Chapter 9 - The Date

Jesse is ready for her date and she heads over to the DiMera mansion to check up on Maddie. She joins Marlena in the living room. "Are the kids getting along alright?" "Sure they went to the playground in the morning and then they played all afternoon." "Before I forget I wanted to give you my beeper number. Please feel free to beep me." "I will. You have a good time and enjoy yourself." "I'll try." As Jesse walks into the foyer Eric walks in the door. "Hi Jesse. What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be on your date?" "My date, how did you know about that?" "I'm sorry. Eric overheard me on the phone with you earlier." "Oh. It's not really a date it's more of a business dinner." "Is that outfit new?" "No. I've had this outfit for years. Remember I wore it last Christmas when you…" "When I proposed to you." Jesse can feel a lump in her throat and she tries to clear it. "Yes the night you proposed to me. Well I think I had better go. Marlena don't forget if you need me at all please beep me." "Don't worry I will." Eric closes the door behind Jesse. "Eric are you alright?" "I just need some time alone."

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Jesse arrives at the Penthouse Grill a few minutes late. Mike and his date are already seated. His date is keeping him amused with stories of her sorority days. Jesse smiles at Mike as if to say don't forget our deal. "Joe, I'm sorry I'm late. I had to check on my daughter before I left." He pulls her seat out for her. "That's fine. I'm just glad you were able to make it. If you don't mind I already ordered for you. I hope you like chicken." "Who doesn't?" Joe begins to talk about work. Jesse just tunes him out. She can't hear a word he is saying. As Jesse is looking at him she sees Eric. She starts to remember past dates with him. She loses all track of time. Suddenly the waiter interrupts her daydreams. "May I take your plate for you?" "Yes. I'm finished." Mike gives her a nod and Jesse knows that that's her cue to put their plan into action. "Joe would you please excuse me. I have to go to the ladies room." "Sure. Do you want me to order dessert for you?" "No. Wait until I get back."

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Jesse goes to the pay phone and she calls Mike's beeper. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! "Damn I knew this would happen. Would you excuse me? I have to take this." "Don't be too long Mike." Mike's in the lobby and he sees Jesse. "I did my part Dr. Horton now it is time for you to do your part. Give me a minute or two to get back to the table." Monica comes looking for Mike. "Do you have to go?" "Yes there's an emergency at the hospital." "Well I guess I'll leave with you." "No. You didn't have dessert yet. Why don't you stay and have dessert. They have a wonderful peanut butter pie here. I'll handle the check. You stay and I'll see you tomorrow at work." "I guess I'll stay then. Thanks for tonight Mike." Monica goes back to their table. Mike finally calls Jesse's beeper. BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! She looks for her beeper. Jesse pretends to look at the number on the screen. "I was afraid of this. It's the babysitter's number. I think I should go." "We could have a really quick dessert." "No. I really have to go now. Why don't you stay and enjoy your dessert." "I guess I'll talk to you some time." "Yes I guess you will. Thank you for tonight Joe."

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Jesse goes out the parking lot to find Mike waiting by her car. "Was your date as bad as mine?" "Are you kidding?" "That bad." Mike gets an idea. "Neither one of us got dessert so why don't we go around the corner and get some ice cream." "I don't know it's getting pretty late." "Oh come on you owe me for getting me into this mess." "All right I'll go with you."

Both get an ice cream cone as they are eating them they walk through the park. They stop to sit on the swings. "I can officially say tonight was one of the longest nights of my life Mike. Is your grandmother going to do this again?" "I think it would be a safe bet to say that she will. But the fact that she is doing this means that she really likes you." "It's great that she likes me but I really don't want to have to go through this again." "What are you complaining about she is going to do the same thing to me." "We're quite a pair aren't we?" "What do you mean?" "Well the both of us want to be with someone we can't be with. Correction I can't be with the man I love but you could be with the woman you love." "No I can't. Carrie loves Austin. They're going to be married. End of story." "It doesn't have to be that way. I think that if you told her how you feel maybe she would think twice about Austin. I think she has doubts about their whole relationship. I mean Sami's last scheme almost worked and Carrie was starting to doubt Austin's love for her." "Carrie loves Austin now can we change the subject."

"How are we going to prevent tonight from happening again?" Mike gets an idea. "Why don't we pretend to be a couple?" "Don't you think there are enough charades going on in this town?" "Hey this charade won't hurt anyone. We go out to dinner two or three nights a week. We hold hands in public maybe a kiss once in a while. Who is it going to hurt?" "What about Eric?" "It's like you said the two of you can't be together. Maybe this will help him to move on as well. What do you think?" "You're right and if it will prevent another night like this I say you just found yourself a girlfriend Mike Horton." "I think we should seal this new deal with a kiss." "A kiss you say." "Well we might actually have to do that out in public if we are going to convince people that we're really a couple." "Pucker up Doc!" Mike and Jesse kiss. Both are surprised at how natural it felt. "I think we should do that one more time. Just for practice." "I think I had better go. I want to get Maddie before she's asleep." "Goodnight Mike." "Goodnight Jesse."

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Eric is sitting in the living room at the DiMera mansion when Jamie comes over for a visit. "Did my sister send you over here to talk to me?" "Yes she did." "I can't forgive her for what she did." "I know Sami had done some horrible things and I am sure whatever she did you do deserve to be mad at her but I was wondering what she did?" "On my wedding day she sent my fiancée her adoption papers." "What's wrong with that?" "Her mother is Samantha Evans. Sam is my mom's twin sister which makes us first cousins." "Isn't it good that you found out before you were married?" "She sent the papers special delivery. They got here just before she was to walk down the isle." "I see your point now." "I just want my sweet sister back." "I think that together we could help Sami change her evil ways." "I'm not so sure of that." "Think it over. Together I think the two of us can straighten her out. Let me know if you change your mind." Eric walks Jamie to the door.

Just as Jamie goes out the door Jesse shows up. They almost bump into each other. "I'm sorry." "No it was my fault." Eric steps in. "Jesse this is Jamie Caldwell. She's a friend of Sami's." Jesse has a worried look on her face. "Don't worry she is not like Sami as a matter of fact she is going to help me try to straighten Sami out." "Best of luck to the two of you. You really have your work cut out for you." "I have to go. It was nice to meet you Jesse." Jamie leaves. Jesse enters the foyer and she closes the door behind her.

Marlena and John come down the stairs. "Is Maddie sleeping?" "We just checked on the kids and they are all sound asleep. Maddie could stay here the night if you wanted her to." "No I think she should come home with me. I don't want her to think I abandoned her." "Oh Jesse I don't think she would think that." John offers to go up and carry her down. Eric goes to his room.

Marlena and Jesse go into the living room to talk. "How was your date?" "It was a total disaster." Marlena begins to chuckle. "I'm so glad that every one else finds this funny because I sure don't." "I'm sorry honey. I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing with you." Just then John comes into the room with Maddie in his arms. "John I don't want to wake her. Could you carry her to my car?" "No problem." "Goodnight Marlena." "Goodnight Jesse."

To be continued…

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