"No. Do you? Have a girlfriend, I mean," Jessie said.
Now Kellerman really did laugh out loud. He loved the way this girl made him see how absurd his life was. It was comedic, not tragic, that he slept with Julianna twice and yet they'd never gone on a real date. He and Julianna didn't owe each other a damn thing.
"No," Kellerman said.
They reached for each other almost simultaneously. Their kisses were desperate, almost like tonight would be their last on earth.
Kellerman pulled Jessie onto the bed. Her legs were so smooth.
They clung to each other. And they both cried a little, knowing that what Kellerman had said earlier was true: No matter what they did tonight, their problems would still be around tomorrow.
Afterwards, they lay in each other's arms, not wanting to let go. Kellerman was amazed that he didn't crave a cigarette or a drink.
"What are we going to do with ourselves?" Kellerman said.
"Maybe I'll try to take some time and sign up for food stamps," Jessie said. "You?"
"I'm going to try to ignore the looks in the squadroom. I'm going to try to believe that in time this'll all blow over," Kellerman said.
"Our lives aren't going to magically get better, but we're going to get through them all right," Jessie said with determination.
"Yes, I think we will," Kellerman said, and kissed her.
A sudden knock on the door shocked Jessie and Kellerman. They nearly leaped apart.
"Don't go anywhere, I'll get rid of whoever it is," Kellerman said, and got out of bed. He pulled on a robe, and opened the door about five inches. Standing there was Lewis.
