Chapter 9 "Tempted" (Mid August 1983)
" I bought a toothbrush, some toothpaste, a flannel for my face
Pajamas, a hairbrush, new shoes, and a case
I said to my reflection, "let's get out of this place."
Past the church and the steeple, the laundry on the hill
The billboards and the buildings, memories of it still.
Keep calling and calling, but forget it all, I know I will"
Squeeze, "Tempted"
Janine
Webster's dictionary defines the words "tempted" as a past tense verb to induce something and "discontented" as a past tense verb meaning dissatisfaction. As I prepared for work this muggy August morning, I wondered if I could tempt Egon into action with me as I was hugely discontented with how things stopped suddenly after a couple of intimate interchanges with him this summer. It was six forty-five on a Saturday morning, and the glowing orangish yellow sun was rising slowly in the sky. As I sat on a green plastic chair on the patio of my apartment drinking a cup of coffee, I contemplated my flirtations with the brainy Ghostbuster surrounded by potted plants. The temperature was supposed to rise to over 100 degrees today once again, and I felt very irked by the fact. I loved residing in New York but loathed the summers as they took a toll on me and exhausted me.
In my heart, I detected the distinct feeling deep down that Egon cared for me, but that he appeared petrified by his emotions. Since the Ghostbusters were all close friends, I felt hesitant in questioning either Drs. Venkman or Stantz about my crush.
"I'm at the car park, the airport, The baggage carousel, (The people keep on grindin'), Ain't wishing I was well, I said it's no occasion.
(It's no story I could tell)," I sang one of my favorite Squeeze songs.
"Maybe he hasn't had a girlfriend before," I thought out loud but then disregarded it rapidly. Despite his social awkwardness, Egon was very hot-looking, and surely he had been wooed by a woman once or twice in his life, right? Surely, women noticed his fine features such as his soulful brown eyes and palatable lips or his long legs and arms, perfect for him to intertwine your body with.
Even though he and I seemed to have a connection, I persisted in dating because I didn't want him to think that I was just pining away for him. However, I went on most first dates because no one compared to Dr. Egon Spengler. I had a date with Greg, a friend of a friend of mine, at King's college tonight to go see a movie.
Wendy knocked on the glass of the sliding door and pointed at her watch, indicating it was time for me to get dressed because I requested of her to let me know when it was seven. I had to make up a few hours today because I took my Grandmother to the doctor's for a check-up on Thursday, so I would work an eleven-hour shift today. Reluctantly, I stood up from my chair with my coffee mug in my right hand and opened the door.
"Should I try to entice Dr. Spengler into action," I inquired of my roommate as I walked into the kitchen to put my empty coffee cup away? I loved drinking coffee, but in the summer, sometimes I preferred water because the temperature was so damn high already and all it did was make me feel warmer.
"What do you think about what Bree said last night," Wendy inquired, her voice squeaking a bit at the end because she was ill at ease about her comment. She was a very close friend, and we had been roommates for over five years. Last night, Bree, Wendy, and I had dinner together at an Italian restaurant in Queens before going to a popular club to dance, and they were on my case about Egon's indecisiveness.
"Give upon him? Are you kidding? Do you know how far I have come with him? He practically kissed me last month when I was upset! The sexual chemistry is so thick you can cut it with a knife, and Egon just complimented me," I answered, dumbstruck.
"Yes, but he is so irresolute," she responded as I walked irritatedly to my bathroom. Loudly, I retrieved my white contact lens case out of my bathroom drawer and washed my hands before putting them on my eyeballs. Wendy followed me into the bathroom doorway and frowned at me after she spoke.
"Maybe he's not as interested in you as you think," she added, "Janine, I'm not trying to wound your feelings because I know you care about him."
As I put my contacts in, my irritation with the subject only heightened. Next, I turned to her before saying, "You weren't there, Wendy. I know you and Bree think you are looking out for me, but..."
"What? You are going to persist in pursuing him even though he pulls away from you as soon as something sentimental happens," she interrupted, losing her patience with me. Wendy adjusted her blonde ponytail with a grimace.
"There are a lot of men out there, Janine. Why are you wasting your time on this one," she questioned, not concealing her annoyance well.
I reached down into the shower to turn on the water so it could warm up but twisted my body to peer at her with narrowed eyes before replying angrily, "I haven't stopped dating. Why are my two closest friends so against the idea of him?"
Wendy questioned me as if it was the reverse situation, and it was her chasing someone hot and cold like Egon. She then demanded,
"Would you tell me to persist?"
"I don't know, " I replied, shutting down from the conversation because I had enough of it already.
"Maybe he's gay," she suggested.
"No, he's not," I answered, noisily over the shower. Furiously, I slammed the door on her than shed my clothes.
"I think," I mumbled.
This morning I didn't want to hear any more of the bull shit from last night and hopped into the shower. I cleared my mind and focused on my outfit for tonight. My mind was made up to tempt Egon into action today.
As I sat in the subway to Manhattan, I contemplated the facts of the situation with Egon. He admitted that he's fond of talking to me, that I was beautiful, and that he thought my giggle was adorable so far. At the beginning of my employment, Egon appeared like a deer in a headlight when I approached him, but now he sought me out on occasion. He didn't run away when I spoke to him and encouraged me to continue my degree. When I was crying, he treated me very tenderly and consoled me in a way that a boyfriend would.
Next, I regarded my actions in the situation. At first, I was very aggressive with my flirting, and it seemed to frighten him. I pulled back when I overheard his comments, and kept my communication professional and polite, only. After the first bust in May, Egon began speaking to me more about my degree and other topics AND called me by my first name, then he insisted that I call him by his.
"What the hell is his problem," I muttered sharply.
Later That Day
The three Ghostbusters had returned about a little over an hour and a half ago from their last bust of the day, and the second floor smelled like one of them was trying to grill burgers on the roof. In fact, they almost smelled burnt.
To draw attention to myself since my shift was over, I purposely hiked up my black skirt a little by folding the waistband up, so my legs and thighs were very observable. My blouse was a sleeveless button-down sea-green shirt tied at the front, revealing my midriff and belly ring. I unbuttoned several buttons from the top to give my viewer, hopefully, Egon, a peek at the top of my breasts. Finally, I reapplied my lipstick to my lips before heading upstairs to wait. Greg had called me earlier and said he would be a little late because of his boss, so I had fifteen or twenty minutes to wait.
Dr. Venkman was sitting at the table reading the newspaper. Ray was on the roof grilling, and Egon was probably in the lab.
Peter lowered his newspaper when I approached the upstairs and looked at my exposed midriff and belly ring. He gazed admiringly at my body and let out a whistle.
"Nice belly ring, Melnitz," he commented, "you waiting for a date?"
"Thank you, and yes."
"All that effort is going to waste if you don't go into the lab or if Spengler doesn't come out here," He added, with a knowing smile.
Frustrated, I let out a sigh and sat down next to him at the table. I agreed with Dr. Venkman, which doesn't happen normally, then inquired for his help.
"No problem. Are you looking to sleep with this guy," he asked, with his brown eyes wide opened.
"What? Noooo, this is our second date."
"I would pull down your skirt when he arrives and re-tie your shirt," Peter recommended innocently.
The boys' bathroom was not far away, so I ran into it to pull my skirt down a little and re-tie my shirt. I didn't even notice that I hadn't closed the door. Immediately, I sensed someone's eyes on me and stopped moving.
"Venkman, please divert your eyes and turn around," I yelled, irately, until I saw the reflection in the mirror and gasped.
My shock registered on my face when I realized it wasn't Peter, but instead Egon.
Fascinated, he kept his shiny coffee-colored eyes on me when I ceased to rebutton the bottom of the shirttails. I'm not going to lie. It aroused me to know he was viewing me fold my skirt downwards earlier. Leisurely, Egon gave me the once over with his eyes, yearningly, with a very devilish grin on his lips. Visibly, I shivered, and as a result, he raised his left eyebrow and smirked at me. My crush's naughty facial expression was irresistible, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. My heartbeat raced in my chest, and I stared back at him longingly.
"My apologies, Janine, I was...going to use them...restroom," Egon stammered, his face bright red. He seemed to be leaving the trance he was in a second ago and changed his eye line to the floor, anxiously.
"Oh, no problem. I have a date arriving in a couple of minutes, and Peter implied that I looked 'slutty', so I have to adjust my clothing. Would you mind giving me a few minutes, please?"
"Of course," Egon replied, clearing his throat. As he stood awkwardly in the door of the restroom, his coffee-brown eyes gazed at me through the mirror again. Next, he allowed them to roam the length of my body, appreciatively, once more and stopped at the bottom of my skirt before giving me a libidinous grin.
Before closing the door, I winked at him playfully. I put my back up against the shut door and suppressed an exhilarated simper because Egon had given me the once over very clearly. His glare stirred exceptionally lustful desires within me, and I wished I was brave enough to give him a kiss when I left the bathroom. Of course, Peter was present, and that was an issue.
Then I stepped away from the door and checked my appearance in the mirror. First, I re-tied my shirt, covering a tad bit more of my middle but still leaving my midriff exposed and my belly button showing.
"He. Is. Not. Gay. At. All., Wendy," I thought, victoriously.
After I checked my makeup and opened the door, I found him waiting; his face was still flushed, and his eyes shone mischievously.
"Thanks, Egon," I replied, with a bright smile, " see you later."
Standing there for a second, Egon continued to admire me. It felt like his eyes were undressing me, and it was so sexy that I blushed and detected a pounding in my chest from my heart, thunderously.
"Night, Janine," he replied softly, meeting my eyes and entering the bathroom after I exited it. As we exchanged places, Egon placed his hand on my elbow to halt my movements, then whispered close to my left ear, flirtatiously, "You should have kept it the way it was, by the way." He then permitted me to leave and shut the door.
His touch felt sizzling on my skin like the summery weather outside as his eyes regarded mine as he spoke, making every hair on my body stand up. Egon's deep voice mocked my ears by sounding so delectably husky, so I walked back to where Peter sat and felt my heart flutter. I inhaled and exhaled deeply as I sat down in an empty chair, felicitously.
"You're welcome," he said, casually, with a bright smile, continuing to read.
Apparently, he called Egon out here without me knowing it. I wondered if Peter viewed the whole thing but didn't care.
"You didn't look like a floozy before; I had to come up with a reason for you to go to the restroom. I told you, Brooklyn, I am on your side," Dr. V. informed, throwing the paper on the table, and he smirked.
Beaming at him, I mouthed "thank you" to him as I was very stirred up that Egon flirted with me. A little later, my crush sat on the sofa with a notepad and a pencil in his hands as Ray came in with some burnt burgers.
"Are you staying for dinner, J," Ray asked excitedly, happy to see that I was still here.
"No, thanks, big brother. I'm waiting for my date. We are going to a movie," I replied, smiling.
"Which one, " He asked.
"Not sure yet."
Egon wrinkled his nose at the plate of burgers that Ray brought in and took into the kitchen, and I picked up the paper to see the list of movies that were playing.
"You burnt them," Pete replied, laughing at Egon's face.
"Just a little," Ray admitted sheepishly.
"Who are you going out with tonight," he asked me from the kitchen, "you are all dressed up."
"Greg, you haven't met him."
"He can't be as bad as that last guy we met; what was his name," Peter questioned in an annoyed tone of voice.
"Tony," Dr. Spengler replied, glancing at me, and I blushed as I felt his eyes on me.
"You didn't meet Tony because I wanted you to. He just happened to show up here," I informed everyone, not gazing up from the paper, "I knew that wasn't going to work already, but I made a promise to my best friend that I would go out with him."
"Well, Lil sister, whoever you do bring to meet us has to achieve approval of the three of us," Ray explained, with a smile, " and if they don't treat you like royalty, it will be a hard sell."
"True," Dr. V agreed, but I noticed that Egon stayed quiet, concentrating on his work.
"That's so nice to know I have three big brothers," I answered sweetly. The care discerned by my employers made me feel special as I had considered them part of my extended family, the longer that I worked there.
Suddenly I sensed a pair of eyes on mine and glanced to see Egon's lewd gaze at me. As he maintained eye contact with me, there was something in his expression that made me think he didn't want me to consider him a big brother, and I felt my body shudder a little. He grinned at me, pleased, as he saw me do it.
"Oh Egon, if you only knew how you made me feel. I would jump you right now if I could, " I thought, feeling my face transform into a sunburn color, so I moved my eyes back to the newspaper. My body felt tingly with the thoughts of embracing Dr. Spengler snugly against me like I did when he consoled me last month, and my lips ached to kiss his inviting ones.
The phone rang clamorously, breaking my reverie, but the boys didn't move from their seats.
"Don't look at me. I'm not working," I answered saucily, inspecting my polished red fingernails after giving up on finding a movie. I discarded the newspaper after I felt my face return to its normal temperature.
"Ghostbusters," Peter answered, taking the phone off the cradle and then listening. He pointed at me.
"Is it my mother?" I questioned, worriedly, "I'm not here."
The last thing I needed was a lecture from my mother, and occasionally, she would call my place of employment without hesitation. With a neutral facial expression, Venkman shook his head, and I walked to the sofa where the phone was sitting close to Egon. It was Greg, and he had to cancel our date again.
"No, don't even bother trying to ask me for another date. You have canceled twice. By now," I commented, loudly with my voice rising with anger. Then I hung up the phone.
"I don't understand men," I said, frustratedly, standing up and walking toward the stairs to leave, "bye."
Silence.
"Eat with us, J," Ray pleaded and walked towards me before I made it too far down the staircase. I observed that Egon looked dumbfounded that my date canceled on me. Honestly, I discerned more indignation at the current situation with him than being canceled twice by someone I didn't know well, but I wasn't sure.
"Not all of us do that," Dr. V. added, "don't you have to wait a while until the next subway train arrives?
"I'm not even hungry because I ate a late lunch," I informed, running my fingers through my reddish-brown hair, " No, I don't know the schedule for the subway because I normally don't leave for another hour or two."
"Do you play poker?"
" I have," I answered warily.
" Come on, J, eat with us and play poker," Ray persuaded me, grinning, "it will be fun."
"Damn, big brother," I mumbled, nodding in agreement after he stared intensely into my eyes with a sad puppy dog look until I caved.
He hooked his arm in mine, and we walked until I was back at the kitchen table in front of an empty chair. I sat down reluctantly, pouting with my arms folded across my chest. Egon had risen from the sofa and was in the kitchen now.
"Well, at least I will spend some time with him. I captured his attention; now it's time to persuade Dr. Spengler to act on it," I thought to myself as he brought a bag of chips and some cokes to the table.
"No, I'm off. I want a beer, actually two; I'm pounding them down tonight," Pete said, grabbing his coke can and walking to the fridge to replace them with two beer cans.
As I watched the Ghostbusters run around in the small kitchen, appearing like they didn't know what they were doing while preparing the meal, it appeared to be like a bad Marx brothers film, so I laughed heartily.
"J, would you like a beer," Ray asked from the kitchen.
"Nooo, I hate beer; it's gross, "I replied, opening the coke that Egon gave me. Quietly, he brought the condiments to the table and sat to the right of me. Excitedly, I sensed when Dr. Spengler looked at me because chills were traveling down my spine.
"Was he still thinking about earlier? I know I was," I thought to myself and grinned widely.
"What are you smiling at Brooklyn," Peter demanded, sitting on the other side of Egon and opening a beer.
"Can't a girl grin around here without reason," I answered in a feisty manner, narrowing my blue eyes at him?
"Oh, nevermind," he admitted, glancing from Egon to me, "Ray, expect to see 'the looks' from these two later. It's beginning."
"Already?"
"What looks are you referring to," I demanded.
Egon cleared his throat almost immediately in a warning. I observed him perplexed, giving Peter a murderous glance, the first I had ever seen from him. Venkman had a playful smile on his lips and stated, wryly,
"Nothing that I am allowed to talk about, Brooklyn, because our theoretical physicist doesn't have a sense of humor."
Dr. Spengler gave him a very deadpan expression and continued to gather supplies for dinner without commenting.
"Let me get this ready, and we can eat," Ray said excitedly. He brought plates, napkins, buns, and a plate of burgers to the table. They didn't look as burnt as I had originally thought as I watched Ray distribute the supplies. With gusto, they dug into the food like they were starving.
"What do you all normally talk about when you aren't technically working," I asked them, tapping on my coke can then open it.
"Women. Or at least Venkman does," Ray answered, wiping his mouth, and Peter winked at me.
"Well, that's not one of my strong suits when it comes to conversations," I replied flippantly.
Eventually, conversations were started, and I couldn't help but inquire, "Peter, what exactly is your role in this dynamic? I comprehend everyone else's but yours. Ray's, the heart, and Egon's, the brains."
"Good question," Dr. Stantz admitted, glaring at Venkman," what do you do?"
We all laughed heartily, then he explained, " As you know, Venkman introduced Spengs and me at Columbia five years ago, even though that won't win him a Nobel, I heard. I guess we would have met each other eventually as we were the only professors in the paranormal department there, but those two have known each other much longer."
There was a little stiff laughter from my crush when Stantz mentioned the Nobel, which made me smile.
"Anyway, Egon was teaching a physics class that I was in at Columbia as I started my graduate studies in psychology," Peter divulged and inquired, teasingly, "how many degrees did you have at that point, Spengs?"
"I was working on my doctorate in paranormal psychology at the time," Dr. Spengler replied, slightly chagrined.
"Iggy ran tutorial sessions because it was a 101 class. Also, I forgot to mention that I was there because 70% of the class was female. The girls were there because they were hoping to bribe our physicist for answers to tests. Unfortunate for them," Venkman divulged, grinning at me.
"That makes sense," I agreed, eyeing Egon from the side. Everyone laughed. Even my love interest raised the corners of his mouth for a few seconds.
"Poker time," Peter inquired excitedly after his business partners finished their meal.
"Let's do this," I replied amusedly.
The boys began to clear the dishes from the table and throw away the trash, and I helped out by washing and drying the table since I was playing poker.
Egon
Earlier, when Janine was fixing her blouse and skirt in the bathroom, I was extraordinarily aroused and fought to hide my growing erection. I viewed her as she rolled her skirt downwards to a slightly longer length, enraptured by her sexuality, and the electricity from her body overwhelmed my own as I became caught up in watching her. When she was fixing her shirt, I observed that Janine wore a silky black bra with a flower pattern when she flipped it up. Then she began to unbutton her shirt from the top, and I almost lost a load right there.
Breathing in and out deeply, I recovered before she reopened the bathroom door. I especially enjoyed the fact that Janine seemed flustered yet thrilled when she discovered it was me, not Peter, watching her disrobe. She was a little breathless, which made it even more alluring. Captivated and mesmerized, I adored the exhilaration that she made me feel when I was around her.
"Tempted by the fruit of another, Tempted but the truth is discovered, What's been going on, now that you have gone, There's no other," the radio warbled the song, "Tempted" by Squeeze. I chuckled at the timing of the song as it was apt.
"I think we need to get more beer and some wine for Brooklyn," Peter commented after the song ended.
"We have lots of beer," Ray informed him, "but no wine."
"I don't want any wine. I'm fine," Janine insisted again, sipping her coke.
"See all of the entertainment that you would have missed if that guy showed up? This is better than a movie," Ray exclaimed animatedly.
Jokingly, she thought about it for a second and then admitted he was right reluctantly with a bright smile. I loved his smile.
"How's your degree in BASIC going? Isn't that what you are getting a degree in, Brooklyn," Pete asked in jest.
"First of all, I am pursuing a degree in computer systems and not BASIC, which is a computer programming language. You haven't let that go, and that was over six months ago," Janine countered agitatedly.
"Texas hold 'em," Ray announced the game. As Peter distributed chips to each of us, we watched the two spar verbally. I loved it when she stood up to Venkman for herself because her confidence was sexy.
"Janine, only dorks and nerds know that," he replied slowly, trying not to offend her.
"Big deal, I like computers and almost earned a degree in it," Janine responded, sarcastically, " you didn't even read my resume."
"I glanced at it," Pete replied; it was crystal clear that he loved this topic, but I knew that he would probably take it too far with her as he enjoyed pushing his friend's buttons.
"At my legs, maybe. Not my resume. You didn't even see that I had computer training; you only knew because one of your business partners said something about it," she argued, indignantly, pointing her right index finger first at me and then Ray.
"Ouch. True. How did you know," Ray asked, chuckling, and I smirked.
Janine picked up a piece of paper and pretended to be Peter in the interview. At that time, I noticed that Janine appeared to be tired.
"Tell me about your responsibilities at your last job," she mimicked Pete's voice and then peered over the fake resume to glance at his legs.
He laughed hysterically at this depiction of himself, and that only infuriated her further.
"You are a sexist, Peter Venkman, and I'm not a feminist. I have had enough of your immaturity today. I'm leaving," Janine stood up and grabbed her purse, then she walked down the steps rapidly.
"Come on, Janine, I was just playing around," Peter urged, laughing, "let's play poker."
Janine stormed down the stairs quickly.
"It's up to you now, Spengler. Ray convinced her to stay earlier. She will listen to you," Pete replied wryly, "if you want her to stay, that is. I haven't forgotten that you remain interested in her only in a professional manner, although I don't know-how with the way she looks right now. Damn!"
He was trying to provoke me, and it worked. Giving Venkman a dirty look, I steadily rose from my chair and followed Janine downstairs because I didn't want her to leave.
"Why do you always have to provoke her?" Ray asked Peter and started to chew him out.
Hopefully, I will be able to catch her in time.
Janine
Drained, I didn't want to deal with Venkman's bull shit. Now he was giving me crap about my interest in computers, and it was after work hours? No way. Plus, I felt a tad sleepy from my extended shift, and my patience was limited.
"Janine, will you wait for a second, please," Dr. Spengler called after me as I approached the door out of the firehouse and reached to open the door.
For my crush only, I withdrew my hand from it. Peter and Ray sent him to convince me to return because I wore my heart on a sleeve when it came to him. It was a smart tactic, I admit. Turning around, I faced him with a quizzical glance on my face responding, softly, "Yes, Egon?"
"Don't leave because of Peter. He's trying to antagonize everyone right now and succeeding," he stammered nervously. One of his large hands was in his gray pants' right pocket, and the other one went through his hair, showing his anxiety. Egon appeared totally handsome, and my knees weakened.
"I don't want to deal with his crap outside of work- it's bad enough I have to take it during work hours. Plus, my temper is a little more volatile because I worked a long shift today," I replied evenly. With him close to me, I felt my heart pound in my chest as he stood only three feet away from me and felt my body wake up. I gazed at his sexiness and sensed the energy between our bodies. As a result, I shivered and exhaled slowly.
"True," he responded, looking uncomfortable and unsure of himself, but I thought it was so freaking cute.
"Why did they send you? Shouldn't Peter come down and apologize," I questioned, putting my hands on my hips.
"Uh...I don't know...Uhm... Maybe you would be more willing to listen to me," Dr. Spengler replied, struggling to make eye contact as his brown eyes were darting around the firehouse.
"Smart move on their part. Out of the three Ghostbusters, I would most likely listen to you first," I confessed, sweetly, strolling closer where I was only a foot or so away from him.
"Oh," he replied with a nice lopsided half-grin on his beautiful face and began to turn around.
"Not so fast, though. You still have to give me one good reason why I should stay," I demanded, putting my right hand on his arm as I put my foot down, metaphorically. It caught his attention and caused him to turn back to face me, then I removed my hand.
After a long maladroit moment of silence, Egon gazed down at his feet. Next, his nice brown eyes met mine as he informed me with sincerity, "I would like for you to stay, Janine."
Needless to say, I was speechless but nonetheless excited.
" I don't think I could turn down such a charming request from you; that's sweet," I responded, honestly, with a huge smile on my face.
"I'm glad," he murmured, and relief was written all over his face.
I was so tickled that he said that he wanted me to stay and that I couldn't barely hide it! For a couple of moments, we stood gazing at each other like two teenagers love-struck until Egon informed me that he was sorry that my date canceled on me.
"Don't be, I would rather be here... with you, "I flirted, putting my hand back on his arm, feeling his hair carelessly with my fingertips, rubbing it back and forth. His comment emboldened me to do so without the fear of being rebuffed by him, and his arm hair felt very fine like a baby's hair. Egon sighed from my unexpecting touch at first and then treated me to a delicious half-smile. With my proximity to him, my head commenced feeling dizzy.
Perplexed, Egon searched my eyes until he inquired, timidly, like a child who didn't believe something an adult told him, "Is that true?"
"Of course," I responded, giving him a big bright smile, "why wouldn't it be?"
Unfortunately, we were interrupted by a voice upstairs.
"Hey, Spengler, are you and Brooklyn coming back up here to play cards or stay down there and make out," Venkman's voice called from above.
Rolling his eyes, Egon grumbled incoherently under his breath, and I turned my head to the other side away from him to hide my deep blush. We strolled towards the staircase, silently walking side by side, chatting.
"What else can I convince of you," he asked, with a foxy smile on his lips.
Shrugging, I replied, coyly," You never know until you ask."
Egon raised his right eyebrow at my suggestive response.
"Ohh, that was sexy," I whispered involuntarily, making him give me a toothless grin with a shocked look on his face, "the raised eyebrow expression you do is sexy."
"Really," my crush questioned.
I nodded and started to giggle at my comment. To control it, I put my hand over my mouth to avoid looking silly in front of him.
Stopping halfway up the staircase, my crush removed my hand with his larger one, returning it to my side affectionately. Then Dr. Spengler admitted, timidly, "don't stifle it; it's delightful when you giggle, Janine."
He let his hand linger on mine for an extra moment before removing it, and I shivered visibly as he did so, loving the way his touch made me feel.
"Am I dreaming?" I wondered to myself, feeling exhilarated.
"Are you cold," he inquired, viewing my unsettled facial expression with concern.
"No," I responded, earnestly then we continued to climb the stairs until we were at our seats at the kitchen table again.
"Oh my fucking God!" I thought in my head, elatedly, "thank God that Greg canceled on me. Egon flirted and touched me! Tonight's the night for our first kiss; I just know it!"
"Sorry, Janine. I am apparently more obnoxious when I drink," Pete apologized with a smile.
"It's alright. It's been a long day," I responded to his apology with a small smile.
"Ok. We will put Venkman to bed if he can't play nicely. Janine, we all know how to play poker. Do we need to go over the rules? "Ray asked her, shuffling the cards.
"Sure," I remarked as I pretended to listen to him explain everything, but I already knew how to play. I snuck a glance at Dr. Spengler, who slyly grinned at me.
"Ok, you deal, Iggy," he reminded him. Pete stood up to get more beers and came back with four more.
Egon
When the words, "I'd like you to stay," came out of my mouth, I disbelieved my audacity. Luckily, Janine rewarded it by revealing that she couldn't reject my offer, and I couldn't be more thankful than when she spoke those words. I shocked her (and myself) when I detached her hand from her mouth when she hid her giggle, then held her hand delicately for a few extra seconds. She seemed happy to hear my compliment, and I enjoyed seeing her smile. Making her joyful made me happy, I realized, and then I wondered for a short time whether I should even disregard my attempts to avoid her altogether. Attempting to ignore the force of nature that seemed to pull Janine and me together was close to impossible.
We played Texas hold them for an hour and a half before we changed the game out.
"Five-card draw is next, gentlemen and lady," Pete announced, shuffling the cards. Janine cut the cards, and then Ray dealt. The game began. After a while, it was clear that this was Ray's game as he started to win everyone's chips. Then surprisingly, she made a huge bet and won everything back. Janine had almost everyone's chips and exuded happiness. All I could do was admire her.
The evening drew to a close when they struck twelve-thirty in the morning. Pete and Ray were drunk and singing along to the radio. Janine and I put all the chips back in their place and the cards in their correct deck holder. She looked tired but still glowed from winning.
"You look sleepy," I observed as she yawned.
"Yes, a little. Wow! It's later than I thought. It's hard work kicking you guys butt," Janine answered, standing up from her chair, "I'm calling a cab. There's no way I'm taking the subway this late. Would you mind waiting with me until my taxi arrives?"
"Of course," I agreed, smiling as Janine yawned again cutely and said goodbye to the others after calling a cab as we walked down the stairs. Peter and Ray were too involved with drinking to notice.
"I'm glad you were here tonight," I divulged as we walked side by side to the door.
Again, I wondered who this brave Egon who spoke his mind and didn't hide his feelings. With my ex-girlfriend so many years ago, I wasn't this bold. In fact, it was she who came on to me. I felt like I wore my sleeve feelings with Janine tonight but didn't give a damn.
"That makes me happy to hear. I had a great time," she remarked, smiling. We reached the end of the staircase and turned left towards the door.
"I'm sorry that I walked in on you...fixing your clothes earlier," I apologized, feeling guilty, and ceased walking as we were now at the door. Janine faced me from six feet away and asked the reason quizzically.
"Because I... Was...staring," I answered, bashfully, swallowing hard.
Janine padded steadily towards me but in a very provocative manner until she stood very close to me. With an enticing smile, she murmured up to me,
"I'm very pleased that I finally caught your attention, Dr. Spengler, because I have been trying to do so since March."
"Then, Ms. Melnitz, you must have forgotten when I told you a month ago that I always notice you even when it seems like I don't. You have had my attention for a long while, I assure you," I flirted back, feeling oddly confident.
Janine appeared shocked, and I noticed her rate of breathing had increased its' pace. As our eyes locked on each other, I felt horribly anguished because I wanted to kiss her badly, and my control over my emotions was decreasing rapidly. Honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to manage them anymore today.
"Oh, you are right. You did tell me that, Dr. Spengler," Janine remarked breathlessly, putting both of her hands on my chest, and once again, I felt very dazzled by her.
"Perhaps it is you that doesn't pay attention to me, Ms. Melnitz," I teased her by leaning forward to whisper in her ear and delighted when I heard her breath hitch in her throat. My desire to kiss her was becoming a need very quickly, and her touch made me feel dizzy. I pulled back to view the angel in front of me because that was what she was to me.
"Since I won tonight, you have to give me a hug," she demanded afterward.
"Those are new rules." I quipped drily, and she giggled.
Before Janine could answer and without thinking, I pulled her into my arms tightly, and I could feel her soft body crushed against mine. Unlike when she was crying the last time, I wasn't hesitant in enjoying Janine's closeness, as I felt invigorated. She smelled fabulous as I hugged her tightly.
"Janine, You smell fantastic, and you feel even better in my arms," I commented, whispering down into her right ear. I let my lips graze her skin there for a moment, and it gave me a tickle.
As a result, Janine sighed and squeezed my body tightly. I felt electricity shoot through me rapidly like an electric shock and shut my eyes happily.
"Mmmmmmm, I like you this close to me, Egon," she revealed dreamily, letting go of my waist to gaze up into my eyes and her eyes twinkling.
When I heard her say that, I knew that was the confirmation I needed to kiss her. My body tingled in anticipation as I lifted my hand to her chin to lift it up and moved her face up towards mine. Next, I gazed at this angelic woman with her eyes closed in front of me for a quick moment before I bent down to kiss her. An ear-splitting honk from her taxi pierced the air as my lips brushed hers for half of a second and then jolted us apart. We both stepped back from each other, and our arms dropped to our respective sides. Suddenly, the moment vanished into thin air, and Janine looked startled at the noise as she tried to regain her composure. I was cursing, inwardly, the taxi driver for his timing.
"You have to be kidding me," I groaned to myself.
However, we stood there unmoving for a short time, eyes locked. Then the driver pushed down on his horn one more time, causing an annoyingly steady sound, and Janine responded with a sad smile and "Night, Egon."
"Good Night, Janine," I remarked, not bothering to hide my disappointment, and she turned to face the door before opening it. Then Janine was gone, and I missed my chance.
As I stood there for a while, thinking about how close I was to kiss her, frustratedly, I punched the black door with force. I immediately regretted the decision as my hand started to throb, and I now needed Advil.
"Why didn't I follow through and kiss her?" I thought out loud and smacked my hand against my head, "I had my heart set on kissing her tonight. Shit! It was supposed to happen tonight!"
"Tempted by the fruit of another, Tempted but the truth is discovered, What's been going on, now that you have gone, There's no other, Tempted by the fruit of another, Tempted but the truth is discovered," I muttered the rest of the Squeeze song as it played on the radio upstairs as both my hand and heart ached in pain, acutely, as I ran up the stairs, with extreme agitation and returned to the lab.
"How many times has this song been played today," I muttered to myself as I passed Venkman and Stantz in the landing. They were playing a game on the Atari and began making fun of me about her. After I walked back to the lab and slammed the door noisily, I sighed achingly and severely disheartened, "Oh, Janine."
Janine
Later, I soaked in a bubble bath, replaying the day's actions and blowing tiny bubbles from the water. I recalled how aroused I was when I felt his eyes travel slowly over my body when I was in the bathroom fixing my clothes before my date had been canceled. There was the unmistakable glimmer of lust and hunger in his brown peepers as he watched me closely, and just thinking about that look made my cheeks flush with heat. It felt like he was slowly undressing me with his eyes, and my breath caught in my throat, remembering it. As I lathered my arms with a bar of dove soap slowly, starting with my right one first, I remembered Egon's facial expression, which was almost like a sneer of both desire and sinfulness. For an unknown reason, that look on his face made me feel like he knew what he wanted to do with me (or even to me) and created a powerful throbbing in my sex as I closed my eyes to envision his face now. I was becoming aroused as I felt my breathing quicken its pace while I rinsed off my arms by splashing water on them. Leaning back in the tub, I put my head on edge and laid back, thinking about how crazy I was about him.
"Damn that taxi driver and his timing! Our lips just barely brushed each other's, and then he commenced blaring his horn," I exclaimed frustratedly. One thing that I did know was that Egon wanted to kiss me tonight, as was evident by the annoyance on his handsome face when we were interrupted, and that there seemed like a victory in itself. The whole evening was a triumph from Egon's lazily sexy gaze over my body when I left the door open to his removal of my hand from my mouth then grasping it for an extra second or two to him pulling me into my arms and attempting to kiss me before the taxi arrived.
As I picked up the soap, I imagined it was my crush sitting in the tub with me, facing me as he rubbed the soap bar on my upper chest and breasts gently, causing wonderful sensations on my skin.
Egon dropped the soap in the water and then used his fingertips to trace circles and figure eights in that area of my body as I happily groaned, absent-mindedly. He rinsed me off by splashing water on it with his large hands as he kept his eyes locked on me with that provocative look of his from earlier.
"You are so exquisitely sensual, Janine," he whispered to me with a twinkle in his eyes. Egon moved in to kiss me with his mouth but instead teased me by kissing my shoulders first, then downwards on my chest until he reached my breasts. There he fondled them while making deep noises from his throat, indicating his pleasure, and then took my right nipple into his mouth to employ his tongue to flick it back and forth. Egon repeated the actions on the other side, and afterward, he leaned over to plant a kiss on my lips first sans tongue. I imagined that we kissed slowly and steadily for a long time in each other's arms, and in real life, I moved my hand down to my mons then rubbed it both roughly and quickly while applying pressure to it, simultaneously. Next, I used my index and middle fingers on my right hand to massage my clit.
Meanwhile, in my fantasy, Egon touched my body's front side from my breasts downward slowly with his adroit fingertips. With a provocative gaze and a sly smile on Egon's lips, he covered my mouth, hungrily, to give me a thrilling open mouth kiss as his curious fingers trailed further down my body to my sex and rubbed them on my bush. I moaned into his mouth as we kissed because of the built-up passion and how good it felt to finally release it. Egon inserted two fingers inside me, cautiously, moving them in and out, causing me to writhe in pleasure in the tub. Back in reality, I felt my body slip further into the warm water as I pleasured myself, very close to climaxing.
"Ohh, don't stop, Egon, please," I gasped, letting my imagination run away. After I came, I sank happily in the tub, going under the water, and then resurfaced, wishing that my favorite physicist was indeed here with me.
"Oh, Egon. We were so close," I cried out, distressed and wondering about what would have happened if my taxi wouldn't have arrived.