Love Gone Wild: A Contemporary Romantic Comedy by Michele Bardsley Page A

felt.
    On the table next to the couch were several candles of varying heights and colors—all half-melted. They explained the sweet scents filtering through the apartment. She also noticed two table trays. Dinner for two had been arranged carefully. Each tray had a dinner plate, dessert plate, utensils, and champagne flutes. The girl had attempted to create a romantic atmosphere.
    Janey obviously had a huge crush on Dane.
    If the frowning, confused expression on Dane's face was any indication, the big galoot was clueless.
    Tears formed in the girl's eyes. "I want you to like me."
    "I do like you." Dane's harsh features softened. "You're the best softball pitcher at the Center."
    "That's all you ever see. How good I am at sports." Her head dipped as if she didn't want Dane to see her cry. A shuddering sob shook her shoulders and she tightened into a ball.
    Sympathy flowered into a need to act. Marissa stepped forward. "He thinks you're beautiful."
    Janey looked up. "He does?"
    Marissa dared a glance at Dane. His mouth was opening and closing like freshly-caught fish. She sent him a just-go-with-it look. His answering look said I-will-kill-you-later.
    "He was just telling me how beautiful you are. How your blonde hair shines in the sunlight when you're pitching."
    "Really?" She sniffled. "He said that?"
    "Yes. And how nice you look in your uniform." Marissa's smile faltered. "But, alas, he knows that you can never be his."
    "I-I can't?"
    "You're young. Beautiful. Out of reach. He's already made the decision that he must admire you from afar."
    "But why?"
    "Because he's old."
    Janey and Marissa both looked at Dane. "See the lines around his eyes? The graying hair? Soon, his gut will start to sag. His muscles will turn to mush. He'll go bald."
    "Eeeew."
    Marissa thought the tiny blood vessel pulsing in Dane's forehead was going to explode, but she pressed on. He couldn't know the fragility of a young girl's self-esteem. Better that Janey walked away from him than face his rejection. "You'll be in the prime of your life. Do you really want to take care of a doddering old man?"
    "No." Janey swiped her tear-streaked face. "He's so nice to me. He treats me with respect. He's good-lookin' right now."
     Marissa silently agreed. "It's not really fair, though. How do you think he'll feel walking around with a gorgeous young woman? He'll be afraid that you'll leave him for another. He'll watch you grow more beautiful as he gets older, grayer...fatter."
    "F-fatter?" Janey looked at Dane with alarm. "I-I wouldn't want to hurt him."
    "It's up to you," said Marissa. "You can let him go now or be the source of his greatest sorrow in his golden years."
    Janey examined Dane with a scrunched-up expression. The girl was obviously giving him a mental makeover. She must have imagined a really old, really gray, really fat Dane because she looked horrified. She stood, gathered the afghan around her shoulders, and walked to Dane. "I'm sorry, but I like you too much to hurt you." She offered her hand. "Can we just be friends?"
    "Yes," said Dane, shaking Janey's hand. "I'll have to live with admiring you from afar."
    "I'll call Tommy for a ride." She bit her lip. "He's the one who let me in. Said you gave him a key in case he needed a place to crash. I'm glad you trust him, Mr. S. It means a lot to him. Just so you know, he thought I was making you a surprise dinner. He'd be really mad if he found out—well, you know."
    "It's our little secret," said Dane. "I suppose your mother thinks you're someplace else?"
    Janey blushed. "That I'm staying over at a friend's. Are you going to rat me out, Mr. S?"
    "No. But if you ever pull another stunt like this one, I'll rat you out—big time."
    "The pain of your rejection is making him grumpy," interrupted Marissa. She wished he'd stop frowning and acting so imposing. At this point, a statue had more animation than Dane. He was going to ruin her pining-after-Janey scenario. "Why don't you call Tommy, then get