Hello, my name is Jack.  I hope you still know T&J when you read this.  I grew up listening to them sing.  During The War they started doing USO tours, and they kept it up afterwards.  I go to their concerts whenever they are nearby, and they do get around.  A while back, I went…many years without seeing them.  I was really far away.  When I got back, I made it a priority to track their concert schedule down.  I may be biased, but they really are that good.

 

 

T&J

 

Jack’s silver car cut through the evening gloom, over the glowing lights of Landing City below.  It was a beautiful car, one he never could have purchased back in America.  After Yosemite fell, nothing like this was built, and the ones that remained were more valuable as spare parts to keep useful vehicles operating, so they just weren’t seen anymore.

Here on New Earth though, The War was a distant thing.  Six months after Yosemite, New Earth had hardly been touched.  Even the space battle on New Years had been precisely that.  A space battle, with no real damage happening to the planet.  He’d heard that the president of the Chinese colony on planet had even come to Landing to negotiate an “amicable understanding” between the two colonies.  He shook his head.

“What?” Betty asked, sitting in the passenger seat in big mode, wearing her favorite yellow sundress.

Jack shrugged.  “It just seems odd.  After two hundred years, there might actually be a true planetary president of New Earth.  Never thought I’d live to see the day.”

“Well, it’s the only play they have,” Betty answered.  “We could invade at any time and they don’t have the navy to stop us.  They have good ground defenses still, but we’d be fighting over their land, and they don’t want another Yosemite over them.”

“Of course, they’re just talking about talking right now,” Jasmine said from her seat on the dashboard in small mode.  She tapped her blue jeans with a smile.  “They’re just buying time for the Chinese fleets from the colony sectors to get back.”

“Maybe,” Betty whispered.

“That’s the rub, I suppose,” Jack interjected.  “Do we talk and give them time, or do we hit them now and remove any possibility of a threat?  I’m not certain I like either option.”

“Me neither.  I hope the politicos get it worked out though,” Jasmine said and the car began nosing down towards the street below them.  “This place is too nice to fight over.”

“Yeah,” Jack whispered, not wanting to think about fighting anywhere around Samantha.  “Way too nice.”

The car pulled out of the dive and flew down the road, hovering thirty centimeters above the ground on its grav plating as it approached the gate to McEntyre House.  “Norman says we can come on in,” Jasmine announced as McEntyre House’s cyber opened the gate and she turned the car into the driveway.  She drove them under the trees and he saw fallen leaves scattered to either side of the driveway by the grav plating’s pressure.  They pulled up in front of McEntyre House, and the car lowered itself onto rubber tires to the sound of crunching dirt under them as they came to a stop.

Jasmine smiled.  “Well, that’s it for me.  You can take care of Jack the rest of the night.”

Betty nodded.

“Good.”  Jasmine turned to Jack.  “Thank you for letting me dive you here,” she added with a smile and came to her feet on the dashboard.  Her white tank top and blue jeans faded away to be replaced by a long black dress perfect for a formal party.  “How do I look?”

“Ravishing,” Jack said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Jasmine said and blew him a kiss as she turned to walk out the side of the car, making towards the house.  Her holoform faded away as she walked outside the range of his holoemitters.

“Good luck, Norman,” Jack whispered and smiled at Betty.

She chuckled back.  “He’ll need it.  Now you get out there and greet your date,” she added with a shooing motion.  “I’ll engage privacy mode now,” she finished and her holoform followed Jasmine’s out of existence.

Jack pulled in a deep breath, opened the door, and slipped out of the sports car, hearing the creak of genuine “used to be a cow” leather seats.  He slipped one hand into a pocket and walked around the car to lean against it.  He hooked his other thumb through his belt, crossed his legs, and waited for Samantha to appear.

She stepped through the house’s door wearing a short strapless red dress that seemed to shimmer in the porch lights.  He looked down her bare, long, and shapely legs to the matching red pumps with a low whistle.  He scanned back up to where her red hair blended with the dress perfectly and breath escaped him.  She looked…beautiful.

She looked at the car, and shook her head.  “You…bought a car?  How?” she asked, her slight Scottish accent twisting her question, and began walking down the stairs.

Jack didn’t move, more because he needed help standing than by choice.  He really loved watching her walk.  He shrugged and worked real hard to take a controlled breath.  “Well, there’s this thing called ‘money’ that you can trade for goods and services,” he said, somehow without cracking his voice, and aimed a wink her way.  She made it so hard to try to look cool it was criminal.

Samantha stepped up to him, leaned close, grabbed the scarf hanging around his neck, and smiled at him.  “I’m aware of this ‘money’ you speak of.”  Her smile turned impish.  “I hear it makes people do things they would never do otherwise.”

Jack made a show of great sigh.  “Yes, Ma’am.  Why just today there was this amazing salesgirl that really wanted my money.  She flirted something great, but I think she just wanted me for my money,” he finished with a sad smile and lifted a hand over his heart.

Samantha pursed her lips and patted the hand in consolation.  “She dumped you when she got it, didn’t she?”

Jack sighed again and gave her a sad nod.  “Like a hot potato.”  He patted the car.  “But I got something to get over the heartache with,” he finished with a smile.  “Wanna go for a ride?”

Samantha’s eyes opened wide and she smiled so big the freckles on her cheeks flared.  “I thought you’d never ask.”

He placed his hands on her hips and stepped away from the car, moving her with him.  He opened the door and helped her in, shutting it only after a thorough scan to make certain all of her was inside.  It was the gentlemanly thing to do after all.  He ambled around the car and slipped in, shutting the door behind him.  A quick word sent it rolling down the driveway in silence.

Samantha aimed a curious gaze at him.  “Where are we going?”

Jack chuckled and shook his head.  “Oh, I told you, tonight’s a secret,” he said with an admonishing finger.  “I’m not telling you anything.”

She raised an eyebrow at him.  “Well, I feel compelled to warn you that if you intend to take advantage of my innocent nature, Daddy gave me some pepper spray.”

Jack frowned and cocked his head to the side.  “I thought he trusted me.”

Samantha sighed.  “OK, so he gave it to me before I had my first date.  But I still have it.”

Jack looked her skintight dress up and down before smiling at her handbag.  “I guess I’ll just have to take that first then, because you sure aren’t hiding it anywhere else,” he said with a wink.

Samantha rolled her eyes.  “Men.  You forget all the really fun places to hide stuff.”

“I can think of a few,” Jack whispered as the car flew out of the gate and began pulling up into the sky over the street.”

Samantha rolled her eyes and held her hand up to show the jewelry on her wrist and fingers.  “Bracelet.  Rings.”  She tapped her ear.  “Ear rings.  It’s easy to hide a little bit of ‘oh my God my face burns’ gas and a sprayer in any of these.  I’ve even seen people do it in tongue rings.”

“Ouch,” Jack whispered.  “I feel sorry for anyone who bit down wrong on that.”

Samantha snorted.  “Don’t.  I know everyone it’s happened to, and they deserved it.”

Jack caught a look in her eye that triggered his inner suspicious side.  “You wouldn’t have had anything to do with that, would you?”

Samantha shifted to innocent in a heartbeat.  “Me?  Interfering with the operation of personal defense devices?  That’s a serious crime, Jack.  Please.  The fact that I was there to see it each time it happened is a complete coincidence.  I assure you, dozens of people were present at each occasion.”

Jack smiled, recognizing a cover when he saw one, and shook his head.  “I feel sorry for the poor guy that lost business because of those problems.”

Samantha smiled and bit her lip.  “Don’t.  But that is a story for…oh…four years from now.”

Jack raised one eyebrow.  “Mmmm…making plans for me already, are you?”

Samantha tilted her head to the side and gave him a sly smile.  “Maybe.  Or maybe there’s a seven year statute of limitations,” she finished with a wink.

Jack laughed out loud in sheer amazement.  When he finally got himself back under control, he rubbed his chin and just watched her, eyes wide open as he tried to reconcile this new glimpse into what he knew.  It was awesome.  He barely stopped himself from saying three words he really wouldn’t be able to take back and brought a hand up this mouth just to have something to do.

“You…Wow…Forget me…” he said in a series of stammers.  “I have to worry about you leading me astray!” he finally blurted out with a joyous smile.

Samantha scanned him with one emerald eye.  “I admit nothing,” she whispered with a sly tone.  “But you…you I know have done things.  I see it in your eyes every time you look at a totally innocent household chemical.”

Jack placed a hand on his chest in mock horror.  “Me?  Doing…things like that?  No, Ma’am.  I have not performed a single illegal act in all my life…in my chosen State of residence…since my eighteenth birthday…” he qualified while waggling his eyebrows at her.

It was her turn to laugh, an amazing and full laugh that filled the car with joy.  Jack took a deep breath as he watched, and relaxed back in his seat as he realized he wanted to hear that laugh more often.  He grasped the scarf around his neck with both hands and just enjoyed the sight of her laughing.

Her laughter finally trailed off and she met his gaze.  She picked up on his mood and a curious expression twisted her smile.  “What?”

Jack held his calm smile.  “Well, it comes to mind that I’m wearing a scarf.”

She glanced at it for a moment, and back up to his face with a knowing smile.  “It’s been over a week and it just comes to mind?  You are slow.”

He reached up and tipped the brim of his cowboy hat towards her.  “Yes, Ma’am.”

Her brow furrowed at his response.  “Jack?  What just happened?”

Jack pulled in a deep breath.  “I just realized that you gave me a great gift, and I have given you nothing in return.”

Her eyes softened and she laid a hand on his arm.  “Jack…you have no idea how wrong you are.”

Nervous energy ran through Jack and he desperately tried to come up with something witty to say but he had nothing.  The car saved him by nosing down towards the ground.  Samantha looked out the windshield and frowned.

“That’s Landing Stadium,” she whispered.  She turned back to him.  “But T&J are there tonight.”

“Yes, they are,” Jack answered with a smile.

Her brow furrowed and she gave him a hard look.  “But they’re sold out!”

Jack chuckled and tipped his hat towards her again.  “Yes.  They are.”

The car dove down behind the stadium and Samantha looked at him in disbelief.  “How?”

“Well, it’s simple really,” he said with a shrug, his confidence returning now that he was on familiar territory again.  “I’m very much afraid that I cheated.”  He paused to smile at her.  “When we made that little bet about tickets, I failed to mention the fact that I know Taylor and Jennifer.”

“Really?” Samantha asked.  “How?”

Jack waggled his eyebrows at her.  “We grew up together.”

The car dropped to the ground and rolled to a silent stop next to a small door with two guards next to it.  Jack smiled and slid out of the car, swinging around it to open her door and help her out with a hand.  She shook her head at him and pulled his ear down to her lips.

“If anything you say about this is true…” she whispered in his ear.

“I know, I know,” Jack whispered back and placed one hand in a pocket.  “You’ll either kiss me for being smart, or hit me for cheating,” he said with a smile and turned to look at the guards.  “I’m Jack,” he said, pulling a wallet out of his pocket.  It flipped open to display his I.D. and a holoform of his face appeared in the air, rotating so they could see him from all sides.  “And this is the my plus one,” he added with a wave of a hand towards Samantha.

One of the guards stepped forward and inspected the I.D. up close.  Finally, he smiled and nodded.  “They’ve been expecting you.  I’ll show you the way if you’ll follow me.”  With that, he turned and opened the door.

Jack aimed a triumphant smile at Samantha but she just shook her head as they walked up the stairs.  The guard ushered them into the stadium and they walked through the warren of people runs behind the stage, watching people arrange clothing and instruments for the upcoming concert.

Finally they made it to a temporary living room made out of thick, brightly colored curtains hanging from a metal frame.  As they stepped in, the sound of organized chaos faded and Jack looked up to see a sky blue tarp over them.  The room really was designed to help people escape the chaos.  A drink station on one side promised refreshment without being too ostentatious, and an array of brightly colored sofas and beanbag chairs filled the rest of the floor.  There was enough seating for the entire crew to relax, and several people were taking advantage of the room at the moment.

“Jack!” two girls, one blonde and one brunette, screamed and jumped to their feet.  They rushed him and jumped up to wrap their arms around his neck.  He stepped forward to catch them and hold them close around the waists as they kissed him on either cheek.  “You made it!” they chorused again.

“I promised I’d come whenever I could,” he returned with a wry smile.

They examined the scarf around his neck for a moment, and then put their chins on his shoulders to look behind him at Samantha.

“Jack?” Taylor started.

“Did you forget to tell us something?” Jennifer finished.

He turned to face Samantha with a smile on his face, and Taylor and Jennifer squirmed around in his arms to hang on his hips and look at her as well.

“Taylor,” he said with a nod towards her blonde head.  “Jennifer.”  He nodded to his right.  “Meet Samantha.  She’s my plus one for…” he trailed off as he realized he’d been about to say “for the night.”  Samantha recognized his pause and her eyes widened in interest.  Taylor and Jennifer exchanged gazes as well and he felt them lean back to get better looks at him.  He finally sighed and smiled.  “For as long as she wants to be,” he said with a nod of his head towards her.

Samantha’s smile softened and Taylor and Jennifer examined her for a moment.  When they turned their attention back to Jack they looked most perturbed.

“Jack,” Taylor started.

“The next time you fall in love,” Jennifer said.

“Give us a heads up,” Taylor finished.

“But…” Jack started to protest but stopped when Taylor and Jennifer’s eyes flashed.  He looked away towards Samantha and blinked in realization.  “Damn,” he whispered.

Taylor and Jennifer squirmed out of his arms and dropped to the floor.  They walked over to Samantha and she gave him a questioning look.  He nodded towards the two girls with a smile, letting her know they were good.  She accepted their hugs, hugged them back, Jack breathed in and breathed out in relief.

They said some words to each other that Jack chose not to focus on.  He made a show of walking outside the room and letting the curtains close behind him.  He studied the work going on behind the stage, technicians installing lights and smoke projectors in their places.  Over to the sides, sparklers and speakers moved into position with smooth precision.  It looked like everything would be ready in time for the concert without any issues at all.

After a minute, the curtain opened behind him and a blonde and brunette head appeared on either side of him.

“We need to warm up,” Taylor said with a hand on his arm.

“You enjoy the room,” Jennifer added.

Taylor’s hand flexed.  “Thank you for coming.”

“She’s a good one,” Jennifer finished.

Jack nodded in agreement.  They pulled him down to kiss him on the cheeks, and walked away, hips swaying back and forth.  One hand in his pocket and thumb slipped through his belt, he watched until they turned out of sight.  A long breath escaped his lungs and he spun on the ball of one foot to walk back into the relaxation room.  A deep breath picked up the scent of rose blossoms on the air, and he glanced over to one side of the room to see them, seeping in a bowl of steaming water.

“They’re nice girls,” Samantha said from the couch she sat on.

“They said the same of you.”

“Which one?” she asked with a knowing smile.

Jack shrugged.  “If one says it, they both say it,” he said as he sat down next to her.  “It’s the way they are.”

Samantha laid her head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her.  “Do they do everything together?” she asked in an innocent tone.

Jack chuckled.  “They’re always best together.  Music, cards, studying.  Get them together and everyone around them will do better.  It’s like their two halves of the same brain.”

Samantha threaded the fingers of one hand through his.  “You know what I meant.”

Jack sighed.  “Yes I do, but I do not kiss and tell.  So even if I did know the answer, I would not say.  It is their story to tell, and I will not reveal it for them.”

Samantha snuggled in closer, pulled her feet up under her, and relaxed against him.  “Good,” she murmured.

They sat there, for a long time, just enjoying each other’s presence.  Time seemed to cease in the calming atmosphere of the relaxation room, and Jack loved it.

“Ja-ack,” two voices chorused and he opened his eyes to see Taylor and Jennifer smiling at them.

“It’s ti-ime,” Taylor sing-songed.

“You don’t want to miss the concert, do you?” Jennifer asked.

Jack looked down at Samantha, not moving yet, and realized he didn’t want to disturb her.  He liked her just where she was.

“Or maybe he does,” Taylor answered.

“We’re hurt,” Jennifer said with a shake of her head.

“You travel over four lightyears just to see us,” Taylor said with a hand on her breast.

“And then let the first girl you meet stop you short,” Jennifer finished.

Jack frowned.  “She wasn’t the first girl.”  He cleared his throat.

Taylor and Jennifer shared knowing looks.

“We went shopping.  I saw lots of girls that day.”

Taylor and Jennifer shook their heads in time.  “Whatever you say, Jack,” they chorused and turned to walk back out.

“At least you can hear from back here,” Taylor said with a wink.

“We’ll try not to disturb you,” Jennifer said and they stepped out, leaving the curtain to swing shut with a flutter.

“Much,” Taylor poked her head back in to finish and she was gone.

Samantha finally moved, squirming out of his arm to place her feet back on the floor.

Jack sighed.

“What?” she asked and ran her fingers through her hair.  “You’ve seen them perform live.  I haven’t.  I want to watch.”  She slipped her feet back in her pumps and came to her feet.  “You coming?”

Jack sprang to his feet with a broad and charming smile.  “Wherever you go, I shall surely follow.”  He crooked his arm out and she slipped her arm in his.

“Good,” she whispered.  “You may escort me to the concert then.”

Jack breathed in deeply and felt his chest puff out in pride.  “I thought you would never ask.”  And with that, they walked out of the room and made their way to the wings of the stage.  They stopped to watch the band warming up behind the curtains, and saw Taylor and Jennifer stamping their boots in preparation.  Jack sighed and wrapped an arm around Samantha.

“You love them, don’t you?”

Jack turned and wrapped the second arm around her, holding her close against him at the waist.

“I grew up with them.  We did…everything together.  On the beach, in the bars, in our houses.  There was this big group of us kids that just hung together no matter what.  Swimming, surfing, dancing, music.  I learned that household chemicals are great at starting fires,” he said with a wink.  “Sometimes we fought.  Sometimes we…didn’t,” he said with a fond smile and sigh.  “We did anything really, whatever we felt like doing at the moment.  They are my friends, Sam.  I love them with all my heart and with all my soul, and I will until the day I die.”  He sighed again.  “And as usual, they’re right about me.”

Her eyes shifted back and forth as she tried to figure out what he meant.  Then she had it and her eyes went wide.  “You…you’re in love?”

He smiled at her.  This would be a step he could never take back.  He bent down to her ear and took it.  “Yes, Ma’am,” he whispered.

She shivered and leaned back to look at him for a long time with bright emerald eyes.  “You are the strangest man I’ve ever met.”

“That’s good.  I would be worried if you had met one stranger than me.”

Samantha rolled her eyes and patted the scarf hanging over his chest.  She shook her head and smiled.  “You Americans, always so invested in your Sirs and Ma’ams, using them like a mantra of respect…but you…you make it sound like you’re trying to disrobe me with your lips.”

Jack smiled as an image of that came to mind.

Samantha slapped him hard enough to bring him out of his imagination.

“What?” he asked in an offended innocent tone.

She waved her finger in front of his face.  “Don’t be putting on that innocent act, Jack,” she said in a stern voice.  “I know what you were thinking.”

Jack shrugged.  “I don’t know what you were thinking about, but I was thinking about a beach.”

She looked at him with a disbelieving gaze and put a hand on her hip.

“Honest.  I can see you on the beach right now.”  He nodded towards Taylor and Jennifer.  “They can too.”  He pulled in a deep breath, met her gaze, and took another mental step down that road with no return.  “Sam, I want that very much.  On the beach, off the beach.”  He shook his head with a smile and chuckle.  “I want you anywhere you want to be wanted.”

She aimed an approving smile at him and placed her hands on the scarf hanging over his chest.  “Well, it does occur to me that I owe you a swim.”  She tilted her head and looked at him with one emerald eye through a veil of red hair.  “Assuming you intend to collect.”

He lowered his lips to her ear.  “Yes, Ma’am,” he whispered.

She giggled and leaned in close to him before turning her head towards Taylor and Jennifer.  “Thank you, Jack.”  She placed a hand on one of his arms.  “I know the risk you took.”

“It doesn’t bother you?” Jack asked, loving the feel of her body against his.  He would give her an eternity to stop being there.

“I wouldn’t say that.”  She pulled in a deep breath, her eyes still on Taylor and Jennifer.  “But…I think I understand you better now…and that I’m happy for…now let’s watch the show and we can talk about this later,” she finished and patted his arm.

Jack followed her gaze with a smile and sucked in a deep breath.  The smoke machines billowed, the sparks flew into the air, the lights flashed, and the curtains opened.  Taylor and Jennifer stomped onto the stage, their jewel-encrusted cowboy boots flashing in the strobe lights.  And to the twin strumming of guitars the crowd went wild.

 

 

 

Many, many hours later, Jack and Samantha slipped out of the ocean, dripping wet, and gathered up their things.  She snatched his cowboy hat before he could and slipped it onto her head with an impish smile.

“Come on, Cowboy,” she said and ran her finger down his wet uniform.  “You still need to take me home.”

He smiled, recognizing the sign that she’d finished considering matters.  He sighed, leaned in close, and whispered, “Yes, Ma’am.”