Scandals and Candles Part II (standard:romance, 6182 words)
Author: Noralee	Added: Oct 23 2001	Views/Reads: 5038/3610	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Derek steps into the bathroom while Janie stands trembling in her towel...what happens next?

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

whatever.  Because I don’t mean to.  We didn’t have tons of money to 
spend on clothes, and those shirts are a cheap way to be pretty much in 
style.” 

“It wasn’t your fault, Janie.” 

“But do I?” 

“No.  You don’t look like a whore.  You don’t wear any makeup and you
never even have shorts on.” 

She took a small bite. 

“It was my fault, not yours, okay?  But . . .are you all right?”  He
leaned toward her a little, and Janie knew her answer was important to 
him. 

“Yeah.  I guess.  It was embarrassing.  But why did you do it, Derek?  I
don’t get it.  You seemed so . . . lighthearted or whatever.” 

“Sometimes I am.  I don’t know why I did it, Janie.  No,” he looked down
and traced a line that ran along the black laptop with his index 
finger.  “No, I’m not going to lie to you.  I did it because I’m 
attracted to you.  I’ve been thinking about you since- oh, I don’t 
know.  I admitted it to myself when you had that panic attack on the 
stairs.  There I was, carrying you, and you were kind of squirming with 
this little drop of spit on your bottom lip that wouldn’t stop 
trembling, and you kept fluttering your eyelashes and making these 
little noises.  Then I kept thinking about you.  It was kind of 
obsessive.  All I wanted to do was touch you, you know.  Pretty 
pathetic I guess.” 

They didn’t dare look at one another.  Janie knew she was blushing. 

“Anyway, Janie, I’m really, really sorry.  It was a sick thing to do,
and if you want, I’ll get you an apartment and everything so you don’t 
have to live here.  You’re mature enough to be on your own.  Does that 
sound like a plan?” 

Janie didn’t know whether to be thrilled or sad.  Sure, it would be
great to have her own place, but what about seeing Evan?  And paying 
for everything?  Her living here was expensive enough for him, but 
renting a whole apartment and buying furniture, even second-hand . . . 
no.  She had just gotten settled in here, and she honestly didn’t think 
Derek would do anything like that again.   “No.  I mean, if you really 
want me to, I will, but I’d rather be here with Evan.  I’m pretty sure 
you won’t to rape me in my sleep or anything.” 

He smiled.  “No, I guess I’ve learned my lesson.  I’m glad you feel like
that.  Now I have another question for you.” 

“What?” she had another bite of apple. 

“Are you at all attracted to me?  Be honest.  Brutally honest.” 

She studied the wood pattern of the table and tucked her hair behind her
ears.  How she wanted to lie.  To say Sorry, no, you’re eight whole 
years older, for goodness sake.  But Derek had been honest with her, 
and he deserved the same.  She swallowed.  “I- I guess.  You know, 
yesterday, with the flour . . . Sometimes I think I am.  But it scares 
me.” 

“It scares me, too.  For gosh sakes, I had sex with your mother.” 

She smiled in relief.  “Yeah, I know.” 

“So anyway, Janie,” his voice got lower “About you and me-“ 

The kitchen door open and Evan, blue-and-red baseball cap on his head,
came in, waving to his ride out the window.  “Hey, Janie, guess what, 
I’m the second-best hitter on the team!  My coach said.” 

“We’ll continue this later,”  Derek muttered as he got up, picking up
the knife she had been using to cut the apple and running its edge 
along her bottom lip, leaving a line of surprise, fear, and desire. 

“Guess what, Janie?” 

“What?”  Janie looked up from the book she had been reading.  Evan had
just put down the newest X-men comic book. 

“I met this kid named Chris at baseball practice.  He’s really, really
neat, and he can hit balls out of the park like, every time.  He wants 
me to come to a sleepover at his house tonight.  I wrote his phone 
number on my glove, in pencil so I can erase it.  Can I go?  Please, 
please, please?  They say they’ll even pick me up.”  He raised his 
eyebrows and bit his lip, his cutest face. 

She sighed.  “Sure, okay, just make sure it’s all right with your dad.” 

“He said it was great.  But he wanted me to ask you anyway ‘cause he
said it would make you feel nice.” 

Janie laughed out loud. 

“So,” Derek said as soon as the door closed and he had waved to Chris’s
mom.  “It seems as though we’re on our own tonight.”  He raised one 
eyebrow and smiled devilishly.  Like his son, he knew exactly what 
expression to put on to get what he wanted.  He walked over to the sink 
where she was. 

Janie continued scrubbing the frying pan they had used for supper.  “Not
entirely.  Rover the cat is in the garage.” 

“I’m sure he won’t disturb us.  Here, let me help you with that.”  He
stood behind her and reached his arms around her.  He took the yellow 
plastic scrubber from her hand and began washing the grime off the pan. 
 His chest was pressed against her back, the front of his legs touching 
the backs of hers. 

“Derek-“ 

“Mmm?” he kept on scrubbing.  Janie shifted her weight. 

“It’s just . . . you almost raped me just this morning, and now-“ 

He threw the pan and scrub brush down with a clang and stepped back. 

How can he move so quickly?  She wondered, turning around.  “I didn’t
mean-  it’s just we’re going so fast here-“ 

“I didn’t mean to do that this morning, Janie.  How many times do I have
to have to tell you I’m sorry!  Because I am.  I really am.  I won’t do 
anything like that again.” His fists were clenched at his sides. 

“Derek, it isn’t that.”  She leaned against the sink.  “I just . . .
maybe we should take it slow.” 

“Do you see this as sexual abuse?” he demanded. 

“No!  I just feel so cheap . . . you know?” 

He sighed, chewed the inside of his cheek, thinking, for a few minutes. 
“Then come here.”  He gestured toward the office room off the kitchen. 

“What?” 

“Come on,” he grabbed her arm and jerked her into the room.  It was a
fairly small room with a tiny television, computer, framed posters for 
old movies, and bookshelves.  Hanging on one wall was a picture of a 
pair of labs, one brown and one black.  Derek went to the picture and 
opened it like a door.  Behind it was a safe.  He twisted the 
combination easily and soon it swung open. 

“Derek- what’s-“ 

He reached in and took out a tiny velvet wine-colored box.  “Here.”  He
shut the safe door and the painting, then opened the box. 

Inside was a silver ring with a light blue sapphire on it, two tiny
diamonds on either side.  “This was my mom’s.  Her grandmother gave it 
to her when she turned sixteen.  It was the last present she ever got 
from her grandmother.” 

“It’s beautiful- exquisite- but-“ Janie stepped back and found herself
leaning against a desk. 

“I’ll trade you it for a kiss.” 

“A kiss?”  Janie’s blue eyes met Derek’s brown ones. 

“One kiss.  A long one, I think.  Real Romeo-and-Juliet stuff.” He made
a tiny step toward her. 

“Derek, this is a family heirloom.  I mean, it was really precious to
your mother.  You can’t just throw it away.”  She touched the box 
silently. 

“I’m not throwing it away.  I’m trading it for something I really want. 
Besides, it isn’t doing anybody any good sitting in a stupid safe.” He 
held it out.  It caught the light and sparkled. 

“What if you have a daughter or a wife someday?” 

“She’ll get my mother’s wedding ring, her engagement ring, a diamond
tennis bracelet, a pearl necklace . . . besides, you’re family, Janie.  
Now stop trying to talk me out of this and decide.” 

“Are you sure about this?” she asked 

“Yes,” he said. 

“Okay,”  she said in a whisper. “It’s a deal.” 

“Sit on the desk, there,” he instructed.  She hopped up on it.  He put
the box down beside her.  “Now untuck your shirt- that’s good.  Ready?” 


“Yeah.” She said softly.  How could anyone want to kiss her this badly? 

His mouth came towards hers, slowly.  Very slowly. 

He wants me to want him, she realized as she lifted her head up. 

Their lips met softly and his fingers trailed over her cheeks, to her
chin and throat.  “Put your hands on me,” he whispered against her. 

Hesitantly, she allowed her arms to go around his neck.  She rubbed the
back his neck and upper back in circular motions, feeling rather than 
hearing his groan. 

His hands were on either side of her throat now, his thumbs on her
cheeks.  He felt her bottom lip tremble and he bit it gently.  She 
shuddered all over then, and Derek lifted up his head.  Janie realized 
he had been half on top of the desk- of her.  “I’m sorry,” he 
whispered, getting off.  “I’m sorry . . . “ he muttered something, and 
then the word “seventeen”. 

“Derek, it’s okay.”  He didn’t look up.  Her arms were still around him
and she drew him into an embrace, resting her cheek on his broad 
shoulder.  His arms went around her waist, lifting her shirt up so he 
could touch her bare skin, and she eased herself off the desk. 

“You’re a little girl, Janie.” He said as he stroked her back. 

“I’m not.” 

“I shouldn’t want you this much.  Do you know what I want to do to you
right now?  Do you know how much I want to do it?  How rough I’d like 
to be?” he stepped back and brushed her face with two fingers. 

“But you won’t.  I know you won’t.”  she took his two fingers in her
hand and turned her head so she could kiss them gently, looking up at 
him. 

“You’re so damn trusting,” he muttered.  “Hey,” he said suddenly in a
different tone “Your ring.  We forgot.”  He reached past her to the 
desk and handed her the box.  She opened it as gently as if she were 
teasing open the petals of a flower, and took the ring from its slot. 

“Here, let me,” he whispered, and put it on her right ring finger.  Her
hand was shaking.  “Hey, don’t cry,” he said, smiling.  “The ring ain’t 
that ugly.” 

She laughed just a little through the tears brimming at her eyes. 
“Sorry.  It’s just- I don’t know.  This is so nice of you.  I’ve never 
had any nice jewelry before.  l can’t figure out why you’re doing 
this.” 

“I’m just using you for your kisses.” 

“If you ever want it back, you have to tell me.  Okay?” 

“I’ll never want it back.” 

She put her hands in her hip pockets, then took them out again to admire
the ring.  “I’m really sorry I snapped at you earlier.” 

“That’s okay.  I deserved it.” 

“Yeah, I guess you did.” She grinned. 

“Oh, yeah?” 

“Yeah!” 

He began walking toward her, and she backed away.  “Yeah?” he said
again, softer. “Yeah . . . “ she tried to put the desk chair in between 
them, but he stopped her. 

“You’re frustrating me, Janie.” 

She backed out of the office and began walking backwards into the
kitchen, then the den.  “Sorry,” she said 

“Hate to tell you this, Jane dear, but sooner or later you’re going to
hit a dead end.  I already locked all the doors for the night.  So stop 
backing away now and maybe I’ll be gentle. Gentler, anyway.”  He tried 
to pounce, but she backed away just in time. 

He was starting to scare her, but only a little.  Excited was more like
it.  “What’re you gonna do to me?”  she asked, still backing up. 

Suddenly he broke into a run.  Janie tried to be quick, but Derek caught
her in a matter of seconds.  “What do you think I should do?” 

“Let me go with a stern warning.” 

“I don’t think that’s such a hot idea.  But whatever we do-“ she tried
to twist away, but he caught her easily and pulled her even closer so 
she could feel his breath on her mouth.  “-Let’s do it on the couch.”  
He picked her up and took her there. 

Janie began to struggle.  What if he really was going to . . . do
something? 

He laid her on her back on the couch, then sat on her, pinning her arms
down.  “Derek- no.  Please.”  She tried to sit up, but it did no good.  
“Please, Derek, I don’t want to.  You can have the ring back.  I don’t 
want to.  Please.” 

He got off her immediately.  “I wasn’t going to do anything, promise.”
He said, kneeling down beside her.  “I’m sorry- that’s how it must’ve 
looked, huh?  Especially after I said that, earlier.”  He sighed.  
“It’s almost ten o’clock.  Why don’t we call it a night?” 

“Okay.”  She started to get up but he scooped her up in his arms. 

“Gosh, you’re light,” he said as he nuzzled her neck.  He carried her up
the stairs to her room and laid her down on the bed.  He sat on the 
edge of it as she looked at him sleepily. 

“Derek, I like you a lot.”  he began taking her shoes off. 

“Back at you.”  He tossed both of them to the floor. 

“I have a feeling . . . this is going to last a while.  You know?” 

“Well, yeah.” He brushed a stray piece of hair from her cheek. 

“Before this goes any farther, I want you to tell me everything you
remember about being with my mother.” 

“About your mother?” he asked “Janie, you don’t wanna hear about that .
. .”  He ran his fingers through his hair. 

“I do, Derek,” she shifted on the bed.   “Please tell me.  I need to
know this.” 

“We don’t need to think about that.  It’s past now.”  He tried to lean
his head forward to kiss her, but she turned her face away.  “No, 
Derek.  I need you to tell me.  We need to get this out in the open.” 

“Janie-” 

She looked at him, eyebrows raised. 

“Fine.  If you want to hear about it, fine.”  He shifted uncomfortably. 
“Okay.  In high school, I was kind of . . . I don’t know.  Not a nerd.  
I was on the basketball team and everything, but everyone else on the 
team . . . it seemed like everyone else . . . had had sex.  I was the 
only virgin, and I was joked a lot because I had hardly even kissed any 
girls.  And then, when I was a junior, I met your mother.  She was my 
English Lit teacher.  She was- what, in her mid-thirties?  She wasn’t 
the prettiest teacher in school, but she was cool.  She dyed her hair a 
different color every week, and she dressed in these ridiculously 
stylish clothes that nobody but supermodels had any business wearing.  
I kind of had a crush on her, because she sort of made me feel- exotic. 
 I don’t know.  And the way I hear it, she was having some real 
problems with your father, and he was making her feel about seventy 
years old, or something.  So anyway, in the week before exam week, I 
asked her for her help after school on the play we were doing.  
Whenever I wrote my essay questions, she would sort of lean on the desk 
and breathe on me, sort of.  We were all alone, and on the second day 
she kissed me on the cheek.  My hormones were like, raging, and so I 
frenched her.  And we just went on from there.” 

Janie looked away. 

“Janie, I honestly didn’t love her.  I don’t remember what her laugh
sounded like or what she smelled like or even the color of her eyes.  I 
just wanted to be able to know what the other guys were talking about, 
and she just wanted to be able to prove to herself she wasn’t an old 
lady.  We both made eachother feel good, at least for a while.” He 
sighed  “The first time we did it, she had put this poster over the 
window in the classroom door so that anyone in the hall couldn’t look 
in on us.  But the third time we forgot about it and somebody did see.  
You probably know the rest.  I’m sorry I ruined your life.” 

She smiled.  “You didn’t ruin it, you just changed it.” 

“ I made your dad try to kill your mother and get sent to a
prison-asylum for who knows how many years, and your mother commit 
suicide.” 

“They made their own decisions, Derek.  That was them, not you.  You
also gave me a wonderful little brother and an absolutely fantastic 
friend.” She brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. 

“Is that all I am?” he asked 

“I don’t know the right word for what we are.” 

“Well, me neither, and I went to a good college.”  He sighed.  “”We’ll
figure it out later, I guess.  Good night, Janie.” 

“Will you stay with me until I go to sleep?” 

“Okay.”  He watched her eyelids droop.  “I love you, Janie,” he
whispered, long after they had closed. 

When Janie woke up, Derek was gone.  She was wearing her clothes from
the day before, and her clock said ten-thirty.  She jumped out of bed, 
sprayed on some deodorant, put on a red and burgundy striped top that 
left two inches of midriff and a pair of jeans, ran a brush through her 
hair a few times, and splashed soap and water on her face, then ran 
downstairs.  Was Derek working today?  He had mentioned he sometimes 
worked on Sundays. 

“Derek?” she called.  She entered the kitchen.  No one was there. 

She went down the hall and into the den.  Evan was there, playing a
video game.  “He isn’t here.  He hadda catch a plane to somewhere far 
away at eight o’clock.  He said not to wake you up.” 

“Where’s he going to?” she tucked her hair behind her ears, brows
furrowed. 

“He didn’t say.  He said he’d be back soon, to help me with my curve
ball before we play the Braves.” The buttons he was pressing clicked in 
a pattern. 

She flopped down on the sofa, her head in one hand.  “Your game’s
Saturday, right?” 

“Right.  Hey, I beat the eighth level!” 

“Saturday,” Janie repeated softly. 

Janie fixed herself a bowl of cereal, thinking, her bottom lip between
her teeth.  Why had Derek left so quickly?  Why hadn’t he at least told 
Evan where he was going, or said good-bye?  Left a note?  She didn’t 
even know his cell phone number. 

I guess I’ll just have to wait, she thought.  She missed him already. 

The shrill sound of the telephone broke into her thoughts, and she
dropped the box of cereal. 

She grabbed it and pressed it to her right ear.  “Hello?” 

“Hello?” A man’s voice.  “Is this Janie?” 

“Yeah.”  It was not Derek.  She bit back a sigh. 

“This is Kannan Rochester.  You met me this week?  I’m Nikki’s cousin. 
I live with them this year.” 

Kannan Rochester.  Yes, she had met him.  Nikki had probably introduced
her to fifty people that week, and she remembered him only because he 
was Nikki’s cousin, she had thought he had said something funny in 
class, and the strangeness of his name.  “Yes, I remember you.” She 
said 

“Oh, well, how’s it going?” 

“I’m doing fine.  And you?”  Why the heck was he calling her? 

“I’m great.  I hope I didn’t call too early.  We just got back from
church.” 

“Well, I’ve been up a while.”  Janie thought of the last time she had
been to church, over seven years ago.  Her father had never gone, but 
her mother’s family were churchgoers, so Janie’s mother usually made 
her go.  Janie had never fit in with the other kids there, but she had 
enjoyed the singing, the strange and beautiful story of Jesus’ life, 
the hustle and bustle of makeup and pantyhose and barrettes in the 
mornings.  Of course, after her mother had been caught having sex with 
a seventeen-year-old, and gotten pregnant with his baby, they had had 
to stop going.  In some ways Janie still missed it. 

“Oh, good.  We’re going out to lunch in a few minutes . . . I was
wondering . . . you seem like a really nice girl, and Nikki mentioned 
that you told her that you love Alfred Hitchcock.” 

“Yeah, I do.” 

“Well, I do too.”  They talked about Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo, and To
Catch a Thief, etc. for a while.  “And anyway, I was wondering . . . 
have you seen Marnie?” 

“I’ve heard of it but I’ve never seen it.” 

“It’s a great movie.  One of his best, they say.  They’re showing it at
this old theater place downtown.  Would you like to go this Saturday 
night?” 

Go?  Like on a date?  She didn’t even know this guy.  However, he was
Nikki’s cousin and she seemed to like him all right, and he liked 
Alfred Hitchcock- he couldn’t be all bad.  The date was on Saturday, so 
she would have a whole week to figure out of he was an axe murderer . . 
. 

Wait a minute.  What about Derek.  Derek, the guy she had practically
fallen in love with last night. 

Derek, the guy who had taken off to parts unknown without saying a
single thing about it.  Derek, who had probably never seen a Hitchcock 
movie in his life. 

She leaned her forehead into the heel of her palm on the counter,
closing her eyes.  Should she go? 

Well, why not?  Derek had merely traded her a ring for a kiss.  The
ring- she watched it glitter on her finger- was valuable, but he 
mentioned he did have tons of his late mother’s jewelry.  He had said 
nothing about being exclusive.  Nothing at all.  She had a perfect 
right to do this. 

“Hello?” 

“Oh, hello, Kannan.  Sorry.” 

“If you don’t want to go, that’s fine.” 

Kannan hadn’t even said that it was a date.  And she had wanted to see
Marnie for a while.  Why on earth shouldn’t she go?  “No, I want to.  
See, I live with my brother’s father, and he’s on a trip, so I was 
trying to remember if he would be home by then.  He will.  I can go.  
It sounds great.” 

It did sound great.  She had eaten lunch with Kannan a couple of times. 
He was funny and nice, occasionally sweet. 

“Cool.  Okay.  Can I pick you up at seven?” 

“Sure.” 

“Well, I gotta go.  My aunt’s yelling at me.  Bye.  See you on Monday.”
He said 

“Bye.” 

Click. 

She spent the rest of the afternoon wrestling with her decision.  It was
not formally a date, and even if it was, she and Derek were not 
exclusive. 

Then why did she feel this way? 

All the next few days at lunch, she ate with Kannan, Nikki, and Clay. 
Kannan gave her no reason not to like him.  He was nice and funny, and 
he never touched her except once on the shoulder to get her attention, 
and a playful tug on her ponytail. 

Derek called Wednesday night.  Janie answered the phone. 

“Hello?” she said 

“Hello, is Evan there?” 

Janie had been in the middle of Algebra II when she answered the
telephone, and it was only after she gave her brother the phone and he 
said “Hello?  Dad!” that she realized who it was. 

He didn’t even want to talk to her!  She couldn’t believe this.  And she
had felt guilty about going to a movie with a perfectly nice guy!  
Janie gritted her teeth as she sat at the kitchen table, listening to 
Evan talk to Derek on the phone.  The pencil she was holding snapped in 
half. 

“Okay, well, bye, Dad.  Yeah.  Bye.”  He put the phone back and then
turned to Janie.  “He said to tell you hi, and he hopes you’re doing 
fine.” 

“Really,” Janie said, and then went back to her homework, using the
broken pencil pieces. 

Derek did not call again.  He came back on Friday, a little past five. 
Janie was at the kitchen sink, rinsing a bowl of lettuce, when he just 
walked in the kitchen door, his brown leather bag slung over his 
shoulder, a small suitcase in his hand.  He stopped when he saw her.  
“Hey,” he said softly. 

“Hi.” 

“How mad are you?” 

“I’m not mad,” she went back to rinsing the leaves in a circular
direction.  “What you do isn’t my business, Derek.  I have no right to 
be mad, so I’m not.” 

“I just needed to think, Janie.  You know?” he set his bags down. 

“I wasn’t asking you, Derek.  It’s none of my business.” 

“I wish you were madder.  At least a little bit.  I mean-” he walked
toward her then, and she spun around.  “I was a jerk, I know.  But you- 
you’re making me crazy.  I don’t know.  Sometimes I wonder if I’m 
really sick or something.” 

She slammed down the salad bowl. 

“Janie, I didn’t mean-“ he closed his eyes, and took a few more steps to
her and opened them.  “That was the wrong thing to say.  I’m just not 
sure what to do about us, you know?  You’re a virgin, right?” 

“Yeah,” she said softly. 

“See, Janie.  I love to hold you, except I’m scared to death I’ll break
you.”  He touched her neck.  Her hair was fastened back by a butterfly 
clip, and he reached out and squeezed it open.  Her brown hair came 
tumbling down.  She turned around. 

“If I was breakable, I’d be shattered by now,” she said. 

He smiled and pulled her into his arms.  “Point well taken.  I’m sorry I
left you like that.  I should’ve said something about it.” 

“Derek?” 

He busied himself straightening the uneven part in her hair.  “What,
babe?” 

“A nice boy I know-“ he stopped playing with her hair- “Asked me to go
see a movie I’m really interested tomorrow.  It’s not really a date, 
but-” 

“What?” 

She tried to step back, and the corner of her sink dug into her lower
back.  “Derek, it’s not an official date-“ 

“Are you going alone?” he demanded 

“Well, yes-“ 

“Is he picking you up in his car?” 

“Yeah-” 

“Are you going to be spending two hours in a dark theater?” 

“Probably-” 

“Then it’s a date, isn’t it?”  He picked up a glass on the counter and
threw it against the wall.  It exploded and the pieces landed, 
bouncing, on the floor.  “I don’t believe this.  I gave you a ring, 
dammit!  I spent hours thinking about your eyelashes and the ends of 
your hair and how your collarbone juts out.  And now you’re going out 
with his acne-faced, basketball-playing, junk-car-driving kid.” 

Almost immediately, Janie was sorry she’d accepted Kannan’s invitation.
She had had no idea that it would affect Derek this much.  “Derek,” she 
said softly.  “I wasn’t sure how you really felt about me.  And I 
wanted to see this movie.” 

“I would’ve taken you to it.  Call the jerk and tell him you’re
reorganizing your sock drawer.” 

“Derek!” she tried to sound serious.  “Kannan is not a jerk just because
he isn’t you.”  She was going to call the date off, but that didn’t 
meant she wasn’t going to make Derek suffer.  A little. 

“What kind of name is that?”  he kicked at the ground, then grabbed the
phone.  “Call him, Janie.” 

“I don’t know, he’s kinda cute, and really sweet . . .” 

He knew then she had been going to all along and allowed himself a
smile.  “Okay, then, don’t call him if you don’t want to.”  He pushed 
the phone antennae back into itself.  “After all, we aren’t exclusive.” 
He grinned. 

She grabbed the phone from Derek and began looking up his number.  They
were both laughing.  Derek went into the other room to see Evan.  “By 
the way,” he called “We’re all going out to pizza tonight.  After that, 
we’re going to drop Evan off at a movie with a couple guys from his 
team and you and I-“ he paused dramatically “Will find something 
equally fun to do.” 

“Oh, come on, Dad, just one more dollar.  I don't like popcorn unless
there're Milk Duds all over the kernels." 

“Fine,” Derek sighed in mock exasperation, taking another dollar out of
his wallet.  "It's a good thing you're still so cute.  Now don't drive 
Joey's mom completely wild, okay?" 

“'Kay.  Bye, Dad.  Bye, Janie.”  He hopped out of the van, then ran over
to a group of boys in Red Sox jackets and Nike sneakers. 

“He's a great kid,” Janie said 

“Yup.”  Derek pulled out of the theatre parking lot.  "I really missed
him."  They were silent a while. 

“So where're we going?" Janie asked finally. 

“You'll see.” Derek kept his eyes on the road. 

“Okay.”  She settled back in the seat. 

They drove a while, until the city lights began to fade.  Finally, Derek
stopped the car.  They were in a field out in the country, on a hill 
overlooking a pond, which reflected the stars and sliver of a moon. 

“It's beautiful,” Janie said 

"This used to be the number one place to take your girl after the prom. 
There'd be about ten cars out here every Saturday night, back in my 
day.  Now- I dunno, I guess you can do that stuff at home.  Gas prices 
and all that." He unbuckled his seat belt. 

“Yeah,” Janie said uncertainly, tucking her hair behind her ears. 

“I missed you, too,” he said, as if it had anything to with anything 
“One night I woke up calling your name.  Thank God I had my own room."  
He sighed.  "I'm not going to be leaving you guys again anytime soon.  
I worked that out at work already."  He passed a tongue over his lips.  
"That okay with you?” 

She nodded. 

“Do you know how long it's been since I kissed you?  Six days.  That's a
long time.  The world was created in six days.  The whole story of 
Romeo and Juliet takes place in about six days.  The entire voyage of 
the Titanic took less than six days.”  He shifted in the seat. 

“Six days is a very long time,” she agreed 

“So can I have a kiss?” 

“One kiss?” 

“One kiss.” 

“Okay,” she said. 

He leaned over, way over, to her seat, and put his lips on hers.  Janie
felt the warmth of his breath, a bit of stubble that was on his upper 
lip.  His tongue slipped in between his lips and forced its way through 
hers.  She felt it touch hers, entwine it.  He slowly unbuckled her 
seat belt, his fingers found the lever under the seat that made it 
recline. 

"Derek-" she said as he climbed on top of her, but it was muffled. 

"What, babe?"  he said, his lips still on hers. 

"I didn't mean-" he lifted his head "I didn't know it would be like
this." 

"Do you like this, Janie?  Do you like me doing this?" 

"I don't know," She half-whimpered. 

"I wouldn't do anything, you know that, don't you?" 

"Isn't this doing something?" 

"I don't think so."  He shifted to a sitting position, so that her
stomach was in between his legs and his head was barely touching the 
ceiling of the van.  "You know what?" 

"What?" 

"I bet you could see every star in the sky, out here.  Let's go
outside."  He didn't wait for her to answer, just unlocked the door and 
then helped her out.  They climbed onto the hood of the car and leaned 
on the windshield. 

"I never knew there were so many," she breathed 

"City girl." He whispered.  A wind came up, and she shivered.  "Hey, are
you cold?  I'm sorry.  I should've gotten you to take a jacket or 
something."  He sat up and began unbuttoning his shirt.  "Here you go," 
he said, putting it around her. 

Janie tried not to stare at him.  Derek was not as muscular as the
steroid-taking athletes on television, but he was definitely built.  
His shoulders were extremely broad, and when he wore short-sleeved 
shirts; the sleeves rode up just a little on his muscular arms.  And he 
was nicely tanned.  "Thanks," she said softly, looking away. 

"No biggie." He moved closer to her, put his arm around her.  He kissed
her lightly on her jaw.  "Feels like we're the only ones in the world, 
you know?" 

She moved closer to him.  "Yeah."  She licked her lips.  "Do you think
we should tell Evan about . . . you know . . . you and me?" 

"He'll figure it out.  Things like this don't matter much to little
boys." 

"I guess," she said. 

"Soon we'll have to be getting back," he said, shifting.  He ran a
finger through her brown hair.  "Do you want me to take you to that 
movie tomorrow night?" 

"No, that's okay.  It'll come on television." 

"Okay.  I was thinking tomorrow, we could all go to the beach together. 
Bring a picnic lunch, go swimming, play catch with the beach ball, the 
whole shebang." 

"Sounds good, in an orange-juice commercial sort of way." 

"I guess." He got off the car and helped her down, then embraced her. 
"C'mon, let's go pick up Evan." 

"Okay."  They got in the van and drove toward the movie theater.  A few
minutes into the drive, they played "The Wedding Song" on the radio.  
Derek sang along, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. 


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