Chapter 16 "Genius of Love"

(Song Suggestion: "Genius of Love" by the Tom Tom Club)

September 1983- same day

Peter

I usually don't interfere in others' affairs, but I felt it necessary to involve Spengler and Janine. Egon was about to sabotage his happiness because he feared losing control of his life and needed help. I also knew that Janine wouldn't wait around forever for him, nor did I think she should.

"Got a minute, Melnitz," I inquired as our pretty secretary typed something on her computer.

Curtly, Janine nodded and stopped her typing expectantly. I grabbed a chair from my office and rolled it over to her desk with a big smile.

"Uh oh, what's wrong," she probed suspiciously, her blue eyes flashing concern.

"Nothing, just wanted to talk to you."

"Uh-huh," she replied, giving me a sideways glance, carefully, " is this about Egon?"

"Well, now that you mentioned it. I normally do not interfere in the affairs of others. Still, since he has emotional issues, I feel like I need to," I informed.

"Explain," Janine demanded, noticeably distressed, making eye contact with me.

"First, relax, Brooklyn, it's fine. Has Spengler been avoiding you since you two danced at the bar?"

"Why do you ask," she quizzed me, raising an eyebrow, then opened her desk to retrieve an Emory board.

"Come on, I'm not trying to cause problems," I protested, pleadingly, " you know Egon's a close friend of mine. I want to help him out."

"I'm sure he has been busy, but no, he hasn't spoken to me much," she answered tentatively, hiding her disappointment poorly while looking at her fingernails. Janine began to file them with an emery board.

"Do you know why," I inquired?

Shrugging, she repeated that Egon had been busy with his research."

"That might be true, for all I know, because he is working on something constantly, especially for his goal of Nobel recognition. However, I know he's analyzing what to do with you," I stated.

"What to do with me? Janine repeated, incredulously, thick of her nasal accent.

"Egon worries that you may be a distraction," I explained.

"We have been on one date," our secretary exclaimed in an upset manner, at first, but then she took a deep breath and recovered her calm.

"All those emotions were overpowering to him, and now he is discomforted," I continued, taking a pen off of her desk and tapping it, repeatedly, much to her annoyance.

"Please don't tap," Janine quickly snapped," did he send you to talk to me?"

I stopped the pen tapping on the desk and moved it to my upper thigh. Usually, that was my anxiety twitch.

" No, not at all. Listen, I'm trying to explain that Egon may withdraw from you for a while until he can figure everything out, but that doesn't mean that he has stopped caring about you," I elucidated.

For a while, Janine pensively worked on filing her nails then she rapidly put her emory board back in her drawer.

"I guess that explains why he would avoid me like the plague after we flirt—uhm shared a nice moment," she admitted, shaking her red hair with an extended sigh, adding that "it's a tad on the frustrating side, though and I don't understand it. I miss talking to him."

"Yeah, and you two always said nothing was going on," I accused, playfully, with a toothy grin.

"There wasn't. I didn't have any indication that he might be interested until we played poker," Brooklyn countered indignantly as her face turned fire-engine red but elucidated further, "until then, we had a string of semi flirtatious interactions."

"True. Janine, I had never seen Egon act auspiciously the way he did when he was with you at the bar in the eight years that I have known him. He is usually uptight, serious, and uncomfortable. You have seen him with that one ex-girlfriend, that artist, you saw in the picture... He would never have kissed her, held her hand, or danced with her in public. You bring something out in him that has a profound effect on him and his behavior."

"Me?!"

"Yes, and he's struggling internally. That's what I am trying to explain to you. All of this is an immense indication that you are special to him, Janine," I responded sincerely, then added, "Egon recognizes that, and it scares him."

"Aww," she sighed, suddenly looking satisfied.

" I know, that's why I'm trying to help you two," I confessed, "as hard as he attempted to disregard you since the beginning, he couldn't ignore you despite himself."

Our phone rang sonorously, and Janine beamed at me as she answered the ringing phone, "Ghostbusters, whaddya want?"

Meanwhile, I was proud that I chose to talk to her, I realized, hoping Egon wouldn't be too angry with me. Right now, I didn't have to tell him. It was like planting a seed and watching it grow, I equated. When the phone call finished, our sassy secretary questioned me,

"Do I wait for him to ask me out, or do I ask him out, or should I do nothing."

"Hmm. That's an interesting question. Whatever you do, keep it low-key. You can ask him out, but it needs to be something downplayed as he did on the rooftop. It was a date, but not an 'official' one where he could have been rejected."

"Maybe I should wait a couple of days," Janine commented thoughtfully, running her fingernails on her desk.

"Of course, he might talk himself out of the whole thing, too, leaving you mad as hell. There isn't a normal when it comes to Spengler," I warned, holding my hand up. Janine ignored that comment, and her face appeared thoughtfully.

"Other than collecting spores, mold, and fungus, what does he like to do? I wouldn't have thought he liked to dance, but he danced two Fridays ago. Egon said he had fun when I asked him," she asked later.

"If you call that dancing, Jesus," I laughed, remembering him moving around with Janine, totally enchanted with her in the bar.

"You didn't tease him about it, did you?"

"The way he danced? No, that he danced, you betcha," I clarified, still chuckling at the memory of my geeky 6'2 friend jumping up and down attempting to keep the rhythm of the music. However, I recalled the enthralled expression he had when he was with Janine, fondly.

"It was darling," Janine muttered, blushing with a big, bright smile.

" Let me get back to you about his interests outside of science; as far as I know, there aren't any," I remarked, and the Brooklynite turned her attention back to her work. Rising from my seat, I decided to make a little fun with her by saying, "Oh Dr. Spengler, you have such a long particle thrower. It's sooo hard."

"Ok, you are done here. Keep it moving, Dr. Venkman. I have work to do," Janine stated, attempting to conceal her laughter, turning beat red once again.

"Or is it 'you know that PKE Meter really turns me on, baby,'" I continued walking backward from her desk as I observed Janine pick up something off of her desk to chunk at me.

"You say those things to him?" Janine questioned and threw a pen at me. Luckily, she missed.

"No, I'm a professional, Janine," I answered, giving her a severe look, and then she threw something else at me. I ran upstairs to prepare for my date, sticking my tongue out at her when she countered, "yeah, right."

The Next Day

Janine

During our dinner date on the roof and even the night before at the bar, my crush appeared to be immensely pleased with our growing affection for each other. The next workday, he avoided me again, and I was annoyed and even a little hurt. Luckily, Dr. V. came to me yesterday offering some advice and information, which was gold.

At seven in the evening, I bravely approached Dr. Spengler in the lab, and I fortified my courage before entering the room. Our exchange from the previous day was uncomfortable, and I wasn't sure how this would go. Luckily, Peter had gone to the movies with a date, and Ray watched a sports match at the bar.

"Hi," I greeted, sidling up next to Egon, who was writing on a notepad, furiously as he sat at a lab table.

He didn't look up until he finished his thought and then said, "hello," absentmindedly.

"How are you, Egon" I questioned pleasantly.

"Feeling defeated at the moment," he remarked, a frown appearing on his handsome long face as he tore the paper up and threw it in the trash can. Egon finally raised his head to meet my eye line with a thwarted look.

"You sound agitated," I responded cheerfully, "It sounds like you need a break."

He grunted a response, so I took aggressive action. Egon's brown eyes met mine in absolute confusion and dismay as I took the pen out of his hand and his notepad away and placed them on another table.

"Would you give me fifteen minutes? I have missed talking with you, pretty please," I inquired sweetly, treating him to a bright smile and batting my eyelashes at him.

"I need to solve this problem," he responded, wryly, gazing at me, perplexed.

"Let's go for a walk. It will help you focus better later on. Oh! There's a new ice cream place not far from here. We can try," I suggested excitedly.

"Mmm," he mumbled, eventually not giving me a direct answer. Then I tried to tempt him away from his work another way by walking behind him and massaging his shoulders.

"No wonder you are having trouble, Dr. Spengler. You are extremely tense; let me help you, please, Egon," I whispered persuasively as I rubbed them a bit with a bit of pressure from my hands.

For the next five to ten minutes, I kneaded his tight neck, shoulder, and arms muscles, and he let out murmurs of contentment as I enjoyed feeling his warm flesh through his stiff starched shirt in my hands.

"Ahhhh, that feels so wonderful, Janine. Thank you," he admitted slowly.

Mischievously, I couldn't cease from placing light kisses on the back of Egon's neck and his ears, even though I wanted to kiss his lips.

"Ohhh, that's even better," he moaned in delight.

"If you like that, turn around for the next surprise," I teased, seductively, in his ear.

Rapidly, Egon turned around in his chair to face me, which surprised me, with a raised eyebrow and a twinkle in his brown eyes. I opened his legs up wide and moved in between them so I could put my arms around his neck, and he immediately placed his hands on my hips as I fluttered my eyelashes at him. Gradually, I leaned in to give him a sensual kiss that was hopeful for more to come. As we snogged unremittingly, I crushed my breasts into his chest, feeling electric shocks where our bodies touched. Our lips parted with a resounding smack much later as I opened my eyes to observe Egon's awe-struck face, and I giggled bashfully. I felt just as astounded by the passionate kiss as he did and murmured up to him, "Oh, I adore kissing you, Egon."

He chuckled and then concluded smartly, "I think you may be telling me that it's been too long since we have kissed, and I agree heartily."

Beaming at him, I whispered, " Dr. Spengler, how intelligent you are! Now, how are you going to rectify the situation, darling?"

Egon's lips turned upwards into a genuinely joyful grin when I used that term of endearment with him, although he did blush heavily.

"Too much," I questioned, uneasy.

"Uhm…no…I…like it," he stammered, his face and neck turning red, "I like you, Janine. Very much."

"Well, I happen to like you very much, too," I remarked playfully, and he grinned toothless at me.

"Thankfully, or this would be awkward," he joked with me back, pulling me in for an extended sensuous kiss.

"Oh my, Egon," I responded when the kiss broke, feeling hot and aroused. Desperately, I wanted another kiss like that, and I exhaled slowly, giving him a lazy smile. Egon's brown brilliant eyes glinted happily.

"That's how I feel around you," he confessed slowly, " I want you to know that."

"Oh? Show me again," I requested coyly, wrapping my arms around his neck and sitting up on his lap to meet his eye line.

With a naughty expression on his face that gave me shivers down my spine, Egon recreated the action that was sending my body into overdrive.

"Oh yes," I groaned.

Next, he suggested leaving the firehouse by seductively murmuring it in my right ear. The sexy physicist's words tickled my ears and made me simper. Gradually, I pulled back from him, let my arms drop from his neck, then shoulders and chest. I withdrew my body from his warm one, keeping my hungry eyes on him the whole time.

"Why is everything you do sexy," he conceded with a low throaty groan and kissed my hand. Chuckling, I excused myself to go to the restroom.

"I'll be ready to go in three minutes," Egon promised, still holding onto my right hand playfully. He let it go gently, and I walked away.

"I feel like I have hardly had an opportunity to speak with you the past couple of weeks, " my favorite physicist apologetically mentioned. On Egon's adorable face was a half-smile while we walked the way to the new ice cream shop. Squeezing his hand, I felt ecstatic.

"It's been a busy week," I agreed, enthusiastic about spending some time with him. Although I wanted to ask him why he ignored me since our first date, I held back for right now.

It was a fantastic fall night as we walked the crowded streets of NYC, and I was pleased that I brought my blue cardigan to wear as the wind picked up. As we walked to the restaurant, we chatted easily. On occasion, Egon would kiss my hand gently as we stopped at a street corner for the red light with a group of people surrounding us.

"I have missed talking to you," he revealed nervously.

"I feel the same way," I confessed, squeezing his hand. We smiled at each other as we waited for the light to change to green.

Oblivious to everything around us, we walked hand in hand across the street, conversing. We had two more blocks to go. With the constant crowd of people around us, we strolled along the streets of Manhattan on a Saturday night where tree leaves were changing to oranges, browns, and dark reds. Finally, we crossed the last street before we made a left turn.

"Ok. Tell me the truth, did you come with me for the ice cream or to spend time with me," I asked, playfully, with a twinkle in my eyes, as we stood in a very long line that ran outside the new business.

"You may never know," he flirted, using his arms to bring me closer to him for a hug.

"Oh, are we flirting today?" I placed my hands on his chest as he rested his hands on my waist.

"I thought you said you liked it," he quizzed me, his brown eyes perplexed.

"I do," I replied, snuggling my body closer to him and putting my head on his chest, whispering, "don't overthink it, Egon."

He pulled back, looking into my eyes, then he chuckled throatily, "That's hard for me to do because I solve problems for a living."

" I can aid you with that," I flirted, giving him a million-dollar grin.

Egon raised his right eyebrow at me in a question.

" I love when you give that look," I confessed, and Egon leaned closer to my face, lifting my chin with his hand, and gave me another fantastic kiss. My body felt stimulated all over.

"Jesus, lady, can you all move up?" The man behind us asked impatiently. Our kiss ended when he interrupted us.

"There are eight people in front of us. The line isn't moving," Egon responded drily, turning around to face the annoyed man and grasping my hand. Hence, we caught up with the family in front of us.

Giggling, I hugged him close to me again. Afterward, he responded huskily, in my left ear, "In all honesty. I wanted to spend time with you, Janine."

We embraced and joyfully canoodled as we waited in line, and I adored the way his arms felt around me. Finally, forty-five minutes later, we were almost at the front of the line and glancing at the menu.

"What looks good to you," I asked him as he studied the menu.

"Everything."

"Another reason why I chose this place. Me and ice cream, how could I go wrong? You were defenseless," I joked lovingly.

"You are sweeter than ice cream, " he commented, standing closely behind me with his arms around my waist.

"Peter said that Egon wasn't affectionate, but here he is kissing me and hugging me," I thought joyfully.

"And I don't melt," I quipped back.

"I relish your sense of humor," he whispered raspily in my right ear, then kissed my cheek.

I ordered some strawberry sherbet in a cup and Egon triple scoop chocolate in a cone when it was time to order.

"Twinkies and triple chocolate ice cream," I inquired, simpering as I observed my love going at his cone-like he hadn't had any sugar today. After we stepped out of the ice cream shop, he said, eventually, "Yes."

"May I ask why you were drinking on that Friday night at the bar? I thought you said you don't normally drink," I inquired curiously.

As we strolled towards Central Park, we ate our dessert.

"Oh, Uhm, I was vehemently..ahem.. livid that you went out with Bateman, jealous, " he honestly remarked, clearing his throat first.

I finished my spoonful of sherbert and gave him a bright smile.

"That was the point, Egon. I didn't care about him," I replied softly and stopped walking to watch his reaction.

Next, he kissed me tenderly quickly, and I ended up tasting some of his ice cream, so I simpered.

"You are way out of my league, Janine. You are overall a fantastic woman," Dr. Spengler divulged softly, making eye contact with me, and my heart melted. When Egon peered into my eyes like that, it felt like he was reading my soul, and it gave me shivers.

"Oh, that is so kind of you to say, Egon," I commented, squeezing his arm.

We continued to walk and talk when I asked him, "Where are we going? Your turn."

Egon pointed at Central Park in front of us, and we came across the lights that illuminated the area as we approached it. Nodding, I agreed. There was classical music coming from the site as there were often concerts in the park. We talked and finished eating our ice cream before we arrived at the famous park. Nonetheless, everyone enjoyed the evening here too, so there weren't any benches to sit on.

"Are you opposed to sitting on the grass," he asked, with his sexy half-grin.

I shook my head and chose a spot by an oak tree. Egon sat with his back against it on the soft grass, and I kneeled next to him. Then I snuggled up next to his body, putting my head on his shoulder, and he tightly put his arm around me then glanced downwards at my lips with a devilish gaze. I lifted my face towards Egon until my lips met his soft lips, as we continued to osculate for an extended period. As we kissed, our passion grew hotter and hotter.

"Ohh, that's great, darling, please don't stop," I moaned afterward.

Shutting my eyes happily, I enjoyed the feeling of his lips on every inch of my face. When Egon ceased, I placed my arms around his waist and pulled him closer, kissing him back.

"Janine, I don't think you could stop me from kissing you," he answered breathlessly afterward and started on the other side of my neck.

Egon

Janine and I spent most Saturday night in Central Park under a hearty oak tree canoodling. She was right, and it was just the thing that I needed. It surprised me that I didn't feel self-conscious about being so affectionate with Janine in public because, typically, it made me feel like people were watching. With her by my side, I didn't care.

"Do you like classical music," I questioned her, randomly, as she caressed my face with her tiny right hand, making me feel giddy?

"Some Beethoven, Wagoner, Debussey, Vivaldi, and some others. My grandparents on my Mom's side would make us listen to it when we were at their house. At the time, I hated it, but I've grown to appreciate it. It helps me relax and sometimes sleep," Janine answered.

"I like those pianists too," I said absentmindedly, running my hand through her smooth reddish-brown hair, and she pulled me down to kiss again. We spent the rest of the evening in the park in each other's arms until the orchestra stopped playing at eleven in the evening. Afterward, we jumped on a subway to Brooklyn, so I knew she made it safely home.

The Next Morning

"How was your date," Ray asked Venkman the following day, with a smile.

"No complaints, did you see the game? Who won," Peter responded.

My business partners discussed the Knicks game as I quietly worked on a sketch for another device. Janine was right; I was able to focus once I relaxed.

"Guess who went on a date with our lovely secretary/computer systems major last night," Ray inquired of Peter, chuckling.

"You dog," he replied, grinning, "taking my advice finally?"

" Wow, Iggy is speechless! What did you two end up doing," Ray asked, unable to hide his amazement while I stayed quiet but happy.

"Before she left for the evening, Janine asked me if I wanted to eat ice cream," I said, trying not to smile.

"Ooh, ice cream? Did you get a cherry on top too," Peter suggestively mentioned, raising an eyebrow.

Disregarding him, I elucidated, "then we sat in Central Park listening to a free concert."

"Have fun," Venkman probed, waiting for more information, but I wasn't going to give him any.

Nodding, I kept on sketching, trying to stay focused.

"Yep, Spengler came back with grass stains on his clothes and lipstick on his collar," Ray joked," he had a perfect time."

Rolling my eyes, I didn't comment as I thought about my enjoyable time with an angel from Brooklyn.

"Perhaps you are also a 'genius of love', and not just science," Peter cracked a joke at my expense as the song of the same name came on the radio.

"Ugh," I grumbled at his attempt at a bad joke then disregarded his laughter.

"That was a truly awful joke, Venkie," Ray agreed and rolled his eyes upward.