CHAPTER FOUR
Vala poked dejectedly at the food on her plate. For two days now she had been trying to come up with a way to make Daniel change his mind about the transfer to Atlantis or, failing that, throw a wrench into his plan to catch a ride on the Daedalus. If he missed his ride, he'd have to wait for the next time the Daedalus was here, which would be months from now. A lot could happen in that time, like perhaps Samantha and General O'Neill having a huge fight and breaking up.
Vala found that thought more than a little ironic. Here she was, hoping that something would happen that would enable the man she loved to get the woman he loved.
The dark-haired woman really thought about that, what it would mean if it actually happened, and realized to her surprise that it didn't hurt nearly as much as it did in the beginning. Oh, she'd still be thrilled if he was to suddenly fall into her arms and decide that she was the one he wanted, but the pain she felt when she learned that Daniel loved another had faded. So, what did that mean? Vala assumed it meant that her naturally resilient nature was enabling her to quickly move on. Daniel was not the only fish in the sea, after all.
In fact, there was another fish right now.
Cameron carried his tray over to Vala's table and sat down. He speared a chunk of meat out of his stew and shoved it into his mouth.
"I tried to talk Jackson out of the transfer again," he said after swallowing.
"No luck?"
"Not a bit." Cam looked at her closely. "Do you get the feeling that there's more to this transfer than him just wanting to go play on Atlantis?"
Vala was so tempted to tell him the truth despite her promise to Daniel. She knew that, if she did, the archeologist would very likely kill her, but perhaps if Cameron knew the real reason for the transfer, he could come up with a way to make Daniel stay.
The words were right on the tip of Vala's tongue when the very man they were about came walking in. Daniel got in line, not bothering with a tray. He selected a sandwich and an orange, then walked right back out again. He'd done the same thing yesterday, though it was an apple that day. He seemed to already be separating himself from them in preparation of the final goodbye.
Sighing sadly, Vala returned her gaze to her food. Cam, who had also seen the archeologist's entrance and exit, took another couple of bites, though he really wasn't all that hungry anymore.
"Um, Vala, I know that we had those plans to watch football tonight, but I'm really not much in the mood."
"That's all right. Neither am I."
"Maybe we could do it next week."
Neither of them could help but think about the fact that next week would be the last one they'd have with Daniel.
"Yes, maybe next week," Vala responded half-heartedly.
Cam finished his stew, then left, leaving Vala alone again to contemplate a life at the SGC without her best friend. If she thought she had a prayer of getting it, she'd ask to be transferred to Atlantis, too, but she had no knowledge that would be of value there, whereas, her knowledge and experience were a benefit to the SGC. Landry would never go for it.
No, she had to accept that Daniel was going to leave. There was only one thing that would make him stay, and that was something that Vala had no real hope would happen.
On this, their second full day at the cabin, Sam finally got her romantic walk. They were presently strolling slowly around the lake, watching heron, deer and other wildlife go about their daily business. Around half an hour into the walk, Jack had taken Sam's hand and hadn't let go since then. The touch was making her feel happy, as did the soft kisses they'd exchanged several times. Still no fireworks, but she was confident that would come soon.
The circuit of the lake took most of the afternoon. Dinner that night included steaks that Jack fixed on the grill outside. It was a nice, relaxing dinner filled with quiet conversation.
Afterwards, they found themselves again on the couch. There was one big difference this time. Jack had turned off all the lights except for a single low watt lamp over in the corner.
Bathed in the glow from the fireplace, the two of them didn't talk for a full minute. Jack then turned Sam's face to his and lowered his lips to hers. Sam opened herself to the kiss. He pulled her tighter against him and began to stroke her body, his hands gliding over her waist, her hips, her thighs. His lips left her mouth and began a journey down her neck.
Sam's heart rate began to climb. This was it. It was finally happening. She and Jack were going to make love.
As the touches and caresses continued, Sam suddenly realized that, though it all felt good, it didn't feel great. It didn't feel like it should. The passion she'd been waiting for, the explosion of heat throughout her body, just wasn't happening. Why wasn't it happening?
There could be only one explanation.
Feeling her still against him, Jack lifted his head and drew away from Sam several inches.
"Sam?"
"I. . . ."
He stared into her eyes for a few seconds. A sigh escaped his lips.
"It's not going to work, is it," he said.
No, it was not going to work. It couldn't work. She had at last come to see the truth.
Sam turned her head away, feeling awful. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize, Sam. You have nothing to apologize for, not to me." Jack removed his arms from around her. "I guess it's time that I be honest with you about something. For a while now, I've been sort of . . . questioning my feelings for you."
Surprised, Sam turned back to him. "You have?"
"Yeah. I still care very much, but, somewhere along the way, I just gradually stopped feeling like I used to."
Sam frowned. "Then why did you ask me out?"
"It's pathetic, really. I hoped that, if we started dating, all those feelings would come back. I didn't want to give up on them because. . . ."
"Because you didn't want to live the rest of your life alone."
Jack stared at her penetratingly. "I get the feeling that you're saying that out of experience."
"Yes, I guess I am. The main reason why I started dating Pete was that I wanted someone in my life. I didn't want to be alone anymore. It was the wrong reason to get into a relationship. It wasn't fair to Pete and would have ended up being a disaster if we'd kept going and got married someday, especially since I still had strong feelings for you."
"And what about those feelings now?"
This time, it was Sam who hesitated. "I do still care about you, Jack, but I've finally realized that. . . ."
"You don't love me anymore."
Sam stared at the hands clasped in her lap. "I really thought that I still did. When you asked me out, I was on the moon. But I now know that I was just being blind to the truth. I wanted to still feel that way, because . . . because I didn't want to be alone for the rest of my life either."
Jack almost smiled. "We're a real pair, aren't we. So, what now?"
"I think it would be best if I go back home."
"You don't have to, Sam. We can just hang out as friends."
"I know, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable doing that. I'm sorry."
Jack nodded. "So, you'll be heading out in the morning?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
"I'll be staying. I will change my flight reservations, though. There's no point in me going back to Colorado Springs, then fly from there to DC. I'll just go straight to DC from here."
Sam searched his eyes, feeling a deep twinge of regret that things wouldn't be working out between them. "Are you going to change your mind about moving back to The Springs?"
"That I don't know. There were other reasons to move back there besides having a relationship with you."
"I hope you still do it. I know that Daniel would love to have you living there again."
Jack gave a little snort. "Now, there's a man I should have listened to. All the times that he's proven himself to be right, and I still haven't learned to take his advice."
Sam's brow knit in puzzlement. "What do you mean? Taken his advice about what?"
"He told me that I shouldn't rush this thing with you. He pretty much said that this trip was a mistake."
"He did?"
"Yeah, and he was right. If I'd taken his advice and not jumped in with both feet, I'd have figured out before we got this far that it just wasn't going to work out. There's no way that I'm going to tell him that, though. The last thing I want is to hear him saying, 'I told you so.'"
That made Sam smile. She got up from the couch. Though it was still early, she decided that it would be best for her to go to her bedroom.
"I'm going to head off to bed. Will you be able to drive me into town in the morning? I can get a bus from there to the airport."
"Sure." Jack rose to his feet. "Good night, Sam." He caught her eyes. "For what it's worth, I'd like to think that, if things had been different, you and I could have been great together."
Sam nodded and turned away, feeling a pang of regret for what might have been.
The drive to town the next morning was made mostly in silence. At the bus station, Jack gave Sam a hug.
"Even though things didn't turn out like I'd hoped they would, I still had a great time, Sam," he said.
"Me too."
He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Goodbye, Sam. Give my goodbyes to everyone else."
"I will."
Sam boarded the bus and found a seat. She looked out the window at Jack, who gave her a wave. Then he turned and walked away.
The bus ride seemed far longer than it really was, as did the flight. It was early evening when she arrived home. She unpacked, checked her messages and email, then wandered around the house. Feeling restless, she made a sudden decision to go to the base to see if anything interesting was going on there. She'd been there for all of half an hour when Cam came into her lab.
"I just found out that you were here," he said, staring at her searchingly. "Why are you back ahead of schedule?"
Sam squirmed a little under the gaze. "I just decided to cut the trip short."
It was quite obvious that there was more to it, but Cam wasn't going to pry. "Well, I'm glad you're back. Maybe you can talk Jackson out of dong what he's decided to do."
Sam frowned. "What has he decided to do?"
"He's put in for a transfer to Atlantis. He's planning on leaving on the Daedalus next Sunday."
Taken totally by surprise, Sam was at a loss for words for a moment. "He and I talked about him going there for a few months, but I don't understand why he's so suddenly decided to do it."
"Sam, it's not just for a few months; it's a permanent transfer."
"What?! But why? Why would he suddenly decide to do that?"
"I don't know. I couldn't get him to tell me, but I got the distinct impression that there is some specific reason why he's decided all of a sudden to do this."
Sam slowly sat down. Daniel was leaving, not just for a few months, but for good. That thought hurt. It hurt a lot. It also made her angry that he'd made this decision while she was gone.
"Is he here?" she asked.
"I think so."
Sam headed straight to Daniel's office. When he saw her come marching in, he was more than a little surprised.
"Sam? Why are you here? Why aren't you with Jack?"
"We can talk about that later. What I want to know is why you've suddenly requested a transfer to Atlantis."
Daniel sighed softly. Guessing that this could get ugly, he shut the door for privacy. He then reluctantly turned back to the angry woman facing him. "We talked about this a couple of weeks ago, Sam. You know that I've been wanting to go."
"Daniel, the last time we talked about it, you said that you hadn't decided on anything. You also said that you could just go there for three or four months. Now, all of a sudden, you've put in for a permanent transfer. And you do it while I'm gone away, without giving me a chance to try and talk you out of it."
Daniel turned away and started straightening some things on his desk. "You didn't try talking me out of it the other time I decided to transfer. Before Vala screwed everything up, I was all packed and ready to go. You were okay with it back then."
"No, I wasn't okay with it, Daniel. The reason why I didn't try to talk you out of it then was that I'd transferred to R&D. I wanted to ask you not to go, but I didn't want to sound like a hypocrite."
Daniel remembered what he'd been thinking when he called Sam and told her that he was going to Atlantis. All during the conversation, he kept hoping that she'd tell him not to go, that she didn't want to lose him. When she didn't, it convinced him that the transfer was the right thing to do.
"Cam thinks that there's a reason why you've suddenly decided to go other than the obvious," Sam said.
Daniel dared not look at her. "What other reason could there be?"
"I don't know."
Sam couldn't help but notice that Daniel was still refusing to look at her, a sure sign that something was wrong.
"Cam's right, isn't he," she said. "There is another reason." Daniel's silence confirmed it. "What is it? Did something happen?" Sam's will hardened. "I'm not leaving this office until you tell me."
He suddenly rounded on her, and she was surprised to see anger and pain in his eyes.
"Fine. You want to know why I'm leaving? It's because I'm in love with you and have been for years! So forgive me if I don't want to hang around and watch you and Jack in a happy relationship together when every time I see you with him, I'm going to wish it was me."
With those words, Daniel rushed past her and out the door, and all the totally stunned Sam could do was watch him go.
Daniel stared out into the darkened forest, leaning dejectedly against one of the trucks parked on the mountaintop. He had been intending to leave the base, but decided that driving in his state of mind would not be wise. Instead, he chose to come up here.
Daniel felt foolish for running away from Sam like that. His emotions had just finally come to a head, and he couldn't take it anymore. If he'd stayed in that office, he would probably have said things that he'd have regretted later.
Daniel couldn't help but wonder what Sam must be thinking now. He knew that he'd shocked her with his confession. He could only imagine what things would be like between them now. She'd be uncomfortable and ill-at-ease around him. It was doubtful that she'd even be able to look him in the eyes. It was a good thing that he'd only be here another eight days.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, he turned to see Sam. Bracing himself for what was about to come, he pushed away from the truck. As she came to a stop before him, he managed to meet her eyes for all of two seconds before dropping his gaze to the ground.
"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I shouldn't have said what I did, and I shouldn't have run out like that. I just. . . ." He stopped and shook his head, closing his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his head and met her gaze. She was staring at him, and she looked a little nervous. Was it any wonder? Of course she was nervous. She probably didn't know how to act around him now.
"I know that you're probably feeling pretty awkward now, and I don't blame you," he said. "This is why I never told you how I feel. I knew that it would make you uncomfortable. The Daedalus arrives day after tomorrow, and I'll be on leave while it's here so that I can finish packing, so you won't have to be around me—"
"Daniel, just stop it!"
The exclamation made Daniel's sentence stumble to a halt.
"Don't you think that you should ask me what I want before you go running away to Atlantis?" Sam asked.
"I just think this would be the best thing, Sam. I've told you how I feel. You and Jack are together now, and—"
"No, we're not."
Daniel blinked in surprise. "Y-your not?"
"You asked me before why I was back early, and, now, I'm going to tell you. Things started out all right. We fished, of course, and I actually caught something. We also spent some time walking and hiking, and Jack talked about some personal things. No deep, heart to heart conversations, but I figured it was a good start. When we shared our first kiss, it was nice. I didn't see fireworks, feel the Earth move, or experience any of those other things that the romance novels describe, but I was thinking, 'Hey, I'm an adult, not a lovesick teenager. Let's get real.' With every kiss after that, though, I still kept expecting to feel more than what I was. And then, on the third night, the kissing progressed into something more."
Daniel turned away, pain spearing right through his heart and into his soul. He didn't want to hear this.
"Please, Sam. Stop," he begged, his eyes tightly closed.
Sam's voice gentled. "No, I'm not going to stop, Daniel, because you need to hear the rest. As we're there on the couch, making out, it dawns on me that I'm still not feeling what I should be. Sure, it feels good, but it doesn't feel fantastic. It doesn't feel like I always expected it to feel when Jack and I finally made love. And that's when I realized the truth. I didn't love him, not anymore. Somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling like that, but I was too blind to see it. I'd clung to those feeling for so long that I'd failed to recognize when my love for him faded away. I didn't want to see it. I wanted to still be in love with him. He admitted to me that he'd figured out sometime ago that he no longer loved me either. The dates, the fishing trip, it was all done in the hope that he'd start feeling that way again, because, just like me, he didn't want to be alone for the rest of his life."
Finally, Daniel turned to stare at her. Sam wasn't in love with Jack, and they weren't going to be together. He was having a hard time wrapping his brain around that.
"And so I came home," Sam continued. "Jack's still there. He's going to change his flight reservations and go straight back to DC from there."
"I'm sorry."
"No, you're not."
Daniel paused. "Okay, I'm not, which makes me feel like a jerk. I know you wanted that, Sam, that you've dreamed about it for a long time."
"Yes, I did want it and dream about it. If this had happened a couple of years ago, I wouldn't have left that cabin, and we wouldn't have stopped at just making out. But I went off to Nevada, and Jack went off to DC, and I guess my feelings for him weren't strong enough to survive us being apart. On the trip back home, I had time to think about it with a clear head, and I realized that I should have figured out a long time ago that my feelings for him weren't strong enough. Though I occasionally thought about quitting the Air Force to be with him, I always talked myself out of it, coming up with one reason or another. If I'd really loved him as deeply as I thought I did, I'd have quit in a heartbeat to be with him. My career would have taken second place to being with him." She paused for a moment. "Would you leave the program to be with me?"
"Yes," Daniel instantly replied. There was no doubt, no hesitation, and the intense look in his eyes made her feel a little breathless. It also scared her a bit. Behind that intensity was a whole lot of passion, passion that would likely consume her if given an opening.
Before going in search of Daniel, Sam had done a lot of thinking and soul searching. All these years, she had thought of Daniel as her friend and teammate, someone she loved dearly, but only as a friend. Sure, she'd noticed how handsome he was. She'd found herself admiring his physique on more than one occasion when they were working out together in the gym. But that was only natural. She was a woman, after all. But she'd never thought about him in a sexual way – except once: when she saw him wearing nothing but a flag after he'd returned from what he called the ethereal, almost-ascended-but-not-quite diner. Looking at that gorgeous body of his and knowing that he was completely naked under that flag made Sam's temperature shoot heavenward. Shocked, appalled and terribly embarrassed by the reaction, she swiftly shoved it out of her mind. For several days afterwards, she had a hard time looking at him in the eyes.
As she stood alone in Daniel's office, Sam came to the realization that she had a huge decision to make. If she did nothing, he would go off to Atlantis, and she might never see him again. But what was the alternative? Tell him that she'd be willing to date him and see how it went? Was she really willing to do that? She and Jack had come to the inescapable conclusion that the two of them just weren't going to work out. She didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life, and Daniel was a wonderful guy whom she cared about deeply, got along really well with, and who, unlike Jack, shared her passion for work and actually listened when she was talking about one of her projects.
But did all that mean that they could have a successful romantic relationship? They had the compatibility, the mutual respect, the trust, and the good communication, four things that were important for a strong, long-lasting relationship, but there was also a fifth needed element: love. Daniel loved her like that, but she only loved him as a friend. But then, two people usually didn't already love each other when they started dating. That came later.
She would be taking a huge chance dating him. If she decided that it wasn't going to work out, it would hurt him deeply, and he might never forgive her for giving him that hope only to snatch it away. Yet, if she didn't take that chance, he'd go off to Atlantis, and her opportunity to see if they could have something more than friendship would be gone. She'd live the rest of her life wondering if she had passed up her chance at happiness.
Given all of that, Sam had come to the conclusion that if there was ever a time to go way out on a limp and take a chance, this was it.
"I don't want you to leave the program for me, Daniel," she now said, "and I don't want you to go to Atlantis."
Daniel's heart rate started rising. "Sam, what are you saying?"
"That I want to go on a date with you."
The statement made his pulse skyrocket. "Sam, please don't say that just to keep me from leaving. It would kill me if you're doing this only because you don't want me to go."
"I'm not, Daniel. I can't say that I love you, because I don't feel that way. But I'm willing to see if that can change. If you can accept that I might never feel that way for you, then we can try dating. I do want this, Daniel. Please believe me."
Daniel walked away several paces. He wanted it, too, so very much. But it would rip his heart to shreds if, after a few dates, Sam told him it wasn't going to work. Did he have the courage to take that chance? On the other hand, could he pass up this chance and spend the rest of his life wondering if he'd made a huge mistake? Daniel thought about it for a long moment and knew what he had to say.
He turned back to Sam. "Okay."
She smiled slightly. "Okay?"
Daniel nodded.
Her smile got bigger. "Okay. Technically, I'm still on leave, and I bet that you could get a couple of days off, so maybe we could have the date tomorrow or the day after."
Daniel began to smile. "I'd really like that."
"Great." Sam looked at her watch. "I should go home. I haven't even unpacked yet." She headed for the base entrance, then paused. "Are you going to talk to General Landry and tell him that you've changed your mind?"
Daniel hesitated before replying. "I'll talk to him, but . . . I need to be honest with you, Sam. If this doesn't work for you, if you decide that you can never love me like that, I . . . I can't stay. This whole thing has made that abundantly clear to me. Even though you and Jack aren't going to be together, I can no longer be here and see you every day, knowing that we'll never be more than friends. I love you too much. I'll tell Landry that I want to put the transfer on hold, that some personal things have come up that might make me change my mind."
Sam met his eyes. She hated that his decision to stay or leave would be completely in her hands, but she could understand why it had to be that way. She was really beginning to understand how much he loved her.
With a nod, Sam left. Daniel remained where he was as the minutes ticked by. If he was a praying man, he would send up a prayer that Sam would come to love him, but no amount of prayers would affect the outcome of this. She would grow to love him or she wouldn't, and all he could do was hope with all his heart that she would.
Daniel went to Landry the next morning. The general was obviously pleased that the transfer request had been rescinded, at least temporarily. It was pretty clear that the man was curious what the "personal reasons" were, but he didn't pry, even after Daniel's request for a couple of days off. Landry readily gave him the time off, which would start the following day.
After leaving the general's office, Daniel went to his office and called Sam to tell her that he got the time off.
"Um . . . would you like to go out tonight or wait until tomorrow night?" he asked, suddenly feeling very nervous.
"What would you like?"
Daniel thought about it. A part of him was eager to go out with her, but he didn't want to rush this date. It was way too important to him.
"I think that tomorrow night would be better. That will give me plenty of time to plan it and get good reservations."
"Okay, sounds like a plan."
"I'll give you a call tomorrow when everything is set."
"All right."
As he hung up the phone, he was smiling. Of course, it was that moment that Cameron Mitchell came walking in.
"Well, you look pleased about something. I'm hoping that it was because Sam talked to you last night, made you see reason, and convinced you that you're needed here by all your friends and teammates."
Daniel didn't reply right away. He really didn't know how to answer. He had to tell Mitchell that the transfer was on hold, but he didn't want the pilot to know why.
"The transfer is . . . on hold," he finally said.
Cam frowned. "But not canceled?"
"Not yet."
"But it could be canceled?"
"Maybe."
Cameron's gaze narrowed. "Okay, Jackson. Cough it up. What's the real reason for this transfer? And don't say again that it's because you want to delve into all that Ancient stuff, because I know there's more to it."
"There was just some . . . personal stuff going on. And don't bother asking me what it is, because I'm not telling you."
Cam crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "And has this personal stuff been resolved?"
"Some of it has. As for the rest, that is something I don't know yet."
Cameron was absolutely dying of curiosity to know what this was all about, but he could tell that pushing the archeologist would do no good.
He straightened and pushed away from the wall. "All right. Whatever it is, I hope it gets fixed. I meant everything I said about losing you from the team."
Daniel gave him a nod. "I appreciate that you feel that way."
Not five minutes after the pilot left, Vala came hurrying in.
"I heard that Samantha is back already," she said. "What happened?"
Daniel paused, wondering if he should reply. Figuring that she'd find out eventually anyway, he said, "Things just didn't work out between her and Jack."
"Didn't work out? What does that mean? They had sex, and it was lousy?"
Daniel mentally shook his head, not surprised that the woman would assume it had to do with sex. "No, it didn't get that far. They just both realized that they no longer love each other like that. You know, I really shouldn't be telling you this. You should have asked Sam personally."
Vala ignored his last two sentences. "So, Samantha doesn't love General O'Neill after all? What does that mean for you? Are you still going to run away to Atlantis?"
"I don't know yet. Sam knows how I feel about her. I had no choice but to tell her."
"And?"
Daniel was getting progressively more uncomfortable. He really didn't want to talk about this with Vala. "And . . . she's agreed to go on a date with me to . . . see what happens."
"Really? I bet you're delighted."
"Vala, just because she's going to go out with me doesn't mean that she's going to develop feelings for me. After a couple of dates, she might come to the conclusion that her feelings are never going to change, and that will be it."
"And if that happens, what then?"
"I'll go to Atlantis."
Vala fell silent. Whether or not she'd have to say goodbye to him was all going to depend on if the woman he loved came to love him, too.
"I really hope that you get what you want, Daniel," she said. The dark-haired woman took a seat. "So, tell me all about your plans for your first date."
"I haven't made them yet. Normally, I'd take the girl out to a nice restaurant, maybe dancing or a movie, but. . . ."
"But what?"
Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe I'm talking to you about this."
"Oh, come on, Daniel. Just think of me as a gal pal who's here to give you her opinion on what she thinks would be the perfect date."
"Oh, trust me, Vala. I already know what you'd consider to be the perfect date."
The woman grinned. "Yes, skipping the dinner, dancing and movie and going straight to the bedroom."
"Uh huh. That's what I thought. That does not qualify as a date and is not what Sam and I will be doing."
"All right, so what's your idea of a perfect date?"
"To be completely honest, I'm not sure. I mean, I've been on my share of dates, some very good ones, but were any of them what I'd call perfect? I don't know. I never got the chance to date Sha're, but I suspect that, if I had, it would have been perfect because of the way I felt about her. I guess I just want this first date with Sam to be something special for both of us. No matter what we do, it'll be special for me because it's with her, but I want her to feel the same way."
Vala stared at him long and hard. "Daniel, are you afraid that if you don't make this date absolutely spectacular, Samantha will tell you at the end of it that there isn't going to be another one?"
Daniel's gaze dropped to his lap, knowing that Vala had hit the nail right on the head. He was terrified that if everything wasn't wonderful and perfect, Sam would decide that a second date would be pointless. He knew that he was doing her a disservice. Sam wouldn't do that to him. She'd give it more of a chance than that. But, even though he knew that, he couldn't stop being afraid.
"It's stupid. I know," he said. "I need to just settle on some plans and not stress out about it. It's just really important to me."
"Well, personally, I think that Samantha is going to love whatever you do."
"Thanks." Daniel looked at his watch. "Now, if you will excuse me, it's time for me to get back to work."
Vala pouted. "But I want to help you plan the date."
"No way, Vala. This is my date, and I will plan it myself."
With a sigh, Vala got to her feet. "Fine. But, if you change your mind, I'm available any time."
After the woman was gone, Daniel did try to get back to work, but his mind kept wandering to Sam and the date. Finally, he gave up. He started searching the phone book to see what would be the best restaurant. Narrowing it down to three choices, he checked each one's Web site. After a while, a frown came to his face. They were all very nice restaurants, romantic atmosphere, good reviews, and two of them had a dance floor. So, why couldn't he pick one? Because any guy could make a reservation and take a girl to a fancy restaurant. Millions of first dates happened that way. But he didn't want this date to be like millions of others. So what was the answer, then?
Daniel sat and thought about it. He'd been like that for around fifteen minutes when he suddenly recalled something. And that's when he knew what he was going to do.
With a little smile, he picked up the phone, hoping that Sam would like the plans that he was going to make.
