Liz makes her way to her office and punches the speed dial button which enables her to bypass Gabe and reach Jack directly.
"Jack!"
"Hello Lemon, you sound like you're having your woman times, is everything ok?"
"I just found out that you paid an actress to play Dennis Duffy's girlfriend!"
Liz continues to breathe heavily down the call before realising how she sounds in Jack's ear and quickly monitors her breathing before speaking again.
"Why would you do that Jack?"
"Lemon, have you any idea how frustrating it is to watch someone you care about make bad relationship choices?
"Wait, I'm confused? Did you pay that woman to be Dennis Duffy's girlfriend so he wouldn't have to go through life as a 40 year old single man?"
"Lemon, you creative types always make situations more complicated than they really are."
Jack presses the loud speaker button on the phone to allow him to pace round the office in the hopes of explaining himself.
"Lemon, I understand that you are a woman and you don't have the capacity to see things simply as they are, maybe you should try and think more like a man, that's what I always say to Liddy."
Liz rolls her eyes at Jack whilst she continues to hold the phone close to her ear; she knots her fingers through the cords of the telephone as she listens. She knows that she is too angry to come up and face him directly and knows too well the satisfaction Jack will get seeing how worked up she is.
"Lemon, I paid for that woman in the hopes you would be jealous and break up with Criss"
SLAM!
Liz slams the phone down and makes her way to Jack's office.
On her arrival Gabe greats her with a warm smile and gestures for her to go on through.
"Mr Donaghy is expecting you"
"Ughhhhhhh!"
Jack stands over the drinks trolley whilst pouring Liz's favourite wine into a glass.
"I should pour that drink over you"
"I've taught you better than to waste good wine Lemon"
Liz grits her teeth together and refuses to take the drink from Jack. He now understands the seriousness of the conversation and is ready to explain.
"I'm going to be honest with you, I don't like Criss and he's not good enough for you."
"You don't even know him Jack"
"Fine, how about dinner tonight at Plunder, we can all sit down together and see what happens"
Jack's reasoning always did have a calming effect on Liz and she agrees to his terms.
"Thank you Jack"
Liz and Criss are first to arrive and patiently wait for Jack's arrival. Liz is quick to spot Jack and leaps out of her seat to greet him. Criss before his very eyes see's the whole thing as if in slow motion. Liz raises her left arm and holds it tightly around Jack's neck to which he responds placing his arm on Liz's lower back pushing her into his torso so that there is no space between them; his free hand gently holds her right arm to steady her as they continue their prolonged embrace. Jack confidently grazes a soft kiss on Liz's neck which sends electricity down her body and causes her leg to elevate in an old school movie way. Before his release, he pushes her further up into his chest and squeezes into the neuk of her neck and takes a deep inhale which tickles her sensitive nape. After an inappropriately amount of time has passed Jack reluctantly releases Liz and they lock eyes whist still in their cocoon and share a soft smile that reaches both their eyes. Liz's left arm is still rested on Jack's shoulder as the tingling of Jack's kiss has made her legs buckle and give way to which she shrugs off as an awkward welcome dance for Jack.
Inside Criss's head he screams "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!"
Jack holds out his hand for Criss to take to which he is looking a little shell-shocked. Jack takes hold of Criss's limp hand and shakes it politely and gestures for him to take his seat not before pulling out Liz's chair. Forgetting his manner's Criss immediately reaches for the water and pours himself a large glass to which he gulps down in haste.
Once everyone is settled and ordered, Jack is ready to get to know Criss a little better, he starts with polite small talk, which consists of the basics. As Criss answers, Jack becomes more and more frustrated that nothing sparks his interest until Criss mentions his father.
"My fathers is a Professor"
Jack sits up in his chair as he thinks, finally something that is mildly interesting about him.
"Really, what is he a Professor of?
"He's a History Professor"
Criss can see that he now has Jack's attention and decides to disclose more information in the hopes that Jack will be impressed.
"Also Elvis Costelo gave him a kidney"
SPIT TAKE – Both Jack and Liz ejects the content of their drinks onto the table.
"Hold on, is your father Milton Green?"
Criss nods not really understanding what's happening. Liz quizzes him further as she can see that Jack has no words.
"Is your real name Spiderman?"
Criss beings to piece everything together, whilst Liz encourages him to get there faster, gesturing with her hands to make the connection.
"You're John Francis Donaghy?"
Jack nods his head in agreement
"Even when you wrote the cheque, I still didn't put two and two together."
"That's because you are an idiot!"
"OMG, you're my half-brother?"
As Jack sits back and examines the three of them sitting together, he can't help but think, perhaps Lemon sees a little of Jack in Criss. He is now able to come to terms with the fact that if he can't be Liz's whole life he will certainly be part of her life and he can live with that.
The End
