Hi! :-) Thanks again for your great reviews!! I appreciate every one of them! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 18

In the midst of greeting and seating customers and answering questions about the new items on the menu, as well as the décor changes that had been made, Jack knew the exact moment when Janet and Taylor arrived at the restaurant. After relinquishing his duties to the more than capable hostess, Jack quickly threaded his way through the mingling crowd. He reached the entrance and welcomed Janet, who looked absolutely stunning in a magenta-colored dress, and Taylor, who looked adorable in a flower print dress, to "The Captain's Table."

"You two look so beautiful you are going to take all the attention away from my restaurant," Jack teased, his blue eyes twinkling.

He longed to give Janet a kiss but knew he couldn't. At least, not at that moment.

After acknowledging his compliment on behalf of her daughter and herself, Janet began her inspection.

"I'm impressed," she said, looking around at the changes Jack had made.

Paintings of the ocean and various types of ships and boats hung on the paneled walls. She caught a glimpse of the menu cover, which showed a fisherman on the docks. Jack had even managed to get an aquarium installed and running for that night's festivities.

"The turnout is excellent."

"Well," Jack said with a laugh, as he straightened his navy blue tie, "it helps when you advertise the correct date."

"You must be thrilled," Janet said, elated for him.

"So far, everything is going according to plan. Hopefully, there won't be any disasters. I set up a table near the window for you, Taylor and Nick. He's waiting for you."

Jack held out one arm to Janet and the other one to Taylor.

"If you'll follow me, please."

They strolled to the elegantly set table. Nick waved when they came into his sight. Janet smiled. Taylor waved back.

"The flowers are perfect. Don't you think so, Janet?"

"I was just noticing that. They look nice on the tables. I'll check around later to see what might work for you on a day-to-day basis. I know I need to get you that proposal."

"Hello, you two," Nick said, rising from his chair when they reached their table.

He couldn't help but to notice how gorgeous Janet looked. He also saw the way Jack was looking at her. He sensed a shift had occurred in their relationship, but he wouldn't press for details unless Janet, or Jack, wanted to share.

"Doesn't this place look great?"

"It does," Janet agreed.

"But no more than the two of you," he added.

Janet thanked Nick for his kind words, and then she thanked Jack and smiled at him when he seated Taylor and then her.

"What can I get you to drink?"

"I'll just have water," Janet said. "Taylor, honey, do you want juice?"

"7-up," Taylor replied.

"I'll be right back with your drinks and your menus."

"Do you feel all right?" Janet asked her daughter, as she felt her forehead and cheeks.

She seemed warm, but Janet attributed that to the crowd size and her excitement at attending this opening.

"You don't usually like 7-up unless you're sick."

"I'm tired," Taylor said. "But I feel okay."

Yet, she hardly touched the macaroni and cheese that Jack had prepared especially for her.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked, concern in his voice as he crouched down next to her chair. "It needed more cheese, didn't it?"

"No, it was good," Taylor said. "But I'm not hungry."

"Okay. I'm glad you and Nick liked your shrimp and angel hair pasta," Jack said to Janet, noticing their nearly empty plates. "I hope you saved room for dessert."

"Not for me," Janet said. "And I don't think Taylor should have any either. I'm going to take her food home. I think my daughter has too many exciting things going on. We started packing for L.A. yesterday. She can't wait for Wednesday night."

"It's going to be so much fun for you," Jack said.

Taylor nodded, but when she spoke, she didn't sound enthused. "We get to see Auntie Terri and her family and maybe go to Disneyland."

"Sounds wonderful," Jack said wistfully. "I hope you have a great time."

Jack stood up and was about to remove Taylor's plate from the table when he saw a man enter the restaurant who looked exactly like Larry.

"No, it can't be," he said, out loud.

"What can't be?" Janet asked, turning her head in the direction Jack was looking at.

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" he asked, setting Taylor's plate down on the table.

"Sure," Janet said.

"I wonder what that's about?" Nick asked.

"I have no idea."

Jack hurried toward the entrance. As soon as he reached the dark-haired man, he knew he had not been seeing things. There was Larry, already making "friends" with the hostess.

"I can't believe you're here!" Jack exclaimed.

"Hey, Jacko. Would I miss one of your openings? Isn't this like a tradition?"

"As long as you didn't bring your family to break all my plates again."

They shared a laugh at the memory and a manly hug.

"How did you manage this?" Jack asked, still shocked, but very happy, to see his friend.

"I have my ways. So, what's the good word? From where I'm standing, it looks like a very successful opening."

"So far, everything has been great."

"I couldn't be happier for you. You know that, right?"

"Sure. Thanks, Larry. You being here means a lot to me."

"No problem. So, do I get to sit down and sample some of your delicious food or what?"

"Of course. Let me find you a table."

Jack looked around. His eyes landed on the table where Janet was sitting, chatting with her daughter and Nick.

"Larry?"

"Yeah, Jack?" he said, still flirting with the attractive brunette hostess.

"Janet is here with her daughter. Maybe it's time you gave her that apology you said you owed her. What do you think?"

A flash of panic crossed Larry's face. "I don't know, Jack. Do you really want to take a chance on ruining what's been a great night? I mean, she may throw me through the plate glass window."

Jack grinned and patted Larry's back. "I'll take my chances. I'll go get her, and the three of us can talk in my office. C'mon, Larry. This needs to be done."

"Yeah, you're right," Larry said, not too happy at the prospect, but knowing he'd avoided Janet for as long as he could. "Okay. Go get her."

Jack approached the table and asked Janet if he could talk to her for a minute. In his office.

"Sure, Jack. Nick, you don't mind watching Taylor?"

"Of course not. Take your time."

As Janet followed Jack towards the back of the restaurant, she couldn't help but wonder if he wanted to spend some time alone with her as much as she wanted to with him. She couldn't imagine why else he would pull her away from the table. But when he ushered her into his sparsely furnished office, her excitement turned to annoyance when she saw Larry leaning against Jack's desk.

"This is why you asked me in here?" she said, her dark eyes boring into Jack's. "You know I have nothing to say to that man, Jack."

"But I do," Larry said, pushing himself away from the desk to stand in front of Jack and Janet. "If you'll listen to me," he added.

"Give me one good reason why I should," Janet challenged.

"Because I need to apologize, Janet. I know it's probably way too late, but I do want to try to explain myself."

Tapping her foot on the carpeted floor, Janet folded her arms in front of her. Her eyes darted from Jack to Larry and back to Jack again.

"You want this, don't you, Jack?" she finally asked, her voice quivering slightly.

"Well," Jack said, rubbing the palms of his hands together, "Larry is my friend. It would be nice if the two of you could talk and try to work things out."

"Okay," Janet said, seeing how much this meant to Jack and sensing that Larry was trying to be sincere, "I'll agree to listen to him, but I'm not making any promises."

"That's good enough for me," Larry said, relieved Janet was willing to hear him out.

"Should I leave you two alone?" Jack asked, not certain he wanted to but feeling like he needed to ask.

"If you wouldn't mind," Larry answered. "And if it's okay with Janet."

"It's fine," Janet said.

"Okay. Let me just make sure there aren't any sharp objects around," Jack teased.

"Please do," Larry said, still not comfortable with the way Janet was glaring at him.

"I'll be right outside if you need me," Jack said, speaking mostly to Janet, but realizing he should include Larry in that offer, too.

He closed the door and paced the floor for a few seconds before realizing he needed to check on things in the kitchen. They'll be fine, he consoled himself, as he tried to recall if there were any objects he should have removed from the room.

====

"May I say how wonderful you look?" Larry asked Janet. "Or is that being too forward?"

"You can say that," Janet said, still wary of Larry but realizing he probably meant well.

"Janet, I know I've waited way too long to make any kind of amends with you, but you have to know how horrible I felt about the way things ended between you and Jack."

"You felt horrible?" she asked, disbelief present in her rising voice. "Yeah, right, Larry. I bet the happiest day of your life was the day Jack and I broke up."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because, Larry, you did everything you could to make the two of us miserable."

"That's not true, Janet. I was happy for you guys. I was."

"Sure," she said with a snicker. "You were so happy for us that at the first sign of trouble, you set Jack up with another woman!"

"I thought the two of you had broken up for good," Larry defended. "Jack was miserable, Janet. Are you going to deny that?"

"No, but hey, I wasn't exactly Miss Mary Sunshine back then either. You should have left us alone, Larry. You had no business interfering with Jack like that."

"I was trying to cheer him up," Larry attempted to explain. "I figured, once he saw Chantal, he would realize what it was he truly wanted. Did he want to be with you exclusively or did he want to go back to playing the field? He was confused, Janet. I know you saw that."

"I was confused, too. And your little game made matters worse. Setting him up with Chantal and flaunting it in front of me didn't solve anything."

"I know. He ended up going to Europe anyway. That was the last thing I wanted. I wanted him to have a reason to stay in L.A."

"I did, too," Janet said. "I never wanted him to go to Paris."

"I'm sorry, Janet. I really am. I was trying to be there for Jack because I thought you were mistreating my best friend. But you're right. I should've stayed out of it. I only made the situation worse."

"You really did," Janet said, using a softer tone. "I thought Jack was in on your 'plan'. I thought it was what he wanted. By the time I knew the truth, it was too late."

"He wanted you, Janet," Larry said, "but he didn't have you. You guys were fighting a lot."

"Because we were both scared," Janet admitted. "And we didn't know how to tell each other what we were feeling."

"Janet, you have to know that I was rooting for you guys when you first got together. I thought you made a great couple, and I thought you guys would be so happy."

"But that's not what happened," Janet supplied.

Larry shook his head. "Not after a while anyway. In the beginning, yeah."

"But the more time we spent together, the more we realized how much work it was to maintain a relationship."

"And the unhappier you guys became."

"How could I have forgotten that part?" Janet asked, almost to herself.

"What?" Larry asked.

Janet looked at him and tried to concentrate on what he was saying instead of how mixed up she now felt.

"Nothing," she said, clearly distracted.

"Janet, I know we can't go back, and I know we'll probably never be as close as we once were, but I do want to sincerely apologize for my role in causing even more problems between you and Jack. I swear I will never interfere in anyone's love life again."

"Do you mean that?"

"Cross my heart," Larry said, making the motion with his index finger.

"Okay," she said, realizing she didn't want to hold on to her grudge against Larry any longer. "I forgive you."

"Yay, Janet," Larry said, holding out his arms to her for a hug, which she tentatively allowed. "Thank you. I mean that sincerely."

"Well, you're welcome," she told him, when they pulled apart. "But you'd better keep your promise," she warned.

Larry held up his hands. "I will. I will."

"Okay, then," Janet said.

She smiled at him for the first time in eight years, which made him smile in return.

"Why don't you sit at our table?" she invited. "If you behave yourself, I'll introduce you to my daughter."

"I'd be honored," Larry said.

And, somehow, Janet knew that he meant it.