When Jack got home, his friend was waiting for him at his apartment, He started to smile when he saw his friend, he unlocked the door and they went inside.

"Hey. Let me get in my casual clothes. I'll be back," He kissed her on the lips then was walking to his room to change.

They had been going out for three and a half months; and none of Jack's friends knew except for Serena but she wouldn't know that it was serious. He didn't think they would believe that he, the bachelor was dating. He wanted to keep it a secret even though it was fun to keep it from them, but hoped Serena wouldn't say anything since she did take a message from her.

She sat on the couch, had short black hair, and was dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt that had a San Diego Padre Baseball team logo on it. She was 5'6 and worked as an accountant for a big retail company. Her boyfriend walked in wearing jeans and a maroon colored t-shirt smiling at her as he went to get some sodas from the refrigerator. He popped down next to her on the couch while giving her the soda and they both drank and talked.

"So Jack, did you get in trouble with work about Saturday? Do you want to talk about it?" She asked then put her soda on the coffee table.

"No, I'm not in any trouble but…" He told her as he put his soda on the table, put his knee on the sofa as he looked at her and added, "It hurt me the way Madeline talked to me while she was with her colleagues in the standoff."

"You need to call her or even go see her and talk to her, tell her how it made you feel." She told him as she started to rub her hand on his cheek.

"I know. I just don't know when to see her."

"How about calling her?" She asked him.

"I don't know. I'm scared as to how she will react when I do call her. She didn't even bother to see me even though I was kind of afraid of her..." He sighed as he was being pushed by her on the sofa and was kissing him. .

An hour later Jack woke up, went to the bathroom. When he came out she was still asleep on the couch, he put a blanket on her and went to his bed. The next morning she got up, went into his room then caressed his cheek as she lay next to him with her hand on the side of her head and she was on top of the sheets.

"Morning, sweetie." She started whispering in his ear.

He was mumbling something as he swatted his ear and began to turn over to his side.

"Hey, wake up sleepy head. I have to leave and go to work." She explained as she shook him and started to kiss him.

"Hey, come on. I had a great dream." he told her as he awoke then saw his alarm clock that said it was 20 minutes till his alarm clock was supposed to go off, "Morning." He smiled at her as he turned off his alarm timer.

"I have to leave and I didn't want to keep the door unlocked, so get up so I can go home and get ready for work." She told him, kissed him then got up.

"Okay." He said as they both started walking to the front where she left, he locked up and got ready for work.

A few nights later—

Denise was at the apartment of her boyfriend setting the table while he was cooking and had some Neil Diamond music on. They both sat down at the chairs eating spaghetti and garlic bread with some wine. After they had finished, they started doing the dishes together as; he would wash it, give it to her, then she would rinse it as well as dry it. After drying their hands, they turned off the kitchen light, walked to the sofa where they sat next to each other.

"So, what do you want to do now, darlin'?" She started to caress her hand on his face as he smiled looking at her.

"I'd like to sing what he sings to you babe."

"How sweet, but I think I'd like to maybe cuddle up in bed, if you get my drift." She told him in a sexy tone of voice.

"But we just ate and I'm not ready yet. Besides it's only 6:30. How about we wait till about 9 then we can cuddle?"

"Okay darling." They began kissing each other as they listened to the CD then the phone rang.

After getting up, was walking to the table where the hand held phone was located, picked it up while Denise got up, and turned down the music. Minutes later after hanging up the phone, he walked over to the stereo turning it off then advanced to the couch where Denise was, he told her it was his former colleague Jamie Ross and wanted to say hi.

He and Denise cuddled sitting together watching TV.

"Hey, we got an hour left." She told him.

"I know." He stated as he began kissing her then got up to use the bathroom when the doorbell rang, he told her to get it as walked away.

"Hi. Is my dad here?" She asked, the woman who was with her husband and mom; looked stunned to see a woman open the door and not Jack.

"Yes. He just went to do something; I'll let him know you are here." Denise told them, as she let them in while closing the door. They sat on the sofa.

She told him as he was just stepping out of the bathroom from washing his hands. "Jack, I guess we will have to cuddle in bed another time because you have company."

"Visitors?" He asked confused, as they walked into the living room and Denise went to get her purse.

"I'll call you later Jack. Bye." She told him as his daughter got up to welcome her dad.

"Hi Dad!" She hugged him then sat next to her mom and he said goodbye to his girlfriend as she left;

"How are you? Wendy, how are you doing?" He asked her while sitting down.

"Good." She told him as she was sitting next to her husband and Wendy, Jack's ex-wife told him she was doing well.

"What's going on?" He asked with a bad feeling in his gut as he sat down on the love seat.