CHAPTER 5
Kathy pulled the van into the driveway. They had dropped Derrick’s suitcase off at his house, which was only two houses down from Jennifer’s. Still energetic after the day’s events, Justin, Joey, and Chris piled out of the van. Derrick followed them, moving slowly, happy to be able to rest. JC and Lance then exited. Lance had a thoughtful expression on his face, while JC jumped out and opened Jennifer’s door for her. As JC helped Jennifer out of the van, Kathy quietly opened her door and got out. I wish Lance would do that for me, thinking about how courteous and gentlemanly JC’s actions were. I know I shouldn’t be jealous, but why can’t that be Lance and me?
Lance watched Kathy get out of the van and walk around to join the group standing in the driveway. I’m such a jerk, Lance berated himself. I should have gone around to help her out of the van like JC did for Jennifer. Maybe then she would get the idea that I like her. Another lost opportunity, man. He closed his eyes briefly then followed everyone inside.
“So,” Jennifer began as everyone sat down in the living room, “what should we do tonight? I’m in the mood for something fun.”
“Do we really need a plan?” Derrick asked. “Why don’t we just ‘hang out’? You know, turn on the TV and watch whatever’s on, listen to the radio, talk, whatever.”
“Hey, it’s Wednesday night, isn’t it?” Chris suddenly asked.
“Yeah,” Derrick answered. “Why?”
“South Park is on!” Chris announced.
Justin, Lance, Joey, and Chris sat on the floor in front of the TV while Jennifer switched the channel and then cuddled with JC on the couch behind the guys to watch. Kathy pulled a footstool over to her chair and sat back, and Derrick stretched out on another couch. For thirty minutes, everyone watched the show, and every so often, they would burst out in laughter.
As soon as the show ended, Justin jumped to his feet. “Yo, y’all, I’m hungry,” he announced. “What’s the deal with dinner?”
“Dinner? Oh, shoot! I completely forgot!” Jennifer smacked her forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot dinner!”
“Jen, it’s okay, I can cook,” Kathy offered.
“Yes, please do, Kathy!” Derrick begged. “Please don’t let Jennifer near the kitchen! She’s the only person I know who can burn water!” Everyone laughed as Jennifer heaved a pillow at Derrick’s head.
“Shut up, Derrick, I’m not that bad!” Jennifer tried to defend herself.
“Oh, please, the only thing you can make for dinner is reservations!”
“Enough, you two,” Kathy interrupted. Jennifer looked like she was ready to attack Derrick. “I’ll start cooking if y’all will settle down.” With a grin, Kathy turned and went to the kitchen.
“Thank goodness! I’m starving!” Joey said, his stomach rumbling loudly.
Chris got up off the floor and turned on the radio. Upbeat music pounded out of the speakers, and he, Justin, and Joey started practicing dance moves. Derrick closed his eyes, still lying in the same position on the couch. Jennifer sat back down, forgetting her exasperation with Derrick’s earlier comments. JC wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned on his chest. Lance had moved to lean on the couch where Jennifer and JC were sitting. JC noticed how Lance had been staring at the door to the kitchen.
“Lance?” JC asked. “You’re pretty quiet; thinking about something?”
“Huh?” JC’s question had snapped him out of a trance. “Oh, nothing.”
Jennifer looked down at her friend. She had noticed the direction of Lance’s gaze as well. “Why don’t you go in there and talk to her? She’s alone in there. We’re all out here. You can say anything you want to her in there.”
“What would we talk about?” Lance looked up at the pair on the couch.
“Well, you could talk about the weather,” JC joked. “Come on, man! Ask her out! This has to be the perfect opportunity for you to ask her!”
Lance took a deep breath. “You’re right…again. I’m going.” He stood up, straightened his clothes, and walked into the kitchen.
Jennifer and JC watched him go. “You think he’s going to ask her out?” JC wondered.
“He really wants to, you can tell,” Jennifer pointed out. “They’re good for each other.” She turned, smiled at her boyfriend, and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Just like we’re good for each other.” JC tenderly brushed his thumb over Jennifer’s cheek, smiled at her, and leaned in for another kiss. After pulling apart, they cuddled and glanced at the kitchen door.
Lance had been a bit hesitant to walk inside, but he took a few breaths. You can do this, he thought to himself. All you have to do is go in there and ask her out. Just do it. There’s no backing down now. He pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Kathy heard someone walk in and looked over. “Oh, hi, Lance,” she greeted him. “Are you here to remind me how hungry the guys are?”
Lance just smiled and said, “Just thought I should keep you company. Can I help you with anything?”
“I’m fine, but thanks for asking.”
The kitchen was quiet for a few minutes, each trying to think of what to say to the other. Finally, Lance said, “Dinner smells good.” ‘Dinner smells good’? Lance groaned inwardly. I can’t believe I said something that dumb. Kathy must think I’m a total loser.
Kathy just grinned. “Thanks.” I wonder what he meant by that.
“So, how’s school going?” I wonder how I should ask her out.
“It’s fine. Some of my classes are a little frustrating, though.” Why doesn’t he ask me out?
“Which classes?” Where would we go if I asked her out?
“Both of my accounting classes.” Maybe I should ask him out instead.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I’d help, but I’m not too good with that kind of stuff.” I should stop stalling and just ask her.
“Thanks for the offer, anyway.” Shoot, I should have asked Jennifer if I should ask him out instead of waiting for him to ask me.
“You’re welcome.” Okay, I’m just going to come out and ask her. “Uh…Kathy?”
“Yes?” She looked at him and thought, oh my gosh, he’s going to ask me out.
“Would you like to…” Lance was cut off as Justin and Joey burst into the kitchen.
“Yo, Kathy, dinner ready yet?” Justin asked as he hopped onto the counter. He grabbed a carrot stick from the cutting board and munched away. Joey moved to the stove to check the pots and pans, removing lids and sniffing the food.
Kathy rushed over to the stove and swatted Joey away. “Knock it off! You’ll find out what’s for dinner when everyone else does!” She replaced lids, disappointed that Lance wasn’t able to finish his question. She was sure he was going to ask her out. I need to talk to Jen about this.
Lance sighed, knowing he missed another opportunity. “Where’s everyone else?” he asked Justin.
“Well, Chris and Derrick are talking about some music group, and Jen and JC are doing what they always do,” Justin answered.
“Yeah, they’re making out on the couch again,” Joey supplied as he hopped onto the counter next to Justin.
“Give them a break,” Lance argued on behalf of the couple. “At least they’re happy.” I’m going to have to talk to JC about this.
“Okay, you two, get off the counter,” Kathy said as she nudged Justin and Joey aside, “and start setting the table if you’re so hungry. Lance, could you watch them and make sure they don’t break anything?” She grinned at the three men.
“We won’t break anything!” Joey said defensively.
“You shouldn’t, if Lance watches you,” Kathy said, almost laughing. She tried to hold it back, but she couldn’t and giggled. “Go on, get started.”
“Yes, mother,” the three answered in unison. Justin, Lance, and Joey grinned as they walked to the dining room.
**
Meanwhile, back in the living room, Chris and Derrick had started discussing a new group that Trans-Con had just recently signed.
“They’re okay,” Derrick commented. “I heard them sing a couple of days ago.”
“So who are they, anyway?” Chris asked.
“They’re a new group from Canada – two guys and two girls. We’re still shooting around names for them.”
Chris thought about it for a minute. “How about ‘2 Sex-E’? You know, ‘2’ like the number, and then ‘sex’ for male and female because there are two of each, and ‘E’ for…” he paused, then said, “well, it sounded good at the time.”
“No, it didn’t,” Derrick stated flatly.
Kathy then peeked around the open kitchen door. “Hey, Derrick?” Both he and Chris looked over at her. “Could you and Chris help these guys set the table?” There was a crash from the dining room, and Kathy grimaced. “Please?”
Chris and Derrick laughed as they got up. “Sure, we can help,” Chris said.
“Thank you,” Kathy breathed as another crash came from the dining room. “I’m afraid to look. Hey, where are Jen and JC?”
Chris and Derrick looked around. “I don’t know…they were just here a minute ago,” Derrick said, frowning slightly. “Did they leave while we were talking?” he asked Chris.
“If they did, I didn’t see them.”
Kathy, Chris, and Derrick walked into the dining room. Justin, Lance, and Joey immediately held their hands behind their backs, as if to hide something. They wore guilty looks as the others walked in. “Uh, what are you guys doing in here?” Lance asked.
“Oh, we’re not checking up on you…yet,” Derrick said.
“Did y’all see Jen or JC?” Chris asked the younger guys.
“No…why? Did they leave or something?” Justin inquired.
“Well, they were in the living room with Chris and me earlier, but now they’re gone, and we can’t find either of them,” Derrick explained.
“Well, if they did leave, we can be pretty sure they’re together,” Lance stated. As the guys began discussing where Jennifer and JC might have gone to, Kathy heard soft music coming from the backyard. She walked to the window and peeped through. Witnessing the scene outside on the deck, she smiled.
“Hey, guys? We don’t need to worry about them anymore,” Kathy said, still looking out the window. “I just found them.”
Justin, Lance, Joey, and Chris joined Kathy at the window. Derrick hung back for a minute, studying the five people looking outside. “Um, maybe we shouldn’t be watching them,” he reasoned.
“Oh, it’s okay…we’ve been watching them the entire time they’ve been together,” Joey said.
“Yeah, they’re used to us watching,” Chris added.
“Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” Derrick concluded, taking a place at the window.
**
Outside on the deck, Jennifer and JC were dancing, not noticing their friends watching them from inside. His arms were around her waist; her fingers were linked behind his neck, and she rested her head on his chest. Her eyes were closed as he sang her a song.
“I will give you, the best of my life, yes, I’ll give you, all that you need, anything that you want, I will give it to you…”
They swayed in the light nighttime breeze. Jennifer sighed, opened her eyes slightly, and looked up at JC’s face. “I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too.” They moved in close to kiss. After they pulled apart, she gave him a smile, then turned away and walked to the railing. JC watched her, then took a couple of steps toward her. “Sweetheart?”
“Yes?” she said, gazing out over the water.
“You’re awfully quiet…is everything okay?” JC walked to her but didn’t touch her. He knew she needed him to just listen at first.
Jennifer just looked down at first, remaining silent. Then she looked up at the stars. “I don’t know.”
“Talk to me, Jen.”
She took a few deep breaths, still looking up at the night sky. “It’s about Saturday.”
JC closed his eyes. Damn, I forgot. I wish that jerk would never have called her in the first place. I hate seeing Jennifer like this. He looked at her back, wanting to make all the fear and doubt disappear. “You don’t have to see Dave if you don’t want to, you know.”
“I know I don’t have to, but I feel like I need to do it. I mean, yeah, it’s been two years since we broke up, and we haven’t talked since then, but I need to finish this. I need to tie up loose ends,” Jennifer explained.
JC placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. He tilted her face up so he could look in her eyes. He saw the fear but also the determination in her eyes. “I guess I shouldn’t try to talk you out of this.”
Jennifer flashed a quick smile then touched his cheek. “I’ve tried talking myself out of it, and I can’t even do it. Believe me, though, I don’t think I could handle this if you weren’t here.”
He took her hand from his cheek, then held both of her hands in his. “I’ll always be here for you. If not physically, I’ll be right here.” He pointed at her heart with their joined hands. “Always.”
She lifted their other joined hands and kissed his fingers. When she looked up at him, he saw a lone tear run down her cheek. “I love you, Joshua Scott Chasez, more than you will ever know.”
“I love you, Jennifer Renee Dulay, and my love keeps growing every day.” They shared one last intimate kiss, then he tucked her arm in his, and together they walked to the back door.
**
“They’re coming!” Kathy, Justin, Lance, Joey, Chris, and Derrick rushed around the dining room and kitchen, trying to look as though they had not seen what had happened in the backyard. They finished setting the table in record time and set out all the food before Jennifer and JC walked inside. Just before the couple entered the dining room, everyone tried to look casual.
“Dinner looks great, Kathy,” Lance complimented her.
“Thanks. Oh, hey, you two,” she looked over at Jennifer and JC, feigning surprise, “we were wondering where you two had gone.”
“Oh, we were just out talking,” Jennifer answered quietly.
“I see dinner’s ready,” JC stated.
“Yeah, we were about to go look for you, but since you’re here now, let’s eat!” Justin said. Everyone agreed and sat down at the table.
For the first few minutes of dinner, no one spoke because everyone was eating. Kathy looked around, happily noticing how much everyone was enjoying the dinner she had prepared.
As soon as everyone’s mouths were not so full, Kathy was showered with praise. “This is great, Kat!” “Delicious!” “I’ve never had better!” “Is there more of this on the stove?”
Kathy grinned. “Thanks, y’all. I’m glad you like it.” She picked up her fork and began to eat.
“Oh, you know, we should figure out what we’re going to do for the rest of the week,” Jennifer reminded everyone. “Kathy and I still have classes this week.”
“Well, the guys need to go in to Trans-Con and check out the deal I made,” Derrick said.
“And we can work on the songs for the new album, too,” Lance added.
“Okay, so that’s Thursday and Friday during the day. So how about the evenings?”
“Do we really have to plan them out? I mean, can’t we just let things happen?” Justin asked.
“Yeah, it’s more fun when plans are spontaneous,” Joey put in.
“Okay, okay!” Jennifer held her hands up in surrender. “So we won’t plan anything.”
“Well, some of us will,” JC said, putting his fork down. He reached over and took Jennifer’s hand. “Would you give me the pleasure of taking you out on Friday night?”
Jennifer’s smile bloomed instantly. “That would be lovely,” she accepted. JC smiled back at her and kissed her fingers.
“Shoot, JC, why do you need to ask her out?” Justin asked his friend. “You two are already together.”
“Chill, Justin. That’s how they keep the romance in their relationship,” Chris explained. Silence fell over the table as everyone looked at him in surprise. “What?”
“Excuse me,” JC said, “but did Chris just show us his sensitive side again?”
“I believe so,” Jennifer confirmed. She got up, walked over to Chris, and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, Chris.”
“You’re welcome,” he said with a grin.
Everyone fell back into normal conversation as they finished dinner. As soon as the last dish was cleared from the table, Jennifer spoke up.
“So, how about a few games to liven up the rest of the evening?”
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