Janine's Revenge
June 1984
Ray
"Code red! Help guys, I need a favor," Janine hurriedly declared, rushing to where Pete and I were sitting in the landing.
We waited for her to explain, bemused, amid our breakfast. Venkman barely appeared awake and his hair was sticking up.
"It's a big one. I need a date for my friend's wedding tomorrow. My last serious boyfriend, Brett, will be there. I need someone to pretend to be in love with me during the evening," she rambled, then took a breath.
"Why do you care about this guy still? How serious were you," I demanded, more out of frustration from someone breaking my little sister's heart than anything. I picked up my coffee cup and took a large sip afterward.
"I was serious, but Brett wasn't. I don't care about him, but I want him to think I've moved on from him," Janine spelled out. Then he marries the next woman he dates.
"When did you date him? "Peter inquired, thoughtfully, putting his chin on his fist like he was a talk show host pretending to listen. Janine was not amused and gave him a sour expression.
"A year and a half to two years ago. I haven't seen Brett since he got married. My friend, Tessa, will marry in Queens Botanical Garden tomorrow evening at seven-fifteen. We recently met and reconnected, and she wants me to be at the wedding," Janine exasperatedly wailed.
"Why didn't you ask your date from the other night?"
"That guy is an A-hole," she angrily stated, crossing her arms as she slinked into a chair next to me.
Peter already had plans and said so, but I didn't though I felt uncomfortable with the idea of it.
"Why would you want to make someone jealous," I inquired, trying to understand when she turned her blue eyes to me, begging.
"Brett was a jerk. He acted like it was a favor for him to date me. I need to shove it in his face that I found someone who's madly in love with me. He hurt me, and I was heartbroken for a long time," she explained sadly.
"Revenge dates are usually not a good idea," Peter advised, lighting a cigarette, "I've tried something similar, and it backfired."
"I agree, J. It may backfire, and I don't feel comfortable participating in this scheme, "I answered, discombobulated, peering at the newspaper.
"Do either of you have friends that would do it for one night," our secretary hopefully inquired, drumming her nails on the kitchen table.
"No, Janine, you aren't thinking clearly," Pete impatiently corrected, "Your plan has flaws."
"What about Spengler?" I teased, eyeing Venkman, "He might be able to convince others that he's in love with you?"
"That's a fantastic idea, Ray," he exclaimed, his eyes twinkling. We both thought maybe the theoretical physicist felt strongly for Janine.
Janine's cheeks flushed a little, and she lowered her face down in embarrassment. We all knew she had a crush on him.
"I can barely convince Egon to talk to me for five minutes alone, and he is uncomfortable when we do talk," Janine complained, "Egon would never agree to it. He's too shy and reserved. "
"Yeah, you should ask Egon," I coyly repeated, grinning.
"He's somewhat robotic and rarely shows his emotions. I think if I asked Egon to do something like that, it could kill him," Janine replied earnestly.
"First, yes, Egon is, at times, robotic. Brooklyn, that is because he has trouble processing emotions with being so scientifically minded and a genius. However, Egon has dated before. He does have feelings but struggles with expressing them," Peter explained," Egon cares for you, Janine, not in a boss-employee way either."
J glared at him dubiously and requested that we didn't say anything to Spengs.
Janine
When Peter and Ray suggested asking Egon about the wedding, I admit I had already considered it. I was entirely sure he would say no, and I didn't feel like being rejected. My crush was already unrequited. Why did I need rejection too?
I worked and thought about who I could ask all day as I had one full day before the wedding, tomorrow.
Egon
After our busts for the day, Janine entered the lab anxiously while I corrected a problem with one of the ghost traps. I didn't hear her come in until I heard her say-
"Egon, I have a huge favor to ask you..."
Since Janine stopped speaking, I looked up and noticed she was biting her lip, nervously. Today she wore a black knee-length skirt with a red v-neck blouse that matched her hair color. Janine wore matching dangling red triangle earrings and red lipstick, and I thought she looked lovely.
"I have a wedding to go to tomorrow night, and I need a date to go with me to make an ex of mine jealous," she explained, flatly ready to be disappointed. Her blue eyes look dejected already.
"Ok," I said, oblivious to why she was telling me this information and I persisted in fixing the ghost trap. There was silence for a while, and I almost forgot she was there until Janine requested,
"Will you go with me? He broke my heart by telling me that he didn't want a serious relationship then married his next girlfriend."
Did Janine ask me to go to a wedding with her? Shocked, I couldn't speak for a while, which she took as a negative answer. Defeated, Janine hung her head and started to weep a little.
"Dr. V said this idea of going with someone who pretends to be in love with me is ridiculous. He has plans already anyway. Ray won't go. This man, my ex, stomped on my heart and broke it to pieces a couple of years ago. I don't want to see him and his new wife, but our mutual friend is getting married," she cried, "I knew it was a bad idea to ask you. You have more important things to do."
Seeing Janine crying hurt my heart, and I abruptly stood up from the lab table. Before I knew it, I stood in front of her, saying to her, "Please don't cry."
Her pain made my heart pound thunderously in my chest as I thought that maybe I could go as her date to this wedding to assist her. Janine stopped crying and began to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand.
"I won't waste any more of your time, Egon," she said, with a slight smile and sad eyes.
"I'll go with you, Janine," I sputtered out so rapidly I surprised myself. The look of immediate relief on her face convinced me that I had done the right thing, and I instantly felt happy that I could help her.
"Really?"
She attempted to analyze my facial expression but couldn't read it, so I provided clarity.
"Yes."
After thanking me, Janine hugged me for a quick second, saying.
"I owe you one, Egon. I'll figure out something."
"No, you don't. I don't like to see you gloomy," I confessed, looking at Janine's eyes, and they sparkled as I made that confession. My body felt tingly from her warm embrace.
"Thank you. You don't have to do the whole 'pretend you are in love with me' act. I appreciate you taking the time out of your work to help me," she said sincerely.
"I'll do whatever you need me to do. So that I can see your pretty smile and not see any more tears."
"That's the nicest thing you have said to me in a while, thank you," Janine gratefully responded, smiling at me.
After she left, I wondered how I had become so brave with her that I could speak my mind.
Janine
Luckily, I was off the next day, the day of the wedding. I had a to-do list to complete before Egon arrived at my apartment at five forty-five.
As I finished it, I checked it off one by one.
The dress I had selected was a mauve off-the-shoulder one that was the length of a mini skirt. The material was light and allowed air to flow in the middle of the summer. I put my grandmother's pearl earrings in my ears and her necklace around my neck. Although Egon may have considered this a favor, I thought it was a date. I could hardly believe he chose to go with me and smiled every time I thought of it. Maybe Egon could be attracted to me after all.
My roommate Wendy assisted me in my preparation for the wedding and helped me calm down. I felt like this could be a big moment for us.
Egon arrived six minutes early.
"He brought you a corsage. It's a white rose ironically matching the one you bought for his front pocket," Wendy informed me excitedly.
Grinning, I applied perfume at the base of my neck, on my wrists, and behind my ears. I checked my make-up nervously and applied lipstick.
"How do I look?"
"Fantastic. Phenomenal. Don't worry; it will all be fine," Wendy encouraged me.
Egon
When Janine emerged from her bedroom, I did a double-take. I was used to seeing her looking beautiful every day, but this was beyond so. I struggled to come up with the best word as she sauntered towards me with a brilliant smile on her lips. Still, I was shocked into silence.
"Oooh- you look very handsome, Dr. Spengler ," Janine flirted, looking at me with a huge grin. I was wearing a black suit, a tie that matched her dress, and a white shirt.
"I brought you this," I told her anxiously, handing her the corsage in a plastic container. She opened it happily and thanked me with a kiss on the cheek. My face grew hot, and I felt embarrassed.
Janine asked me to help her wrap the white rose around her wrist. Next, she grinned at me and went into the kitchen. A minute later, the beautiful woman returned with a container for my front breast pocket.
"Great minds think alike," I joked, seeing the white rose.
"Yes, it is beautiful, so elegant," she responded, taking the rose and its baby breath out of the plastic container. Janine stepped closer to me and reached up to place the rose in my breast pocket. Afterward, she patted my chest and smiled. The combination of her closeness and her touch caused me to feel slightly light-headed.
"Are you ready," she asked me, and I nodded, still dazed to speak regularly with her. We took a cab to a park in Queens and sat in silence for most of the ride. Janine looked at me in concern and asked if I was ok.
"Yes. You are stunning, Janine," I admitted, "I have been trying to find the right adjective for you since you walked out of your bedroom."
Her mouth opened agape for a while, then Janine put her hand on top of mine. Grinning, I observed her face, and she took my hand in hers. It felt velvety soft, and I gingerly held onto it.
"Thank you. That means very much to me,"' Janine admitted then she turned her head to look out the window to suppress a giggle.
"Don't. I like when you giggle. It's cute," I admitted, turning red in the face again. At that time, I didn't care because Janine rewarded me with a bright-as-the-sun smile. She didn't let go of my hand, nor did I let go of hers for the whole car ride, and we maintained eye contact, gazing into each other's eyes contently.
It wouldn't be a stretch to pretend to be in love with Janine tonight. Or ever. Finally, I dared to do so.
Janine
Everything has worked out perfectly so far, and Egon complimented me twice. When I walked out of the room earlier, his reaction was a mixture of bliss and total bewilderment.
Since it was Saturday night, there was traffic in the City, but we made it on time. I braced myself as I paid the driver and took Egon's hand, excited out of the cab.
"How do I look?" I asked nervously, looking down at my dress then at him.
"Angelic," Egon answered, looking nervously at me. Blissfully, I kissed his cheek and then reminded him by whispering in his ear that I would be introducing him as my boyfriend, holding his hand the whole evening and remaining close to him. Egon's cheeks reddened and gave me a rare half-smile as I hooked his arm in mine, and we began walking to the entrance. As we entered the lush grounds, I marveled at the flora.
"How beautiful," I exclaimed, walking through the gardens of roses and other exotic flowers.
"Indeed."
When we made it to the pavilion, marked reserved for the Abbott Party, I signed the guest registry and wrote our names in it. Egon looked at the picture of the happy couple in a large frame- Tessa was a slender Hispanic 5'6 woman with curly black hair blonde and an inviting smile. Her fiancée was a tall Puerto Rico man who wore a short crew cut and dressed in his Marine uniform.
"How do you know Tessa?"
"Oh, she was an assistant professor of Biology at King's College for the Science department while I worked there. We had lunch a couple of times a week and used to play racquetball together. Her soon-to-be husband, Anthony, is the one who introduced me to Brett," I described.
Egon gave me a wry smile, and I complimented him on how gorgeous he appeared in formal wear.
"Thank you, I don't have much experience going to weddings," he revealed, giving me a shy grin.
"You will be fine, Egon," I encouraged, and I squeezed his large hand.
We walked to where a crowd of people stood to the rustic entrance where ten rows of fifteen chairs sat waiting for guests to fill in. It was about half full already.
A short blonde woman eagerly asked us if we were guests of the bride or the groom. Before we could find a seat in the middle, a dark hair medium build woman approached us excitedly.
"Janine Melnitz! Is that you? I haven't seen you for a couple of years," she gushed, "give me a hug."
"Maria," I greeted her back and hugged her, happy to see my friend. I turned to Egon and introduced Maria to him.
"We worked together for a few years," Maria explained when Egon gave us a quizzical look. He remained pleasant as we conversed.
"How long have you been dating?"
"Oh, not too long. A month and a half," I responded, realizing that I hadn't thought about that question.
"You look striking," Maria praised, "It must be because you and Egon are in love. It is evident because you two are beaming. I wasn't sure if you would come because of Brett."
I almost made a sarcastic quip, but Egon cleared his throat. Swiftly, Maria changed the subject. A few more of my friends came by to say hello later before a family member asked us to find a seat on the mic because the ceremony was about to start.
"Janine, you sound defensive when Maria mentioned him," Egon whispered in my ear when we sat down. His words tickled it. I giggled until I saw Brett standing on the groom's side.
He still looked great, damn.
Brett has a chiseled body that he took care of and a handsome face. My body tensed up, and I felt my face flush. Suddenly I felt like I couldn't breathe.
"What's wrong?"
"I have to leave. Peter was correct. This was a horrible idea," I replied, panicking quickly, "Egon, we have to go. NO!"
The ceremony started.
"Breathe deeply. We can't leave this second because the ceremony has started. Take a deep breath," Egon said calmly, conveying concern about my face.
"I can't breathe," I said, hyperventilating. My heart was pounding in my chest, pretty, and I began to sweat a little. I could feel it come down from my hairline on my forehead.
"Look me in the eyes, Janine. Yes, like that. Breathe in like I am doing," he instructed slowly and demonstrating, "and breathe out slowly. Ok, do that again."
While Egon and I maintained eye contact, he held both of my hands in my lap. He was pretty concerned but managed to remain calm. I searched his beautiful brown eyes, still apprehensive and terrified, and found reassurance and calm there. As we continued to breathe together for a few minutes as someone played wedding music, I ceased hyperventilating, and my pulse stopped racing.
"Good," Egon complimented me as I started breathing normally, and he kissed my forehead gently, "keep on breathing in and out."
"Ok, Egon, I have to go soon," I whispered, happy that he kissed my forehead. It felt warm on my head.
"Yes. You are still apprehensive, Janine. Please keep breathing deeply in and out," my date cautiously instructed.
Meanwhile, I closed my eyes and tried to shut the world out until the wedding march started, and Egon held my hands tightly on his own. He let one of my hands drop and moved his hand to my cheek. Then Egon caressed it, and I felt joyful while he did. After I opened my eyes, we stared into each other's eyes, fascinated with each other.
"Do you feel a little better," he hopefully inquired, whispering but still touching my cheek.
Mutely, I nodded and grabbed his hand, touching it to my cheek, and then I kissed it.
Relieved, he leaned back in his chair, blushing but happy. Egon put his left arm around my shoulders, and I moved my seat closer to him. I felt very vulnerable after my panic attack, but I knew that Egon would protect me.
"You have nice clavicles," he whispered, in my ear, as he felt my shoulder with his left hand.
Suppressing a giggle, I bit my lip as the bride, and her father walked the aisle.
"Stop," I whispered back, smiling through biting my bottom lip.
Mischievously, Egon raised an eyebrow, so I had to turn away from looking at his face. That look was sexy as hell.
Tessa looked picturesque in a ballerina-inspired wedding dress. It was hard to hear the couple exchange their vows, but I could see the happiness in their eyes. It made me tear up. Egon did not show any emotion as usual, but his fingertips were tracing the outline of my clavicles. It felt stimulating.
After Tessa and Anthony kissed their first one as man and wife, we stood up clapping with everyone else.
"Do you want to go?"
"Yes, they will take wedding pictures next. If I can avoid Brett and a few others that I see, I will be fine. I can explain to Tessa later," I remarked.
"What happened exactly," he asked after I spoke.
"Saw Brett. Had a panic attack," I answered, leading him quickly with my hand as we exited.
Egon
When Janine commenced having a panic attack, I became uneasy. My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest, and my pulse raced until she calmed down. All I wanted to do was stop her from panicking and make her feel better. Luckily, I was able to, and she didn't miss any of the ceremony.
As we were about to leave, we ran into a medium-height athletic man with light brown hair with a cocky grin on his face. By Janine's adverse reaction, I knew it was Brett. Her face was red as a tomato, and she suspired loudly when she realized our luck.
"Hi, Janine. Didn't think you would be here," he condescendingly sneered at her," who's this?"
"Dr. Egon Spengler, my boyfriend," she responded in a small voice. I had never seen Janine intimidated until now and hated it. My lips turned into a frown as I glared at him. He took one look at me and contemptuously smirked.
"Will you please allow us to go past you," Janine asked as Brett stood still, analyzing me.
"I don't think so. Take a hike, professor. Janine and I have some catching up to do," Brett sneered, taking Janine's free hand and pulling her to follow him. My temper flared as I realized his implication, which was not innocent.
"Brett, no! This isn't happening," she said, pounding her free hand on his chest.
"I don't think she wants to go with you," I growled. Watching Janine struggle with him, I froze in fear. Brett was strong and could break me into two easily. However, I couldn't let this happen to Janine.
Annoyed, Brett let go of Janine's hand, and she fell back on the ground. His eyes narrowed as he walked towards me.
"You don't want to get involved, professor. Or fight me; you will lose," Brett grumbled.
"Leave Janine alone," I snarled, feeling my temper rise.
Shaking inside, I tried to remain calm outside. Brett was now in my face glowering at me, and I was petrified that he was going to hit me.
"Stay out of it."
Brett sauntered to where I was standing, popping his knuckles arrogantly. Struggling to stand, Janine yelled at Brett. People were gathering to watch. We faced off, staring at each other in the face.
"I'm going to knock you out with one punch and then fuck your girlfriend, just like I used to. She's a good fuck and quite a little vixen. But you know that already" he remarked disrespectfully, then turned his head to spit.
That was it- I had to defend Janine. Gritting my teeth, I threw a hook straight on his jaw with all of my might. My hand hurt immediately as I watched as Brett fell in total surprise.
"I can't believe I just did that," I thought. Janine looked at me in total disbelief. I grabbed her hand, and we swiftly walked away. I felt so empowered but anxious at the same time. Janine remained speechless.
When we made it to the parking lot, I stopped suddenly and, without thinking, tightly swooped Janine in my arms and kissed her as I had always wanted. Our lips touched, and shockwaves of delight rocked through my body. Her mouth was soft and moist. Best of all, she kissed me back, putting her arms around my body and pulling me to her own.
"Oh, Egon, you do care for me," Janine exclaimed with a dreamy expression on her face.
With a sly smirk, I went in to give her a more passionate kiss as I wanted her to know how I felt about her. Again, she didn't resist and matched my ardent kiss with her own. I pulled back again to catch my breath, opening my eyes to look at the enchanting
Janine.
"Oh, Egon, that was wonderful. I have wanted to kiss you for so long, but..."
Interrupting her, I kissed her again, not wasting time. Afterward, Janine leaned into my body and held on tightly as I rubbed her back.
"I feel dizzy from your kisses," she joyfully revealed, "You are my hero, Egon Spengler. Thank you."
"You are most welcome, Janine. I will protect you anytime you need me. I have wanted to kiss you for a long time," I explained to her, still feeling emboldened, "just been too terrified to do it and face my feelings for you."
Janine lifted her head from my chest and grinned. Her arms wrapped around my neck as she pulled me down to her lips. We kissed for a while. The sun had set, and it was now dark.
"Let's find a cab," I huskily suggested afterward, holding her hand, and Janine winked at me and said,
"Great idea, Dr. Spengler."
We walked down the street and found a line of taxis waiting for customers. I opened the door for Janine, and she gave him her address as she moved across the vinyl seat.
"You are going to get a hero's reward," she provocatively flirted, clasping my hand as I sat in the cab.
"You are my reward, Janine, I hope anyway," I corrected her, leaning in to kiss her.
"Oh hell yes," she exclaimed afterward.