I Want Someone to Eat Subs With (Part Two, Jack/Liz)
Title: I Want Someone to Eat Subs With
Chapter: Two
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Rating (this part): PG
Word Count (this part): 2,796
Spoilers: 2x10
Notes: I swiped a joke from "Subway Hero." So even more credit goes to the writers of the show.
Summary: The rules of a rebound relationship are discussed. Some laughter is had. ( Previous part.)
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. Title is kind of ripped off from Jeff Garlin's film I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, but the ripoff is affectionate.
*
It's later that day -- night, technically, after most of the offices have cleared out and Jonathan's gone home -- when they officially discuss their 'relationship.' They do it (do it as in have the talk, not do it as in do it) in his office, Jack behind his desk and Liz at a chair. It worries her how much this feels like an official conversation about something somewhat serious and work-related, something that doesn't involve them, you know, having a... whatever. She's not sure they should be discussing this whole... thing at work, honestly, but it first came up at work, she agreed to it at work, so it does make some sense that the ground rules would be laid out at work, too. Maybe they should do the rebound dating stuff entirely at 30 Rock. They could have dinner in the Rainbow Room and go sit in at a Conan taping for entertainment (or something else, maybe; she thinks Jack hates Conan at least a little, and she still thinks of him mainly as an ex, not the host of a talk show), then do it as in do it somewhere in the building. Not in his office, though. There's something unsavory about the thought of having sex with her boss in his office. And this is unsavory enough.
She'd totally say this -- jokingly and without the word 'unsavory' -- if he weren't incredibly serious about laying out the rules of this whole rebound relationship thing. Ironic, since every law he presents to her basically boils down to: neither of us should take this too seriously.
"And," Jack says, and Liz is glad this little talk is coming to a close without him whipping out charts and graphs or diagrams of the sex positions that are most likely to make one forget a broken heart, "you must promise you won't fall in love with me."
She replies with a "Ha!" by reflex. Because, really, she can't imagine falling in love with Jack. She knows him too well to fall in love with him. He frowns at her. "Um. Sorry. I should not have laughed. But, you know, we're not supposed to take this seriously, so."
He doesn't blink as he considers this. "I don't know if I should be insulted by how ridiculous you find the prospect of falling in love with me or relieved that I've made a wise choice in selecting you."
"The second one, I think. Because that would be less awkward."
He nods as he clasps his hands together. "I will consider your laughter as a positive and accept it as a vow not to fall in love with me. And I promise not to fall in love with you."
Her smile is awkward. "You kind of didn't need to promise that. I know you're not going to fall in love with me."
"But I couldn't refuse to promise it. That would be even more insulting than your laughter."
She half-sighs. "I thought you were taking it as a positive."
"Even focusing on the encouraging aspect of your laughter, it's still rather insulting. You, Lemon." He takes a breath. "Are the first woman who has ever laughed at that part of the presentation."
"Well, maybe I wasn't laughing at you. Maybe I was laughing with you. You weren't laughing, I guess, but it's pretty crazy, right? The idea of us being in love."
He ponders this for a moment. "I understand what you mean, Lemon. You're right; you shared a laugh without me. So, now that everything is settled--"
"Wait," Liz says. "I don't think everything is settled. I have a question."
"Of course, questions. The laughter and the ensuing discussion made me forget to inquire if you had any."
"How long will this take? How long will it be until we're done with this whole rebound thing?"
"It depends. But we'll know when we're through. We won't spend an excessive amount of time thinking about our former lov--" He stops suddenly. "Partners. I'm sorry, I almost forgot about your aversion to that word. We will feel contented and reenergized in our quest to move forward with our lives."
"But how long does it usually take? Like, average all your previous experiences together or something."
No pause. "Three and a half weeks."
She tilts her head. "Are you estimating or did you have that figure at the ready?"
"I had it at the ready. I thought it might be relevant."
"Well, you were right. So. Good job. And, um. How much sex will we be having?" She tries not to sound too uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping with Jack. Because she's not so uncomfortable, at least not any more than she generally is with doing it, and because making a 'meh' face about having sex with him so soon after she laughed at the idea of loving him seems a bit harsh. "I mean, I don't know if I'm ready to have a load of sex with you. You know, because--"
"I'm aware of your lack of enthusiasm for sex."
"I was going to say because we're friends. And you're my boss."
"Fair enough. Again, this is a variable we can't predict. Perhaps you won't be able to keep your hands off me--" Jack stops abruptly once again. "Thank you for not laughing."
Geez, she can't believe he of all people can be so hypersensitive. "Jack--"
He waves his hand. "I was kidding, Lemon. It would be ridiculous for you to laugh at that. I can be extremely magnetic. In any case, we'll figure out how much sexual intimacy is appropriate as we go along. Do you have any other questions?"
Liz shakes her head. "I can't think of any. But I can still ask you later if I have other questions, right?"
"Of course. You're entering a somewhat romantic relationship, not giving your hand in marriage to a CIA agent or joining the Church of Practicology."
She nods. "So, when do we begin our... thing?"
"I don't believe we should call it a 'thing.' That makes it sound horribly generic."
"Then what should we call it?"
"An affair?"
"That kind of makes this sound dirty. Like we're cheating on people."
"Perhaps we should simply continue to call it exactly what it is: a rebound relationship."
"The word relationship seems kind of serious after you went through a whole thing about how we can't take this seriously."
"Fling?"
"I don't know, that sounds like something teenagers have. I'm not a teenager."
"I'm well aware of that fact. What do you think about the phrase 'mutually beneficial alliance that involves sexual acts'?"
She scrunches up her face, shakes her head. "Too long and too creepy. And it sounds like you're describing something that's happening on a reality show."
"I suppose the phrase could describe many a connection on America's Next Top Pirate. I had no idea modern day pirates were so horny until I saw the raw footage."
"Gross."
"You may say so, but selling Cinemax the rights to America's Next Top Pirate After Hours was a boon for both NBC's revenue and Cinemax's ratings."
"Yeah. It'd be a shame if Cinemax went away. Then there'd only be, like, six hundred cable channels." Okay, well. They're getting off the point. "Maybe we should just say we're dating. Casually. We're casually dating. No big deal."
Jack nods. "I find that acceptable."
"Good. So, when do we begin casually dating?"
"Tonight is too soon. Tomorrow is your show. Are you free on Saturday?"
She wonders if not assuming she doesn't have plans is his way of being nice. They are casually dating now, so he's going to have to insult her less. Actually, he's been insulting her less in general, but even the Jack who is currently her friend probably would've voiced such an assumption about her social life. "Yeah, I'm free on Saturday."
"I'll pick you up at seven."
"Okay. What are we doing?"
"Since we have settled on the phrase 'casually dating,' I believe we should do something casual. Go see a movie, perhaps, but not some endless saga set in outer space or any fictional, faraway galaxies. I know you enjoy such films, but I am almost certain my disdain outweighs your fondness and thus, negates it."
Liz exhales. Why can't Jack say things simply? Just go, 'I'm not into sci-fi'? But, in his defense, his intricate sentences are distracting her from Floyd. She hasn't thought about him once during this discussion. Not counting how she just thought about not thinking about him. "Okay," she says, "you pick the movie. But it can't be something you know I'd hate." She trusts him to figure something out. "Because that would not be cool."
"I will do my best to choose something we can both enjoy."
Liz sits still for a moment, wondering if there's something more they're supposed to talk about or if this... meeting? Can they call it a meeting? If this time spent talking is over.
"Um," Liz says finally, after a few moments of her and Jack staring at each other, "should I go?"
"Yes. Unless you'd like to discuss something else."
"No, I'm good."
And so it begins. Or well. It will.
*
Liz has no intention of telling anyone else about casually dating Jack because, well, the fact that she's casually dating her boss is not information she should be spreading around. It would make people assume things; like she's a skank looking to advance her show. Well, she doesn't think anyone on her staff would believe she's a skank (though they would push her to try to get them more money for the show, which would make her feel like a skank). But she'd hate to be the subject of gossip that could spread throughout the whole building, causing her to worry if everyone she sees in the elevator is harshly judging her. She worries people are judging her as is; she doesn't need to give them a good reason to do so.
Of course, intentions don't always work out. In Liz's defense, she only tells one person.
To her detriment, that one person is Jenna.
It happens after the dress rehearsal, while Jenna is admiring her Ashlee Simpson nose in her dressing room mirror. "Do you think this nose makes me look younger?"
"Are you thinking of getting a nose job or of wearing that nose all the time?" Liz asks. "Because either way, I'm against it. And no, it doesn't make you look younger."
Jenna frowns and takes the nose off. She abruptly changes her mood, clapping a couple of times. "I forgot to tell you, I'm seeing Morgan again. We're going out to a club tomorrow night."
Morgan is a younger man and, thankfully, this one is of age. Or he's a really mature looking twelve, which is still a step up from Jenna's last attempt at living like a Cougar. "Oh. Great."
"And I asked him if he has a friend who--"
"Jenna--"
"What?"
"I don't want to be set up with some twenty-year-old." She exhales. "I am done with that."
Jenna waves her hand dismissively. "Come on, Liz, there's not going to be any problem. How many moms could you look like? And it's not like you have anything to do tomorrow."
Liz opens her mouth. Closes it. "Actually, I do."
"Watching TV isn't a thing to do. I know you're not good at the whole club scene, but I can give you pointers. And a pair of low-riding jeans."
"Are they still something people wear?"
A look of panic takes over Jenna's face. "Aren't they?"
"Of course they are," she says, so Jenna will stop looking so horrified. "I thought you were talking about something else for a second. But I don't need pointers or jeans because I actually have a thing. A date. With a man. A man who is named Fred Anderson. He is an architect. I enjoy spending time with him."
The sad thing is, she'd rehearsed this lie in case Jenna pressed her about her plans. She'd rehearsed it, and it sounds like the most stilted lie in the history of lies.
Jenna spins away from her reflection to face Liz. "Elizabeth Conworthy Lemon--"
"Not my middle name."
"--you're getting back together with Dennis! You can't do this, Liz. He was on Dateline. Have you forgotten he was on Dateline?"
"I haven't. I'm not getting back together with Dennis."
"Then why are you lying about what you're doing?"
"I just don't want to go out with a twenty-year-old to a club."
Though this is true, Jenna is still incredulous. "God, you're going out with someone worse than Dennis, aren't you?"
Liz isn't sure how to respond, as Jack isn't worse than Dennis, is he? He's never been on 'To Catch a Predator,' at least. "Well. See. The thing is--"
"You deserve so much better. You--"
"You're not wearing your mike, right?" Liz says, looking Jenna over.
She gasps. "Oh God, you're going out with Frank, aren't you?"
"What? No. Are you wearing your mike or not?"
Jenna checks herself. "I'm not. So, tell me."
"You can't tell anyone about this. Not anyone ever, even years from now--"
"Okay."
"I swear, I will never stop being angry. I may go completely insane--"
"Okay, Liz, I swear. Tell me."
She takes a deep breath. "I'm going out with Jack. But it's nothing serious, so don't think about the two of us getting married or anything and don't ask me about sex details because I am not going to tell you anything ever," she says quickly, hoping to keep Jenna from becoming excited. When Jenna doesn't say anything, Liz continues, "See, he's trying to get over C.C. and I'm trying to get over Floyd, and Jack thought we could help each other do that." God, this sounds so ridiculous when she tells it to someone else. "So. That's the story."
She's silent for a moment. "You can't have sex with Jack and not tell me everything about it."
"Oh boy."
*
After swearing Jenna to secrecy a few more times, Liz temporarily bans the topic of Jack. She knows Jenna will bring it up again, but, for the rest of the night, she doesn't acknowledge Jenna's comments, avoids her during the after-party and the after-after-party, and skips the after-after-after-party and so on. The next day, Jenna doesn't call her, perhaps realizing she's being pretty irritating or possibly being too entangled in plans for her own evening. Liz, because she isn't the sort of woman to primp for hours, doesn't think too much about her upcoming date. Well, she doesn't think about what she's going to wear. She does think about what this is going to be like. It's weird, the prospect of actually going out with Jack, even though she's spent evenings with Jack, even almost had a date with him. Now, she's actually going out with Jack. An actual date that she actually agreed to.
Huh. This is not something she would've let happen a year ago. Even in this non-serious, 'hey let's sort of date' way.
Jack knocks on her door at five minutes before seven. He -- perhaps continuing in the spirit of their casual attitude -- is not wearing a suit, but khaki -- or chino? she doesn't really know the difference -- pants and a dark blue shirt. (She had been a little worried he was going to take her to the movies wearing a tux. This is much more acceptable.)
"Good evening, Lemon."
"Good evening. You're early. By five minutes."
"I'll try to be more punctual in the future." She opens her mouth to point out she's not criticizing him, but he continues. "I'm rather surprised you're ready. Women generally keep me waiting." He looks her over. "Is that what you're wearing?"
Liz looks down at her outfit. The jeans seem fine, and her top is sort of dressy. "Yeah. We are only going to the movies, right?"
"Yes, but I don't understand why this fact should prevent you from wearing a skirt."
Liz sighs. "Dude, do you really talk to your dates this way?"
"No." He exhales. "I apologize. I was allowing myself to think of you as a protégé and not a woman I'm going to sleep with. It was inappropriate."
"Well, apology accepted."
"You look lovely." Off her incredulous look, he says, "I am being honest. I simply like seeing a woman in a skirt."
"I'll take that into consideration. Maybe."
He tilts his head slightly. Sucks in a breath that he doesn't noticeably let out. "Shall we go?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
TBC
Chapter: Two
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Rating (this part): PG
Word Count (this part): 2,796
Spoilers: 2x10
Notes: I swiped a joke from "Subway Hero." So even more credit goes to the writers of the show.
Summary: The rules of a rebound relationship are discussed. Some laughter is had. ( Previous part.)
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. Title is kind of ripped off from Jeff Garlin's film I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With, but the ripoff is affectionate.
*
It's later that day -- night, technically, after most of the offices have cleared out and Jonathan's gone home -- when they officially discuss their 'relationship.' They do it (do it as in have the talk, not do it as in do it) in his office, Jack behind his desk and Liz at a chair. It worries her how much this feels like an official conversation about something somewhat serious and work-related, something that doesn't involve them, you know, having a... whatever. She's not sure they should be discussing this whole... thing at work, honestly, but it first came up at work, she agreed to it at work, so it does make some sense that the ground rules would be laid out at work, too. Maybe they should do the rebound dating stuff entirely at 30 Rock. They could have dinner in the Rainbow Room and go sit in at a Conan taping for entertainment (or something else, maybe; she thinks Jack hates Conan at least a little, and she still thinks of him mainly as an ex, not the host of a talk show), then do it as in do it somewhere in the building. Not in his office, though. There's something unsavory about the thought of having sex with her boss in his office. And this is unsavory enough.
She'd totally say this -- jokingly and without the word 'unsavory' -- if he weren't incredibly serious about laying out the rules of this whole rebound relationship thing. Ironic, since every law he presents to her basically boils down to: neither of us should take this too seriously.
"And," Jack says, and Liz is glad this little talk is coming to a close without him whipping out charts and graphs or diagrams of the sex positions that are most likely to make one forget a broken heart, "you must promise you won't fall in love with me."
She replies with a "Ha!" by reflex. Because, really, she can't imagine falling in love with Jack. She knows him too well to fall in love with him. He frowns at her. "Um. Sorry. I should not have laughed. But, you know, we're not supposed to take this seriously, so."
He doesn't blink as he considers this. "I don't know if I should be insulted by how ridiculous you find the prospect of falling in love with me or relieved that I've made a wise choice in selecting you."
"The second one, I think. Because that would be less awkward."
He nods as he clasps his hands together. "I will consider your laughter as a positive and accept it as a vow not to fall in love with me. And I promise not to fall in love with you."
Her smile is awkward. "You kind of didn't need to promise that. I know you're not going to fall in love with me."
"But I couldn't refuse to promise it. That would be even more insulting than your laughter."
She half-sighs. "I thought you were taking it as a positive."
"Even focusing on the encouraging aspect of your laughter, it's still rather insulting. You, Lemon." He takes a breath. "Are the first woman who has ever laughed at that part of the presentation."
"Well, maybe I wasn't laughing at you. Maybe I was laughing with you. You weren't laughing, I guess, but it's pretty crazy, right? The idea of us being in love."
He ponders this for a moment. "I understand what you mean, Lemon. You're right; you shared a laugh without me. So, now that everything is settled--"
"Wait," Liz says. "I don't think everything is settled. I have a question."
"Of course, questions. The laughter and the ensuing discussion made me forget to inquire if you had any."
"How long will this take? How long will it be until we're done with this whole rebound thing?"
"It depends. But we'll know when we're through. We won't spend an excessive amount of time thinking about our former lov--" He stops suddenly. "Partners. I'm sorry, I almost forgot about your aversion to that word. We will feel contented and reenergized in our quest to move forward with our lives."
"But how long does it usually take? Like, average all your previous experiences together or something."
No pause. "Three and a half weeks."
She tilts her head. "Are you estimating or did you have that figure at the ready?"
"I had it at the ready. I thought it might be relevant."
"Well, you were right. So. Good job. And, um. How much sex will we be having?" She tries not to sound too uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping with Jack. Because she's not so uncomfortable, at least not any more than she generally is with doing it, and because making a 'meh' face about having sex with him so soon after she laughed at the idea of loving him seems a bit harsh. "I mean, I don't know if I'm ready to have a load of sex with you. You know, because--"
"I'm aware of your lack of enthusiasm for sex."
"I was going to say because we're friends. And you're my boss."
"Fair enough. Again, this is a variable we can't predict. Perhaps you won't be able to keep your hands off me--" Jack stops abruptly once again. "Thank you for not laughing."
Geez, she can't believe he of all people can be so hypersensitive. "Jack--"
He waves his hand. "I was kidding, Lemon. It would be ridiculous for you to laugh at that. I can be extremely magnetic. In any case, we'll figure out how much sexual intimacy is appropriate as we go along. Do you have any other questions?"
Liz shakes her head. "I can't think of any. But I can still ask you later if I have other questions, right?"
"Of course. You're entering a somewhat romantic relationship, not giving your hand in marriage to a CIA agent or joining the Church of Practicology."
She nods. "So, when do we begin our... thing?"
"I don't believe we should call it a 'thing.' That makes it sound horribly generic."
"Then what should we call it?"
"An affair?"
"That kind of makes this sound dirty. Like we're cheating on people."
"Perhaps we should simply continue to call it exactly what it is: a rebound relationship."
"The word relationship seems kind of serious after you went through a whole thing about how we can't take this seriously."
"Fling?"
"I don't know, that sounds like something teenagers have. I'm not a teenager."
"I'm well aware of that fact. What do you think about the phrase 'mutually beneficial alliance that involves sexual acts'?"
She scrunches up her face, shakes her head. "Too long and too creepy. And it sounds like you're describing something that's happening on a reality show."
"I suppose the phrase could describe many a connection on America's Next Top Pirate. I had no idea modern day pirates were so horny until I saw the raw footage."
"Gross."
"You may say so, but selling Cinemax the rights to America's Next Top Pirate After Hours was a boon for both NBC's revenue and Cinemax's ratings."
"Yeah. It'd be a shame if Cinemax went away. Then there'd only be, like, six hundred cable channels." Okay, well. They're getting off the point. "Maybe we should just say we're dating. Casually. We're casually dating. No big deal."
Jack nods. "I find that acceptable."
"Good. So, when do we begin casually dating?"
"Tonight is too soon. Tomorrow is your show. Are you free on Saturday?"
She wonders if not assuming she doesn't have plans is his way of being nice. They are casually dating now, so he's going to have to insult her less. Actually, he's been insulting her less in general, but even the Jack who is currently her friend probably would've voiced such an assumption about her social life. "Yeah, I'm free on Saturday."
"I'll pick you up at seven."
"Okay. What are we doing?"
"Since we have settled on the phrase 'casually dating,' I believe we should do something casual. Go see a movie, perhaps, but not some endless saga set in outer space or any fictional, faraway galaxies. I know you enjoy such films, but I am almost certain my disdain outweighs your fondness and thus, negates it."
Liz exhales. Why can't Jack say things simply? Just go, 'I'm not into sci-fi'? But, in his defense, his intricate sentences are distracting her from Floyd. She hasn't thought about him once during this discussion. Not counting how she just thought about not thinking about him. "Okay," she says, "you pick the movie. But it can't be something you know I'd hate." She trusts him to figure something out. "Because that would not be cool."
"I will do my best to choose something we can both enjoy."
Liz sits still for a moment, wondering if there's something more they're supposed to talk about or if this... meeting? Can they call it a meeting? If this time spent talking is over.
"Um," Liz says finally, after a few moments of her and Jack staring at each other, "should I go?"
"Yes. Unless you'd like to discuss something else."
"No, I'm good."
And so it begins. Or well. It will.
*
Liz has no intention of telling anyone else about casually dating Jack because, well, the fact that she's casually dating her boss is not information she should be spreading around. It would make people assume things; like she's a skank looking to advance her show. Well, she doesn't think anyone on her staff would believe she's a skank (though they would push her to try to get them more money for the show, which would make her feel like a skank). But she'd hate to be the subject of gossip that could spread throughout the whole building, causing her to worry if everyone she sees in the elevator is harshly judging her. She worries people are judging her as is; she doesn't need to give them a good reason to do so.
Of course, intentions don't always work out. In Liz's defense, she only tells one person.
To her detriment, that one person is Jenna.
It happens after the dress rehearsal, while Jenna is admiring her Ashlee Simpson nose in her dressing room mirror. "Do you think this nose makes me look younger?"
"Are you thinking of getting a nose job or of wearing that nose all the time?" Liz asks. "Because either way, I'm against it. And no, it doesn't make you look younger."
Jenna frowns and takes the nose off. She abruptly changes her mood, clapping a couple of times. "I forgot to tell you, I'm seeing Morgan again. We're going out to a club tomorrow night."
Morgan is a younger man and, thankfully, this one is of age. Or he's a really mature looking twelve, which is still a step up from Jenna's last attempt at living like a Cougar. "Oh. Great."
"And I asked him if he has a friend who--"
"Jenna--"
"What?"
"I don't want to be set up with some twenty-year-old." She exhales. "I am done with that."
Jenna waves her hand dismissively. "Come on, Liz, there's not going to be any problem. How many moms could you look like? And it's not like you have anything to do tomorrow."
Liz opens her mouth. Closes it. "Actually, I do."
"Watching TV isn't a thing to do. I know you're not good at the whole club scene, but I can give you pointers. And a pair of low-riding jeans."
"Are they still something people wear?"
A look of panic takes over Jenna's face. "Aren't they?"
"Of course they are," she says, so Jenna will stop looking so horrified. "I thought you were talking about something else for a second. But I don't need pointers or jeans because I actually have a thing. A date. With a man. A man who is named Fred Anderson. He is an architect. I enjoy spending time with him."
The sad thing is, she'd rehearsed this lie in case Jenna pressed her about her plans. She'd rehearsed it, and it sounds like the most stilted lie in the history of lies.
Jenna spins away from her reflection to face Liz. "Elizabeth Conworthy Lemon--"
"Not my middle name."
"--you're getting back together with Dennis! You can't do this, Liz. He was on Dateline. Have you forgotten he was on Dateline?"
"I haven't. I'm not getting back together with Dennis."
"Then why are you lying about what you're doing?"
"I just don't want to go out with a twenty-year-old to a club."
Though this is true, Jenna is still incredulous. "God, you're going out with someone worse than Dennis, aren't you?"
Liz isn't sure how to respond, as Jack isn't worse than Dennis, is he? He's never been on 'To Catch a Predator,' at least. "Well. See. The thing is--"
"You deserve so much better. You--"
"You're not wearing your mike, right?" Liz says, looking Jenna over.
She gasps. "Oh God, you're going out with Frank, aren't you?"
"What? No. Are you wearing your mike or not?"
Jenna checks herself. "I'm not. So, tell me."
"You can't tell anyone about this. Not anyone ever, even years from now--"
"Okay."
"I swear, I will never stop being angry. I may go completely insane--"
"Okay, Liz, I swear. Tell me."
She takes a deep breath. "I'm going out with Jack. But it's nothing serious, so don't think about the two of us getting married or anything and don't ask me about sex details because I am not going to tell you anything ever," she says quickly, hoping to keep Jenna from becoming excited. When Jenna doesn't say anything, Liz continues, "See, he's trying to get over C.C. and I'm trying to get over Floyd, and Jack thought we could help each other do that." God, this sounds so ridiculous when she tells it to someone else. "So. That's the story."
She's silent for a moment. "You can't have sex with Jack and not tell me everything about it."
"Oh boy."
*
After swearing Jenna to secrecy a few more times, Liz temporarily bans the topic of Jack. She knows Jenna will bring it up again, but, for the rest of the night, she doesn't acknowledge Jenna's comments, avoids her during the after-party and the after-after-party, and skips the after-after-after-party and so on. The next day, Jenna doesn't call her, perhaps realizing she's being pretty irritating or possibly being too entangled in plans for her own evening. Liz, because she isn't the sort of woman to primp for hours, doesn't think too much about her upcoming date. Well, she doesn't think about what she's going to wear. She does think about what this is going to be like. It's weird, the prospect of actually going out with Jack, even though she's spent evenings with Jack, even almost had a date with him. Now, she's actually going out with Jack. An actual date that she actually agreed to.
Huh. This is not something she would've let happen a year ago. Even in this non-serious, 'hey let's sort of date' way.
Jack knocks on her door at five minutes before seven. He -- perhaps continuing in the spirit of their casual attitude -- is not wearing a suit, but khaki -- or chino? she doesn't really know the difference -- pants and a dark blue shirt. (She had been a little worried he was going to take her to the movies wearing a tux. This is much more acceptable.)
"Good evening, Lemon."
"Good evening. You're early. By five minutes."
"I'll try to be more punctual in the future." She opens her mouth to point out she's not criticizing him, but he continues. "I'm rather surprised you're ready. Women generally keep me waiting." He looks her over. "Is that what you're wearing?"
Liz looks down at her outfit. The jeans seem fine, and her top is sort of dressy. "Yeah. We are only going to the movies, right?"
"Yes, but I don't understand why this fact should prevent you from wearing a skirt."
Liz sighs. "Dude, do you really talk to your dates this way?"
"No." He exhales. "I apologize. I was allowing myself to think of you as a protégé and not a woman I'm going to sleep with. It was inappropriate."
"Well, apology accepted."
"You look lovely." Off her incredulous look, he says, "I am being honest. I simply like seeing a woman in a skirt."
"I'll take that into consideration. Maybe."
He tilts his head slightly. Sucks in a breath that he doesn't noticeably let out. "Shall we go?"
"Yeah. Let's go."
TBC