Tommy had given everyone off till Friday to recover from the wedding festivities. Naturally, Jess and Michael spent every waking minute together at her house. Swimming in the pool, laying in the sun, just enjoying each others company. Thursday night dinner came around and Jess, Michael, and Janik sat around the table. Since they had been working a lot prior, they also took sometime to spend it with Janik this week as well. He would never try to make her feel bad, but he missed having his daughter around. He knew if he told her that she would feel bad and spend less time learning about how to work in the company. Dinner for the past 3 days have been making up for it. "Are you guys excited to go back into the office?" Janik asked stuffing food in his mouth. "Daddy take smaller bites and don't talk with food in your mouth," Jess laughed. He rolled his eyes, "I wasn't talking to you," and stuck out his tongue, "I was talking to Michael." Michael laughed, "I am actually very excited to go back to work. I really just want this business deal with the Blake's to be signed with and done. It's been a lot and I am ready to just focus on the company stuff ya know." He put a piece of food in his mouth. Janik nodded, "I know what you mean late nights, long hours everyday." Michael chimed in, "And working with difficult people. Some of these business deals go smoother than others depending on who you're working with." "I agree," Janik said. Jessica sat there listening. When Michael said difficult people did he mean the Blake's as a whole or just Greg. What Gina said still was stuck in the back of her mind. Did he actually want business to be over so he could date her?
Friday morning, "Good morning everyone and welcome back. Today will be a quick day just to prep us for next week. And then tonight we will be having celebratory drinks at the pub," Tommy announced. Everyone went to work. Michael to his office and Jess to where Polly had been working. "So," Polly started, "How was the week with my son." A smile appeared on Jess's face and Polly shook her head and smiled. "What?" Jess laughed. "Nothing must have been a great week since I mentioned it a huge smile was on your face." Jess sighed, "Honestly Poll, it was so nice just to be able to be with him ya know? Without distractions of work or people. It reminded me when we first got together. It just allowed it to be us. I'm sorry I am getting cheesy on you right now." Polly waved her hands, "No no don't feel like you can't talk about this stuff. I need to make sure my sons treating you well anyways." Knock knock came at the door and it opened. "What are you 2 laughing about?" Michael came in. "Just how you better be treating your girl right. What can't live without her you're already in here? It's only been 2 minutes!" Polly smirked. "Mom I just wanted to see what she was doing thats all," Michael tried to make his mother believe. "Yea yea get going you will get to hang out with her tonight shoo shoo we are having girl talk and it's about you anyways" Polly said as she ushered Michael out of the office. "Mom," he whined. "I call that what being in love looks like. Now get to work miss." Jess smiled and began looking over contracts.
A few hours had passed and work couldn't have been moving faster and going any better than it was. They just started their last hour when the front door opened. In walked in Gina, Greg, and their dad. Really? Jess thought to herself. Polly could see the annoyance. "Hey you don't let that girl get to you." "I know Poll, but its like she has no boundaries and no respect. She knows Michael and I are together and then she goes and whispers shit in his ear. It's like tell her to stop Michael. You don't think I am overreacting do you?" "Slow down. First of all if you feel a way there is a reason why. I don't think there is harm in addressing how you feel. Maybe my son needs to hear he needs to stop being a people pleaser." "You're right, you're right." "Listen, I have to run some errands for Tommy, but I'll see you later?" Polly asked. Jess shook her head, Polly kissed her goodbye on the cheek and then went to Michael's office. When she walked in Gina was already in there. "Michael, I am going to run some errands for Tommy. I'll see you later." She turned to Gina, "My son has work today, you can go sit out there where your brother is."
Polly walked Gina out to the table her brother had been sitting at. Their father just walked in Tommy's office with Michael, and Greg waiting to go in. "I fucking hate that woman," Gina hissed. "Little sis she isn't dumb. She clearly sees what your game is. I thought I taught you better. Watch this." Greg got up and walked towards the open office Jess had been working in. She had a pen in her mouth as she was sifting through papers. She took a sip of her drink and then pushed a piece of hair back that had fallen in front of her eyes. Greg had seen her in a beautiful gown with her hair and makeup done. Right now he thought she was the most beautiful he had seen though, her eyes focused on the papers in front of her with such a natural beauty being highlighted by the light coming from the window. Knock knock. Jessica looked up, "Oh hey Greg how are you? Whats up?" "Hey Jess I just wanted to stop in before my meeting. So I called my godmother and spoke to her about maybe doing a portrait for you next time you're in New York." Jess's eyes lit up, "Wait really she would do that?" Meanwhile, Michael walked out of Tommy's office. He saw Gina sitting at the table. "Hey, where's your brother? Tommy is ready for him." Gina took this opportunity to play up what was going on. "He's in there talking to Jessica. Apparently they have mutual friends in the city. Planning a trip to maybe meet up I overheard." Gina could see Michael's demeanor change. He started to walk towards Jessica's office and could hear laughing. He cleared his throat and Jess and Greg looked up. "Hey babe," she said. "Tommy said you can go home and get ready for tonight. Greg, you're needed in the office now." Greg started to walk towards Michael and turned back, "I'll see you later Jess." He turned the corner feeling more confident that his plan was working.
Later that night, Jess took a deep breath before she walked through the doors of the pub. This would be her first time going since the Brett incident. She told Michael to go on without her that she needed just a little bit more time to work the courage up. It had been a battle getting him to leave, but she promised she would come. "You can do this. It will be a good night," she heard the voice behind her. Tommy and Arthur were behind her. Arthur grabbed her hand and squeezed it to provide support. "Thank you both, really." Tommy got the door and opened it for her and Arthur to walk in. "Whats up boys!" Arthur yelled to the bar where everyone had been sitting, this included Gina and Greg. "Look who I found outside Michael!" Michael turned around and saw Jessica walking through the door with Arthur holding her hand. "Hey Michael I think your girl might like me better than you. Watch out!" Arthur joked. Everyone laughed, "Yea yea yea maybe she enjoys your facial hair, but thats it. Shes mine and you can't have her," Michael said shaking his head and smiling walking up to them. Michael grabbed Jess's hand, "I am so glad you're here." "Me too," she smiled and walked with him towards the bar.
A few hours in and everyone was having a great time. Whiskey and beer were running through the veins of everyone. Jess on the other hand was drinking vodka, something her father had been giving her little sips of since she was a young girl. That was Janik's first business venture, Polish vodka. When she was little, her father would dip his finger in it and put it in her mouth. When she was 4, her mother finally caught her father doing it and yelled at him. His excuse was she had to learn young how to manage the alcohol, her dad would tell her that her mom ignored him for a day and said she didn't need to learn at 4 years old. Jess tipped her head back finishing her drink and asked the bartender for another. "Wow I didn't realize you could drink like this," Greg said coming up behind her. He sniffed her drink and made a face, "Vodka?" She rolled her eyes and laughed, "Yes vodka."
Michael came out of the bathroom and saw Greg talking to Jess. Did this guy not hear a word he had said at the wedding? He was pissed. He walked up to them both and grabbed Greg's shoulder and turned him around, "How many times do I have to tell you do not speak to my girlfriend?" "Michael, really?" Jess yelled at him. "Really Jess you're going to defend him?" Now everyone started to turn around. "You're making a scene over nothing. He was just talking to me about artwork." Jess couldn't believe this was happening. "So you are going to defend this prick who has no respect to me." Jess was done and she ripped off the bandaid that she had on what Gina said and she didn't care if she did it in front of everyone. "You want to talk about respect? Michael did you tell Gina that she couldn't flirt with you because of business and not because you had a girlfriend?" It got silent. Everyone looking between Michael and Gina. "Did you Michael?" Jess demanded. He stood there silent. "Fuck you Michael. Fuck you. I have made it known to Greg that I am in love with you, when you've allowed her," Jess pointed at Gina, "to flirt with you and it only stopped because of "business" Jess air quoted. "Jess, I didn't mean it like that," Michael tried to defend himself. "Then how did you mean it? How do you think I felt fucking hearing that from her. You know what I'm done for the night I am going home." She started to walk out the door and turned around to see Michael, Arthur, John, Finn, and Isaiah following her. "All of you fucking stop. I don't need a babysitter to walk me home." Michael opened his mouth, "Michael shut up don't speak to me right now. Maybe all of you should give a lesson to your cousin on how to respect his relationship because he sure is having a tough time doing it." Jess walked out slamming the door. A few minutes had passed and John said, "I'll follow her and make sure she gets home safe."
Everyone was looking at Michael. "Fuck!" he yelled. He walked towards Greg. "I told you to stay the fuck away from my girlfriend and you can't listen." Arthur moved in between them as Michael was angry. "Yea and you told my sister not to flirt with you because of business. What guy says that when he has a girlfriend." Greg wasn't backing down either. Arthur turned around to him, "Hey don't fucking start. I could let Michael go and fucking beat the shit out of you and I'm choosing not too." "Whatever," Greg said knocking back the rest of his drink. "I'm going to go. You want my sister to stay here so you can now flirt with her since Jess left?" Michael lunged towards Greg, Arthur and Isaiah holding him back. Polly got up from the bar, "Both of you should leave now."