"I don't know about you, but I just had a lot of fun. A real lot of fun. Twice," she said.
Janelle stood up; her body was flawless. Her skin was sun-kissed and glowing. (She better be wearing sunscreen.) When she reached around to hook her bathing suit, I could see the muscles in her stomach tighten. Janelle always talked about her flab; the woman obviously didn't know the definition of flab. There was not one bit of flab or fat on her body. If I truly gave her pleasure eight different times today, then I was going to need eight icy cold, frigid fucking showers.
Once she was back in her suit, I said, "Okay walk with me to the other side of the deck." I led her around to the other side.
"Oh did you fix and secure it?' she asked, referring to the zip line that went down into the woods.
"Better," I said, "Wait here." I went around to the water spigot and turned it on. The zip line was showered in water sprinkling from all directions.
"What in the world? How fun!" she said, her face looked like a child's on Christmas morning. "It's like a human car wash. Have you done it yet?"
"I've done the zip line quite a few times to test its security. I haven't done it with the water yet." I started to get the harnesses. "I bought a tandem harness, so we could do it together. I know this sounds strange, but Cliff, Meg's husband, did it with me, yesterday. We wanted to make sure it could hold the weight."
"Oh my God, this is going to be so fun," she said, excitedly, jumping up and down. It was so damn adorable. She was adorable.
I put the harness around my waist, locking it into place and onto the zip line. "Okay Doll, climb on. Face me."
"I bet you say that to all the girls," she said, teasingly. Janelle got onto my lap, her legs sticking out straight on either side of me. "You'll hold on to me, right?" she asked, staring into my eyes.
"I'm never letting you go," I stated, meaning it, meaning much more than just holding her on the zip line.
"Good. You better," she said, wrapping her arms around me, and kissing my cheek. "Let her rip, Leo."
I unhooked the secured latch, and we began soaring through the woods as water soaked us. Janelle squealed like a schoolgirl the entire ride down, gripping me tightly. There was something about flying through the sky, holding her close to me that made me know for sure that this was what life was supposed to be. Life is about taking chances, taking risks, but holding those who mean the most to you close to your heart, keeping them safe as you enjoy the journey, experiencing the adventure together.
Once I felt the earth at my feet, I braced my feet, trying to stop us, but our momentum was too great. Coupled with the wet surface, we went tumbling to the ground, Janelle landing on top of me. Laughing, she said, "Smooth Casanova, bet you planned that suave landing."
"Well. I don't think I could've planned it any better. Some sexy angel just fell out of the sky and landed on top of me," I said, feeding her the cheesiest line I could fathom.
"Oh buddy, you sure know how to make a girl swoon," she said, pinning my arms above my head and kissing me deeply, as her wet hair fell over her shoulders and onto my neck and chest.
She began kissing my neck and chest, "I just wanted to shower you with memories," I confessed. "I want to give you the world, Janelle."
"Now that'd be a good gift," she said, still working her way down my chest. Every fiber of my being begged me to allow her to continue. But my head, the one with a brain, rationalized that I needed to make her love me, want me, and ultimately beg for me. I had to be stronger, better than any other guy she'd ever been with.
"Now, for surprise number two," I said, reluctantly maneuvering out from underneath her. "I'm gonna run back up and get your cover thing." Okay, so, I know it's called a cover up, but guys shouldn't know words like that. I knew too many "girly" phrases and things. I ran up to the deck, put on my shoes, grabbed my shirt, her flip-flops, our phones, and her cover up, and rode back down to Janelle. I put her cover up on her and rubbed my hands up and down her arms, drying her off.
I sent a quick text, and said, "Let's go." We started walking deeper into the woods. "I really love it here. I did a lot of work around here the last few days. It's just so peaceful. Megan fell in love with it."
"Leo?" she stopped abruptly, facing me. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I can't say it," I confessed. "I haven't be able to say it to anyone. When I said melanoma to you the other day, it was the first time I've ever said it aloud." It was true. I've never been more afraid of anything in my entire life. Little brothers aren't supposed to need or idolize their big sisters. They're supposed to tolerate them at best.
The truth was I couldn't imagine a world without Megan. My life was a better place, because of her. My sister taught me so much. She gave me strength that I didn't know I had. She challenged me, held me to higher standard. I didn't know who or what I was if I wasn't "Meg's little brother."
"Honey, you can't hold all that in," she said, brushing my hair from my eye. "I'm here. I'm right here. Whatever you need. Whenever you want to talk…to vent…to cry." She wrapped her arms around me, nestling her head in my chest. I stroked her head, inhaling her scent. "You're not alone, Leo."
"Thank you, Janelle," I said, as tears welled in my eyes. "We'll talk. But today, can today just be about us, about you?" I asked. "It's been a rough few days. I need a break, a getaway from this Hell."
"Absolutely," she said, squeezing me tighter. "Whatever you need."
We walked through the woods, hand-in-hand, both of us silent, a calm, peaceful, comfortable silence. Being alone with Janelle in the woods reconfirmed my decision about choosing this house. It was serene, the type of serenity that people need to unwind and get back to what was really important and integral in life: love, family, and happiness.
Just as we embarked upon our destination, I said, "Okay, hold up." I put my hands over her eyes. "No peeking. I want you to see it all at once."
Yesterday, my dad, my mom and Megan's family came out here. My mom and Megan sat on the deck, enjoying the view as my dad and Cliff helped me prepare for today. Megan was pissy at first about it, but she stopped bitching, beginning to understand how important Janelle was to me. Megan hated the fact that I had to prove myself to Janelle. Being my protective older sister, she wanted to turn the tables. She thought Janelle should be working at winning my heart—not the other way around. I get it. I do. It's just that Megan doesn't know what's in my heart. Megan did promise to trust me. I supposed that was a start.
Once my dad, Cliff, and I got Megan situated on the deck (we had to carry her, which she was even angrier about), we headed out to the woods. Basically, we beat the fuck out of the woods. All the anger that the three of us men have been harboring, not being able to save Megan, was taken out on the woods. Those poor trees and bushes. They didn't stand a chance against the ferocity we had bottled up inside of us. It was the closest three men would ever get to a group therapy session. Once the trees and bushes were cut back and cut down, we sat and drank a few beers, relishing the sight of kicking the woods' ass.
I spent the rest of the day, creating the perfect atmosphere for my date with Janelle. I forced Megan to let Cliff and my dad bring her back. She argued that it was too far and that she was too heavy. Megan was down to 103 pounds; Cliff could've carried her by himself. Once they brought her back here, they put her down on the chaise, gave her a drink, and left us alone to talk. We sat in silence for a while as I tied the remaining branches together and pulled them back.
"I just don't get why you're doing all this for her," Megan said. "Leo, don't you get it? You shouldn't have to go to all of this trouble to make someone fall for you. The falling happens—it's not something you can force."
"You can't force it, but you can guide it," I explained.
"Just tell me why," she said.
"I can't," I said, standing on the ladder to hang the lights, before plugging them into the portable generator.
"Uhhh, it's my dying wish," she said, staring at me.
&nb
sp; "Jesus Megan, how long are you gonna keep pulling that card?" I said, not thinking.
"Doc says about another four to six weeks," she said matter-of-factly.
I hated when she talked like that, but she talked like that a lot. Meg was right; if I wanted to talk to her, confide in her, then I needed to do it now. There was no later. "Remember that song you used to listen to?" I asked.
"I'm gonna need a little more than that," she said.
"The Bryan Adams song. The one 'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman,' from that movie with Johnny Depp?" I said.
"Oh yeah, Don Juan DeMarco. He was way hotter in that movie than he's ever been before," Megan swooned, her face lighting up, looking more alive than she'd looked in a long time. A fictional character could do that to girls. It was crazy.
"Down girl," I said, joking with her like we used to do. "Well, there's that line about seeing unborn children in someone's eyes," I said feeling stupid. There wasn't anyone in the world that I was closer to than Megan, but telling her this much made me feel like a loser.
Continuing to explain, "I always thought that was the dumbest line—absolutely absurd. But I get it now. Ever since I played with Janelle's nieces, all I think about is what our kids would look like, how they'd act, how we'd parent them together," I confessed. I picked up more lights and began stringing them through all the branches. "It's like I can't wait for my life with her to start. It's already playing out in my mind. I've never had that before."
"Man, you got it bad, little brother," she said, shaking her head. "But don't you think that if she felt the same way that she wouldn't have bolted home from our house to go out with some other guy? If she was thinking about your future kids, my future nieces and nephews, then she'd be sticking around, spending time with you."
I knew that she was right, that I was grasping at straws. "I just can't explain it, Megan, I just know how I feel about her. And I can't turn it off, because you think I should."
"Okay kiddo, then hand me those leaves and some vines, I'll show you how to make little crowns," she said, smiling at me, while the worry lines showed deeply on her forehead and around her eyes.
Megan, my mom, my dad, Cliff, and I sat in the woods, talking and enjoying each other's company, as each one of them helped me figure out the best route to stealing someone's heart for my own. Even Cliff had some pretty romantic ideas; ideas I wouldn't have thought he had in him. Megan must've brought out the sappy, romantic in him. He was a quiet guy, but a good husband, a great provider, and a doting and attentive father. Cliff was a lot like Jocelyn's husband, Rick. I saw a lot of similarities in our families; something that I saw as a sign. I was close enough to my family to not feel too much like a douchebag admitting all this pansy-ass stuff to them. My dad was a softy, so I knew where I'd gotten it.
Taking Janelle's hand, leading her to the center of the reveal, and placing one of Megan's crowns on her head, I said, "Okay, One. Two. Three. Surprise!" Then, I took my hands off from over her eyes.
Janelle just stared in awe, taking it all in, not saying a word. Then, she looked at me in utter disbelief, her eyes filling with tears. "Leo. Oh my God! Leo, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."
I'd cleared away an alcove in the trees; it was completely surrounded by greenery. I strung twinkling white Christmas lights all around it. Megan had sat on a chair out here—just to stay comfortable. However, I didn't want furniture out here. It needed to look more rustic, but yet, cozy and romantic. I bought fluffy outdoor cushions that normally went on patio furniture and placed them in the middle of the clearing. There were pillows of all shapes and sizes. After the lights were strung, I covered the strands of lights with a billowy white fabric (gossa-something), so the lights were muted. Finally, I had my buddy drop off the food and wine before we walked down here. He was waiting for my text and ran it all back here, so it was chilled and ready for us.
Finally, she said, "Exquisite. It's breathtaking. I've never seen anything like it."
"My sentiments exactly," I said staring only at her.
"Oh Leo," she said, walking over to me. "You're incredible." Janelle stretched up to kiss me, and I welcomed her lips on mine. I led her over to the cushions, easing her back onto the pillows. "I can't believe you did all this."
"What does it remind you of?" I asked, hoping she would understand my motivation.
"This?" she asked, looking around. "It's like a dream. A summer dream." Then, as if she put the final piece into the puzzle, her face lit up with knowledge and excitement. "You remembered. You remembered that I said the only Shakespeare play that I really loved was A Midsummer Night's Dream. Oh my Leo, you made a vision in my head a reality." I wanted to make every dream she had this summer come true. Every night. Every day. I wanted all of her dreams to become a reality. I wanted to be the one who made her fantasies come true.
We spent the afternoon eating sushi on the pillows and drinking wine. Janelle and I listened to music; she actually convinced me to dance with her. It was impossible to deny her anything. Like I said, I wanted to give her everything. I wish I could say that I hit my goal of giving her pleasure eight different times. But after five, she kept whimpering, saying that she couldn't handle any more. If truth be told, I didn't know if I could handle much more. My resistance and self-control were waning. I'd spent the majority of the day with either a full erection or a slight erection. Either way, I was having a serious case of blue balls. It was way worse than normal too, because this time around, I was the one denying myself. And I knew full well what I was missing.
"Okay, we've gotta get going. There's still one more surprise," I said checking my phone for the time. I sent another text and pulled her up off the cushions. (It was nice to have secret helpers. I just wish Megan were still in town to hear all about it.)
Janelle jumped up immediately this time. "I'm ready. This day couldn't get any better."
Pulling down the driveway, Janelle shrieked, "Leo! This one has a SOLD sign on it too. Holy shit, you didn't buy both houses, did you?"
Laughing, I said, "Yeah, I wish. But close…my parents bought it."
"Your parents? But they're house…they're house is gorgeous. Why would they buy this house? I mean, it's beautiful too, but—"
"My mom said that once Megan…after Megan…ummm…she doesn't want all the memories. They're gonna move in here instead. Plus, there's a lot for grandkids to do," I explained, dropping my eyes from her gaze, worried I'd said too much.
"Oh Leo," she said, staring out the windows. "That's so…so…I'm sorry."
"They're beautiful houses any way you look at 'em," I said, changing the subject.
My dad had come over before we'd gotten here and set up the projector outside for us. My dad was awesome. He wasn't quite as goofy, but he reminded me a lot of Jim's dad from American Pie. He tried so hard to be a good dad, not realizing that he already was an incredible dad. I was lucky to have the parents I had.
Janelle and I sat on a lounge chair on the back dock, facing the house, drinking wine, watching The Notebook projected onto the back wall of the house. It was our own personal outdoor movie. The idea was Cliff's. He admitted that he'd done the same thing for Megan when they were dating. After the movie ended, projected onto the wall was a message that read: "Now that you've been "Notebooked," will you marry me?" It was brilliant.
Although I wasn't proposing, I did want her to feel like a queen, like I'd do anything for her. Sitting on the dock and watching the movie, cuddling in the same chair, it felt like everything was right in the world. I didn't feel like I was in a lose-lose battle with Briggs or that my sister was in a lose-lose battle with Cancer. It felt like I could take on the world. I didn't care that Janelle even saw me cry during the movie. Hell it's The Notebook; I dare any of you not to cry. When it was time to take her home, I hated that it had to end. Every time I had to say "goodbye" to her, I worried that it would be the end, worried that the next day she'd call and tell me that she'd chosen Briggs. How could I be so
completely in love with someone who didn't feel the same way? It didn't seem right. Yet, when I was with her, it was right in every way.
Driving to the school, I kept replaying in my head my entire date with Leo, comparing it to my date with Briggs. Both of them had pulled out all the stops. I felt like I was on some reality TV show, and was being romanced by the two most romantic and beautiful bachelors on the planet. How could I choose between them? After the Fourth of July, on the boat with Briggs, I had pretty much decided that he was the one. I knew I was in love with him. My heart skipped and fluttered whenever he was around. He was exciting and adventurous, but sexy and sincere, too. But after yesterday with Leo, I couldn't deny it; I was in love with him too. Fuck me. Couldn't one of them just suck? This was getting too hard, too out of control. If any chick ever told me that she was in love with two men, then I'd laugh at her and tell that she didn't know what true love was. Well guess what? Leo and Briggs taught me what true love is. I didn't know before this. I hadn't realized that love was knowing that someone else's happiness took priority over my own, which also meant that their sadness, their pain, was going to be mine as well. Shit.
I should've been concentrating on my appointment. I needed to meet with my superintendent. Jasper and Professor Gavin Greenwick were meeting me there. Professor Greenwick, my magical attorney, talked to Vince Bentley, and persuaded him to talk to my superintendent and sign an affidavit, admitting that everything he'd posted and declared on all social media sites were false and had no validity whatsoever. Jasper and Gavin went to Vince's apartment this morning and got the affidavit signed and notarized. They were bringing him to the super's office with them to ensure he didn't flee.
After what he told me about missing Briggs and wanting to make things right, I didn't think he'd bail, but Gavin wanted to be certain, absolutely certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt. He really talked that way. Sometimes, I wanted to remind him that court wasn't in session. Gavin was a bit loopy. He'd probably been sipping the Polyjuice or butter beer. Who knew? However, Professor Greenwick was a damn good lawyer, one that I was thrilled to have on my side, fighting for me.
The Final Lesson Plan Page 14