27. PRESENT: All's Well That Ends…
In the several months since they moved in together, both their lives had changed in other ways as well.
Janet had been promoted to manager of the same flower shop where she had once, as a teenager, started out in the back room, her arms always up to her elbows in soil. Now her degree in business administration was put to good use. She managed the shop the same way she had always done everything else – firmly and efficiently, with a cool head and a radiant smile.
And Jack… Jack was on his way to fulfilling his life's dream. He was no longer slaving in the kitchen of Angelino's restaurant. He now had his own restaurant, Jack's Bistro. Even though, technically, he was still renting it from Angelino and paying him a percentage of all profits. Even though so far it had been an uphill battle to make any profits. It was still his own place, his own creation. It bore his name and his indelible mark.
Unfortunately, Jack did not have Janet's business acumen. He was more artist than entrepreneur, too focused on the work to take care of the business. For him, creating delicious food was an end in and of itself, not a means to an end. But that problem was easily solved. All he needed was someone to handle the business end – someone smart and trustworthy. Someone… just like Janet.
She had briefly considered leaving the flower trade to somebody else and going in with Jack. She knew she would be good at it, and the idea of working alongside her boyfriend was tempting. But she resolutely shut it down before it could take root.
She adored Jack and basked in his love. But she was wise enough to know that, to keep those feelings alive and fresh, their work lives needed to be separate. Also, to stand on her own two feet, she needed to be a somebody in her own right, to carve out her own path and achieve her own goals.
However, what she could do to help Jack was find just the right person for the job. She was going to vet the applicants herself, to make sure Jack got the very best.
Janet glanced at the clock. Jack should be home soon. Even working longer hours, she was still always the first one home.
Just as she had once thought, she had learned to cook in a few easy lessons. Not from Jack – his haute cuisine was too fancy for everyday meals – but from Helen Roper. Jack may spend his days among his poulets poches and scampi alla calabrese, but he was always happy to come home to a plain, simple hot meal prepared by the woman who loved him.
She perked up her ears as she heard the sound of his key in the lock. When Jack entered, she was standing right next to the front door. He stepped inside – and immediately fell into her arms.
"Tired, love?" she asked.
"And how."
"Long night?"
"In-termin-able," he murmured.
"And as usual, you didn't have a minute to grab a bite yourself?"
"Mmm… you know it, sweet girl."
"Come in the kitchen. I have something nice simmering on the stove for you."