Another Heart Calls

Driving over to Janelle’s house, Marty’s words kept repeating in Patrick’s head. I don’t know. Like kiss my best friend or something. Patrick was angry that Meredith had even put him in this situation, and the more times those words kept repeating, the more they made sense. Maybe he would kiss Janelle, just to piss off Meredith. But Patrick couldn’t do that; he loved Meredith too much.

As he knocked on Janelle’s door, he couldn’t figure out why he was there. He loved Meredith, so why was he going on a date with another girl, a girl he’s known practically his entire life, no less? Janelle opened the door wearing a short, white dress. Patrick had never seen her dress like this before, and his mouth dropped. He had to admit, Janelle looked amazing tonight.

“Hey,” Janelle said smiling at him. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah,” Patrick told her, and she grabbed her matching white purse off the table and went out the front door. She turned around to lock it, and then the two of them walked to Patrick’s car.

“So, where are we going?” Janelle asked him.

“Over to Bon Appétit,” Patrick replied, referring to a fancy restaurant on the other side of Chicago. “Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah,” Janelle smiled. They sat with a comfortable silence the rest of the time they were driving to the restaurant.

Once inside, and after ordering their food, Janelle looked up at Patrick. “So, what made you decide to take me out on a date?” Janelle asked. Patrick had decided it was better that she didn’t know that Meredith was the one that had told him to.

“I just wanted to,” Patrick replied. “I mean we hadn’t seen each other in ten years, and now that you’re back, I still haven’t really gotten to talk to you too much, so I thought that I should take you out.”

“I’m glad,” Janelle told him. “Because there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you,” she said, getting nervous, and looking down at the table.

“What is it?” Patrick asked, concerned that it was something bad.

“Patrick, I love you,” she suddenly blurted out.

Patrick looked up at her with wide eyes. He didn’t know why he was shocked so much at her declaration because Meredith had been telling him that Janelle was still in love with him, but he continued to push it aside as if it weren’t true. “You love me?” he asked.

“Yeah, Patrick. I’ve been in love with you since we were in Thunder Bay. I thought I had finally gotten over you after ten years, but then I saw you again, and all those feelings were still there,” she admitted.

“Janelle, I’m sorry, but I don’t love you. I love Meredith,” he confessed.

“Then why are you on a date with me?” she asked.

Patrick knew it was time to confess everything. “Meredith wanted me to go out with you,” he told her.

“What?” Janelle asked. “Why would she do that?”

“She told me that you loved me, and she was worried that you and I were meant to be together even though I told her that wasn’t true. She wanted me to go out with you to make sure I had no feelings,” Patrick explained.

“And you have no feelings for me?” Janelle asked.

“No, I’m sorry,” Patrick apologized.

Janelle leaned over the table and slammed her lips against his in a passionate kiss. She slowly pulled away, and saw Patrick hesitate when her lips left his. “Do you still feel that way?” Janelle asked.

“I love Meredith,” Patrick stated.

“Are you sure? Because it sounds to me like you’re trying to convince yourself of that,” Janelle told him.

“Listen, I’m pissed at Meredith right now for not trusting me enough when I tell her that I love her. I’ve told her a million times, and she still wants me to go on a date with you.”

“You didn’t answer my question, Patrick,” Janelle pointed out.

“Janelle, I love Meredith.”

“But you’re pissed at her right now.”

“Yes,” Patrick admitted. “But that doesn’t make me stop loving her,” he told her.

“Why don’t we just forget about her right now,” Janelle suggested.

“I can’t forget about her,” Patrick said.

“Come on, Patrick. I know you felt the same thing in that kiss that I did. No one has to know,” she whispered to him. “We can leave right now and go back to my place. You can make Meredith regret that she ever made you go on this date with me.”

Patrick stared at her, and Marty’s words replayed in his head. I’d be pissed that she would ever do that to me. And I’d probably do something to piss her off on the date. He was suddenly furious at Meredith for ever suggesting this date. It was her fault he was in this situation right now.

“You’re right,” Patrick said looking at her. “Let’s go,” he said, grabbing her hand and leading her out to his car.

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at Janelle’s house. The entire ride, Janelle had been teasing Patrick, rubbing her hand up and down his thigh. Now, that they were finally at her house, she grabbed Patrick by the arm and pulled him up to the door, unlocking it as fast as she could.

Patrick’s mind wasn’t in the right place. He wasn’t thinking of what consequences this would bring. All he could think of was how pissed off he was at Meredith. She didn’t trust him enough to believe him when he told her he loved her. She had thought that he was better off with Janelle. Fine, then, he would prove her right.

Janelle pulled Patrick out of his thoughts as her tongue ran along his bottom lip, begging for entrance. Patrick immediately obliged, and she was soon unbuttoning his shirt. By the time she had ripped it off of him, they had stumbled their way to her bedroom.

Patrick immediately navigated the two of them to her bed, and they fell down, him on top of her. Moving his lips to her neck, he began unzipping the side of her dress, while Janelle removed his belt.

Before they knew it, both of them were completely naked, and Patrick was about to make the biggest mistake of his life without even giving it a second thought.