A/N-I own none of the characters of October Road
"Look dude, I have to go help Janet bring in the grocery's. Have a beer for me." Eddie said as he hung up the phone. He walked over and took the bags out of her hands and kissed her on the lips.
"Who was on the phone?" She asked.
"Big O. Phyz is making his first public outing at Sully's this evening."
"That's great. What time are you going?"
"I'm not." She looked at him in surprise.
"Why not?"
"J, it's Sully's and I know that you can't go."
"That's right but why aren't you going?"
"Because you can't."
"That's bullshit Eddie. You need to be there. Phil is your best friend and this is a huge day for him. Just because I won't go doesn't meant that you can't. You don't have to spend every second with me. I'm a big girl that can entertain myself and you need to spend time with your friends without me." Janet said smiling. He was so damn sweet.
"Are you sure?" She kissed him hard on the lips.
"I am totally sure."
"What will you do?"
"I'll call Hannah and we will discuss wedding plans. Colors of the dresses, flowers, hair makeup, tuxes, and party favors. I won't mind and I'm sure that Hannah won't care if you want to hang around and participate in the discussion you are more than welcome too but I'm sure that you would rather have a beer with the guys."
They had chosen a Saturday in early October for their wedding. Eddie told Janet that she could plan whatever she wanted. He wants their wedding day to be everything that she had dreamed of. He just wanted to know the date and time and he would be there. He really could care less about the details.
"OK, OK, I'll go. I'd rather do anything then listen to you girls talk about colors and flowers."
Janet handed him the phone. "Call Owen and tell him that you'll be there."
"Yes mam." He said grinning.
An hour later after all of the groceries had been put away they were both curled up on the couch watching a movie.
"What do you want for Christmas pretty girl?" He asked as he ran a hand through her curls.
"Eddie, Christmas is still over a month away. I haven't even thought about it."
"Well think about it. This is our first Christmas living together and I want it to be perfect."
"Christmas will be perfect regardless of any gifts. Besides, I have you. I can't think of anything else that I would want."
"OK, then. I guess that I'll just have to surprise you." He said grinning.
"What do you want?"
"Got any paper around? I'll start my list." She laughed.
"See you can't think of anything either can you?" He shook his head. "So how about we just enjoy each other and not worry about gifts."
"I'm getting you a gift even if you don't tell me what you want."
"Me too." They then began a good hot make out session on the couch that didn't end until it was time for Eddie to head to Sully's. They always didn't need to have sex. Just lying on the couch making out was sometimes just what they needed.
--
"Is he here yet?" Eddie said as he slid into the booth next to Nick.
"No not yet. I hope that he didn't chicken out." Nick responded
"He won't. He has been doing real well. He and Pizza Girl went to the pharmacy earlier this week. He will be here." Owen said.
"God damn. Do you guys have any idea how long you we have all been here together? I mean all five of us?" Ickey said
"At least ten years. The last time we were here was the night before dipshit left." Eddie said grinning at Nick.
"I remember that night. Even though we weren't twenty one Eddie had all of the older chicks buying us beer." Ickey said grinning.
"I can't believe that Sully didn't know." Owen said
"He knew." They all turned around and looked at Phil. "He may never admit it, but he knew"
"Phil, have a seat." Nick said
"Yo, Karen, we need a round of shots and beer over here." Eddie said to her as she passed by the table.
"The normal?" She asked and everyone nodded. "Ok, I'll be back in a few."
"We were talking about the last time that we were all together here before you arrived. You remember that man?" Ickey asked
"Barely. We were all so shit faced that night, I'm surprised that we can even remember being here." Phil said smiling.
"What I remember is every woman in this damn place within ten years of our age was drooling over Latekka here." Owen said grinning.
"Jealous?" Eddie asked and the whole table responded with a resounding "YES".
"Do you miss it Eddie?"
"What my youth? Hell yeah. Who doesn't? My back never used to hurt like this."
"No man, all of the women that threw themselves at you? Shit man, you had a different chick in your bed every damn night." Ickey said
"Not every night." Everyone laughed. "You know what five years ago, I would have said yes. The thought of sleeping with just one woman for the rest of my life would have made me physically ill. But now that I have Janet, I don't want to sleep anyone else but her. I always thought that sex with the same woman would get boring but it's not the case. Every time we have sex, it is better than the last time. How the fuck is that possible?" Eddie said
"Dude its called love. That's what happens when you fall in love." Owen said grinning.
Karen appeared at their table with their drinks.
"Ok guys, to the fab five back together again." Nick said as he raised his glass and his four friends joined him.
"Hell yeah." They all shouted as they downed their shots.
"So Eddie, what's Janet doing tonight?" Owen asked
"Wedding shit with Hannah." He replied
"I still can't believe that Eddie Latekka is taking the plunge." Phil said
"Believe man and you can also believe the fact that I am thrilled about it. I can't hardly wait until I have am wearing the wedding band on my left hand that says I belong to one amazing woman forever." Eddie said smiling as he took a giant swig from his beer.
"I'm asking Hannah to marry me."
"When?" Ickey asked
"Next week on Thanksgiving."
"It's about damn time." Owen said
"What about you Phil? You have any intention of making any honest woman out of Pizza Girl?" Nick asked
"Nah. We talked about it but she doesn't want to get hitched. She is fine with the way things are so I'm not going to rock the boat." Phil answered.
"Well it looks like all of us men have great women in our lives that we love except for Ickey." Owen said and all of the guys turned and looked at Ickey. "So Icke, anyone we should know about?"
"Well there may be a possibility of someone." He said softly.
"Shit, man. Have you been holding out on us?" Eddie said, "You got a little something something going on?"
"No, man we have just been talking. I ain't even asked her out yet."
"What the hell are you waiting for?" Nick spat out
"I don't want to rush into anything and fuck it up like I normally do. She is really nice and I am taking a page out of Eddie's playbook and I am taking the time to get to know her."
"Who the hell is it man? Do you guys know? I haven't been out of the house in years." The guys all shook their heads. They have no idea who Ickey's mystery woman is. They all stared at Ickey waiting for a response.
"Jackie." He whispered softly.
"Who the hell is Jackie?" Eddie asked loudly and Ickey shushed him.
"Jackie, she is the new bartender that replaced Janet." Nick explained and Eddie stole a glance at the bar. Jackie was tall and really skinny, bony actually. She had long wavy, mousy brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. As Eddie looked at his friends new love interest he didn't see anything spectacular. She was a little plain but he saw the potential of an amazing woman, like what he saw in Janet. He was proud of Ickey. He was finally growing up and becoming interested in a woman for who she is on the inside, not on the outside.
"Dude, that is awesome. You need to go ask her out. If you keep waiting some other guy is going to snatch her up." Eddie encouraged. Ickey looked at all of his friends who nodded in agreement.
"All right. I'll ask her out before I leave.' Ickey finally said
"NOW." All of the guys shouted at once and Ickey hopped up and headed to the bar, leaving behind the sounds of his friends encouraging grunts.
A few hours later as Janet was getting ready to climb into bed the phone rang. Recognizing the number as Sully's and assuming that it was Eddie she picked it up.
"Hey gorgeous." She said as she answered
"I never knew that you felt that way about me Janet." Came Sully's reply and she giggled.
"Just don't tell my fiancé. So what's up Sully?"
"I was just calling to let you know that I sent your boy, well actually him and his cronies, all home in a cab. They all insisted in riding in the same cab so I'm not sure when he will be home, but he his pretty far gone, so he may need your help getting inside the house."
"I would like to say that I'm surprised but whenever all of those guys get together this happens. Thanks for the heads up."
"Sure sweetie, no problem. So how are you?"
"I'm good. I'm really good."
"Everyone misses you here."
"I miss everyone too." She said softly.
"Ok, well take care and call me if you need anything."
"Thanks Sully. I will."
After Janet hung up she made phone calls to Hannah, Allison and Pizza Girl. She wanted to make sure that none of the guys were left sleeping out in the cold. Pizza Girl said that she would force Ickey to crash with them. As soon as she hung the phone she heard the cab pull up her driveway. She threw on her coat, boots, grabbed her wallet and headed outside. Eddie was stumbling out of the cab when she arrived at the cab. She caught him just before he fell into the snow.
"Whoa there cowboy." She said.
"Hi baby." He slurred in her ears. She paid the cab driver enough for all of the guys to get home, plus a hefty tip for having to deal with all of these drunken idiots.
"Bye friends…it was…fun."
"Bye Eddie, Bye Janet. We love you." Shouted the drunken voices from the cab.
"Goodnight guys." Janet shouted as she half drug half carried Eddie into the house and up the stairs to their room. Once there he collapsed on the bed, fully clothed. Janet pulled off his boots, pants and shirt. She rolled him over, yanked the blankets out from under him, rolled him back over and covered him up. She then climbed in bed and snuggled closely next to him.
"I love you." He slurred and before she could respond he was snoring softly.
--
Eddie finally ventured downstairs about 12:30 the next afternoon with a very mild hangover thanks to his amazing fiancé who woke him up and shoved some water and aspirin down his throat. Hours earlier. She was curled up on the couch reading a book. She looked so damn sexy with her glasses on. He stood there staring at her thinking how lucky he was that she loved him. She felt his presence and she pulled herself away from the book and looked up at him and smiled.
"Morning Cowboy. How are you feeling?"
"Pretty good thanks to you." He kissed her gently.
"So I'm assuming that you had fun last night?" She said as he sat down on the other side of the couch. He pulled her feet on his lap and gently began to massage them.
"Yeah it was great to have all of us back together in public again."
"I'm glad you went." She said softly.
"Ickey got a date with the bartender that replaced you." Eddie said grinning. He was truly happy for his friend.
"Oh Eddie. Must you encourage him?"
"J, I really think it's different this time. He has been talking and just getting to know her since she started there. He finally asked her out last night after we hounded him."
"I hope you're right. I have always thought that once Ickey got his head out of his ass he would make a good boyfriend."
Eddie looked out the window and saw that it was snowing pretty hard. "Damn it, I need to get my truck. I'll probably need to plow this afternoon."
Janet tossed him the phone and he began to call his friends. An hour later he discovered that all of his friends sucked. None of them were able to come and pick him up. Eddie was about to call a cab when Janet came into the living room dressed to go outside. He looked up in surprise at her.
"Come on, let's go get your truck."
"Janet?"
"Come on before the weather gets any worse."
"You can't. You're not ready." He didn't want her to do anything that she wasn't ready for. She walked up to him and took his hands.
"I can do this. I have been able to drive past it for the past week or so. I will have you next to me, so I will be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Not really, but I need to do it and your drunkenness from last night has given me the chance so let's go." She grabbed his hands and pulled him out the door. Before they climbed in her jeep, he kissed her gently.
"What was that for?"
"I just want you to know that I am proud of you for taking this step. Even if we just make it to the end of the street, the fact that you are willing to try is great Janet." He gently brushed a snowflake off of her nose.
"Thank you Eddie." She smiled softly.
The drive over to Sully's was painfully slow. The roads were getting pretty nasty and Janet was taking it slower than necessary. He tried to ease the mood with lighthearted conversation but it wasn't working. He knew how hard this was on her. He played one final card as they closed the gap to Sully's.
"Nick is going to propose to Hannah on Thanksgiving." That did it. A huge smile came across her beautiful face.
"OH MY GOD." She squealed.
"Now, Janet you have to promise me that you won't say anything to her." She didn't respond. "Janet"
"OK OK, I won't tell her."
"Good, cause I threatened Nick that if he told Hannah about my plan to propose to you I would throw him off the ship. I told Sam the same thing." He said grinning
"Dude, why did you tell me? She is my best friend. I can't keep such a huge secret from her." Janet whined.
"Janet you can't tell her. Nicky will hate me." He cried as she pulled into Sully's. His plan had worked. He had distracted her enough to finish the drive. Her hands tightly grabbed the steering wheel. She had tears streaming down her face and she was breathing deeply, She pulled the jeep slowly next to Eddie's truck.
"You did it baby," He whispered.
"Yeah I did, didn't I?"
