Chapter 39 - The Blackout
A week later, Finn, Dalton, Ella and Taylor were relaxing in the apartment. Finn and Dalton had agreed to give the girls the big apartment back in return for a favour to be named later. Jahmene was in the ATM Vestibule of a bank, when suddenly, the lights and electricity all went out. The door was an automatic door so would not open. He realised he was trapped in the vestibule.
"Well, that's just great," He snapped. "That's really…" Jahmene's voice trailed off when he saw who was also trapped in the vestibule. It was Heidi Klum - famous Victoria Secret model. Jahmene immediately shut up.
Meanwhile, back in the apartment, they were lighting candles around the room.
"Wow, this is so cool, you guys. The entire city is blacked out!" Taylor exclaimed.
"My brother says it's all of Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn and Queens, and they have no idea when it's coming back on." Finn said, holding his phone.
"Wow, you guys, this is big."
"Pants and a sweater?" Dalton asked into the phone. "Why, mom? Who am I gonna meet in a blackout? Could we talk about this later? OK." Dalton hung up the phone and sighed.
Back in the vestibule, Jahmene was freaking out. 'Oh my God, it's that Victoria's Secret model. Something... something Klum.' He thought.
"Hi Mom, it's Heidi." He heard her say over the phone.
"That right, it's Heidi. Heidi Klum. Oh my God. I am trapped in an ATM vestibule with Heidi Klum." He thought to himself. "Is it a vestibule? Maybe it's an atrium. Oh, yeah, that is the part to focus on, you idiot!"
Heidi kept talking over the phone. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just stuck at the bank, in an ATM vestibule."
Heidi says vestibule... I'm going with vestibule.
"I'm fine." She said. "No, I'm not alone… I don't know, some guy."
"Oh! Some guy. Some guy. 'Hey Heidi, I saw you with some guy last night. Yes, he was some guy." Jahmene thought and strided proudly across the vestibule. Heidi stared at him.
"Hi everyone." Finn said, as he walked into the apartment, holding a menorah candle.
"And officiating at tonight's blackout, is Rabbi Hudson." Dalton joked.
"The people who used to be living in our place were Jewish, and these are the only candles we have, so... Happy Hanukkah, everyone." Finn exclaimed.
Alright, alright, alright. It's been fourteen and a half minutes and you still have not said one word. Oh God, do something. Just make contact, smile!
Chandler smiled at her and she smiled sweetly back at him.
There you go!
Jahmene continued to smile and Heidi started to look a bit creeped out.
You're definitely scaring her.
"Would you like to call somebody? She asked, awkwardly, and held out a phone.
Yeah, about 300 guys I went to highschool with. He thought. "Yeah, thanks." He said and took the phone. He dialed the apartment landline.
"Hello?" Taylor said.
"Hey, it's me." He replied.
"It's Jahmene!" She shouted and everyone looked up. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." He said and then started to garble his speech so that Heidi couldn't understand what he was saying. "I'm trppd in an ATM vstbl wth Hid Klm." Unfortunately, Taylor couldn't understand him either.
"What?"
"I'm trppd... in an ATM vstbl... wth Hid Klum!" He whisper-shouted into the phone.
"I have no idea what you just said." Taylor replied.
"Just put Finn on the phone." He stated, annoyed. Finn was on the couch, making out in the dark with Ella, and Taylor walked over to them. She hit him in the back of the head and he turned around, annoyed. She gave him the phone.
"What's up man?" He asked.
"I'm trppd... in an ATM vstbl... wth HID KLM."
"Oh my God! He's trapped in an ATM vestibule with Jill Goodacre!" Finn exclaimed, immediately understanding what his friend was saying. "Jahmene, listen. Just ask her out. Worst she can say is no."
"Yeah, like that thought never entered my mind."
"Well, I don't know what else I can say. Good luck" Finn said and hung up the phone. He then walked back to the couches, when Dalton, Taylor and Ella were sitting down.
"Alright, I have an idea of something that can help us pass the time." Dalton said. "Where is the weirdest place you've… you know…" They understood what he was referring to immediately.
"I'll start." Ella said. "OK, it was senior year of college... on a pool table."
"Whoooaa!" They all said.
"That's my girlfriend, ladies and gentlemen." Finn said, and they all laughed. "Dalton, what about you?"
"OK... my weirdest place would have to be... the women's room on the second floor of the Kingston public library."
"Oh my God! What were you doing in a library?" Ella asked, laughing. Dalton rolled his eyes at her.
"Ok… Finn?"
"Disneyland, senior year. It's a Small World After All."
"No way!" They all cried.
"The ride broke down. So, Rachel and I went behind a couple of those mechanical Dutch children... Then they fixed the ride, and we were asked never to return to the Magic Kingdom."
Everyone laughed hysterically.
"It's not funny!" Finn cried. "I still have nightmares about Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to this day. OK, Taylor, what about you?"
"Oh come on, I already went." She said.
"You did not go!" Ella exclaimed.
"Come on." They all said, and she hesitantly admitted.
"Oh, alright. The weirdest place would have to be... ugh... oh, the foot of the bed."
"Step back." Dalton shouted.
"We have a winner!" Finn declared. Dalton and Finn were practically telepathic when it came to coming up with jokes and that was an example of this. They all got up and split up around the apartment. Ella was lying on the couch, Finn was getting a beer from the fridge and Ella and Dalton were sitting at the kitchen table, talking.
"I just never had a relationship with that kind of passion, you know, where you have to have somebody right there, in the middle of a library bathroom." Taylor said.
"Well, it was the only place in the library that didn't involve us being silent.."
"There, well, see? My ex-boyfriend Barry wouldn't even kiss me on a miniature golf course."
"Come on. You're kidding!"
"No, he said we were holding up the people behind us."
"And you didn't marry him because...?" Dalton asked, sarcastically.
"I mean, do you think there are people who go through life never having that kind of…"
"Probably. But you know, I'll tell you something. Passion is way overrated."
"Yeah right." She rolled her eyes.
"Eventually, it kind of… burns out. But hopefully, what you're left with is trust, and security, and... well, in the case of my ex-girlfriend, lesbianism. So, you know, for all of those people who miss out on that passion... thing, there's all that other good stuff."
"OK." She sighed.
"But, um... I don't think that's going to be you." Dalton said.
"You don't?" Taylor asked, looking up.
"Uh-uh. See, I see... big passion in your future."
"Really?" She said.
"Yeah, I mean you're kind, you're interesting, you're hot. Any guy would be lucky to have you."
"Oh, Dalton. You're so great!" She said and got up and walked to the couch. She sat next to Ella and Dalton was about to join them, when a voice came from behind him.
"You should go for it."
Dalton jumped and turned around. It was Finn.
"Go for what?" He asked, innocently.
"Oh, come on. I know you, man." Finn said. Dalton sighed and sat back down at the kitchen table.
"Fine, so I might have a small thing for Taylor." He said.
"A Small thing?" Finn asked, raising an eyebrow.
"OK, fine. A big thing." He admitted.
"Well, as someone who's an expert on big things, if you know what I mean…" Finn winked and Dalton chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Can I offer you some advice?" He asked.
"Please."
"Well, if you truly like her, then go for it. Ella and I were friends first, and we're doing great. Just be confident, and ask her out."
"I think I will, not today though."
"Why? What's messing you up? The wine? The candles? The moonlight? You've just got to go up to her and ask her out."
"I'm not gonna do it today. I need to figure out what I'm gonna say." Dalton said and Finn nodded. Finally, the lights and electricity came back on and they decided to go over to Finn and Dalton's place and watch a movie.
"How about The Hangover?" Ella suggested.
"Nah, how about Kujo?" Dalton replied. "I love horror movies."
"Oh I hate horror movies!" Ella exclaimed. "They always give me nightmares."
"Me too," Taylor admitted.
"Here, why don't we do this? I'll flip a coin. Heads is Kujo, Tails is The Hangover." Dalton said. They nodded, and Dalton flipped the coin. He caught it and called out…
"HEADS! I guess we're watching Kujo." Dalton said. Everyone nodded and Finn inserted the DVD. Taylor and Ella were sitting on the barcaloungers so Finn and Dalton dragged up stools from the kitchen and sat down.
"Finn, what are you doing over there?" Ella asked. "You better come over here right now and protect me!"
Finn chuckled and walked over to the barcalounger. He sat on the arm of the chair and Ella immediately cuddled into his side. He kissed her forehead gently.
"Yeah, and Dalton, you better come here!" Taylor said. "You chose this movie, you have to sit next to me!"
Dalton laughed and walked over. Finn winked at him as he sat next to Taylor. They started watching the movie. About a quarter the way through the movie, when Kujo was jumping onto the windshield of the car, Ella buried her head in Finn's chest. He stroked her back softly and whispered soothing words into her ear. After another 20 minutes, Jahmene barged into the apartment.
"Guys! Guys! Guys! Who has two thumbs and just got Heidi Klum's number? This guy! He shouted. The others groaned.
"Why did we give you a key to this place?" Dalton grumbled and Jahmene laughed. He sat on one of the stools that Finn and Dalton had brought over to the living room, and he sat down. The 5 of them watched the rest of the movie and by the end, Ella was trembling.
"Wow, you weren't exaggerating when you said that you weren't great with horror," Finn said. She shook her head and buried deeper into Finn's arms.
"You think?" She grumbled. "And by the way, I'm sleeping here tonight! There's no way I'm gonna be sleeping alone after this!"
Finn nodded. Taylor and Jahmene went back to their respective apartments, and Finn and Ella went into Finn's room, and Dalton went into his. Ella had one nightmare that night. She woke up once that night, shaking and sweating a little. Finn was a very light sleeper - courtesy of his SEALs days - so woke up when she did.
"Shh, shhh, you're okay," He whispered into her ear. A lone tear ran down her face.
"He was chasing me…" she trembled. He held her tightly.
"You're okay. Kujo's not real. And that's the last time I ever watch a horror movie with you."
She giggled, and started to calm down.
"Thank you, Finn. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Anytime, babe." He said. Half an hour later, she was lightly snoring again, and Finn relaxed. It was moments like those that reminded Finn of how much he loved her. He had never felt that way about anyone. Quinn came close, but Ella was completely different. He was asleep a few moments later. Neither of them woke up again until morning.