Lunch Break (Erica/Liza/Krystal)

[Jackson Montgomery]

Jack and Liza rode together to the Yacht Club for lunch while Krystal was going to pick up her daughter. When they got there Jack got a table for four adults and two kids since Colton was still in his carseat.

"You seem kind of nervous Liza. Is everything okay?" Jack sat down beside his employee.

[Liza Colby]

Liza didn't even know Krystal was coming to lunch until Jack mentioned it in the car. Krystal hadn't spoken a word to her since the night in her restaurant, & quite frankly, it made Liza a little upset. Not because Krystal didn't want to be with her, but because she didn't even tell Liza that she wasn't interested. She looked at Jack, though, snapping out of her thoughts & shook her head. "No... I'm okay. Just... tired, that's all. Stuart was up a lot last night, but I'll be alright," she told him with a slight smile.

Luckily, at that moment, she spotted Erica at the hostess' area with a car seat & a two year old boy. She waved to Erica, & immediately the brunette began making her way toward them.

"Hey," she smiled, as Stuart ran to Liza, hugging his mom tightly. Erica went to Jack & kissed his lips before setting the car seat down & taking her seat across from Jack. "Sorry we're a few minutes late... Where's Krystal?"

[Jackson Montgomery]

"She is on her way I think." Jack watched his wife sat down and picked Colton up out of his chair and set him on his lap.

"I am really glad that we did this though..and I am happy that you agreed to come." Jack kissed Erica's cheek. "Oh! Krystal!" Jack saw his employee walking toward them. "Hi Jenny!"

"This is Jack. He is my boss Jenny. Can you say hello? That is Erica and..oh I didn't know you were joining us for lunch Liza." Krystal sat down across from her and got Jenny situated in her chair after she said hello.

[Liza Colby]

Erica looked at Krystal carefully. "Well, of course she was invited. Liza has turned out to be one of my closest friends," she told the woman, holding back from what she really wanted to say which was that Liza was there as her friend, but also as reinforcement to make sure Krystal kept her hands to herself!

Liza looked at Krystal & added, "I didn't know you were coming, either. But I'm glad you're here," she said with a glance at the red head. She knew she shouldn't be playing this game in front of Jackson & Erica, but they both knew that she was interested in women now, & if Krystal was her target, she knew she'd have at least Erica's support.

[Krystal Carey]

"You..are?" Krystal sat down next to Jenny. She looked over at Erica and saw her nod. "Wow I guess a lot has changed since I have been gone."

Krystal then looked at Liza. "I..thanks."

"I..Colton is beautiful Jack, Erica. Really..and I hear you are pregnant. Congratulations to both of you."

"Thanks Krystal. I am sure that when Liza throws the baby shower they would love to invite you and Jenny." Jack looked over at his wife.

"Oh! That is sweet. Thanks Jack." Krystal smiled.

[Erica Kane Montgomery]

Erica nodded. "Well, thank you. I'm six months along, & the baby shower is set for two months from now, right?" she asked, looking over at Liza.

Nodding, Liza mumbled, "Yeah..." causing Erica to look over at her.

As Krystal said something else to Jack, Erica studied Liza carefully. "Are you okay? You look like you're about to cry."

"No... I'm fine," Liza lied, giving Erica a plastic smile.

Erica shook her head, "We'll talk about this later," she promised, before rejoining the conversation between everyone. "Are you all busy at work today? Jack said you guys have been swamped lately! How long do you have before you have to go back to work?" she questioned.

[Jackson Montgomery]

"We are busy but of course we can take a little time to come see you and these little ones!" Jack smiled at his son before bouncing him on his leg lightly. He always liked that and Jack knew that even though he could not see him he was smiling now even bigger because of the movement of his leg.

"We have an hour but I have a little less since I picked Jenny up and I have to drop her back off before I go back to work." Krystal looked at her daughter who was coloring on the menu that was made to be used with crayons.

"If you are a few minutes late getting back that is fine. We have a court hearing at two though so we should leave around one thirty for the court house." Jack then looked at Liza. "Are you sure that you are feeling alright Liza? You seem a little pale. Do you feel alright? If you need to go home with Erica you can. I think Krystal and I can handle being in the courthouse today without you if you really are sick."

[Liza Colby]

Liza shook her head. "No, really... I'm just fine," she told Jack with a nod.

"Maybe I'm a little hungry, though... where is the waitress?" she asked, looking around. Stuart began to fuss a little, & Liza waved at the waitress, getting her attention. Once they gave their orders, Liza felt herself start to feel a little bit better. Stuart had his cup of water, & Krystal was seemingly engaged in Jenny's presence.

She then did something she wasn't even sure she did until after it happened. "Krystal, can I see you for a moment? Please? I think we just need to talk for a few minutes," she said, looking over at the woman.

[Krystal Carey]

"Jenny needs to be looked after at all times so I really can't.." Krystal did not bother to look up.

"No you go ahead. Erica and I can keep our eyes on her for a few minutes. Stuart too. You ladies go talk okay? It might be good for you two to do so." Jack nodded and watched Erica pick Stuart up and he looked over to Jenny and saw that she was coloring. "You know I think I have a highlighter I was going to let your mom use later today in my brief case. It is pink."

"Can I use it?"

"Sure!" Jack pulled it out for the little girl. "Seriously we can watch her. Go ahead."

Krystal sighed and got up and followed Liza down to the docks on the water. "What is it Liza? What was so important that you had to pull me away from my daughter and our lunch?"

[Liza Colby]

Liza walked down to the water & looked out on the water until Krystal interrupted her peaceful view. She looked at the woman carefully for a moment, before saying, "I want to talk to you, Krystal. I want to apologize for the other night. I shouldn't have just sprung everything on you like that & for asked you to make a decision like that. We... don't even know each other that well, & that wasn't fair what I did," she explained.

Liza then looked at Krystal carefully. "So, can you forgive me? I... I think we'd be great friends if we could get past this," she nodded.

[Krystal Carey]

"Thank you Liza. I know it was not an easy thing to say and if I wasn't interested I should not have done anything to lead you on. The truth is I am not sure I am ready for a relationship. I just moved back here and I am doing so well. You are a good person Liza and the more I thought about it the more I realized it was not the concept of being with a woman that was scary. It is being with anyone. I am just really scared." Krystal admitted.

"I can forgive you of course and maybe this is not fair of me but could we maybe..try giving this a shot? Very slowly? Because I do want someone to share my life with I just do not want to rush into anything or have another commitment with a heartbreak." Krystal shrugged. "Maybe we could go out on a casual date? As..friends?"

[Erica Kane Montgomery]

Liza nodded. "I'd really like that," she said, taking Krystal's hands in her own. "Thank you, Krystal... thank you for taking a chance on me. You honestly have no idea how much it means to me..." she said with a whisper, before leaning in to place a loving peck on her lips.

*MEANWHILE*

Erica looked at Jack, who was holding the now-crying Stuart. "Can I hold him for a moment?" she asked, as her husband passed her the baby. She bounced him carefully but as he began to cry harder, she knew everyone would be staring at her, wondering why the fabulous Erica Kane could do anything except quite the whaling child.

Erica then stood up & told Jack audibly, "I'm going to get Liza," before she took off down to near the docks, where she thought she had seen Liza & Krystal go together. Stuart managed to quiet down before she made it & although she had decided to go back to the table, satisfied with the results she had gotten just from walking around, her feet kept moving.

All of a sudden, she felt like she was in a parallel universe. She was on the dock, wondering what she was doing there, & then she saw it. Liza leaning in to kiss Krystal. Liza... & Krystal? Kissing? Each other?

Erica almost dropped the baby. As quickly & quietly as she could, she scurried back to the table & sat down, handing Stuart back to Jackson, letting her brain really register what she just saw. "Jack... I... we need to talk when we get home." Erica finally said, taking a sip of her water that was sitting on the table.

[Krystal Carey]

Krystal leaned into Liza's kiss and before she knew it Liza had pulled away from her and she was left wanting more. "We better get back before someone comes looking for us."

Krystal got back to the table with Liza just as Jack was asking Erica "Are you sure you want to wait? You can tell me now if you want."

"Sharing secrets?" Krystal wanted to lighten the mood. She saw a look on Erica's face but could not put words to it and then decided to just let it go. "I..Jenny did you behave for Jack and Erica?"

"Yeah I did. But Stuart was crying..he stopped though and I think he is sleeping." Jenny continued to color her picture on the kid's menu. "But I was good."

Krystal then looked to Liza as she took her son. She gave her a curious glance wondering if she would ask about Stuart crying and hoping that the look she saw on Erica's face did not have anything to do with her or Liza.

[Liza Colby]

Erica nodded, "Yes, she was perfect," she said, watching the little girl interact with her mother.

Liza had taken Stuart into her arms & cuddled him carefully. "I'm sorry, Erica... had I known, I certainly would have brought him with me," she nodded.

"Well, that's alright. He surely gave me a... reason to be surprised," she said cryptically.

"Surprised?"

"He's just... he's got quite the pair of lungs for being so little," Erica told her with a quick grin before looking at Stuart. "Don't you?"

"I... I'm sorry," Liza apologized again.

"No, no... really, it was fine, Liza. I gave him a quick kiss, & he stopped crying."

Liza's eyes got wide as she enunciated the word "kiss", & she almost fell against her chair. Erica knew Liza & Krystal's little secret... now what was she supposed to do? She glanced at Krystal, ashamed that she let her feelings get out of control before she even knew what they really meant.

[Krystal Carey]

"What are you talking about Erica? You brought him to see if you could find Liza." Jack said looking at his wife and then saw Krystal and Liza's eyes get huge! "What? What is going on here?"

"Nothing." Krystal interrupted him. "Nothing..can we just eat please?"

"Mama our food is still being made!" Jenny exclaimed.

Then the waitress interrupted them and gave them their food leaving the table in uncomfortable silence.