A Ride, a Date, and a Scolding

by

Sharon

The following shift had been busy for the paramedics, until after lunch when things seemed to slow down a bit. Grabbing an apple out of the fridge, Johnny sat down on the couch and started to read the newspaper. Henry, who had been lying at the other end of the sofa, got up and the effort needed to ingratiate himself upon the fireman. Always a sucker for animals, Johnny absent-mindedly started to rub the dog behind his ear.

Sitting at the kitchen table Roy found the crossword puzzle in the section Johnny had left behind. To his dismay it was already filled in, he thought to himself it looked like Mike's handwriting as he walked into the day room intent on watching T.V. Reaching his destination, he turned it on and sat down in the chair. Glancing towards his friend he, watched him stroking the dog for a few minutes, then turned his attention towards the mid-afternoon movie to occupy his time. Just as he had finally figured out the plot, Johnny interrupted him. “How was dinner the other night?”

“Pretty good. Had a nice time and Julie enjoyed herself. She seemed pretty shocked that you bought her a gift but she appreciated it.”

“Do you know those poor girls have to drink tea out of a vending machine?”

“So she tells me.”

“That's just wrong, Roy, you can't tell me that the water coming out of those things is hot enough for a tea. It's bad enough having to drink a coffee out of one, could you imagine tea?” Johnny shuddered while showing his disgust.

“No, can't imagine, Partner.” Roy smirked.

“Say, listen, Pally, if the kids want to come out to go riding Saturday, it's fine with me.”

“I'll take it over with Joanne. I'm filling in for Stevens over at 210's. I'll see if she has anything planned.”

“Oh sure, if she's busy, I can always pick them up.” Snapping his fingers, he continued, “Hey, I could always pick them up tomorrow night and they could spend the night.”

“I'll take with…”

Squad 51…man down…1-1-1-5 Oakview Drive…1-1-1-5 Oakview Drive…cross street Clarence…time out 14:45.

Both paramedics were up and in the bay before the dispatcher finished the sentence. Since the engine was already out on a run, Roy stopped at the microphone and acknowledged the call while writing down the address. Johnny stopped at the map on the wall and allowed his finger to trace over the routed needed to get to the call.

Twelve minutes later, the squad rolled to a stop in front of an apartment complex that housed six apartments. Jumping out of the vehicle, Johnny was greeted by a young woman in her early twenties. “Please hurry, it's my husband. He was trying to fix one of the dryers. I'm not sure if he's breathing!”

While closely listening to the woman Johnny opened a compartment in the squad and pulled out the drug box and bio-phone. Rounding the squad from behind, Roy opened another compartment and wasted no time in grabbing the oxygen.

Both paramedics were led into the apartment building's laundry room where they found the woman's husband lying on the floor with an electrical cord still in his hand. Johnny placed the drug box and phone on the ground and started opening a line to Rampart.

Roy stopped rolling the oxygen and assessed the situation. Realizing the cord was probably still live meant neither he nor Johnny could touch the man, let alone give him oxygen. Looking around the room, he noticed a broom sitting in the corner and grabbed it. Placing the handle against the wire, he slowly managed to get the wire out of the man's hand. Turning to the young woman he instructed her to located the breaker box and shut off the breaker leading to the laundry room.

Not taking the time to watch the young woman leave, he dropped to his knees and placed two fingers on the man's throat to feel for a pulse. Glancing up at his partner he just nodded his head in the affirmative. He then placed the much-needed oxygen over the young man's mouth. While doing this, he heard his partner getting Rampart on the horn.

“Rampart, this is Rescue 51, do you copy?”

“Go ahead, 51.” Dr. Morton responded.

“Rampart, we have a victim, uh approximately twenty-five years of age. Looks like an apparent electrical shock, we're currently hooking him up to 02. Stand by for vitals.”

“Standing by, 51.”

While Roy adjusted the flow of the oxygen, Johnny started taking the man's blood pressure. Scratching the results onto his notepad he then counted the man's respirations while Roy got his pulse.

The young wife came back into the room at this point, “Is he alive?”

“Yes ma'am, he'd doing okay. Did you find the breaker?” Roy asked.

“Yes, I shut it off.”

“Good, we're going to have to transport you husband to the hospital, but he should be fine, don't you worry.”

The young woman's worried expression gave way to a small smile as she realized her husband was in good hands and being well taken care of.

After transporting their victim to Rampart and filling up on a few needed supplies, the two headed back to the station. The engine had returned from its run and soon a pot of coffee was being perked and a game of cards started up. The card game was soon interrupted so dinner could be made and eaten, and the dishes cleaned and put away.

The rest of the evening went by slowly as the engine only had two more runs; a small dumpster fire and a false alarm, while the squad had only one run and had also been called out with the engine on the false alarm.

But however, Station 51 was called to a structure fire at one and didn't return to the station to fall into their beds until five o'clock in the morning. Needless to say, all the men grumbled when the morning tones sounded a short two hours later. But, as always, when they'd been out all night, the crew stumbled out of bed and donned their bunker pants, bringing the suspenders up and over their shoulders. Sleepily, they all managed to drink a cup of coffee, but not much was said between the six men as they each tried to shrug off their weariness.

Soon, B-shift arrived, relieving them of duty and all the men eventually made it to their vehicles and finally home to their beds in order to catch up on the sleep they had missed the previous shift.

Somewhere around seven on Friday evening Johnny's phone rang. An excited Jennifer DeSoto was on the other end when he answered it.

“Uncle Johnny! Dad says' you've invited us out tomorrow for our ride!”

“Sure have, Pumpkin. Does your mom say it's okay?”

“Yep, that's why I'm calling. She say's she has a hair appointment in the morning and really needs to go grocery shopping in the afternoon.” Johnny laughed at the sound of Jennifer's distress.

“That's no problem, I can come get you and Chris before she leaves for her appointment. Can I talk with her?”

“Okay, see you tomorrow!”

“Kay.”

“Johnny, Jen says you'd like to talk to me? Is anything wrong?”

“No, I was just wondering what time your appointment is tomorrow?”

“Ten.”

“Kay, Roy says he's working tomorrow, I can come get the kids before your appointment.”

“Sure that'd be great. Why don't you come over for breakfast?”

“Thanks, Jo, but I have some things to do around here.”

“Okay, I'll see you in the morning, would you like to speak to Roy?”

“Sure.”

The two friends talked for over half an hour despite the fact that they had just worked together for twenty-four hours the previous day, and had just left each other less than twelve hours earlier.

~~51~~

After washing the dishes, he spent the next hour cleaning his house. Everything from scrubbing his kitchen floor and damp mopping the hardwood floors throughout the rest of the house to dusting his furniture. He also stripped the bed, throwing the linens into the wash and proceeded to tackle the master bathroom. After inspecting his work and approving, he grabbed his keys and wallet from the top of his dresser and headed out the door to pick up the DeSoto children.

Reaching his partner's home he gave a quick knock on the back door and opened it without waiting for a response from within. Glancing around he noticed no one in the kitchen but the family dog, Bear. When the German Shepherd spotted Johnny, he strolled over to greet the visitor. Kneeling down, Johnny pet the dog's face and spoke softly to him. Hearing a noise he glanced up to see Chris walking into the room.

“Hey, Uncle Johnny. Didn't hear ya' come in.”

“Hey, Sport. You and Jen ready?”

“Yep. I'll go get her. Mom an' Aunt Julie are doing the laundry, “ Chris offered as he exited the room.

Looking towards the room off of the kitchen, Johnny decided to join Roy's wife and sister-in-law. Taking his shoes off, he walked across the room and opened the accordion style doors leading to the DeSoto's laundry room. Stepping through the door, he saw Joanne placing dirty clothes into the washing machine, while her sister stood by a table taking the clean clothes out of the dryer and folding them.

Joanne turned when she heard a slight noise and smiled seeing her friend enter the room. “Hi, Johnny. What time is it?” she asked, surprised he was already at her home.

“Almost nine-thirty.”

“Oh gosh, I didn't realize the time. Thank goodness you came, I may have missed my appointment.”

Julie continued to fold the laundry but kept glancing over at the fireman standing just inside the doorway.

“Morning, Julie.” He finally looked at her.

“Hi.” She smiled. “Thanks for the kettle and mugs. Tanya and I have been making good use of them.”

“No problem, just happy I could get you away from those vending machines.”

“Well, we'd better get those kids of mine ready or I'll be late and it'll be lunchtime before you get them back to your place.” Joanne commented, while walking across the room towards her husband's partner. Johnny turned and walked back into the kitchen to find Jen and Chris sitting at the table waiting for him.

“You two ready?” Joanne asked.

“Yes, mom,” they both responded.

“Be good, be careful, and listen to Johnny.” She stated firmly, leaving no room for any misunderstanding on how serious she was.

Both children assured their mother they'd do as she asked, got up from the table and turned to walk out the door. “Aunt Julie, are you coming with us?” Jennifer turned and asked at the last moment.

“Oh no, I told your mother I'd go with her today.”

“Oh, that's too bad, we always have a good time at Uncle Johnny's. It's really nice you'd love it.”

Joanne looked at her sister and realized Julie didn't have a hair appointment, she'd just agreed to tag along, and what fun would Julie have going grocery shopping? Maybe being out in the fresh air and surrounded by those mountains will do her some good.

“Julie, if you'd like to go out to Johnny's, go ahead. I can manage on my own.”

“I promised I'd spend the day with you though.” Julie protested, although admittedly she'd rather spend the day at Johnny's.

“Listen, if you'd like to go and Johnny doesn't mind, neither do I.” Joanne encouraged, not realizing just how much her kid sister would like nothing more than to be with the older man.

Both women looked up at Johnny questioningly, “No, no, I don't mind. Might be nice for Julie to get out of the city for a while.”

“You're sure?” Joanne questioned.

“I'm sure.” He flashed her his trademark grin knowing Joanne could only resist it if he was trying to get her to give into something she was strongly opposed to, like allowing her children to eat dessert before dinner. Something Johnny had been known to allow on occasion.

“Okay it's settled, let's get going!” Christopher bemoaned.

Just as Chris had hoped, everything was settled and soon enough Joanne was on her way to her appointment and Johnny, Julie, and the kids were on their way to his ranch.

The drive was certainly not a quiet one with Chris telling Johnny all about his basketball game and the previous evening, and Jenny managing to tell her adopted uncle all about the upcoming dance for the following Saturday night. She couldn't wait to go, telling Johnny everything on her mind, from what dress she was going to wear; to what songs she hoped the DJ was going to be playing. The best Johnny could decipher was The Bay City Rollers and KC and the Sunshine Band were high on Jen's must play list.

Julie, sitting up front with Johnny, was amused to find Johnny listening so intently to her niece and nephews monologues. She could totally understand why they both loved to be around him. He could easily follow both conversations, even during the times when they both seemed to be talking at once. He didn't seem to miss a beat, asking pertinent questions while still concentrating on the road ahead of him.

Forty-five minutes after leaving the DeSoto home Johnny steered his Land Rover into his lane way. Pulling the vehicle close to his barn he slowly brought it to a stop. Letting the others exit first, he got out looking at his watch. Noticing it was close to ten-thirty, he asked, “So Julie, you going riding?”

“I'd rather not, if you don't mind?”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”

Knowing better than to push someone who didn't want to ride, he let it go. If Julie was afraid or just wasn't interested that was fine. Glancing at his watch once again, he turned his attention to the kids. “Okay guys, why don't you get the saddles out and I'll go change. Remember, don't try and saddle them without me. I'll be right back. Julie, would you like to come inside?”

“Uh, sure.” She answered and fell into step with him. “I hope you're not upset with me coming out here and not going riding?”

“No, not at all. If you want to hang out in the house, on the deck, or just take a small hike, I don't mind. Whatever you want is fine with me. I'd just like to see you relax, you look tired.”

“I am. Friday's are a long day in my schedule. It's nice to hang out at Joanne's on the weekends, I really wasn't up to shopping, if you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I feel the same way. Only problem is, if I don't go grocery shopping, I don't eat.” He smiled at her. Reaching the steps to his front door he pulled his keys back out of his pocket and slid a gold key into the slot. Turning the key and the door handle at the same time, he pushed the door open and stood to the side allowing Julie to enter before him.

Julie gave him a quick smile while entering his home. Seeing it for the first time was almost breath taking. His home was spacious and very open. Her eyes couldn't take it in all at once, so she decided to concentrate on the living room area. The floor throughout the house was all hardwood. A large throw rug was lying on the floor in the living room, wit ha huge old wagon wheel made into a coffee table sitting on top of it. He had a large masculine brown leather sofa and two matching chairs sat beside each other across from it. End tables book cased the sofa and a matching larger table sat in between the two chairs

Continuing to scan the room she noticed a large bookcase to the right of the four stairs that led to what she assumed was the sleeping area of the house. The maple bookcase housed books, as well as framed picture and some trinkets. A wooden table with four chairs positioned around it sat off behind the sofa. Immediately to the right was the kitchen.

Johnny followed her eyes and tried to imagine his home through them. He had no idea what she saw or what she was thinking. “Uh, why don't you make yourself at home. I'm going to throw some jeans on.” He slapped his legs, bringing her attention back to him.

Watching him leave she noticed he had on a pair of tan cotton twill pants and not the customary jeans she'd seen him in before. Walking into the living room, her eyes never left Johnny's retreating back, except for her admiration of his behind when he walked up the stairs which she felt made her cheeks burn red. Finally taking her eyes off of him she slumped down on the couch and felt as though it was consuming her whole.

Looking around once again, she noticed a TV sitting on a low wooden table on the other side of the stairs. Wow , she thought, this place is beautiful! Looking up she saw the ceiling seemed to reach the heavens. A ceiling fan was at its center, slowly spinning around and around. The front window went almost to the very top of the ceiling forming a point. She couldn't imagine trying to clean it. But who cares she thought. What a spectacular view of the mountains he has.

Hearing her hosts return, she turned and faced the stairs. Seeing her small frame surrounded by his large couch, Johnny broke into a smile, “What ya' gonna do while we're out?”

“I brought my bag so I could do some homework.”

“Kay, help yourself to anything I have. If you feel like munching, there's a bag of chips in the pantry. Drinks are in the fridge, unless you want some coffee. It's in the cupboard above the coffee maker. If you wanna go for a walk or anything like that, there's an extra key hanging by the back door. I'd appreciate it if you lock the house if you go anywhere, but don't go off into the mountains by yourself.”

“Sure, okay. You sure you don't mind my not going?”

“No, do what you want. The kids and I should be back around noon. I'll get your bag out of the Rover.”

Johnny returned less then a minute later with her bag in his hand. Stepping into the house he found Julie standing in his dinning area looking at a picture in his bookshelf. Placing the bag down on the floor he walked up behind her and smiling at the memories that sprang to life when he noticed what picture she was staring at. It was a photograph of himself and Roy riding the old engine they had fixed up, the picture showed them sitting on the engine the day they were planning to enter it into a parade. The two had managed to get their hands on a couple of old fashioned fire department uniforms and had donned them for the event.

Standing this close to Julie he could smell the sweet fragrance of her shampoo. He wanted to run his through her hair but chose not too. “Um…we're leaving…” seeing her jump, made him realize she hadn't heard him re-enter the house.

“Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya.”

Turning to face him, Julie was shocked to see how closely he'd managed to get to her without her noticing. Despite how much his presence had at first shocked her, it quickly turned to excitement. “I'm fine, just didn't hear you sneak up on me.”

Smiling, Johnny realized she was teasing him. “Anyway, we're leaving now. The kitchen is over there. Help yourself to anything.” He pointed to the stairs, “and the bathroom is up the stairs, first door on the left.”

“'Kay.”

Looking up into his face, Julie thought for a second that he was about to kiss her, she felt goose pumps break out over the surface of her skin and her heart started to race.

Gazing into her eyes, Johnny thought he saw a flash of fright. “Well…um…when we get back, I'll round up something to eat. In the mean time, make yourself at home.”

Searching into her eyes once more, Johnny found it difficult not to fall into a daydream. He couldn't make out what she was feeling, but he did know he couldn't take standing this closely to her any longer, and started to lower his head towards hers.

“Uncle Johnny, aren't you coming?” Jennifer asked.

Spinning around, he looked at his partner's daughter and resigned himself to the fact that now wasn't the time to start anything with Julie anyway, “Sure, Pumpkin, I'll be right there.”

“Okay, hurry up though.”

Watching Jennifer exit the house, Johnny turned back towards the young woman standing in front of him. She looked so young he thought. He so wanted to get to know her better. He finally decided having Jennifer and Chris present was actually a sign and decided to slow things down. “Julie, would you like to go out for dinner tonight?”

Julie's stomach was in a ball of knots. She wasn't sure whether it was because Johnny had been about to kiss her, or if it was his invitation making her pulse race even faster than it was already.

“Sure…I'd love to.”

“Kay, well, I better get going before they come lasso me.”

Julie chuckled at the visual image. Watching him leave the house, she decided to try and concentrate on her studies and walked to the front door, grabbing her school bag and slinging it over her shoulder. As she stood she noticed Johnny helping Jennifer onto one of the horses. The horses were huge; she couldn't believe how comfortable Chris sat in the saddle of the other horse, patiently waiting for Jennifer and Johnny to mount the second animal. Watching as Jennifer wrapped her arms around Johnny's waist; Julie felt a pang of jealousy but quickly chastised herself for not taking Johnny up on the offer to go for a ride.

Bringing her bag into the dinning room and placing it on the thick wooden table, she decided to get herself something to drink before tackling her work. Retreating into the kitchen, she noticed the floor in this room was ceramic tile. Glancing around she made a mental not to clean up after herself, as she didn't want to mess up the clean and tidy room.

Working on her latest project for over an hour proved to be easy, she was amazed she'd managed to add fifteen pages to her essay on the ecological system in the LA area. She'd spent over five hours on this particular essay in the last couple of days and had only managed to written ten pages. She supposed it was the peace and quiet in Johnny's home. There were no distractions like there were back in her dorm room. The hallway outside her room was always busy with activity; and with the room being as tiny as it was, she quickly found it difficult most days to concentrate on her task at hand without flipping on the television. Or opening the window to get some fresh air, only to find the noises from outside distraction or beckoning her to leave her room all together. There always seemed to be laughter drifting into the window from a bunch of guys playing football or soccer.

Getting up from the dinning room table she walked back into the kitchen to refill her glass with water. Turning from the sink, she heard voices drifting throughout the house and went to greet the return of her niece and nephew.

“Hi.” She smiled.

“Hey, Aunt Julie, you sure missed a great ride.” Chris smiled back.

“Yeah, we saw and eagle, a rabbit, and a fox!” Jennifer chimed in.

“Wow, sounds great.”

“It was. We might go back out after lunch.” Chris continued.

Just as Julie sat on the couch beside her nephew Johnny walked through the doorway and slipped into a chair. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, sliding down the chair a bit. Trying to relax before getting up to feed his partner's children, who had complained most of the way home about how hungry they were.

Julie used the opportunity to observe the man who had asked her on a date for that very night. He had a long body and his muscles, she noted, were well toned. She imagined it came from his physically demanding job. His complexion was dark and soft. She remembered his eyes being a deep chocolate brown. His hair was a dark brown and unkempt which left her with the urge to run her fingers through it. With the thought of her fingers she remembered looking at his hand the day he'd driven her home from the hospital and remembered she found them long and sexy. She glanced at those hands now and found them intertwined and resting on his stomach and slightly dirty. She wondered what it would be like to slip her hand into his.

Suddenly the man she was observing lunged out of the chair and headed up the stairs, calling behind him, “Make sure you two clean up before lunch.”

Chris rolled his eyes pronouncing, “He's worse than mom.”

Jennifer giggled at her brother's comment.

“What did you do while we were gone, Aunt Julie?”

“I worked on an assignment. Managed to get more done than I had hoped, so I'm happy about that.”

“You work on homework too much.” Chris said.

“I have to, Chris. Otherwise I won't pass and that would be a waste of time and money. I want to be able to get a good job when I'm done.”

“Still, you need to have some fun.”

Johnny walked into the room at this point and looked over at Julie. He agreed with Chris, Julie did need to have some fun. She spent a lot of time on her studies, not that he found it to be such a bad thing. But he firmly believed she needed to relax some, after all she was only twenty and as far as he knew, she rarely went out with friends. But she had agreed to go out to dinner with him, so he'd make sure he to her to loosen up some.

“How does grill cheese sound?”

“Good.” One DeSoto replied while the other confirmed it with a, “Great!”

“Kay.” Johnny headed towards his kitchen.

“I'll help.” Julie lifted herself from the couch and followed Johnny into his kitchen.

“Bread is on the shelf beside the fridge.” He informed her while bending down at the stove, opening the drawer at the bottom and pulling out a large frying pan.

Julie took his instructions and pulled out a loaf of bread, “Butter?”

“Should be on the same shelf.”

“Oh.” She looked again moving a few items around. Sure enough the butter was tucked in behind the peanut butter.

“Think they'd like some soup, too?” Johnny asked.

“Couldn't hurt.”

While Julie positioned herself at the counter and started buttering pieces of bread, Johnny reached into a cupboard and pulled down a couple cans of soup. Julie noticed he moved to stand beside her and looked up at him.

“I need to get into the drawer.” He nodded his head towards the drawer she stood in front of.

She moved her body out of the way and watched as he pulled the drawer open and moved a few utensils around. Her eyes once again landed on his hand as it continued searching. She noted the dirt had been washed away and it looked once again like the one she'd watched shifting gears, a small flutter rumbled in her stomach. She didn't know why however. When he finally found the can opener, he moved a stop away from her and opened the two cans of chicken noodle soup.

“Cheese in the fridge?” she asked.

“In the door,” Johnny replied while opening the drawer underneath his stove. He pulled out a pot and dumped the contents of the cans inside, placing equal amounts of water in the pot as well. He turned on the stove and grabbed a wooden spoon out of a holder sitting on the counter. After stirring the pot a few times, he placed the spoon on the counter top, leaned his hip into the same counter top and turned to watch his guest.

Feeling his eyes on her, Julie turned towards him. She gave him a nervous smile. “The bread is ready.”

“Kay.” He turned towards the stove again and turned on the front left burner, placing the frying pan on it. He reached over and took a piece of bread and laid it in the pan. Julie passed him a slice of cheese and another piece of bread. After putting the grill cheese sandwich together he continued to make a second one, since the frying pan was big enough to make tow at a time.

“You wanna go bowling after dinner?” he asked casually.

“Bowling? I haven't bowled since I was a kid.”

“S'like riding a bike.”

“Okay, if you want to.”

“Julie, I want to know if you'd like to. If you don't that's okay. We can do something else.”

Feeling sheepish she quickly responded. “No…bowling is fine. Might even be fun.”

“Of course it will.” Johnny smiled down at her. Picking up the spoon he stirred the soup some more, reaching for a spatula he flipped one of the sandwiches in the frying pan.

“What kind of restaurant would you like to go to?”

“Something simple.”

“Kay, how ‘bout we eat at the bowling alley. They have a small restaurant that serves great pizza.”

“Sure.”

~~51~~

“So, how was your ride?” Joanne asked as her children walked into the living room.

“Great.”

“We stopped at the stream and saw a fish jumping out of the water. It was cool. Uncle Johnny says it was a pike, but I'm pretty sure it was a trout.” Chris answered.

Joanne smiled at her son's response. “Where's Julie?”

“Uncle Johnny took her home.” Jennifer offered.

“Did she ride?”

“No.” Both children responded together.

“Too bad, maybe one day she'll have the nerve.”

“What do you mean?” Jennifer questioned.

“She was thrown when she was about your age. As far as I know, she's never gotten back on a horse, despite your grandfather's urging.”

“Wow! Was she hurt?” Chris asked.

“No, but she's been afraid of horses ever since. Now, why don't you two wash up for dinner? It should be ready soon.”

“Aww, mom…”

“Christopher!” Joanne didn't need to say another word as she watched both her children departing up the stairs and down the hallway into the bathroom.

Arriving at her dorm room, Julie found her roommate once again sitting at her desk working on some homework. Julie failed to acknowledge Tanya and disappeared into her closet. Tanya found the behavior odd, since Julie always said hi to her upon entering the room.

“Hey, what's going on? You okay?”

Poking her head out, Julie blushed, “I have no idea what to wear!”

Frowning Tanya stood and walked over to her friend's side of the room. “What are you dressing for?”

“A date.”

“With Johnny?” Tanya exclaimed.

“Yeah.” Julie turned her head to look at her friend, a huge smile on her face.

“Okay, no sweat. I can help you. Where's he taking you, what are you guys doing?”

“Bowling and dinner.”

“Bowling?”

“Yeah, Johnny likes to bowl.”

“Oh, okay, I'd say casual then. Pair of jeans and a blouse maybe.”

“What about cords, they're a bit dressier than jeans.”

“Sure.”

“Oh gosh, I need a shower. I'll be right back.” Julie pronounced before grabbing a towel, her toiletries and heading out of the room.

~~51~~

Julie was pleasantly surprised at what a good time she had had bowling. It had been years since she last bowled. As a matter of fact, she had been approximately eight at the time and found she had forgotten how to keep score. With Johnny's patience and help, she was soon able to keep score for Johnny while he concentrated on throwing his ball at the five pins down the long narrow lane.

Being somewhat of an athlete, it didn't take long for Julie to find a couple balls she preferred as well as finding a form that worked well for her. Although it would take years of practice for her to give Johnny a run for his money, she managed to bowl a respectable one sixty on her first game and a one fifty-two on her second. Johnny confirmed, with practice, she just might be able to challenge him one day.

The two soon retired to the bowling alley's eatery to share a pizza while Johnny ordered a beer and Julie ordered a soda. After spending just over an hour eating, the two found the evening still young and not wanting to part company, so agreed to go back to Johnny's and watch a little television.

~~51~~

Johnny glanced over at his date. In the soft glow of the living room, she looked soft and fragile. He wanted to reach over and run his hand through her hair. The realization that he was having these feelings for his partner's sister-in-law continued to shock him. But it was true. He had a lot of fun with her and enjoyed the enthusiasm she had shown during their bowling match. He now remembered what it was like to spend time with a date and couldn't figure out how he had lost track of having fun with the women he'd been dating of late. He also discovered he wanted to be with Julie in the most intimate of ways. He wondered what it would feel like to caress her soft delicate skin, run his mouth over that same skin, taste her, kiss her, and most importantly, to hear her soft moans of delight! What would it be like to bring this young woman to the pinnacle of a physical encounter? Feeling his pants tightening, Johnny let out a low sigh and tried to return his concentration to Julie and not just her body.

While Johnny tried to control his meandering thoughts, Julie was trying to figure out how the evening would end? She was hoping Johnny was going to be the one who could lead her into a more adult relationship but now she had her doubts. He hadn't even tried to kiss her since he'd picked her up at her dorm earlier in the evening. She was confused. He asked her out on a date hadn't he? She was positive he'd almost kissed her earlier that afternoon and he had suggested they return to his home to watch some television after bowling a few games, she had thought at the time his suggestion had only been an excuse to get her back to his place. So is he interested or not she wondered?

“Want some popcorn?”

“No, not really. I'm still full from dinner.”

“Kay. How ‘bout somethin' to drink?” Johnny asked as he got off the couch and headed for the kitchen.

“Sure.”

“Water, juice, coffee, and beer is all I have.” He continued walking towards the kitchen.

Julie wasn't sure what to answer. After watching Johnny consume a beer at dinner, she'd love nothing more than one herself, but she was still underage. She didn't know how Johnny would react to such a suggestion, and to be honest she wasn't even sure if he knew her age. She heard the refrigerator door open and close and the sound of utensils being pushed around in a drawer. Soon the sounds of pots and pans clanging could be heard and the soft sound of Johnny's whistling and the unmistakable noise of popping corn. After a few moments, Johnny's head popped through the doorway.

“Well?”

“Water.”

“Kay.”

Movement from within the kitchen was soon replaced with silence and before she knew it, he was walking back into the room. He placed a bowl of popcorn and a glass of water with three clinking ice cubes on the coffee table and retreated to the kitchen, returning with a bottle of beer and plopped himself back onto the couch.

“Decided on what to watch?”

Replacing the TV guide back on the coffee table Julie shook her head; “There's not a whole lot on, The Carol Burnett Show. That's about it.”

“Kay.” Johnny settled onto the couch beside her, hoping tonight's episode would feature one of his favorite characters, Mr. Wiggins.

~~51~~

The couple found themselves in the outside hallway of Julie's dorm room a few hours later. Although the hour was late, the corridor was abuzz with activity. Being a Saturday night, it seemed most of the student's living in the building were having an open party. Doorways remained open for easy access by anyone. Johnny didn't miss much of the activity around him and slightly shook his head at some of the open displays of stupidity about him. His thoughts turned to Joanne for a few moments, wandering how she would react to seeing her sister living in such surroundings. He didn't imagine it would be positive and he had to agree with what he would assume would be her negative attitude.

It didn't take much for Johnny to realize quite a few of the people hanging out in the front entrance and the hallways were high on drugs, while others had obviously consumed too much alcohol. Having never experienced the college life, he wasn't quite sure he wouldn't have reacted in the same manner as many of these kids, but he still felt it sad and a waste knowing how sour a lot of these parties could turn. He and Roy had responded to far too many young adults strung out on something or other with the end result usually turning out negative. He hoped Julie wasn't experimenting with drugs, but realized the possibility was there.

Julie unlocked her door and the two stepped inside. Johnny closed the door behind him and took in his surroundings. The room was small, but well organized. He figured this was a good sign, since most of the rooms they had passed on the way up were messy and in his opinion, uninhabitable.

“You gonna be able to sleep tonight?” Johnny nodded to wards the lively hallway behind the door.

“I'm not sure. I don't normally stay here on the weekends.”

“Oh.”

The room remained silent while its two occupants stood contemplating their own thoughts. Johnny was trying to figure out what to do with the awkwardness of the situation while Julie wondered what a girl was to do when she found herself alone in her dorm room with a cute guy.

“You want me to take you to Roy's?” he asked.

Looking around at her empty room, knowing Tanya was probably spending the night at Ken's, she quickly realized she didn't want to stay in her room alone.

“If you don't mind.”

“Nope.”

“Kay, I just need to pack a bag.”

“Take your time.” Johnny sat down on Tanya's desk chair and continued to look around the room.

A few minutes later Julie announced she was ready.

~~51~~

Once again, the two found themselves standing outside a door, this time Roy and Joanne's. Johnny discovered he was much more comfortable leaving his date at his partner's house. He also knew his comfort level was steeped in the familiar, while he wasn't used to dropping his date's off at Roy's home, he was more comfortable standing here compared to the dorm room.

Julie used her key to unlock the door and once she opened it, turned to Johnny who was standing behind her.

“You wanna come in?”

The paramedic looked at his watch, it was one-thirty in the morning and the DeSoto home was dark and quiet. Now this he wasn't used to. Should he or shouldn't he? He didn't want to leave, but he also didn't want to wake anyone in the house. Choosing to come in only to say goodnight, he followed her into his partner's house.

Julie turned on the light asking, “Do you want anything to drink?”

“No thanks.”

“Kay.”

“I should get going, let you get some sleep.”

Julie remained silent. She didn't want Johnny to leave, but she too, didn't want to wake anyone up. There wasn't much for the two of them to do. They could retire into the living room and watch some TV, but she didn't want to make too much noise. They could remain in the kitchen and talk, but past experience had proven she wasn't much good at carrying on a conversation with the handsome man standing quietly in front of her.

“I had a n ice time, thanks for taking me out.” She finally replied.

“You're welcome. I had fun too. Wanna get together again some time?”

“Sure. Maybe I could teach you to play volleyball.” She smiled.

“Sounds good.” Johnny smiled back while taking a few steps towards her.

Julie felt her stomach tying into knots. She couldn't remember a time when she'd been more nervous. Looking into Johnny's face she was reminded once again of his height.

“I'll probably see you tomorrow…er…later today. Joanne's invited me to dinner.”

“Great, I'll be here.”

“Great, see you then.” Johnny reached down and placed a strand of her hair behind her ear while bending over and placing his lips on hers. The peck was quick, but it was soon followed by a much longer kiss and yet and ever longer and deeper one.

Julie thought for sure that she was going to need mouth to mouth, considering she would soon be out of breath. She had never experienced such a rapturous sensation throughout her body. Who knew a kiss could produce such wonderful feelings through your entire body! She found herself thinking.

Coming up for air Johnny whispered, “Sleep well.”

“I will.” She promised, knowing full well she was telling an out and out lie, there was no way she'd be able to sleep now.

“See ya later and lock the door.” Johnny replied before leaving for the night.

“Bye.” She replied and quickly stepped to the door, watching Johnny's retreating back while making sure to lock the door she was leaning on. She turned on her heels as her body tensed with the remembrance of their parting kiss. She couldn't be happier, knowing she'd finally found a man who would surely lead her into that adult relationship she so desperately wanted to explore.

Turing off the light she decided to head to bed anyway, despite the fact that she wasn't going to sleep. When she rounded the corner to go up the stairs, she was surprised to find Joanne standing on the top stair.

“OH, hi.”

“Was that Johnny?”

“Yeah, I decided to spend the night here, hope you don't mind?”

“Of course not. But, why did Johnny drop you off, you could have phoned Roy or I.”

Seeing Joanne's confusion, Julie realized her sister had no idea she and Johnny had gone on a date so explained. “Well, he brought me to my dorm, but there was some crazy party going on and there was no way I'd be able to sleep, so he offered to drive me over here.”

“He brought you to your dorm?” I don't understand, why would Johnny bring you to your dorm?”

“I was at his place…”

“What! What were you doing there? The kids told me Johnny drove you home?”

“He did. But then he picked me up and we went out bowling and had pizza…”

“And went back to his place!” Joanne asked, obviously agitated.

“Yeah, we watched Carol Burnett and…”

“And then what?” Joanne's voiced raised.

“Joanne? Why are you so upset?”

“Oh, upset doesn't even begin…that no good…wait ‘til…”

“Jo?” Roy's voice came from behind her.

Turing to face her husband, Joanne asked in a curt tone, “Do you know what that partner of yours is up to now?”

Oh boy. “Not at the moment.” Roy tried to lighten the mood with a small smile.

“Don't start with me, Roy. I asked you a question?” Joanne felt as though she was talking to Chris instead of her husband.

“Jo, why don't we all go to bed and we can discuss this later.” He reasoned, hoping to avoid an all out war at two o'clock in the morning.

“I asked a question and I want an answer.” She snapped back.

“Wait a minute. Joanne, this is my business and no one else's. You're not my mother!” Julie broke back into the conversation.

Turning to look at her kid sister, Joanne stood open mouthed. She couldn't believe her baby sister had just been on a date with John Gage, womanizer at large. What was Julie thinking going on a date with him? Obviously, Joanne reasoned, Julie wasn't thinking at all. After all, Johnny was a decade older than she was and besides, her sister was probably naïve when it came to the needs of a grown man like Johnny.

“I'm going to bed.” Julie announced as she walked up the stairs, past her sister and brother-in-law and down the hallway, making a pit stop at the bathroom to clean up first.

~~51~~

“Joanne, you need to think about this logically.”

“That's the problem here, I am thinking logically.”

“What's the problem then?”

“Roy,” Joanne sighed, “this is Johnny we're talking about! He's thirty-one years old for god's sake!”

“What's wrong with that?” Roy questioned his wife, not understanding what she was all worked up about. After all, he and Joanne were three years older than his partner was and she didn't seem to have a problem with that.

“Jo, stop yelling, you'll wake up the kids.”

Joanne glanced at the stairs leading towards the children's rooms and lowered her voice; “It's just that…Johnny's a man, with a man's needs and desires, if you catch my drift.”

Roy stopped a smile from spreading across his face, “Okay, so Johnny's a man, but are you telling me that you don't think Julie is sexually active as well?”

Joanne looked into her husband's eyes with total disbelief. “This is my sister we're talking about!”

“Yes it is, and you're being naïve. Julie's twenty years old, she's not the six-year old little girl you left behind when you moved away from home. Think about it. If memory serves me correctly, you and I were involved at that age.” He placed a hand on her arm hoping to get her to see his point.

Joanne sighed again realizing he was right. Her sister wasn't a little girl anymore, but a young adult. But that's exactly what worried her. She was young and Johnny was…well Johnny. He wasn't exactly the settling down type and she didn't want to see her sister get hurt. And of course her husband was correct about them as well, they had become intimate the year they had both turned seventeen.

“I know, Roy, but there's always the chance that she is still a virgin. Maybe she's been waiting for the right man to come along…”

“And you don't think Johnny could be that man?” Roy interrupted, looking into her eyes and seeing her genuine concern.

“I don't want to see her get hurt. Let's face it, Johnny isn't exactly one for sticking around.”

“Well, you're right there, but he's also not one to make any false commitments to get what he wants either. He's not the kind of person who would force a woman to do something she'd not ready for or just doesn't want to do, and he's also careful.”

Joanne stared at her husband and thought about what he was saying. He was right. She'd never known her husband's partner to make a woman believe that there would be a life long commitment attached to his interest in her. Plus, in all the years they'd known Johnny, he'd acted I in a responsible manner when it came to the women who paraded through his life. As far as anyone knew, there were no accidental Gage offspring.

Still, this was her sister they were talking about. To Joanne, Julie would always be a kid. Plus, she was still in school. She didn't think Julie needed a relationship right now. Not to mention, it was her right as an older sister to worry.

“Joanne?”

“Oh Roy, I just don't think Julie needs a serious relationship right now. She's young, she has school to finish, and she shouldn't settle with one person right now. Why can't she just date a few of the college boys and try and figure out what she'd like in a partner before deciding to see Johnny exclusively?”

“Okay, let me ask you this. Knowing your sister would like to date one person and not many. If you had a choice to choose who she would date, would you choose a young twenty something year old college kid, whom we both know is probably only interested in one thing, or would you choose a thirty-one-year old caring, loveable, mature, and responsible man? Why don't you think about that for a while,” Roy cautioned his worried wife, not believing he'd actually referred to his partner as mature.

Joanne frowned realizing that her husband was right again. If given the chance to hand pick Julie's boyfriend, she'd rather it be someone caring and responsible like Johnny, as opposed to a young college stud who would probably only be out for a quick lay. But why did it have to be Johnny? Wasn't there anybody else in the entire city who her sister could fall for? Why did it have to be the most confirmed bachelor Joanne had ever met in her life?

Why? Because Johnny's charming, sweet natured, and highly attractive. That's why. Oh lord; help us all when Mom finds out. Joanne thought as Roy got up off the couch pulling on her arm.

“Come on, let's go back to bed.”

“I'm not tired.”

“That's even better.” Roy smirked.

“You're hopeless.” Joanne laughed as she grabbed her husband's hand and let herself be led back to bed.

~~51~~

“Afternoon Peanut.” Roy said as Julie walked into the room carrying a cup of tea.

“Hey.” She replied while sitting down next to him.

“Get a goodnight's sleep?”

“Not really. Had a bit on my mind.”

“Joanne?”

“Sort of. I don't understand why she was so upset? Do you?”

“She's just worried about you. That's how older sibling are.”

“You got that right. Do you worry about you brother like that?”

“No. Can't say that I do. But brother's are different.”

“Are you being sexist?”

“No, just honest.”

“Is Joanne still really upset.” Julie asked, she'd managed to avoid her sister for the day. Mostly by doing some of her assigned reading.

“I think I managed to calm her down. She just thinks you should be concentrating on your studies right now. Don't let it bother you. She understands your human.”

“Is she just upset by my wanting a boyfriend, or upset it's Johnny?”

Roy took in a deep breath, “Honestly, I think it's Johnny.”

“Do they get along?”

“Yes. They're practically like brother and sister. I don't think it's so much Johnny as it is his age.”

Julie rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling, “That's crazy.”

“Is it?”

“I think so. Why should his age matter?”

“He's eleven years older than you. That's eleven years more life experience.”

Mentally doing the math, Julie discovered Johnny was thirty-one. Somehow, this bit of information both excited her and made her a bit nervous.

When Julie didn't respond his comment, Roy continued, “Listen, Julie. I love Johnny like a brother. He's the best friend I've ever had, but he's a mature adult, with a mature adult's life style. He has car payments, a mortgage, household bills, a career, and an adult's social life. He's not a kid, which I'm sure you're used to in a boyfriend.”

“That's just it. I'm tired of being around boys. They're so immature. Why can't I decide who I'd like to spend my time with without getting the third degree over it?”

“You can. I was just answering your question. I just want you to remember, there may be times when you'd like to stay up late, go to a party, or whatever, and Johnny's going to have to say no to you, because he has to work the next day. I'm not saying we're angels, but Julie, we have to take our jobs seriously, which means being mentally and physically ready for anything. That includes getting a good night's sleep the night before heading back to work.”

“Sure, I understand. And to be honest, I'm not exactly a party hardy kinda girl. I'm a tea toadling bookworm who likes to play volleyball once in a while.” She smiled.

Roy returned the smile seeing his wife enter the room.

“Dinner's ready to go in the oven. What time did Johnny say he'd be here?” She asked Roy.

Looking at his watch he responded, “Any minute.”

Rolling her eyes, Joanne laughed, “ Which means he should be here in about half an hour.”

~~51~~

“Thanks for dinner, Jo. It was delicious as always.” Johnny announced as he and Julie got ready to depart.

“Thank you, Johnny. It's always a pleasure making a meal for someone who thoroughly enjoys it.” She smiled.

“See ya tomorrow, Roy.”

“See ya, Partner. Night, Julie.”

“See ya next weekend.” Julie responded.

The couple exited the house and walked to his Rover parked on the side of the road. Opening the door for her, Johnny waited for Julie to be safely inside before closing the door, heading around the vehicle and climbing in himself. Turning the ignition over, he slowly pulled away from the curb and turned the stereo off. “What was up with Joanne?” he asked.

“What da ya mean?”

“I don't know. She wasn't herself tonight. Seemed a little uptight. She and Roy have an argument or somein'?”

“No, not exactly.”

Sensing Julie knew more about Joanne's mood but didn't want to comment, he let the subject drop. “You wanna grab a cup of tea somewhere?”

“You okay with it? You don't need to get home?”

“Nope, do you?”

“Not really.”

“Kay, then coffee and tea it is.”

~~51~~

Watching as the waitress placed a stainless steel teapot next to Julie's cup and saucer, Johnny took a sip of his piping hot coffee. “You okay?” You seemed pretty quiet at dinner as well.”

“Yeah, I'm fine.”

“Somein' you'd like to talk about?”

“Na, its just Joanne. She's not all that happy about us seeing one another.”

“She's not!”

“No, seems to think I should just worry about school.”

“How are your marks? You doing okay?”

“They're fine. She's just an older sister, that's all.”

“What about Roy? How does he feel? No forget it, you don't have to answer that. I can talk to him myself.”

“No…no…it's all right. Roy seems okay. He's just a bit worried about our age difference, I guess. He's also concerned I'll keep you up all hours of the night.”

“One can only hope.” Johnny teased. “Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.” He replied when he saw Julie quickly blush and take a sip of her tea.

Breaking into a smile, she replied, “It's okay. He's just worried about your job.”

“Hey, I'm a big boy. I know what my boundaries are. If you're one of them, just let me know. But only if it's you setting those limits and not your sister, whom I love dearly by the way.” Johnny wanted to reassure the young woman sitting across the table from him.

“Johnny, there are no boundaries as far as I'm concerned. I'm twenty years old, which make me quite capable of making up my own mind. Joanne isn't my mother and even if she was, I don't live under her roof. I don't have to follow her rules. But please don't take offense to her fears. She's always been protective of me.”

This comment allowed Johnny to break into his own smile. “Listen, I know what your sister is like. I'm not taking offense. As long as I've known her, she's been protective of the people she loves. I would have liked her take me aside and talk to me about her fears though. I don't want something like this to bubble under the surface only to explode later. If she has issues with this, or me, then I want them out in the open.”

“Maybe she didn't say anything because the kids were around.” Julie shrugged.

“Maybe.” Johnny now realized why Joanne seemed to stiffen when he offered to take Julie home after dinner.

The two remained at the coffee shop for another hour, as usual not wanting to part with each other's company. Since it was still early, the two found themselves back a Johnny's ranch, on the couch, entwined in one another's arms.

“Are you nervous?” Johnny asked, realizing Julie was shaking slightly.

“A bit,” she confessed softly. As a matter of fact, she spoke so softly; Johnny could barely hear her.

Leaning his body away from her and looking deeply into her eyes he saw apprehension just below the surface. “You're not afraid of me are you? You don't think I'll hurt you?” he asked.

“No…well…not physically anyway.”

Johnny's stomach lurched hearing her words. He knew Julie's comment was an attempt to let him know he wouldn't be taking her innocence, but he also knew her comment meant she was in fact afraid of being hurt. Which could only mean she had been hurt in the past. He hated the idea of someone, anyone, hurting her. He felt a sudden urge to wrap his arms around her and protect her from any and all pain she may come across in her future. Following his instincts he gently pulled her into an embrace.

“Julie, I'm not about to hurt you. I only want to love you, but if you're not comfortable it's okay.”

Julie let herself become consumed in his strong yet gentle embrace. She could hear the rhythm of his heartbeat with her head resting flatly against his chest. Feeling safe and warm, like nothing he could ever do could hurt her, but she knew that to be untrue. She knew this man had the potential of hurting her like non-other, if she gave him the chance.

When she didn't respond to him, Johnny just tightened his hold. He sensed her vulnerability and realized she probably wasn't very experienced in terms of loving a man. It was then that he decided to slow things down and romance Julie some more. She deserved the Johnny of old; not the one who'd recently given into all physical pleasures without caring emotionally for the women who shared his bed.

Without realizing it, he'd managed to attract exactly the kind of women he didn't want to have relationships with. He supposed he had nobody but himself to blame. He'd fallen into a pattern of endless one-night stands that he never really enjoyed to begin with. What he truly wanted and thought he'd been seeking was a partner. Someone he could laugh with, taking long walks with, go bowling with, or spend a lazy Sunday afternoon just hanging out with. Knowing these were the things he was looking for, he had a hard time trying to figure out why he'd been attracted to women who were only looking for a quick roll in the hay, or better yet, why he'd been so willing to provide the roll and the hay?

Julie, he realized was a woman who could unwittingly help him rediscover himself. He wanted to find the younger Johnny, the Johnny that wined and dined a woman, went for a midnight stroll with and then took her home and said goodbye with a lingering kiss. The Johnny that didn't jump into bed with a woman on their first date but loved the anticipation of a slowly moving relationship. He needed to work on building and maintaining trust in this relationship. Show her he was in it for the long haul.

“Why don't we go for a walk?” Johnny finally asked.

Julie slowly pushed herself out of Johnny's arms. “You mean you don't want to have sex?” she asked bewildered by his invitation for a walk.

Looking into her face, Johnny was relieved he didn't see any pain associated with her question. “Sure, a part of me still wants to take you to bed, but I don't think tonight's the night. Why don't we take a little more time getting to know one another.”

“Are you sure, I mean, if you want to….”

“Julie.” Johnny cut her off. “Making love isn't only about me and my needs. It's also about you and what you want and need, and you my dear, need a good old fashioned courtship, so that's what you shall have.” He brushed his hand along her cheek and placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

Julie couldn't believe her ears. Any other guy she'd ever found herself in this position with would be pressuring her to have sex, and yet Johnny was giving her an out. He'd actually expressed to her that sex wasn't only about him. “Okay, let go.”

Standing, Johnny pulled her off the couch. The two walked out of his house and down the steps, once they reached the ground, he reached over and took Julie's hand in his. Feeling how soft and warm it was made Johnny's pulse run a bit faster. It reminded him of his earlier thoughts of what it would be like to touch this young woman's body.

After their walk, Johnny drove Julie back to her dorm and upon his drive home, decided he would have a talk with Joanne. The two had gotten off to a rough start six years prior, when he and Roy had first been partnered. It all revolved around some dumb spaghetti recipe and Jo had taken offense when Johnny had become involved in hers and Roy's minor dispute. Okay, maybe I had overstepped the bounds that time. Johnny chuckled to himself. But all had worked out in the end and the three had managed to build a strong friendship over the years. He needed to make sure that friendship remained strong despite Joanne's concerns.