I Keep Coming Back to You (Pt. 2)
Title: I Keep Coming Back to You (Pt.2)
Author: md123
Pairing: Jack/Liz, Liz/Jenna
Spoilers: None
Word Count: 883
Rating: PG
"You wanted to see me, Jack? Did I do something wrong?"
"Lemon, would you say I'm a 'catch'?"
"I thought you always said it didn't matter what other people thought about that."
"That's not an answer."
"What's the matter, Jack? Lady troubles again?"
"In a sense."
Liz smirks knowingly, half amused and half dismayed. "OK, let me guess, you've met someone and you're enchanted, you think it's the most amazing feeling of your life and you want to marry her, even though you've known her for a day a half..."
"I'm not that predictable Lemon. You got several important details wrong."
"Well, it couldn't be going well, or you wouldn't be at Sbarro's."
Jack feels a bit discouraged. She doesn't know how right she is, that this isn't going well at all. And Lemon's riff on his romantic tendencies makes him feel a little ridiculous, and fills him with doubt about the whole enterprise. Is he going overboard again? Doubt is an unusual feeling for him.
"So who is she this time?"
Jack pauses for effect. "Lemon-- Elizabeth -- have you ever thought about... us?"
Jack watches Liz's expressions change as she adjusts to the context shift. He could read her thoughts on her face: as he says the words, she is already cranking up for the next witty reply, as if she already knows what he is going to say. Surprised by what he actually says, she stops herself, mouth already open, pauses a beat, and then has a different, more relevant witty reply, but again the words don't come out. Finally, she closes her mouth and remains silent for what seems like a long time. Jack takes a bite of pizza to let her think for a minute, looking at her to continue.
She looks down for an instant, then back at him. Her demeanor changes to soft, even gentle. "Of course I've thought about it, Jack."
"And?"
"It probably wouldn't work out."
"Well why not?"
She shrugs. "It never does."
"It never does? That's the best you've got?"
"Well, no... you're in to your business stuff and your.." --- she grimaces -- "...sex standing up and marrying women who I find really scary. I'm not any of those things."
"And yet we're here."
Liz seems slightly miffed. This is a serious breach of their routine, a total failure to leave unsaid things unsaid.
"What's going on, Jack?"
"Hank Hooper says I should marry again." He pauses, then looks up at her. "I don't think it was a request."
"That's ridiculous. He can't order you to do that."
"This isn't your sexual harassment seminar, Lemon. It's different for executives. Everything about a person affects their impact on a corporation and its values. Nothing is private. Don Geiss taught me that."
"Wait, are you saying we should get married?", she asks increduously.
"Not exactly. I thought we could... give things a try and see how they work out."
"Jack. I'm not going to start dating you because Hank Hooper told you to."
And with that, Liz stands up and goes back to work. She avoids his office the rest of the day.
**
Jack doesn't give up quite that easily. The next morning Liz finds a bouquet of roses on her desk. She snorts in frustration and amusement. The unsigned card just reads, "Sorry. This is a better way to ask." She sits down, sniffs the roses, smiles to herself, and allows herself to daydream for a moment.
**
Those flowers are still on her desk hours later, when Jenna arrives for the day.
"Liz -- Joan of Snark is saying my performance was 'sick'. That means good, right?"
"I think so."
Then Jenna notices. "What's with the flowers? A new gentleman admirer?" she asks with a trace of mockery.
"Sort of. Jack's gotten it into his head that we should go out."
"On a date?"
"Yeah."
"Jack Donaghy." Jenna is having trouble believing this.
"Yeah. It's ridi-"
"Wait, you said yes, right?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because, Jenna. He's my friend, but he's nuts! He drinks scotch in his morning shower!"
"Well, at least you're showering with him. That's something."
"No. No." Liz replies forcefully. "He mentioned it once."
"What, is he not successful enough for you?"
"No, of course not..."
"Do you not think he's handsome?"
"I suppose he is---"
"So what's the problem?"
"Because, Jenna. I need him. I don't want to Lemon this and make a mistake and then he's not my friend anymore. I mean, can you really see us as a couple?"
"You could make a mistake. But what a mistake."
**
"So yeah, Will Ferrell says he can't guest host in March, but May might work."
"OK, whatever you think."
"Wait, Jack, what's that look you're giving me?"
"I wasn't aware I was giving you any sort of 'look.'"
"You're looking at me funny."
"Is it different from the way I've looked at you in the past?"
"Maybe not, but now it seems creepy."
"Lemon, I wish you'd reconsider my offer."
"Geez, Jack, don't you have to sit through the sexual harassment seminar every year too? No unwanted sexual advances?"
"Yes, but the executive version is... different." Jack allows himself to daydream about these seminars, which are filled with golf, strippers, recreational drugs... mmmm. "Would you really file a complaint against me?"
"Well, no, but still."
"Do you honestly feel no attraction to me?" It's an honest question. Jack is truly mystified by the possibility that a woman out there might actually have no desire to be with him.
"I'm not going to answer that."
Jack gives her a lost-puppy-dog look. Has she won this argument? Is she glad she won?
"So which week in May?"
TBC...
Author: md123
Pairing: Jack/Liz, Liz/Jenna
Spoilers: None
Word Count: 883
Rating: PG
"You wanted to see me, Jack? Did I do something wrong?"
"Lemon, would you say I'm a 'catch'?"
"I thought you always said it didn't matter what other people thought about that."
"That's not an answer."
"What's the matter, Jack? Lady troubles again?"
"In a sense."
Liz smirks knowingly, half amused and half dismayed. "OK, let me guess, you've met someone and you're enchanted, you think it's the most amazing feeling of your life and you want to marry her, even though you've known her for a day a half..."
"I'm not that predictable Lemon. You got several important details wrong."
"Well, it couldn't be going well, or you wouldn't be at Sbarro's."
Jack feels a bit discouraged. She doesn't know how right she is, that this isn't going well at all. And Lemon's riff on his romantic tendencies makes him feel a little ridiculous, and fills him with doubt about the whole enterprise. Is he going overboard again? Doubt is an unusual feeling for him.
"So who is she this time?"
Jack pauses for effect. "Lemon-- Elizabeth -- have you ever thought about... us?"
Jack watches Liz's expressions change as she adjusts to the context shift. He could read her thoughts on her face: as he says the words, she is already cranking up for the next witty reply, as if she already knows what he is going to say. Surprised by what he actually says, she stops herself, mouth already open, pauses a beat, and then has a different, more relevant witty reply, but again the words don't come out. Finally, she closes her mouth and remains silent for what seems like a long time. Jack takes a bite of pizza to let her think for a minute, looking at her to continue.
She looks down for an instant, then back at him. Her demeanor changes to soft, even gentle. "Of course I've thought about it, Jack."
"And?"
"It probably wouldn't work out."
"Well why not?"
She shrugs. "It never does."
"It never does? That's the best you've got?"
"Well, no... you're in to your business stuff and your.." --- she grimaces -- "...sex standing up and marrying women who I find really scary. I'm not any of those things."
"And yet we're here."
Liz seems slightly miffed. This is a serious breach of their routine, a total failure to leave unsaid things unsaid.
"What's going on, Jack?"
"Hank Hooper says I should marry again." He pauses, then looks up at her. "I don't think it was a request."
"That's ridiculous. He can't order you to do that."
"This isn't your sexual harassment seminar, Lemon. It's different for executives. Everything about a person affects their impact on a corporation and its values. Nothing is private. Don Geiss taught me that."
"Wait, are you saying we should get married?", she asks increduously.
"Not exactly. I thought we could... give things a try and see how they work out."
"Jack. I'm not going to start dating you because Hank Hooper told you to."
And with that, Liz stands up and goes back to work. She avoids his office the rest of the day.
**
Jack doesn't give up quite that easily. The next morning Liz finds a bouquet of roses on her desk. She snorts in frustration and amusement. The unsigned card just reads, "Sorry. This is a better way to ask." She sits down, sniffs the roses, smiles to herself, and allows herself to daydream for a moment.
**
Those flowers are still on her desk hours later, when Jenna arrives for the day.
"Liz -- Joan of Snark is saying my performance was 'sick'. That means good, right?"
"I think so."
Then Jenna notices. "What's with the flowers? A new gentleman admirer?" she asks with a trace of mockery.
"Sort of. Jack's gotten it into his head that we should go out."
"On a date?"
"Yeah."
"Jack Donaghy." Jenna is having trouble believing this.
"Yeah. It's ridi-"
"Wait, you said yes, right?"
"No!"
"Why not?"
"Because, Jenna. He's my friend, but he's nuts! He drinks scotch in his morning shower!"
"Well, at least you're showering with him. That's something."
"No. No." Liz replies forcefully. "He mentioned it once."
"What, is he not successful enough for you?"
"No, of course not..."
"Do you not think he's handsome?"
"I suppose he is---"
"So what's the problem?"
"Because, Jenna. I need him. I don't want to Lemon this and make a mistake and then he's not my friend anymore. I mean, can you really see us as a couple?"
"You could make a mistake. But what a mistake."
**
"So yeah, Will Ferrell says he can't guest host in March, but May might work."
"OK, whatever you think."
"Wait, Jack, what's that look you're giving me?"
"I wasn't aware I was giving you any sort of 'look.'"
"You're looking at me funny."
"Is it different from the way I've looked at you in the past?"
"Maybe not, but now it seems creepy."
"Lemon, I wish you'd reconsider my offer."
"Geez, Jack, don't you have to sit through the sexual harassment seminar every year too? No unwanted sexual advances?"
"Yes, but the executive version is... different." Jack allows himself to daydream about these seminars, which are filled with golf, strippers, recreational drugs... mmmm. "Would you really file a complaint against me?"
"Well, no, but still."
"Do you honestly feel no attraction to me?" It's an honest question. Jack is truly mystified by the possibility that a woman out there might actually have no desire to be with him.
"I'm not going to answer that."
Jack gives her a lost-puppy-dog look. Has she won this argument? Is she glad she won?
"So which week in May?"
TBC...