Tuesday, november, 21
After the beach party a couple weeks earlier, Jack and Linda had become inseparable. Most of his free time was spent in her company now, at the movies or simply browsing record shops and bookstores for the latest releases. Despite their differences in personality, they got along remarkably well, and even found out they shared similar tastes, which made the aforementioned shopping trips much easier. In fact, it wasn't uncommon that one of them couldn't afford a record or book and the other bought it with the promise that they would lend it to the other. Jack wasn't sure if dating was really that simple, or if Linda was just especially easygoing, but he was glad for the breath of fresh air she brought into his life, even if it meant giving up a little time with his friends in the process.
"How about this?" Linda asked, picking up a paper wrapped stick of butter from the grocery store dairy aisle.
She usually didn't join Jack for his weekly food shopping runs, since she was pretty inept in the cooking department, but this time she made an exception for a very good reason. The school was hosting a thanksgiving charity bake sale the next day, and sophomores had been invited to bring their own contributions in exchange for an extra credit in their portfolio.
"You don't want that." Jack put the butter back in its place."You see, the trick to a great dough is using seed oil instead of butter. It's quicker to make, cause you don't have to let it rest in the fridge, and it's lighter on the calories."
"Wow, you do know a lot about baking. Are you sure you don't wanna make my pie?"
"Nice try." Jack smirked. "Besides, it's for charity … it's' not like you're getting graded."
"But, you'll help me out, right?"
"Of course. I can't wait to get cooking with you." Jack said, immediately recognizing the double entendre he just unleashed. "I mean … baking with you." he corrected himself, giggling nervously." In the kitchen."
"I know, silly." Linda laughed, patting his arm. "You know, you're cute when you get shy."
"Am I?" Jack lifted an eyebrow, and Linda wrapped her arms around his neck, ready to show him how much right in front of the cheese selection.
Unfortunately for them, though, their tete-a-tete was interrupted by a customer charging through with their hands full of groceries, separating them right before their lips joined.
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry." a female voice said, her head hidden behind a pile of groceries that could have fed a third world country.
"Janet?" Jack exclaimed, immediately recognizing his friend.
"Oh, hi Jack." she said, peeking her head to the side. "Linda. Small world, uh?"
"I'll say." he replied, feeling a little awkward. "You need a hand with those?"
"Thanks," Janet handed some of the items to Jack. "Terri's gone to get a cart. We're just doing some shopping for tomorrow's bake sale."
Jack furrowed his brows. "And you're planning to feed the whole school?"
"I never baked a cake before, so I got a little bit of everything, just in case."
"Wait," Jack giggled. "You're baking your own cake?"
"Yes!" Janet replied defensively. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing. It's just, the last time I was at your place, you didn't know how to make tea so you boiled lemon gatorade."
"Well, things change, and tomorrow you're gonna eat the best upside down pineapple cake you ever tasted."
"Upside down pineapple? Are you sure you wanna do that?" Jack frowned, taken aback. "It's not the easiest. You know, there's some pre-made cake mixes on aisle three, and they're great for beginners …"
"Don't mind him." Linda intervened in Janet's defense, and the brunette couldn't help to notice the way she rubbed her hand on Jack's arm. It was so intimate it made her stomach turn. "I'm sure you'll do fine on your own. I mean, you just need to follow the instructions, how hard can it be?"
"Thank you." Janet replied, more out of obligation than anything.
"Oh, there you are!" Terri suddenly popped up from a corner, holding a paper box in one hand and a shopping basket in the other. "I couldn't find a cart so I got a - oh, hi, Jack. Linda." she acknowledged the girl, forcing a tight-lipped smile.
"Hey, Ter. You're shopping for the bake sale too?" the redhead asked.
"Yep. Bought my cake, fresh from the bakery section." Terri lifted the lid on the box, spreading a mouth-watering meringue smell all around her.
"That does look good." Linda peeked at the cake. "I don't care what you say, Jack, if our pie is a bust, I'm getting one of these."
"Your pie?" Janet asked.
"Yeah, well, he's giving me a hand with my peach cobbler … I'm not much of a baker either." Linda giggled, giving Janet a conspiratory glance which she struggled to return.
"I guess we'll see how it all turns out tomorrow." Jack said.
"I guess we will." Janet replied, not meaning to sound quite as snarky, but unable to contain her mixed-up feelings about her crush and his girlfriend playing house right in front of her.
"You know, you didn't have to go that hard on Janet before." Linda told Jack as they unpacked their groceries in her kitchen. She had noticed Janet's stand-offish behavior at the store, and naturally blamed it on her boyfriend's condescending remarks.
"You don't get it. That's just our thing, I was joking around."
"I don't think she was amused."
"Listen, I just made some suggestions, that's all."
"Jack, she's a big girl, she doesn't need some guy to tell her what to do."
"I know. I was just looking out for her … as a friend."
"And that's very sweet of you." Linda brushed his cheek sympathetically. "But you need to let people make their own mistakes."
"It's just … " Jack glanced down at the marble counter. "You don't know Janet like I do. She's very competitive. Once she sets something on her mind, there's no stopping her, and when she'll fail she will be crushed."
"What if she doesn't?"
"Be serious." Jack scoffed.
"I am. What if her cake is a masterpiece, and she's the next Julia Child?"
"I'm pretty sure the chances are slim to none."
"Still, it's up to her to find out." Linda said.
"... I guess you're right." Jack reluctantly conceded.
"Now, enough about Janet. Let's get baking."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Uhm, Janet, the recipe says you're supposed to gently stir the batter, not splatter it all over the place." Terri told her friend, as she wiped herself. Thank God she thought about wearing an apron, or her favorite blouse would have been a goner.
"I'm so sorry." Janet replied, putting down her spoon. "I guess I got a little carried away."
"It's fine." Terri continued cleaning herself up. "Your face could use a wash, though."
Janet immediately grabbed a tray to check herself. "Oh, my God, you're right. I'm covered in flour."
"Maybe we should take a break." Terri sat by the kitchen table, and took out a chair for Janet as well.
"Fine." Janet grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped her face, before joining Terri.
"... You know, Janet, it's not a competition."
"I know. I just want to make sure we collect some good money tomorrow."
Terri raised a skeptical eyebrow. "So, this has nothing to do with Linda?"
"... maybe, a little." Janet conceded.
"Listen, you don't have to prove anything to her, or Jack."
Janet nodded, knowing all too well Terri was right. "I just can't help it. Since they started dating he's changed … he's so pretentious, and nitpicky."
"He's always been like that." Terri observed. "You just never noticed cause you had the love goggles on."
Janet was about to retort, when the door swung open, and Jenny made her entrance in the kitchen. She stopped talking as the girl grabbed a soda from the fridge, waiting for her to leave to resume the conversation, but the teen seemed to have other plans. Instead of exiting the room, she stood by the counter, popping open her can before loudly slurping her drink.
"Jenny, do you mind? we were having a private conversation." Janet gestured towards Terri.
"About the bitch that stole your boyfriend?"
"Jenny, language!" Janet admonished her. "And, I told you a million times not to go through my diary!"
"It was an accident!" she shrugged. "It fell on the floor, and it opened up."
"Sure." Janet scoffed. "Anyway, don't you have anything better to do than hanging around in the kitchen?"
"Not really. I already went through the newest Tiger beat twice, and your love life's much more interesting than Shaun Cassidy's, mainly cause you didn't have one up until a year ago."
At this, Terri suppressed a chuckle, which wasn't lost on Janet, and the girl apologized. "Sorry."
"So, what's the skinny?" Jenny asked, taking a seat across the table.
"We ran into Jack and Linda at the store earlier." Terri filled her in.
"They were making out in the middle of the dairy aisle." Janet grimaced.
"Where we buy our cheese?" Jenny exclaimed. "Gross!"
"And then, then I told him I was baking my own cake, he made fun of me for being a lousy cook."
"Like he's not the one who's making Linda's cake for her." Terri added. "Can you believe that?"
"What a jerk." Jenny said. "You should just buy the most expensive cake in town, and tell them you made it. That will show them."
"That would be too easy. I just wanna make such a mouth-watering cake he's gonna have to eat his words … literally." Janet said with conviction.
"Good luck with that." Jenny replied. "Boy, going through all this trouble for some guy … you must really like him."
"... I do." Janet sighed in resignation, slumping her shoulders and hiding her head in between her arms.
"That's just like me with Brian." Jenny said woefully.
Janet raised her head. She never heard of this Brian before. "I thought you were going with David?"
"I did, but I dumped him."
"So, now you're going with this Brian?"
"Oh, no. I was mad about him and he still dumped me to get back with his ex Lisa … I should have stuck with David."
"Hey, maybe you can patch things up if you just talk." Terri said, patting her arm sympathetically.
"Maybe I will." Jenny replied. "... Unless I can get a date with Pedro first. He's a new exchange student from Brazil, and he's gorgeous."
"Of course." Terri said, as her and Janet shook their heads in disbelief at the fact that a thirteen year old had a more exciting love life than they did. "Now, what do you say you help your sister bake the best upside down pineapple cake this town has ever seen?"
"I'm in!" Jenny nodded excitedly, and soon the three girls were getting busy in the kitchen, momentarily forgetting the awkward encounter in the supermarket and just enjoying each other's company like the carefree teenagers that they were.
Wednesday finally arrived, and the school cafeteria was swarming with students and relatives alike, waving their wallets in anticipation of tasting their thanksgiving treats. The air was joyous and festive, and the orange leaves decorating the walls helped spreading the thanksgiving cheer, alongside the sunny weather outside. As Janet entered the room, she thought it must have been a good omen.
"Hey, Janet! Terri greeted her at one of the assigned tables. "Let me see the cake!"
The brunette lifted the lid on her tupperware container, revealing the final result of their work.
"Oh, my God!" Terri exclaimed, glancing at the pineapple glazing on top. "It looks … incredible!"
"I know!" Janet giggled. "I couldn't believe it either. I can't wait to shove it in Jack's face."
"Janet! We talked about this." Terri rested her hands on her hips.
"I know, I know, but I'm just so happy, Can't a girl have a little victory lap?"
"Sure. Just be careful not to actually run around the room in all the excitement."
"I'll try." Janet giggled.
"Hey girls!" Cindy arrived at that moment, holding a tinfoil wrapped baking tray. "What's so funny?"
"Hey Cindy." Terri said. "We were just talking about Janet's cake."
"It's that bad, uh?" Cindy grimaced. "I'm sorry ... You know, that's why I made my mother make mine."
"Great!" Janet exclaimed in frustration. "So, I'm the only dummy who didn't cheat."
"No, I'm pretty sure Gretchen made her own cake too." Terri said.
"Oh, well, I'm in great company." Janet sulked.
"Anyhow, Janet's cake came out great." Terri told Cindy. "Wait til you see it."
The girls got behind the table, and Terri lifted the lid on the tupperware, before grabbing a knife. She carefully cut a line vertically, then horizontally, before going diagonally. As soon as she did that though, the cake toppled on itself, losing its shape, the slices looking like blobs of dough with crisp pineapple pieces falling over them.
"Oh, no!" Janet exclaimed.
"It's fine. It's just a little …." Cindy stammered.
"It's raw." Terri found the words for her.
"But it looked so good!" Janet cried. "How could that happen?"
"Listen, for now, we'll just put it back together." Terri began reassembling the cake as best as she could. "Hopefully no one will notice."
"Care for some delicious pineapple cake?" Janet smiled widely as she gestured to her plate, trying to lure one of the passersby.
"Sorry, I'm allergic to pineapple." the man replied as he walked past her.
"An awfully contagious disease." Janet mumbled to herself. It had been two hours since the sale started and no one gave as much as a second glance at her cake, while Terri's and Cindy's were already halfway gone.
"I should just go home, this is so humiliating." Janet said, feeling her eyes beginning to prick.
"You can't give up now." Terri circled her arms around her. "I'm sure someone will buy it."
"Look, there's already someone coming over here." Cindy said, and Janet quickly glanced over to see a middle aged blonde woman heading in their direction.
"Hello. Miss." Terri said in her best hostess voice. "Can we interest you in some delicious pineapple cake?"
"Don't mind if I …" the woman said, before glancing at the cake and changing her tune. "Actually, I'm not crazy about tropical fruits."
"How about some triple chocolate pie?" Cindy said, and the woman's eyes lit up.
"That looks nice." The woman replied, then stared at Terri for a beat. "... wait, I know you!"
"You do?"
"Yes, I saw you with my son once when I picked him up after school. Jack?"
"Oh, you're Mrs. Tripper! I'm Terri." she shook the woman's hand.
"And I'm Cindy." the other girl introduced herself in turn.
"Don't tell me …" Mrs. Tripper glanced at Janet. "You must be Linda. I should have known right away!"
"I'm not - I'm Janet."
"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just, you look just like his type. You know, we went to see Romeo and Juliet when he was a kid, and he had the biggest crush on Olivia Hussey. She looked just like you, with that long dark hair, and so beautiful."
"Well, thanks, but I'm not his girlfriend, or his type." Janet blushed slightly, "Just a friend."
"I'm sorry, honey, I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just so difficult to get two words out of that boy's mouth! I had to find out he had a girlfriend from his brother, and I didn't even know what she looked like."
"It's fine," Janet said. "She's actually over there, with the short red hair."
"Thanks. I'll have a slice of that triple chocolate, and here's a donation, for your trouble." the woman grabbed her pie, before sliding two crisp dollar bills in Cindy's money box.
"Alright. Now, I can go home." Janet sighed as she watched Mrs. Tripper fade into the crowd.
"Alright, I'm back." Jack said, coming back from his bathroom break. "What did I miss?"
"You've made … one, two … six …eight, nine … ten bucks since we started." Linda said as she counted the dollar bills and coins in her hand.
Jack rubbed his hands eagerly. "Alright! Talk to me m …" he stopped mid-sentence. "... mom?
"What?" Linda furrowed her brow.
"My mother's here." Jack said, panic in his voice.
"Where?"
"Coming our way. Six o'clock."
Linda turned around, and just as he said, a middle-aged woman with a short blonde perm and Jack's blue eyes was marching their way, grinning from ear to ear.
"Mom!" Jack exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I told you, you didn't need to come."
"Oh, come on, Jack. Can't a mother contribute to a good cause? Or would you rather the homeless starved?
"No, of course not, mother." Jack replied sheepishly.
"That's my sweet boy." the woman patted his cheek. "Now, aren't you gonna introduce me to your friend?"
"Oh, right. Mom, this is Linda …" Jack hesitated. It was true they had been going out for over two weeks, but was he ready to introduce her to his mother as his girlfriend? "She's my ... classmate."
"Alright." Mrs. Tripper made a dubious face, noticing how Linda's jaw tensed after Jack's brush-off. "Hello, Linda, I'm Mrs. Tripper. But you can call me Dorothy."
"Nice to meet you." Linda forced a smile as she shook the woman's hand.
"Mom, you want a slice of my black forest?" Jack asked. "It's going out fast."
"No, thanks, honey. No offense, but I eat your cakes all the time at home. I wanna try something different for once."
"Then you're in luck. Linda's peach cobbler is to die for." Jack got a slice out of the serving plate and put it in his mother's cake carrier.
"That smell!" Mrs. Tripper closed her eyes. "My mouth is watering already!"
"So, what else did you get?" Linda asked, peeking at the other slices inside the carrier.
"Oh, just some cherry tart, and a triple chocolate from your friend over there. Whatì's her name? Cynthia."
"Cindy?"
"Yes. Her. I almost thought of getting some pineapple pie from your other friend, too. You know, it looked so awful, I think nobody touched it. I feel so sorry for that girl, but iI didn't want her to think I was just buying it out of pity."
Jack glanced over at Janet's table, and the scene made his heart break. She sat on a chair against the wall, clearly trying to hold back tears, as Cindy reassured her. Meanwhile Terri tried her best to lure some poor sucker into buying Janet's cake, without much success.
"Oh, well." Mrs. Tripper sighed. "We can't all be gourmet chefs like you and Linda, right? I'm sure she has other talents … she seems like a really bright girl."
"She is." Jack said, glancing again at her table.
"Now, before I go. Here's a donation for you." Mrs. Tripper fished out a dollar bill from her wallet and gave it to Linda. "It was really nice meeting you darling. I'm sure we'll see each other again." she smiled knowingly, then kissed her son on the cheek.
"Mom, don't do that!" Jack admonished her, brushing lipstick from his cheek. "People are staring!"
"Alright!" she said defensively. "I'm not gonna embarrass you any further … I'm going now. Bye, kids."
When the woman was gone, Jack noted Linda lost her cheer and became a little pensive, as she went right back to rearranging the table display without saying a word.
"Everything alright?" he asked her.
"Yes." she replied casually, before stopping in her tracks. "Actually … I think it's time I take a bathroom break too. Will you be alright on your own?"
"Go ahead, don't worry about me."
As Linda left the dining hall, Jack began counting the donation box money to pass the time. She was right. He had collected a lot in a short amount of time, more than anyone else in that room probably. As he considered that, he couldn't help thinking about Janet, who on the other end, was gonna finish the day with nothing to show for, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.
"Hey, that looks good." a man stopped by the table, interrupting his musings. "Say, what's in it?"
"This is a black forest cake with dark chocolate, cherries and whipped cream."
"Sounds great to me! Can I have a slice?"
"... Actually." Jack said, as the wheels on his brain began turning. "I can do you one better. So, listen …"
Janet couldn't believe her ears. Just as she was about to throw the towel, someone stopped by her table, asking to take home a slice of her pie.
"Are you sure?" she couldn't help but ask, and Terri elbowed her.
"He's sure, Janet." the blonde told her through gritted teeth.
"Upside down pineapple is my favorite." the man confirmed.
"Alright!" Janet handed him the slice, for which in exchange she received a dollar bill.
"My first dollar!" she shrieked after the man left, waving the paper in her hands. Today might turn out to not be so terrible, after all.
Meanwhile, from across the room, Jack watched the scene, pleased with himself.
It seemed fortune had finally smiled on Janet. In the next two hours, three more people had stopped by her table to buy her cake, and she had managed to collect the discrete sum of eight dollars.
"Not bad at all!" Terri patted her on the shoulder, after they finished counting the money. "See, you had nothing to worry about."
"Not bad? It's fantastic!" Cindy exclaimed with a little too much excitement, almost making Janet fall forward as she slapped her on the back.
"Alright, alright, I get it." Janet smiled, touched by her friend's attempt at cheering her up. "Thank you, girls."
"Hello, ladies! Jack interrupted their celebration. "So, what's cooking?"
The trio didn't seem to be amused by his humor and just stared at him without blinking.
"What's cooking … It's a joke." Jack explained, chuckling faintly.
"We get it, Jack." Janet replied. "Are you here to gloat about how you already sold your cake?"
"No. I just wanted to say hello, and see how it's going."
"It's going great." Cindy stepped forward in what was clearly a defensive move. "Janet already sold half her cake."
"Really?!" Jack tried to feign innocence.
"Don't sound so surprised." Janet crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'm not!" he said, then glanced down at the object of their conversation. "Is this the cake?"
"Yes." Terri said. "Do you wanna try it?"
"... Sure." Jack replied, before taking a collapsed slice of the unappetizing dessert and giving it a tentative bite. He was right. The only way someone could have bought that would have been through corruption. "That's very … interesting, It's almost like a bread pudding, but not quite. Can't say I ever had a cake like this before."
"So, it's good?" Janet asked.
"Yes!" Jack lied, and to add credibility to what he just said, he shoved down the rest of the slice, trying not to think about the raw dough. "Soooo delicious."
"I guess you were wrong, then. I can cook." Janet grinned, swaying back and forth with her arms still crossed.
"I guess I was. I apologize." Jack conceded, even if it was just for her sake, and for the first time in a while, it felt like the old days between them. Easy, playful, and sincere. Well, almost sincere.
"Good. Then, next time I make a cake I can ask for your advice, so I can get even better."
"Next time?" Jack's eyes widened.
"Yes. You know, I never realized, but baking is a very relaxing activity. I really enjoy it. You could be my taste-tester."
"Sure." Jack grimaced, wondering how long he could have endured Janet's cooking before the truth caught up with her.
"Hey, Jack." Linda appeared by his side seemingly out of nowhere. "Can you come with me, please? I need to talk to you."
"Sure." Jack excused himself, and they moved to the hallway. "What's up?"
"So, I was counting again the money from the sale, and … there's some dollar bills missing."
Oh, crap. "Are you sure? maybe you counted wrong."
"No, I counted them three times. You're five dollars short."
"That's odd."
"Did you leave the table while I was in the bathroom?"
"No." Jack replied, trying not to appear nervous. He knew Linda wouldn't have liked what he did. "Maybe someone stole them while I was distracted."
"The donation box is sealed. How could that be?" Linda wondered. "Maybe we should tell principal Furley, see what he can do. Maybe there's cameras in the cafeteria."
"No need." Jack laughed anxiously, as he stopped her in her tracks. "I mean, who knows who did it? they're probably already gone."
"Jack, are you hiding something from me?" she peered at him through slit eyes. "You're acting funny."
"Funny? I'm always acting funny. You know me, how I like to goof around. I was even elected class clown two years in a row in my old school …"
"Jack, spit it out."
"... I paid people to buy Janet's cake." he mumbled unintelligibly.
"What?"
"I paid people to buy Janet's cake." he said again, this time clearer.
"I can't believe it!"
"We had so much money already. They're going to the same cause, so technically, I was just re-directing them."
"That's not the point." Linda crossed her arms in a way that reminded Jack of his own mother when she was mad, or "disappointed", as she liked to say. "You're giving that poor girl the delusion that she can actually cook, when she can't."
"Well, neither can you!" Jack blurted out without much thinking.
Linda tensed, taking in the accidental punch. "Alright. And?"
"And she's my friend. You said I was harsh on her the other day, so I helped her out, like I did with you."
"That's different. I'm your girlfriend! … that is, when you feel like it."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You didn't seem too excited for me to meet your mom, that's all."
"She just took me by surprise. What was I supposed to say?"
"Hi, mom, this is my girlfriend, Linda. See? easy."
"What's that?" Terri picked up a handkerchief from the ground, holding it between her thumb and index.
"It must be Jack's." Janet observed, as she came closer. "Those are his initials sewn into it."
"Jack E. Tripper." Cindy commented. "I didn't know he had a middle name. I wonder what it stands for."
"It's Eustace, after his grandfather." Janet said casually, and her friends just stared at her in disbelief.
"Eustace?" Terri frowned, feeling sorry for the poor fellow.
"I saw it when he showed me his driver's permit." Janet explained.
"We should probably give it back to him." Cindy said.
"I'll take care of it." Janet replied. "You handle the table. I'll be right back!"
She quickly exited the cafeteria, and turned the corner right around the hallway Jack and Linda had disappeared into. She was almost there, when she stopped in her tracks, hearing a heated argument going on.
"You didn't seem too excited for me to meet your mom, that's all." Linda said.
"She just took me by surprise. What was I supposed to say?"
"Hi, mom, this is my girlfriend, Linda. See? easy."
"I've never had my mother meet a girl. I just … couldn't say it."
"Couldn't, or wouldn't?"
Jack didn't know how to reply to that, so he just stuffed his hands in his pockets and avoided Linda's gaze.
"Just like I thought." she said. "... Does this by any chance have anything to do with your feelings for Janet?"
"What are you talking about?" Jack looked up, a deer caught in the headlights.
"Come on, I'm not stupid. You've been obsessed with her dumb cake for the past two days. It's all you could think about, and now you paid some strangers to tell her it was good even though it was crap."
At that revelation, Janet's heart began dancing in her chest. She should have been mad at Jack for his deception, and yet, all she could feel was joy and relief that he cared so much about her happiness, about something so trivial yet so important to her, that he gave up his own pride to see her smile.
"So, do you have feelings for her?" Linda pressed on.
"... I did."
"You still do." Linda said, more a fact than a question.
Janet sucked in her breath, waiting for Jack's reply.
"... Yeah." he couldn't lie. "I'm sorry. I'm just trying to do what's right, but I don't know how to be friends with her, and date you at the same time. I really like you, Linda,"
"But not enough." she said. "Not as much as you like her."
"Maybe with time …"
"You know that's a lie." she told him. "Listen, I think it's best if we call it quits. You clearly need to sort out your … whatever it is you're going through."
"So, that's it?" Jack said.
"We can still be friends. I'm not saying we have to be best buddies, but I think with time, I'll get over this. You're a terrific guy, and it would be a shame to lose a friend like you."
"I'm so sorry, Linda." he hugged instinctively. "You're the best first girlfriend I could have asked for."
"It's fine." she replied, hugging him back, and Janet retreated, suddenly feeling like she was intruding in an intimate moment in Jack's life, a future memory that was supposed to belong to him only.
Janet walked back to the cafeteria in a funky haze. On one hand, she couldn't help but feel compassion for Linda, but on the other, she was on cloud nine. She glanced down at the handkerchief still in her hand, and traced her fingers over the initials on it, as if to claim the owner. She couldn't believe it - Jack still had feelings for her. Finally they could make this work … she just had to find the right time to tell him, the way she planned that night at the beach party. Or should she wait for him to step forward? No, there was no more time to hesitate. She had to make the first move. As soon as the Thanksgiving holidays were over, they were gonna sort this out and finally become a couple.
