"Pauly!" Jera's voice broke through his stupor and he swam over to she and Shawn.
"Are you trying to be anti-social today?" she asked with a smile.
"No, I was just thinking about something."
"Oh, I just thought you didn't want to play with us."
Paul grinned, "Now you know I would never pass up the chance to play with you." His words were heavy with meaning.
"Oh really?" A look of hunger slipped into Jera's eyes.
Paul's heart beat double time and his breathing quickened. "I'd never pass up *any* chance to be with you."
Jera's breath caught in her throat. The look in Paul's eyes made her knees go weak. "You mean that?"
Paul couldn't help himself. He reached over and ran his thumb over her smooth cheek. "You know I do."
Jera's heart skipped a few beats at his touch and she closed her eyes and sighed. Paul moved towards her, fully intending to kiss her when Sean came splashing over, ruining the moment. Paul quickly stepped back and Jera's eyes snapped open. Paul glared at Sean but he seemed oblivious.
"You guys wanna play ball?" he asked,indicating the small poolside basketball net.
Jera sighed. "Sure Sean."
Sean grinned. "Great, it's you and Shawn against me and Paul."
Paul caught the ball Sean tossed to him while mumbling under his breath about people with no sense of timing.
Jera paired up with Shawn and for the next forty-five minutes the four of them horsed around.
When Jera finally collapsed on the steps tired and very nearly water logged, Shawn got out of the pool and checked his watch.
"It's nearly three-thirty guys."
"Damn, we'd better go before Vince sends a search party out looking for us." Paul said as he got out of the pool.
Paul watched Jera get out of the pool and towel off. He could strangle Sean for interupting he and Jera, but he also knew that they'd eventually be alone with *no* one to interupt them.
******
Ten minutes later the four of them were standing out in the driveway saying goodbye. Shawn would not be coming to the show that night because he and Vince were on the outs, as they usually were.
Shawn hugged Paul and Sean first and then turned to Jera.
"It's been fun," Jera said. looking teary.
"Yeah, we don't get together nearly enough now days." Shawn was also getting teary.
They stood there a moment, both on the verge of crying.
"Well, give me a hug before they start getting impatient," she said.
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He held her a moment more before he let go. "Take care of you."
"You too."
She quickly got into the the truck before she burst into tears.
Shawn turned to Paul. "Take care of her."
"You know I will." They hugged again before Paul walked around and got into the truck. He started the engine and they waved as they pulled out of the driveway and started down the road. Jera watched until they were out of sight of the house and then turned around and stared out the window.
She loved Shawn so much, he was her best friend and he had helped he through some very tough times in her life. She knew that if she hadn't had him she wouldn't still be in the business. They had had they're good times and bad times, some that had really put their friendship to the test, but they had made it through everything. Now that Shawn had retired it seemed as though a big chunk of her world was missing.
"Makes you miss him even more doesn't it?" Paul's voice cut through her thoughts.
Jera sighed. "Yeah, it does. I mean, we spent nearly every day together for four years and now I hardly ever see him."
"I know it's hard for you." Paul took his free hand and laid it on top of Jera's, which was resting on the console between them. He laced his fingers through hers and gave it a light squeeze.
Jera looked down at their joined hands and then glanced at Paul. He turned to her and their eyes met for a moment. Her heart lept. He *really* did care for her!
"Are you trying to be anti-social today?" she asked with a smile.
"No, I was just thinking about something."
"Oh, I just thought you didn't want to play with us."
Paul grinned, "Now you know I would never pass up the chance to play with you." His words were heavy with meaning.
"Oh really?" A look of hunger slipped into Jera's eyes.
Paul's heart beat double time and his breathing quickened. "I'd never pass up *any* chance to be with you."
Jera's breath caught in her throat. The look in Paul's eyes made her knees go weak. "You mean that?"
Paul couldn't help himself. He reached over and ran his thumb over her smooth cheek. "You know I do."
Jera's heart skipped a few beats at his touch and she closed her eyes and sighed. Paul moved towards her, fully intending to kiss her when Sean came splashing over, ruining the moment. Paul quickly stepped back and Jera's eyes snapped open. Paul glared at Sean but he seemed oblivious.
"You guys wanna play ball?" he asked,indicating the small poolside basketball net.
Jera sighed. "Sure Sean."
Sean grinned. "Great, it's you and Shawn against me and Paul."
Paul caught the ball Sean tossed to him while mumbling under his breath about people with no sense of timing.
Jera paired up with Shawn and for the next forty-five minutes the four of them horsed around.
When Jera finally collapsed on the steps tired and very nearly water logged, Shawn got out of the pool and checked his watch.
"It's nearly three-thirty guys."
"Damn, we'd better go before Vince sends a search party out looking for us." Paul said as he got out of the pool.
Paul watched Jera get out of the pool and towel off. He could strangle Sean for interupting he and Jera, but he also knew that they'd eventually be alone with *no* one to interupt them.
******
Ten minutes later the four of them were standing out in the driveway saying goodbye. Shawn would not be coming to the show that night because he and Vince were on the outs, as they usually were.
Shawn hugged Paul and Sean first and then turned to Jera.
"It's been fun," Jera said. looking teary.
"Yeah, we don't get together nearly enough now days." Shawn was also getting teary.
They stood there a moment, both on the verge of crying.
"Well, give me a hug before they start getting impatient," she said.
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He held her a moment more before he let go. "Take care of you."
"You too."
She quickly got into the the truck before she burst into tears.
Shawn turned to Paul. "Take care of her."
"You know I will." They hugged again before Paul walked around and got into the truck. He started the engine and they waved as they pulled out of the driveway and started down the road. Jera watched until they were out of sight of the house and then turned around and stared out the window.
She loved Shawn so much, he was her best friend and he had helped he through some very tough times in her life. She knew that if she hadn't had him she wouldn't still be in the business. They had had they're good times and bad times, some that had really put their friendship to the test, but they had made it through everything. Now that Shawn had retired it seemed as though a big chunk of her world was missing.
"Makes you miss him even more doesn't it?" Paul's voice cut through her thoughts.
Jera sighed. "Yeah, it does. I mean, we spent nearly every day together for four years and now I hardly ever see him."
"I know it's hard for you." Paul took his free hand and laid it on top of Jera's, which was resting on the console between them. He laced his fingers through hers and gave it a light squeeze.
Jera looked down at their joined hands and then glanced at Paul. He turned to her and their eyes met for a moment. Her heart lept. He *really* did care for her!
