Hi! :-) Thanks for your reviews! Hope you like the chapter!
Megan: Thanks for your recommendation about the dialog. It sounds a certain way in my head, and that's what I'm writing. I have to admit I haven't watched an episode lately. I get what you're saying, though. I'll try to work on making the dialog sound more natural as to how they spoke on the show. We'll see how I do. (grin)
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Chapter 11
The next several weeks passed in a flurry of activity for Jack. He knew he was leaving the Bistro in good hands, but that didn't stop him from feeling a few pangs of anxiety and sadness at leaving his restaurant. Again. Angelino's assurances that the restaurant would be fine and his encouragement that this new challenge was exactly what Jack needed helped to calm his jittery nerves.
He and Janet had talked a few times on the phone and that, too, had helped him to realize he had made the right move in purchasing the restaurant in Washington. The conversations were brief but pleasant.
On the night before he was to leave, Terri and Travis invited Jack and Larry to enjoy a "good-bye and good luck" dinner at their home. Larry picked up Jack and then drove along the beachfront road. Larry noticed Jack's subdued mood and couldn't help but to comment on it.
"Hey, pal, I thought you would be talking up a blue streak. You're still happy about this move, right?"
Jack looked at his friend's profile. "Yeah. Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
Larry lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I dunno. But I feel as though I'm in this car alone even though you're sitting right there."
Jack shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs. "I just have a lot on my mind. I'm mentally checking off things I've done and things I still need to do."
"Relax, Jacko. It'll all get done. One way or the other."
"You're right. Somehow, it always does."
"I hope you're in a more talkative mood when we get to Terri's."
"I will be."
"Good. You know I wish you nothing but the best in this venture, right?"
"Of course, I do."
Larry nodded. "And if you ever need anything..."
"I know who not to call," Jack quipped.
"Thanks a lot," Larry said, pretending to be offended.
Jack laughed for the first time since entering the car. Probably for the first time that day. "I'm kidding. I know I can count on you. I just hope things will go smoothly."
Larry raised one dark eyebrow and studied his friend for a second. "Are we just talkin' about the restaurant now or are you also talkin' about Janet?"
Jack did a double take and then shook his head. "Yes, Larry. I'm just talking about the restaurant."
"Well, I hope to see Janet again someday. I owe her an apology, and I know it's been too long already."
"You could've picked up the phone or written," Jack pointed out.
"What? And get hung up on? And if I had written, I have no way of knowing whether she would have read my letter or not."
"It's actually not really your fault," Jack admitted. "Janet and I talked about what happened when I was visiting there. I think everything's cool in that regard."
"So, then, why are you acting so down about this? Shouldn't you be excited? At least, a little?"
"I am. I know I've been given a second chance of sorts. I just don't want to blow it."
===============
Terri warmly greeted and hugged her friends when they entered her home. She thanked them for the carrot cake and placed it on the table in the hallway until she made her way to the kitchen. It smelled delicious. She knew Jack had taken the time to make it, despite everything else he had to do.
Travis, a tall, distinguished-looking man with sandy blonde hair and cat green eyes, shook hands with Larry and Jack, and a sleepy Jeremy said "hello".
"Poor guy didn't have a nap today," Terri explained. "But he wouldn't go to bed until he saw his Uncle Jack. What do you want to say to him, honey?"
"Bye, 'ncle Jack," the little towhead said and waved. "Gonna miss you. Lots."
Jack bent down and took the tired, sad-looking boy into his arms and gave him a great big hug.
"I'm gonna miss you, too, big fella," he said. "But I won't be very far away. I'll call you, and I'll see you. Just not as often. Okay?"
"'kay," he said, his face brightening.
"You be good for your parents," Jack said. "And don't grow up so fast."
He tickled Jeremy's pajama-covered belly, which made the boy collapse in a fit of giggles.
"Okay," Terri said, picking up her son and holding him. "Time to say goodnight."
"'night," Jeremy said.
He waved good-bye to Larry and Jack; and after his father held him for a few moments and whispered something in his ear that made him smile, his mother took him into his bedroom.
"Follow me into the living room," Travis said to Larry and Jack.
Once they had been seated, Travis offered refreshments before dinner. Jack and Larry declined, deciding to save their appetite for the meal.
"So, Jack, ready for this move?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I think."
"Terri, Jeremy and I will definitely have to visit you."
"That would be great."
"Let us know when you're settled in and the restaurant's ready, and we'll be there," Terri said, as she passed through the living room, carrying the dessert, on her way to the kitchen to check on the lasagna. She was using Jack's recipe. Her only hope was that it tasted half as good as his.
"I'm hoping it won't take me long at all to get the restaurant the way I want it and open for business. It's actually fine the way it is, but I just want to add my own personal touch. As far as my living arrangements, I'll have to see what I like when I get there."
"Understandable," Travis said.
"I should be able to make this trip," Larry said. "Paris," he added, with an exaggerated cough, "was not in my budget, unfortunately."
Jack laughed and playfully slapped his friend on the back. "I understand."
"Travis and I would have loved to have visited you there, too," Terri said, as she joined them in the living room, "but the timing wasn't right. This is much closer and much easier to arrange. Especially with Jeremy."
"I guess you'll be seeing a lot of Janet and Taylor," Travis said matter of factly.
"Maybe," Jack said, hedging his answer a bit.
Terri patted his knee and winked. "Of course, you will. I think it will be good for all of you."
"I couldn't agree more," Larry said, trying to liven up the conversation.
"Honey," Terri said to her husband. "Pour a little bit of champagne for us. We need to toast Jack's new and exciting enterprise."
"Of course."
As glasses clinked and a bit of champagne was consumed, Jack humbly accepted their heartfelt congratulations and thanked them all for their support. He just wished he could share their enthusiasm and their optimism about what the future held, but until he settled down in Bellevue and found out exactly what kind of a role, if any, he would have in Janet's life, he refused to get his hopes up that they would be anything more than casual friends. The past had taught him never to assume or take anything for granted. It was a hard-learned lesson and one that Jack could not let himself forget.
Megan: Thanks for your recommendation about the dialog. It sounds a certain way in my head, and that's what I'm writing. I have to admit I haven't watched an episode lately. I get what you're saying, though. I'll try to work on making the dialog sound more natural as to how they spoke on the show. We'll see how I do. (grin)
=================
Chapter 11
The next several weeks passed in a flurry of activity for Jack. He knew he was leaving the Bistro in good hands, but that didn't stop him from feeling a few pangs of anxiety and sadness at leaving his restaurant. Again. Angelino's assurances that the restaurant would be fine and his encouragement that this new challenge was exactly what Jack needed helped to calm his jittery nerves.
He and Janet had talked a few times on the phone and that, too, had helped him to realize he had made the right move in purchasing the restaurant in Washington. The conversations were brief but pleasant.
On the night before he was to leave, Terri and Travis invited Jack and Larry to enjoy a "good-bye and good luck" dinner at their home. Larry picked up Jack and then drove along the beachfront road. Larry noticed Jack's subdued mood and couldn't help but to comment on it.
"Hey, pal, I thought you would be talking up a blue streak. You're still happy about this move, right?"
Jack looked at his friend's profile. "Yeah. Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"
Larry lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I dunno. But I feel as though I'm in this car alone even though you're sitting right there."
Jack shook his head as if to clear the cobwebs. "I just have a lot on my mind. I'm mentally checking off things I've done and things I still need to do."
"Relax, Jacko. It'll all get done. One way or the other."
"You're right. Somehow, it always does."
"I hope you're in a more talkative mood when we get to Terri's."
"I will be."
"Good. You know I wish you nothing but the best in this venture, right?"
"Of course, I do."
Larry nodded. "And if you ever need anything..."
"I know who not to call," Jack quipped.
"Thanks a lot," Larry said, pretending to be offended.
Jack laughed for the first time since entering the car. Probably for the first time that day. "I'm kidding. I know I can count on you. I just hope things will go smoothly."
Larry raised one dark eyebrow and studied his friend for a second. "Are we just talkin' about the restaurant now or are you also talkin' about Janet?"
Jack did a double take and then shook his head. "Yes, Larry. I'm just talking about the restaurant."
"Well, I hope to see Janet again someday. I owe her an apology, and I know it's been too long already."
"You could've picked up the phone or written," Jack pointed out.
"What? And get hung up on? And if I had written, I have no way of knowing whether she would have read my letter or not."
"It's actually not really your fault," Jack admitted. "Janet and I talked about what happened when I was visiting there. I think everything's cool in that regard."
"So, then, why are you acting so down about this? Shouldn't you be excited? At least, a little?"
"I am. I know I've been given a second chance of sorts. I just don't want to blow it."
===============
Terri warmly greeted and hugged her friends when they entered her home. She thanked them for the carrot cake and placed it on the table in the hallway until she made her way to the kitchen. It smelled delicious. She knew Jack had taken the time to make it, despite everything else he had to do.
Travis, a tall, distinguished-looking man with sandy blonde hair and cat green eyes, shook hands with Larry and Jack, and a sleepy Jeremy said "hello".
"Poor guy didn't have a nap today," Terri explained. "But he wouldn't go to bed until he saw his Uncle Jack. What do you want to say to him, honey?"
"Bye, 'ncle Jack," the little towhead said and waved. "Gonna miss you. Lots."
Jack bent down and took the tired, sad-looking boy into his arms and gave him a great big hug.
"I'm gonna miss you, too, big fella," he said. "But I won't be very far away. I'll call you, and I'll see you. Just not as often. Okay?"
"'kay," he said, his face brightening.
"You be good for your parents," Jack said. "And don't grow up so fast."
He tickled Jeremy's pajama-covered belly, which made the boy collapse in a fit of giggles.
"Okay," Terri said, picking up her son and holding him. "Time to say goodnight."
"'night," Jeremy said.
He waved good-bye to Larry and Jack; and after his father held him for a few moments and whispered something in his ear that made him smile, his mother took him into his bedroom.
"Follow me into the living room," Travis said to Larry and Jack.
Once they had been seated, Travis offered refreshments before dinner. Jack and Larry declined, deciding to save their appetite for the meal.
"So, Jack, ready for this move?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I think."
"Terri, Jeremy and I will definitely have to visit you."
"That would be great."
"Let us know when you're settled in and the restaurant's ready, and we'll be there," Terri said, as she passed through the living room, carrying the dessert, on her way to the kitchen to check on the lasagna. She was using Jack's recipe. Her only hope was that it tasted half as good as his.
"I'm hoping it won't take me long at all to get the restaurant the way I want it and open for business. It's actually fine the way it is, but I just want to add my own personal touch. As far as my living arrangements, I'll have to see what I like when I get there."
"Understandable," Travis said.
"I should be able to make this trip," Larry said. "Paris," he added, with an exaggerated cough, "was not in my budget, unfortunately."
Jack laughed and playfully slapped his friend on the back. "I understand."
"Travis and I would have loved to have visited you there, too," Terri said, as she joined them in the living room, "but the timing wasn't right. This is much closer and much easier to arrange. Especially with Jeremy."
"I guess you'll be seeing a lot of Janet and Taylor," Travis said matter of factly.
"Maybe," Jack said, hedging his answer a bit.
Terri patted his knee and winked. "Of course, you will. I think it will be good for all of you."
"I couldn't agree more," Larry said, trying to liven up the conversation.
"Honey," Terri said to her husband. "Pour a little bit of champagne for us. We need to toast Jack's new and exciting enterprise."
"Of course."
As glasses clinked and a bit of champagne was consumed, Jack humbly accepted their heartfelt congratulations and thanked them all for their support. He just wished he could share their enthusiasm and their optimism about what the future held, but until he settled down in Bellevue and found out exactly what kind of a role, if any, he would have in Janet's life, he refused to get his hopes up that they would be anything more than casual friends. The past had taught him never to assume or take anything for granted. It was a hard-learned lesson and one that Jack could not let himself forget.