Munchie Mine Ch 5

At 6:30 in the morning, John was awake, dressed and had two cups of coffee. He wanted to go over to her place, but didn't want to be too early, appear too eager. He walked out to his car and got in intending to drive slowly to pass the time. His foot had other ideas. He was still almost fifteen minutes early. Charlene was waiting for him. She opened her apartment door and waved him to come in.

He remembered to grab the purse and wrap on his way in. "Good morning. I'm early." he said sheepishly.

"I'm glad you are. I'm nervous and I'm trying to keep my brain working. I need to get all this stuff ready so I can do all the stuff at the college. Then Karen needs me to go to the store before I come out there, we have a bunch of things we need to do and get before the picnic, and I'm not sure I'm smart enough to go to college..."

"Ease off there. Take a breath." John smiled seeing Charlene flustered made him relax. "First off, you are plenty smart enough to go to college. That's just nerves talking. And what you don't have ready you can always bring back later. The semester doesn't even start in the summers so you have time to get everything ready. They aren't going to deny you admission. They need the money too much."

Charlene paused breathing hard, but listening to him. "I've been out of school for years. I'm sure I'm going to be the oldest person in the whole college."

"I doubt that. People of all ages are in college. Even people on Medicare. Do you know what classes you're going to take?"

"I have them all planned out."

"Then you're more prepared than alot people. Relax, you'll be fine. Do you have the list for Karen?"

"Right here."

"Do you have your car keys?"

"Here. You have the credit card I need in my wallet and my drivers license."

"Do you have enough room in your car for everything you need to get?"

Her car was one of the smallest ones he'd ever seen. "I'll manage. I've gotten really good at packing things into it." she admitted with a smile.

"My car is bigger if you want to we can use mine."

"What time do you have to be at the station today?"

"I have the day off. So if you need me after you're done at the college just give me a call."

"I'll bet you have better things to do on your day off than toting me around." she teased. "I'm ready when you are."

"Actually I don't. My day is pretty much open."

"And I got you up to have breakfast. I'm sorry."

"Are you jewish, by any chance?" John teased.

"Uh, no, why?" she asked warily.

"You sound guilty. Don't be sorry. If I hadn't had time I'd have said something. Relax. Tension is bad for digestion." he teased.

"I don't think that's funny." she said indignantly.

"What?!" he was surprised at her vehemence.

"You shouldn't generalize a religion based on stereotypes. I'm sure not everyone is guilty just because of their religion. The catholics are too I understand. You didn't mention them. Shame on you, John." she was really ticked off about this. John laughed. That really pissed her off. Her face flamed red and she put her hands on her hips. "I don't appreciate being laughed at, John Munch." she barked angrily.

He shook his head and raised his hand. "You misunderstand me. I'm not laughing at you. Honestly I'm not. Don't be mad, please."

"Do you care to explain why you are laughing then? I'm sure it must be hilarious." she said frostily.

John realized he should quit laughing before she really laid into him. "I'm laughing because I am jewish. And Elliott is Catholic. And we're both raised with the guilty stereotype. I'm sorry, but you getting upset over that remark when I am jewish, is funny."

Now her face flamed for a different reason. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. Now I feel like a fool. I'm sorry I yelled at you. I seem to spend a lot of time with my foot in my mouth around you."

"Darling, you don't have to apologize for being a good person. I've never seen anyone get so defensive about someone they know nothing about. I don't think you put your foot in it at all."

"So you don't think I'm an innocent fool?"

"No, I don't. I think you're very sensitive to other peoples feelings. That isn't bad. And you didn't know. Does that make a difference to you? That I'm Jewish?."

"I'm not. Does that make a difference to you?"

"No." he said honestly.

"Then there's your answer. I'm starving. Are you ready to go?"

"That's it? You don't want to discuss it more?"

Charlene studied him with a slight frown. "Is there something I should know? Are you going to turn into a woodchuck at dark or something?"

"Well, no, but..."

"Then let's go eat. I'm hungry. If you want to discuss it we can, over breakfast. I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. As long as you believe and don't try to convert me, we'll get along just hunky dory."

"Hunky Dory? That's a quaint saying."

"I could use the F word, I know how it's used, but it's hard to keep that language under control around the kids so I save it for really, really special occasions."

"I have been warned." he grinned at her.

She swatted at him good naturedly and he ducked. She apologized by touching his forearm and led the way out of the apartment. She put her papers in her car and locked it. She chatted happily at him as they walked the short way to the restaurant. She did know the restaurant well. The waitress greeted her by first name. "Morning, Charlene. Your table is ready. I'll get you another place setting." the older woman said with a wave.

"Thank you." she returned and led the way to a table alongside the window. John held her chair for her.

He took his seat across the table from her. "So what are you going to sign up for?" he asked.

"I'm going to take some general classes and some specifics. I have only a few classes that I can take before I have to take prerequisites first. I'm going to try to opt out of some of the basics, because I had a pretty good grades in high school, but some of them I have to take. As a social worker, I'll need several classes of psychology and sociology, things like that. Karen said I can use the kitchen table to do my studying. I'll be able to supervise the kids while they do their work and it'll do them good to see someone older having to do homework too."

"You two are close, huh?"

"I feel more like a sister to her than an employee. It's hard to explain. I know she's a little older than me, but she's only once in a while made the distinction between being her friend and her employee. There's never a problem with my having other things to do or other opinions and she encourages me when I want to try new things. I tell her if she's being too hard on someone or maybe we could try it a different way. I get credit too if the stuff works. She's not a glory hog. If we have a problem we work on it together. I only wish we really were sisters. It would be good to have a sister like her."

"You don't have any sisters of your own?"

"No. I'm an only child. My folks weren't that great together. At least I don't think so but then as a kid, what did I know. Anyway I'm an only child. One of a kind you might say." she was a bit derogatory.

"I'd say so." John agreed not being condescending in the least. "So how do you feel about the captain and Karen? Isn't it awkward having him around? She's bound to be more focused on him than you at times."

Charlene blushed and looked down. "I guess sometimes it's not the best, but I'm happy for them. I like Don and I'm happy that Karen has him. He's never been anything but kind to me so I feel like I'm gaining a brother-in-law. At least that's how I think of him."

"Was it odd with Chuck? Having him be so jealous of your job and Karen?"

Charlene snorted a very unladylike sound. "That jerk. He accused me one time of being a lesbian and being in love with her!" she said indignantly. "I realize now that it was him trying to manipulate me. He got off on having me so mad at him that I attacked him in bed...oh, sorry."

"It's okay. I've heard worse."

"This brings up an interesting point. Is it going to be awkward for you with Don, I mean, Captain Cragen for you to be seeing me? Assuming we keep seeing each other that is."

"You're thinking we aren't?" he asked.

"I don't want to stop seeing you, but I don't want to make your job awkward."

"The captain and I are professionals. We are able to separate our professional lives from our private ones. It's not always easy but it can be done."

"Good. I think you are both remarkable men and I'm glad to know both of you." Charlene stated firmly with a nod as if that said it all.

The waitress came and took their orders. Charlene was just as charming of a companion during the daylight as she had been both times in the evening. John walked her back to her car after breakfast and saw her off to her college. He contemplated what to do with the rest of his day. He truly was at a loss for what to do. His list of things to do was as long as everyone elses, but he just didn't want to do any of them. He wanted more than anything else to spend the day with her. He snorted to himself. If she knew that, she'd think he was stalking her.

He thought back to their conversation this morning and had an inspiration. He grinned and headed for the nearest mall. He stopped at a boutique, a candle store and a book store before he left there. He went to the grocery store and spent over 50.00 before heading back to his place with a smile on his face. He had a surprise to prepare.

At 2:00 his cell phone rang. "Munch."

"Do you always answer your personal phone with your last name?" a familiar voice asked with a laugh.

"It's habit." he said with a shrug she couldn't see. "Did you get all your classes signed up for?"

"Almost. I wasn't able to opt out of beginning Algebra. I hate math and I wasn't good enough at it, but it's a minor consideration."

"I'm pretty tood at it. Maybe I can help you withyour homework. And that's not a metaphor for anything."

"Darn! I must not be doing my job well enough. I'll have to try harder." Charlene said. "I called to say thank you for talking to me this morning. It made it easier to stay calm and pass their ridiculous tests today."

"I'm glad I could help. So you're all done with your shopping for Karens place?"

"Yeah, I'm headed out there now and I was thinking of you."

"That's nice. I've been thinking about you as well. Would you like to come to dinner at my place tonight?"

"Can you cook? Or is this a cooking by grabbing a menu dinner?"

"I'm a very good cook, thank you very much. And I'd like to cook you one of my favorite dishes."

"Okay. What time?"

"What time can you make it?"

"I can be there around 6:30."

"That sounds good." John said with a smile.

"Can I bring anything?"

"Your smile and an appetite. I'm providing everything else. Let me give you my address."

She memorized it when he read it off to her. "I'll see you at 6:30. I'm looking forward to it." she said.

"I am too."

"Oops, theres a cop. Gotta go. Bye." she hurriedly hung up.

He grinned and went back to making a special dinner.

TBC