The house was quiet as Jennifer and JC entered the master bedroom.  The group had finished dancing a little while earlier, so everyone was now in bed.  JC sat down in a chair, rubbing his neck as Jennifer walked into her dressing area to change.

“What a day we’ve had,” JC commented.

“No kidding,” Jennifer called out from inside her closet.  “Hey, did either Kathy or Lance tell you more about their date?”

“Lance talked about some stuff while we were downstairs playing pool.  They’re going to the amusement park.”

“Yeah, Kathy told me.  She’s really excited about it.  Is Lance?”

“He seemed to be.  Looks like your plan worked.”  JC stood from his chair and walked into his dressing area to change into his pajamas.

Jennifer picked up a hairbrush and stood in the doorway to her closet.  “I just gave them that little nudge towards each other, that’s all.”  She went into the bathroom to brush her hair.

“Maybe you nudged them a little more than expected.  I noticed how close they were when we were dancing outside.”  JC emerged from his closet, pulling an undershirt over his head.

“Well, you’ve now joined the club of Kathy-and-Lance observers,” she replied, pulling the brush through her hair.

“And how many members are there in this little ‘club’?”  JC appeared in the doorway to the bathroom and leaned against the doorjamb.

“Well, let’s see…Chris finally talked to me, so that makes four: you, Chris, Justin, and Joey.”

“What did they say to you?”

“Basically, they’ve all noticed some little things between Kathy and Lance.  I didn’t tell them I knew anything; I figure Kathy and Lance will tell when they’re ready.”

JC walked over to stand behind Jennifer.  He took the brush out of her hand and swept it through her long black hair.  “Not to get off the subject, but your hair is beautiful.  I could watch you brush it all night.”

“Well,” Jennifer began, a little flustered from his comments, “if you like watching me comb my hair, how would you feel watching me brush my teeth?”

He laughed, still looking at her move around the bathroom.  “Hmm…you know, when you bend over to spit, your nightie raises up in the back just enough…” He grinned wickedly and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Don’t even think about it,” Jennifer threatened.

“I can’t even dream about it?”

“Stop.”

JC laughed out loud.  “Okay, sweetie, I’ll stop…but if you ever think about it yourself…”

She swung around and hit his arm.  “I can’t believe you’re saying this to me!”

He raised his hands in surrender.  “Okay, I’m stopping.  Really…I am,” he added before Jennifer could hit him again.

“All right.”  With a wary glance, she turned back to the sink to brush her teeth.  When she finished, she walked out into the bedroom.  As JC took his turn brushing his teeth, Jennifer slipped into bed.

When JC exited from the bathroom, he found Jennifer reading a letter.  “What’s that?” he asked, curious.

“Oh, just a letter from an old flame.”  She set the letter aside so JC couldn’t get it.

JC narrowed his eyes, staring at her innocent look.  “Don’t give me that look, Jennifer.  Who’s the letter from?”

Jennifer sighed.  “Okay, you found me out…I’m sorry, but I’ve found someone new.  That letter’s a love letter.”

“What?”  Surprise, then shock passed over JC’s face.  Jennifer tried not to grin as she watched JC try to hold back his emotions.  “Let me see the letter, Jennifer…now.”

“No way!  It’s private!”  She put the letter behind her back and laid over it.

“Give it to me, Jennifer,” he threatened.

“You’ll have to get through me to get the letter.”

JC quickly pounced on Jennifer, tickling her.  He knew she was incredibly ticklish.  She burst out laughing, half due to JC’s tickling, and half because she tricked him into believing there was someone else.  “Stop it!” she choked out.

“Not until you give me that letter!”

“Then stop tickling me!”  She rolled over at that point, exposing the letter.  JC grabbed the letter and sat back on the bed.  Jennifer’s laughter died down as JC skimmed the letter.

“I swear, Jennifer, I can’t believe you would go behind my back to…” He trailed off, then frowned at the letter.  “This handwriting looks like a child’s.”  Confused, he looked at Jennifer.

She began laughing again.  “It should, you idiot…it’s a letter from my nine-year-old cousin!”

“You mean…”

“My cousin, AJ, you freak.  He was writing to tell me he missed me!”  She began laughing again.  “Oh, you should have seen the look on your face.”

“Okay, Jen, I must admit, you got me that time.  However, if you really ever try that in real life…”

“Oh, don’t even think I would,” she said.  “I love you too much.”

“I love you, too.”  He leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips.  After they pulled apart, he got up and walked around to his side of the bed.  He climbed in, and they leaned back on the pillows, JC’s arm around Jennifer’s shoulders.  Jennifer leaned her head on JC’s shoulder.

“Honey, I don’t want to sound pushy or anything…” Jennifer started to say.

“What is it?”

“Well, tomorrow night is Friday night and everything…”

“Yeah…”

“And you did ask me out for Friday night…”

JC just grinned.  “Yeah…”

Jennifer pushed herself up onto her elbow to look at him.  “Aren’t you going to tell me anything about it?”

“No.”  He grinned again and closed his eyes.

“Oh, come on, honey, just one little hint…please?”

“All you need to know is you need to dress formally.  You know, evening gown, dressy shoes, the works.”

“That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

“That’s all you need to know, sweetheart.”

“I can’t get anything else out of you?”

“Sorry, sweetie,” JC apologized.  “I don’t think there’s anything you could do to make me talk.”

Jennifer sat back, pouting slightly.  Wait a minute, she thought suddenly, I know something that might make you talk.  Smiling wickedly, she turned to look at JC.

Noticing the silence, JC opened his eyes slightly to look at her.  He saw her expression and raised an eyebrow.  “What are you thinking, Jennifer?”

“I think I know of a way to make you talk,” she said mysteriously.  She shifted so she lay over him.

JC opened his eyes fully now.  “Jennifer,” he warned.

“What?” she asked, giving him an innocent smile.  “I’m not doing anything…yet.”

He leaned back to watch her.  I think I’ll enjoy this.  “Do your worst to me…I won’t speak.”

Oh, yes, you will, she thought to herself.  She leaned down to kiss JC’s lips.  When she felt his hands move her thighs to his sides, she reached down and took his hands away.  “Oh, no, hands off, buddy,” she whispered.

“Come on, Jen…let me…”

“No.”

She moved down to his neck, then trailed kisses to his upper chest.  She took hold of his shirt and pulled it up.  JC took his shirt off, threw it to the floor, leaned his head back and closed his eyes.  Jennifer continued to trail kisses over his body; first over his chest, then down over his stomach.  She felt his fingers slip the straps of her nightie off her shoulders, then tangle in her hair.  She was kissing his lower stomach, her fingers hooked in his pajama bottoms, when they heard a knock at the door.

Jennifer’s kisses stopped.  JC groaned at the interruption.  “Who could be up at this hour?” he wondered aloud.

Jennifer glanced downwards, then grinned slyly and looked up at his face.  “You certainly are.”

JC just looked back at her, passion swimming in his eyes.  “Do we have to stop?”

“Yes, honey.”  She climbed off him and lay beside him again, adjusting her clothes.  “Who is it?” she called towards the door.

The voice on the other side answered, “It’s Kathy.”

“I wonder what’s she’s doing awake at this hour,” Jennifer said.

“Well, can you have her go back to bed so we can finish this?” JC pleaded.

Jennifer giggled.  “I’ll see what she wants, then I’ll come back.”  She leaned down to kiss him, then got out of bed.  Grabbing a robe from inside her closet, she called out to Kathy.  “I’m coming.  Just a minute.”

“Okay,” said the voice outside.

Jennifer tugged on her robe, then reaching for the door, looked back at JC lying on the bed.  Kathy, this better be really important.  Sighing, she opened the door a crack and slipped into the hallway.  “Kathy, what are you doing up so late?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I came downstairs.  I noticed the light underneath your doorway, so I figured you were still awake.”

“Well, I am,” Jennifer replied, running her fingers through her hair.  “Did you want to talk to me about something?”

“Actually, yeah, I do.  Can we go into the living room or somewhere?”

“Sure.”  They walked into the living room.  Jennifer switched on a lamp, and they sat on the couch.  “Okay, so tell me, what are you doing up this late?”

“Well, what are you doing up this late?” Kathy shot back.

“I believe I asked first.  Besides, you’re the one who knocked on my door.  Now talk.”

Kathy sighed.  “I know this is going to sound really weird, but I can’t sleep because…I can’t stop thinking about my date with Lance tomorrow night.”

“That’s okay, you’re just excited.”

“Yeah, but it’s not just that.  I mean, I was lying in bed a little while ago, staring up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that could happen during our date.  You know what I’m talking about…it might rain, people might look over and recognize Lance, I could wear the wrong clothes, he might try to kiss me…” She trailed off, forgetting she wanted to keep that last thought to herself.

Jennifer smiled.  “Kathy, you worry too much.  Just keep an open mind, and let things happen.  The most important thing is that you and Lance will be together.”

“I know, but…”

“But, nothing.  You guys will have fun; trust me.”

“Okay…but could we talk about one other thing?” Kathy asked her friend.

“Sure, what’s that?”

“What should I wear?”

Jennifer laughed quietly.  “You need to go to sleep!” she joked.

“Yeah, I probably do, but I’ll sleep better knowing I have control over something for tomorrow night.”

Jennifer could only shake her head at Kathy’s comments.  “Okay.  Let’s think about this.  I have to think about what I’m going to wear for my own date.”

“Oh, yeah, did JC tell you anything about where he’s taking you?”

“Not a word.”  I might have gotten something out of him, though…if you had waited a few minutes longer before you knocked on the door.

“So how are you supposed to figure out what to wear?”

“Oh, he told me I need to dress in formal wear, and that’s ‘all I need to know.’”

“Wow…sounds like he has something really special planned for you.”

“Yeah…so anyway,” Jennifer said, clearing her mind to focus on the present, “let’s think about what would be good.  Let’s see…you’re going to an amusement park, so you want the casual, yet stylish look.”  She narrowed her eyes at Kathy, trying to picture her in different outfits.  “How about a pair of black Capri pants and a blouse?”

Kathy thought for a minute, picturing herself in the outfit Jennifer described.  She smiled after a few seconds and said, “That sounds perfect!  What about you, though?  I think you would look good in a pastel color…maybe blue…or lavender.”

“You know, I think it’s time for us to take another shopping trip.”

“Tomorrow?”  Kathy said, grinning.

“You bet.  We only have one class tomorrow, and we can go after lunch, okay?”

“Deal!”  Kathy yawned and stretched.  “I think I’m going to go to sleep now…thanks for talking with me, Jen.”

“Anytime.”  They stood up, about to go their separate ways.  “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Cool.  Good night.”  Kathy yawned again, then turned towards the stairs.

“Night, Kathy,” Jennifer called to the retreating figure on the stairs.  Sighing deeply, she switched off the lamp.  Well, you better be ready for me, JC, she thought as she walked back to her room.

Jennifer opened the door quietly.  “Okay, I’m back…let’s finish what we started.”  She slipped out of her robe as she closed the door.  Tossing her robe over a chair, she turned towards the bed.  “JC?”  Taking in the sight, she sighed and chuckled.

JC had fallen asleep in the middle of the bed, hugging a pillow.  Breathing deeply, he shifted and buried himself further under the covers.

Jennifer sat down next to him and gazed at his sleeping face.  “Oh, sweetheart, I can’t believe you fell asleep on me,” she said to herself, playing with his hair.  “Maybe some other time.”  She climbed into the bed and snuggled up to JC.  Stirring slightly, he draped his arm over her and pulled her close.

“I love you, Jennifer,” he murmured.

She smiled to herself.  “I love you, JC.”  She turned her face to his chest and fell asleep.