Chapter 12 - Alone At Last (October 2, 2001)
Jake went over to Azalea's house, to get to know her a little better. Jack and Janet were finally alone. Janet had the idea that they could go shopping. That way, they can talk, and they could go as slow as they wanted to. They got into their car and drove off to the mall. Usually, Jack wouldn't go to the mall. He thought that it's a woman's "thing". But, he just wanted to be with Janet. They didn't have to buy anything, either. They didn't bring much money. Once they got to the mall, Jack got out to open the car door for Janet and held his hand out. Janet put her hand in his and stepped out of the car. Janet thanked Jack with a small kiss. As they made their way to the front door Jack took Janet's hand in his.
"I never realized how much of a gentleman you are!" Janet said. Jack smiled and looked away, embarrassed.
"Oh, don't be embarrassed, Jack! That's a compliment!"
"I know, and compliments are best said by you. That's a compliment right back at-cha!" Jack said. Janet smiled and looked away, embarrassed. Jack kissed her again. "I'm glad Jake finally left us alone" Jack said as the wind afternoon breeze played with their hair.
"Yeah. I am very proud of our son. You have brought him up well!" she said as she leaned on his shoulder.
"We have brought him up well" Jack said as he opened the door for her. "Don't forget, takes two!" he said as he winked at her.
"I just feel guilty that he's not with us. He's always with us! I don't remember the last time it was just you and me. I'm so used to 'J, J and J', not 'J and J' "she said, while entering Janet's favorite store. She walked over to a table of sweaters and picked up a red one.
"Well you know he loves you, Janet," he said as he signaled with his hand that he liked that sweater.
"Yes I know, but, I noticed something, and I don't know if you did. Sometimes, I feel like he just sees me as his mom instead of his friend or someone he can come talk to" Janet said as she laid that one down and picked up a pink one.
"Well he loves you. But don't forget I love you more" he said as he took her in his arms.
"Jack" Janet said looking around. "Not here"
"Then where else? Jake is always around."
Janet let go of the sweater and she pulled softly away from Jack's arms. "How about this one?" she asked as she showed him a really cute blue dress.
"I love it!" he said as he imagined her in it.
"Are you shopping for something special or is this just another one of those women moments where they get this crazy urge of shopping?" he said laughing.
"No, I'm just looking around. Nothing special. I just wanted us to do something together. Just you and me" she said as she gave him a soft smile.
"I love listening to you talk like that" he answered with a special glow in his eyes.
"Come on!" Janet said as she took her husband's hand and walked out of the store. "I want to show you something. I hope it's still there. I saw it in an ad last week"
"Women" Jack said to himself.
They walked for about two minutes until they got to the store Janet wanted to go into. "So how is the Bistro doing?" Janet asked him, wanting to take advantage of the time they had to be alone.
"We are doing great!" Jack said as he gently pulled Janet closer to him. He wanted to be as close to her as he could. "I am hoping that with the holidays coming around in a month, we can do even better"
"I bet you will" Janet said, as she snuggled closer to him and put her arms around his waist.
There was a small silence as they got closer to the store Janet wanted to go into. "Jack. I hope you haven't been teaching Jake any of your old tricks" Janet said with serious face.
"Why Janet!" he said with sarcasm. "I can't believe you still remember that!"
"Jack Tripper? Do you know what you will want for Christmas?" she said, changing the subject.
"Yeah, you!" Jack said as he kissed her hair.
"You fink! You wanted that for about twenty-four years now! First Chrissy, then me, then everyone else that walked into 201!" Janet said playfully.
Jack pulled her into his arms and they started to kiss. "I wanted you in the first place. Chrissy was just better looking!" Janet gasped loudly. She put her hands on her hips, then she folded them across her chest, then her foot started tapping. Jack knew he was going to get it now! To his surprise, she moved in closer and kissed him again. Jack was completely surprised.
"Well, now I know where Jake gets his mood swings!" Jack smiled devilishly.
Jake, who was also strolling along in the mall with Azalea, sees them and his jaw dropped open. He starts to walk over to them, pulling Azalea along.
"You remind me of a big, strong dog. Like a Mastiff!" said Azalea. Azalea was interested in dogs and knew everything about every breed. Jake went over to Jack and Janet and tapped Dad on the shoulder.
"Yes?" he said, turning his head. "Oh, it's you." Jack turned back around and he and Janet just looked at each other. Janet looked over Jack's shoulder and saw Jake, who was gagging in disgust. Jack kissed her nose.
"So much for a day alone..." Janet said sadly.
"Well, it's not like he doesn't know what's going on. He tried it himself, remember?"
"Yeah, but I had to get him to tell me what happened. I felt so bad he was missing his cartoons."
"You're such a wuss."
"Why did you marry me?"
"You're an attractive wuss."
"Well, you're an attractive fink."
"Where did you get that word?"
"I made it up. You do know what it means, right?"
"Are you kidding? If that word was in the dictionary, a sketch of moi would be under the definition!"
"That's an old line."
"I know, but it makes a point..." Jack replied.
After this line there was about a minute of silence. Jack and Janet were now wondering, almost going in circles. They didn't mind. They just wanted each other's company.
Jake went over to Azalea's house, to get to know her a little better. Jack and Janet were finally alone. Janet had the idea that they could go shopping. That way, they can talk, and they could go as slow as they wanted to. They got into their car and drove off to the mall. Usually, Jack wouldn't go to the mall. He thought that it's a woman's "thing". But, he just wanted to be with Janet. They didn't have to buy anything, either. They didn't bring much money. Once they got to the mall, Jack got out to open the car door for Janet and held his hand out. Janet put her hand in his and stepped out of the car. Janet thanked Jack with a small kiss. As they made their way to the front door Jack took Janet's hand in his.
"I never realized how much of a gentleman you are!" Janet said. Jack smiled and looked away, embarrassed.
"Oh, don't be embarrassed, Jack! That's a compliment!"
"I know, and compliments are best said by you. That's a compliment right back at-cha!" Jack said. Janet smiled and looked away, embarrassed. Jack kissed her again. "I'm glad Jake finally left us alone" Jack said as the wind afternoon breeze played with their hair.
"Yeah. I am very proud of our son. You have brought him up well!" she said as she leaned on his shoulder.
"We have brought him up well" Jack said as he opened the door for her. "Don't forget, takes two!" he said as he winked at her.
"I just feel guilty that he's not with us. He's always with us! I don't remember the last time it was just you and me. I'm so used to 'J, J and J', not 'J and J' "she said, while entering Janet's favorite store. She walked over to a table of sweaters and picked up a red one.
"Well you know he loves you, Janet," he said as he signaled with his hand that he liked that sweater.
"Yes I know, but, I noticed something, and I don't know if you did. Sometimes, I feel like he just sees me as his mom instead of his friend or someone he can come talk to" Janet said as she laid that one down and picked up a pink one.
"Well he loves you. But don't forget I love you more" he said as he took her in his arms.
"Jack" Janet said looking around. "Not here"
"Then where else? Jake is always around."
Janet let go of the sweater and she pulled softly away from Jack's arms. "How about this one?" she asked as she showed him a really cute blue dress.
"I love it!" he said as he imagined her in it.
"Are you shopping for something special or is this just another one of those women moments where they get this crazy urge of shopping?" he said laughing.
"No, I'm just looking around. Nothing special. I just wanted us to do something together. Just you and me" she said as she gave him a soft smile.
"I love listening to you talk like that" he answered with a special glow in his eyes.
"Come on!" Janet said as she took her husband's hand and walked out of the store. "I want to show you something. I hope it's still there. I saw it in an ad last week"
"Women" Jack said to himself.
They walked for about two minutes until they got to the store Janet wanted to go into. "So how is the Bistro doing?" Janet asked him, wanting to take advantage of the time they had to be alone.
"We are doing great!" Jack said as he gently pulled Janet closer to him. He wanted to be as close to her as he could. "I am hoping that with the holidays coming around in a month, we can do even better"
"I bet you will" Janet said, as she snuggled closer to him and put her arms around his waist.
There was a small silence as they got closer to the store Janet wanted to go into. "Jack. I hope you haven't been teaching Jake any of your old tricks" Janet said with serious face.
"Why Janet!" he said with sarcasm. "I can't believe you still remember that!"
"Jack Tripper? Do you know what you will want for Christmas?" she said, changing the subject.
"Yeah, you!" Jack said as he kissed her hair.
"You fink! You wanted that for about twenty-four years now! First Chrissy, then me, then everyone else that walked into 201!" Janet said playfully.
Jack pulled her into his arms and they started to kiss. "I wanted you in the first place. Chrissy was just better looking!" Janet gasped loudly. She put her hands on her hips, then she folded them across her chest, then her foot started tapping. Jack knew he was going to get it now! To his surprise, she moved in closer and kissed him again. Jack was completely surprised.
"Well, now I know where Jake gets his mood swings!" Jack smiled devilishly.
Jake, who was also strolling along in the mall with Azalea, sees them and his jaw dropped open. He starts to walk over to them, pulling Azalea along.
"You remind me of a big, strong dog. Like a Mastiff!" said Azalea. Azalea was interested in dogs and knew everything about every breed. Jake went over to Jack and Janet and tapped Dad on the shoulder.
"Yes?" he said, turning his head. "Oh, it's you." Jack turned back around and he and Janet just looked at each other. Janet looked over Jack's shoulder and saw Jake, who was gagging in disgust. Jack kissed her nose.
"So much for a day alone..." Janet said sadly.
"Well, it's not like he doesn't know what's going on. He tried it himself, remember?"
"Yeah, but I had to get him to tell me what happened. I felt so bad he was missing his cartoons."
"You're such a wuss."
"Why did you marry me?"
"You're an attractive wuss."
"Well, you're an attractive fink."
"Where did you get that word?"
"I made it up. You do know what it means, right?"
"Are you kidding? If that word was in the dictionary, a sketch of moi would be under the definition!"
"That's an old line."
"I know, but it makes a point..." Jack replied.
After this line there was about a minute of silence. Jack and Janet were now wondering, almost going in circles. They didn't mind. They just wanted each other's company.