Golden Opportunity
Part 2/?
Warnings and Ratings with Chapter 1
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"Are you sure you want me to go with you, man? She just wants you to spend some time with your son." Bruce glanced at Johnny out of the corner of his eye, the rest of his attention on the road. He knew this thing with his old girlfriend was freaking Johnny out, and he did want to help, but –a chaperone? Him? It wasn't his first choice.
Johnny sighed as he thought it all through for the hundredth time. Sarah did want him to spend time with little Johnny, but she also wanted to spend time with him, and to grill him about Dana Bright. She'd made it real clear that she wanted to talk to him alone. That was the problem. Every time he saw Sarah he wanted her. The temptation escalated when they were private. He was honestly trying to do the right thing and stay away from another man's wife, but being alone with her pushed even his rock hard control and moral backbone to the limit.
"Yes, I'm sure." Johnny gave Bruce one his trademark stares and his friend knew that the conversation was over. Good thing too, because they were there.
Bruce pulled into the Bannerman's driveway and turned off the car. "I could wait out here if you want?"
The question elicited another raised eyebrow from the passenger side.
"Okay, okay…I just wanted to be sure!"
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Sarah was at the door almost as soon as the doorbell rang. She must have been watching for them from the window. Her face lit when she saw Johnny, but looking past his shoulder she noticed that Bruce had come too and couldn't hide the frown of disappointment that crossed her face.
"Johnny! Come on in. Bruce, how are you? Come in, Little Johnny is upstairs, he'll be down in a minute."
"So, Walt's pulling a double shift huh?" Johnny asked as he made himself comfortable on the couch.
"Oh…yeah…. But how did you? Oh, of course, you touched the couch."
"No actually," Johnny chuckled, "I saw him this morning about the investigation I'm working on for the paper. Dana and I were going over the latest police reports."
Sarah laughed and rolled her eyes.
"As a matter of fact, I've got to meet Dana again in about an hour so that we can drive down to the coast. The lobster boats and distribution office for the company are both there and I have to take a look at some of things that have been vandalized."
Sarah wasn't happy about this piece of news at all. She couldn't help it, she was worried about Johnny; she didn't think he was ready to take on something as big as this investigation. It was dangerous. What if the people who were destroying the boats decided to come after him?
And as for that reporter, Dana, Sarah didn't want Johnny anywhere near her.
Well she was just going to have to tell Johnny how she felt, no matter what Walt said about her old friend being able to take care of himself. She knew Johnny and she knew he sometimes leaped before he looked and that could get him hurt this time.
"You've been spending an awful lot of time with this investigation haven't you? Are you sure, it's not too much for you right now? I mean…I don't know Johnny; this just seems so…so…much! You shouldn't push yourself too hard."
"Me? Push too hard?" Giving Sarah an innocent look. Johnny did not want to get into this with Sarah right now. He knew she meant well, but she was still seeing him as injured and incapable. It was also possible that she might just be jealous of Dana Bright.
Sarah laughed in spite of herself. He could always make her laugh even when she didn't want too.
"Yes, you! Don't try to give me that innocent look! It might work with poor innocent souls who don't know you as well," glancing Bruce's direction, "but not me."
"Oh, so this is nothing new for him? I had a feeling he was an old pro at "avoiding" what he doesn't like." Bruce couldn't himself; this was classic 'Mr. Avoider', material.
Johnny looked from one to the other, knowing he wasn't fooling either of them. But his eyes came back to rest on Bruce. "Hey, you know there are plenty of other therapists out there."
Bruce gave a look of mock hurt. "Oh really? Well none of them would be as good-looking as me!"
"You have a point!"
Their laughter was interrupted by the ring of Bruce's cell phone. "Sorry, it's the hospital, I've got to take the call. I'll be right back." He stepped out the front door of the house, closing it behind him.
"So, how are you and Dana getting along?"
"Okay. She's actually a very through reporter."
Sarah's expression left no doubt that she was very unimpressed. Jealousy was a terrible thing, especially when she felt it for someone other than her husband.
"Well, do you think, this – investigation thing- is gonna take long? I mean, I hope you'll still have time to come to Johnny's soccer game this weekend." And to see me as well, she wanted to say, but she really didn't have the right to voice that sentiment.
"Sarah," he said soothingly, " I'll always have time for…Johnny" He gave a half smile of reassurance.
They sat for a moment regarding each other in silence. Sarah's heart was in her eyes- Johnny could see it and it was tearing him up. What an unbelievable situation to be in. He wanted to lean all the way over and just kiss her senseless and then some, but she wasn't his to kiss- not anymore. If the look in her eyes was any indication, she wanted that every bit as much as he did.
But where would that take them, to bed, for guilty sex? What did she want? Did Johnny represent a longing for what might have been in her life had she made different choices? Did she want to unravel her marriage and her family for a life with him? Did she want to devastate their only child by telling him the man he thought was Daddy isn't?
Johnny didn't like the some of the answers; in fact he didn't like most of the questions. And right now he wasn't ready move beyond building his life back one step at a time.
The bottom line was, Sarah had her opportunity to choose five years ago. Her choice changed her life and his. Her choice was Walt Bannerman and at this point there was no second chance.
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The scenery whizzed by the passenger side window of Dana's car at a near alarming speed. Johnny was used to Bruce's 'low-rider' approach to driving that said, 'drive slow to make sure everyone gets a good look at the car and who's in it'.
Dana on the other hand, viewed driving as a game – one she needed to win. He supposed that her driving was much like the rest of her personality, she liked to be first and she usually got what she wanted. Much different than Sarah...
"Penny for your thoughts", Dana kept her eyes on the road, but shot him a quick glance.
Johnny turned to look at her profile and felt a little guilty that he had been daydreaming. He hadn't been much company since seeing Sarah earlier.
"Oh…sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." He managed a smile and shifted back toward her in an effort to be more social.
"It just seemed like your was something on your mind. Wanna talk about it?"
"Maybe some other time. So, what's the plan after we reach the office?"
Dana sighed inwardly. She knew he was thinking about Sarah. Johnny told her that he spent part of the day with her little boy.
Now, that she thought about it, there was a good chance that the kid was his –Johnny's not Walt's. That would make this a little harder if it were true. More challenging, definitely more challenging, but what the hell, she thrived on a challenge.
Johnny Smith was going to forget all about Sarah Bannerman, he just didn't know it yet.
"Mr. Roark should be there. We should talk to him first. I want to hear his version of that encounter with the vigilantes."
"Does he know about me?"
"Of course he does, Greg filled him in. But I don't think he buys in to one bit of it! Roark is a practical guy so asking a "psychic" to help him is way beyond his comfort zone. He believes in what he can see and feel, period."
"I know the feeling. So do I."
End Part 2