Over the next few weeks we practiced until we couldn't stand it
anymore. We also went had our costumes fitted, I was going to wear these
spandex-ish like pants with a white tank shirt that didn't completely close
in the front, and was held together by silver chains with an extra chain
hanging down from the bottom chain with a star on the bottom. I loved it. A
few days before our big opening, we were having a dress rehearsal and Craig
was really stressed. Renee and him had had a big fight. He said it was over
the fact that he had spent a lot of time with me, and not enough with her.
Plus his wedding was in a few weeks.
"She is just so selfish, she knows I enjoy doing this and she doesn't care. All she cares about is her wedding." He would say and then five minutes later.
"Well she's pregnant, and this wedding is her only one and she'll ever have and she wants it to be perfect."
Then when I thought it couldn't get any worse, "Does she think I'm perfect? I can't live to please her all the time. She needs to grow up and get a hold of herself."
"Shut up!" I said. I couldn't take it any more.
He just looked at me, shocked. "I'm sorry." He finally said after a while. "I just like your company. You're easy to talk to."
I felt bad "No I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed. You want to call it a night? We're not getting anything done."
"How can I get anything done when you're wearing that? You look so sexy." he stopped. He had a funny look on his face, as if he couldn't believe what he said.
I blushed, "Thank you." I said in return.
"Can I tell you something?" he asked. "Without you getting weirded out or angry?"
"Sure" I got a little nervous and waited for what was to come.
"I think I have feelings for you. Not just friendly." He hesitated, I couldn't say anything. "Just let me talk this out, you don't have to say anything just listen."
He paced around for a while and then finally spoke, "Okay when I wake up in the morning, I think about going and taking you to school, and when I do talk myself into it, I get scared and chicken out. I don't know why I would, I just would. Then I think about you all day. I'm quiet at work. I'm never quiet, anywhere. Then when we rehears, I feel alive. I figured it out a couple of weeks ago. When we spent the night around town.
"Figured out what?" I was a little shaky.
"I think I love you." He said then he sat on the floor and looked at me as if he expected me to blow up.
Love me? I was thoughtless. Then I pulled myself together and tried to think about how I felt. Did I love him? Was I, Jennifer capable of love? Then I thought about all the feelings I had been having since I met him. Without realizing I had said the words I said, "I l-l-love you, too."
Was that me talking? Did I say that? Then I realized it was true. I laughed a little. When I looked up, I saw Craig smiling at me. He stood up and helped me stand up where I had sat in shock off his news.
He pulled me closer to him and smiled. He closed his eyes, then I realized what was going on and closed my eyes and leaned into to kiss him. When he kissed me I felt weak in the knees, literally. So weak, I fell in his arms. Luckily he was there to catch me. His arms grasped my arms, they were very strong. He pulled away and laughed. "I've been wanting to do that for a while. I just never thought it would really happen." I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his shoulder. We stood there for a while. It felt so good to be in his arms. He was comforting and he felt familiar, like we were born holding each other. Then he pulled away and smiled. "I guess I should break things off with Renee?" I gasped. Renee. I forgot about her. She was pregnant, and she was engaged to Craig. What had I done? I didn't answer. I just stood looking at him. Then I said, "You do what you think is best, even if it doesn't include me." What did I say that for? I wanted to be included in the deciding. "What have I done?" he said more to himself then to me. "I need to go. Do you want to go for a ride? Not home or anything, I just need to drive around a bit and you calm me.." "Sure." I said. I needed quiet too. We drove for what seemed like forever. We didn't say a word, just rode along, holding hands. The last fact kept me smiling the whole ride. Even though Craig didn't smile once. At around nine he dropped me off at home, but this time he kissed me goodbye. I ran up stairs and was greeted by my dad, who had seen the kiss. "What was that?" he asked when I walked in the door. "What?" "Why did you kiss him?" he asked with anger. "Johnny, leave her alone. Just go to bed, let me talk to her." Thankfully Mom had walked in. Dad stomped off leaving me and Mom alone in the kitchen. Mom just smiled at me then told me to sit down.
"So, what happened?" she asked when I sat down in the chair next
to her. I told her about that afternoon, and she sat and listened to what I had to say before she said anything.
"And I think I really love him, Mom. What am I gonna do?" I said through tears.
"Honey, I can't tell you what to do. You have to figure it out for yourself. Just keep in mind that he's older and he is going to be a daddy soon. Don't make any big choices without considering the consequences. Good night."
"She is just so selfish, she knows I enjoy doing this and she doesn't care. All she cares about is her wedding." He would say and then five minutes later.
"Well she's pregnant, and this wedding is her only one and she'll ever have and she wants it to be perfect."
Then when I thought it couldn't get any worse, "Does she think I'm perfect? I can't live to please her all the time. She needs to grow up and get a hold of herself."
"Shut up!" I said. I couldn't take it any more.
He just looked at me, shocked. "I'm sorry." He finally said after a while. "I just like your company. You're easy to talk to."
I felt bad "No I'm sorry. I'm just a little stressed. You want to call it a night? We're not getting anything done."
"How can I get anything done when you're wearing that? You look so sexy." he stopped. He had a funny look on his face, as if he couldn't believe what he said.
I blushed, "Thank you." I said in return.
"Can I tell you something?" he asked. "Without you getting weirded out or angry?"
"Sure" I got a little nervous and waited for what was to come.
"I think I have feelings for you. Not just friendly." He hesitated, I couldn't say anything. "Just let me talk this out, you don't have to say anything just listen."
He paced around for a while and then finally spoke, "Okay when I wake up in the morning, I think about going and taking you to school, and when I do talk myself into it, I get scared and chicken out. I don't know why I would, I just would. Then I think about you all day. I'm quiet at work. I'm never quiet, anywhere. Then when we rehears, I feel alive. I figured it out a couple of weeks ago. When we spent the night around town.
"Figured out what?" I was a little shaky.
"I think I love you." He said then he sat on the floor and looked at me as if he expected me to blow up.
Love me? I was thoughtless. Then I pulled myself together and tried to think about how I felt. Did I love him? Was I, Jennifer capable of love? Then I thought about all the feelings I had been having since I met him. Without realizing I had said the words I said, "I l-l-love you, too."
Was that me talking? Did I say that? Then I realized it was true. I laughed a little. When I looked up, I saw Craig smiling at me. He stood up and helped me stand up where I had sat in shock off his news.
He pulled me closer to him and smiled. He closed his eyes, then I realized what was going on and closed my eyes and leaned into to kiss him. When he kissed me I felt weak in the knees, literally. So weak, I fell in his arms. Luckily he was there to catch me. His arms grasped my arms, they were very strong. He pulled away and laughed. "I've been wanting to do that for a while. I just never thought it would really happen." I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck and laid my head on his shoulder. We stood there for a while. It felt so good to be in his arms. He was comforting and he felt familiar, like we were born holding each other. Then he pulled away and smiled. "I guess I should break things off with Renee?" I gasped. Renee. I forgot about her. She was pregnant, and she was engaged to Craig. What had I done? I didn't answer. I just stood looking at him. Then I said, "You do what you think is best, even if it doesn't include me." What did I say that for? I wanted to be included in the deciding. "What have I done?" he said more to himself then to me. "I need to go. Do you want to go for a ride? Not home or anything, I just need to drive around a bit and you calm me.." "Sure." I said. I needed quiet too. We drove for what seemed like forever. We didn't say a word, just rode along, holding hands. The last fact kept me smiling the whole ride. Even though Craig didn't smile once. At around nine he dropped me off at home, but this time he kissed me goodbye. I ran up stairs and was greeted by my dad, who had seen the kiss. "What was that?" he asked when I walked in the door. "What?" "Why did you kiss him?" he asked with anger. "Johnny, leave her alone. Just go to bed, let me talk to her." Thankfully Mom had walked in. Dad stomped off leaving me and Mom alone in the kitchen. Mom just smiled at me then told me to sit down.
"So, what happened?" she asked when I sat down in the chair next
to her. I told her about that afternoon, and she sat and listened to what I had to say before she said anything.
"And I think I really love him, Mom. What am I gonna do?" I said through tears.
"Honey, I can't tell you what to do. You have to figure it out for yourself. Just keep in mind that he's older and he is going to be a daddy soon. Don't make any big choices without considering the consequences. Good night."