifully tried it on.
"You never know when it'll get chilly," Natalie said with a vague wave. "It's never a bad thing to have options."
He had to admit, he liked the combination. He ignored the price tag and added the sweater, shirt, and tie to the pile. He changed back into his jeans, and told the salesman that he'd take it all.
Natalie pulled him over to the accessory section next, where they picked out a belt and an inexpensive set of cufflinks. After Jensen winced at the total on his credit card, they went for shoes. He skipped the traditional loafer for a pair of black boots.
"Those will look smashing," Natalie said. "He won't be able to keep his hands off of you."
"Not the intended result," Jensen said, alarmed.
"Okay, the client will think you're an elegant, trendy young man. And he'll think there must be more to Jared than engineering if he managed to get a fellow like you. Does that sound like a good result?" she asked.
"That will do," Jensen said. "And if I haven't said it yet, thanks. I really appreciate all of this".
"Please. How often to I get a real live doll to dress up?" she said. "We'd better get home before we do any more damage."
Jensen hung the suit in his room, and dumped the rest on the bed. It was just about dinner time, and they decided to order pizza and watch a DVD. He changed into sweats and headed upstairs. They were about to phone in their order when they heard someone come in.
"You're back!" he said, as Josh and Mackenzie walked in, carrying their suitcases.
"We decided to come on in tonight, instead of stopping," Mac said.
"That's cool," Jensen said. "I guess I should make introductions. This is Natalie, my landlady. Natalie, this is Mac and this is Josh. Where's Mom?"
"Pleased to meet you, Natalie," Josh said, shaking her hand. "Mom is downstairs."
Jensen froze. The suit was out in plain sight. "I'll go downstairs and see if she needs help with anything. We were about to order a pizza, does that sound okay to you?" he asked.
"Sounds good."
Jensen tore downstairs, and found Donna in the bedroom, hanging her clothes in the wardrobe.
"Nice suit," she said. "What's the occasion?"
"Nothing," Jensen said. Unfortunately, with three children, she'd learned to spot lies from a mile away. She just looked at him, with that disappointed 'Why do you lie to me? I'm your mother!' look. He broke.
"Jared has a client dinner this weekend. He called and asked if I'd go with him. He doesn't know anyone else in the UK that he feels is tactful enough not to insult the client," he explained.
"Well, it's kind of you to help him out," she said, showing remarkable restraint. Inside, however, he knew she was jumping up and down.
"Well, he owes me big," Jensen said. "I'm going to ask him to bring me salsa next time he comes to visit."
They went back upstairs and waited for the pizza. After dinner, they all piled on the sofas in Natalie's sitting room and watched Russell Crowe strut about in a manly fashion. There might have been a plot, but everyone besides Josh was more concerned with the biceps and the growl, to be honest.
They spent the next few days going into London. After three whirlwind days, it was time for the rest of the Ackles to go home. On their last night, Mac and Jensen went to the market and bought the ingredients for fajitas. Donna made homemade tortillas, guacamole, and good, strong margaritas. Natalie was in heaven, and Jensen made sure that Donna left all of her recipes, so he could repeat the meal for the guys at work.
The next morning, he fully planned on taking them to the airport. He called a cab, but although they sent a large vehicle, it wasn't quite large enough to fit four people plus all of the luggage. He felt bad about sending them off, but Donna gave him a hug and a kiss, and said not to fret. He hugged them all, and sent them on their way.
With his family gone, he turned his attention to his evening in London. Jensen made sure everything was packed in his garment bag, both the sweater and the other shirt. He put his shaving kit into his overnight bag, and threw everything else into his backpack. Finally, he locked up and headed for the station. He tried to ignore the little flutter in his stomach, but it was there, persistent, if slight. It looked to be an interesting evening.
Jared's directions were accurate and efficient, two hallmarks of a good engineer. Everyone else Jensen had met in England gave directions via pub. 'Okay, you're going to come out of the station and you'll see a pub called The Prince of Wales. Take a left there, and go about 150 meters, and you'll see another pub called the Queen's Arms. You'll want to take a right there…'
He took the Tube from Victoria, and when he came back up to street level, he was impressed by the neighborhood. He turned right and walked down a lovely street, and found the hotel, which faced out onto a garden area. He felt a little self-conscious walking up to the front desk, but the man behind the counter was politeness itself.
"Excuse me, I'm with Jared Padalecki. My name is-"
"Ah, yes. Mister Ackles. Welcome to Regent House Hotel," he said, with a kind smile. "Mr. Padalecki has left your key here, and instructions that you are to order whatever you need. Will you be joining us in the dining room for lunch? Or shall I have something sent up to your room?"
"I'll be back down in a few minutes, thanks," Jensen said. A bellhop took his bag, and led him up to his room. Jensen tipped him, and watched as settled Jensen's belongings in the wardrobe and on the bed. After he had left the room, Jensen looked out of the windows and happily noted that his room looked out over the garden.
He laid out all his clothing for the evening. When his stomach gave a ferocious growl, he went downstairs and ordered a lunch of salmon, new potatoes, and salad. He felt a little underdressed for the china, crystal, and elegant chandeliers, but the food soon took his mind off of things.
After lunch, the concierge suggested that he might want to take advantage of the hotel spa. After plunking down serious change on the suit, Jensen wasn't sure he should be dropping any more just to get a massage, and when the handed him a menu of services, he nearly gasped at some of the prices.
Jensen asked if he would be able to pay for the spa services separately, but the concierge, Malcolm, as he asked to be called, said that Jared had requested that Jensen put it all on his account. Jensen balked for a moment, until he remembered the marinara sauce and the muffin. Jared really seemed to be trying to make it up to him. So with just a little guilt, Jensen indulged in a massage.
Inga, the masseuse, was brilliant. She soothed away all the knots from his trip with the family, and a few that had to do with Johnny, too. He hadn't felt that relaxed in months, and he tried to figure out how he could have one of those massages once a week. It would certainly make his life more fun.
An hour and a half later, he stepped out of the spa feeling rejuvenated and actually looking forward to dinner and a show. He checked the time, and realized that he'd have get a move on or risk being late.
Jensen stepped into a shower that was as big as the entire bathroom in his old apartment. He let the strong jets finish what Inga had started. Fifteen minutes later, he dried his hair and went back into his room to dress. A quick check of the weather had Jensen hanging the sweater back in the wardrobe and pulling on the dark red dress shirt.
He heard a knock on the door a few minutes later. When he opened the door, he had to admit he looked at Jared's reaction. He was gratifyingly dumbstruck.
"Come in," Jensen said, turning away and leaving Jared to close the door behind him.
"Y-You look amazing," he said.
"Thanks," Jensen said, trying not to blush. "I hate tying ties. I can never get them straight."
Jared reached over and straightened his tie. Jensen had to fight off a shiver as Jared's knuckles brushed his chin.
"There. You look amazing," Jared repeated softly, red rushing up his cheeks.
"So what time do we have to meet your client?" Jensen asked, trying to put some space between them. Jared didn't answer immediately, and Jensen had to poke him in the arm to get his attention. "What time?"
"Oh, yeah. We should probably get going," Jared said. Jensen grabbed his wallet and room key, and let Jared guide him out of the room and to the elevator. Jared's hand remained on the small of Jensen's back the whole time, and to be honest, it didn't disturb Jensen nearly as much as he thought it should. Jared looked pretty amazing, himself. The navy suit was cut to show off his broad shoulders, and the simple, yet obviously quality shirt and tie were reserved, yet elegant. The concierge had a cab waiting, and Jared gave the driver the address of the restaurant.
They pulled up outside of the restaurant, which was housed in an older, residential building. Jared paid the fare and jumped out of the cab. He almost opened Jensen's door, but managed to hold back. Jensen followed him up the steps to the entrance. Jared gave their names to the maître d', and they were shown to their table. Jared's client was already there, and he rose to greet them. He was older, with silver hair and a manner that spoke of old money.
"Jared, so glad to see you," he said, shaking Jared's hand. "And who is this young man?"
"This is Jensen Ackles, a friend of mine who's working over here for the moment," Jared explained. "Jensen, this is Gerard Winters."
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jensen said, and offering his hand. Gerard took it in his firm grasp.
"Pleasure is ours. Jared, you've already met my wife, Eugenia," he said. Jared nodded to the older woman seated to Gerard's right. "Darling, you remember Mr. Padalecki. This is his friend, Mr. Ackles."
"It's lovely to see you again, Jared," Eugenia said. "Do sit down." Gerard motioned for Jensen to take the seat to his left, and Jared pulled out his chair for him before taking his own seat across from Gerard.
In the beginning, the conversation was general. How did Jensen like England? How long would he be there? And then a couple of awkward questions about how long he and Jared had been dating. They glossed over those, and soon enough business took over the conversation. Eugenia shot Jensen a sympathetic look, and raised her glass to him. He grinned and returned the gesture. Gerard must have seen the exchange, because he instantly apologized for letting business dominate the conversation.
After dessert, Gerard took care of the check, and they left for the theater. Eugenia commented that all of her friends had raved about the musical, and even the Prince of Wales had come to a performance. At the theater, they were shown to a private box and a steward took their drink orders.
The wine was necessary. Jensen love musicals, but this one reeked. They had tried to create a story that would thread together the most popular hits of the group, but since half of their songs were about sex, and the other half were about dancing or raging against Cold War villains, the plot was pretty thin. He saw Jared grimace a couple of times, and he reached over to pat his hand. He looked over at Jensen and rolled his eyes, and Jensen had to stifle a giggle. They ended up poking each other in the side and knocking their knees together every time something ridiculous happened.
Gerard and Eugenia seemed to agree with their assessment. Eugenia apologized over and over, and offered to take them to a better play next time. Jensen told her not to be silly. They'd had a lovely time, and there was no need for her to apologize. He could see that Jared appreciated his smoothing things over. When Jensen was sure that the others were looking away, he mouthed 'You owe me big time.' Jared grinned and nodded, slipping an arm around Jensen's shoulders.
After a night cap at one of Gerard's favorite bars, Jared and Jensen took a cab back to the hotel. They didn't say much on the ride, just sat quietly. Some weird impulse made Jensen lean his head over to rest on Jared's shoulder, and Jared adjusted until his arm was around Jensen's shoulders and Jensen was curled up next to him. When they got to the hotel, Jared walked him to his room.
"I really can't thank you enough," he said. "I owe you big time, I know."
"You do, at that," Jensen said. "But honestly, I had fun. Gerard and Eugenia are adorable. You know, they've been married for nearly fifty years!"
"And they still flirt," Jared said, shaking his head.
Jensen opened his door, and stepped inside. Jared lingered outside, hesitantly. He could see that Jared wanted to come inside, and maybe explore the chemistry that was blooming between them. Jensen didn't feel ready for that, though, but he did lean up and kiss Jared on the cheek.
"Thank you for a lovely evening," he said. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Sure. Tomorrow. Good night," Jared said, with a touch of disappointment.
"Good night, Jared."
Sleep didn't come easy that night. Jensen ran over and over the list of reasons that flirting with Jared was a bad idea. And then he went over the reasons that it was a good idea. What surprised him was that the biggest con wasn't their past history, but the fact that he didn't want Jared to be a rebound guy. And he was afraid that's what was happening: he missed Johnny, and was using Jared as a substitute.
At some point, he did fall asleep. He had made up his mind to be get up early and be ready to leave by the time they had breakfast. But his late night caught up with him, and he was awakened by the phone, an hour later than he'd planned to get up.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," Jared said.
"MmHmm," Jensen mumbled, checking the bedside clock. He sat up when he saw the time. "Oh, man. I overslept."
"It's okay. I just got up, myself," Jared said. "How about I have breakfast sent up to your room in about forty-five minutes? Will that give you enough time?"
"That's fine," Jensen said. He could shower and pack in less than that. "See you then."
He took a quick shower and changed into cargo shorts and a long-sleeved t-shirt. It was quite a different look from the night before.
Jared was a few minutes late, and he apologized as he kissed Jensen's cheek good morning. It startled him, but then he realized that he had actually leaned into it a little. Stop it! he told himself. Jared was dressed much like he was, wearing baggy cargo shorts and a button down shirt, and he looked like he'd had a rough night, as well.
The hotel delivered breakfast a few minutes later, and Jensen gasped when he saw the amount of food.
"I forgot to ask what you wanted, so I got a variety of stuff," Jared said. They split the Belgian waffle, and divvied up the full English. Jensen got the bacon and the mushrooms and Jared took the sausage and the tomatoes. There was also a basket of scones, with clotted cream, croissants, fruit juice, and a pot of tea. They fell on it like a plague of locusts, and didn't talk much at all until they were done.
"What do you have planned for today?" Jared asked.
"Well, I have a ton of laundry to do, and I should clean up, now that I've got the place to myself again," Jensen said.
Jared frowned. "Oh."
"What about you?" Jensen said, cheerily, trying to ignore Jared's slight pout.
"Well, I was kind of hoping you'd want to hang out today. Maybe go see the sights. As much as I'm here, I never really get the chance to go and see things," Jared said.
"I'm a little tired of London, at the moment," Jensen said. "I just spent three days here with my family, and I'm in the mood for something not as hectic."
"What about something outside of London, then," Jared asked. "I was reading the guidebook, and they talked about Kew Gardens. It's the large botanical gardens out in Richmond."
"I've read about it, but I haven't been yet," Jensen said. It did sound like fun, and from what he'd seen of the weather that morning, it looked like they'd have a beautiful day.
"C'mon. It'll be fun," Jared coaxed. Jensen tried to remember all of the reasons this would be a bad idea, but they just weren't coming.
"Okay. Let me get everything packed up first, though," he said. He finished packing, and put his belongings in Jared's room so he could go ahead and check out.
"Listen, let me pay for at least part of the room," he said. "I kinda went crazy at the spa yesterday."
"Nope. My treat. You did me a huge favor, and it's the least I can do to repay you," Jared said.
"You say that now. But when you see the bill…"
"Not a problem. Now let's go."
They took the tube out to Richmond, and wandered through the town until they saw the massive gates. They bought their admissions and a guidebook, and set out to explore the three hundred acres of gardens. The sun was shining, and Jensen thought it might be the beginning of a wonderful day.
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