Life on Another Planet Ch. 28-31

They talked like old friends and Jesse had the overwhelming desire that whatever it took, he wanted to be close to this beautiful blonde once again. He cautioned himself that he would have to be patient, but circumstances were conspiring to ignore the warning. He couldn't just abandon Candice and make a play for Kirsten. And what about Candice? Candice, the willing lover, something that few of his friends could boast of. She of the voluptuous center-fold body and explosive passions. Was he willing to give that up on the chance that he could recapture the love of Kirsten? He parked the worries to the back of his mind. Kirsten was here now. Carpe Diem.

They skied together for the balance of the afternoon, leaving the mountain just before four that afternoon. Kirsten was driving her mother's Volvo, while Jesse was proud to point out the Beetle ... his own car. Kirsten was impressed and noted that it was a very practical car for a student. Jesse had purchased a ski rack that attached to the inside of the rear bumper and the air intake for the air-cooled motor. It could hold four pairs of skis, just as the car could hold four people.

~*~

What the VW wasn't so practical for was carpooling with five people. Admittedly, three of the members were slim and could fit into the back seat, but only just barely and with little or no comfort. Add the book bags, winter coats, and other gear, and the space behind the back seat and the limited trunk up front were filled to capacity. It was not ideal, but it was, for the time being, his only choice. His mother now had her car back and Jesse would have a decision to make either at the New Year if anyone dropped out of school, or at the end of the school year.

Monday December 25, 1961 2:40pm

Christmas Break was upon them and Jesse enjoyed being with his family once more. He missed it in the previous existence, despite the fact that he was in the lap of luxury at the Mikeska's lodge in Whistler. But as nice as it was, it wasn't his family and he knew that this was better, and always had been. His sister, Roberta, phoned on Christmas Day, spending at least an hour on the phone with her parents, and surprisingly, Jesse.

Jesse had vowed he would try to repair the relationship that had been strained over the years that Roberta was a teenager and had been obligated to mind Jesse when he was younger. Both of them resented it at that time, but Jesse knew it had to stop and they needed to mend their link. When he hung up, he smiled and turned to his mother, who had been listening to his side of the conversation.

"You went a long way to healing the rift, Jesse," his mother said with a smile. "I'm proud of you. I hope Roberta understands that you made the first step toward repairing the bond between each of you."

Jesse nodded. "She does. I think she might have been close to tears when I apologized for giving her a hard time when I was a kid. I never want to see us like that again. She said she understood and we would let bygones be bygones."

"Good. I'm glad," she said, her eyes glistening. "No parent wants to see their children not getting along with each other. I think that was a very Christian thing for you to do."

Jesse was thankful, although a bit embarrassed at his mother's praise. However, he felt good about the result of the phone conversation. Would it have been possible without his foreknowledge of the future and her selfless act of sharing the estate? He'd never know. Now, it wouldn't be an issue. There was no Jesse Peterson buried in Mountainside Cemetery.

Tuesday, December 26, 1961 9:30am

"Hi Kirsten," Jesse beamed as the big blonde strode from the parking lot to the chairlift shack.

"Merry Christmas, Jesse," she said, smiling that beautiful smile he so loved.

"Happy Boxing Day to you too," he replied.

"Thank you for the gift. I did not expect anything from you, so I was not prepared. Here," she said, passing him a small gift-wrapped package.

"Oh ... thank you, Kirsten. I wasn't expecting anything either. Should I open it?"

"Of course," she laughed.

Jesse unwrapped the package in the parking lot, mindful to stuff the paper in his jacket pocket. It contained a toque in bright red with a white maple leaf on the front.

"Oh, this is great, Kirsten, thank you so much. My other toque is getting old and it was always itchy. I keep forgetting to replace it. Now, I don't have to. Thank you. That was very thoughtful."

Kirsten was pleased that he was happy with the gift and had immediately replaced his older navy blue one with the new red one.

"I'll be easy to spot on the hill now," he laughed as they walked to the lift shack. Along the way, he deposited the wrapping paper and his old toque in the waste barrel. It was all the proof Kirsten needed that he appreciated the gift.

"It should be good skiing today, Jesse. The report said they had five inches of new snow last night. It will be crowded with everyone trying out their new ski equipment, but we should still have fun."

"Kirsten, you and I always have fun," he said without thinking.

"Always?" she said with a questioning look before smiling.

"Well, twice is always so far, isn't it?" he chuckled, happy to have recovered from the slip of the tongue.

They shared their Christmas experiences. The Peterson family opened presents on Christmas Day, while the Gustafsons opened their gifts on Christmas Eve. He remembered that from Whistler, but this time he didn't imply that he already knew that. Just as he had been in the future, he had to watch what he said in this time period as well. He had become the man who knew too much.

Chapter 30 A Problem with an Unfortunate Solution

Tuesday, January 2, 1962 12pm

Jesse was surprised that Candice had not appeared in the cafeteria as he had expected. He wondered if she had been delayed coming back from Cranbrook after the Christmas break. He had worried about how he would move forward with Kirsten without hurting Candice, but it seemed inevitable that one would cause the other. However, at this point, he had no idea if he had any chance to have a close relationship with Kirsten. It was still too soon to know if there was a future for them.

He'd talked to her over the break about many different things, but he avoided asking her if there was a boyfriend. She'd made no mention of one and he began to believe she wasn't attached to anyone. He reminded himself that the definition of boyfriend had changed over the half-century. Today, it meant a friendly relationship, more often with some kissing and fondling, but less often with intimacy. In the twenty-first century, it implied that it was much more likely there would be intimacy. He recalled the phrase "friends with benefits" as an apt description of the kind of relationship he had with Candice. With Kirsten, he wanted more ... much more, and not just the physical part.

He was pondering how to deal with the situation when he was startled by Kirsten appearing at the lunch table and sitting across from him.

"Hi," he managed as she smiled at him.

"Hi," she said. "Waiting for someone?" she probed.

"Well ... to tell the truth, Candice usually has lunch with me. But ... she hasn't shown up. I guess she was delayed getting back from Cranbrook. Maybe the roads were bad and she didn't want to risk it."

"Is it okay if I sit with you today?" she asked without guile.

"Of course," he said immediately. "I'm always delighted to have someone to talk to ... especially you."

"Especially me?" she wondered.

He nodded, suddenly feeling brave. "Yes. Kirsten, I've been wondering ... do you have a boyfriend?"

She smiled a knowing smile. "It took you a long time to ask that, didn't it?"

"Yes ... well ... we were just getting to know each other and I didn't want to ... well ... I mean ... I didn't know if there was someone else," he stumbled, finally getting it out.

She laughed. "No, Jesse. There is no one besides my friend, Jesse Peterson. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes ... good, but that's a surprise too. I would ask you why, but I don't want to embarrass you. Uhhm ... this is awkward. I am dating Candice, but she intends to go back to Cranbrook when she's finished here and so it's just sort of a temporary thing. You aren't planning to go back to Sweden, are you?"

Again, Kirsten laughed. "No, Jesse, I'm staying here. I like it here. It's not like Sweden in the winter and much nicer here in the summer too. But there is a big question to be answered. What will Candice think about you wanting to be friends with me?"

Jesse was shaking his head. "I have no idea. I happen to know she has a crush on a fellow who's studying medicine with her brother. I think I'm just someone who can be with her while she's in Vancouver. I'm pretty sure she wants to be with this fellow when he becomes a doctor."

"How do you know this?" Kirsten wondered.

Jesse shrugged. "She's hinted at it more than once. Her brother and this fellow are both intending to open a practice in Cranbrook when they are finished with their internships. Candice wants to be able to work in her parents' business in Cranbrook, so I'm just putting two and two together."

"What about your future?" she asked.

"I was going to study journalism, but I've changed my mind. I see a huge growth and opportunities in computers and that's what I want to get involved with. I hope I'm smart enough to learn what I have to know to be successful."

Kirsten quizzed him about computers and why he thought they were the way of the future. She was surprised at how much he knew about them and what he believed they could become in the future. She was impressed. He wasn't sure yet if he was intelligent enough to understand what he would have to know to reach his goal, but she got the impression he was going to try very hard to make it possible. Yes, she liked Jesse, and it was obvious he liked her. But there was the obstacle that had to be addressed: Candice Tanner.

If Jesse broke up with Candice, Kirsten wouldn't hesitate to date Jesse. But for now, he was not available. She thought she could try to be patient to see what developed. There was no one else that she was interested in, despite a dozen or more young men approaching her. She politely told them that she wasn't available and that there was someone she was waiting for. At first, it was only the barest truth, since Jesse Peterson had not appeared on the horizon.

To begin with, she had no intention of seeking out a boyfriend. Now, something pulled her toward Jesse. There was no doubt he was handsome and had a likeable personality, but it was more than that. What that "more" was defied description. There were some men on campus who were even more handsome and possibly wealthy, but Jesse had a certain aura about him that made him particularly attractive. In addition, he was thoughtful, polite, and thinking about his future in concrete terms. So many young men at the university were simply looking for a degree, and then a job ... any job that would pay a nice salary. Jesse had an ambition, but knew he would have to work hard to realize it. She liked that about him. She also respected him for not just dumping Candice in favour of her. It was his sense of honour that she admired.

Wednesday, January 3, 1962 12pm

Candice reappeared the next day and sat in her usual spot across from Jesse. He smiled and welcomed her.

"Hi, I missed you yesterday. Did you have a problem getting back here?" he wondered.

"Yes. We had a big snowfall on Sunday and the roads weren't in very good condition until late Monday, so I decided missing a day wouldn't kill me," she explained simply.

"Good thinking. I'd hate for you to have an accident and end up in hospital ... especially on those mountain passes." Jesse still had vivid memories of her accident on that same highway and the serious injuries she sustained. But this time, no such accident occurred.

She smiled and nodded, concentrating on her lunch.

"How was your Christmas?" he asked.

"It was nice. All the family was there, with Dave getting some time off too. I didn't expect that. Pete's at the Cranbrook Hospital and managed to visit between shifts. There are times when I think interns are slaves to be used until they drop," she snorted.

"I didn't know that," Jesse admitted. "Do they really work them that hard?"

"Oh, yeah. They can often be on 24 hour shifts. Crazy, huh? You'd think that kind of work load would lead to mistakes, but Dave and Pete just shrug and say it's the way it is. Anyway, I was just glad Dave got a couple of days off to be with Mom and Dad at Christmas."

"Yeah, that's nice," Jesse agreed. "What did you do on New Year's?"

"Nothing, really," she shrugged. "With Dave and Pete back to work, I just hung out with a couple of my old girlfriends and caught up on the local gossip. We got together at my parents' place and had some fun, but nothing crazy. It ended up with a slumber party when the snow got so heavy the girls decided not to go home. I haven't had one of those in eons."

"Good, I'm glad you had a good time with your family. I had a nice Christmas too, and I got to talk to my sister in Toronto for a while. I'm trying to see if we can be friends ... get along better than when she was home. I think I helped get that started," he said with a slight smile.

"Good for you, Jesse. That's the right thing to do. How did your sister respond?"

"Pretty good. It was fairly positive. I apologized for all the times she could have been with her friends but had to look after me. I think that went a long way with her. I'm glad I made the effort, anyway."

Candice smiled and nodded. She obviously approved. They exchanged further small talk about the gifts they received and other family things. He told her about skiing during the holiday, but didn't mention Kirsten. He wasn't ready to broach that subject quite yet. Of course, the best plans go out the window when a certain blonde arrived at the table and sat beside Candice.

"Hi, Jesse," she smiled. "Hello Candice," she said, turning to her.

The look on Candice's face was oddly calm and having examined Kirsten quickly, she turned to Jesse. She was about to ask the obvious question when Kirsten filled in the blank.

"I'm Kirsten. I met Jesse when we were skiing recently," she explained.

"Ohhhh?" Candice managed, dragging the exclamation out with a raised eyebrow.

Jesse displayed a "deer in the headlights" look. He wasn't ready for this situation at all.

"Uhhm ... yeah ... that's right," he said, looking at each of them warily.

Candice turned to Kirsten. "You're the girl in the picture at the Halloween dance."

"Oh ... yes, I was there," Kirsten admitted, showing a slight smile. "You were the most spectacular woman at the dance. You should have won best costume."

"Thanks," Candice smiled. "I don't remember what you were wearing though."

"Oh, it was nothing remarkable. It was a traditional Swedish costume. Not daring at all like yours," she giggled.

Jesse was beginning to breathe again. Not completely out of the woods yet, but maybe he might escape some awkward questions until later when he'd gathered his wits about him.

The two girls looked at him, then at each other, then back and him ... and burst out laughing.

"You should see the look on your face, Jesse," Candice said, barely able to contain herself.

Kirsten was giggling beside her. "I think he was frightened that we might attack each other ... or him."

By now the colour on Jesse's face was bright red.

"Alright you two. What's going on? I get the impression you know each other," Jesse said, giving the two a serious, unblinking stare.

"Who? Us?" Candice said with a surprised look.

"Yeah ... you," Jesse said a second before the two girls burst out laughing again. "Come on, out with it," he demanded.

The two looked at each other before turning to Jesse.

"Okay, so we played a little joke on you. No need to get snippy," Candice said.

"So, how do you know each other?" Jesse persisted.

"We're in the same Psychology 101 class," Candice admitted. "I recognized her from the photo taken at the Halloween dance and I remembered just how you reacted when you looked at it. You knew Kirsten, didn't you?"

Jesse sighed, "Yeah. I hadn't talked to her, but I'd seen her before."

"But you didn't want to admit that to me, did you?" Candice smirked.

Jesse just shook his head, looking at Kirsten and seeing her slight smile. It appeared he wasn't in any great trouble with the two, but he was uncomfortable.

"I didn't want to upset you ... make you think that I was going behind your back with another girl."

"Jesse," Candice said seriously, "I know you talked to Kirsten about me. She's told me so. You've been honest with her, so you can be honest with me."

"Okay ... like she said, we met when I went skiing. We skied together, that's all."

"I should be jealous," Candice remarked, "but Kirsten and I are friends now. Besides, you'll need a girlfriend when I'm not around."

"What do you mean ... when you're not around?" Jesse asked.

"I may be transferring to Calgary at the end of the school year. Pete is going to be there and he's invited me to share an apartment with him. I've told you about Pete haven't I?"

"Yeah, well, I did get the impression that he was on your long-term list. Maybe someone permanent?" Jesse tried.

"That's my plan ... and it looks like Pete agrees," she grinned. "You weren't thinking we were forever were you?"

Jesse shook his head. "No ... I knew we were just friends with ... well ... we were just good friends."

Candice and Kirsten giggled. "Don't be shy, Jesse. Kirsten knows about you and me. She was very curious about why I chose you. So ... I told her."

"You two seem to have exchanged an awful lot of information about me and yourselves pretty quickly," Jesse noted.

Kirsten had remained almost completely silent while Candice had taken over the conversation, but she was paying close attention as her new friend needled Jesse.

"Uhhm ... dare I ask what you told her?" Jesse said hesitantly.

"NO!" she giggled. "I'll leave that up to her. But it was nothing bad, I can assure you. Both Kirsten and I think you are a really nice guy. We're willing to share you for now."

"Share me?" Jesse croaked, his face a giant question mark.

"That's right," Candice nodded. "I know you a lot better than Kirsten does, but I know she wants to ... what should I say ... catch up?" Again, a giggle from the two girls.

"This is the craziest conversation I've ever had," Jesse admitted. "Just how am I going to share you?"

"Oh, don't get all worked up about it," Candice continued. "We'll work something out and let you know."

"You'll let me know?" he repeated, shaking his head.

"Sure. You want this to be comfortable for everyone, don't you? I mean, you're going to have special status on campus. Think about it. It's not like you'll be dating the 'Dragon sisters.'"

Jesse cringed. The Dragon sisters, aka Rita and Mila Dragovich, apparently were legendary as the most fearsome women on campus. Immigrants from some Eastern European country, they dressed and looked like they could star in a vampire movie. It was a good bet they didn't have too many dates.

Jesse just shook his head at the thought. Two of the sexiest women on campus and they both intended to date him. Like ... this was a bad thing? Okay, that's the up side, he thought. But ... he was sure there might be a down side.

"I can hear the gears clanking, Kirsten," Candice giggled once more. "He's trying to figure out just how this will work."

Kirsten smiled and put her hand over Jesse's. "Don't worry, we won't hurt you. We want to be your friends."

"Why me?" Jesse asked, knowing he was literally looking a gift horse in the mouth.