DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of MGM, Showtime, Gekko etc.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
One Night Changes Everything
By Elfcat255
Leaning in the doorway of their home office, Sam watched as her husband of two years typed away furiously on the computer keyboard. Sighing heavily, she cleared her throat to get his attention. After a few minutes she did it again and the man finally looked up from his task.
"Yes?" Rodney asked.
"We're going to be late for our flight, Rodney," she stated in a calm tone, even though she wanted to yell at him.
"Ah, yes, just give me a few more minutes to finish this response. If they like what I have to say then they'll back my idea for starting up my company, not to mention provide finances, too," he told her and went back to typing.
The blonde threw up her hands in frustration and responded, "Fine, you finish that while I carry the luggage outside to wait on the cab, which I called for ten minutes ago," she said, turning away and walking down the hallway.
"I'll be there in a minute!" he called after her.
Lugging a huge suitcase out to the driveway, Sam muttered several choice words as she left it and went to wrestle with the rest of the luggage. This trip to Vegas was supposed to be a sort of second honeymoon for them. Sam hoped to work out several problems the two of them had been having during this getaway weekend. The marriage that had begun so happily for the couple was beginning to stall out as Rodney became engrossed in trying to start up McKay Software and Technologies Company. She picked up a duffle bag from the floor and glanced down the hallway where she could see her husband still bent over his desk.
She remembered the beginning of their marriage; they had so many things in common it was easy for her to look past his arrogance at times but now it was just beginning to grate on her nerves. The sound of a horn blowing snapped her from her thoughts and she called out, "Rodney the cab is here! Come on!"
She turned to pick up the other suitcase and made her way out to stand beside the cab as the driver began loading the luggage. With arms folded and temper flaring she was about to call loudly for her husband when he came running out of the house, trying to pull on a jacket and juggle his briefcase at the same time. He came to a stop before her and gave her a smile. "All set, my dear," he said.
Sam pointed towards the house. "I guess you just want the neighbors to lock up for us then?" she asked in a sarcastic tone.
Rodney turned back towards the house and with a nervous laugh replied, "Sorry about that; one second." Running back to the house, he closed the front door and made sure it was locked. Returning to the cab, he placed a quick peck on Sam's cheek and remarked, "Well, what are you waiting for? We're going to be late." Climbing into the cab, he motioned for her to hurry up and with a resigned sigh she held her tongue while following him into the vehicle. At least now they were finally on the way to the airport.
Sam wished she could say it had been a pleasant flight, that they had talked and tried to work out exactly what they would do for the weekend but sadly that wasn't the case. She watched as Rodney typed away on his laptop, working on a new software code. They had both agreed to leave work at home for this trip but it seemed he had forgotten that little fact. She cursed him inwardly at the same time admonishing herself. There were calculations she could have been working on for some of her current experiments but no, she had left her laptop and all her notes in her lab. She had tried to start a conversation with her husband several times about what they would do once reaching Vegas but he barely acknowledged her other than nodding his head and making little grunting noises in answer to her suggestions. Finally giving up, she had closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat to await the end of the flight.
After the flight landed, the couple picked up their luggage and took a taxi to the hotel. Entering the spacious building, they were bombarded by the sounds of the busy casino located just off of the lobby area. Slot machines ringing, people cheering on winners and the groans as games were lost greeted them as they made their way to the front desk. After securing their room, Sam started to follow the bellman toward the elevators when she realized Rodney wasn't following them. She stopped to turn back and saw him eyeing the gaming room. He gave her a questioning look and sighing she nodded for him to go ahead. He gave her a smile and a little wave then took off for poker tables. She watched him disappear into the crowded casino and then with a shake of her blonde head continued on to where the bellman waited on the elevator. Entering, she leaned in the corner of the car and flipped through the guidebook she'd picked up from the front desk. Just before the doors closed a female voice called out to hold the elevator and moments later a petite woman with short auburn, almost red hair, ran into the car.
"Thank you, John," she said to the bellman and took stand in the corner opposite Sam.
"My pleasure, Ms. Fraiser. You going to your suite?" the bellman asked.
"Yes, if you don't mind," the woman answered.
Glancing up from the guidebook, Sam saw the bellman swipe a card through a reader and then press a button that appeared when a panel opened. She let her gaze travel over to the woman and saw she was dressed in an elegant pants suit which accentuated her trim figure along with several expensive pieces of jewelry accenting the green silk. The woman met her gaze and smiled, causing her brown eyes to sparkle as she nodded to Sam. "Business or pleasure?" the woman asked.
Caught by the woman's gaze, Sam hesitated a moment before answering, "Pleasure, actually. A second honeymoon of sorts."
"Alone?" the woman asked with the raise of her shaped eyebrow.
The blonde snorted a laugh. "He's in the casino," she answered wryly.
The elevator dinged and the doors opened. The bellman exited with the couple's luggage and Sam nodded a goodbye to the woman who said, "Good luck with that honeymoon."
Smiling at the woman, Sam nodded and followed the bellman down the hallway; she didn't see the woman stick her head out of the elevator and watch her walk away then smile as she let the doors close.
After unpacking their suitcases, Sam lay on the bed staring up at the ceiling. She was steadily growing angrier at Rodney. Clenching her fists, she cursed his name and many other facets of the scientist turned entrepreneur. Grabbing a pillow she covered her face and screamed into it, letting out a little of the frustration she was feeling. As she moved the pillow away she heard her cell phone ringing; reaching over to the side table, she picked it up and saw Rodney's name on the screen. Flipping the phone open, she answered in a curt tone, "What?"
"Hey, baby. You've got to come down and see this pile of chips in front of me," he said in an excited voice.
"Rodney, what happened to us spending time together on this trip?" Sam asked
"Just as soon as I finish this hand of poker, I'll take you out to dinner and then we'll go to a show…Cirque or that singer, Celine Dion," her husband replied.
With a heavy sigh Sam agreed to come downstairs and watch the last hand of the poker game her husband was playing. If that was what it took to get him to finally spend some time alone with her then so be it.
Sam rode the elevator down to the lobby where she saw Rodney waiting near the entrance to the gaming room with a tray of chips in his hands. As she grew nearer to her husband he called out, "Would you look at this…my system works!" he exclaimed and smiled widely at his wife.
Stopping before him, Sam crossed her arms and with a tilt of her head asked, "If you're ahead this much why keep playing?"
"Capitol, baby, capitol. If I have enough raised, then it's less my investors need to put in. It will be more incentive," he said in an arrogant tone. "Besides, I'm on a roll." She raised an eyebrow at his tone but he ignored the look and motioned for her to follow him. "Come on, another game is about to start," he said and hurried towards the tables.
She watched as he melted into the milling crowd and growled in frustration before taking off after him. Sam caught up with her husband as he reached a gaming table and was taking a seat. As soon as he was seated he began stacking chips in front of him, readying himself for when the cards were dealt. "Rodney, I thought you were going to play just one more hand, not another game. What about dinner and a show?" she asked from behind him.
"We are, baby. Just one more game, I promise," he said.
Standing with arms crossed as she glared at his back, Sam let a huff of air escape from her lips and then leaning forward until she was close to his ear, said in a calm voice, "I'll be at the bar. Whenever you reach a stopping point, come find me."
Rodney acknowledged this with a wave of his free hand as he arranged the cards the dealer slid to him in his other. He didn't even turn to watch his wife walk away.
Sliding onto the barstool, Sam motioned to the bartender and when he approached she ordered a drink. Waiting for that drink to appear, she sat with her head bowed, tearing a cocktail napkin into little pieces to vent some of her frustration. Hearing footsteps approach and then the clink of glass on the bar top she reached forward without looking and grasped not a tumbler as she expected but the thin stem of a fluted glass. Her head popped up to see the effervescent bubbling of champagne in the glass before her and catching the bartender's eye waved him over once more. "Um, I didn't order this," she told him.
"She did," he stated, pointing towards a table located in the corner.
Sam turned in the direction he pointed to see the woman from the elevator raising a fluted glass toward her in salute. The blonde gave the woman a confused look and received a smile from the auburn haired woman who motioned to the empty seat at her table. Thinking that it would be much better to have company than wait on Rodney alone, Sam shrugged her shoulders, picked up her drink and made her way over to the table.
Janet Fraiser watched the tall blonde walk towards her table. After running into her in the elevator she couldn't get the woman out of her thoughts, which was unusual for the former doctor turned CEO, but something about her just made Janet want to spend more time with her, married or not. When she had seen the woman enter the bar and take a seat, she'd quickly signaled to the waitress to relay a message to the bartender to provide the blonde with a glass from her private stock. She hadn't really planned on asking the woman over but the cast of her shoulders and the look on her face as she waited on her drink made the CEO change her mind. It looked as if the blonde needed some company. As the woman neared her table Janet asked, "Still alone?"
"So it would appear," the blonde answered and then introduced herself. "Sam Carter-McKay," she said, holding a hand out.
"Janet Fraiser, nice to meet you," she replied and shook the blonde's hand. For a second it seemed as if the world stopped. All the noise of the busy casino faded and the CEO swore she could hear her own heart beating. Shaking her head and coming back to reality, she laughed softly and released Sam's hand then motioned for her to sit. "Please, join me," she said.
Sam sat down and remarked, "You sort of zoned out there for a second. Are you okay?"
"Fine, just fine; how is that second honeymoon going?" she asked, brushing the question off.
The blonde woman snorted a laugh then took a sip from her glass. "Well, I'm sitting here with you, aren't I?" she said sarcastically.
Janet made a noise of disapproval and then grinned at the woman across from her. "I say he's a fool for ignoring you."
"Right now, I will have to agree with you on the fool remark, both him and me but for different reasons," Sam told her.
With an arch of her manicured eyebrows Janet replied, "Oh, really? Please explain."
Not knowing why but feeling very comfortable with the auburn haired woman, Sam began telling her the turmoil she had recently been through with her marriage. The woman listened intently as Sam vented her frustrations, not interrupting, just nodding her head every now and then. After ending with why she was alone in the bar, Sam chuckled and remarked, "I can't believe I just did that. You're a total stranger, why should you be interested in my problems? I'm sorry."
"No, it's perfectly fine. Everyone needs to vent every once in a while and I don't mind being a sounding board," Janet paused to sip from her glass. "Especially for someone as beautiful as you," she added, flashing Sam a smile.
Sam didn't know why but with that comment she felt her cheeks burn as a blush spread across them and she ducked her head to hide it. She then tried taking a large drink from her glass to get rid of the frog that had jumped into her throat. A silence hung in the air between the two women until finally it was broken by them both asking at the same time, "What do you do for a living?" This caused them both to laugh and Janet motioned for Sam to answer first but before the blonde could, Rodney appeared beside the table.
"Ah, Samantha, there you are. I thought you were going to be at the bar?" he asked. She began to answer but was cut off as he continued, "I was invited to play in a high stakes game later tonight so I decided to take a little break and grab some food. Are you ready to eat?"
"Sure, Rodney," Sam answered and with a nod of her head to Janet she thanked her for the drink and rose from the table.
"I'm sure you'll see me later, Sam," Janet told her as Rodney grasped Sam's elbow and turned her away from the table.
As they walked out of the bar area Rodney asked, "Who was that?"
Sam glanced over her shoulder back at the table and replied, "Just a good Samaritan. What was this about a high stakes game?" she asked, changing the subject.
Janet watched as the couple walked away. She saw Sam glance her way before they left and smiled; yes, they would definitely see each other later and hopefully she would be able to learn more about the beautiful woman then.
Later that evening, Sam found herself sitting at the small bar in a private meeting room. Her dinner with Rodney had been fine, if she ignored the endless prattling about his system for poker and the all the things he wanted to use his winnings for. She had tried to talk him out of playing anymore but he insisted, citing if he won big during this game he wouldn't need any other investors. So this is why she was now jotting down calculations for one of her experiments in a notebook she'd bought in the gift shop while waiting on him to arrange for his chips to be delivered to the private game. She glanced up as the door opened and several people entered the room. To her surprise the last person walking in was none other than the woman she'd met earlier in the evening, Janet Fraiser. Watching as they made their way to the table where Rodney already sat, the woman made her way to a seat opposite from the blonde's husband and Sam suppressed a shiver when Janet caught her glance then winked at her as she took her seat.
"Alright, gentlemen, since we are all present and accounted for, let's get this game started," the petite woman told the gathered men. "I'd like to say hello to a new player. Mr. McKay, your luck on the casino floor led me to believe you would make an interesting addition to our game tonight," Janet said to Rodney who flashed a smile and nodded to the other players.
This drew Sam's attention to the woman even more. Apparently, she held some sort of high position at the hotel and this intrigued the blonde woman. Forgetting about her notebook, Sam focused her attention on the game as the auburn-haired woman motioned for a dealer to pass the cards out. This could get very interesting, she thought.
As Janet gathered the cards into her hand, she glimpsed over at the bar where Sam sat. The blonde had been writing something in a notebook but now was focused on the card game, it seemed, or maybe not, judging from the way the woman avoided her eyes whenever Janet glanced in her direction. Smiling a small smile, the former doctor motioned to one of the attendants and when the girl leaned close whispered something in her ear. As the attendant walked towards the bar Janet thought to herself, 'Now, let's see if I can teach Mr. McKay a lesson.' Sliding a stack of chips forward the petite woman opened the bets and the game was on.
Sam still felt her cheeks burning from being caught again staring by Janet. She cleared her throat nervously and bent her head back down to concentrate on her calculations once more but movement out of the corner of her eye made her look up to find one of the two attendants in the room standing near her. "Yes?" she asked.
"Ms. Fraiser asked me to see that you were taken care of. Is there anything I can get you at the moment?" the young woman asked.
Sam glanced towards the table, blue eyes met brown and she smiled, nodding to the auburn haired woman. "I'd like a glass of champagne, please," she told the waiting attendant.
With a nod of her head, the young woman left to procure the request and Sam set her notebook down. Her attention now focused entirely on the card game and the mystery that was Janet Fraiser, forgetting the fact that her husband set less than five feet away from her at that very same table.
As the night progressed, so did the poker game. Sam watched as Janet joked and flirted with all the men at the table. Well, not really flirting, Sam thought. It was more like keeping them lulled into the fact that, yes, this was a beautiful woman seated with them but she was actually ahead in winnings at the moment. The flirting, it seemed, was Janet's way of softening the defeats. Even Rodney was eating out of her hand, which made Sam finally realize what a brownnoser he could be at times. Even though Janet's main focus was on the game, Sam couldn't help but notice that whenever the petite woman leaned back to survey her hand, brown eyes would travel across the room to meet her blue ones. As the hour grew later and later, one by one the men dropped out of the game as they lost their chips to either Janet or, to Sam's surprise, her husband. When it was finally just the two of them seated across from each other, Sam moved from her seat to take one at the table. She was curious to see how this last hand would play out.
For the last hand of the game Janet signaled to the dealer to use a fresh deck and as he shuffled the cards, she remarked, "Well, Mr. McKay, seems like it's just the two of us." She steepled her fingers, leaned back in her seat and gave him her best stare. "Are you ready to raise the stakes for this last hand?"
"Raise … how can I possibly raise the stakes? By my calculations, you are ahead of me by at least a couple hundred thousand," Rodney told her.
Sam watched as Janet's eyes narrowed and she let her gaze slide to the seat where the blonde now sat. "Oh, I think we could come to a mutual arrangement," purred the petite woman.
The tone in which the woman answered sent a shiver down Sam's spine and she ducked her head to avoid the gaze that was now focused on her. Rodney watched the interplay between his wife and the Fraiser woman. "What sort of arrangement are you talking about?" he asked in a curious tone.
"Just a little proposal," Janet commented with a sly grin and Sam could have sworn the woman winked at her.
Rodney's eyebrows rose at this comment and he leaned forward. "Alright, what is this proposal?" he asked, curious as to what the woman would suggest.
"One hand decides the winner. All the money goes on the table…if you win the money is yours," Janet said and pausing a moment, she steeled her gaze on the man and continued. "If I win," she said, drawing the moment out by glancing at Sam and smiling, "I get a night with your wife and you still keep the money."
You could hear a pin drop in the room as the statement sank in with the couple and then Rodney nodded and spoke, "Deal."
Sam gasped and stuttered, "Are you out of your mind?"
"Excuse us for a moment," the man said and rose from the table, taking his wife by the arm as she stood up the couple moved to stand by the bar. Janet leaned back in her seat and watched as a heated conversation began to take place.
Sam's eyes blazed and her jaw was clenched tight as she spoke, "What are you doing? Selling me?"
"Now, baby, look at it like this: I get the money I need for my business and all you have to do is spend some time with her. It's not like you have anything to worry about; even if she's into woman, you're definitely not," he said in a smug tone.
Sam felt her blood pressure rising and clenched her fists to keep from wrapping her hands around her husband's throat. "Of all the things you could have said or done this weekend, Rodney, this has to be the lowest," she growled.
"But, baby, if my money problems are taken care of, then I can focus more on us," Rodney said, trying to console her.
Taken back a minute by this comment, Sam blinked and turned to look towards the table where Janet sat watching them. The auburn haired woman caught Sam's gaze with her own and inclined her head towards the blonde. Turning back to her husband Sam sighed and spoke, "Fine, but you better win."
Rodney grabbed her in a hug and planted a kiss on her lips. "Thank you, thank you, Samantha," he said and hurried back to the table, slowly followed by his wife.
"Do we have a deal?" asked Janet.
The couple both nodded and Sam spoke, "I'm telling you right now, if he loses I'm not agreeing to any funny business."
"I assure you, Sam, I'll be the perfect gentlewoman," Janet told her.
"Okay, okay, that's settled. Let's play," Rodney blurted out, interrupting their conversation.
"By all means," Janet replied and slid a deck of cards toward the empty seat separating her and the man. "Why don't you deal the cards, Sam?" she said with a questioning look at the blonde.
Rocking back on her heels, Sam thought for a few seconds and then took a seat. Picking up the cards she took a deep breath, shuffled the cards one more time and began dealing them out.
Once the cards were dealt, Sam sat back and let her gaze travel between the two players. Janet's face showed no emotion as she arranged her cards but Rodney, on the other hand, had developed a slight tick in his cheek. He pulled two cards from his hand and laid them on the table. "Give me two," he said, his voice cracking slightly.
Sam slid two cards from the top of the deck then passed them over to her husband. She looked towards Janet and raised an eyebrow in question. The petite woman shook her head no and Sam turned to focus on Rodney. He picked the cards up and with only a slight upturn of his lips arranged them with the cards already in his hand. Looking back and forth between the players the blonde watched them intently for any more hint at their hands, finally she cleared her throat and spoke, "Since the deal was to Janet, you lay down your hand first, Rodney."
With a smug smile on his face Rodney laid his cards on the table, fanning them out. "Beat that, sweetheart," he said.
Sam watched as the auburn haired woman leaned forward and appraised the cards on the table. "A straight flush in spades. Nice hand, Mr. McKay," the woman remarked and then one by one lay her cards on the table. Ace, king, queen, jack and ten…all the same suit…hearts. "But I do believe a royal flush beats your straight," Janet said with a grin as she leaned back in her seat.
Rodney sputtered, "What! That's impossible! The odds of getting that hand on the initial deal are outrageous!"
"Outrageous odds are what nights in Vegas are all about, Mr. McKay," Janet remarked. "Now, if you'll excuse us, I have the rest of the evening to show your wife what fun this town can be," she added, rising from her seat at the table and motioning for Sam to join her.
Sam rose from her seat and gave her husband a small smile. The man began to say something and she shook her head. "We will honor this bet. I don't go back on my word, Rodney," she told him.
The shorter woman stood beside the door, waiting for the blonde to finish her words with her husband and, as she joined Janet at the door, the taller woman leaned down to whisper something to the auburn haired woman who nodded her head. "Mr. McKay, your wife was kind to point out that the large amount of money now in your possession is meant for your new business. In order for it to be used for just that, I'll keep it for you in the hotel safe for tonight," she told him.
Rodney began to protest but a hard glare from Sam stopped him. "If I had to go along with your bet then you have to go along with my conditions," his wife said in a cold tone.
Shrugging his shoulders, her husband nodded and watched as the Fraiser woman said something to someone outside the room. Two men entered, pushing a locked box and he sat there silently as they transferred his winnings into the steel container and then exited the room.
"I wish you a pleasant rest of the evening, Mr. McKay, and I'll have your lovely wife back to you let's say around ten tomorrow morning," Janet said, eyeing Sam, who nodded her consent to the time.
All Rodney could do was nod his head as the two women walked out of the door, leaving him alone to think about what he had just done.
The two women made their way through the busy casino floor. Sam couldn't help but notice how many of the employees would smile and nod towards the woman walking beside her and Janet would return the greetings with a smile of her own or even a kind word. Once clear of the gaming floor, Janet led the blonde woman toward the boutique located in the lobby. Pausing in the entrance to the shop, Sam touched Janet on the shoulder. "Why are we going in here?" she asked.
"Because, my dear, you look fantastic in jeans but it's not quite the dress code for what I have planned for the rest of the evening," Janet replied as she ran an eye over the taller woman's frame. "I think you would look amazing in one of the new dresses that came in yesterday from Paris," she added before she walked into the shop.
Sam watched her walk up to the saleswoman who eagerly hung on every word coming from Janet's lips. "Who in the world is this woman?" the blonde said to herself and then walked into the shop.
A short time later, Sam found herself standing in front of the full length mirror with the saleswoman fussing over her as she modeled a silky sheath which matched her eyes with an uncanny accuracy and fit her like a glove. She glanced into the mirror and saw Janet's reflection from a chair in the corner where the woman sat, talking on her cell phone. Catching the woman's eye as she closed the phone Sam remarked, "This is beautiful." Running a hand over the smooth material, the blonde turned to face the seated woman.
"And you make it even more so, Sam," Janet told her. "Would you like to try on something else or will that one be okay?"
"This will be fine, Janet," the blonde said, turning back to the mirror to admire the dress again. She heard Janet speak to the saleswoman, telling her that shoes and a matching handbag were needed to complete the outfit and the girl rushed off to find the items, leaving the two women alone finally. Turning and walking away from the mirror, Sam took a seat in the chair next to Janet's. "Just who are you, Janet Fraiser?" she asked with a tilt of her head. "And why are you doing all of this?"
Janet's eyes softened and her lips turned up in a small smile. "I'm just someone who wants to spend the evening with a beautiful lady," she told the blonde in a wistful tone.
"That's not what I meant; why does everyone treat you the way they do?" Sam asked, trying to get the woman to open up more.
The petite woman grinned and with a tilt of her head answered, "Well, that might have to do with the little fact that I own the hotel."
Sam's eyes widened in amazement and she stuttered, "You own the hotel?"
"Among other things," Janet said with a nod of her head. A beeping noise sounded from the cell phone in her lap and she picked it up, flipping it open she glanced at the screen and smiled. "We need to get a move on, the car is ready," she told Sam. Just then the saleswoman came back in with the requested items and, once Sam was satisfied with the fit of the shoes, the women left the boutique.
On the way through the lobby, Sam gently grasped Janet by the elbow. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" she asked.
"Now if I did that it would ruin the surprise. Just relax and enjoy the evening," Janet told her and they exited the hotel to find a limousine waiting on them. Motioning for Sam to enter the vehicle, Janet remarked as the blonde stooped to sit down, "And by relax I don't mean standing at ease." This made Sam gape at the smaller woman in confusion and Janet just laughed and said, "Scoot over and let me in my car." Doing as asked, Sam gave the woman enough room to enter the car and before she could ask any more questions of Janet, the woman was speaking to the driver and soon they were on their way to an unknown destination.
After fifteen minutes of traveling in silence, Sam let her eyes travel over to the woman sitting beside her. Janet's face was washed in shadow as she stared out of the window. Sam noticed the serene, almost wistful look on the woman's face and thought now would be a good time to question her again. "How did you know I'm in the military?" the blonde asked breaking the silence
Letting her elbow rest on the door, Janet propped her head in her hand and gave Sam a slight grin as she answered, "When you were standing in the elevator … you were in an at ease position, Sam. Civilians don't stand like that normally."
"But how..." Sam began and Janet stopped her with a laugh.
"You're not the only one with a military background, Sam. How do you think I paid for college?" Janet said.
Before Sam could ask more questions the car came to a stop and Janet remarked, "Well, looks like you get to find out what the surprise is now." The car door opened and Janet slid out to stand beside the vehicle. She held her hand out to Sam and said, "May I?"
Taking the outstretched hand, Sam stepped from the limo and stood up to find they were parked on the tarmac at the airport. She had been so intent on questioning Janet she'd ignored her surroundings as the car moved and they were now within fifty feet of a private jet, its engines at idle. The blonde turned her head and gazed down at the smaller woman. "What? Where?" she stuttered.
"I find Las Vegas a little boring now-a-days," Janet remarked. "Would Honolulu be alright with you? I know this nice little club on the beach…" she let the statement trail off and chuckled as Sam just nodded her consent. "Let's go then," Janet said and tugging on Sam's hand led her towards the jet.
The normal six hour trip took them a little less than four in the private jet and allowed Sam to finally get the answers to her questions. She discovered that Janet had been in the Air Force, the armed service had put her through medical school but after growing disenchanted with the old boy's club that was AF medical, the woman had elected not to re-up her enrollment when her required service was finished. She had gone into medical research and that was where she met her ex-husband, the woman had told Sam. The divorce was not long in coming either as they both realized the relationship would never work out for more than obvious reasons. Janet winked at her after that sentence and then went on to explain that when the couple divorced she had been the one to gain, in that she worked out a deal with the lawyers which gave her the controlling shares in his company as her alimony. Grinning, she explained to the blonde that the only good thing about her marriage had been using her husbands' money to fund her research.
"A few years ago I discovered a cure for a tropical disease that was killing hundreds in developing countries. With the revenue from that I bought out the rest of the shares and became sole owner of the company. You're looking at the CEO of Fraiser Pharmaceuticals," Janet said with a smile.
"How did you come to own a hotel in Vegas?" asked Sam as she sipped from a glass of champagne.
"I have to invest my money somewhere and I've always wanted to own a big hotel, although it's just one of my many holdings. I have various business scattered around the globe which my team keep track of leaving me the time to play," Janet explained.
Sam thought for a few moments and then asked, "Is this what tonight was all about? Just a reason for you to show off and 'play', as you say?"
Moving closer, Janet took Sam's hand in her own. "No, Sam. Tonight is not about me. I saw you and your husband come into the hotel today and then watched as he left you to rush off to the casino. Even though I've seen it happen hundreds of times, something about the look on your face drew me to you and made me want to make it better," the former doctor confessed.
Sam looked down at the slim hand holding her own and squeezing her fingers together, looked back up. "Like I said earlier in the bar, I don't know why but I feel so comfortable around you. I think if I didn't feel this way I would have never gone along with the bet you made with Rodney," she told Janet and then added with a crooked grin on her face, "Lesbian or not," which made the petite woman burst into laughter.
"Well, we should be landing soon," Janet said, controlling her laughter and picking up her nearby flute of champagne, she held it up to Sam. "A toast. Here's to new friendships and fun times," she said in a confident voice.
As she clinked glasses with Janet, Sam replied, "New friendships." Taking a sip from her glass, the blonde let her eyes meet those of Janet and thought to herself, 'Is this just friendship or could there be something more?'
The voice of the pilot came on over the speaker announcing they would soon be landing, interrupting Sam's thoughts. Both women moved away from each other and readied themselves for arrival. As Sam gazed out of the window into the darkened skies she couldn't help but wander back to her last thought, realizing she just might want something more from Janet.
The rest of the evening was quite a blur as the couple spent it club hopping from one hot spot to the next. Sam found comfort in the fact that most of the attention was focused on her companion by the staff at these clubs and that they had avoided any of the paparazzi associated with the establishments because of their use of private entrances. She really enjoyed her career and didn't need the rest of the world to know of her night out with the smaller woman. Someone might get the wrong idea but then again, Sam was beginning to warm up to that same idea as she spent more time in Janet's presence.
After finally coming to the conclusion that they had enough of loud music and dancing, the pair found themselves walking along a section of beach as they sun was beginning to inch its way over the horizon. The feeling of sand beneath her bare feet and the soft breeze blowing in from the ocean was the best part of the trip, other than Janet's company, thought Sam as she walked beside the former doctor.
"We might be a little late getting back," Janet remarked as they walked.
Shrugging her shoulders, Sam replied, "I don't think it would matter, Janet. I seriously doubt he's even thought about me since we left."
Just nodding her head at the comment, Janet kept quiet. The pair had discussed bits and pieces of things about Sam's marriage throughout the evening, mainly how Sam was tired of being ignored as this new business venture of Rodney's came to a head. The blonde had told Janet that even immersing herself in her own work gave her little satisfaction, it was just one more thing that seemed to put a strain on the marriage.
"I'm sure that's not the case, Sam," Janet tried to assure her.
"We'll see when we get back," Sam mumbled.
"Enough of that talk, let's sit down over there and watch the sun rise," Janet said grasping Sam by the elbow and pointing towards a bench located along the tree line.
The pair made their way over to the bench and sat down. After a few minutes of watching the sun slowly move upward they both began to speak at the same time, which made them laugh and Janet motioned for Sam to go first.
Taking a deep breath Sam turned and looked into Janet's eyes saying softly, "I don't want the sun to rise."
Janet's face scrunched in confusion and she asked, "Why?"
"Because that would mean my wonderful night with you would be over and I don't want that," Sam stated. "I haven't been happy for a long time but tonight you changed that," the blonde told Janet.
Before Janet could say anything in return Sam cupped her cheek and leaning forward placed a soft kiss on her lips. When the blonde ended the kiss and leaned back, Janet gazed into blue eyes grown misty. "Why did you do that?" she asked Sam.
"Did you not want me to?" Sam returned, not answering the question.
Janet thought for a few minutes and then answered, "Yes, because I've been trying not to do it myself ever since the ride to the airport. Hell, since I bought you the drink in the bar." She leaned forward and whispered, "May I?" Sam nodded and the smaller woman captured the blonde's lips in a firm kiss which lasted several minutes as they both explored each other's mouths, tongues twining together lazily.
Breaking apart finally because they both needed to breathe, Janet let her forehead rest on Sam's. "We missed the sunrise," she said in a quiet voice.
"The beginning of a new day doesn't seem so wondrous anymore," Sam remarked softly which caused the other woman to chuckle.
"Come on, we need to get you back to Vegas," Janet said, rising from the bench and pulling Sam up. Hand in hand the couple turned around to walk back along the beach to where the limousine waited.
Several hours later found the pair walking into the hotel lobby. The sounds of the casino feeling so foreign after their time spent in silent contemplation on the flight back. Neither woman had spoken of the kisses or the consequences of their actions. Instead they had just spent the time cuddled on the bench seat of the jet, reveling in each others' presence. Janet led the way to the front desk and motioned for Sam to take a seat and wait while she spoke to the concierge. A few minutes later she appeared next to Sam's chair with a briefcase. "Here's the money," she said.
"I don't want it," Sam said in a sullen tone.
"You kept your word and I keep mine," Janet told her in a serious tone.
Before Sam could respond to the comment Rodney ran up to them. "You're late," he said and took the case from Janet's hand. Sitting down in a nearby chair, the man flipped open the catches and opened the case to count the money.
Sam looked up from her seat at Janet and remarked, "I told you. Excuse me for a moment."
Rising from the chair, the blonde moved to stand in front of her husband. She pushed the case from behind, closing the lid and when Rodney made to say something in protest she slapped him across the face. "My lawyer will be in touch with you," she said to the stunned man.
Turning back to face Janet, she held out her hand and asked, "How would you like another chance at watching a sunrise with me?'
Janet looked at the tall blonde who had a hopeful look on her face and answered, "I hope to have many chances, Sam." And taking the blonde's hand in her own, she led Sam out of the sitting area, leaving a shocked and bewildered Rodney to wonder what had just happened.
The End