Lieutenant John "Jack" Francis Donaghy had just arrived home from the Pacific and he was ready to get back to reality. Four years at Princeton University had been chased with two years in the Navy. Now, it was time to take advantage of the bustle of post-war New York City.

Jack's mentor, Donald "Don" Geiss had invited the newly-returned Jack to a party in his apartment in Manhattan. "Jackie-Boy, I want you to join us at a dinner party I am hosting this Saturday evening. Think of it as a way of getting back into the swing of things," Don told Jack.

This was why Jack was at Don's apartment on Saturday evening. He had dressed up in a suit that he had gone and purchased especially for this purpose; feeling a little underdressed when he arrived to the party. There were men in tuxedos and women in evening gowns. This was a little too glamorous for Jack Donaghy.

And then he saw her. She was someone that he would have missed had it not been for the fact that she was speaking with Mr. Geiss himself. She wore a long blue dress, her hair pinned up at the nape of her neck, and a pearl necklace that almost matched the pale skin it laid upon. She was a small woman, but Jack sensed that her personality gave her presence. Who was she?

Jack walked over to his mentor and the unidentified woman. "Hello Mr. Geiss," Jack greeted Don as he stuck his hand out to shake Don's.

Don returned the gesture and smiled to the woman. "Jack, have you met Miss Elizabeth Lemon?"

The woman turned to Jack and smiled. Her eyes were dark, much darker than any brown eyes that Jack had seen in his lifetime, and her lips were thin, but there was a certain level of glamour that intrigued Jack. She wouldn't have been someone that he would immediately notice if she were in a massive group of people, but she was someone that if she were noticed, she'd be a challenge to forget. Jack knew that he was toast. "Miss Lemon, it's a pleasure to meet you," Jack replied as he took her hand to kiss.

Miss Lemon looked put off by this gesture, but said nothing in protest. "Please, call me Elizabeth," she replied. "But I don't know what to call you."

Jack smiled. "Jack Donaghy," he answered.

Elizabeth nodded as she stuck her hand out to shake Jack's. "Well, Jack, it is lovely to meet you," she told him before she turned back to Don. "I think you shouldn't over-think it. Simplicity is all you need. Classic. There's a reason it's considered a classic."

Don laughed and put his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "I knew I could count on you. Jack, this woman here is a genius. If I were crazy, I'd say she'd be running the company someday," Don remarked as he was pulled away by another guest.

Jack smiled as Elizabeth glanced around the room. "Are you and Mr. Geiss good friends?" he asked her.

Elizabeth's eyes clicked back over to meet Jack's. "I met Mr. Geiss after I took an assignment investigating the company a few years ago. You see, I'm a writer and I was writing a free-lance article for the Post. He's consulted me several times about business decisions, and I suspect that he keeps on inviting me to these things to find me a husband. I know he thinks quite highly of me and wishes to see me married off to one of his subordinates."

Jack found his heart unexpectedly flipping. "You're not married?" he asked stupidly.

Elizabeth shook her head. "My track record isn't great," she admitted with a smile. "But you know what: I'm okay with not getting married. I'm still young, I have my health, and I have a career. Who cares if I'm a spinster?"

"I'm surprised that a woman like you is okay with being single," Jack replied.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at Jack. "Are you insinuating something, Mr. Donaghy?" she asked suspiciously.

When Jack had no reply, Elizabeth walked away from him for the rest of the evening.

Jack hadn't meant to be a jerk. He'd only been surprised that someone like Elizabeth Lemon wasn't married, wasn't looking to be married, and wasn't freaking out about the fact that she wasn't married or not looking to be married. That was abnormal for women her age. The women Jack Donaghy knew were all very family oriented women who all married young and started popping out babies. His mother had been like that, his sisters had been like that, women he'd gone to high school with (some he dated, most he didn't) had been like that… but why wasn't Elizabeth Lemon like that?

He wanted to find out.

Because he had ruined his chances of learning more about Elizabeth at Don Geiss' party, Jack spoke with his mentor as he left the party. "Do you know where I might be able to find Elizabeth on Monday?" Jack asked Don.

"She works on the 6th floor of 30 Rockefeller Center."

"She works for NBC?" Jack queried.

Don nodded. "News. She's quite good, probably should go into the entertainment sector though. She's got quite the wit."

Jack knew what his plans for Monday were.

At 9 AM sharp, Jack walked through the front doors of 30 Rockefeller Center wearing the suit he'd worn for Geiss' party. He was determined to get a job at this prestigious building, no matter the risks he'd have to take in this endeavor. He was Jack Donaghy, and he was going to be brilliant.

He headed up to Human Resources, got himself a job in the mail room, and promptly went to work.

By mid-afternoon, Jack came across a letter to one Ms. Elizabeth Lemon. He almost decked the other mail-person for the letter, and dashed up to the sixth floor. Before he reached the sixth floor, he popped a mint into his mouth and made sure he looked presentable for delivering the letter to Elizabeth Lemon.

He felt like a teenage boy who was going to talk to the girl that he liked. Except he wasn't a teenager (he was twenty-five, thank you very much) and he wasn't sure if he liked Elizabeth yet. He hadn't gotten the chance to know this woman enough to know if he liked her.

He marched into the writers' room and found Elizabeth was right there. "Miss Lemon?" Jack asked.

She turned around, her curly brown hair whipping around as she did so, and her face fell when she saw Jack. "Mr. Donaghy," she replied dully.

"I have a letter for you," he explained as he handed the envelope to her.

"Thank you. I didn't know you worked here," she replied quietly as she turned to face him completely.

"I just started. I've been promoted twice today."

"I was not aware that that was even possible."

"I'm an exception."

"Is that so?" Elizabeth asked as she turned back to the table.

Jack stepped closer. "Yes, actually. I am an exception."

"Jack… I have no time for you and your games. Please go back to your job and let me get back to mine. Who knows: you might get promoted again," Elizabeth hissed at him.

Two things had been accomplished with that encounter. One, Elizabeth had called him by his first name. Two, he had managed to get on her radar; why else would she have been irked by his presence? He now knew that she was aware of him and his presence in her world. And if he had learned anything from the Navy, he knew that it was now that he had to move into position for everything to line up.