Ch98 Two Favorite Guys

“Wendy, are you sure?”

Good question, but one she didn’t care to address just now. It felt too good to be in Donny’s arms. She so missed being held like this. She didn’t want to think. She only wanted to feel. 

Instead of answering, she kissed him—it was an answer of its own. She pulled off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt.

Donny pulled her to him in an endless kiss and slowly unzipped her dress. With only the city lights coming in from the windows, he could just make out her form as he slipped it off her shoulders, allowing it to puddle at their feet. Ever-so-carefully he lowered her to the bed, caressing and kissing her mindless.

At precisely the same time, however, they both spoke. Unfortunately, the names they spoke were of two people not physically present.

“Maggie,” Donny said.

“Jeffery,” Wendy whispered.

They froze, and a few seconds passed before Donny pulled away and Wendy covered her mouth with a shaky hand.

“I’m sorry,” they both said.

Wendy sat up and grabbed her dress off the floor, holding up to her chest.

“Wendy, forgive me, I didn’t…”

“Donny, don’t apologize. It’s okay. It’s obvious neither one of us is ready for this.”

“Sure I am,” he insisted. “It’s just…you’re the first one since Maggie…I’m very much attracted to you. It was just a slip up.”

“I know, Donny, but that doesn’t mean I’m the right one for you…or rather, you’re not the right one for me. You’re a very sweet and wonderful man, but this just proved to me I still love Jeffery and want him back…even if… You understand…I hope?”

He sighed and grabbed his shirt off the floor. “Of course I do.”

“I am sorry, Donny,” Wendy whispered, biting her lip. “I didn’t mean to lead you on.”

He chuckled. “You didn’t. You can’t help being your amazingly lovely and inviting self,” he said, hesitating a minute. “I just worry…”

“What?”

“Will this be weird for us?”

She took his hand and squeezed it. “Not if we don’t make it so. We’ve become such good friends, Donny, and we can still be friends…if you like.”

“I’d like that, yes,” he said, standing up and pulling his shirt back on. “Quite a day, huh?”

“It’s still early. Want to go back to your friends?”

He shook his head. “Nah, don’t like being around drunks and they were getting pretty drunk. Thank God they won’t be driving,” he said. “Probably why I had Maggie on the brain…thinking of them and…”

“And her accident,” Wendy finished for him. She stood up, still holding the dress over her chest. “You will find someone, Donny, one day, so don’t give up. It’s just not me.”

He smiled. “Then I want someone very much like you. I’ll have to ask the yenta to find her for me, won’t I?”

Wendy laughed. “Janet will do a fine job.”

He stared at her in the semi-darkness, wishing things had been different, yet knowing they couldn’t be. He kissed her cheek. 

“Good night, Wendy. Thanks for being here with me. I wouldn’t have had nearly as much fun without you.”

“I’ll see you in the morning?”

“Fancy brunch and then a tour of Boston with the gang… assuming they don’t all have hangovers and decide to sleep in. Of course, we can go without them and probably have a better time.”

She laughed and said, “Good night, Donny.”

Once he left her alone in her room, she fell back onto the bed and drew a deep breath. “I still love Jeffery, but can I forgive him?”

*******

“Well, when you do go out drinking, Troy, I’ll be your wing man,” Wes said, as he buttered a dinner roll and took a bite.

“I think you mean designated driver,” Jeff interjected.

“What’s the difference?” Janet asked.

“A wing guy helps you get girls. A designated driver doesn’t drink and gets you home in one piece,” Jeff answered. “Of course, you can be both at once.”

“Yes, if they want new girls,” Janet replied.

“You trying to get rid of me again?” Wes said.

“Maybe,” she replied, then giggled when Wes made to strangle her.

Jeff watched them with a sad expression on his face and didn’t hear anything else going around the table.

“Daddy, would that be okay?” Jasmine said.

“I’m sorry, what?” Jeff asked, turning to his other daughter.

“How about a movie? We can go get one while you make your world famous popcorn,” she said.

“Since when is it world famous?” Jeff said.

“I tell everybody you make the best popcorn,” Troy said.

“Uh…Okay,” Jeffery said, giving him a funny look. “Secret is using organic coconut oil.”

“Cool!” Troy said.

“Troy, you’re so weird,” Janet said, rolling her eyes.

Wes laughed. “And she means that in the best way possible,” he said.

“I’m sure,” Troy replied, standing up and grabbing Jasmine’s hand. “Let’s go get the movie, then.”

“Nothing ‘R’ rated,” Jeff said.

“Are you serious? We’re all old enough,” Troy said.

Jeff pointed to Stevie and Cindy saying,   “No one under seventeen admitted without a parent or guardian.”

“But you’re a parent and a guardian and we’re old enough anyway,” Stevie whined.

“I’m not Cindy’s dad, so, nothing ‘R’ rated,” he repeated, taking several plates to the sink.

“We’ll be back soon,” Jasmine said.

“Can we come with you, Troy?” Steve asked grabbing Cindy’s hand and tugging her to stand up.

“Yeah, all right, but no cartoons” he insisted.

“Ha, ha,” Steve said, punching him in the arm.

“But I like cartoons,” Cindy mumbled, as Steve pulled her out of the kitchen.

“You don’t have to do that, Daddy. Wes and me will clean up,” Janet said. 

“Unless…you want to, Mr. Fummel… cuz I have some stuff to do on Janet’s website,” Wes interjected.

“I want to,” Jeff said, not noticing the panicked expression on Janet’s face. “Maybe you can tell me something about what you do with regard to website stuff.”

“Sure, any time,” he said and he winked at Janet.

She followed him out of the kitchen and grabbed his arm. “What are you doing? Don’t leave me alone with him,” she hissed.

“This is the perfect time for you to talk, so go talk,” he said.

“But…you can stay with me…please,” she begged.

“You need time alone with him. You don’t have to ask about…you know…the serious stuff yet. Just show him you care, that you’ve forgiven him. That’s all he wants. Okay?” 

He pushed her gently back into the kitchen and stood hidden just outside the doorway, listening.

Janet looked like a mouse walking in on a cat.

Jeff smiled at her as she came in. “How is your laptop doing?”

“Uh…my laptop? Fine, why?”

He shrugged. “I told Wendy which one to buy for you, but it was just a recommendation from one of my customers, so didn’t know for sure if it was what you wanted.”

“It’s perfect. I really like it,” she said, biting her lip as she approached the center island and started putting away some leftovers. “Um, thank you. It’s exactly what I wanted.”

“I’m glad,” he replied, placing the used flatware into the dishwasher.

“Um, we must be driving you nuts…us talking all at once and stuff…kinda noisy,” Janet said, snapping a cover onto a pyrex container. “You’re probably used to having things quiet after working all day.”

“Used to quiet? Nope, hate the quiet. I love noise. I miss it. I miss...everything, the noise, the laughter, the jokes and jabs at Troy, but especially this, just chatting with you,” Jeff said.

Janet placed the container in the fridge and turned around facing him, her eyes filled with tears. 

“Baby, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m sorry,” she said, in barely a whisper. “I’m sorry I was so mean to you.”

He smiled. “Oh, Baby...I’m the one that’s sorry. It’s all my fault,” he said. 

They stared at each other until he held out his arms to her. She rushed into them. “I’ve missed my baby so much.” he whispered with tears rolling down his own face.

Wes also had to brush a tear away and he smiled saying, “That’s my good yenta.”

******

“We’re back!” Jasmine shouted.

“Hmm, I smell popcorn!” Troy said, taking one whiff and grinning.

“So, what you get?” Wes asked.

Troy shook his head. “Nobody’s gonna be happy. You know how hard it is to find anything good when it can’t be rated R? It’s impossible!”

“Don’t exaggerate,” Jasmine said, holding out three DVDs. “There’s a nice romantic comedy…”

“Barf!” Stevie said, rolling his eyes.

“A shoot-em-up-cops kinda comedy thing…”

“I picked that one. Might be funny,” Troy said.

“And the last of the Harry Potter movies…at least I hope it’s the last one,” Jasmine snidely said.

“My choice. I haven’t seen it yet,” Cindy excitedly said.

“I thought I took you to see that one,” Wes said.

“No, that was part one. This is part two!”

“Oh, okay, I’d like to see that, too, then,” he said.

“You kidding?” Troy shouted.

 Wes laughed. “Whatever you want to see is fine with me, just as long as I sit by my yenta,” he said, just in time for Janet to come into the room holding a tray with a pitcher of iced tea, several empty bowls and glasses. Jeff followed with two huge bowls of popcorn.

“For me?” Troy shouted gleefully, jumping up to take one of the popcorn bowls all for himself.

“Don’t even think about it!” Janet snapped. “We’re sharing. Take a small bowl and be thankful I’m letting you have that much.”

“You can come back for more if you’re a good boy,” Jeff said, grinning as he placed the popcorn on the coffee table. “So, where should I sit?”

“Come sit with me, Daddy,” Janet said smiling up at him from the middle of the couch.

Jasmine gaped as she watched her father sit beside her sister. She said nothing, however, and sat beside Troy on the love seat. 

“Don’t look now but…”

“Holy cow,” he mumbled. “Pig’ll be flying soon.”

“Any room for me?” Wes asked.

Janet moved closer to her father and patted the seat beside her. Wes sat down grinning.

“What’s so funny?” she said.

“Nothing. I just love my yenta,” he whispered in her ear.

“Oh, stop it. Don’t you get tired of saying that all the time?” she whined.

He shook his head. “Not when she’s made her dad so happy. I like it that you’re not angry anymore.”

“Why is that so important to you?” she asked.

“Because it’s important to you, even if you won’t admit it,” he said, linking his fingers with hers just as the movie started.

“Here, Janet,” Jeff said, passing a bowl of popcorn to her. “You and Wes can share this.”

She stared at him. 

“What’s wrong, Baby?” he asked.

“I love you, Daddy,” she whispered.

He smirked. “Wow, Troy wasn’t kidding. This popcorn must really be the best ever,” he said.

She giggled and kissed his cheek, and even though she cared nothing at all for the stupid movie, she was happy to be sandwiched between her two favorite guys.