Life on Another Planet Ch. 28-31

Chapter 28 It Just Keeps Getting Crazier

Wednesday, October 18, 1961 12:10pm

"Sorry I'm late," Candice said, slightly out of breath. "I had to see the teaching assistant about my accounting mid-term."

"Oh ... not a problem, I hope," Jesse said with concern.

"No," she sighed as she put her cafeteria tray down. "I'll be okay with my grade. He wanted to date me," she said with a sigh. "I had to be blunt with him. I told him I already have a steady boyfriend, and I wasn't interested in trading down."

Jesse almost choked on his sandwich. "You didn't say that, did you?"

Candice laughed and pointed at him. "You should see your face. You bought that hook, line and sinker," she said, still chuckling at his gullibility. She composed herself at last and said, "No of course I didn't. I was polite, but firm. He was pretty disappointed, but I'm not worried that he would cause me a problem. I've heard of that kind of thing happening in reverse. You give a TA a date and your grade goes up. I'm not going to do that," she finished emphatically.

Jesse smiled now. "I didn't know that kind of thing went on here. He sounds like he might be one of those kinds of guy."

She shrugged. "It's not a new thing for me. I even had one of my high school teachers come on to me. I do tend to attract the attention of guys, you know," she smirked.

"You definitely attracted my attention," Jesse smiled. What he wouldn't give to let her know just how much attention he paid to her in their other life.

"Jesse, I'm not dumb. I know what I look like and I know when I've got a good thing. I have no intention of trading you in for a better grade, or a date. You're stuck with me for the future unless you decide you don't want that."

There was no mistaking the tone of her voice. She wasn't kidding.

"I'm a very lucky guy, Candice. I wouldn't want to risk that for a minute. You're stuck with me too," he smiled.

"Good ... then that's settled. Now, what are we going to do this weekend?"

Friday, October 27, 1961 12:05pm

"Did you pick up your costume yet?" Candice asked Jesse.

"Yeah, I got it yesterday afternoon. Glad I reserved it too. There wasn't much to choose from by then. There must be a lot of Halloween parties planned."

"I'm ready too," she smiled. "And no, I haven't changed my mind. I'm not going as Lady Godiva."

It had been a standing joke between them for two weeks when the Student Union Halloween Ball was announced. Neither of the two would reveal what their costume was, but Jesse had promised it wouldn't be Superman, or some toga-type Roman costume. Candice gave no hint what her costume would be either. He would have to wait until he picked her up to find out.

Jesse had chosen a Navy officer's costume, complete with the "fruit salad" chest decorations. He went for the closest he could get to his grandfather's uniform from WWII. It wasn't the most elaborate costume, but it suited Jesse just fine. His father commented on just how much he resembled his grandfather in uniform. He obviously approved of Jesse's choice.

Saturday, October 28, 1961 6:45pm

Jesse stood, mouth agape, when Candice answered the door to her room. The first thing that came to his mind was "Oh, I'm in trouble now."

"Candice, you look ... amazing. But don't you think it's a little too ... revealing?"

"Don't you like it, Jesse?" she asked with a smirk.

She knew perfectly well he was stunned at her appearance. She had chosen a costume from the Parisian Folies Bergère, and with a blonde wig, she looked every bit the part of one of the legendary dancers.

In fact, Jesse was wondering if she didn't look a little too much the part. He immediately wondered how her magnificent breasts would be contained in their place in the skimpy upper part of her dress. He wondered if her appearance might cause a riot at the party.

"You think I'm too hot to handle," she teased as she moved into him and rubbed her scantily covered breasts against him.

"Oh yeah," he nodded. "Maybe we should just stay here and not tempt anyone.

Candice laughed. "If you think I went to all this trouble to stay indoors, Jesse Peterson, you are sadly mistaken. After all, every other guy is going to wonder how you got a date with me, right? That ought to give you quite a reputation, don't you think?"

She was taunting him now, and he realized it.

"Okay, Candice, you win. I'm probably going to have to spend most of the night fending off guys who want to cut in on me."

"Aw, sweetie, you say the nicest things," she smiled, kissing him softly, not wishing to smear her lipstick. "I like your costume too. All you need is a ship's crew to salute you. You look amazingly handsome and at home in that uniform."

"I tried to copy my grandfather's uniform from the war," Jesse said. "In your case, I'm not so sure how many people are going to care about the origin of your costume ... just what it looks like on you."

"What do you mean? I spent a lot of time picking out this costume. It's not too risqué or too revealing," she challenged.

"Take it easy, Candice. I'm not criticizing you. It's just that ... well ... it doesn't leave much to the imagination. You're really going to cause a stir tonight."

"You mean because of my big tits?" she said, looking decidedly irritated, Jesse noticed.

"Calm down, Candice. You're a beautiful woman and that dress will let everyone know just how beautiful you are. I'm not crazy. I want to be the guy who is with you tonight. You know me better than that."

"Yeah ... I guess. I promise I won't embarrass you tonight, okay?" she said quietly, having calmed down.

"I never thought for a moment you would," Jesse smiled warmly, "but you certainly have my blood pressure rising."

"Is that the only thing that's rising," she grinned, rubbing her impressive chest against him.

"No ... and you know darn well it isn't."

"Good. Now, let's go before we're late," she said, grinning and giving his crotch a quick rub.

Jesse was a little surprised at her actions. They were much more aggressive than he expected. Perhaps it was what he could expect differently from high school. The women seemed much more self assured at college. He'd bought a half-dozen condoms at the drug store earlier in the week, and two were safely stored in his wallet. It would be up to Candice to decide when or if he would need them.

~*~

"What a fun party that was," Candice said as they walked to Jesse's car. "I can't believe how many people were there. It must have been over three hundred."

"You were the star, Candice. There wasn't a single guy who didn't lust after you tonight. I'm surprised you didn't win 'best costume.' You certainly had the male vote. The female vote might have been in doubt though. I don't think they were thrilled with the competition tonight."

"That's okay. I only wanted to impress one guy," she said, hugging his arm into her breast.

"I noticed you paying close attention to me. I felt about ten feet tall. I think a few of the guys were ready to kill me to get me out of the way."

"You know, my roommate Dory isn't going to be there tonight. Why don't you spend some time with me? We won't be interrupted," she said in a sultry voice.

"I'd like that," he smiled. "I can't stay overnight, but we can spend some time together."

"You'd like to stay overnight?" she said in surprise.

"Of course. I can't think of anything I'd like more than to wake up with you beside me."

"Oh," she managed. "I've never done that. I mean ... I've never slept with anyone ... all night."

"I'd like to be the first," Jesse said, holding her to him and kissing her passionately. "It just can't be tonight. My parents would be worried where I was or if anything happened to me."

"Yes ... of course. But ... I'd like to have you spend the night too. Maybe we can arrange something in the future. But tonight, I've been waiting for a chance for us to be together. Let's not talk about it. Let's do what we've both been waiting to do. Okay?"

"Of course it's okay," Jesse smiled warmly. "I can't think of any better way to celebrate tonight than with you."

Sunday, October 29, 1961 1:40am

In the aftermath of their lovemaking, Jesse lay on his back, awake, hearing the soft rhythmic sound of Candice as she slept. He sighed, leaned over and kissed her lightly on her cheek. Slipping carefully out of bed and getting dressed, he made his way out of the apartment and toward his mother's car. It was almost two in the morning and he knew there would be questions later in the morning about where he was and what he was doing. His response would require some thought. He was half inclined to tell the truth ... the whole truth.

As he drove home, he wondered just what had unsettled him about having sex with Candice. She was a lovely and happy young woman and he should have been able to maintain his elation over her inviting him into her bed so soon after their meeting. He couldn't think of any difference between this Candice and the one from the future. But it was the feeling he was left with that unsettled him. All the experience in his "other life" had taught him what to do and how to please his partner, but it was afterwards that he was left with an uncomfortable feeling.

In his head, he assumed Candice was destined for another man. Even though the two worlds in which he had co-existed weren't identical, he knew instinctively from her comments that Pete Giesbrecht was her chosen future husband. He couldn't blame her for that. Pete would be a doctor and both a successful and prosperous citizen in Cranbrook. And it wasn't the fact that Pete could offer her more than Jesse could. The simple fact was that Candice wasn't in love with Jesse and Jesse wasn't in love with Candice. In the new century it was called Friends with Benefits. However, another ghost was wandering about in his thoughts.

Was the voluptuous young Candice just a way station on Jesse's trip through life? If so, which life would turn out to be the permanent one? Likely this original one, he thought. True, he longed for all the fascinating new devices of the future, but he was safe and secure in his "real" life in the twentieth century. There was nothing to catch up on or mask from others aside from his foreknowledge. He was simply eighteen-year-old Jesse Peterson, a first year student in university with a part time job and a loving family. The appearance of Candice made him wonder again what his life was destined to be. There were no answers to these questions, of course. There was no one he could consult about this confused life he was living. There was no Eve Mikeska to steady the ship and believe in him.

He sighed as he pulled into the driveway of his home. So far, there were no answers at all.

~*~

"What time did you get in last night?" his mother asked him as he sat at the breakfast table.

"A little after one, I think," he answered without looking up.

"Did you have a good time?"

"Yes ... we did. Candice is a very attractive young woman and I was the envy of every guy in at the dance."

"So ... is this the girl that will replace Juliet?" his mother persisted.

"Mom, any girl would replace Juliet. But Candice is not just any girl, okay?" he said with a little more forcefulness than necessary.

"What does she look like?" the questioning continued, his mother not put off by his retort.

Jesse was getting irritated at the grilling and in frustration gave a snap answer.

"She looks like a Playboy centerfold," he said, continuing to eat his cereal, not looking up.

"Really?" his mother exclaimed. The disbelief was evident in her voice.

"Really. Tell you what, Mom. Everyone got their picture taken when we arrived. They promised to have the pictures developed this coming week, so I'll be able to show you."

"Oh ... that's wonderful. I do so want to see this Miss Centerfold you're dating," she said with a smirk. The incredulity was still there.

"Ah hah!," Jesse snapped with a grin. "You don't believe me, do you? Well, the proof will be forthcoming, Mother. And then you will see I'm not exaggerating."

"I'll look forward to it," she grinned, have successfully goaded him.

Margaret Peterson was very proud of her son, Jesse. He was handsome and smart and a very good natured boy. He'd gotten past his fits of temper when he was younger. But the idea of him dating a girl ... woman ... as beautiful as a Playboy centerfold was undoubtedly an exaggeration. He didn't seem the type to attract a woman of that category. She was pleased when he broke up with Juliet. She wasn't right for him anyway. Now, she'd have to wait to see the evidence before she would believe it.

Jesse was relieved he had briefly silenced his mother. He knew she didn't believe his description of Candice, but the photo would be the proof. He wondered what she would think. He was grateful Sue, Candice, Kirsten and even Joanna, had erased all thoughts of Juliet. His humiliation by her was in the past and likely forgotten by everyone. His adventures in the future brought him a good deal more experience than most of his contemporaries when it came to intimate relationships. That was to his benefit, and the previous night with Candice only confirmed that he knew exactly how to turn her on and satisfy her fully. He expected to hear from her this morning, or early this afternoon. That might be a tease for his Mom too.

It was just after four that afternoon when Jesse arrived home from Jack's house. John David Black was an apprentice cameraman at the new television station and had plenty of interesting stories to tell about the things he saw and heard. Bob Chalmers had dropped in as well as they talked about their new lives away from high school. Bob was in art school. He was already a talented artist, Jesse thought, but he wanted to make a career of his skill. The two were his best friends and had been for several years. Eventually it got around to their current love life. Neither of them believed him about Candice, so once again Jesse had to promise photographic evidence.

Jesse hung his jacket up on the coat tree and headed for the bathroom. As he passed the kitchen he heard his mother's voice.

"Candice called this afternoon, Jesse. She wants you to call her. I took the number and we talked for a few minutes."

"Uhhm ... okay, Mom, thanks."

He wondered just what they talked about. He hoped Candice hadn't gone into too much detail about last night. Not likely, knowing her. She wasn't that bold. A quick trip to the bathroom and he was back in the kitchen.

"She sounds like a very nice young lady," his mother said as Jesse reached into the refrigerator for some orange juice.

If only she knew, Jesse thought. "She is. She's a small town girl who's living in the big city for the first time. Her dad owns the biggest garage and gas station in Cranbrook, and Candice's future plan is to take it over from him when she's ready. She's taking business administration and doing quite well, she thinks."

"Do you think it's serious between you two?" Mom asked, still probing for information.

Jesse shrugged. "Too early to tell. I think there's someone in Cranbrook that may have her attention. Her brother and his best friend are studying medicine and planning to set up a clinic in their home town. However, for now, she and I are dating."

"I think she likes you a lot, Jesse," his mother said. "She was very complimentary about you and it wasn't just because you are good looking either. She said we must have raised you to be polite and courteous. I thought that was a very nice thing for her to say."

Jesse wondered what his mother might think if she knew what he had been doing the previous night.

"I'll call her later," he said, hoping to end the conversation. "I've got some studying to finish up."

He made a hasty exit to his bedroom, and after looking at his Monday schedule, opened his notebook and reviewed the last lesson. There was no further inquisition at the dinner table that night. Jesse's father was wondering about how the Austin Healey would do during the winter, especially if it snowed. It had very little ground clearance and would be hopeless in that weather. His mother simply wouldn't drive in the snow with all the steep hills in West Vancouver. That would free up her wretched Falcon for his dad to drive. Jesse longed for the day when he could afford his own car.

Sunday, October 29, 5:30pm

"You snuck out on me yesterday morning," Candice said in a light tone.

"As much as I wanted to stay, I had to get home. Luckily, my parents were asleep when I got there, so they didn't know what time it was. Even so, I got the third degree about you this morning. What did you and Mom talk about when you called this afternoon?"

"Oh ... just girl talk," she giggled. "She said she wanted to meet me so she could warn me about all your bad habits."

"I don't have that many bad habits," Jesse retorted.

"I know one good habit you have," Candice cooed. "You made sure I was satisfied last night. A girl could get very accustomed to that. She'd probably come to expect it," she teased.

"Assuming we can find the time and the place to be together, I'd say there's a good chance I can help you with that problem," Jesse said.

"Who said it was a problem?" she laughed. "You are something special, Jesse. I don't know where you learned all those nice things you did last night, but I loved every one of them."

"Glad to hear it. Let's plan to find some time for each other this weekend, okay?"

"Count on it," she said with enthusiasm.

"Got to go now, I've got to finish up an assignment," Jesse said.

"Okay. See you in the cafeteria. 'Night, Jesse."

"Good night, Candice. Sweet dreams."

Jesse hung up the phone and went back to his studies, thoughts of Candice's magnificent body running through his mind. She was every guy's dream girl, and for some reason, she had chosen him. Whatever the reason, he was never going to complain about his good fortune.

Wednesday, November 1, 1961 12:05pm

It took Jesse a few moments to spot Candice in the large communal lunch room. She was sitting with a couple of her girlfriends and although he knew the two, he had been hoping she would be alone.

"Hey, girls," he said as he approached. "What are you three plotting today?"

"Jesse!" Candice said enthusiastically as she looked up. The other two girls were all smiles too. "Our pictures arrived this morning. Come have a look."

"Oh, good," he grinned. "Now I can show Mom just what you look like. She didn't believe me when I described you."

"Here," she said, pushing a manila 8 X 10 envelope over to him.

"Wow, they gave us enlargements, eh," he said in surprise. Jesse carefully slid the photograph from the unsealed envelope and was surprised to see it was a color print. Even though it was a hastily posed scene, he thought they looked great, and said so.

"You look really handsome in that uniform, Jesse," Darla Powell said. "I wish my boyfriend looked that good."

"Eat your heart out, girls," Candice giggled. "He's all mine."

Jesse felt a wave of elation pass through him at that moment. It was nice to know his girlfriend was proud of him ... even if it was just for his looks in a uniform.

He studied the photo for a few moments before slipping it back into the envelope and picking up his sandwich.

The other two girls, Darla and Maureen were comparing their photos with Candice. Eventually, they passed them across to Jesse for his approval. His opinion was biased, of course, but there was no doubt Candice was the star of the night. As he gazed at the other two girls' photos, he saw something that caused him to stop, wide eyed.

It wasn't who was in the foreground, but in the background of Darla's photograph was a glimpse of someone who looked very familiar. He was frozen staring at it for a moment, staring at the person he thought he recognized. Was it possible? If Candice was possible in two different time lines, then it followed that this person could be as well. The more he looked, the more he was convinced it was Kirsten Gustafson. Candice picked up on his intense interest.