Episode Report Card Niki: C | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT 'Til The One Day When The Lady Met This Fellow...
By Niki | Season 2 | Episode 15 | Aired on 03.13.2001
Grace comes flying into the kitchen just as Rick frees one of the burn victims, and Zoe's right behind her. They hurry Jake out of there as Lily wanders in to kiss them goodbye. Zoe smirks over Lily's shoulder as Rick holds up the charred remains of a waffle, and then she dashes off behind Jake and Grace. Lily collapses against Rick's shoulder in mock exhaustion, and he chuckles and hugs her.
Cut to a computer screen filled with text. "Sange, it's frozen again!" Karen bellows, referring, I guess, to her computer. Although, with Karen, "frozen" could apply to a number of things, couldn't it? She pops up from her desk and moves toward the door to fetch Sange, but Rick gets in her way. He asks if she has a minute, and she sighs that she guesses she does. He stammers and stumbles over his words until he finally blurts out that he and Lily are getting married. Karen freezes (see, I told you) and looks up from her desk. "Oh," she says, and her features shuffle themselves from stunned disbelief to a forced smile. She congratulates him, and asks whether he's told the kids. Rick says that they've talked about it and they're okay with it. "Good," she says with a small smile, then glances around uncomfortably, out of things to say. Rick starts murmuring that he just wanted to let her know, and makes for the door. She thanks him and then stops him in his tracks by asking when he and Lily "are going to do this." She's trying to act unconcerned. He says they're not sure, but his lease is up soon, so they're thinking of moving in together. Karen digests this much as she would a big dry aspirin without water. Her eyes bulge and she raises her eyebrows dubiously. "Into her house?" she asks. Rick cautiously nods, smelling a fight. Karen tucks in her chin and asks, "Well, how does Jessie feel about this?" Rick slowly says that she's fine with it, and that he realizes they'll have to take things slow with her. "Chyeah," Karen duhs. Rick says he really thinks Jessie's fine with it. "Uh huh, okay," Karen says, unconvinced. They both let it drop. He says he should let her get back to work, and she drops into her chair, saying that she's "swamped today." She watches him leave and stares at the empty doorway for a few seconds before shifting her gaze to some distant point, pondering the fact that he's fully and completely moving on.
Cut to Jake sitting at a table at Phil's, hunched over the day's receipts. Tiffany approaches in a swanky cranberry jersey number, and lets him know that he's got three cases of some wine left. He mutters that he may have to drink it himself. "Do you know how many we did for lunch today?" he cringes. Tiffany smiles, unfazed. She reaches out and rubs his shoulder, commenting that he looks tired. Yeah, well, watching your business swirl around the toilet bowl takes a lot out of a person. He says he's going home soon, anyway. This prompts Tiffany to bring up something that's been bothering her: what exactly are their arrangements now? Like, when he goes home, should she go with him? Is she even welcome? "You can come," Jake says, but it's more of an unvitation. She asks if he wants her to, though. "Yes!" Jake insists. If she can't figure out that his tone is completely forced and insincere, this girl is more clueless than I thought. And, she is. She smiles and says she's glad, and then leans in to kiss him. She starts walking toward the kitchen, but stops a few feet from Jake and spins around excitedly, saying she keeps forgetting to tell him that she booked the obstetrician's appointment for Thursday, and that it's their "first big visit!" She clutches her belly and bounces as she says this. "Great," Jake clenches, trying so hard to sound enthusiastic. And failing miserably. Good thing it's Tiffany he's dealing with. She practically skips off to the kitchen as Jake closes his eyes, sighs dejectedly, and slumps over the table.