Chapter 16 "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow"

June 19, 1984

(Song suggestion: "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" by Fleetwood Mac)

Egon

Luckily, after only four hours of sleep, I reached my parents by phone the following day. They were exhilarated and proudly congratulated me, causing me to feel incredibly accomplished when I informed them about my award.

"Dr. Venkman, it is not in my job description to write your biography for these reporters that want to write an article about you," our secretary argued in her heavy accent. Janine and Peter were squabbling already as I worked in my office, and she only arrived thirty minutes ago.

"Not a full biography, like a blurb, just like a paragraph. Besides, this is our business getting recognition. This is a good thing," Venkman tried to persuade her.

When I left my office, I saw Janine had put down her green watering can and placed her hands on her hips. Perturbed, she glared at him only in the way she could. I had been on the receiving end of that glare, and the aftermath was not a pleasurable experience. My heart rate heightened as I walked to her desk to inform her of my award.

"Half of the things I do here weren't in my job description," Janine angrily countered as I came up behind her desk.

She wrote something down on a pad of paper with a pencil, protesting," Now, I am supposed to write biographies for each of you? I am not a writer."

There was a lull in the conversation for a while as they both realized I was standing behind her desk, waiting to share my news. I felt energized about it like a child who made all "A"'s on their report card.

"What is it, Iggy," Peter inquired, wide-eyed. Curiously, Janine turned her beautiful blue eyes towards me, and she wore a polite smile on her lush lips.

"Janine," I excitedly remarked, ignoring Venkman," Did Peter tell you what happened last night?"

My ex glared at my balding friend skeptically and snapped, "You slept with another woman? I thought you were all broken up about the chick that dumped you."

"No, it's about Iggy, Janine," he retorted, emphasizing my name.

"Oh, What happened, Dr. Spengler?"

"Ouch," I thought, "every time she calls me Dr. Spengler and not Egon, it burns a hole in my heart."

"Last night, I won the award for the physicist of the year for 1983 for my theory on—-," I relayed, impatiently, my pulse increased as I waited for her approval.

"That's excellent. I know you deserve it," Janine exclaimed passionately at first and then corrected herself, saying solemnly, "Congratulations, Dr. Spengler."

My face fell when her enthusiasm faded, and she conversed to me in a more brusque and business-like way. After Janine spoke, she immediately put her head down and started working. Disappointed, I stared at her for a while until Peter convinced me to follow him upstairs, and her response mystified me. And immensely hurt.

"Come on, Iggy, surely you didn't expect her to jump up out of her seat and give you a kiss like you didn't break up with her almost six weeks ago," Peter cautioned in a hiss as we climbed the stairs.

"I—I— don't know," I replied perplexed, "Janine knows how hard I have worked for recognition. I thought she would be happy for me because she knows how hard I work."

"Egon, I'm sure Janine is pleased for you and your achievement. However, your actions hurt her. Don't you see that" Peter beseeched me as we made it up to the top of the stairs. I nodded and glanced downward at Janine as she picked up the phone and spoke.

"Maybe my life doesn't have meaning without her," I gently concluded.

Ray.

Janine entered the landing with a note in her right hand and gave it to Venkman.

"Brooklyn, I'm sorry I helped you get involved with Egon. All he has done is damage your feelings, and you deserve better," Peter gravely disclosed,sitting up in his chair.

The petite Brooklynite couldn't decide if Venkman was joking or not, so she stood there with her hands on her hips, staring. Peter retrieved a cigarette from the half-crumpled pack on the table silently.

"Where is this coming from," Janine demanded, narrowing her eyes at her boss, and then joined us sitting down at the table.

"I feel poorly for my role in it all. You are in pain, he's in pain, it's a mess," Peter shrugged, lighting up a smoke.

"Dr. Venkman, this job has been a blessing and a curse. I don't blame you or Ray for encouraging me or helping us with our relationship," Janine truthfully spoke after an extended pause.

Examining her startled reaction, the sarcastic Ghostbuster revealed," You are lucky I did not let him come to your apartment last night and wake you up with this news."

Janine's blue eyes grew more prominent in size than I had ever seen them with that new information, but she spoke, " thank you for that, Peter. Maybe you talked some sense into him."

Venkman nodded and puffed on his smoke.

"I am truly happy for him," the petite lady hesitantly remarked.

By the way, Egon thanked you in his acceptance speech last night. He said without your support that he wouldn't have won the award," Venkman elucidated, giving her a playful wink.

Gratified by this admission, Janine nodded, her cheeks turning a rosy color and her pretty face displayed a genuinely pleased grin.

Janine

Despite my cold demeanor towards Egon, I was proud of his accomplishment. If we were still together, we would have celebrated all last night by making love.

"Back to the real world," I quipped.

"I have to run errands," I remembered, " I need to get the guys dry cleaning, deposit money at the bank and go shopping."

Consequently, I climbed the stairs again and went into the kitchen to examine the cupboards. I kept a small notepad and pencil by the phone to write notes for phone messages. Picking up the pad, I removed a page of paper and wrote down some items to pick up at the grocery store-twinkies, cokes, bread, chips, jelly, bread, chicken, hamburger meat, Cheez-it's, and peanut butter. I questioned Ray and Peter for their requests for additional items.

"Cigarettes, beer, toothpaste for me, shampoo, and conditioner for my hair," Peter replied.

"What hair?" I snapped, and Ray laughed.

"This," Dr. Venkman pointed to the top of his head, and I snickered.

"I need some more pens," Ray requested, looking up from his reading, " you should check with Spengler too."

"Morning, I'm going to run errands a bit. Is there anything that you need me to pick up other than your dry cleaning," I politely greeted, approaching my ex at the workstation in the lab.

Dr.Spengler was impeccably dressed as always in a white button-down shirt, black pants, and a maroonish tie with the white lab coat over his shirt. I felt my pulse quicken at the sight of him because he was highly desirable.

"Just more notepads, please, Janine. Thank you," he responded his voice containing the distinct tone of injury. To shield his disappointment, the theoretical physicist had buried himself into his work. Egon's head was down, but I knew he was sulking.

"Dr. Spengler," I stated, softening my tone and touching the back of his broad shoulder gingerly.

Zap!

"There was the spark that I always felt when touching him," I thought, my skin feeling a shock from the electricity. It had been almost two months since we had last touched each other.

"Yes," he coldly replied.

" You know how proud I am of you," I softly revealed, gaping into the side of his face as he made some calculations. Like a child, Egon grunted in disbelief.

"Please look at me, Egon" I softly asked, removing my hand from his shoulder.

Dr. Spengler finally turned to face me, and I noticed his injured expression again as I spoke,

"You are a superb theoretical physicist who deserves this award and many more in the future. You should be exceptionally proud of yourself, and I am, too. All of your hard work and dedication paid off, and you are on your way to a Nobel, your dream."

Our eyes met.

"Thank you," Dr. Spengler finally confessed, "it means more from you. Thank you for all of your support with my work- I wouldn't be able to have done it without you, Janine."

Chagrined, I blushed heavily at the compliment, and I walked away as speedily as I could. I first retrieved the money bag to deposit from my purse. Next, I removed my high heel shoes and put on to my flats to run errands and then I vacated the premises.

Opening the door, I squinted as I felt the luminous sunlight warm my face and grinned. It was a nice change from the cold air conditioning firehouse, and I enjoyed its feeling. After retrieving my sunglasses from my purse, I put them on and strolled towards the bank. I knew it would be busy because it was close to lunchtime, but I didn't mind.

As I continued my errands, I fought with keeping Egon off of my mind.

Ray

It was chaotic with my two business partners and best friends going through break-ups. It had been ongoing with Egon, but it was brand spanking new with Pete. Spengler had signs of a jealous ex-boyfriend before he and Janine dated seriously in December.

Once the mysterious woman dropped the ladies' man, Peter Venkman, like a hot potato, he took it very hard.. He wasn't in love. Based on our conversations recently, Pete was tired of sleeping around without really creating an emotional connection with a lady. That was my speculation, anyway.

For once, Venkmam was uncommonly silent about the woman he had dated casually, not offering any extraneous details about their sex life. It was almost like the Twilight Zone eerie. Whenever I pressed Pete about it, he shut down right away. He was now unhappy as hell, and sad because of a chick. That never ever happened.

Janine

With encouragement from my friends, I re-entered the dating scene again in June. I went on a first date with one of Lucy's friends and then another first date with a friend of my sister's brother, Victor. Doris enthusiastically declared that he would be the man to assist in my recovery over Egon. When I told her that I wasn't sure if I wanted to recuperate from him, she was stubborn about me giving him a try and wouldn't take no for an answer.

I knew that I still adored Egon Spengler. However, both my sister and Lucy wouldn't allow me to say no and they were extremely convincing when persuading me to go back to the dating scene.

Victor worked in an advertising company with Broadway plays. We had attended the Fixx concert where I had won tickets and we sat on the lawn, enjoying the music and some stilted conversation. He was aware that I had been getting over someone I had never named, and that I wasn't looking for anything too serious. A few days later, Victor had called the firehouse and requested a date for the next weekend.

I noticed that he became more grave about our relationship, even though I frequently reminded him that it wasn't what I wanted. To some extent, Victor heard what he wanted to be like any man alive.

Unfortunately, I was at the point where I wanted to end it with him just after he requested me to go to the opera with him. I had never been to the cultural activity and found it quite interesting. However, Bree, my best friend, Wendy, Lucy, and I discussed the situation when we were at our apartment drinking wine on a Friday night after a long work week.

"Just remind Victor that you are getting over someone but agree to go," Bree suggested as I braided her long dark hair, turning her head to face me.

"Bree, your braid is going to be uneven now because you moved," I reprimanded, hitting her over the head with her hairbrush.

"Ow!" my friend cried.

She instantly turned around and stuck her tongue out at me with a bratty expression on her face.

"It's your hair," I conceded and braided it again.

"Just tell him that you will go with him, but not as a date," Lucy advised, bringing another bottle of red wine to the table. We were on our third bottle, and it was now nine in the evening, and I was feeling extraordinarily tipsy.

"Why do you want to go to the Opera anyway," Wendy inquired skeptically, " it's just a bunch of people singing."

She grimaced at me as she refilled her glass.

"I have never been, and did you see this dress that I found," I inquired, jumping up in excitement, leaving Bree's hair unbraided as I rushed to my room to try it on.

The sleek dress was red satin and sleeveless and fit like a glove, and it stopped a little short of my knees and had matching red gloves that went to my elbows. Despite the alcohol slowing me down, I speedily changed into the dress. I analyzed and admired myself in the full-length mirror. With this garment, I felt like the most gorgeous and chic woman in the world.

"Oooh," Bree cooed as I twirled around my friends in it , "Whoa, mama!"

"Oh, Janine, you can't wear that. Victor's going to think you will put out," Wendy warily announced, her eyes bulging out her head.

"Come on; you are exaggerating. Do you see how fabulous I look" I demanded, putting my hand on my hip, rolling my blue eyes upward in annoyance.

"No, I think she's right, J. Victor is going to assume he's getting some," Lucy agreed as I turned around in the dress.

"Well, he's not," I stated defensively.

"I have the perfect pair of red stilettos to loan you," Bree commented, inspecting the dress, "You need a necklace, though."

"Pearls," I replied, "My grandmother's, and I will wear her earrings, too."

"This dress might be hotter than the Goddess dress," Wendy insinuated sneakily, bringing up Egon.

"Drink until I say stop- 1-2-3-4-5-6, STOP," Bree yelled at Wendy, and I grinned. Before dinner began, we agreed on playing a drinking game where if one of us brought up an ex, she would have to drink until the others said to halt.

" But I didn't even say that man's that you work with a name," Wendy protested, good-naturedly, but she participated.

"I am going to go ahead and say it now. Egon would not let you out of the house with that dress on before throwing you on your bed and copulating for hours," Wendy declared, turning red in the cheeks.

"Drink! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8- STOP," Bree and Lucy screamed in unison.

My face flushed hot as I grinned.

"Janine, you know that is true. You two were having sex like rabbits," Wendy added, grinning.

I didn't meet their gaze as I thought about the many times Egon and I coupled and their wonderfulness. Lucy commanded,

"Ok, Janine, you have to drink because you are sitting there contemplating being bedded by Dr. Spengler."

Then the younger brunette realized her mistake, and she slapped her forehead as a result.

"Drink! Everyone raise their glass, and we are going to do it together," Wendy said, picking up her glass, laughing.

"What are we saying?"

"Egon freaking Spengler," Wendy mouthed, "on the count of three, and we are going to drink as long as we can. Ok, ready, one two three."

"Egon ' freaking' Spengler!"

Easily, I was the weakest drinker of the bunch, so I put the glass down way before as the other three finished. I wobbled into my room, unzipped my dress, hung up the dress, and redressed quickly. Lightheaded from the alcohol, I returned into the living room and flopped on the sofa where my friends gossiped. My heart noisily thumped in my chest as I thought about Egon and how things were while we were dating. I gazed at my charm bracelet, the sapphire heart charm, and the rose for a second.

"We were happy, weren't we?" I thought to myself, contemplating the question.

"Why couldn't I be going to the Opera with Egon," I thought only to myself. Instantaneously, my friends ended their conversation, and they glowered at me. I mistakenly had said my opinion for all to hear.

"Damn it, Wendy," Bree scolded, pulling a strand of her long blonde hair in protest, causing my roommate to cry out in pain, " I knew you shouldn't have brought him up."

"Hell, it isn't her fault, Bree; it's Egon's; he's on my mind frequently even when I go out of my way to evade him at work or date Victor," I replied, truthfully.

"What would the brilliant Dr. Spengler have to do to win you back," Lucy inquired earnestly, "have you thought about it, really pondered it?"

I sat up and didn't respond. Of course, I had thought about it, but Egon and I had been through so much already. Was it worth attempting again? Just last year, it took him six months to admit that he thought I was attractive. My traitorous heart acknowledged that our love was worth giving another chance. Still, my brain was immensely heedful of being hurt. As those thoughts ran through my head, I expressed them.

"Yea, Egon's the problem. I don't think love is a problem for either of you. He's bashful about being in a relationship, although you have never given him a reason to be," Wendy stated, wearily.

"He's afraid to lose whether it's his career or Janine," Lucy persisted.

"And didn't you originally buy that dress in April because you told Egon you wanted to go to the opera?"

My face reddened as I nodded, " Yes, but I can't let this magnificent dress go to waste because Egon's a moron. "

"True," Bree agreed, grinning at me.

"Ok, stop, let's not get into this right now," Wendy interrupted abruptly, standing up to open the new bottle of wine, "we are all here to unwind from a long week, so let's do it."