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MasterpostJensen Ackles shuts the metal file cabinet in his office with a resounding clang. He hates filing with a passion. Usually his admin, Alona Tal, takes care of it, but she's on honeymoon leave for a few more days. The thought of her patronizing smile when she returns and sees all those files sitting there is not appealing. He and Alona get along just fine, but she definitely has this little air of superiority when it comes to the paperwork. So...filing time it is.
Just when he thinks shuffling manila folders and three-part forms can't get more boring, Jensen hears the alarm go off. Lamesa, Texas, is not necessarily a high crime area, but there's usually enough to keep him busy. He hustles over to the police radio and grabs the microphone.
"Sheriff Ackles, go."
"Sheriff, it's Rich Speight. We got a car accident here at the intersection of 115 and 349. Two car collision, relatively minor injuries in both cars, no fatalities. I already called the hospital and they're sending an ambulance out. Me and Rob, we'll be bringing the other people in ourselves. Brianna's getting the scene buttoned down until you get there."
"Okay, Rich, I got ya. I'll meet you at the hospital. Sheriff out." He's grateful for such an efficient team, and that they all get along. The guys are like brothers, and they'd taken to Brianna Buckmaster right away when she'd joined. Brianna gives as good as the guys in strength and humor--she doesn't take any shit. And she can drink Rich and Rob under the table.
Jensen sighs. That intersection between those routes is a chronic accident magnet. He's going to have to approach the town council again for a blinking traffic light there. In the meantime, he needs to get over to Lamesa General Hospital; he has to see how the accident victims are, and make sure Rich and Rob have taken their statements.
It only takes a few minutes to arrive, as the hospital and the police station are both near the center of town. Lamesa is a fairly small town; population 9400; enough to keep things lively, but without the volume or depth of crime found in a bigger city. Jensen had trained in San Antonio, spent a little time on a force in Houston, and found out the big city wasn't his thing. When the sheriff's position opened in Lamesa, he was happy to come back to where he'd grown up and take care of his fellow townsfolk. The biggest single problem Jensen has here is his friends and family's eager efforts to play matchmaker for him.
Most of them know that the pretty girls in town stand no chance with Jensen. He doesn't march in any Pride parades, but he doesn't hide his orientation either. He politely deflects all the potential dates that his momma and others have tried to arrange with other people's sons, nephews, and cousins. Jensen's not really a dating kind of guy, and he's certainly not dating anyone in town. He just smiles and thanks the matchmakers and says how his job just doesn't allow time for that kind of thing.
Jensen arrives at the hospital and parks his police Jeep. He enters through the ER entrance, greeting the staff of the Emergency Room, as he knows most of them by name. Right away, he notices a new guy. New Guy is easy to notice, since he's freakin' tall. Jensen is six foot one himself, and this guy is a good three or four inches taller than that. He's got dark brown hair that falls below his collar, and even across the E.R. Jensen can see a smile that's sunny and warm. He feels a little warmth in his belly, and scolds himself for eating all of the French fries in his lunch order. Yep, that's all it is, a little indigestion.
Know when to say when, he scolds himself.
Approaching the counter, Jensen asks about the car accident victims. Katie Cassidy, the tall blonde nurse on duty, tells him that the ambulance has already arrived with the driver and passenger from one car, and that Rich and Rob will be there momentarily with the driver of the second car. The ambulance passengers are being triaged in Exam Bay Two, and the resident in charge will speak with Jensen in a few minutes.
Jensen nods. "I'm going to get a coffee, I'll be right back." Katie smiles and gives him a thumbs up.
The nearest coffee machine duly produces hot brown liquid that purports to be coffee, and Jensen accepts it with a sigh, resigning himself to heartburn later. Sure enough, it's as bitter as any of the overly hoppy 'craft' beers that the local bar has been pushing lately. He wrinkles his nose but takes a couple of gulps anyway. Caffeine is caffeine.
Returning to the nurse's station, he sees Katie waving him over.
"The new resident is ready to talk with you." She points out the tall, dark-haired doctor that Jensen had noticed before.
"Who's that?" Jensen tries not to sound too eager. What's a new doctor in town mean, after all? He's probably a pussy magnet, with those dark good looks.
"Dr. Padalecki. He's the shizz, according to the network grapevine. He's slated to go to Raleigh-Durham, but he has six months of his residency left to finish, so we won him in a lottery." Katie snickers. "So handsome, the nurses are all placing bets on who's gonna land him."
Jensen tsks at Katie mostly out of obligation to a fellow male, but inside he can't help feeling a tingle of interest. What if this doctor turns out to be on his team?
No, that would require actual luck.
Besides, Jensen doesn't usually play in Lamesa. When he feels the itch, he generally goes out of town to visit a gay club for a one night stand. He's done a little dating based in nearby towns, and had a couple of easy, undercover friends-with-benefits arrangements, but he doesn't have any real interest in finding a steady boyfriend. He's got a good social life with friends, he's in excellent health, and he loves his job. Overall, he's very content with his life just as it is.
Jensen walks over to the tall doctor and introduces himself.
"Hi there, I'm Sheriff Jensen Ackles. Welcome to Lamesa. I'm here to follow up on the car collision. Can you tell me anything before I go to talk to the first driver?"
The tall doctor smiles as he extends his hand, and oh God, deep dimples flash in his cheeks. Jensen feels a little dazed at the brilliant smile that's blazing at him, and almost misses the doctor's words as he speaks.
"Hi, Jared Padalecki. I'm the new Emergency Room resident." Jared gives Jensen's hand a firm shake. Jensen can't remember ever feeling so downright...petite, as Jared's hand envelopes his. Usually Jensen is the larger one--taller, more built. Being the shorter one is an odd dynamic. He can't help wondering what it would feel like in a more personal situation.
Jensen mentally smacks himself upside the head.
Way to be professional, asshole, he chides himself. Clearing his throat to buy a few seconds to settle himself down, Jensen smoothly follows up with, "Uh..."
Dr. Padalecki chuckles. "I know, it always throws everyone for a loop. Pa-da-LECK-ee. Freshly arrived from Dayton, Ohio. Based here in Lamesa for the next six or seven months." He claps Jensen soundly on the shoulder. "I'm sure we'll be seeing a good bit of each other."
Visions of scrubs falling to the floor assail Jensen for a moment. He wouldn't mind seeing a lot of this guy, with the muscles discernible under his t-shirt and white lab coat. Jensen briskly shakes his head to dispel the thought of playing doctor with the doctor.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure we will. Town's not that big." Jensen manages a laugh through his dry throat.
Rich Speight and Rob Benedict, two of Jensen's police force, walk into the E.R., supporting an injured man between them. His forehead is blood-stained, and he's walking with a limp.
"This is the guy from the second car in the accident. Where d'ya want him?" Rich asked. Dr. Pa-da-LECK-ee waves them over to an empty patient bay.
"Take him in there. I'll be there in a minute. Katie, can you start cleaning up Mr.--"
"Kevin McNally," the wounded man supplies.
"Thank you, Mr. McNally. Katie." Jared turns back to Jensen. "The first driver and her passenger are fine, just bumps and bruises. Let me examine this man and I'll get a full report on everyone to you shortly."
"Sounds good, thanks." Jensen watches Dr. Padalecki move briskly into the patient bay, tugging the curtain closed behind him.
Rich gives Jensen a brief summation of the accident, and Jensen leaves them there to get the statements. He heads back to his Jeep so he can go check out the site.
While he drives out to the accident site, Jensen hits the speed dial for his best friend.
"So, I hear we got a new doc in town." Jason Manns always knows what's up with Jensen, often before Jensen knows himself. He half suspects the man has his car bugged.
"Yes, yes we do. Mighty tall man at that."
Jason chuckled. "Is that all you got to say about him?"
Jensen coughs to conceal his tension. "He could be a relatively good-looking fella. Y'know, if you notice that kind of thing."
"Could he, now? I heard he was downright swoon-worthy. All the women are a-twitter." Jason snickers. "And I bet I know one sheriff who is too, judging by this phone call."
"Fuck you, man. We still on for Friday night?" Friday was the regular night for hanging out-- Jensen, Jason, Chris, Steve, Rich, Rob, whoever else they roped in or happened to be around.
"Yeah, talk to you that afternoon for plans. Unless, of course, you have any *ahem* medical updates." Jensen could hear the smirk in Jason's voice.
"Fuck you," Jensen says again amiably, and hangs up.
Officer Briana Buckmaster has the traffic cones up when Jensen arrives. She's also taken the necessary pictures and gotten statements from a couple of witnesses. Jensen appreciates her efficiency as much as he appreciates her cheerful demeanor and big smile. It's always difficult to be grumpy around Bri.
"What's the scoop on this, Bri?" Jensen looks around, studying the two damaged cars, the angle they're at, the skid marks on the asphalt.
"Car #1, the dark blue Accord over there, was merging left onto 349 when it stopped in the middle of the road. Car #2, the silver Elantra, couldn't respond in time and hit the Accord in the back door on the passenger side. Didn't look like anything too serious injury-wise. The Elantra driver, one Kim Rhodes and her passenger, sixteen-year-old Alex Calvert, were shook up, possible whiplash, bruises. The Accord driver, Kevin McNally, had a contusion on the forehead and twisted his knee. They've all been transported to the hospital for a look-see." She smiles brightly at Jensen.
He gives everything a go-over, complimenting Briana on her usual thoroughness. "Excellent job, as always, Bri. Go ahead and let the tow trucks clear the cars up, and you can open this up to traffic again."
"You got it, Boss." She winks at him, and Jensen grins at her. At one point, he thought she was interested in him as more than just a boss, which was rather uncomfortable. At some point, Alona must have clued her in though, because the overt flirting stopped and now it's just banter. He's glad, because she's a good officer and a good person.
Jensen hops back into the Jeep and turns around to head back to the station. He wonders if Dr. Padakeckle (
that didn't sound right, shit) has called him with the accident reports yet.
He deliberately avoids how eager the thought of that call makes him.
Dr. Jared Padalecki smiles at his first Emergency Room patient here at Lamesa Hospital. He introduces himself to Kim Rhodes, an attractive, dark-haired woman who looks to be late forties, with a ready smile and kind eyes. With her is a blond teenager, a quiet, good-looking boy. Checking his clipboard, Jared sees it's sixteen-year-old Alex Calvert. The only thing Jared can ascertain about Alex is that he is in fact a quiet, good-looking boy, since he is currently sitting with his head bowed. Ms. Rhodes is down as his guardian, which gives Jared questions, but he moves past them for now.
Ms. Rhodes quickly fills Jared in on the accident. The car merging left stopped suddenly, and while she was able to brake and turn away, it wasn't enough to avoid contact.
Both Ms. Rhodes ("Please, call me Kim!") and Alex are in good shape, mostly suffering some bruises and muscle strain from the impact. As Jared looks them over, he learns that Alex is transferring from a foster home out of state to the Residential Children's Home here in Lamesa. Kim is co-director of the facility, along with Ms. Loretta Devine. That answers his curiosity about the guardian thing. He hopes Alex is okay. Jared tells them both to take some Advil and maybe soak in a warm bath for their stressed muscles, warning them that tomorrow they will be more stiff and sore than they are right now.
Moving to the second examination bay, Jared quickly looks over the other driver in the accident. Kevin McNally, a fifty-something year old man, escaped with a forehead laceration requiring eight stitches, a badly twisted knee, and probably some whiplash that would manifest in the morning. Handing him off to an intern for the stitches and ankle wrap, Jared returns to the ER registration desk.
Dr. Felicia Day is there, checking the clipboards for any cases with children. Felicia is on track for a position in pediatrics, but this is her rotation in the E.R. She had welcomed him enthusiastically the other day, and he already feels like he's known her for years. He smiles at her, and she smiles back with a wink. Her red hair is in a bun, and her lanyard is adorned with little fuzzy animal clips.
"Hey! I saw Sheriff Ackles came in! Isn't he a hottie and a half?" She gives a little wolf-whistle. "If I swung that way, I'd be--well, I don't know what I'd be, but it would be something!" She giggles and smacks Jared's arm, just like his little sister Meg does. "What did you think, being you
do swing that way?"
Jared laughs and answers, "How do you know? Maybe I'm a total horn dog for hot babes!" He mock-leered at her.
"Nuh uh! My gaydar is never wrong, because, you know, I'm gay! So I can always tell. You think he's pretty, right?" She nudges his ribs hard with her pointy elbow. "You going to go for that?"
"Now you sound like Chad." At her questioning look, he clarifies. "Chad is my best friend from back home, and he has very low standards. Actually, I'm not sure he has any standards at all."
"And what standards are we discussing? Our medical standards?" The deep voice behind Jared makes him jump. He turns around to see Dr. Charles Whitfield, his ER attending and thus Jared's supervisor. "Dr. Padalecki, I hope you're settling in well. Don't let Dr. Day there fool you--the rest of us do take our quality of care seriously." His stern words are belied by his warm smile.
"Yes, thank you, sir. I'm very happy to be here, and I think this is going to be a great place for me to finish my residency." Jared smiles back. As befitting an attending, Dr. Whitfield projects an imposing professional persona, complete with button down shirt and a tie, but he also seems like a decent guy.
"Great. Let me know if there's anything you need help with. Felicia can steer you around, she's been here since she was an intern." Dr. Whitfield's pager beeps. "And, time to run." He heads out of the ER, and Jared sees two other residents, judging by their navy scrubs, rush by to join him.
"He seems like a good guy," Jared says to Felicia. He's fishing, because he's seen his share of doctors that appear rational but really are bastards.
Felicia nods. "He is. Oh, he can dress you down for being stupid, but overall he's fair, and he's a great teacher."
"All you can ask for, right?"
"Yep!" It's her turn for her pager to go off, and she sighs and grabs her tablet. "Okay, gotta go! See you later. Lunch?"
He barely has time to nod before she's gone. Jared chuckles and heads for the residents' break room. He needs to find some coffee, and not that crap from the public machines.
In the break room, he selects a Keurig cup of Breakfast Blend and hits the machine. While it brews, he looks into the mirror next to the lockers. Is he really attractive enough to attract someone like that hot sheriff? Like, hey pretty guy, look at me? He's grown out of his adolescent phase where he thought he was only clumsy limbs and freakishly tall, but...really? Like
that?He evaluates his reflection. Dark hair in a side part, long enough to hit his collar. Sure, he had good bones--cheekbones, chin, deep-set eyes. That's cool. Nicely arched eyebrows over...green? Blue? Whatever color his eyes are. Mouth--pink, mobile...
Kissable?
"Enough, Pads. You're at least passable. Get the fuck back on the floor before some intern finds you mooning over yourself."
He sighs. That sheriff is so, so pretty. He probably doesn't have a chance.
Friday night finds Jensen walking into the Dust Devil bar, ready for some brewskis and wings. The Dust Devil is a casual place, no time for upscale stuff here. The beer is cold, the food is fried, and the decor is...brown. Tonight Jensen decided to go out with his work crew instead of his usual group of friends, not that there isn't a lot of crossover between the two. Rich's birthday was earlier that week, so Rich, Rob, Bri, and their desk personnel Gabe Tigerman and Alona Lindberg (formerly Tal, freshly tan from her honeymoon), were all meeting there to celebrate. Jason is joining them as well. Jensen's stomach is hungry for some good hot wings and cold beer, and he is definitely ready to relax.
He finds his troop and settles in, taking a chair between Rob and Gabe and gratefully accepting a frosty bottle. The selection of wings is avidly debated, and once ordered, the first round of shots is ready. Rich is a tequila man, so it's going to be a Cuervo night. Salt shakers are distributed and a bowl of lime wedges sits in the middle of the table.
Jensen lifts his shot glass and toasts Rich in unison with everyone else. They've worked together a long time, and Jensen always appreciates Rich's level head in emergencies and snarky wit the rest of the time. The gold tequila is cold and hot and rich, sliding down Jensen's throat like it lives there. He sighs in appreciation; this is a fantastic way to end a week. Hell, a month.
"Didn't expect to run into you here tonight," says a light baritone voice in Jensen's ear, setting chills off down his spine. Jensen turns to see the warm smile of Dr. Pad--Pada-- " Jared laughs at Jensen's obvious confusion and adds, "Just call me Jared."
"Join us?" Jensen asks before he can get nervous, and he gestures at a nearby empty chair in invitation. Jared drags it over next to Jensen, and all six plus feet of hot doctor sits down. Long arms fold in, Jared's broad shoulders bump Jensen's, and Jared's dimpled smile flashes. "How ya doin' there, Sheriff?"
"Jensen," Jensen says, unable to resist the broad smile. "I'm off duty. Hence, you know, the alcohol." No sooner does Jensen gesture to the shot glasses than the waitress arrives with a fresh round.
"Your wings will be up in a few," she reports, deftly refilling the lime bowl. She looks at Jared. "One for you, sweetheart?"
Jared looks askance at Jensen, who nods. "Sure thing, don't mind if I do."
She quickly brings his shot glass, and they all drink. Jensen savors the complex agave flavor, closing his eyes as it slides down with that distinctive burn. Opening them again, he sees Jared studying him.
"What?" Jensen feels a little embarrassed, but he's curious why Jared is so intent on him too.
"I bet you look like that in bed. So...intense, so focused on...sensation." Jensen sees Jared's eyes darken. "Must be something to see."
Jensen finds himself utterly tongue-tied, staring open-mouthed at Jared. A flare of heat blooms in his belly, rippling outward throughout his body.
Well, damn.Jared smiles and gives a little laugh, cheeks flushing pink. "Shit, um, sorry about that, dude. Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain."
Jensen utters a stilted laugh. "No problem." He grabs his beer and chugs it, hoping to calm the fire burning inside his belly and his balls. "Uh...another?"
When Jared gets home, he has a pretty good buzz going. They'd had a few more shots, a few beers, eaten a bunch of wings and fries and other bar crap. The other police officers had been welcoming, including Jared easily in the jokes and drinks. Despite the alcohol, Jared somehow managed to avoid stuffing his foot into his mouth again.
He sits down heavily on the side of his bed, reaching down to undo his shoes. Jensen's wide-eyed expression floats before Jared's mind's eye again, and he slaps his forehead.
"Really? Does he look like that in
bed? Jesus, Padalecki, what the hell were you thinking? Slick, man, real slick." He groans at his gaffe.
He knows that if Chad were there, he'd be ribbing Jared unmercifully for being such a dweeb. Cackling like a hyena as he enjoyed Jared's mortification.
But Chad isn't there. Just Jared. Because Jared left Chad--along with the rest of his life--in Ohio. And he ain't going back.
Jared falls back on his bed, pressing the heels of his palms to his eyes. In the darkness, he can see the entire awful scene play out again in Technicolor, like a bad movie stuck on repeat.
Jared's completely in love. It's not the first time, but it's definitely the most intense. Tom Welling--dark hair, big muscles, stunning blue eyes--has swept Jared off his feet with romantic dinners, hot evenings out dancing, even hotter sex. Jared's sure this is it, the big one. He'll complete his residency at Kindred Care Hospital, accept an attending at the same hospital, and they'll get married. His heart is so full.
He heads home from his shift, looking forward to grilling steaks on the patio with Tom. He's even a little early--his attending, Dr. John Schneider, kicked him loose since he'd come in early to cover them. Jared whistles as he hops on his motorcycle and heads out, the early summer breeze whipping through his long hair sticking out at the bottom of his helmet.
Jared pulls into the driveway next to Tom's Miata. Grabbing his messenger bag, he heads into the house, calling out for Tom. He can't wait to see his boyfriend after a busy day at the hospital. Time for kisses and a cold one, maybe a quick dip in the pool while the steaks are grilling. Perfect.
Jared can hear music playing on the Bluetooth outside, so he figures Tom didn't hear him enter. He dumps his bag onto the couch, grabs a beer from the fridge, and opens the sliding door to the backyard. It's not huge, but it has a patio and a small pool. It's all fenced for privacy, and they spend a lot of time out there, enjoying the balmy spring and summer before the Midwestern heat and humidity kicks in.
Jared's no sooner through the door than he freezes. Tom's sitting on the couch of their new patio set, with the durable fabric, all-weather cushions. His head's resting on the sofa cushion, his eyes closed. A naked man is straddling him, rising up and down on Tom's lap. On Tom's cock. Jared can see it clearly, shiny with lube, all swollen and hard as it penetrates the naked man's hole. Tom's big hands are gripping the man's ass, pulling him down hard and squeezing the ripe globes. Both men are panting and moaning, lost in the heat of sex, oblivious of Jared's presence.
Jared feels like he's been turned into stone, limbs heavy and unresponsive. He can't even speak. His hand, numb with shock, loses its grip on the cold beer bottle, which falls to the patio. The shattering glass sounds like a bomb. Both men stop fucking, lifting their heads, their eyes snapping to Jared. Tom pushes the naked man off, despite his protests. Tom's exposed dick wags in the air, as does the naked man's which is now dripping pre-come on the patio pavers.
"Jared!" Tom gets up, starts to come over to Jared as he struggles to pull up his board shorts.
Jared holds up an imperious hand.
"Stop. Don't come near me."
Tom spreads his hands. "Baby, let me explain-"
Jared feels like he's going to throw up. "You can't. There's no explaining...that." He gestures at the naked man, realizes he knows him. "Justin Hartley, is that you?" He scoffs. "What the hell are you doing fucking my boyfriend? On my
new patio set?"
Both Tom and Justin begin to stammer excuses, but Jared's had enough. He turns and strides out, gets back on the bike, and revs off down the street. He'll go back later and get his stuff. Right now, he just needs to be--elsewhere.Jared drops his hands, opening his eyes to dispel the ugly vision. He had gone back to the house while Tom was at the hospital, packed up his stuff, and left Ohio. He'd stayed in a motel until he'd found both a new attending position in North Carolina, as well as this temporary opening in Lamesa where he could finish out his residency.
And now he's met this super pretty, sexy sheriff.
Well, time for a change. Jared Padalecki, hopeless romantic, has been dumped for the last time. He's changing camps from serial monogamist to simply having fun. He's up for dating and sex, and anything more serious can go hang. Jared is not losing his heart again, no sirree. He's moving on to greener pastures.
Like the green eyes of Jensen Ackles.
Jensen walks into the Lamesa Residential Care Home. He's checking on how Kim Rhodes and her new ward, Alex Calvert, are doing since their auto accident. Kim has only been in Lamesa a year or so, but Jensen is old friends with Loretta Devine, the other director. He swears that the woman has a sixth sense about everything. She always seems to know things before she's been told, and who is coming and going.
Sure enough, she's already standing in the lobby of the Home when he comes in. "Jensen! Haven't seen you in a while." She greets him in her soft, high voice, giving him a big hug, and then a gentle slap on the back of his head as a reprimand. Loretta often teases gently, but with serious intent underneath.
"I know, I'm sorry, Loretta. I just met your new resident the other day, thought I'd see how he and Kim are doing after the accident last week."
"Well, they were sore for sure. Alex, he's all tough what with being a teenager, you know? But Kim was feeling some aches all right. She's a lot better now, I made her soak a few times with one of my poultices in the tub." Loretta knew a lot of old Southern lore regarding home remedies and the like. Jensen had availed himself of them a time or two.
"And how is Alex adjusting?" Jensen sits down in Loretta's cozy office, on her paisley settee.
Loretta frowns. "Well, not too badly, all things considered. It's so hard, you know. A boy like that, with no family. He lost them when he was eleven, and he's been shuttled around ever since then. We must be the fifth place he's been already." She shakes her head. "He's had a tough road, and I hope that we can make things a little easier for him. Couple of years and he'll be aging out, and he's not ready to be out there on his own."
Jensen nods. He comes from a solid family, and is still pretty close to them. When he came out a few years ago, his parents needed a little time to fully adjust to the news, but there was never any cause to question their love. Everything is fine with them now--they even tease him about not dating enough and when is he going to settle down with a nice boy. He can't imagine not having family, being alone in the world like Alex.
"Let me know if I can do anything, help at all, okay?"
"Now that you mention it," Loretta says. "I think he could use an older male role model. I've been thinking about starting a Big Brother program here, and I think Alex is just the boy to begin with." She fixes Jensen with a stern eye. "And I know just the man to help him."
Jensen stares at her. "Me?"
"You. You are a good man, Jensen Ackles, and that boy could use some positive reinforcement and a solid role model. He's not a trouble-maker, but he's shy, withdrawn. I think you could help him build some confidence, maybe get him to open up a little."
Jensen is a little flabbergasted at this. Sure, he has a younger sister, but he has no experience otherwise with kids. What is he going to do with a teenager?
However, Loretta's gimlet eye is impossible to withstand. He's pinned and he knows it.
"Uh, yeah, sure. What do I do, take him out for ice cream?" He's at a loss at where to begin.
Loretta looks at him sternly. "Think it over. Alex isn't ready to take on the town yet. He's recovering from the accident, and being in a new place again. Let's talk after the weekend and I'll have you two meet." Loretta smiles finally. "You'll be doing good work, Jensen. The boy needs someone, and my gut tells me that you could be it." She looks at a notepad on her desk. "He's meeting with the counselor, Ruth Connell, later today, so you could talk with her Monday. There's confidentiality to consider, but she can give you a general sense of his state of mind."
Jensen stands up. "I'll give it a shot, Loretta. I'll see Ruth Monday too. I don't know what all I can do, but I'll follow your gut." He smiles back.
"Thank you! Now don't forget, our fall fundraiser gala is coming up. I would appreciate it if you could attend. That might be a good place for Alex to start getting involved too. I'm sure there's someplace he can help out." She winks at him. "Of course, you could bring a date if you want. Maybe some tall doctor who's new to the area, needs to meet people. We're going to do a real old-fashioned hootenanny, with live music and dancing and a pie-eating contest." She looked at Jensen with her eyebrows raised.
"Sure, I can be there." Due to his position in Lamesa society, Jensen has largely overcome his innate shyness, but sometimes something like a large social event makes it crop up. He reminds himself he's not attending in any official capacity, just as another festival attendee. Possibly with a date, at that.
He and Loretta walk to the front doors, still chatting. The doors whoosh open, and Jared sails through into the lobby. Jensen feels his heart leap into his throat at the sight of that tall, attractive man.
"Loretta!" Jared kisses her cheek before turning to Jensen with a warm smile. "Jensen, so glad to see you again." Jensen reaches out to shake hands, but Jared takes it and pulls him for a quick half-hug. The feel of his tall, solid body against Jensen's sends a jolt through him, leaving him momentarily breathless. When they separate, Jensen catches a side glance of Loretta's sly smile.
"Uh, I was just leaving. Have a good day, y'all." Jensen recovers a pretense of composure, making for the door. Jared catches his hand.
"Hey, I'm just dropping something off for Loretta here--if you're not busy, want to go grab a sandwich for lunch together?"
Jensen looks into wide, puppy dog eyes and is unable to decline. "Sure. I'll meet you at the Pickled Onion? It's just a couple of blocks away."
Jared smiles widely, flashing white teeth and deep dimples. "You got it, dude."
Jensen nods to Loretta and makes his exit. Suddenly lunchtime seems much more exciting.
Loretta looks at Jared from across her desk. He's brought the medical forms for Alex that the Home needs, plus the report from the fender-bender Alex and Kim had been in. She closes the folder and focuses her gaze on Jared.
"Jared Padalecki, are you bird-dogging our sheriff?"
Jared gives her an innocent 'who-me' look. "I don't know what you mean, ma'am."
She chuckles. "Boy, I can see what's right in front of my eyes. I just want to give you a word of caution. Jensen is a good man, honest and fair, but he's not looking for a relationship. He is married to his job. I don't want you to be hurt or disappointed if he isn't interested in anything more long-term."
Jared scoffs, looking down at the floor for a moment. "Well, to be honest, I've always been a serial monogamist, but I'm not anymore." He meets her eyes again, his face serious. "The whole reason I'm in Lamesa to begin with is because my fiancé cheated on me. In our house. With one of our co-workers. And it's not the first time that's happened to me. I've only ever wanted to settle down with a happy ever after, but I don't believe it exists anymore. I'm done with searching for it. I'm out just to date and have fun, and if that's how Jensen goes, then we'll have a lot of fun. That's all I'm looking for."
Loretta looks at him and says, "Uh huh. Well, we'll see about that."
Jared wonders what's behind her knowing look. It makes him a little nervous, frankly. He gets up and says, "Well, I gotta go get that sandwich, Jensen's going to be waiting. Thanks, Loretta."
Walking over to the sandwich shop, Jared mulls over Loretta's words. So, Jensen is a serial dater? But he's honest and fair, she said, so he wasn't into playing games.
Well, that's just fine, Jared thinks.
That's all I'm after from now on anyway. A good time, no hard feelings, no strings attached.He sees the sign for The Pickled Onion Sandwich Shop and pulls into the little parking lot next to it. As if on cue, his stomach rumbles. He laughs to himself as he enters and smells a host of delicious aromas. Spying Jensen in a booth already, Jared goes to join him. Jensen greets him with a big smile, and Jared smiles happily back.
This is it, Jared. Your new life plan. Join the hunt, dude.On to
Part 2
firesign10
jdd71 for beta reading it, and all of my gang for being sounding boards and support!!