Chapter 9
It was a Friday afternoon, a couple of hours before the big game. Jack and Janet had both bailed out of work that day in order to spend the time with each other.
"This day was supposed to be productive. I'm supposed to be getting stuff done," Jack murmured softly as they watched a movie that, for the life of him, he couldn't tell anyone what the plot was. Janet was curled up, half- asleep in his lap. This is how life is supposed to be, he thought, stroking her hair. Just then the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it. Don't get up," Jack whispered, ever so gently picking her up in his arms, then setting her back on the bed. Her only response was to sigh and snuggle up against the pillows, mumbling incoherently.
Jack laughed softly, kissing her on the forehead before covering her with the blanket.
Seconds after the door was opened, a woman's figure practically threw herself into Jack's arms. "I'm ready to learn, Jack. Teach me everything you know," she purred, pressing her fingers to his lips before kissing him.
Janet stirred then and opened her eyes. "Jack, who is it?" she moaned sleepily. She shot straight to her feet, seeing Jack in the arms of another, seemingly attractive woman. "I'm going," she said, grabbing her purse and heading out.
"Sweetie, no," he interjected, pulling out of the woman's embrace and tugging on Janet's arm. "Please..."
"It's fine," she said softly, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I'm tired anyway. Find me later."
"Kimberly, don't," he said angrily the minute Janet had left. "I know that what we did before may have led you to believe something, but that isn't true anymore. I have a girlfriend."
"A girlfriend." Kimberly's perfectly arched brows knitted together in confusion. "A couple of days ago you never mentioned any girlfriend. But I forgive you. As I recall, you couldn't keep your hands -or lips- off me that night."
"Yeah, listen, about that, Kim. That...was a mistake. I didn't have a girlfriend then, but I do now, and she means more to me than anything in this world. I just let her walk right out that door, and I'm sorry, but I'm going to leave you now and do everything I can to go find her and make her see that that wasn't what she saw."
"I can't believe I wasted four whole hours on you," she said, disgust evident in her voice as she walked out of the room.
"I can't believe I thought I would be happy with you," Jack shot back before hopping into his car, barely shutting the door before driving off.
"Please be here, please be here...." Jack pleaded to himself as he started toward the apartments. On the way, he ran into Larry. "Hey, pal, you seen Janet?"
"Your girlfriend? Yeah, she was just...wait! Shouldn't you know where she is?"
"Not now, Lar. She's here? Thanks!" Without bothering to give his friend an explanation, he dashed to Apartment 201.
"JANET!!" His voice rang through the apartment, and as he ran into the room, the popcorn bowl flew from Janet's hands.
"Good God, Jack Tripper, never do that again!" She would've rambled on for a few more minutes, but was cut off by Jack's lips on hers. He picked her up and twirled her around, never once talking his lips from hers.
Her heart was pounding a mile a minute when he finally let her go. "What was that for?"
"You have to know that I love you. Janet, I've...a lot of this has to do with the fact that you're my best friend, but I've never been so comfortable with anyone. I love you more than life itself, and I'd die before I'd let anything bad happen to you. You have to know that, hon."
"Jack, sweetie, okay, you're kind of freaking me out here a little. I love you too, if that's what you need to hear. What's wrong?"
That night they were getting ready for the special "Game Date"! Jack was wearing blue jean shorts and a golden shirt with a Laker's hat on while Janet wore some blue jeans and a purple shirt with a Laker's hat as well.
"Wow, you look great" Jack said as Janet walked out of her room. "You really know how to make those jeans look good"
"Well, you look just as good your self" she added. "Those shorts...never mind" she said blushing.
"What"
"No it's ok"
"Com'on Janet what is wrong with my shorts" Jack asked looking down at his shorts.
"Well, I just love the way they show off your sexy legs" she said her face turning bright red.
"Oh really well if you are in the mood for some sexy legs, how about we forget the game and jump to the celebration" he said pulling her into his strong arms.
"Jack" she said still blushing. "let go we are going to be late"
When they arrived at the game 10 minutes before it started; they sat on the eight row from the court.
"Gee, Janet how did you managed to get us tickets this close up" he asked
"My little secret remember" she said as she took a sit.
They really enjoyed being together. This mostly meant a lot more to Jack, because he knew how much Janet disliked sports. She was always ready to play and compete but she hated to sit and watch anything. At the thought of this Jack reached over and gave Janet a small peck on the cheek.
Janet who was trying to figure out what was going on, on the court asked, "what was that for?"
"For everything" he said as he took her hand and they watched the game.
They had a fantastic time. Even when Jack got so excited when his favorite player score a 3 pointer that when he jumped up to cheer he had forgotten he had a drink and spilled soda all over 270 lbs man in front of him. "I...am ...I...mmm I am really sorry" he finally managed to say. "See I didn't even notice you there, I mean I did noticed you there but I didn't noticed that I spilled the drink on you. You understand don't you. I was just so excited that number 8, you know number eight, see that is him over there" he said pointing to a tall player wearing a number eight on the back, "see him that is my favorite player and he..."
"We are really sorry Sir. We promise it won't happen again" Janet said to the tall heavy man.
"Yea. Well for his sake it better not" he said standing up and walking to the bathroom.
"Jack, let me have the rest of the food and if you have any left over drink, let me have that too" she demanded.
Janet was also able to learn many things about basketball. For example Jack explained to her that if you walked or ran without dribbling the ball that is call traveling and is not allowed. That every free shot was worth only one point instead of the regular two and that if you shot and score past the free throw; that is worth three points. She also learned that Jack was a great and patient teacher.
During the half time, they won a raffle where they got to take a picture with their favorite Lakers player at the end of the game.
"Jack" Janet said as they were walking up the steps to the apartment. "I had a wonderful time. Thanks for the tickets and for coming along with me."
"You are welcome Jack." She said as she looked down at the picture they had taken. "But did you have to ruin the picture." She asked laughing and pointing at him on the picture.
"Well they should of told us only one of us could of taken the picture with him" he said hugging Janet.
"I told you that if you wanted to take the picture you were more then welcome too"
"Yea but I wanted you to take it"
"Then why did you jump into it right when we were about to take the picture." She asked him.
"Well I didn't like the way he was holding you." He said trying to look the other way.
"What" she said laughing again.
"Well I didn't like the way he was holding or looking at you" he said placing some of her hair behind her ear. "I don't want any other guy looking or holding my girl that way"
It was a Friday afternoon, a couple of hours before the big game. Jack and Janet had both bailed out of work that day in order to spend the time with each other.
"This day was supposed to be productive. I'm supposed to be getting stuff done," Jack murmured softly as they watched a movie that, for the life of him, he couldn't tell anyone what the plot was. Janet was curled up, half- asleep in his lap. This is how life is supposed to be, he thought, stroking her hair. Just then the doorbell rang.
"I'll get it. Don't get up," Jack whispered, ever so gently picking her up in his arms, then setting her back on the bed. Her only response was to sigh and snuggle up against the pillows, mumbling incoherently.
Jack laughed softly, kissing her on the forehead before covering her with the blanket.
Seconds after the door was opened, a woman's figure practically threw herself into Jack's arms. "I'm ready to learn, Jack. Teach me everything you know," she purred, pressing her fingers to his lips before kissing him.
Janet stirred then and opened her eyes. "Jack, who is it?" she moaned sleepily. She shot straight to her feet, seeing Jack in the arms of another, seemingly attractive woman. "I'm going," she said, grabbing her purse and heading out.
"Sweetie, no," he interjected, pulling out of the woman's embrace and tugging on Janet's arm. "Please..."
"It's fine," she said softly, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I'm tired anyway. Find me later."
"Kimberly, don't," he said angrily the minute Janet had left. "I know that what we did before may have led you to believe something, but that isn't true anymore. I have a girlfriend."
"A girlfriend." Kimberly's perfectly arched brows knitted together in confusion. "A couple of days ago you never mentioned any girlfriend. But I forgive you. As I recall, you couldn't keep your hands -or lips- off me that night."
"Yeah, listen, about that, Kim. That...was a mistake. I didn't have a girlfriend then, but I do now, and she means more to me than anything in this world. I just let her walk right out that door, and I'm sorry, but I'm going to leave you now and do everything I can to go find her and make her see that that wasn't what she saw."
"I can't believe I wasted four whole hours on you," she said, disgust evident in her voice as she walked out of the room.
"I can't believe I thought I would be happy with you," Jack shot back before hopping into his car, barely shutting the door before driving off.
"Please be here, please be here...." Jack pleaded to himself as he started toward the apartments. On the way, he ran into Larry. "Hey, pal, you seen Janet?"
"Your girlfriend? Yeah, she was just...wait! Shouldn't you know where she is?"
"Not now, Lar. She's here? Thanks!" Without bothering to give his friend an explanation, he dashed to Apartment 201.
"JANET!!" His voice rang through the apartment, and as he ran into the room, the popcorn bowl flew from Janet's hands.
"Good God, Jack Tripper, never do that again!" She would've rambled on for a few more minutes, but was cut off by Jack's lips on hers. He picked her up and twirled her around, never once talking his lips from hers.
Her heart was pounding a mile a minute when he finally let her go. "What was that for?"
"You have to know that I love you. Janet, I've...a lot of this has to do with the fact that you're my best friend, but I've never been so comfortable with anyone. I love you more than life itself, and I'd die before I'd let anything bad happen to you. You have to know that, hon."
"Jack, sweetie, okay, you're kind of freaking me out here a little. I love you too, if that's what you need to hear. What's wrong?"
That night they were getting ready for the special "Game Date"! Jack was wearing blue jean shorts and a golden shirt with a Laker's hat on while Janet wore some blue jeans and a purple shirt with a Laker's hat as well.
"Wow, you look great" Jack said as Janet walked out of her room. "You really know how to make those jeans look good"
"Well, you look just as good your self" she added. "Those shorts...never mind" she said blushing.
"What"
"No it's ok"
"Com'on Janet what is wrong with my shorts" Jack asked looking down at his shorts.
"Well, I just love the way they show off your sexy legs" she said her face turning bright red.
"Oh really well if you are in the mood for some sexy legs, how about we forget the game and jump to the celebration" he said pulling her into his strong arms.
"Jack" she said still blushing. "let go we are going to be late"
When they arrived at the game 10 minutes before it started; they sat on the eight row from the court.
"Gee, Janet how did you managed to get us tickets this close up" he asked
"My little secret remember" she said as she took a sit.
They really enjoyed being together. This mostly meant a lot more to Jack, because he knew how much Janet disliked sports. She was always ready to play and compete but she hated to sit and watch anything. At the thought of this Jack reached over and gave Janet a small peck on the cheek.
Janet who was trying to figure out what was going on, on the court asked, "what was that for?"
"For everything" he said as he took her hand and they watched the game.
They had a fantastic time. Even when Jack got so excited when his favorite player score a 3 pointer that when he jumped up to cheer he had forgotten he had a drink and spilled soda all over 270 lbs man in front of him. "I...am ...I...mmm I am really sorry" he finally managed to say. "See I didn't even notice you there, I mean I did noticed you there but I didn't noticed that I spilled the drink on you. You understand don't you. I was just so excited that number 8, you know number eight, see that is him over there" he said pointing to a tall player wearing a number eight on the back, "see him that is my favorite player and he..."
"We are really sorry Sir. We promise it won't happen again" Janet said to the tall heavy man.
"Yea. Well for his sake it better not" he said standing up and walking to the bathroom.
"Jack, let me have the rest of the food and if you have any left over drink, let me have that too" she demanded.
Janet was also able to learn many things about basketball. For example Jack explained to her that if you walked or ran without dribbling the ball that is call traveling and is not allowed. That every free shot was worth only one point instead of the regular two and that if you shot and score past the free throw; that is worth three points. She also learned that Jack was a great and patient teacher.
During the half time, they won a raffle where they got to take a picture with their favorite Lakers player at the end of the game.
"Jack" Janet said as they were walking up the steps to the apartment. "I had a wonderful time. Thanks for the tickets and for coming along with me."
"You are welcome Jack." She said as she looked down at the picture they had taken. "But did you have to ruin the picture." She asked laughing and pointing at him on the picture.
"Well they should of told us only one of us could of taken the picture with him" he said hugging Janet.
"I told you that if you wanted to take the picture you were more then welcome too"
"Yea but I wanted you to take it"
"Then why did you jump into it right when we were about to take the picture." She asked him.
"Well I didn't like the way he was holding you." He said trying to look the other way.
"What" she said laughing again.
"Well I didn't like the way he was holding or looking at you" he said placing some of her hair behind her ear. "I don't want any other guy looking or holding my girl that way"