Chapter 70

Physical therapy. Just the word made me cringe. I had to admit that it was working, though. At this point, I was down to one crutch.

For the past week, I could get around on my own. There was little reason for me to be here, at Theresa's, but no one had broached the subject. I didn't want to. Theresa hadn't. Jessica sure as hell wasn't going to say anything.

Friday afternoon, just as Theresa walked in the door, Jeanie called. It was a two second call.

"What was that?" Jessica asked.

"Jeanie's coming over. She wanted to make sure I was home."

"She must have been looking out the window," I said, knowing from their apartment, she couldn't have seen Theresa drive up, walk up, or enter this apartment.

We hadn't seen much of Jeanie recently. Theresa said the house was talking all of her time.

As soon as she knocked, she opened the door and walked in.

"Hi. Theresa, I need your help. Come on and let's go."

"Go? I just got home," Theresa said. "What do you need help with? Jessica could help you, couldn't she?"

Jeanie rolled her eyes.

"No. My husband, the loaf, isn't any help with this at all."

"You want to give me more of a clue as to what 'help' you need? We do have a staff psychologist at the hospital."

"Very funny."

Jessica and I were not being very successful in hiding our laughter.

"You two just encourage her," Jeanie went on. "I have to make the final decisions on the kitchen appliances by tomorrow. They need to start finishing that on Monday. I can't make up my mind! I need your help. Please?"

"Ok," Theresa relented, and looked over at Jessica and me. Then she said, "What are we going to do with you two?"

There was a pause, and then Jessica said, "The movies!"

"Like what?" Theresa asked.

"I don't know, but that sounds like a lot more fun than anything you were probably thinking, like taking me along with you. No thank you."

"Look up what's playing," Theresa said, "and be quick about it." Then to Jeanie she asked, "What time do we need to go? When does the place close?"

"It's ... I don't know the name ... that big box store at the end of town. I think they close at nine. We're not ordering it from them, but picking it out. Antonio will order it. That is, when I decide."

"Jessica," Theresa called to her, "something that ends by nine."

I realized as soon as Jessica and I had been let off in front of the theater, that this was our first 'official' date.

"I wish I didn't have this crutch. At least I only have the one brace though."

"John, you'd have to leave then. I'm not looking forward to that."

"I was just thinking. This is the first time we've been out, you know, together."

"It's a date!"

"So what are you going to say?"

"Say?"

"You're probably going to see someone from school."

"What do you think I'd say? You're my boyfriend and I can't think of anything I'd like to have around school than I've got this hot guy!"

"So I'm hot?"

"John, don't be stupid."

Of course, that made me wonder ... was I being stupid? Fortunately, she went on.

"You're older than anyone in my school. That makes you hot right there. The fact that you're good looking is a definite plus. My guess is that if some of the junior or senior girls show up, they are going to wonder what you see in me ... you know, when you could have them. I wouldn't put it past them to suggest that, right in front of me."

"Now that could be fun."

"For who?" Jessica said a bit defensively.

"Well, you, I think."

"Me?"

"Yeah. If any girl said something like that, they'd probably throw up as I described how much I love you."

Jessica gave me a smile that just didn't stop. She took hold of my hand, and pulled me along to the ticket line. It was a good think I was getting good on that crutch!

No one had said anything, but we got a lot of looks. Jessica put her claim on me by kissing me several times. In the ticket line and the snack line. I'm sure questions were going to be asked on Monday.

When I realized what Jessica had ordered for tickets, I knew I wouldn't be watching. I think that's what she had in mind.

The theater was almost empty. There were lines to get into some of the other 'hot' pictures. We sat in the back, off to the side, my crutch effectively blocking the row. Not that there were many people trying to get a seat.

As the lights started to dim, Jessica took the drink out of my hand and placed it into the cup holder, on the far side of her. The bag of popcorn went onto the seat beyond her as well.

Before the previews started, we had. Our kissing progressed, and it didn't take long to get hot and bothered.

I realized it was a very bad mistake to have asked for extra butter on the popcorn. While it felt divine at the time, there was a conspicuous stain around the fly of my pants.

"Jessica," I said.

"What?"

"Look!"

She did, and then here eyes traveled up to mine. They were large as saucers.

"What are we going to do?" she asked.

"You're going to have to walk in front of me when your mom arrives. Although I'm more worried about Jeanie spotting it. She's not driving."

"And she will, too. Shit!"

As if that wasn't bad enough, Fiona and Brandon walk over to us.

"Hey!" Fiona said. "You didn't tell me you were going to be here. What did..."

She stopped in mid sentence. I could tell her eyes were glued to my crotch.

"Jessica!" Fiona said in an awed whisper. "What did you do?"

"What makes you think it was me?" Jessica asked nervously.

Brandon was like most guys, clueless. I was sort of glad, and wasn't about to help him out on this one. Thankfully, Fiona grabbed Jessica's arm and the two girls walked away from our ears.

"What was all that about?" Brandon asked.

I wasn't going to answer. So I asked him what they saw. They had stood in one of the long lines, been stuffed into a completely full theater, and he'd loved every minute of the film.