Date
"Hey, what happened?" AJ asked as Punk got back later on that night, walking through into the kitchen where she was sitting at the table.
"She wasn't home." Punk shook his head, "Her mom was there."
"Oh, God." AJ said worriedly, placing her hand on her forehead, "What did she say?"
"Just what you'd expect, I guess." Punk said, putting his keys down and sitting at the table, "She said Janine has gone to stay with her for a little while, to be around her family and that she's gonna make sure that she doesn't stay married to me for any longer than she has to." Punk said, "And she slapped me." He nodded as AJ sighed.
"Maybe this is a blessing in disguise." AJ nodded, "I know you wanna start talking divorce now but let's face it, she's not in the right frame of mind to be talking about divorce with you. Maybe some time alone with her family will make her realise that the marriage is done and she needs to move on, and let you move on."
"You don't know her family." Punk shook his head.
"What do you mean?" AJ asked.
"Well sure they'll make sure we get divorced but… not without me suffering in some way." Punk said, "They're filthy rich and entitled." He shook his head.
"Don't worry. If anything they'll probably help Janine hate you more and that will get the divorce up and running." AJ said, "I think it's a good thing she's gone out of town for a while-"
"Yeah because now she can't attack you on the street." He shook his head, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you're being brought into this. I… I really wished this wouldn't happen." Punk sighed to himself.
"Hey, it's ok. I'm a big girl. I can stand my own ground. I just didn't see the push coming." She smiled a little as he nodded.
"How is your arm?" Punk asked her.
"It's fine. Dean helped me clean it up." AJ nodded.
"Where did he go?" Punk asked.
"He went out with Renee for some drinks." AJ said, "He told me to lay off you a little, to let you be mad with her for what she did to me." She shrugged.
"Well she had no right to do that, April." Punk shook his head, "We've both made mistakes. She's lied. I've lied. All I wanna do is move on with you." He sighed as AJ nodded.
"And you will. It might just take a little longer than you want." AJ said as Punk nodded.
"At least she's out of town for now." Punk said as AJ nodded, "I can take you on that date that we had to bail on." He said as she smiled.
"I'd really like that." She nodded.
"I'm so sorry for calling so last minute." AJ said the next day, standing in a store with Renee, looking at dresses, "I was lying in bed last night and I realised that I… I don't even have anything to wear for a date."
"It's ok." Renee chuckled, "Any excuse for me to shop on my lunch break." Renee smiled, who had come to help AJ buy a dress for her date on her lunch break, "What kind of dress are you looking for?" She asked.
"Well nothing too fancy." AJ said, looking through the dresses on the rack.
"Ok, we'll find something in here." Renee nodded for sure, "So where is he taking you?"
"He never said." AJ shook her head, "I think it's a surprise." She nodded, "I think with Janine out of town he feels more comfortable going out with me. Which I'm not taking offence to, I get it." She said.
"I think it's best they just keep distance from each other right now." Renee agreed, "Let her calm down so that when they start the divorce process, she's not still just as mad with him."
"Yeah, that's what I said." AJ nodded, "I wanted to stop him from going over last night to the house but Dean basically told me to just let him protect me." She said as Renee nodded.
"I've spoken to Dean about it." Renee said, "He says Phil is back to his normal self again with you. He's happy and he talks more openly." She said, "He obviously didn't feel comfortable around Janine to do that, which is really sad." Renee said as AJ nodded, "He must really love you." She smiled.
"I'm just sick of people thinking that he's using me. I don't let it get to my head because I know he's not, and I know what we have is special but… I've never been viewed as that way. It's not the best feeling in the world." AJ said.
"Of course it's not. And the way she humiliated you both in front of everyone… that wasn't fair. You never deserved that." Renee said, "You just gotta focus on what you have with Phil, which is everything he never had with Janine." She said as AJ nodded.
She'd never had a girl friend who she could talk to and seek advice from. Renee was easy to get along with and very honest which she respected. It was just nice to get the chance to know other people and be in their company.
"You ready to go, Ape?" Punk asked, waiting downstairs as he put his wallet in his back pocket.
"Yeah, just coming." AJ called from upstairs as Punk nodded, waiting around by the front door, looking up when he heard AJ coming downstairs, raising his eyebrows when he saw her. He'd truly never saw anyone more beautiful.
She had a tight black dress on down to her thighs, hugging her body to compliment her curves. A leather jacket over her shoulders. Her hair silky and wavy down her back with a little make-up on. Not that she needed it.
"Uh…" Punk gulped, watching her reach the bottom of the stairs, not really knowing what to say. He was lost for words. He'd never really saw her outside of jeans and a t-shirt. And regardless, her beauty had no limit to him with whatever she wore but this still left him speechless.
"I think I'm ready to go." AJ nodded to him, noticing he wasn't saying much.
"You look… You look…" He put his hand out, trying to get the words, trying to find a word to describe her in this moment, but there wasn't one good enough.
"I'm hoping good?" AJ smiled a little as he laughed nervously, "Oh, is that your nervous laugh?" She raised her eyebrows, "I've never heard your nervous laugh before." She realised as he nodded, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at the ground.
"You look stunning." Punk nodded to her, leaning down and kissing her cheek as she smiled, "You didn't have to… get dressed up or anything-"
"No but I wanted to." AJ smiled, "This is kinda my first date… ever." She reminded him as he nodded.
"Yeah, I'm feeling the pressure." Punk nodded as she smiled.
"You look handsome." She smiled, running her hand down his chest sweetly, "Are you gonna tell me where we're going yet?" She asked him.
"No, it's a surprise." He said, taking her hand and opening up the door as they left the house.
They left the house and arrived at the date destination where AJ realised they were having dinner at a rooftop bar. She was overwhelmed already without the night really beginning. Their table was out on the balcony with a view over the city. Twinkly lights surrounded the railings and bar. She thought it was something she'd only see in a movie.
"I could just sit here and look around and I'll be happy." AJ shook her head in awe as Punk smiled watching her. He could see she was taking it all in, her eyes sparkling as she looked out at the view. He was a little worried that he would compare things with her to Janine, but she hadn't even crossed his mind. All he was thinking about was the beautiful woman in front of him. Nothing else.
"It's nice, huh?" Punk smiled as she nodded.
"It's amazing." AJ shook her head, "I've never seen anything like this before." She said as Punk smiled.
"Well now you can say you have." He smiled as she tapped his foot under the table sweetly. She appreciated that he never drew attention to the fact she'd never really seen much of anything, but still managed to show her everything.
"Have you been here before?" AJ asked him.
"No but I always heard about it." Punk nodded, looking across at her and smiling at the smile on her face as she looked out at the view. Whenever she smiled like that, he felt like everything was right in the world, and he was exactly where he needed to be. He wanted that smile to be with him forever.
She felt important. After a life of being looked down on, treated like crap and never feeling like she was valuable to anyone in her life, she finally felt like someone truly valued her. She was so in love with him and this moment. She never wanted it to end.
"Thank you for taking me here. You didn't have to." AJ looked across at him as he smiled.
"No, but I wanted to." He smiled, mirroring what she had said earlier about her dress which caused her to smile.
"I suppose I have to look at the menu. I'll get back to that view in a minute." She said as he smiled.
"Good evening, what can I get you both to drink?" A waiter came over politely.
"Just water for me, please." AJ nodded.
"The same." Punk added.
"Miss would you like me to hang your jacket up in our cloakroom?" The waiter asked.
"Uh… yeah, ok. Thank you." AJ nodded, passing her leather jacket to him.
"And you, sir?" He asked Punk who nodded, passing his jacket over.
"Thank you." Punk nodded as the waiter left their table.
"I've never been called miss by anyone I don't think." AJ smiled to herself as Punk chuckled.
She wasn't materialistic by any means, and the fancy restaurant with the gorgeous view wasn't essential to her. He was essential to her. This just added to the night as a bonus, and to her it showed he cared.
"Oh my God, this is so good." AJ shook her head, sharing a slice of chocolate cake with him after their dinner.
"Yeah, we made a good decision." Punk nodded to himself as she smiled, "I hope this isn't weird for you."
"What do you mean?" AJ asked him.
"Well… I know I'm technically still married, and I don't know when Janine is going to come back and start the divorce. I just don't want you to feel like you're waiting." He shrugged.
"I don't feel like that." AJ assured him, "On paper, yeah you're still married but… when it comes to everything else you're not." She said as he nodded, "I think it's good that she's left town for a while. You never saw her last night… she was saying and acting insane." She shook her head, "I think she needs to be out of here and with her family."
"Yeah." Punk nodded, "I got my worries that she's gonna want some of my money." He nodded to himself, "And we never signed a prenup so… there's even more chance." He said.
"Isn't she rich?" AJ shook her head.
"Well yeah, but rich people still like taking money." Punk said, "Plus anything to make my life hell, her mother promised they're gonna do." He shook his head as AJ sighed, "But to be honest, I don't even care… she can take money, take the house… me getting out and me being with you doesn't come close to any of that stuff." He said as she smiled.
"We'll get through it together. You don't have to face it alone." She nodded.
"I don't know where I'd be without you these past few weeks." Punk admitted truthfully, "I feel like I can finally talk again." He shook his head.
"Why couldn't you talk to Janine?" AJ asked curiously.
"I don't know… she just… she wasn't…" He looked across at her, "She wasn't like you." He realised, looking into her eyes, "It's just different now. It's good." He smiled.
"Dean has noticed." AJ nodded, "He said you're talking about work again. He said that you hadn't mentioned that case you worked on, the missing little girl, since it went cold." She said.
"Yeah." Punk realised, "Yeah when I had you beside me I just felt like I could talk about it." He nodded as she smiled.
"You can always talk to me about anything." She smiled.
"I know." He nodded confidently, "I just feel like I lost so much of myself to my marriage, and now I'm getting it all back." He said as she smiled and nodded, "Having someone I can actually share a life with instead of just co-existing." He said, "And look, I know you're at college and you are younger but-"
"That doesn't matter." AJ shook her head, "It doesn't matter what I'm doing, that's never gonna affect how I feel about you." She made clear as he nodded.
"I was even looking at apartments this morning." He admitted, "And then I didn't know if that's something you'd want… if you'd wanna get your own place or-"
"No thank you, I'd rather live with you." AJ smiled as he chuckled a little, "I suppose we can't annoy Dean forever."
"No, that'd be unfair, I guess." Punk said as she smiled.
He watched as she took another spoonful of chocolate cake, in all her glory, "You best hurry up or I'm gonna finish this myself." She warned as he chuckled
After a very romantic night, Punk and AJ finally got home from their date. AJ was on cloud nine, feeling like a princess, like the only girl in the world. The date was everything and more she could have imagined, something she'd never forget.
"Is Dean out?" Punk asked her.
"I think he was staying at Renee's." AJ nodded as Punk smirked a little and turned to her, "Which means we have the house to ourselves." She smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"You got something in mind?" Punk smiled, noticing her smile slightly more devious than usual.
"Maybe." AJ smiled, "Why don't you lock everything up and then come upstairs." She whispered to him before heading upstairs as he watched her take every step.
He locked up the house eagerly, making sure the kitchen door was locked up too before heading upstairs and into the spare bedroom which they had been residing in for the past few days.
He noticed AJ wasn't there so sat himself down on the end of the bed to wait on her, wondering what she was up to.
He took his jacket off, throwing it over one of the dressers, beginning to unbutton his shirt when he saw her walk into the room, pausing his hands as his jaw dropped.
"Didn't just buy a new dress today." AJ smirked, standing in some lacey black lingerie with stockings, seeing by the look on his face that she'd definitely gotten it right, "You like?" She whispered, walking over to him as he gulped, nodding immediately.
"You look…" Punk gulped. Now he really didn't have the words.
"Let me show you how much I enjoyed our date." She whispered, crouching down in front of him to pull his jeans and boxers down, just getting started with her teasing and tormenting for the night.