Janet didn't see Eddie for days after that last encounter. She had fallen into a comfortable routine with Mike, though. And it was nice. She was moving around better now and she had dinner ready when he'd get home. She's been out of the hospital for a while and she finally was ready to get back to her life. When she told Mike she was going back to work, he'd smiled and been supportive. Pizza Girl and Hannah promised Mike they'd monitor Janet at the bar and let him know if she needed anything.

"Hi darling," Sully smiled when she made her way into the bar. "I've missed you so much!"

"Me, too, Sully," she smiled, hugging him tightly.

"That boy of yours….he's been around a lot," Sully said as he poured a beer for one of the guys at the bar.

"Mike?" Janet asked, turning toward him. "Really?"

"Eddie, my dear," Sully said, looking at her. "He looks kinda out of it."

"He's fine, I'm sure," Janet shrugged. "And he's not my boy anymore, Sully. You know that."

"Whatever you say…," Sully laughed.

Just then, Mike walked in. "Hi!" Janet smiled and walked around the bar to give him a kiss on his cheek. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you, of course," he told her, grabbing a seat at the bar.

"I thought Hannah and Pizza Girl were watching me today," Janet smiled knowingly.

"I had a few minutes, Janet and I wanted to see how you were doing. Hannah and Pizza Girl will watch out for you the rest of the day," he laughed.

"Okay," she smiled. "Do you want a burger?" she asked, turning around to head to the kitchen.

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded.

"Hey, man," Nick said as he and Owen walked in to Sully's. "What's up?"

"Just stopped in for lunch….and to check up on Janet," he admitted. "It's her first day back and all."

"Yeah," Owen nodded. "How's she doing?"

"Good," Mike nodded. "She's doing better," he smiled.

"Glad to hear it," Nick said, glancing back at Hannah and Pizza Girl. "If you two will excuse me for a moment," he said as he made his way to their table. "Hi ladies," he smiled.

"Hey," Hannah said, looking up.

"I'm going to run to the little girls' room," Pizza Girl said, slipping out of the booth.

Nick glanced at her as she ran away, "What was that all about?"

"She thinks things with us are awkward," Hannah explained.

"Awkward?" Nick asked.

"Whatever," Hannah sighed. "How are you?"

"Fine," Nick shrugged. "How's Sam?"

"He's fine," Hannah smiled genuinely. "He's great. He just got his report card…all As. And he made it on the traveling baseball team," Hannah gushed.

"He's awesome," Nick agreed.

"He is," Hannah nodded proudly.

"I want to tell him. About….you know….me," Nick told her.

"I knew that was going to happen," Hannah sighed. "I have to talk to Ray," Hannah told him. "And he's out of town for the next week or so. Can we wait until then?" she asked, nervously shredding her napkin.

"Of course," Nick said, smiling and noticing Pizza Girl approaching. "I'll just let you two ladies enjoy your lunch," he said, getting up from the booth.

"What was that about Nicky?" Owen asked as Nick sat back down next to him.

"Nothing," Nick said, shaking his head. "Hey Janet," Nick smiled as she dropped their drinks off in front of them and gave Mike his burger. "You're looking better."

"Thanks," Janet smiled. "I'm feeling better, Nick. Here you go, Owen," she said, smiling.

"I'm glad you're back," Owen smiled. "Extra bleu cheese crumbles!"

"You got it, Owen," Janet smiled. "So, Mike," she said, leaning on the counter, "what time are you coming home tonight?"

"I will be there by 7," he promised.

"I put some stew in the crock pot," she told him. "You could come eat it with me."

"Where else would I go?" he asked, reaching across the counter to give her kiss.

"If I'm late, wait for me," she whispered in his ear as he pulled away.

"Always," Mike smiled, leaning in for one more kiss before he waved goodbye and left the bar.

"So," Hannah smiled as she and Pizza Girl made it to the bar. "Things are going well in the Mike Department?"

"Yes," Janet sighed. "So?"

"What about Eddie?" Pizza Girl asked. "He's stopped drinking all the time…"

"And?" Janet asked. "I'm glad Eddie's not in a constant haze…"

"I just kinda think the guy might not be over you," Nick offered and Owen nodded.

"Well, Eddie made it pretty clear before that he was over me, so I did my best to get over him. Just because he might have had a change of heart doesn't mean I'm going to," she shrugged. "We've talked. We're going to be friends," she said.

"Friends," Pizza Girl said slowly.

"Eddie doesn't do the friends with girls thing too well," Hannah said, shrugging.

"You two are his friends," she said to Hannah and Pizza Girl, wiping the counter.

"By circumstance only," Pizza Girl said. "If I wasn't with Phil, Eddie and I wouldn't talk," she shrugged.

"And really…if Nick wasn't the common thread with us, we wouldn't really be too chummy," Hannah said, matter-of-factly.

"We're friends," Janet shrugged. "Plain and simple."

"Well," Nick laughed as Eddie walked through the door. "Here comes your friend."

"Hey," Eddie said, slapping Nick and Owen on their backs. "Hi Janet," he smiled, sliding next to Owen on a bar stool.

"Hi Eddie," Janet smiled, "what can I get you?"

"Hi Eddie," Pizza Girl and Hannah said, simultaneously, giggling.

"Hey," he said to them, absently. "My usual," he said to Janet, "minus the beer. Just a coke."

"Sure," she said with a smile and turned toward the kitchen.

"What are you doing, Eddie," Hannah said, turning to Eddie as Janet was out of earshot.

"I'm ordering lunch," he said, giving her a strange look. "What are you doing?"

"She's happy with Mike. Don't flirt with her. Don't turn on the Latekka charm," Hannah glared.

"She's been through a lot," Pizza Girl sighed. "She deserves to be happy."

"She was happy…with me," Eddie told her. "She told me that."

"She was. And then you broke her heart," Pizza Girl sighed.

"She broke mine too," he said as he shoved away from the bar and went to a booth toward the back.

Eddie and Owen watched him go off. Owen started to get up but Nick stopped him. "Let him be," Nick sighed.

"He really misses her," Pizza Girl mused, watching him mope as Janet walked back to give him his food.

"She doesn't seem to know it yet, but I think she misses him too," Hannah sighed. "Okay – I'm leaving."

"Wait," Pizza Girl said, grabbing her arm. "I thought we were hanging out here today?"

Nick and Owen got up too and Owen smiled at her, "Eddie'll watch out for her. He's not going anywhere for a while."

"He took the afternoon off from the shop," Nick confirmed.

"Bye Janet," the group said as the departed.

"See ya," Janet said, briefly looking up but then back at Eddie. "What's wrong? Why are you all the way back here?"

"I just wanted to be alone," he shrugged. "If it's too much for you to go back and forth I can go back up there," he said, nodding to the bar.

"Nah," she smiled. "I'm feeling pretty good today," she told him as she cleared the table next to them.

"I'm really happy about that," Eddie told her, smiling. "Really," he emphasized.

"I know," Janet nodded. "I'm gonna go back to work, okay?"

"Yeah…go ahead. Don't let me keep you," Eddie nodded.

"I'll be back," she said, walking back to the bar.

The hours flew by for Janet. Her regulars were excited to see her back again and she was doing great with the tips. "Wow," she sighed, glancing up to the clock as she made her way back to Eddie's table. "You're still here?"

He was looking at the paper and switched from cokes to beers a while ago. He looked up and winked, "I like it here."

"I'll bet," she laughed. "It's almost time for me to go. Are you hanging out?"

"Nah…I'm gonna head out then, too," he told her. "I'll walk you to your car."

They walked to the door and it was pouring rain. "Did you walk here, Eddie?" Janet asked, as the rain splashed them even under the shade.

"Yeah…it was sunny around one," he shrugged.

"Let me give you a ride," she insisted. "You'll get soaked if you walk home in this."

"Okay," he laughed. He took off button down shirt and held it over her head as the made their way to her car.

The doors slammed and Janet put the key in the ignition. Nothing. She tried again. Again nothing. "Are you kidding me?" she asked, clearly frustrated.

"Um…Janet?" he asked. "Does this happen a lot?"

"Ever since I got the damn thing back after the accident," she huffed. "What the hell are we going to do? It's pouring outside!"

"Yeah," he said glancing out his window and watching lightening crackle. Just then the lights in Sully's went out.

There were only a handful of patrons inside and Janet and Eddie heard them scamper to their cars out front. "Damn," Janet sighed. "We're stuck. No car. No umbrella. No lights. And I can't walk long distances."

"Let's go back inside," Eddie suggested. "I don't want you getting sick on me."

She relented and then went into the pitch black bar. Janet fished out a mini-flashlight from her handbag and searched out Sully's candle stash. "Here," she sighed as she finally found a box filled with a variety of candles and matches. "Start lighting!" she told Eddie.

He did and within ten minutes the bar didn't really look like a bar anymore. It looked sparkly and sort of had a romantic glow with the candlelight. "Well…all set," Eddie said, looking over at Janet with a smile.

"You're all wet," she giggled, walking over to him to bat down his hair which was sticking up all over the place.

"Me?" he asked. "What about you Miss Meadows? You look like a drowned rat. And your make up is all smeared on your face," he told her.

She immediately grabbed her compact from her bag and looked at herself. She busted out laughing. "I look a mess," she said, as she frantically wiped the black smears from her face.

"Nah," Eddie said, walking closer to her. "You look like wet Janet," he shrugged.

"Okay," she said, smiling at him. The moment was awkward and filled with silent tension.

"So…wanna play a game or something?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"A game?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Yeah," Eddie nodded. "Sully's got some in the back. After his kids out grew them or whatever he'd bring them in. I'm not sure why, but whatever. They're back here," he said, taking a candle into the back closet and came out with Monopoly.

"Excellent," she giggled, pouring them a couple of beers. "I am fabulous at this game!"

"I'll bet you are," Eddie laughed, setting up the board.

They played for hours. In the end, Janet won and Eddie was bankrupt. Janet celebrated by tossing all her money up in the air. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but then the paper stuck to her still damp body. "Eddie," she laughed, "help me!"

"Okay, you nut," he laughed, coming over to her and gently removing the stuck paper from her body. "There," he whispered as he pulled a piece out of her hair. "That's better, isn't it?"

Janet wordlessly nodded as she looked up at him.

His hands skimmed her hairline and he pushed her damp, stray hairs behind her ears. Her breath was hitched when his hands touched her face. She missed him. She missed his sexy seduction act. She loved the way he flirted. "What are you doing?" she murmured, annoyed that he was affecting her but loving it just as much.

"Nothing," he whispered, as his fingers tangled in her hair. His face inched closer to her face and she silently cursed herself as she felt her eyes flutter shut. She felt his warm breath on her cool skin. She knew he wanted to kiss her. And in that moment? In that moment she didn't care. She was still so excited that Eddie Latekka paid her any attention at all that Mike didn't seem to matter. She felt her tongue dart out to moisten her lips and Eddie's hands tipped her head slightly. And then her phone rang. The loud ring caused her and Eddie to jump apart and Janet went straight to fish it out of her bag.

"Hannah?" she asked into the phone. "What's up?"

"Are you okay?" Hannah asked.

"Yeah, why?" she asked, glancing at Eddie who was nervously pacing.

"It's nearly 9:30, Janet. You were supposed to be at home over an hour and a half ago. With the storm, a lot of roads are out and he couldn't make it to the bar to see if you were there. I called Sully and he said you and Eddie left hours ago. What the hell goes on?" Hannah asked her friend.

"Eddie walked me to my car in the rain and then the damn thing wouldn't start. Then we came back inside and played Monopoly under candlelight," Janet explained. "I guess we just lost track of time. I should call Mike," Janet said, looking at her shoes.

"Do that," Hannah sighed. "He's worried sick about you. And leave out Eddie, okay?"

"Whatever," Janet huffed.

"I'll be by to pick you two idiots up shortly," Hannah sighed, hanging up the phone.

Janet immediately dialed Mike's cell. "Hi honey," she said. "No…I'm fine," she sighed. "No, just a little car trouble……yeah…no, Hannah's gonna come and get me…..Yeah, I'm sorry about dinner…..Can I call you later?" she asked. "Okay. I'll call when I get home," she said and hung up. "Well, that went well," she laughed at Eddie.

"I'm sorry," Eddie said.

"For what? No harm, no foul," she shrugged. "I should've kept an eye on the time. Hannah's coming for us."

"Great," he sighed. "Another lecture from her high holiness."

Then the lights came back on and Janet and Eddie both looked up and then at each other at the same times. "We better blow out these candles," she told him and they both started blowing.

Hannah's horn blew and Janet and Eddie both made their way to the front of Sully's. The car ride to Janet's was kind of quiet. When Hannah stopped at 32 Gelson, Eddie got out and then stood at Janet's window until she opened it.

"Yes, Eddie?" she asked, giving him a strange look.

"Good night Janet," he whispered as he pressed a kiss on her lips. It was soft, yet firm and made Janet's eyes flutter shut quickly. If he'd pressed, she would have deepened the kiss in a moment's time.

"Good night, Eddie," Janet said as she watched him walk into his house.

"What the hell?" Hannah asked Janet when they started to drive again.

"I don't know," Janet sighed. "I really like Mike. But Eddie…I mean, he's freaking Eddie Latekka!"

"He's an ass," Hannah said, shrugging her shoulders and turning on the radio, indicating he was through with the converstation.