"Ah, nourishment," Dani said as she sat down and joined Janine at a small
table in the food court of the mall. The secretary looked at the tray the
young woman set on the table holding a hamburger, fries, a slice of
pepperoni pizza, a chocolate milkshake, and a brownie than at her own small
salad.
"You're going to eat all that?" Janine asked. "That looks like something Ray would eat. Definitely Slimer."
"My metabolism is faster than a rocket," Dani replied. "As soon as I get something in me it's gone. And as for Ray I don't know what to say. Slimer's a whole other story that I have no interest in getting into." She took a bite out of her hamburger. "I think we set aside some time to do some working out, but I'm not saying anyone's fat. I just think it would help."
"And what else do you think will help?" Janine inquired with a twinge of curiosity in her voice. "I suppose you have a small list." Dani took a bit of her pizza.
"If I clean out the storage room under the stairs," Dani answered. "I would kinda like my own room. As for the rest of the list it'll have to wait." She went back to eating.
"I supposed you're going to get the guys to work on that."
"Who else?"
"Well, you'd better talk to Egon about that storage room. He keeps a lot of his unfinished projects in there. It's also a possibility one of his mold experiments got loose and might have taken it over."
"A moldy jungle," Dani said. She rolled her eyes. "Wonderful." She took a sip of her milkshake. "You know I really appreciate you taking me shopping, Janine. I needed this. Actually, to be more specific, I needed to get away from the guys incessant teasing about me being related to Egon."
"Well, we aren't sure of that yet," Janine replied. "Egon's talking to his mother."
"I've never seen a guy actually jump at the chance to talk to his mother," Dani responded. "I guess they got really close after his father's death."
"I'm going to tell you something about Egon, Dani. He doesn't talk about his feelings a lot. You know he cares, but he doesn't come out right forth and state it." Dani nodded and ate some of her fries. "But I'll also say that Mrs. Spengler is a wonderful lady and all the guys adore her. She comes by every once in a while to make sure we're alright. It's really nice."
"What about the other guys? What are their families like?"
"Ray's parents died when he was younger. He was raised by a foster family. He doesn't really keep in contact with them. I couldn't be really sure, but I don't think he had a very good time with them. Peter's mom died a few years ago and his father pops in on occasion, but they really don't have the greatest relationship. You'll probably hear about it the next time Mr. Venkman pops in to try and get us involved in some kind of another scam. Winston's family lives in the city and he sees them on the holidays. His father didn't really approve of his son being part of the Ghostbusters, but that changed and they get along much better now." Dani looked at Janine a moment than shook her head and went back to her food. "What is it Dani?"
"I was just thinking that maybe the only reason I feel anything for Ray is because we're so alike. Our parents died when we young and we didn't exactly have the greatest childhood. I mean are we just leaning on one another or is there actually something there," Dani said.
"I couldn't tell you if there is because I don't know. I do believe that sharing a history makes you more apt to understand the other person. And understanding can lead to so much more," Janine responded.
"So maybe it's really love," Dani said gently. "Ray's a great guy. I know he's super smart and really sweet. He is everything I could possibly want."
"Than that should be enough. Don't think about the past, Dani. You and I both know it's painful and you can't work towards a better future if all you do is reminisce on the pain from the past."
"I'm working on that." She poked her hamburger than pushed away the tray. "You know I'm not really that hungry anymore. Let's go home."
"You said home," Janine pointed out. Dani looked at her and after a moment she began to smile.
"Yeah, I did," the young woman agreed. "I guess something sank in after all."
"You're going to eat all that?" Janine asked. "That looks like something Ray would eat. Definitely Slimer."
"My metabolism is faster than a rocket," Dani replied. "As soon as I get something in me it's gone. And as for Ray I don't know what to say. Slimer's a whole other story that I have no interest in getting into." She took a bite out of her hamburger. "I think we set aside some time to do some working out, but I'm not saying anyone's fat. I just think it would help."
"And what else do you think will help?" Janine inquired with a twinge of curiosity in her voice. "I suppose you have a small list." Dani took a bit of her pizza.
"If I clean out the storage room under the stairs," Dani answered. "I would kinda like my own room. As for the rest of the list it'll have to wait." She went back to eating.
"I supposed you're going to get the guys to work on that."
"Who else?"
"Well, you'd better talk to Egon about that storage room. He keeps a lot of his unfinished projects in there. It's also a possibility one of his mold experiments got loose and might have taken it over."
"A moldy jungle," Dani said. She rolled her eyes. "Wonderful." She took a sip of her milkshake. "You know I really appreciate you taking me shopping, Janine. I needed this. Actually, to be more specific, I needed to get away from the guys incessant teasing about me being related to Egon."
"Well, we aren't sure of that yet," Janine replied. "Egon's talking to his mother."
"I've never seen a guy actually jump at the chance to talk to his mother," Dani responded. "I guess they got really close after his father's death."
"I'm going to tell you something about Egon, Dani. He doesn't talk about his feelings a lot. You know he cares, but he doesn't come out right forth and state it." Dani nodded and ate some of her fries. "But I'll also say that Mrs. Spengler is a wonderful lady and all the guys adore her. She comes by every once in a while to make sure we're alright. It's really nice."
"What about the other guys? What are their families like?"
"Ray's parents died when he was younger. He was raised by a foster family. He doesn't really keep in contact with them. I couldn't be really sure, but I don't think he had a very good time with them. Peter's mom died a few years ago and his father pops in on occasion, but they really don't have the greatest relationship. You'll probably hear about it the next time Mr. Venkman pops in to try and get us involved in some kind of another scam. Winston's family lives in the city and he sees them on the holidays. His father didn't really approve of his son being part of the Ghostbusters, but that changed and they get along much better now." Dani looked at Janine a moment than shook her head and went back to her food. "What is it Dani?"
"I was just thinking that maybe the only reason I feel anything for Ray is because we're so alike. Our parents died when we young and we didn't exactly have the greatest childhood. I mean are we just leaning on one another or is there actually something there," Dani said.
"I couldn't tell you if there is because I don't know. I do believe that sharing a history makes you more apt to understand the other person. And understanding can lead to so much more," Janine responded.
"So maybe it's really love," Dani said gently. "Ray's a great guy. I know he's super smart and really sweet. He is everything I could possibly want."
"Than that should be enough. Don't think about the past, Dani. You and I both know it's painful and you can't work towards a better future if all you do is reminisce on the pain from the past."
"I'm working on that." She poked her hamburger than pushed away the tray. "You know I'm not really that hungry anymore. Let's go home."
"You said home," Janine pointed out. Dani looked at her and after a moment she began to smile.
"Yeah, I did," the young woman agreed. "I guess something sank in after all."