The Janitor's Girl Pt. 05

Part 5

Heather's birthday came and her mother threw her a huge party. Darnell stood in the outskirts of the party. He watched Heather and chatted with Dawn, enjoying every moment. He hadn't been to too many birthday parties or social events over the years.

Heather and her friends spent the day and far into the night dancing, talking, and enjoying themselves.

Dawn noticed Heather had changed a lot in the past year, since she'd been assaulted. Not so much physically, though her breasts had gotten larger, her curves had deepened and she'd grown several inches. She was now six feet tall, as tall as her mother, and was having a hard time finding clothes that fit.

The biggest change, however, was that she no longer paid much attention to boys and young men. She thought they were fun to talk to, fun to dance with but she didn't flirt with them, and she didn't notice any of the things they did to get her attention. Heather had eyes only for Darnell. Short, fat, ugly Darnell was all she would talk about. Dawn just put it down to a case of hero worship and decided it was a phase she'd get over when the right boy came along.

Heather tried to hide her feelings from her friends but they noticed, though they didn't say a thing. They were embarrassed and thought she was weird for liking and wanting to spend so much time with the janitor. Even if he had saved her, the guy was old and ugly as hell and he wasn't very cool. They chose to ignore the whole situation.

Until recently, she felt conflicted. Torn.

How could she possibly be attracted to the janitor, of all people?

He wasn't handsome, he wasn't rich, he didn't have much of a future so why was it that just the idea of never seeing him again or not having him in her life caused her throat to constrict, brought stinging tears to her eyes, and caused a deep, despairing pain in her chest, in her heart.

She wondered if there was something wrong with her. She had always felt there was something different about her, she just didn't expect it to be her attraction for a certain man.

It was at this moment that she stopped thinking and analyzing and looked deep into her heart. In that brief moment of stillness and clarity, that blink of an eye, she realized she had fallen totally and completely in love with Darnell.

What are my friends going to say? Heck, what's my mom going to say? I know there was a big age difference between her and dad so I hope she'll understand that much at least.

Do I really care what anybody thinks or says? Well, honestly, I do and I yet I don't. I do want to be happy and I want Darnell to be happy and I think that we could be happy together. It just won't be easy. Then again who said anything worth having, I mean really worth having, is ever easy? Mom's always said the things you work for, the things you fight for, the things you didn't have handed to you in a silver platter are the things you value most. Maybe this is one of those things?

But how could it be so wrong for her to fall in love with him when it felt so right? When every fiber of her being cried out for him? She thought about him constantly, she dreamed about him almost every night, he was almost an obsession to her. Whenever she saw some someone who even slightly resembled him out of the corner of her eye, her heart would race and her heart would fill with joy at the thought that he was there.

Alright, I've admitted it but now what do I do? I know he stares at my body all the time but how does he actually feel about me?

She had confided her feelings about Darnell only to her best friend Kim, a short, chubby Asian girl she'd been best friends with since kindergarten.

"Kim, I know you're going to think I'm crazy but you know Darnell, the guy who saved me?" Heather asked.

"Yeah?" Kim said. "He's really nice, strange, but nice. What about him?"

"I like him. I mean, I really, really like him," Heather answered.

Kim looked at her closely. Heather couldn't meet her eyes. She looked down at the floor, around the room, anywhere but at her friend.

"But he's so old! And he's black!" Kim exclaimed with her face screwed up with a look of distaste. "And he's so short and fat, and he's ugly!"

"He is NOT ugly," Heather said defensively. "He's just ... different that's all but he's not ugly!"

"You just need to be realistic, Heather. He's the janitor, he's, like, 60 something and you only just turned eighteen," Kim had said.

"I know, I know but I just can't help it," Heather had replied. "I actually think I love him."

"Are you serious?! I mean come on, Heather!" Kim exclaimed. "You're, like, the prettiest girl in school and you always have all the cutest boys drooling all over you. Why don't you forget about the fat little janitor and date one of those cute boys?"

"I don't want any of those boys," exclaimed hotly, tears brimming in her blue eyes. "Every time I even look at them, I see those other boys' faces leering at me, slapping me, tearing my clothes, touching me like a bunch of animals. I don't want anything to do with them."

"They really messed you up didn't they?" Kim asked. "Well, you're my best friend and so if he's what you really want, I guess I'll stand with you no matter what," Kim said. "I guess he is a really good guy."

"So what are you going to do?" Kim asked.

"I really don't know," Heather answered. "I'll just have to see happens and just take things as they come. Besides, I don't know how he feels about me."

"Are you kidding?" Kim said with a giggle. "He looks at you like a love-sick puppy ... the same way you look at him. I noticed it before but just didn't want to admit it but now, after everything you've told me, I can see it plain as day."

They talked a bit more and after a few minutes, arm in arm, they rejoined the party.

During the party, Heather occasionally glanced around to see what Darnell was doing. Just knowing he was there gave her a warm feeling deep in her belly, she felt comforted and reassured ... safe.

Heather couldn't believe how lucky she was this day. She realized she was in love and when her mom had her cover her eyes and walked her to the garage, her day was truly complete. A little white car with a huge pink bow wrapped around its middle was parked in the driveway.

Her mom had actually bought her a car! Sure, it was only a Prius, but it was all hers, and now she could go where she wanted, when she wanted. She'd also gotten tons of clothes, shoes, electronic gadgets and money. She was ecstatic. It was by far her best birthday ever.

She'd only gotten her license earlier this same day and now she had a car to go with it. She was in seventh heaven.

But where's Darnell's gift? She asked herself, looking around. Where is Darnell?

She looked all over the house until her mom told her he'd left. He'd wished her a happy birthday and he'd like her to come over to his place so he could give her his gift in person.

Disappointed, she went back to the party, but it wound down fast. It was midnight and her friends were bone tired. Fifteen minutes later, they were gone and she and her mom sat alone on the couch, exhausted.

"Mom, I'm going over to Darnell's," she said, standing quickly. "He said he has my birthday present and I want it. I don't want to wait 'til tomorrow."

Dawn laughed.

"Fine, just be careful, you don't want to get a ticket on your first day as a licensed driver."

Darnell had kept her gifts at his place because he wanted to give them to her himself. They were personal and he was embarrassed to have her open them in front of a bunch of people, especially the kids she went to school with. He knew they'd be critical and judgmental. He wanted to avoid that scene so he figured he'd give her his gifts whenever she next came by, maybe sometime tomorrow.

He'd been in bed maybe ten minutes and was just drifting off when Heather jumped on his bed.

"What the hell!" he yelped, rolling sideways to land with a thump on the floor. Clumsily, he stood and watched as Heather jumped on his bed grinning from ear to ear, her hair a heavy veil of gold and silver that bounced and shimmered with a life of its own.

"I've got a car now so I can come by at pretty much any time I want," she said with an impish dimpled grin. "Now ... where's my present?!"

Darnell turned on the lights and watched her, entranced, as she bounced on his bed. She was wearing her birthday outfit, a shimmering topaz dress that matched her eyes perfectly. It was formfitting, cut low in the back and front with small ribbons at the shoulders. It left an incredible amount of cleavage visible, her rounded breasts seeming ready to pop out every time she bounced.

"Come down from there, white girl, before your bazooms fall out of your pretty dress," he said gruffly, wishing it would actually happen.

Smiling her lovely, dimpled smile, she climbed down off the bed and stood eagerly bouncing up and down on her toes, clapping her hands excitedly in front of her, looking for the entire world like an eager young puppy.

"Okay, it's nothing to get so excited about," he said with a chuckle. "Look there on the coffee table."

She rushed off and eagerly started unwrapping two small packages. She could tell he'd taken the time to carefully wrap them right and, even though she wanted to just tear the wrapping off, she peeled off the tape and carefully took out the gift. He wouldn't of cared if she'd torn everything off, what mattered was her reaction.

The first one she opened was a copy of a classic movie he knew she'd like, then a copy of one of his favorite books.

She exclaimed in pleasure at the dozen white roses standing tall and proud in a crystal vase. There was a small envelope leaning against it. Smelling the flowers, she leaned down to pick it up, opening it, she read it. He'd written her a poem in his small, neat print.

You may think that I saved you a year ago but actually, you saved me. Thank you for saving my life.

Happy Birthday

May you have many, many more.

Love ... Darnell

With a squeal of delight she ran and jumped on top of him. Surprised, he tumbled backwards to the floor where he was showered with feather-light kisses and fat tears. Her soft lips fell on his eyes, nose, all over his round cheeks, on his bald head and lastly on his mouth. She lingered there and after several heart-pounding seconds, he responded. He kissed her back and was delighted when she opened her lips and hesitantly put her tongue in his mouth. She tasted faintly of strawberries.

Both were hesitant and awkward. She was surprised and thrilled at the softness of his lips at the minty freshness of his breath. Both breathed happy sighs as their breath mingled.

Still straddling him, Heather, pulled back slightly, her lips still close to his.

"That was nice," she said, smiling nervously. "Did you like it?"

"Uh, of course I liked it, but you need to get off me, this isn't right," Darnell said, gruffly and nervously.

Heather felt his member swell against her belly as she hesitated climbing off him. Then, embarrassed, she stood and looked down. She saw him look up her dress then glance away quickly. Reaching down, she grabbed his hands and helped him up.

"Thank you so much for my gifts, Darnell," she said softly, still holding his hands. "I especially liked your poem."

"You're, uh, welcome," Darnell said, mortified at his body's noticeable reaction to her touch. He kept trying to pull away from her but she held on to his hands. Her grip was very strong.

"Darnell, I want to tell you something," Heather said seriously.

At her tone, Darnell stopped trying to pull his hands away and looked up into her vivid blue eyes. What he saw in them confused him. Never in his life had a woman ever looked at him the way she did at that moment. Her eyes were full of an emotion he had no experience with, had never known.

Swallowing, his stomach churning with nervousness he said "Yes?"

Heather was stumped. Though she didn't show it, her stomach was a churning mess of butterflies. She knew what she wanted to say but she didn't know how to say it and was scared what his reaction might be.

She looked down, again noticing the huge bulge in his trousers, and then looked at him again through long lashes.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad you saved me and I'm glad that you're ... that I'm ... that we've gotten so close," she mumbled nervously.

Still looking at him from under her eyelashes she whispered "You're card said 'Love, Darnell,'"

Hesitantly, she asked "D...Do you really love me, Darnell?"

Darnell looked at her, at the glistening down-cast blue eyes. He knew at that moment, without a doubt in his mind, that he did love her. That he was absolutely crazy about her.

What should I say? She's so young and we are so different. I don't want to hurt her but I don't want for her to waste her time with a bum like me. Hell with it, come hell or high water, I'll put the truth out there and see what happens.

"This is crazy, white girl," Darnell answered flippantly, not meeting her eyes and trying to squirm out of her grip. "You've had a long day, why don't you go home and get some rest?"

Heather's lower lip pushed out slightly and started to quiver, unshed tears glistened in her eyes.

Darnell couldn't do it. He couldn't bear to see her upset. But he couldn't tell her outright how he felt.

"Everybody who knows you loves you," he said roughly, after what seemed like an eternity.

Choosing to hear what she wanted to hear, her heart jumped for joy and a radiant smile suffused her face, making her even more beautiful.

"Oh, Darnell!" She exclaimed, bouncing on her toes again with happiness, "I love you too, with all my heart."

Darnell stared at her in amazement, his face a jumble of conflicting emotions ... joy, consternation, elation, anxiety, euphoria, and sadness.

"Look, you shouldn't be saying things like that. You have your whole life ahead of you ... you think you feel that about me because I saved you from those boys!" he exclaimed. "God damn it, girl, I'm a freaking high school janitor, I'm old, I'm fat and I'm black ... what the hell business do you have saying that to me? You can do a million times better. You need to get that out of your mind."

"But I don't want anyone else," she wailed. "I want you!

"Why can't you understand?" she whispered passionately.

"The first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep at night is you," she continued. "Whenever something happens, at school or wherever, you're the one I want to share it with."

"B ... B ... But ..." Darnell stuttered, struggling to say something that would convince her, though in his heart of hearts he wanted to tell her that he felt the same way.

Stepping close, she leaned down to kiss him again, pressing herself against him, her tall slender body molding itself to his round stout one. Helpless and rubber-kneed, he responded hesitantly. His hands came up to rest on her rounded hips and, tilting his head back, he let her kiss him ... and kissed her back.

His senses a conflicting jumble of emotions and his mind swirling at the pleasure of her touch, the taste of her lips, the feel of her body under his hands ... he kissed her tentatively. More than anything, he wanted to crush her to him fiercely, to tell her how he really felt about her ... he wanted this impossible dream to be true.

He tried to hold himself in check with his entire being. He tried to resist. He knew he was hanging over a dangerous precipice from which there was no return.

He was helpless to resist. Like a man about to take a plunge into a bottomless pool, he took a deep breath and dove in head first, resigning himself completely to his fate. He wrapped his chubby arms around her crushing her to him tightly and kissed her passionately.

No more thinking, no more questioning, no more doubting. I'm just going to take things as they come, he thought vaguely, through the pleasure of the moment.

From that day on she kissed him every chance she got. Sometimes they were quick and hard, other times they were long and lingering. Her kisses were always exciting and always left them both breathless and exhilarated. Though Darnell always felt confused and frustrated, he knew he should push her away, knew that she needed to find someone better than him but he just couldn't help himself.

He constantly told her to stop, not to do that anymore, but he never pushed her away or kept her from doing whatever she wanted with him and he would always kiss her back.

They always laughed when she kissed him while they were standing, since she was so much taller than he. She would put her arms on his shoulders and lean down to kiss him and laugh when he got on his tiptoes, his chubby hands entwined in her long blonde hair as he brought her face closer to his. That was the only thing he ever did with his hands, he always kept them to himself, though she longed to feel her body.

Sometimes during school, she would surprise him by sneaking into the janitor's closet while he poured out the mop water or did some other chore. She would wrap her arms around him from behind and kiss his chubby neck, or the top of his bald head. When he started in surprise, she would spin him around and kiss him in the mouth. Always, he'd tell her to stop but never with much conviction. He didn't really want her to ever stop.

To be continued...