Love and Obsession
Chapter 4
Karla sat in the driver's seat of a beat up black 1992 Honda NSX in the parking lot of an upscale French restaurant called Café Belle, a lit marijuana cigarette in one hand and a pair of binoculars in the other as she zoomed in through a large window and watched her rival go about her business, waiting and busing tables. Stephanie smiled and greeted her customers warmly and the redhead growled, jealousy and anger burning deeply within her.
'Stephanie Tanner, I will destroy you and that little brat of yours and then I will get Josh all to myself. I promise.' A devilish grin formed on her lips.
"What are you grinning about?" A man's voice called to her as the front passenger door slammed shut, snapping her out of her thoughts.
"Oh, just a little thing I like to call 'sweet revenge.'"
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. That bitch will never know what hit her."
"Excellent! I have someone I want to get revenge on as well. If you help me, then I'll help you. Do we have a deal, Karla?" He asked. Karla listened intently as he explained his situation and discussed his plans in graphic detail.
"Yes, Mr..." She started. She had met this bald, blue eyed man on a street corner, in a seedy neighborhood on the other side of town the previous night, but couldn't recall him ever telling her his name.
"Ted. Just call me Ted."
"Okay, Ted. You've got yourself a deal!"
Ted placed a stack of bills and a plastic wrapped bundle of marijuana in the glove compartment as he got out of the car.
"This is a down payment. You'll receive the rest when the job is complete." He gave an evil laugh and took off.
Stephanie's shift ended a few hours later and she collected her earnings and tips for the week and drove home.
"I'm back!"
"Hey, Honey. How's your job going?" Danny asked while rearranging the couch cushions, one of the obsessive-compulsive habits he was still trying to break.
"It's fine, Dad."
"I'm glad to hear that. I put a plate of pork chops on the second shelf in the fridge if you're hungry."
"Thanks. I'll eat after I put Sadie to bed."
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. Aunt Becky took care of her tonight. You go eat." Stephanie smiled and heated up the plate of pork chops, broccoli, and macaroni and cheese and sat at the breakfast bar to eat it.
She put her plate in the dishwasher, then she went up to her room to do her homework. She had a History paper to write and two tests to study for. Though she was tired, she stayed up until nearly eleven o'clock to finish. She checked on Sadie, who slept peacefully in her crib, and went to bed.
The next morning, Joey was the first to awaken. Friday was here and he was looking forward to seeing Elise tonight.
'Eight twenty-five. Nine hours to go.' He ate breakfast with the rest of the family, then he put on his favorite Popeye t-shirt, a pair of jeans, and white and black tennis shoes and went out to buy food, flowers, and a toy for Elise's six-year-old son.
Joey pushed his shopping cart around the store and as he turned down the frozen desserts aisle, he felt another cart crash into his.
"Oops, I'm sorry." He was certain he recognized the voice, and sure enough, he looked up to see a tall woman with curly auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes checking the items in her cart for damage.
"Vicky Larson? Oh my goodness! Long time no see."
"Yeah, it has. How is everyone?"
"They're great. Danny misses you terribly."
"I understand. I miss him as well. Is he still neurotic when it comes to cleanliness?"
"Oh yeah." They shared a laugh and talked about what had happened since they last saw each other. She was surprised when she learned that Stephanie had a child, but accepted it.
Joey and Vicky paid for their things and Joey helped Vicky load her bags into her car.
"Would you like to come to our house for dinner tonight?" He inquired.
"I'd love to, but is it a good idea? What if Danny doesn't want to talk to me or see me again?" Vicky's forehead wrinkled a little and her stomach was twisting and turning into knots.
"He'll come around. Don't give up on him yet, Vicky."
"I won't, Joey. Thanks for your help. I'll stop over tonight."
"Great. See you later."
Five-thirty came quickly. Joey made chicken parmesan, green beans, and penne pasta in a light tomato sauce, and an apple pie with vanilla bean ice cream for dessert, while Stephanie and Michelle set the table. Josh had arrived and tried to help, but when Stephanie said 'no', he went to play with Sadie.
The doorbell rang again and in walked Elise and her son.
"Hi Elise. Glad you could make it." Joey greeted. "Guys, this is Elise Jacobson, the woman from the radio show."
"Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Stephanie and this is my boyfriend Josh and daughter Sadie." Stephanie introduced as she shook hands with Elise.
"Nice to meet you too. This is my son Matthew."
"Hi Matthew." Nicky greeted. "You wanna play Crash Bandicoot with Alex and I after dinner?"
"Awesome!" Matthew replied, his voice filled with excitement.
Everyone introduced each other, and after Vicky arrived, they sat down at the table.
Elise and Matthew enjoyed being over for dinner and thanked Joey for inviting them. She liked Joey. He was so different from the other men she dated or married. He was sweet, kind, caring, and he knew how to make her and Matthew laugh. She genuinely laughed for the first time in almost eight years, since she married her ex-husband.
"You're so fun to be around. You're hilarious!" She told him.
"Yeah, I am, aren't I?"
"Yes."
Vicky and Danny just looked at each other, barely saying anything except to pass the food around. Jesse and Rebecca kissed and joked with each other, while Stephanie and Josh chatted about work, school, and Sadie. The children ate and talked amongst themselves.
After dinner, Michelle went to the movie theater with Teddy, Aaron, Denise, Lisa, and Derek, and the children played games in the living room while the adults drank coffee or tea and engaged in an adult conversation. They talked until well after nine o'clock.
"It's getting late. I have to go. It was a pleasure meeting all of you."
"It was a pleasure having you here, Elise." Danny replied as he began to clean up.
"Bye. Matthew, we're leaving!"
"Oh Mom, do I have to?"
"Yes. You have football practice tomorrow."
"Okay Mom." The brown haired, blue eyed child said sadly. He was happy he finally made some friends and tried to beg his mother to let him stay overnight, but Elise replied that he could sleep over another time if Danny didn't have any problem with it. Elise and Matthew said their goodbyes and Elise agreed that they would visit again soon.
Vicky helped Danny clear the table, but she felt uneasy. The tension was building up and growing thicker. Danny barely spoke a word to her and it worried her.
"Danny, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm better than okay. I'm great." He lied.
"Don't lie to me!" She pressed him.
"When you came back, I was happy, but at the same time, I still feel hurt about what happened all those years ago. I worry that I might not be able to forgive you."
"I understand. I know there's no excuse for what I did. I've regretted it everyday. If you aren't ready to forgive me, it's okay."
"I want to forgive you, but how do I know you won't pack up and leave again when a better job comes along?"
"I won't this time. Family is the most important thing to me. A job means nothing if I have to live the rest of my life alone." Danny smiled. Her tone of voice and direct eye contact as she said this convinced him that she was telling the truth.
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Vicky. It means a lot."
"So, what happens now?"
"I don't know yet, but I am willing to try again. I'm still in love with you." They gazed into each others eyes as they tried to fight back their tears.
"I'm still in love with you too, Danny."
"How about we take this nice and slow, alright?"
"You got it!" Danny and Vicky stepped out on the patio, the warm night air blowing gently against their skin.
Next chapter soon, I hope. I plan on adding moments with Michelle/Teddy and Kimmy/Duane as well as more moments with Stephanie/Josh, DJ/Steve, Joey/Elise, Jesse/Rebecca, and Danny/Vicky, but I'm not sure where I'm going yet. Suggestions are welcome!