Hey everybody!
I’m so sorry for the lack of updates! I had chapter 5 all typed up and ready to
go when my computer crashed and all my files went missing. Talk about bad luck
huh? Anyway, I was completely amazed at all the responses I received for
chapter 4! You guys totally rocked my world!
To Slshadowfox,
I would love for you to be my beta! Unfortunately, your email was lost in the
review you gave me for the last chapter. If you’re still interested, send me an
email (my email should be in my profile!).
Disclaimer:
It’s always the same thing every time. I don’t own anything you recognize!
Hope you all
enjoy this chapter!
x-x-x-x-x
On Saturday
night over dinner, Jake stared across the table at Syd, a faint smile playing
over his lips.
“What are you
smiling at?” Syd asked.
Jake seemed to
come back to her, a sheepish look on his face. “I’m sorry; I was just
daydreaming there for a second.”
Syd let out a
quiet sigh. “Am I that boring?” She sincerely hoped she was. Maybe then he
would want to end their date early and she could go home.
“Not at all,
I’m just glad you were able to come out with me tonight,” Jake smiled, bringing
up his napkin to dab at the corner of his mouth.
Syd forced
herself to smile.
His eyes met
hers. “Have I told you how lovely you look this evening?”
The pink
ranger resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Earlier in the evening she had been
flattered. But there was a huge difference between being flattered and being
annoyed. “About a dozen times.”
“Do you want
me to stop?”
“If you don’t
mind.”
The evening
dragged on and Syd kept glancing at the clock on the wall of the restaurant.
She couldn’t wait to get back to the Academy. Even training and the thought of
sweating was better than this!
The weather
was still warm when they finally finished eating and left. Expecting him to
offer his hand or arm, she was surprised when he did neither. Syd was relieved,
but part of her wondered if he was just losing interest or holding back because
he sensed that she’d been caught off guard by his kiss earlier that week. The
other part of her wondered why Jake had chosen that night to tell her that he
had been married once before. Wasn’t that the kind of thing you would find out
on the first date?
Flashback
She was
trying her best to look interested as Jake kept up the conversation, she really
was. Just as she was taking a bite of her spaghetti, Jake said something that
caught her interest.
“I guess I
should mention, that I was married once,” the businessman was saying. “To a
woman named Susan.” And then he fell silent.
Though she
was a little surprised, Syd said nothing. She could feel him debating whether
or not to go on, but when he did, the tone in his voice was flat.
“I don’t
know what went wrong. I could spend all night talking about it and trying to
make sense of it, but I still wouldn’t be able to figure it out. In the end, it
just didn’t work out.”
End
Flashback
Syd inwardly
shrugged, dismissing the fact that he had been married once before. Jake was
probably a private person and kept things to himself until he felt like
sharing. Syd could understand that, after all, Sky was exactly the same way.
Jake smiled at
her and immediately she knew that he didn’t want the evening to end just yet.
The pink ranger bit the corner of her lip. She could handle another hour or two
right?
x-x-x-x-x
“Stop pouting
Sky.”
Sky grunted in
response. Jack raised an eyebrow and tried again. “Come on Sky, lighten up.”
“It’s not
attractive,” Z added.
“Are you
saying Sky isn’t attractive? Or that he is attractive, but not attractive when
he’s looking like that?” Bridge asked.
The yellow
ranger blinked, not having a clue of what her friend just said. She decided to
say the first thing that came to her mind. “Um yeah, the second one.”
Bridge nodded,
leaning back in his seat, satisfied with her response. “I thought so.”
The four
rangers had decided to go out for the night. Or rather, Jack, Z and Bridge
wanted to go out and had decided to drag Sky along to the local hangout and
keep the blue ranger from sulking all night.
Their efforts
were proved useless as Sky sat around and sulked anyway. While they had been
waiting for their food and drinks, Bridge had taken the time to explain why his
roommate was in such a foul mood in a few simple words. “Syd’s on a date with
that rich guy,” the green ranger had announced, “Sky’s jealous.”
Both Jack and
Z snickered as Sky flushed a dark red and had immediately replied, “I’m not
jealous!”
And thus,
began the teasing and sulking.
All week long
Sky had been in a bad mood. Ever since he had seen Jake kiss the pink ranger,
he had been next to impossible to deal with. He would mutter to himself about
the unfairness of it all so regularly that even Commander Cruger had begun to
notice something was wrong. At least one good thing had come out of the
situation though, Sky blew off his anger in all of their battles during the
week. Containing criminals had never gone so quickly.
But tonight
had been the last straw. While Bridge, Jack and Z knew and understood why Sky
was being so grumpy and negative, the three of them were also becoming annoyed
with his attitude. All night long, the three of them had tried their best to
engage him in their conversations, asking for his input, trying to pull him out
of his misery and all they would get were glares, grunts and sarcastic comments
in return. Finally, they saw that no matter what they said or did, Sky’s mood
would not change. So they gave up and had decided to tease him once more.
“You know
Sky,” Jack spoke as he reached for Z’s drink. The yellow ranger had gone to the
bathroom moments earlier. Jack knew that the bathroom lines were huge and it
would take Z awhile to get back. The red ranger had already ordered another
drink to replace the one he had just taken. “I’ve said it a bunch of times this
evening, but I’ll say it again. You need to lighten up.”
Sky just
grunted. Things should’ve not been this way tonight. Syd was supposed to be
with them. Syd was supposed to be the one sitting next to him, smiling and
laughing and maybe even flirting with him a bit. And she would’ve been if it
wasn’t for Jake.
Jake.
He hated that
guy.
Didn’t know
him. Didn’t want to know him. Didn’t matter. Simply hearing his name caused him
to scowl, and he’d been scowling a lot, all evening long.
“My, aren’t we
in a mood this evening,” Jack commented, exchanging an amused glance with
Bridge.
“You guys have
been bugging me all night,” Sky muttered.
“Considering
the way you’ve been acting all week, you deserve it. We had a great dinner.
Bridge and I have been engaging you with our sparkling personalities all night
long, and Z’s been making sure that you’re not always sitting alone at the
table like some loser whose date just stood him up.”
Next to him,
Sky saw that Bridge was nodding his head in agreement with everything the red
ranger had just said. Sky scowled. “That’s not funny.”
Jack shrugged.
“It wasn’t meant to be funny. I’m just speaking the truth. When in doubt, when
you need answers, just come to me. For instance- you need to lighten up about
this whole situation with Syd. You’re letting it ruin the whole night.”
“Look- I’m
doing my best okay?”
“Oh,” Bridge
spoke up, raising an eyebrow, “I see. Sorry. I guess I’m just imagining all the
deep sighs coming from you huh?”
The blue
ranger glared. “Yeah, yeah. You guys are funny. The both of you should head to
the circus with your act. Believe me, I’ll be the first to pack your bags.”
Jack leaned
back in his seat, grinning. “Aw, c’mon Sky. We were just having a little fun.”
“Yeah- at my
expense.”
The red ranger
smirked. “No need to get hostile.”
Bridge grinned
taking a sip of his drink. “Besides, you’re the only one here that’s sulking.
Who else can we pick on?”
Sky glared at
them once more before turning away.
“Alright,
alright... we’re sorry,” Jack held up his hands, “But listen- I’ll say it
again. Just because Syd’s out with Jake doesn’t mean that you’ve lost your
chance forever. She doesn’t even like the guy. Instead of moping around, use it
as a challenge. Maybe this should inspire you to ask her out.”
“I was
planning on that.”
Both Bridge
and Jack sat up straight. “You were?”
“Yeah, after I
saw Jake kiss her, I decided to do exactly that. You know, take charge and
fight for her, that kind of thing.”
His teammates
still looked incredulous. “Really?”
“Tonight was
supposed to be the night I ask her out,” the blue ranger muttered.
Jack studied
him. “Good,” he finally said, “it’s about time. I’m proud of you.”
Sky waited for
more, but Bridge and Jack stayed silent. “What? No jokes this time?”
Bridge
shrugged. “No reason to make jokes.”
“Because you
guys don’t believe me?”
“No, we
believe you,” Jack answered, “We kinda have too, I guess.”
The blue
ranger was confused. “Why?”
Jack smirked.
“Because we’ll get to see you do it.”
“Huh?”
“Looks like
your opportunity has finally arrived, my friend.”
“What do you mean?”
“The gods are
with you, Sky.”
“Jack, what
the hell are you talking about?”
The red ranger
raised his chin, nodding in the direction of the door. “Guess who just walked
in?”
x-x-x-x-x
Jake wrinkled
his nose with disgust as he stepped into the local hangout after Sydney. The
place was bustling with laughter and chatter, but the wealthy businessman took
no notice to any of it.
‘Sydney,’
he thought, ‘belongs at a glamorous party or in a gorgeous gown watching a
soap opera. Not at a place like this.’
“I didn’t
realize this place would be so crowded!” Jake shouted over the noise. “Are you
sure you want to stay?”
“Of course! I
always come here. It’ll be fun, you’ll see!”
Though he
flashed a quick smile of agreement, privately Jake was doubtful. This place struck
him as a refuge for those who drank to escape their problems or for people who
were desperate for the companionship of a stranger. Sydney didn’t belong in a
place like this anymore than he did.
x-x-x-x-x
“So that’s him
huh?” Z asked, observing Jake with interest. This was the first time she had
been able to get a glimpse of the man.
Jack nodded,
casually taking a sip of his drink. “That’s him.”
The yellow
ranger continued to stare. “He’s really something, isn’t he?”
“I think I
heard one of the C-level cadets use the word sexy,” Bridge offered.
Z raised a
pointed finger at Bridge as if he had made a valid point. “Yes exactly. Sexy…
Very sexy. In a handsome stranger kind of way, I mean.”
Sky crossed
his arms and sank lower into his seat. Could this evening get any worse?
“My thoughts
exactly,” Jack nodded in agreement with Z.
“They make an
attractive couple, don’t they?” Z continued watching Jake and Syd (whom were
still standing at the entrance) with interest.
“They
certainly stand out in a crowd,” the red ranger responded.
“It’s like one
of those People magazine articles about Hollywood’s most glamorous
couples,” Bridge added.
Jack nodded.
“Like they should be starring in a movie together, huh?”
“Exactly.”
The blue
ranger scowled. “Knock it off guys. I get it. He’s wonderful. He’s perfect.
He’s Mr. Everything.”
Sky was met
with three stares, each bright with amusement.
“We’re not
saying that Sky,” Bridge offered, “We’re just saying he looks like he
is.”
Z gave the
blue ranger a meaningful look. “There’s no reason to lose hope Sky. Looks
aren’t the only thing that matters.”
Sky glared at
them. “Yeah, he’s good looking, rich and has a job,” he stated sarcastically,
“I’m sure no girl would want that.”
“Uh Sky? In
case you forgot, you have all that too, you just don’t flaunt it like he does,”
Bridge pointed out.
Both the red
and yellow rangers looked interested. “You’re rich?” they asked.
Sky ignored
them and scowled even more. “That’s beside the point.”
Bridge leaned
toward Z. “I guess you should know that Sky’s been having a hard time dealing
with all this. It’s the first time he’s ever had to deal with being jealous
when it comes to girls. And judging from his expression, I don’t think we’re
helping.”
“Oh really?” Z
asked innocently, raising an eyebrow while smiling.
“I’d be fine
if you three would stop picking on me,” the blue ranger snapped, “you’ve been
at it all night.”
“But you’re
such an easy target this way,” the yellow ranger laughed, “Pouting does that
you know.”
Another glare
was sent her way.
“Take it from
a woman who knows Sky,” Z dismissed Sky’s glare with a wave of her hand,
“unless you want to lose out to a guy like that, you’d better change your tune
before it’s too late. If you keep acting the way you’ve been acting all night,
you might as well say goodbye right now.”
Sky blinked at
her honesty. “So I should act like I don’t care?”
“No Sky, act
like you do care, like you want what’s best for her.”
“How do I do
that?”
“Be her
friend.”
“I am her
friend.”
“Not right
now, you’re not. If you were her friend, you’d be supportive and happy for
her.”
Sky stared.
“Why should I be happy that she’s with him?”
“Because,” Z
responded as if the answer was obvious. “You know Syd isn’t even interested in
Jake. She’s just going out with him to keep her mother from getting on her
case.” The yellow ranger gave Sky a sincere smile, “Do you really think that
we’d be giving you such a hard time if we didn’t believe this was all going to
work out for you two in the end?”
As much as
they teased him, Sky knew that his friends were right and his stern expression
softened. What Z said made sense.
He supposed he
could forgive them.
x-x-x-x-x
Scanning the
crowded area, Syd craned her next trying to see if there was any place to sit.
Sometimes it didn’t pay to be so short. Her face lit up as she spotted Sky and
the rest of her friends sitting at the table in the corner. “Come on! I see a
place to sit!” And without stopping to wait for Jake, she took off in the
direction of the rangers’ table.
“Hi guys!” She
greeted happily once she had reached their table.
“Hey Syd!”
Jack responded as Jake walked up beside the pink ranger. “Going to join us?”
“If you guys
don’t mind.”
“Why would we
mind?” Bridge asked, as he stood up. Offering a hand towards Jake, the green
ranger introduced himself. “Hi, I’m Bridge!”
Syd slid in
and sat next to Sky as the other rangers introduced themselves to Jake.
“So Jake,” Z
said, “Tell us about yourself.”
x-x-x-x-x
‘It could
be worse,’ Sky mused as he sat at the table listening to the conversation
around him. ‘At least now I sort of know what I’m up against.’
The
conversation was stilted, almost and very awkward, because it was obvious that
Jake felt quite uncomfortable around them. Jake had been reserved all night, he
seemed kind of shy as he only responded to questions directly asked to him. His
discomfort was very obvious and it was quite clear that Jack and Z’s outgoing
personalities as well as Bridge’s friendliness was overwhelming.
He knew quite
a bit about Jake Hemmington now, thanks to Z and Bridge’s constant questions.
Jake was intelligent (and yes, good looking, but he wasn’t willing to admit it
out loud), well educated and well traveled, and very financially stable.
He learned that the businessman had once been married and had been very much in
love with his first wife. He learned that Jake preferred fine dining, enjoyed
watching theatre, and that his most favorite hobby was photography. And the way
he felt about Sydney was obvious. Whenever she spoke, Jake’s eyes never left
her face; he acted like a husband waking up on the first morning of his
honeymoon.
Through it
all, Sky kept smiling and nodding, hating Jake’s guts. The blue ranger hadn’t
said much during the conversation himself, preferring to shoot glares at Jake
when he wasn’t looking. When he wasn’t glaring, Sky was watching how Jake
interacted with Syd. The businessman always looked at her with affection
shining in his eyes, but Sky noticed that the pink ranger wasn’t returning the
same look- which made the blue ranger very happy and it also gave him hope.
Jake cleared
his throat and that pulled Sky out of his thoughts.
“Well, it was
very nice to meet you all,” Jake said, standing up, “But we’ve got to get
going. I have a meeting in the morning and I still have to get Sydney home.”
“Oh, that’s okay,”
Syd quickly cut in, “you don’t have to drive me back to the Academy. I can just
catch a ride with these guys.” The pink ranger gestured an arm around the
table, indicating her teammates.
“Yeah, we can
take her home,” Jack nodded. “After all, we all live and work at the same
place.”
Jake frowned
slightly. “Are you sure?” he addressed Syd, the tone in his voice hinted that
he wanted to be alone with her. “I don’t mind driving you home.”
Syd smiled.
She either didn’t notice, or pretended not to notice the implied meaning in his
tone. “I’m sure,” she replied cheerfully, “no need for you to go out of your
way.”
“But I don’t
mind,” he protested.
“I’m sure you
don’t, but you have a meeting in the morning and I want to hang out here a bit
more with my friends, so it all works out.” There was no mistaking the
stubbornness in the pink ranger’s voice.
Jake
hesitated. “Okay,” he answered after a moment of silence. He began to lean
down.
The pink
ranger knew what was coming and turned her head slightly so Jake kissed her
cheek. He pulled back and smiled slightly. “Goodnight.”
“Goodnight!”
Syd called cheerfully, waving. As soon as the restaurant door closed behind
him, she gave a sigh of relief. “Finally!”
x-x-x-x-x
In the car,
Jake sat for a moment frowning. What had happened tonight? The date had started
off well in his opinion, but had
Lost in his
thoughts, Jake started the engine before pulling out of the parking lot.
x-x-x-x-x
“Now that
wasn’t so bad was it?” Bridge asked. They were sitting around the table,
waiting for Syd and Z to come back from with some food.
Sky shrugged,
not wanting to answer.
“And he seemed
nice enough,” Jack added, “Kind of quiet, but he was very polite.”
Sky reached
for his drink. “I didn’t like him.”
“Oh, now
there’s a surprise,” Bridge said, laughing.
“I don’t trust
him.”
Jack smirked.
“Well, since you missed your opportunity a few minutes ago, I guess we’ll have
to hang around here for awhile longer.”
“What
opportunity?”
“You said
tonight was the night you were going to ask her out, remember?”
“Shut up,
Jack.”
x-x-x-x-x
Note: Again, I
must apologize if there were any mistakes found in this chapter. I’ve been
under a lot of stress lately and just writing has relaxed me. If there are any
mistakes found, please tell me, and I’ll fix them right away.