Chapter Nine
"You know, it's five o'clock and we are out shopping?" Jack asked, as Karen laughed. "Oh honey, there is always time for shopping. Even if it was ten o'clock at night," she answered, flipping through a rack of silk shirts. "Wanna get some ice cream," he asked, changing the subject. "That was random," she answered as he smiled. "I know, but do you want to?" he asked as she shrugged. "Why not," she said as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the store. When they got outside, Jack immediately eyed a small ice cream stand. "There!" he squealed, pointing to it. "Aww honey, isn't there an ice cream parlor around here? That stand is poor looking," she said disgusted. "Come on Kare," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Fine," she said, as they started walking toward it. "Hi, what would you like?" the clerk asked when they approached the stand. "I'd like chocolate and what would you like?" Jack asked Karen. "Umm, I guess vanilla," she said as the man took a spoon out. He scooped the chocolate and put it in the cone. "Here is yours," he said handing it to Jack. "Yumm," the blue-eyed man purred as he took a bite out of it. "And here is yours," the clerk said giving Karen hers. She paid the man and walked away from the stand. "This is good," she commented, licking her ice cream. "Give me some!" he exclaimed, as she extended out her arm. He licked the vanilla flavored ice cream off of the cone and then licked it off her hand. "Jackie!" she exclaimed as he giggled. "I just had to do that," he said as they sat down on a small wooden bench.
:: Will and Grace's Apartment::
"You would not believe the day I had!" Grace exclaimed running through the door. Will gave her a small smile and then went back to looking at himself in the mirror. "Where are you going handsome?" she asked, noticing his fancy suit and his perfectly combed hair. "I'll tell you when I get back. Unless I stay the night at his house," Will answered excitedly. "New boyfriend?" Grace asked curiously, taking a bag of chips out of the cabinet. "I hope so," Will answered, crossing his fingers. "Tell me all about it!" she pleaded as he shook his head. "I'll tell you later," he said simply, opening the door. "Does my hair look good?" he asked, raking his hands through it. "Yeah, except that piece sticking out in the back," she answered. "Where!" he exclaimed, running to the mirror. When he saw nothing, Grace burst out laughing. "You fall for anything," she said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm out of here," he told her and with that, left the apartment.
One week later, Karen sat in her bedroom waiting for Stan. Today was the day he would finally come back home. She was still curious as to why he had stayed longer in Hawaii but she figured it was just business. She blew out a breath and then smiled when the door flew open. "Stanley, you're home!" she exclaimed, jumping off the bed. He plastered on a fake smile and hugged her. "Yeah, I'm home," he said.
Meanwhile, Jack and Ryan were watching a movie in Jack's apartment. Ryan had moved into the apartment two days ago and was settling in nicely. Jack wrapped an arm around the other man and cuddled in close. "This is fun," Ryan said, popping some popcorn into his mouth. "Yeah, it is," Jack replied happily.
The next day, Jack entered Will's apartment and immediately walked into the kitchen. "Hey Jack, haven't seen you in awhile. I was starting to think you actually went out and bought your own food, but now I know that's not the case," Will said, looking up from the book he was reading. "My boyfriend and I have been busy," Jack replied. "Boyfriend?" Will asked, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah, he's a delivery man at Barney's and he is a hottie with a capital H," Jack said, as Will rolled his eyes. "Ah, I should have known. A relationship that will only last a week," he said, looking back down at his book. "Excuse me! For your information, Ryan and I have been going out for more than a week! A week and a half to be exact!" Jack exclaimed, biting roughly into a carrot. "Good for you, Jack, good for you," Will said unenthusiastically. Jack was about to say something when his beeper interrupted him. He took it off his belt and looked at the flashing phone number. "That's Karen. I'll see you later," he said, opening the door. "What does Cruella want now?" Will asked, but instead of a verbal response, he got the noise of the door slamming shut. Jack walked toward his apartment but was stopped. "Jack McFarland?" the brown-haired woman asked, as he gave her a suspicious look. "Who wants to know?" he asked back as she gave him a smile. "My name is Carter. Carter Gin," she answered as he gasped. "Chaka Khan, I can't speak to you!" he exclaimed. "I'm not here to start anything. I just want to speak to you...about Karen," she said. "What about her?" he asked, raising a brow. *The fact that you are in love with her and you don't realize it* she thought in her head but then decided against saying that. "Stuff," she answered simply as he nodded. "Fine," he said, as she pressed the elevator button. "Why can't we just talk about her here?" he asked, pointing to his "Café Jaques" setup. "Alright, we can," Carter answered, taking a seat in one of the chairs.
"You know, it's five o'clock and we are out shopping?" Jack asked, as Karen laughed. "Oh honey, there is always time for shopping. Even if it was ten o'clock at night," she answered, flipping through a rack of silk shirts. "Wanna get some ice cream," he asked, changing the subject. "That was random," she answered as he smiled. "I know, but do you want to?" he asked as she shrugged. "Why not," she said as he grabbed her hand and led her out of the store. When they got outside, Jack immediately eyed a small ice cream stand. "There!" he squealed, pointing to it. "Aww honey, isn't there an ice cream parlor around here? That stand is poor looking," she said disgusted. "Come on Kare," he replied, rolling his eyes. "Fine," she said, as they started walking toward it. "Hi, what would you like?" the clerk asked when they approached the stand. "I'd like chocolate and what would you like?" Jack asked Karen. "Umm, I guess vanilla," she said as the man took a spoon out. He scooped the chocolate and put it in the cone. "Here is yours," he said handing it to Jack. "Yumm," the blue-eyed man purred as he took a bite out of it. "And here is yours," the clerk said giving Karen hers. She paid the man and walked away from the stand. "This is good," she commented, licking her ice cream. "Give me some!" he exclaimed, as she extended out her arm. He licked the vanilla flavored ice cream off of the cone and then licked it off her hand. "Jackie!" she exclaimed as he giggled. "I just had to do that," he said as they sat down on a small wooden bench.
:: Will and Grace's Apartment::
"You would not believe the day I had!" Grace exclaimed running through the door. Will gave her a small smile and then went back to looking at himself in the mirror. "Where are you going handsome?" she asked, noticing his fancy suit and his perfectly combed hair. "I'll tell you when I get back. Unless I stay the night at his house," Will answered excitedly. "New boyfriend?" Grace asked curiously, taking a bag of chips out of the cabinet. "I hope so," Will answered, crossing his fingers. "Tell me all about it!" she pleaded as he shook his head. "I'll tell you later," he said simply, opening the door. "Does my hair look good?" he asked, raking his hands through it. "Yeah, except that piece sticking out in the back," she answered. "Where!" he exclaimed, running to the mirror. When he saw nothing, Grace burst out laughing. "You fall for anything," she said as he rolled his eyes. "I'm out of here," he told her and with that, left the apartment.
One week later, Karen sat in her bedroom waiting for Stan. Today was the day he would finally come back home. She was still curious as to why he had stayed longer in Hawaii but she figured it was just business. She blew out a breath and then smiled when the door flew open. "Stanley, you're home!" she exclaimed, jumping off the bed. He plastered on a fake smile and hugged her. "Yeah, I'm home," he said.
Meanwhile, Jack and Ryan were watching a movie in Jack's apartment. Ryan had moved into the apartment two days ago and was settling in nicely. Jack wrapped an arm around the other man and cuddled in close. "This is fun," Ryan said, popping some popcorn into his mouth. "Yeah, it is," Jack replied happily.
The next day, Jack entered Will's apartment and immediately walked into the kitchen. "Hey Jack, haven't seen you in awhile. I was starting to think you actually went out and bought your own food, but now I know that's not the case," Will said, looking up from the book he was reading. "My boyfriend and I have been busy," Jack replied. "Boyfriend?" Will asked, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah, he's a delivery man at Barney's and he is a hottie with a capital H," Jack said, as Will rolled his eyes. "Ah, I should have known. A relationship that will only last a week," he said, looking back down at his book. "Excuse me! For your information, Ryan and I have been going out for more than a week! A week and a half to be exact!" Jack exclaimed, biting roughly into a carrot. "Good for you, Jack, good for you," Will said unenthusiastically. Jack was about to say something when his beeper interrupted him. He took it off his belt and looked at the flashing phone number. "That's Karen. I'll see you later," he said, opening the door. "What does Cruella want now?" Will asked, but instead of a verbal response, he got the noise of the door slamming shut. Jack walked toward his apartment but was stopped. "Jack McFarland?" the brown-haired woman asked, as he gave her a suspicious look. "Who wants to know?" he asked back as she gave him a smile. "My name is Carter. Carter Gin," she answered as he gasped. "Chaka Khan, I can't speak to you!" he exclaimed. "I'm not here to start anything. I just want to speak to you...about Karen," she said. "What about her?" he asked, raising a brow. *The fact that you are in love with her and you don't realize it* she thought in her head but then decided against saying that. "Stuff," she answered simply as he nodded. "Fine," he said, as she pressed the elevator button. "Why can't we just talk about her here?" he asked, pointing to his "Café Jaques" setup. "Alright, we can," Carter answered, taking a seat in one of the chairs.