.
.
Fruitcakes of Forgiveness
.
.
Main Street Bakery was the best hence the reason Sarah chose it; however one week before Christmas was not the best time to be purchasing premium baked goods from the most the popular bakery in town. The line she waited in inched forward and she sighed...again...counting four persons remaining before her turn. It would be worth it, she reminded herself, he deserved only the best and her remorse still niggled.
The look on Jareth's face when she'd slipped up and admitted she'd already accepted another man as an escort to the Christmas party...crap...she'd never forget the utter devastation he displayed for a few seconds before he railed at her. In the last four years since he'd literally and unexpectedly popped back into her life, she'd never seen him look so...so vulnerable and pained. Until that exact moment she hadn't really believed Jareth felt anything more than friendship for her.
Sure he flirted and teased but then he would disappear for weeks, occasionally months to her frustration only to reappear suddenly as if he'd never gone and begin anew. If he were human she'd assume he was bipolar or at least in serious need of intensive interpersonal skills counseling. But he was Fae and Jareth and indefinable so after years of fun, maddening, entertaining, and confusing friendship; Sarah finally decided she didn't know what to do with him or where...if anywhere...their friendship could be headed and metaphorically moved on.
So when her nice co-worker Scott, also a lawyer, asked to be her date to their law firm's annual Christmas Party; which was very, very posh and exclusive since their law firm was the top firm in Philadelphia, she never hesitated to accept but decided that keeping such information from Jareth would be wise. Unfortunately, he found her invitation earlier that week and began nagging her about said party every day until she eventually snapped and the proverbial irritating cat was of the damned bag.
That would've been enough; Jareth's eyes misting ever so slightly as he gazed at her, shocked. His emotions palpable in the charged air between them and Sarah frozen with her hand over her mouth silently wishing with all her heart she could take back the entire last week. She started to blurt how sorry she was but before she could apologize his temper crested over her full force.
Those misty eyes now hardened, he stalked towards her in her small kitchen shouting various things that she still didn't clearly remember. Sarah remembered his eyes, so cold they burned and she remembered a few vague words such as; disloyal, spoiled, and tease and her temper rose and she said a few choice comments. He hissed as she yelled back before spinning away from her and vanishing.
And that was why she subjected herself to an interminable wait at Main Street Bakery. Once she calmed she understood how much she hurt him by not asking him to escort her to the party; he obviously felt more for her than friendship—although he had a lousy way of demonstrating it, he couldn't just tell her? While it explained his emotional reaction it most certainly didn't excuse his vicious response. Certain that she didn't want to lose his friendship and curious to see what he might pursue if given the opportunity, Sarah decided that a bit of forgiveness was in order with a dose of medication, so to speak.
"May I help you?" The teen clerk behind the bakery counter asked cheerfully but with a touch of exhaustion. Sarah moved forward relieved to finally be at the front of the line.
"Yes, I have an unusual request which isn't meant to be insulting."
"Okay..."The clerk said a bit uncertain.
"I have a...friend who is quite particular and I need a very particular type of fruitcake to meet his standards." Sarah stated delicately.
"What do you mean particular?"
"I need whichever of your fruitcakes is considered most...well...intense." Sarah's face was a cross between grimacing and sheepish; after a few seconds the teen seemed to click with her intentions.
"Oh! You mean the grossest!" The teen smiled once Sarah laughed lightly.
"Yes, exactly!"
"I totally know which one you need. I don't get how anyone can eat the thing. Usually only our oldest customers buy it. Your friend...is he old?"
"You have no idea." Sarah deadpanned as the teen packaged the vile looking fruitcake. Sarah requested gift wrapping—so she didn't have to smell the repulsive cake—and paid before exiting the packed bakery with the heavy box held against her chest and a evil, little smile gracing her lips.
.
.
Earlier she called Scott to beg off from their date; another nail in her coffin of remorse. She lied and told him that she'd forgotten that she'd already promised an old friend earlier in the year that she'd allow him to escort her to the annual Christmas party. As a favor to him and an apology, Sarah prearranged for her good friend, Amanda, to be his date instead and she was sure that Amanda would be a wonderful exchange as she was intelligent, beautiful, and all too willing to get her chance to attend the famous party.
To his credit, Scott took the news in stride; very disappointed but really what could he do? He accepted Amanda's information and stated that he would call her immediately to make arrangements. Sarah felt like a bitch dumping him last minute on top of her preemptive Jareth dumping. She called Skittle to her, her favorite goblin that tended to hang around her house now that Jareth deemed it acceptable, and tasked him to deliver the fruitcake and her message to Jareth as quickly as possible. Skittle skedaddled off to the Underground with her peace offering and Sarah crossed her fingers and began preparing for her evening out. At least she hoped an evening out as she was fairly certain Jareth was unlikely to pass up the opportunity to escort her, assuming his pride wasn't too damaged.
.
.
The finishing touches of her makeup applied, Sarah strolled from her bathroom into her living room just as the atmosphere electrified and swelled, the typical signal of his arrival. Raising her head she saw him positioned regally on her couch wearing something out of the ordinary for him; how one man could fill a room with his physical presence still amazed her.
"Jareth, I see you received my message." She said casually as she adjusted her large diamond hoop earrings but she felt anything but relaxed as she absorbed his Armani clad body and humanized features. God, but the man could wear anything and look gorgeous!
"Yes, it was most unexpected." He stated calmly as he unfolded his languid form from her leather couch and sauntered towards her. He raked his mismatched ice blue eyes over her slim fitting red dress and heels. "But not unappreciated."
Sarah's stomach quivered at his obvious perusal; he'd never looked at her quite so ardently before, at least not that she remembered. "I'm glad; I should have asked you before...I just never thought..."
Jareth waved his hand indifferently to her faltering apology, his eyes never leaving hers, "Forgotten, Precious, although your challenge intrigues me."
"M—my challenge?" Sarah asked truly surprised. Whatever could he mean? She didn't remember issuing any challenge.
"Your 'peace offering'? You do remember, don't you?" Jareth stood just a few feet in front of her and the air was acutely thick and warm and Sarah found it difficult to breathe.
"The fruitcake?"
"That vile thing has a name?" His lip curled exposing his sharp teeth and a thrill shot down Sarah's spine ending between her legs as imagined those teeth nibbling at her throat. Swallowing, she tried to speak.
"It's a Christmas tradition to send fruitcakes to friends." She managed to squeak out.
"Oh
really." Jareth purred as he moved tad closer. "Why is it then this is the first Christmas I've received such a lovely, traditional
fruitcake from you?" He retorted his eyes boring into hers.
"Well...I...that is..."
"Indeed, Sarah, you really must work on your prevarication skills. They are sorely lacking." Smirking he leaned in while tilting his head, his breath ghosted over her skin and she caught his unique scent. "For your offense against the Crown I have a proposition to offer." He said quickly switching tracks.
"A proposition?" She echoed dumbly her mind in a fog due to his proximity. Jareth watched as Sarah's vision dulled with lust and knew his plan would work; he only needed to stay the course.
"Quite; I offer a wager between...
friends."
"Wager?" She said with a bit of fire returning to her eyes. "What sort of wager?" He heard the clarity returning to her voice and grinned to himself, pleased. It wouldn't due to end to game too quickly. He leaned in again, his face inches from hers and slowly moved around until his lips blew air softly across the delicate skin of her neck; she shivered and started to back away but he kept pace with her without touching.
"I wager that you, Sarah Williams, will be begging me to kiss you by this evening's end." His proclamation came with a quiet voice but Jareth might as well have yelled in Sarah's ear due to her reaction.
"What!" She shoved him, her hands firm on his shoulders and he laughed seductively at her outraged response. "How dare you!" She panted and glared. "You think that's a friend's wager?" Jareth sprung forward wrapping one arm around her waist and snapping her flush against him.
"Indeed not, Sarah. I find myself tiring of your friendship but, as ever, I leave the choice to you." Sarah felt his warmth seep through her dress, her hands still pressed to his shoulders. She wasn't sure what to do with this version of Jareth. He left no doubt of his desire for her, a question she'd been gray on for years. But to
beg him to kiss her...I don't think so Goblin King. She pinned him with her laser green gaze and his breath quickened, their chests pressed together.
"I accept your wager, game on, Goblin King."
"
Excellent! Shall we depart? We wouldn't want to be too fashionably late for the soiree, lots of fun to look forward to, Precious." Jareth gave her body a last squeeze before releasing her and offering her his arm which Sarah accepted proudly after taking a moment to resettle herself, while Jareth watched smirking. His Sarah looked positively delicious in the sensuous red dress.
