"Jennifer Lindley, late as usual," He said pulling her into a big hug,
being very careful not to crush Amy. "But just as beautiful as ever," he
added watching Jen's smile grow even larger.
"And you, Jack McPhee, just as sweet as always." She handed Jack the bag she was carrying and then shifted Amy to her left side. "I believe you have meet my friend, Joey Potter."
He turned his attention towards Joey and pulled her into a very tight embrace. "Joey, It's so great to see you. It's been forever. and you look great." Jack said as he pulled her back to arm length and looked her in the eyes. "How have you been?" Joey looked down at the ground and her smile faded from her face. Jack noticed the sudden transition in Joey but before he had a chance to ask her what was bothering her Jen interrupted.
"Jack, are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to let us in.. I am just dying to see what you've done with the place since I've been her last." She walked past Jack and into the house. "Don't get me wrong. I loved all the boxes scattered across the ground but you could do better." Jack stared at Joey for a second before grabbing her hand and ushering her into the house.
The house was beautiful, just the kind of house Joey imagined that she would one day live in. It was two stories high and the stairs leading up to the second floor were to the right as you walk into the house. The floors we wooden and were covered in, what looked like, very expensive rugs. "This house is perfect, Jack. Did you do this all by yourself?" Joey asked in awe as she walked through the door into the kitchen. "You kitchen is bigger then my apartment." She called to Jack who was still standing in the living room with Jen. She had passed him Amy and excused herself to the restroom. Joey walked out the other door of the kitchen into the dinning room and into the living room again. She sat down on the leather couch and looked back up at Jack. "How does a high school English teacher afford a wonderful house like this?"
Jack took a seat in a chair across from Joey and bounced Amy up and down on his knee. "Well, actually I can't. There is no way I would be able to live in such a beautiful house alone, nor would I want to. I live with Doug." Jack saw a huge smile come across Joey's lips and he looked back down at the now giggling Amy.
"You live here with Doug? Doug Witter and you are together? That's great.. How is Doug?" Joey asked with a tiny feeling of guilt. She wondered how she had lost touch with the people that meant the most to her. She looked back down at her hands and Jack could tell something was really bothering her.
"Joey," he said as she looked back up at him. "What is it that has you so down?" But before she had a chance to answer Jen came back into the room and suggested that they all go and get something to eat. Which, was quickly followed by everyone exiting the house towards the car. "So, where are we going to eat?" Asked Jack as he got into the driver's side of the car.
For a second no one said anything, but Joey suggested they go to the Icehouse, because she hadn't been there in years, and Jack pulled the car out of the driveway. Jen quickly got Jack's attention and questioned Joey's choice of restaurant in a whisper so that Joey didn't over-hear from the back seat. "Jack, she doesn't know about the Icehouse and I promised him that I wouldn't tell her."
Jack looked back at Joey and then up at Jen before replying, "Look, Jen. She is going to find out eventually and I think that she has a right to know seeing as it was her old restaurant." Jack focused his attention back on the road and Jen crossed her arms and sat looking out the window next to her, not wanting to admit her defeat. A few more minutes of uncomfortable silence and they pulled into the Icehouse parking lot.
"And you, Jack McPhee, just as sweet as always." She handed Jack the bag she was carrying and then shifted Amy to her left side. "I believe you have meet my friend, Joey Potter."
He turned his attention towards Joey and pulled her into a very tight embrace. "Joey, It's so great to see you. It's been forever. and you look great." Jack said as he pulled her back to arm length and looked her in the eyes. "How have you been?" Joey looked down at the ground and her smile faded from her face. Jack noticed the sudden transition in Joey but before he had a chance to ask her what was bothering her Jen interrupted.
"Jack, are you just going to stand there all day or are you going to let us in.. I am just dying to see what you've done with the place since I've been her last." She walked past Jack and into the house. "Don't get me wrong. I loved all the boxes scattered across the ground but you could do better." Jack stared at Joey for a second before grabbing her hand and ushering her into the house.
The house was beautiful, just the kind of house Joey imagined that she would one day live in. It was two stories high and the stairs leading up to the second floor were to the right as you walk into the house. The floors we wooden and were covered in, what looked like, very expensive rugs. "This house is perfect, Jack. Did you do this all by yourself?" Joey asked in awe as she walked through the door into the kitchen. "You kitchen is bigger then my apartment." She called to Jack who was still standing in the living room with Jen. She had passed him Amy and excused herself to the restroom. Joey walked out the other door of the kitchen into the dinning room and into the living room again. She sat down on the leather couch and looked back up at Jack. "How does a high school English teacher afford a wonderful house like this?"
Jack took a seat in a chair across from Joey and bounced Amy up and down on his knee. "Well, actually I can't. There is no way I would be able to live in such a beautiful house alone, nor would I want to. I live with Doug." Jack saw a huge smile come across Joey's lips and he looked back down at the now giggling Amy.
"You live here with Doug? Doug Witter and you are together? That's great.. How is Doug?" Joey asked with a tiny feeling of guilt. She wondered how she had lost touch with the people that meant the most to her. She looked back down at her hands and Jack could tell something was really bothering her.
"Joey," he said as she looked back up at him. "What is it that has you so down?" But before she had a chance to answer Jen came back into the room and suggested that they all go and get something to eat. Which, was quickly followed by everyone exiting the house towards the car. "So, where are we going to eat?" Asked Jack as he got into the driver's side of the car.
For a second no one said anything, but Joey suggested they go to the Icehouse, because she hadn't been there in years, and Jack pulled the car out of the driveway. Jen quickly got Jack's attention and questioned Joey's choice of restaurant in a whisper so that Joey didn't over-hear from the back seat. "Jack, she doesn't know about the Icehouse and I promised him that I wouldn't tell her."
Jack looked back at Joey and then up at Jen before replying, "Look, Jen. She is going to find out eventually and I think that she has a right to know seeing as it was her old restaurant." Jack focused his attention back on the road and Jen crossed her arms and sat looking out the window next to her, not wanting to admit her defeat. A few more minutes of uncomfortable silence and they pulled into the Icehouse parking lot.
