Chapter Thirteen
It was one in the morning and Jack and Karen were sitting on the couch talking. "I'm sorry you didn't get to sleep in the bed. I guess Ryan was really tired," Jack said, as Karen cuddled close to him. "Aww poodle, I'm fine sitting with you," she replied as he smiled. "Tell me about your life Kare," he suddenly said, as she sighed. "Oh Jackie, it's too long of a story," she replied, as he intertwined his fingers with hers. "Tell me it," he whispered. "There isn't much to tell. My dad died, my mom was a con- artist, I separated from my sister, got married to Stan, and now here I am with you," she said, as he looked at her with a curious look on his face. "You have a sister?" he asked, as she nodded. "Yeah, but I don't like to talk about her," she answered, closing her eyes. "Why?" he asked, wanting to know. "It's just a sad story," she answered. "Tell me it, please," he said as she sighed. "My sister was fourteen months younger than me and my mom used both of us just so she could get money. I remember that we would always make plans to escape from that life. We hated having to pretend to be someone else. It was awful. Then when I was seventeen and she was sixteen, we finally left. I remember we walked out of the house in the middle of the night and the rain was pouring so hard. We both had little suitcases with our clothes and brushes and things like that. We told each other we'd meet up later, but it never happened. I can still feel the hug she gave me. I can still feel her tears on my face when she pressed her cheek up against mine," Karen said, as her own tears began to fall. "Oh Kare, I'm sorry," Jack whispered softly, as he wiped a tear from her cheek. "I miss her," she cried, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Don't cry," he pleaded, as he kissed her forehead and lightly ran his hand over her hair. He rocked her slowly and before the both of them knew it, she was sound asleep.
:: Two Weeks Later ::
Carter watched as Grace excitedly showed her the new office. "Do you like it?" she asked, as Carter smiled. "I like it a lot. It was done quickly," she answered. "Well I'm always quick. I'm the best designer in town," Grace said proudly. "That you are. Thank you very much," Carter replied, as her cell phone went off. "Excuse me for one second," she said, as she walked out the door to receive the call.
One hour later, Carter arrived at Jack's apartment. He had called her earlier asking her to come over and well, there she was. "Let's sit here," he said, motioning to "Café Jaques." They both sat down and he gave her a serious look. "I need to ask you something that has been on my mind for about two weeks now," he said, as she crossed her legs and leaned back. "Go ahead," she replied. "Since you know practically everything that goes on...I need to know if you know anything about a supposed sister that Karen has," he said, as Carter shook her head quickly. "I don't know anything. She has a sister?" she asked, as he nodded. "Yeah, she told me about her," he answered, as Carter raised an eyebrow. "What did she say about her?" she asked curiously. "I can't quite remember. All I know is that Karen was extremely upset and she cried over it," he answered, as Carter chuckled. "Karen cries?" she asked, as Jack rolled his eyes. "Look Im being serious. Put your hatred for her aside for once," he answered, as the elevator doors opened. Out walked Karen smiling but then when she saw the two of them, her facial expression turned to shock. "What are you doing here?" she asked Carter. "I can explain," Jack answered quickly. "No need to explain. All we were doing is talking," Carter said. "Well I need to talk to you. Why did you lie to me about Grace's job?" Karen asked, crossing her arms. "That was like a month ago. You're still thinking about that?" Carter asked back, standing up. "Sit down," Karen demanded. "You're not my boss nor my mother," Carter said, rolling her eyes. She attempted to walk away, but Karen grabbed her arm. "When I tell you I need to talk to you, you need to sit down and listen," she said her eyes giving off a hard stare. Carter returned the look but Karen quickly let go of her. When she looked into the other woman's eyes, something sparkled in there and it looked so familiar. "What? Cat got your tongue?" Carter suddenly asked, as she finally walked to the elevator. Karen just watched her leave and then she turned to Jack. "You've been conversing with her behind my back?" she asked angrily. "No," he answered, getting out of the chair. "Then what were you two doing?" she asked suspiciously. "She asked me about...Grace's job," he lied, hoping the answer was believable. Lucky for him, she did believe him.
Five hours later, Will, Grace, Jack and Karen were all seated in a small Japanese restaurant. "I still don't see why people have to take their shoes off. When I walked in here I could see all these poor people with their cracking feet," Karen complained as she poured some saki into a small cup. "Smelly too," Jack commented, as he and Karen giggled. "Stop being so loud. They can probably hear you," Grace whispered, as she slurped up a noodle. "Eww," Will said, watching her slurp some more noodles into her mouth. "What?" she asked oblivious. "Nothing," he answered, not wanting to make a scene. "So how is Todd doing?" Jack asked, changing the subject. "He's doing great. I really think I'm in love," Will answered, pressing his hand up to his heart. "Aww Wilma, did you ever think of how you're sexless lover would feel?" Karen asked, referring to Grace. "I've told you before not to call me that," Grace answered, annoyed. "Awww poor Gracie Wacie," Karen said, pursing her lips together. "Well at least if I were married, I could keep my man," Grace spat out, regretting it the instant she said it. Karen excused herself from the table and quickly ran to the nearest restroom. "Now look what you've done," Jack said, throwing his napkin at her and running after his best friend.
It was one in the morning and Jack and Karen were sitting on the couch talking. "I'm sorry you didn't get to sleep in the bed. I guess Ryan was really tired," Jack said, as Karen cuddled close to him. "Aww poodle, I'm fine sitting with you," she replied as he smiled. "Tell me about your life Kare," he suddenly said, as she sighed. "Oh Jackie, it's too long of a story," she replied, as he intertwined his fingers with hers. "Tell me it," he whispered. "There isn't much to tell. My dad died, my mom was a con- artist, I separated from my sister, got married to Stan, and now here I am with you," she said, as he looked at her with a curious look on his face. "You have a sister?" he asked, as she nodded. "Yeah, but I don't like to talk about her," she answered, closing her eyes. "Why?" he asked, wanting to know. "It's just a sad story," she answered. "Tell me it, please," he said as she sighed. "My sister was fourteen months younger than me and my mom used both of us just so she could get money. I remember that we would always make plans to escape from that life. We hated having to pretend to be someone else. It was awful. Then when I was seventeen and she was sixteen, we finally left. I remember we walked out of the house in the middle of the night and the rain was pouring so hard. We both had little suitcases with our clothes and brushes and things like that. We told each other we'd meet up later, but it never happened. I can still feel the hug she gave me. I can still feel her tears on my face when she pressed her cheek up against mine," Karen said, as her own tears began to fall. "Oh Kare, I'm sorry," Jack whispered softly, as he wiped a tear from her cheek. "I miss her," she cried, as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Don't cry," he pleaded, as he kissed her forehead and lightly ran his hand over her hair. He rocked her slowly and before the both of them knew it, she was sound asleep.
:: Two Weeks Later ::
Carter watched as Grace excitedly showed her the new office. "Do you like it?" she asked, as Carter smiled. "I like it a lot. It was done quickly," she answered. "Well I'm always quick. I'm the best designer in town," Grace said proudly. "That you are. Thank you very much," Carter replied, as her cell phone went off. "Excuse me for one second," she said, as she walked out the door to receive the call.
One hour later, Carter arrived at Jack's apartment. He had called her earlier asking her to come over and well, there she was. "Let's sit here," he said, motioning to "Café Jaques." They both sat down and he gave her a serious look. "I need to ask you something that has been on my mind for about two weeks now," he said, as she crossed her legs and leaned back. "Go ahead," she replied. "Since you know practically everything that goes on...I need to know if you know anything about a supposed sister that Karen has," he said, as Carter shook her head quickly. "I don't know anything. She has a sister?" she asked, as he nodded. "Yeah, she told me about her," he answered, as Carter raised an eyebrow. "What did she say about her?" she asked curiously. "I can't quite remember. All I know is that Karen was extremely upset and she cried over it," he answered, as Carter chuckled. "Karen cries?" she asked, as Jack rolled his eyes. "Look Im being serious. Put your hatred for her aside for once," he answered, as the elevator doors opened. Out walked Karen smiling but then when she saw the two of them, her facial expression turned to shock. "What are you doing here?" she asked Carter. "I can explain," Jack answered quickly. "No need to explain. All we were doing is talking," Carter said. "Well I need to talk to you. Why did you lie to me about Grace's job?" Karen asked, crossing her arms. "That was like a month ago. You're still thinking about that?" Carter asked back, standing up. "Sit down," Karen demanded. "You're not my boss nor my mother," Carter said, rolling her eyes. She attempted to walk away, but Karen grabbed her arm. "When I tell you I need to talk to you, you need to sit down and listen," she said her eyes giving off a hard stare. Carter returned the look but Karen quickly let go of her. When she looked into the other woman's eyes, something sparkled in there and it looked so familiar. "What? Cat got your tongue?" Carter suddenly asked, as she finally walked to the elevator. Karen just watched her leave and then she turned to Jack. "You've been conversing with her behind my back?" she asked angrily. "No," he answered, getting out of the chair. "Then what were you two doing?" she asked suspiciously. "She asked me about...Grace's job," he lied, hoping the answer was believable. Lucky for him, she did believe him.
Five hours later, Will, Grace, Jack and Karen were all seated in a small Japanese restaurant. "I still don't see why people have to take their shoes off. When I walked in here I could see all these poor people with their cracking feet," Karen complained as she poured some saki into a small cup. "Smelly too," Jack commented, as he and Karen giggled. "Stop being so loud. They can probably hear you," Grace whispered, as she slurped up a noodle. "Eww," Will said, watching her slurp some more noodles into her mouth. "What?" she asked oblivious. "Nothing," he answered, not wanting to make a scene. "So how is Todd doing?" Jack asked, changing the subject. "He's doing great. I really think I'm in love," Will answered, pressing his hand up to his heart. "Aww Wilma, did you ever think of how you're sexless lover would feel?" Karen asked, referring to Grace. "I've told you before not to call me that," Grace answered, annoyed. "Awww poor Gracie Wacie," Karen said, pursing her lips together. "Well at least if I were married, I could keep my man," Grace spat out, regretting it the instant she said it. Karen excused herself from the table and quickly ran to the nearest restroom. "Now look what you've done," Jack said, throwing his napkin at her and running after his best friend.