Chapter 9
 
     Janet 

     Ok, it's 5:05 AM and I can't sleep. How 'bout you? No, I suppose you're a few hours away from firing up the computer and typing up a love letter. 
     I wish you were over here right now, Babe. I know he's outta here, but I guess I can't wait till the night I get to have you here forever. I'm a little protective of my family, ya know. 
     Anyway, I just wanted to show you I could get myself hooked up to the e-mail all by my lonesome! I'm going in to the office around 10-- want to get together later and practice cutting the cake and other things wedding related? Say Holidays, around 4:30? Write back, or else I'll have to come over there and make sure you're doing your job! Later, Gorgeous. 
                                                                             Love, 
                                                                                      Trevor 
 
 
     Trevor, 

     Actually, I slept pretty good. But then again, I was dreaming of you... ;-) Meeting up with you later sounds perfect. I've got to head over to Holidays around 2 to hit the books anyway. 
    Wanna stay there for dinner, or is this a 'Chef Dillon' night? Let me know so I can call Belinda if it's the latter.   By the way-- I called the Pine Cone. He's gone. Good Riddance! 

                                                                                Love, 
                                                                                       Janet 
 
 
Janet, 

     Me again. The kids are counting on my amazing tuna casserole tonight (really! Trust me!), so go on and give B a call. Or come on over and sample the grub of your future! Your choice. I'm late, gotta go. 
                                                                     Love, 
                                                                              Trevor
 
         Belinda scoped out the Holidays crowd around 5 PM, but didn't see her friend
     right away. Hayley saw Belinda and waved her over to the bar. "They're over
     there," she beamed, nodding towards the fireplace. Belinda turned and smiled to
     see Janet and Trevor snuggled together on a corner of a sofa, Janet writing in her
     planner while Trevor read brochures of all kinds over her shoulder.
         "Don't they look cozy!" Belinda gushed.
         "I can't get over how happy they are together," Hayley said. "I mean, I know
     they're practically newlyweds, but... it's just great that they're finally getting a
     chance to have some fun. Know what I mean?"
         "Exactly what you mean," Belinda nodded. Then she turned back to the bar for
     awhile and cracked her briefcase open. Dinner could wait awhile.
         "Did we get it all figured out yet, Madame Bookkeeper?"
         "That's still Mademoiselle Bookkeeper to you, Counselor!" Janet giggled, elbowing
     Trevor in the ribs before twisting around to face him. "Let's see, we've got the
     food... the music... the cake..."
         "And you said Erica's gonna work on the flowers..."
         "Uh-huh-- and you're setting up the meeting with the minister. Everything's on
     schedule." She laid a kiss on him as passionate as any they'd share in Trevor's living
     room.
         "Well, aren't you just getting bolder by the day," he grinned when they parted.
     "First you put your ex in his place, now you're kicking your shoes off and
     smooching in public places?"
         "I know-- I can't help it! I feel so empowered! And so... liberated! It's wonderful. I
     should have gone back and told him off years ago."
         "Better late than never, huh?"
         "Yeah... That should be our motto. Let's write it on the top of the cake."
         "You've got the pen, Babe! Make a note of it."
         Belinda started to get up and interrupt them at last, but the slightest glance of
     what seemed to be a familiar face in the HOLIDAYS window ground her to a halt.
     She did a double take. The face was gone.
         "Janet DID say he checked out, didn't she?" Belinda muttered to herself. Could it
     have been...?
         She took one more look at her love struck friends and decided no... it couldn't
     have.
         Amanda absent-mindedly blew bubbles with her gum as she planned out her
     birthday party. "Tim, do you think it's dumb to want to play musical chairs at your
     7th birthday party?" she wondered.
         "Heck no... musical chairs is cool," he answered from in front of the computer.
         "That's what Carrie says too... Jenny Langstrom didn't do it at hers, though. She just
     wanted to show us that her parents let her watch MTV." She pulled a deflated
     bubble from the tip of her nose and rolled her eyes. "That was ALL we did.
     Boooring."
         Tim suddenly burst out laughing. "Amanda, come here, you've got to see this!"
         She sat on his lap as Tim pulled up one of Trevor's email. "I was cleaning out the
     old messages and I found this," he said. "Now I know why Dad was so eager to
     figure out the Internet all of a sudden."
         "He's sending Mommy letters?"
         "Yeah, and mushy ones at that. 'I can't wait till the night I get to have you here
     forever,'" he mimicked.
         She giggled. "Daddy said THAT?"
         "Looks like it." He was about to see what other love notes he could find when the
     phone rang. He set Amanda back down, and she listened curiously as he
     seemed to be talking to a neighbor.
         "That was Mrs. Hall," he said, picking up his jacket. "Harold got out, and he's all the
     way on he other side of Elm Street already..."
         "How did Harold get out?" Amanda wondered.
         "Beats me, but the Halls have got that real big dog next door to them... we've
     gotta go get him." Tim headed for the back door. "I'm gonna get a head start--
     you grab his leash and follow behind, okay?"
         "Okay." It took a little searching, but she finally located the leash. "I'm coming,
     Tim!" she shouted as she ran out the back door too... too much in a hurry to close
     it all the way.
         Twenty seconds later Axel snuck in through the open back door. "Even easier than
     I thought," he snickered. "Not a very smart kid ya got there, Jan Jan."
         He'd had his eye on the Dillon House half the day, finally getting to make a move
     once the kids were home from school. He knew he didn't have much more than 5
     minutes, and he didn't even know what he'd do once he was inside. He hadn't
     thought through his so-called "plan" that well.
        He ambled around the rooms quickly enough to get to the living room and
    creep to the window, checking for other surprise visitors. Pulling the curtains shut,
    his eyes met up with the computer  monitor shortly thereafter-- and stayed locked
    on it when he saw who the letter was for-- and who it was from. "So that's what
    she goes for nowadays," he muttered to himself.
 
        "Orchids? In every arrangement?! Erica, no," Janet sighed as she and Ms. Kane
     re-entered Janet's office at Enchantment.
         "Janet, come on now, it'll be breathtaking! You're not worried about the cost, are
     you? I told you, it's on me."
         "It's not the cost. It's just not-- US. I'm sure they'll be perfect at your own wedding."
         "But I don't get it. You're picking things so... so unusual. And that obsession you
     seem to have with the pink tulips, Janet. I'm telling you, it's just-- beyond me. I
     mean, they're nice and all--"
         "That's funny," Janet said as she fiddled with the mouse on her computer. "Trevor
     sent a message for me to meet him over at Holidays right away."
         "Well, did he say why?"
         "Let's see... he says it's a surprise. But we were just over there last night--" Janet
     shrugged, then began closing down her computer.
         "That's a romantic for you!" Erica helped her out, grabbing her coat and purse
     and handing them to her. "He may come across like a grizzly bear, but deep
     down he's as spontaneous and passionate as my Jackson."
         "We'll arm wrestle over the flowers tomorrow, okay?"
         "Yes, absolutely, orchid talk resumes tomorrow, Janet."
         "No, it doesn't," Janet laughed, shaking her head.
 
 
 
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