"Why so glum, Blair?"

Sandburg looked up from reading Jim's files. Taggart stood before him with a cup of coffee and a concerned expression.

"Nothin.." Blair shrugged listlessly.

Taggart's left eyebrow inched up towards his hairline.

Blair closed the file and leaned forward. He knew Ellison wasn't even on the same floor at the moment, but if the expression `radar hearing' fit anyone, it fit his roommate. "Jim's birthday, man. It's this Saturday. I can't scratch together twenty lousy bucks! What am I gonna do?"

Joel smiled and pulled an empty office chair close to sit next to the desk. "Sandburg, why don't you give something Jim can't buy?"

"Joel, if he can't afford it, I'm going to have to just steal it. I'm broke!"

Taggart laughed and shook his head. "No, listen. Give him a gift of service. Do something for him."

"You mean like when you're a kid and you make up coupons with stuff like: wash the dishes, clean the garage, take out the garbage?"

"Or you could just say, `Hey Jim, the sky's the limit. As long as I don't have to spend any money, you pick it.'"

Blair gave the idea some consideration. Well, it is the thought that counts. More than likely, he'd suggest a full day of cleaning the loft. Oh well, he could do that.

"I'll do that. Thanks, man."

Ellison sank wearily into his sofa. Using the remote, he flipped through the channels on TV and settled on a rerun of M*A*S*H. Blair was late, no surprise there. But it was his turn to cook. Watching as Hawk-eye prepared to set another booby-trap for Frank, Jim became aware of his roommate's mumbling as he entered the building.

"Late..late...late"

A few minutes later, Sandburg entered the loft breathless, curls escaping from his ponytail. "Oh, man. The traffic! Sorry about dinner man. I'll get started."

"S'okay. I'm just relaxing. Simon treated me to a late lunch today for my birthday."

Sandburg raced into his room and returned without his backpack. "Okay, I've got the sauce ready. I'll get that heated and start the water for the pasta." He pulled out pans and Tupperware containers as he talked. "So, Jim. I'm getting you something a little unusual for your birthday. It was Taggart's idea..."

Jim waved a hand in dismissal. "Forget it, Sandburg. You don't need to get me anything, just save your money."

"That's the unusual part, man. It doesn't cost me anything."

Jim turned away from the TV and stared at his roommate.

"I don't want your collection of dusty books, Junior."

"Ha. Ha. Besides, those are priceless..."

"To a geek, maybe."

"Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Sorry, go ahead."

Blair turned the burner up full under the pot of water. "Okay, here it is. From the time you get up Saturday to the time you go to sleep, you're the boss. What ever you say goes."

"And this is different how?"

"Egomaniacsentinelswithdelusionsofgrandor.." Blair took a deep breath. "What I mean is, I will do what ever you say, all day man." He turned his back on preparing dinner and looked at his friend sitting on the sofa.

Ellison's face was thoughtful, then a slow grin begin to grow, transforming into a megawatt smile. "Oh, yeah. This has possibilities. Thanks, Sandburg. It's the best present anyone has ever given me."

Blair stood frozen. "Umm, Jim, you're not like gonna do anything bad are you?"

"Sandburg! Come on, wake up!"

Blair cracked a bleary eye. "Whaaa.."

"Let's go, Chief. We have a long list to do today."

Pushing his long hair out of his face, Blair sat up and looked around in confusion. The window told him it was still dark. Jim was dressed in jeans and a Jags T-shirt.

"We get a new case?"

"No, it's Saturday, no work. Come on, let's move."

Blair threw himself back down and rolled towards the wall. "It's too early, come back when the sun is up. Hey!" He scrambled for the blankets that disappeared around his neck.

"I'm invoking my birthday present. You promised my word was law. Now get up." Ellison bundled into a ball and tossed it into a corner.

Blair sat up again and stared at Jim as if he'd suddenly lost his mind. "Jim! Wait until morning at least, man."

"You said from when I get up. I'm up!"

"AAUUUGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!."

Blair stood at the stove watching the eggs cook. Jim sat at the table reading the paper (that Blair had to run to the corner to buy) and sipping his coffee (three guesses who brewed that!).

"After breakfast, the first thing on the list is the bathroom."

Blair nodded, checking the eggs and yawning. He shouldn't be surprised. After all, he expected this. Just not this damn early! The clock on the wall read four-forty-five.

"What ever man."

A few minutes later, Blair stood in the doorway to the bathroom. He sat the bucket with cleaning supplied down and surveyed the small room. It didn't look bad to him! Jim had given him a small piece of paper with each task listed. Man, he needed to thank Taggart the next time he saw him! With a small shake of his head he read the first item on the list and picked up the toilet brush.

"You're falling behind schedule, Sandburg." Ellison shouted.

Blair griped the handle to the vacuum cleaner until his knuckles were white. It wasn't even nine in the morning yet, and he'd never worked so hard in his life! Granted, Jim was working just as hard. The loft was literally gleaming from every surface. He hit the switch to the machine and wound the cord up.

"Okay man, what's next?" he asked tonelessly. Yep, Taggart just better hope that he saw Blair before Blair saw him!

"You've got 15 minutes left of free time..."

"What! I had free time and you didn't tell me?!" Blair asked, his voice rising on each word.

"You fell behind, Junior. You just used half of your free time to finish the living room."

"What ever!" Blair said through clutched teeth. "I'm taking a shower!" He put the vacuum away and went into his spotlessly clean room to grab some clothes.

"We're going out, be ready to leave at nine." Jim called out cheerfully, bouncing up the stairs to his room.

Sandburg glared at the older man en route to the cleanest bathroom he'd ever been in his whole twenty five years.

Blair looked at the large shopping mall in baffled amazement. What in the world were they doing here?

"Okay, let's move fast. We're on a tight schedule."

Sandburg trotted to keep up with his sentinel as he headed into a upscale clothing store. Rich looking sweaters and wool slacks hung on old fashion wooden hangers. Blair got more than one look from the other customers.

"Mr. Ellison! Nice to see you, sir. What can we do for you today?"

Jim smiled and nodded to his shadow. "We need a nice casual outfit. Not formal, but nice enough to look like he'd belong at the club."

The tall, thin man looked at the student in the holy blue jeans and oversized pea jacket. "Very good, I think we have just the thing."

Blair took several steps back and held out both hands, his head shaking from side to side like he was watching a fast game of tennis. "NO way, man. This is not going to happen. Jim! Are you out of your mind!"

The outburst was enough to make the entire population of shoppers and employees in the store stop and watch.

Jim stood straight and crossed both arms over his chest. "Who's birthday is it? I believe your exact words were..."

Blair grabbed a strong sentinel arm and nearly pulled the big man off his feet in his hurry to speak with his roommate privately. "I told you, man! I'm broke!" He hissed, sparks of fire flashing from both eyes.

Jim chuckled and patted his arm. "You're not paying for it, Sandburg. I am."

"What!" Blair shrieked. Then looked around embarrassed. He lowered his voice. "No way! Just forget it, Jim!"

Jim gave him a stern look, his face suddenly serious. "I'm the boss. What ever I say goes." He raised an eyebrow and waited for his guide's response.

Blair dropped his hand from his roommates arm and hung his head in defeat.

He wasn't going to give Taggart a chance! He'll never see it coming!

Forty five minutes later, they exited the store. Blair carried the purchases, quietly walking behind Ellison.

"Okay, we're a little ahead of schedule. I wasn't going to try this next stop unless we had the time." Ellison started the Ford and drove toward the entrance to the parking lot, whistling a happy tune.

Fifteen minutes later, they entered a medical clinic that kept weekend hours. He left Sandburg sitting in the waiting room and went to talk with the receptionist. Returning to find a quiet guide flipping through a current `Time' issue, he took the adjacent seat.

"Just be a few minutes. They're not too busy."

"Swell." Blair muttered.

"Sandburg and Ellison?" A nurse appeared with a smile.

"Jim?" Blair said with wide eyes.

Ellison gave him a reassuring smile. "Come on, Sandburg. We're on a ..."

"I know, I know a tight schedule." Blair followed his friend into a small room.

"Okay, I understand you both need your flu shots." The nurse started, then jumped back in surprise when a short anthropologist bolted for the door she had just closed.

Ellison intercepted him neatly.

"Nuh UH! No, no, no, no.." Blair scrambled to get around the taller man. "You can be a pin cushion, Jim. But not me!"

Ellison kept a firm grip on the fleeing roommate. He turned to grin at the wide eyed nurse. "We'll be ready in just a second."

Blair rubbed his arm slowly. He sat glumly in the Ford planning his act of murder on one Joel Taggart. The key was to make the cop suffer before he died.

Ellison was beating a tune to the steering wheel as he listened to the radio station.

"I'm going to get the flu for sure now, Jim." Blair complained.

Jim's mood would not be ruined. "You'll be fine, Sandburg. Between your students and the people we meet on the job, it would just be a matter of time before one of use got the flu."

"It's not like it really works! It doesn't stop all the types of flu out there." Blair sulked.

"It makes the odds better. It's worth it."

Oh yeah, Taggart's days are numbered.

Ellison found an empty parking spot on the street. Neatly backing into the parallel spot, he turned off the ignition and opened the door.

"One more stop this morning and we'll grab some lunch, Chief."

He headed down the side walk, then stopped when he realized he was alone. Turning back to the truck, he found Blair still sitting in the cab.

Blair watched as his friend walked back toward the Ford. This was too much. He willed his emotions into obedience, but knew he was failing miserably.

As the passenger door opened and Jim stood with a puzzled look on his face, Blair felt the first tear break and fall down his cheek.

"Chief?" Jim looked astonished.

"Please, man. I said I'd do what ever you said, but I never expected you to want this." He mumbled with a tight throat.

Jim looked over his shoulder and saw the red and white barber pole.

"No, Blair. I don't want that. We're just picking up my dry cleaning. It's a few doors down," Jim said softly understanding his friend's reaction. He leaned his hip against the door frame. "I'd personally kick your ass if you cut your hair for any reason except that you wanted to. Got it?"

Blair gave his friend a searching look. "Honest, man?"

"Yeah, now are you going to carry my dry cleaning to the truck or what?"

Blair watched as Ellison handed the white embossed card over to the man in the uniform. He smoothed his new jacket down carefully. He had to admit, he was a babe magnet in this!

"Thank you Mr. Ellison. Enjoy yourselves." The man tipped his cap and opened the door for them to enter.

"Oh Wow!" Sandburg whispered as they entered the private club. "Ohmygod, Jim! That's ..."

"Quiet, Sandburg. Behave." Jim warned his friend with a hand on his shoulder. "Tonight everyone is just out to have a good time and raise a little money for a good cause. If you happen to get a few autographs, no one is going to mind. Got it?"

Blair looked around the room with a wide smile and a bounce as he nodded. "Kay."

They entered the large room to mingle.

It was almost midnight before they returned to Prospect street. Blair was numb from the memories of all the people he had just spent hours talking, eating and laughing with. He opened the door and blindly followed his roommate into the building.

"Jim?"

"What?"

"Do you do that a lot?"

"No, but this was a good cause. Normally I hate to go, but it's not so bad if someone goes along with you. Thanks, by the way." Jim said, unlocking the door to the loft. "Hope you weren't too bored," He added with a grin.

Blair bounced into the loft. "Well, man. It's your birthday. What's a little suffering when I know how much you loved having me along."

Jim snorted has he locked the door behind them. "Go to bed Sandburg. Your birthday gift is officially over."

"Hey, Blair! How was the birthday gift?" Taggart asked.

Sandburg beamed at the ex-bomb squad captain. He held out a new coffee mug with the Rainier University logo.

"This is for you, Joel. That was the best birthday gift I've ever given!"

The End

If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to LKY

Home

Search for another story

[an error occurred while processing this directive]