Chapter 11

"Can I ask you an awkward question?"

Samantha looked up from her stack of papers. Shared lunches were now an everyday occurrence and the flying rumors had settled down over the past week as John and Samantha grew closer. They were sure the rumors would flare up again when they discovered John would head one of Pharmyech's new Top-Secret research departments.

"I was wondering if I could get a sample of your blood and possibly put you through a CAT scan." John waited for her answer. He waited a lot longer than he expected.

Finally, Samantha put down her pen and looked at him. "What do you plan on gaining from said tests?"

"Samantha, I've told you this before and I don't mean it as just a form of flattery. You are literally different from all of the women from my past. You don't react as strongly as others do to my unique abilities. You surprise me with your phenomenal ability to resist my touch. I'm convinced that there's at least a biological and chemical reason why you are able to do so. It's not just your strong character, although that certainly is a factor, but there's something else that protects you from me. If I could isolate whatever the factor or factors may be then I'll be a giant leap closer to realizing a cure."

Samantha sat quietly as she mulled over his words. John did not expect her to be so reticent about something so simple. Then it hit him like a stack of bricks. Perhaps she already knew the answer to what he was asking. And it was not an answer she was willing to give. There could only be one reason for that. "What exactly did Jeff do to you?" Her head snapped up at the mention of his name and John knew instantly that he was right from the wild expression in Samantha's eyes. "I'm right aren't I?"

She only answered him with a palpable silence.

John sat back. "Forget I even mentioned it," he said abruptly, not wanting to cause her any undue pain from whatever may have happened before. John, however, thought things over; about what else that bastard could have done to her. He stood up and began cleaning up his lunch. "I should get going. I am on the clock after all."

"John?" He turned around and noticed the tense look on his boss's face, no, his lover's. "I..."

"Look, you don't have to tell me. I understand that you probably went through something pretty bad. And digging it all up is probably very painful for you. We'll get around to it eventually, I'm sure."

Seeing some of the strain washing from her features, Samantha composed herself and sent a daring smile his way. "Are you that confident that we'll be seeing that much of each other?"

John crossed the room and kissed her briefly. Again, passion flamed across from the contact and their faces flushed. "Most definitely, Ms. Summers. Most definitely." He gave her a final grin and arrogantly strode out of her office.

John shut the door behind him, waved at the secretary at her desk and continued down the hall to the elevator. He sighed. John wished there were something more that he could do for her. He was tempted to investigate things himself but decided not to. She would tell him when she was ready. It just made getting close to her so frustratingly difficult sometimes. That, compounded with his current condition, made the issue of trust even trickier.

John returned to his office. There was still a whole world of cancer research needing to be done and technically John was still the head of said division until his new position was announced. For the remainder of the afternoon he was kept busy with a series of test results that were just finishing up and John was still as eager as always to piece them together.

John was just polishing off a pizza he had picked up at Allesio's when the door unexpectedly rang. Curious, he closed the flat box and answered the summons. Samantha smiled at him and let herself in. With her was a stocky man with plain, nondescript features. Brown hair, wide brown eyes, and even lips stained with just the hint of a mustache.

"Hello, Ms. Summers. What an unexpected surprise," John greeted formally, unsure about the stranger she brought with him.

Samantha herself was cool and collected as always. She smiled briefly at him and stepped inside, stranger in tow. John seated them in his living room and sat down, his curiosity in overdrive. The stranger produced a small attaché case and placed it on the coffee table.

"John, this is the bodyguard we discussed last week, Harold Jensen. I just thought I'd let you meet him before he started shadowing you."

"How thoughtful," John grimaced. They only talked about a bodyguard in passing over dinner and John didn't exactly agree to it. He really didn't mind the thought all that much and it did make sense. However, Samantha went over his head on this and it irritated him just a bit. Quickly, John wiped his hand on his pants and shook Harold's rough hand. He had a firm grip. John looked him straight in the eyes and was surprised by the friendly look in them. He had been expecting someone with steely gaze or a hard expression from someone that was supposed to be guarding his life.

Harold's face cracked into a roguish grin. "Pleased to meet you."

John was unbalanced by the friendly attitude as he let the man's hand go and mumbled a hasty reply.

Harold blinked and looked over at Samantha. "You sure he's as smart as you say he is?"

"Mr. Jensen..."

"Just checking."

Samantha sighed in exasperation. "I really do wonder what Sarah sees in you sometimes."

"What, don't tell me my charm has absolutely no effect on you."

John quirked an eyebrow. "I take it you two know each other outside of your professions?"

"Unfortunately," Samantha answered. "Harold is a friend of mine's fiancé."

Harold only shrugged.

"Samantha, could I talk to you for a second?" He gestured towards the bedroom and she followed. He closed the door securely behind them. "Are you sure about him?"

"Yes, I know. He doesn't look all that reliable but trust me he is. He's a former Army Ranger and has too many tours to list under his belt, most of which are probably a little classified. I do know that he's done several undercover extractions of CIA agents overseas. He's been with Sarah since high school but thought it best not to leave behind a widow so he never proposed until he left the military. Now he's a freelance bodyguard for some of the most prestigious men in the world whenever they pass through on business. He just likes acting the goofball; people tend to underestimate him because of that. He's also costing Pharmtech an arm and a leg so you're just going to have to get used to him."

"And when exactly did you plan on telling me all this?" John fumed. "I would have thought that you'd have a bit more tact than to drop him in my lap with at least some modicum of a warning. Oh, and thanks for checking to see how I felt about all this, too."

Hurt, Samantha lashed out, her eyes cold and face rigid. "First off, this is the warning. I could have just had him tail you without your knowing. And second, I am protecting a company asset. Enough said." Her words stung more than she meant them to but it was too late to take them back now. She watched as John's own eyes hardened into icy flints.

"Is that what I am to you?" he bit off. "A company asset. A business venture. Very well, then." John reached behind Samantha and flung open the door. "Then I take it that your reason for being here is concluded. You've made your introduction. Thank you for your kindness in letting me know that you've purchased me a shadow." He roughly grabbed her by her arm and practically threw Samantha out his door. "Good evening, Ms. Summers," he said brusquely before slamming the door.

John took several calming breaths before finally turning around only to find an uncomfortable looking bodyguard standing in his living room. John stormed back into his room and shut the door behind him.

John woke up the following morning refreshed. That was, until he remembered his fight with Samantha the previous night. Then he felt miserable. He went through his morning ablutions and began fixing himself a cup of coffee when the door rang. He answered it, wondering who it could be so early in the morning.

Harold greeted him with a bag of donuts and his own coffee in a Styrofoam cup. "Morning," he chirped brightly.

John only grunted and let him in. He shuffled about in the kitchen and produced a grapefruit from the fridge. "What are you doing here?"

Harold sat opposite him produced a golden pastry slathered in chocolate. "Well, I thought I'd explain how I work and what to expect. This will probably be the last time you'll see me. Oh I'll be around, you can be sure of that. I'll just be so much of a shadow you won't be able to tell me apart from your own. Actually, I'm living right next door to you. I've hooked up surveillance gear up so I know pretty much what's going on for a half-mile radius around this entire structure, not to mention the cameras I've got hooked up in this building. I have a team of people that will be keeping an eye on you at work and on your commute to and from. I'm sure Samantha's already told you about my combat experience so I'll just skip that part. No need to be confusing certain details, right?"

Despite his mood, John couldn't help but like the guy. "Right," he smirked. "So I can just go about my business as if you weren't really here?"

"Pretty much."

"You do know about Samantha and me, don't you?"

Harold gave a very good innocent expression as he blinked. "Not 'til now." John didn't buy it.

"Right," he answered sarcastically.

John sighed. "Well, I'm off to work." That said, he rose and went out the door, leaving it for his guard to lock up. Moments later Harold jogged up beside him.

"Hey, I'm your security not your doorman."

"I thought you would be scarce after our conversation."

Harold firmly grasped his arm. "Look, buddy. I'm trying to get our relationship started on a good foot here. If you and Samantha have an argument that's between you two. Leave me out of this. I'm doing this more as a personal favor to her than anything else. I'm paid to guard you. I'm a professional but making me dislike you isn't going to help either of us."

They stared at each other for a long moment, measuring the others resolve. Finally, John conceded. "You're right and I'm sorry. You don't have anything to do with this. But Samantha has me seriously irked. She went right over my head on this and she's isn't the most tactful person sometimes."

Harold frowned. "Yeah, well, she hasn't always been this way. She used to be a lot more innocent back in the day. I guess life's hardened her some."

"That's right. You knew her when she was in college."

Harold nodded as they continued walking to the garage. "Yeah, she was a completely different person then, though."

"I'm not going to ask, though."

"Ask what?" "What happened to her," John clarified. "That's for her to decide when I'm ready for that."

Harold slapped him on the back. "You and I are going to get along just fine."

John sat back in his chair, a tower of boxes stacked neatly beside him. The announcement went out that he was heading a new division deep within Pharmtech. Of course, people were murmuring that his new position had something to do with him dating the boss. John sighed. That was unavoidable, he supposed. Thing was, he wasn't sure what his relationship with Samantha was at the moment after last night.