Jack smiled when he saw Serena approaching. He was glad to see she looked so together, so much herself.
"Hi," they said simultaneously, and then laughed nervously. They sat down and busied themselves with ordering lunch and drinks.
"Why weren't you there?" she suddenly blurted out.
"Arthur and I discussed it, and he thought it would be too much like you were being double teamed if we were both there," he answered honestly.
"So you agree with him," Serena said, not quite as a statement, but not entirely a question either.
"Sort of," he paused and looked at Serena, and then took her hand. "Serena, over the past few years you've changed, you've grown. I think you're more comfortable with who you are and what you are, but because of that growth, you've actually become a less effective ADA. There was a time when you would have been content to defend the law, but correct me if I'm wrong, I think now you'd be happier making laws, trying to fix the crazy system we're stuck working within," Jack said.
Serena looked at him, she was dumbfounded. "You amaze me, Jack," she said when she got her voice back.
"How so?" he asked.
"I think you know me better than I know myself. Here I've been asking myself what to do with the rest of my life and you've already got it figured out, haven't you?" she asked.
"Well, now that you mention it, I've got some ideas," he said with his patented Jack grin.
He started laying out some ideas about her sending out feelers to various political action committees and exploring the idea of her running for local political office. He got her to thinking about whether or not she wanted to go into private practice, and if so in what area of law. He had a number of friends; female of course, who had practices and who might be willing to take in a junior partner, if she came with the right letter of reference, which Jack of course was more than willing to supply.
"You know Jack, if all this works out the way it could. I could end up a very wealthy and influential woman. Are you sure you don't want to quit the DA's office and come with me?" she asked with a teasing smile.
"Nah, I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks, but … when you are a wealthy influential woman, don't forget me?" he asked.
"How could anyone ever forget you, Jack?"