Chapter 15 "Just What I Needed" (October 1983-A five days later )

"Just what I needed

I don't mind you comin' here

And wastin' all my time

'Cause when you're standin' oh so near

I kind of lose my mind

It's not the perfume that you wear.

It's not the ribbons in your hair.

And I don't mind you comin' here.

And wastin' all my time."

The Cars "Just what I needed."

Janine

On Sunday, I visited with my parents in Brooklyn and my sister, Doris, and her husband and their two daughters, Lenora and Caitlyn. She was almost five months pregnant now and prayed for a boy for her last child. It was now the second full week of October, and the temperature dropped to more of an autumn feel for New York as the leaves were beginning to transform colors to more browns, maroons, oranges, and dark yellows. Autumn was my favorite season because of the upcoming holidays, the weather, and spending time with my family. One of my favorite parts of the season helped my nieces pick out a pumpkin from an old patch near my parents' house and then help them carve them. I hoped in the future I would be doing the same with my daughter. Also, Doris and I delighted in dressing her daughters up in their costumes as we did with each other when we were their age.

"How is work going Janine," Mom asked as she passed the potatoes to me. We were in the process of eating lunch beef tips with mashed potatoes and vegetables. As usual, she made too much food because she liked to give us leftovers for tomorrow's lunches.

"Fine," I answered, not wanting to get into details, and handed the dish to my sister while rolling my eyes.

"How is it going with Dr. Spengler?"

I hid my wide grin from my mother, who did not think it was a good idea for an employee to date her boss. To myself, I recalled the facts that I had told her and the details I had left. Mother knew that we flirted with each other at a bar during a concert and ate dinner on the roof of the firehouse one night. Carefully, I left out all of the details about us canoodling in public because she didn't approve of that either.

"Well. He asked me to attend the city's gala in a couple of weeks with him. Our first real date," I replied enthusiastically.

"What brought that on," my mother asked, surprised, wrinkling her nose.

"Dr. Venkman and I were arguing about something that he wanted to do that wasn't in my job description, and he called me a witch in front of Egon, who took him by the collar and threw him up against the wall to require him to apologize," I replied, a matter of factly, trying not to sound too hyped about it.

"Hmm," Mom remarked, wearily, giving me a troubled glance with her tired blue eyes, "Are you giving Dr. V problems, Janine?"

"No," I exclaimed, agitatedly, " Is that all you heard, Mother? Egon defended me from his closest friend in the world."

"For him, that sounds like an admission of his feelings from what I know about Dr. Spengler," Doris said, cutting up her youngest daughter.

My Dad and brother-in-law were conversing about the politics of the day as my Mother chided me about being involved with one of my bosses with one of her long lectures. Doris and I grew quiet and exchanged annoyed glances at her, but I could tell my sister was excited for me.

"Mother, I'm not going to say no to going on a date with Egon; I'm interested in him," I complained after dinner.

"It's taken him long enough to ask you on a proper date," she remarked curtly.

"Egon's different from most men. His life doesn't revolve around dating women like Dr. Venkman's. His life revolves around science as he is earnest about his work," I replied, a matter of factly.

"You have been interested in him since March, and he just now starts to pay attention to you," mom inquired, drinking her tea after we ate.

"No, Egon confessed to me that he has been paying attention to me since day one, " I argued exasperatedly.

"Love takes time, Mom," Doris remarked, brushing out her eldest daughter's red hair.

"Love? You are in love with him already?"

I shot my sister a murderous glare for bringing up the "l" word with Mom, who generally became hysterical when either Doris or I said it because she was afraid we were too young to be so serious. Never mind the fact that I was almost twenty-nine at this point, and Doris had been married for over ten years.

For another hour, I listened to Mother lecture me about Egon as I daydreamed about him and me in a heated embrace on my sofa, kissing and fondling each other's bodies.

Egon

On Sunday, after I physically assaulted Peter about calling my angel, Janine, a b-, I took a subway train to the flower district over by the Empire State Building to find flowers to give her. My growing impatience to spend time with her was driving me to ask her out on a date before the gala in 13 days, and I guess that meant I had finally shut down the rational part of my brain for the time being.

For an hour, I pensively walked up and down the street, struggling to decide on a perfect bouquet for her. Then I remembered that Janine mentioned that she loved a mixture of red, pink, yellow, and white roses at the bar, so I finally handpicked three in each color at a nearby florist. After floundering for some time, writing a message on the card, I finally finished it, and it read.

"Janine, would you please join me on Saturday to watch the stars with me on the roof of the firehouse?"

"Would she mind stargazing again with me," I wondered to myself as I paid for the flowers, "do I need to suggest something else for us to do?"

As I waited for a cab, I looked at the flowers and inhaled their sweet aroma. It reminded me of Janine, and my heart skipped a beat. Even though I knew she loved flowers and plants, I was a little nervous about surprising her at her apartment unannounced. During the ride to Brooklyn Heights, I took several deep inhalations and exhalations as I sat in the cab with the driver giving me a very odd glance in the rearview mirror. The taxi driver dropped me off at the correct building, and I paid him four dollars for not killing me during the fifteen-minute ride there. My pulse rate started to increase the closer I made it to her apartment building, and my hands were sweaty, although it was not even close to a hot day.

Walking into the tall building, I anxiously squeezed the flower bouquet that I held, and as I entered her apartment building.

"Hopefully, she will be happy to see me," I thought nervously as I pushed the number fourteen on the elevator butt. As I approached her door, my heart pounded in my chest.

Knocking on the door loudly, I took several deep breaths. The door opened, and Wendy, Janine's blonde and slightly taller roommate, was on the other side.

"Hello, is Janine here," I questioned, feeling my face turn red.

"Oh, hi, Egon. It's nice to see you again. Janine went to visit her family earlier today but should be back soon. Would you like to wait? "

"Yes, thank you," I answered and walked into their apartment.

She saw the flowers in my hand and smiled widely. Motioning to the sofa, Wendy offered me a seat on the very sofa Janine, and I made out days ago after I defended her from Peter. A small satisfied grin spread across my lips when I thought about that time.

"Would you like me to put those gorgeous flowers in a vase with water for you," she asked, and I nodded then thanked her.

As I looked around the apartment, I remembered that it was nicely furnished in a black-white and red theme. There were a red sofa and a black lazy boy chair with a black coffee table with matching end tables.

When she returned with the flowers in, nice base, she placed them on the coffee table and sat on their lazy boy chair. Both of us were silent for a moment, and I felt nervous. My face turned red, and I cleared my throat, embarrassed.

"Ahem... are you," I asked her, feeling nervous about making small talk.

Wendy answered and inquired about the business, realizing that conversation was difficult for me. Afterward, I picked up one of the picture frames that held two pictures on the coffee table that caught my eye. One was a picture of Janine and Wendy, I'd guess from five to eight years ago, and the other one, more recent.

In the first, Janine had a hairstyle similar to hers now, except that her hair was much longer in the back. Also, Janine dyed her hair a fiery red, and she wore a concise gray dress that showed off her legs well.

"This is Janine?"

Smiling, Wendy peered at the picture and nodded.

"She was dating this punk rocker when I met her at a Ramones concert because our then boyfriends were friends seven years ago! Wow! Has it been that long?" Wendy inquired, shocked. She was one of those people who used her hands for emphasis when speaking, and I nodded politely before inquiring about the other picture.

"That's last year at a New Year's Eve party," she answered. Janine wore this silky red dress that hugged her top and flared out at the waist. It was low cut, and she looked fantastic.

"Janine looks breathtaking," I commented automatically.

Wendy looked pleased when I said that even though I meant to say it to myself. For a few minutes, we sat in silence. I felt like I was pushing my limits already, and my palms were sweaty as I waited.

Janine

After spending an extended long time on the subway because of a construction issue on the tunnel, I was happy to be home. My mother had ripped me a new one about Egon, and I was tired of hearing it. When I finally made it home, I found my apartment key in my pocket and inserted it into the lock. The key would not turn, and after trying several times, I banged my right fist on the door angrily. I realized that Wendy may or may not have been there because she usually spent some of the days with her family; however, I did hear her voice talking to someone, but maybe she was on the phone.

"Open the door, Wendy! You know my key doesn't work well," I spoke on the other side of the door.

Casually, she opened the door and called out sweetly.

"Janine, you have a visitor," and when I walked through the door, she whispered, " Be ready for a surprise."

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and peered around the apartment until my eyes spied a tall man with dark hair and black glasses dressed in khaki pants and a white button-down shirt with a brown tie standing in my living room. Egon? Startled yet thrilled, I froze upon seeing him standing nervously in my living room and smiled brightly at him.

Egon looked debonair, although it was obvious that he felt out of place.

"Egon?!"

"Hello Janine, I brought something for you," he stammered, feeling embarrassed, indicating the flowers on the coffee table by pointing with his large hand.

A lovely mixture of red, pink, white, and yellow roses sat on my coffee table, and I was completely astounded by his thoughtfulness.

"Ohh," I cried happily, clearly taken aback by the gesture but excited. Casually, I walked over to where the flowers were in amazement. Wendy had put them in a nice pink vase, so I picked it up smiling, merrily, and then I inhaled them enthusiastically with my eyes closed. Each rose was perfect in its way, and their scent riveted me. I felt Egon's eyes on me as I marveled over the beauty and aroma of the flowers, and the expression on his face was one of jubilance.

"Did I tell you these are my favorite," I inquired, smiling widely, putting the vase down and strolling towards him? I was ready to kiss him.

"Yes," Egon gently reminded me with a sweet half-smile. My heart flip-flopped when I heard his answer and saw his expression.

"Thank you! That was very kind of you," I remarked, standing in front of him, lifting my face towards his mouth. I stood on top of my toes and kissed his pink lips very rapidly, teasingly, for a second as a promise of more to come.

"Mmm, you're welcome, Janine. I wanted to surprise you," my handsome scientist whispered down to me with a blissful expression on his face and put his arms around my waist to bring me closer to him for an embrace in which I squeezed him as tightly as I could. Egon kissed the top of my head. Afterward, I pulled back and gave him a long passionate kiss.

"Ahem," Wendy joked, clearing her throat as we kissed for a while, and Egon dropped his arms from around me immediately with a chagrined grin on his face.

"Don't let her fool you, Egon, with the innocent act. Wendy, please, you and Ryan run around naked here all the time, and I don't complain," I whined, giving him a wink and then my roommate a playful smile.

"Naked," he murmured suggestively, giving me a lustful glance as he peered into my eyes, " I think I would very much enjoy seeing you in the buff running around your apartment."

Egon's suggestiveness made me blush a some, but I maintained eye contact then stated, coyly,

"And I would like to see you doing the same."

Captivated, we stared into each other's eyes with a hunger for each other as the tension between us fortified, and he broke down and gave me a very intimate kiss. After a minute, I broke it off with a dreamy expression on my face staring at his flushed face, where I observed his brown eyes twinkle at me from above, and I felt a little light-headed. Egon clutched my right hand tenderly and kissed it, then suggested, "Let's go for a walk outside."

"Did you read the card," Wendy asked, watching us impatiently.

"No, but you did. Egon can tell me what it says outside, " I answered sarcastically. Wendy pretended to be offended and let out a quick sigh of protest. Still holding his hand, I pointed to the door, and he followed me out.

"How long did you wait? There was construction on the subway, so it took me longer to arrive here," I commented, beaming at him as I led him down the hall to the elevator.

"Maybe ten minutes," He answered quickly, "Wendy and I spoke for most of that time."

"I love the flowers, Egon," I gushed happily, squeezing his hand.

Egon treated me to a delicious smile, and I couldn't stop smiling as we walked out of the elevator, walking around a crowd of people. He held the door open for me to walk out of the building first. As we walked, I pointed to a bench where we could sit down in the shade. Egon sat down on the bench next to me with his brown eyes shining in the afternoon sun.

"On Saturday, it is supposed to be exceptionally clear to watch the stars, and a couple of planets are supposed to be visible. Would you like to stargaze with me on the roof?"

"I would love to," I answered, grinning brightly.

"Then I wondered if I should suggest something else because we stargazed after we ate dinner on the roof," he admitted nervously with a small smile.

"I like astronomy, and more importantly, I like spending time with you no matter what we do but maybe not if it has to do with spores, molds, and fungus," I reassured him with a playful dig at his hobbies.

"Making a mental note of that," he joked back and leaned over to kiss me like he hadn't seen me in a year. It was so steamy.

"Are you interested in astronomy," I asked, feeling a little dizzy after our kiss.

"Yes, I have always been interested in the stars and the planets," he answered excitedly, looking into my blue eyes.

"Wow! I took a couple of astronomy classes at Brooklyn CC. The first class was mostly math, which I was OK with, but mostly, I wanted to stare at the stars. The second class was even harder, but I did do some stargazing. At that point, I decided my career in astronomy was over."

Egon

Impetuously, I leaned into Janine and kissed her with a mad passion in my heart, and she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me closer. Her lips felt so good, so right against mine, and I felt my heart leap in my chest like it was the first time we had kissed in the bar to the Ramones. My desire for her never seemed to wane, and I think she felt the same way. When we finished, Janine peaked up at me with admiration in her blue eyes, and I was going to say something, but she put her index finger across my lips to silence me. Dreamily, Janine snuggled closer to me and put her head on my shoulder as I cradled her in my arms, very contently. Shutting my eyes, I enjoyed our time together immensely. Although her hair tickled my nose, I didn't mind. Her soft reddish-brown locks smelled of lavender and hibiscus as I inhaled it, and I placed a kiss on top of her head.

"How did your interest in astronomy begin," I inquired, later

"My Dad taught my sister, Doris, and me about the stars and planets when we were younger. To the horror of my mother, we would get on the roof of the house. My sister grew out of the star phase when she hit puberty, but I have always been a sucker for looking at the stars. Dad and I still were doing it when I graduated high school, but then he required hip surgery so he couldn't risk it," she explained, a matter of factly.

"Are you the eldest?"

"No, Doris is four years older than me, and she married her high school sweetheart. You met her briefly in the summer and my nieces. She is now almost four months pregnant, and they are hoping for a boy. We get along fine," she added," are you an only child?"

"My brother Michael is two years older than I am, has two sons, and lives with his wife in a suburb outside of Columbus and teaches at a private university."

"What does he teach," Janine inquired, squeezing my body tightly.

"Calculus," I answered, "and some other math classes."

Janine snogged me with her irresistibly luscious lips, and we made out frantically and conversed on and off for two hours as I felt I needed to return to Manhattan to complete some paperwork and other tasks reserved for Sundays. Spending time with Janine was like snuggling in a warm blanket on a cold winter day, and I cherished it tremendously.

When I returned to the firehouse, I ignored my coworkers' teasing about my happiness and the look on my face. I went into my office to work on an article I wrote about the containment unit for a science magazine. However, it wasn't effortless to refocus my mind, but I was able to do it. Looking at my desk calendar for next month, I saw that I had written the Paranormal Convention in Albany for November 2-16. Sighing, I forgot that I had committed to speaking there before becoming Ghostbusters and still taught at Columbia. It would be too unprofessional to cancel at this point, but I had to create some presentations for the week. Now I only had two weeks to do so.

"How did I forget that," I wondered to myself. At that time, Ray came into the doorway into my office and asked me,

"Hey Iggy, what are you doing at the paranormal convention since we can't both go at the same time since Venkman can't be left alone?"

"Are you going the second week," I inquired, and he nodded, walking into my office and sitting in the chair in front of my desk?

We spent an hour discussing the different topics we could present to our peers, but it didn't help me finalize my plans. I returned to writing my article but couldn't maintain the focus that I needed, so I instead laid down on my sofa and took a nap. Like my thoughts, my dreams were centered around the fair Janine and couldn't be stopped. I dreamt that we visit; the American Museum of Natural History together on a rainy weekend day, and at the time, we were looking at a specific exhibition of a Tyrannosaurus Rex that I know I had seen when I was a child that my Uncle Floyd took my brother Michael and I too when I was ten in Chicago. We were holding hands, and she grinned at me while I explained everything I knew about the T-Rex as it was my favorite dinosaur. Janine listened intently as I spoke as she always did and encouraged me by nodding her head, making me feel like I was the most important thing in the whole world. The phone rang abruptly, waking me from my pleasant dream, and I sighed, looking at my watch. It was now 830, and I had been asleep for an hour, and I didn't have any work done.

Normally, I would have my presentation materials ready to go a fortnight before the conference, but I was not prepared for once in my life. Luckily, I still had two more weeks, and I stretched my arms over my head and rose from the sofa. Then I wrote an outline of detail the way I complete everything before the Monday after the gala and in the two-week timeline, and I was finally able to refocus on my writing afterward. I wrote one rough draft anyhow, and I ventured upstairs to inquire if Ray would read it for me while I found something to eat for dinner.

Janine

After Egon left me, I went back to my apartment, feeling in a love-struck daze. Wendy and Roger were on the sofa watching TV as I came in, and I realized that I had homework complete for tomorrow night's class.

" I heard I missed Mr. Wonderful by less than ten minutes," Ryan joked; he was a five-foot-five investment broker with blondish hair and a medium build. Wendy was about two inches taller than he was, and they appeared so similar that they looked like a brother and sister couple. I shut the door, locked it behind me, rolled my eyes, and then walked over to the beautiful roses that Egon gave me.

"I'm putting them in my room so I can enjoy them as I complete my homework," I explained as I grabbed the vase and headed there.

"I don't know how the two of you manage to look even more besotted today than you did in the bar a month ago, but you two did so," Wendy informed with a sly smile.

I went into my room and put the flowers on my desk, then came back to ask for clarification.

" I have never seen you so smitten with anyone like this ever. You are worse than it was before you kissed him, and I didn't know that was possible," she joked craftily.

"I didn't even know I could care anymore for him than I did before we kissed, and now that is only a fraction of what I feel for Egon. How is that possible," I wondered out loud.

"You were nuts about the electrician; what was his name," Ryan asked.

"Tom? Oh no, this is so different," Wendy countered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You are comparing Tom to Egon," I inquired incredulously, and my eyes widened in shock, "no comparison!"

"I remember you cried about him breaking your heart," he pointed out, seriously.

Tom was a very handsome man from the Bronx, who was my last serious boyfriend, and I cared about him very much at the time. At the time, I thought I was in love with him.

"I am in love with Egon and was not in love with Tom. My feelings are 100% stronger with Egon; Tom was like a crush compared to him," I countered, retrieving something to eat from the refrigerator.

"So the two of you are going to stargaze on Saturday," Wendy remarked cunningly.

A smile spread across my face, happily, and I confirmed it.

"You need to stop reading my stuff,"

I protested, making a sandwich.

We conversed while I ate my sandwich about Egon until I retreated to my room, where I smelled the sweet aroma of my roses and reread the card, simpering. Finally, I sat down with my books and other materials at my desk and began to read the chapter that I still needed to read before I could complete my homework. Since it was a program, I would need to complete it on the computer tomorrow during my lunch break, but I knew that I could now start the preparatory steps.

Two hours later, Doris called me after she put my nieces to sleep.

"Hey sis, what's up," I inquired.

"Not much. Just got the girls to sleep," she sighed.

I told her about Egon's unexpected visit, the flowers, and the date.

"Janine, I'm kinda worried about you, and I wanted to discuss it with you," she stated, hesitating,

"What about?"

"Egon. He is too indecisive about you two," she admitted, gradually, knowing that it would upset me.

"I thought you were happy about us," I asked in disbelief. I felt my frustration rising as I clenched my fists as a result.

"I am Janine, really. I'm afraid he won't commit to you," she remarked, " if he is having this much trouble with taking you out, then withdrawing from you for two weeks."

"That has to do with his emotions, Doris. He's scared of them because they are compelling, and he hasn't felt this way ever. He has emotional issues," I pointed out, losing my patience.

"You deserve someone who wants to be with you all of the time, not when it's convenient for him or whenever he feels like it's OK for him to show his emotions or if he is horny or whatever," she argued, her voice rising.

"I agree. I deserve someone who wants to be with me all of the time. Egon doesn't go out with me to have sex with me. We haven't made love yet, although we feel very fervently about each other," I responded.

" I have a bad feeling like when you have sex with him, he's gone," she revealed, honestly.

"Are we talking about the same person? Egon Spengler, the Ghostbuster who doesn't have a social life or any friends out of his business partners, nor does he want any? He's not a Casanova," I replied angrily, " I have been on dates with those types of guys, and they charm the pants off of you. Egon is charming but in a completely different way. "

"I worry about you, Janine, because you are so serious about him," Doris elucidated, concerned.

"I am in love with him, Doris, of course, I'm serious. I love him more and more each day I spend with him," I relayed confidently, my heartbeat quickening at the thought of Egon.

"Even on the days or weeks he avoids you because his feelings are confusing to him or he thinks you are a distraction to his career," she questioned snarkily.

"Do you love Cory even though he broke up with you as a senior in high school? Or when you found out, he was dating someone from Queens when he came back from Vietnam?"

"That's different, Janine. I knew early on that we were meant to be together even in high school. When Cory joined the Marines my senior year, and we weren't together for a few years, it was good because we grew up. We had to mature and have our own experiences. I didn't stop loving him though God knows how hard I attempted to rid my mind of him," she argued, " We both knew when we reunited that we were going to marry each other."

We engaged in a heated discussion for thirty minutes, and it ended unsatisfactorily for both of us. Doris wanted to convince me that Egon wasn't serious about me, and I wanted to persuade her of his feelings for me. Honestly, I understood her concerns about his seriousness about me since he seemed to change his mind about me often, and I wondered about it, too. We had only been on two dates in total, and I knew it was early to be serious about him, but there was a six-month period where my feelings blossomed for him. Yes, he was very inexperienced in relationships and women, but the idea that Egon was playing me to get into my pants was too ludicrous even to entertain, however.

Unfortunately, that conversation put me in a foul mood for the remainder of the evening.

Ray

October was a busy month for the Spengler-Melnitz love story. After defending J from his closest friend, Egon finally dared to ask her out later to the gala next month. Then he bought her flowers and asked her on a date watching the stars on the roof for the following Saturday.

Luckily for me, my drink with Phoebe a while back went well enough to go on a double date with Peter and his latest girlfriend on the day that Egon and Janine were stargazing.

"I guess you're just what I needed.

(Just what I needed)"

The Cars