At the Deveraux house...

[Jennifer's plan to get Jack into the shower and find out if he is gay is under way. Greta waits outside the bathroom door.]

Greta, listening at the door: At least they're not yelling. [tries to turn the knob] Locked. What are Jennifer and Jack doing in there?

[in the shower]

Jennifer: We used to take showers all the time together when we were married, remember?

Jack: How could I possibly forget?

Jennifer: Well, the water’s warm. Why don’t you get undressed and come on in?

[Jack hesitates a second, and then rips off his shirt and takes Jennifer in his arms.]

Jack: You are so beautiful. This is the image of you that I see every night in my mind before I fall asleep. I have been waiting so long. So long.

[He leans in to kiss her, but she puts a sponge in between their faces]

Jennifer: Here you go. Soap up. Soap up. Go on.

[Jack looks confused, and throws the sponge down.]

Jack: Later.

[He takes off his pants and looks at her warily]

Jack: You're not playing games with me, are you?

Jennifer: I'm not the one who plays games. You're the one that plays games, remember, Jack?

Jack: I am not playing games now. I love you, Jennifer Rose. I always have. Married, divorced - the love is there...always.

Jennifer: Okay, Jack, moment of truth.

Jack: I told you the truth. I love you.

Jennifer: Hmm. And what about Greta?

Jack: Well, there’s no room in here for Greta.

Jennifer: Don’t be cute. You're lying to us, Jack. You're ignoring us, you're playing games with us.

Jack: I'm not playing games.

Jennifer: Okay, whatever you say.

[She turns her back to him and starts washing her hair underneath the water.]

Jennifer, teasing him: Oh, there is something so relaxing about a shower...

Jack: It’s having quite the opposite effect on me.

[He comes up behind her and begins kissing her neck.]

Jennifer: Really?

[He turns her to face him]

Jack: Really. [he kisses her]

Jack: That was no game. My loving you is no game. I know every little - every curve of your body. The way your hair clings to your neck when you wake up in the morning, the small sigh in the back of your throat when you kiss, I know...

[He kisses her again, and then pulls her into a hug.]

Jack: Why did you invite me into this shower with you? Is this your game? Are you trying to show me what I've lost? Are you trying to break my heart? Are you teasing? Are you trying to show me that you still love me?

[Jennifer becomes more emotional as he speaks; he pulls out of the hug and takes her face in his hands.]

Jack: Jennifer, I meant what I said before, I meant it. I love you. You challenge and you excite me. You taught me what love is, the joy of being a parent. I look forward to the sound of the key in the lock because it’s you, coming home. And I will not give up. I will wait forever if I have to - forever. If you would just open your arms and welcome me - welcome me back... as your husband, your friend, your lover.

[They look into each other's eyes, and then passionately kiss.]

Greta, still outside the door: I hope you're not causing a flood in there.

[Jack and Jennifer are still kissing, but then Jack pulls away]

Jennifer: Jack, don’t stop, please...

Jack, thinking: Oh, my God, she wants me.

Jennifer: Jack, come on.

Jack's conscience: What are you doing, Jack boy? If you love her, you have to do the far, far better thing.

Jennifer: What’s the matter? Are you okay?

Jack, thinking: What could be better than this?

Jennifer: Jack, are you all right?

Jack: Huh? Oh, no, I-I can’t. I can’t. [he opens the shower door and gets out]

Jennifer: What?

Jack: I -

Jennifer: Why, Jack?

Jack: I can’t. It’s - it’s wrong. It’s all wrong.

Jennifer: What do you mean? What...?

Jack: I mean, I can’t. It’s all wrong. I can’t. [he is hating having to pull away]

Jennifer: You were playing games. You were playing games with me, Jack!

Jack: No, no, no. I love you, I do! I just - oh, have a nice shower. [upset, he rushes out the bathroom]

Jennifer, very shaken: Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh, what went wrong? What have I done?

[Jack leaves the bathroom still naked and comes face-to-face with Greta]

Greta: Hey!

[Jack tries to get past her and goes to the door of his room]

Greta: Hey, for a guy who’s totally waterlogged, you're not even wrinkled.

Jack, backing into his room: Oh, back off! Back, back, back, back!

Greta, drunk: Chicken! Great buns on that chicken.

Jack, remembering the shower: Oh, she definitely kissed me back! Did she ever - with every fiber of her gorgeous being, I could feel it! She still cares, I know she does. Oh, you have done it, Jack. You've done it! Jennifer is yours for the taking.

Jennifer, in the bathroom: I didn’t know that Jack could make me feel that way again. It was like the way it used to be. Except he stopped, why did he stop?

[Jennifer remembers Jack rejecting her, and remebers Greta's claim that Jack won't sleep with her because he's gay.]

Jennifer: Come on, Jack is not gay! There is no way, he isn’t! But then why did he stop? Why didn’t he make love to me?

[Jack is in his room looking at a picture of him, Jennifer, and Abby.]

Jack: Jennifer, my love... if you hadn’t gotten all tipsy on that wine, we'd be steaming up this bedroom the same way we did the shower. When we do make love, and with any luck, that day will be soon - I want you to have all your senses about you, to know you want me as much as I want you.

Jennifer, still in the bathroom: I know that Jack wanted me. Oh, and I wanted him... Well, so much for trying to beat him at his own game. Boy, did that plan ever backfire. Okay, so now what do I do?

[Greta finds Jennifer in the hallway]

Greta: Jennifer, what just happened in there?

Jennifer: I, uh... had a shower.

Greta: Yeah, with your ex, right? Jack just came out of there in his birthday suit. Well, practically his birthday suit. Did you? Did he? Come on, Jennifer, is he or isn’t he?

Jennifer: You know what? I never should have had that wine, Greta.

Greta: Is there something else you shouldn’t have done?

Jennifer: It was all a really big mistake, and I'm going to go lie down now, okay?

Greta: Hey, is there something I can get you, maybe? Tea, water, Jack?

Jennifer: No. No, nothing.

[She goes into her room]

Greta: They're both in separate rooms, and nobody’s talking. That always makes me a little nervous.

Jack, about to leave his room: No doubt about it, Jennifer Rose - I will get you back, no doubt about it.

[He comes up behind Greta - "Gotcha"]

Greta: What?

Jack: Have you seen Jennifer?

Greta: Yeah, and she’s not looking very good.

Jack: Well, must have been the wine. That’s your fault, for letting her drink so much.

Greta: My fault? It was Jennifer’s idea.

Jack: Did she say anything?

Greta: About what?

Jack: About me. What else?

Greta: She didn’t mention your name.

Jack: Don’t play games with me, Princess. My feelings for Jennifer are not to be trifled with.

Greta: If anyone’s doing any trifling, Jack, it’s you telling Jennifer - well, NOT telling her that you're gay.

Jack: Shhh. Remember, a promise is a promise is a promise.

Greta: So what happened between the two of you in the shower?

Jack: Not what you and Jennifer were planning, obviously. The two of you were up to something tonight - playing with my affections, playing me for a fool.

Greta: Oh, please.

Jack: I've been known to pull a stunt or two in my time, but my love for Jennifer is not to be trifled with. This is too important to play games.

Greta: What happened?

Jack: I held her in my arms. We - we kissed.

Greta: And that was it?

Jack: Yes, that was it, and isn’t it a bit unseemly for you to be asking me what’s going on? I mean, after all, that is - it’s private.

Greta: And it’s a little painful, you know, being in love with someone and not able to make love to them.

Jack: Not able? Not able? Who’s not able? I was - I was able, all right. Believe me, I was more than able. She was -

Greta: - a woman.

Jack: Under the influence. When Jennifer and I make love, I want her to be totally sober. When we blend, our hearts, minds, and bodies will not be diminished by an alcoholic haze.

Greta: Are you serious?

Jack: Princess, you see before you a man deeply in love and one hell of a lot closer to his goal than he was one hour ago.

[He walks away chuckling]

Greta: Jack Deveraux, if you end up being straight, you are going to regret it. Trust me.

Jennifer: All right Jack, if you are gay, and you have kept it a secret from me for all these years... no. No, that is - that is not possible. I mean, when we were married, we were as close as two people could be. If anyone would know, I would know. I mean, wouldn’t I? Well, maybe not. Maybe I don’t know Jack as well as I thought I did.

[Jack is walking in the hallway and hears a noise]

Jack: Greta? Jennifer! [He goes into the bathroom and stares at the shower]

Jack, thinking: I won’t forget what happened here tonight - what almost happened, anyway. [speaking] Next time I won’t stop, Jennifer. That's a promise.

Jennifer, in her room: All right. All right, Jennifer, you got to pull yourself together here. You got to get out of here and get some fresh air and just come back calmly and collectedly and just ask Jack. Shoot. [she throws her brush] All right, you just - you just need to ask him. "All right, Jack, are you gay? And has our whole marriage just been a lie?" All right, okay, well, you're lying. You're lying to me or you're lying to Greta, and I am not going to let you get away with it. My gosh, Jack, how could you? No. No, I am so sure that he wanted to make love to me. That’s it, that’s it. I cannot stand not knowing. Okay, Jack, you have pulled your last stunt, and for once in your life, you are going to tell me the truth.