Diana fumbled with the key to her apartment, dancing anxiously from foot to foot as she heard the telephone ringing inside. Finally, she got the door open and hastily dropping the grocery bags on the couch by the door, she ran to pick up the phone. “Hello?”

“Diana? It’s Tad.”

Diana was momentarily disappointed. She had been hoping it was someone else.

Her silence prompted Tad to clarify, “Tad Webster.”

Diana giggled, “Like I know so many men named Tad. Hi, how are you?”

“Pretty good. And you?”

“Oh, I’m okay, I guess.”

“You don’t sound okay.”

Diana’s bottom lip trembled a little. It had been three weeks since she and Wayne had broken up. She really was okay. But she still had relapses now and then. They had run into each other that weekend at a local dance club, and Diana had been somewhat hopefully awaiting his call. Stupid, she thought. You need to get over this, Diana. Just like you got over all the others.

“Diana?”

“I’m sorry, Tad. I’m here. I guess I’m just a little down in the dumps today, that’s all. No biggie.”

“No biggie? No biggie? I think it’s a huge biggie!” Tad shouted dramatically. “What can I do to cheer you up?”

Tad was always able to make her laugh. Despite the miles between them, they had remained good friends during the last few years. They’d go out to see a movie or stop for a burger and fries at Wimpy’s when Diana came to Sleepyside to visit her family. And once or twice a year, Tad would fly out to Chicago to see her. Next to Nick Roberts, Tad was Diana’s best non-Bob-White friend. He always had a joke to share with her, or a funny story of something that had happened to him in Sleepyside, and he never failed to get a smile out of her when he flashed his lopsided, dimpled grin. She wished she could see it now.

“Oh, just talk to me. What’s going on in Sleepyside? I bet it’s beautiful there right now.” She felt a pang of homesickness.

“It’s gorgeous, Diana. The most beautiful fall I’ve ever seen. Spi – that is, Steve and Sarah are going on a driving tour of New England over the holiday weekend.” Steve was Tad’s older brother. Most people still called him by his nickname, Spider, but his new wife Sarah was deathly afraid of spiders, so they were trying to phase that out. It still sounded strange to Tad though. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?”

Diana rolled her eyes in remembrance, “Oh, I’ve dug a big hole for myself! Wait ‘til you hear! Mummy and Daddy are bringing both sets of twins to Chicago for the weekend. They’ll be here later this afternoon. And they’re driving! Can you imagine 13 hours in a mini-van with Larry and Terry and Kristy and Kayla?”

Tad laughed, “Sounds like an adventure. Why are they driving?”

“For the experience, Daddy says. I think he’s in the early stages of dementia.”

“So, what’s this big hole you’re in?”

“Well, I wanted my parents to have a little break after the trip, so they’re staying in one of the ritzy hotels downtown for the weekend...while I am having the boys and girls camp out here at my place. And I’m fixing Thanksgiving dinner on top of that.”

Tad chortled, “Man, you are so screwed, Di. Will your faithful roommate be there to help?”

Diana snorted, “Of course not! Nick is going skiing in Vail with his friend Mike Reed. The minute he heard what I was doing, he was calling the airline to make reservations.” She made a face at her roommate, who had just come into the apartment from the laundry room. He stuck his tongue out at her in return and took his laundry basket to his room to finish packing for his trip.

Nick and Diana were both art majors at the University of Chicago and over the summer had found a spacious loft with fantastic natural lighting that they could share not far from the campus. It was strictly platonic. Diana wasn’t exactly Nick’s type. Mike, on the other hand, definitely was.

Nick had come out to Diana the summer after their freshman year in college. Diana was uncomfortable at first, but the longer she thought about it, the more she realized that Nick was exactly the same person he was before – a true friend and confidant. Growing up in quaint little Sleepyside certainly had not prepared Diana for all the realities of the world she had been exposed to the past couple of years in Chicago. Trixie Belden had done her part to expose her to all sorts of danger growing up as she dragged her on her many adventures, and that was all the reality Diana could handle as a teenager.

Nick had needed Diana’s friendship and support when he told his parents he was gay. His father hadn’t spoken to him for several months; his mother had cried every time she spoke to her only child. But eventually, they accepted Nick for who he was and loved him because he was their son. Nick wasn’t sure they’d ever really be comfortable with it, but the worst was over and he was thankful Diana had stood by him during that difficult period in his life.

Nick didn’t talk about his sexuality, but it wasn’t exactly a secret either. “If anyone asks, I’m not going to lie,” he said, “But seriously, do you walk into a party and announce to everybody there that you’re a heterosexual woman? It’s nobody’s business,” Nick had concluded. And that was the end of it.

Nick’s sexual preferences didn’t bother Diana, but she wasn’t sure how Tad would feel about it. It wasn’t her place to say anything, but she sometimes wondered if Tad wasn’t just a little jealous of her relationship with Nick. If he only knew.

“So what do you say? Feel like flying to Chicago for a little tweenie turkey torture this weekend?” Diana joked.

“Funny you should mention that.” Tad paused, and then in a rush said, “I’m at O’Hare. I’m sorry, Di. I didn’t know your family was going to be in town. I should have called and asked first. It was just kind of a spur of the –.”

“Tad, don’t move! I’ll be there in about half an hour to pick you up!”

“Diana!” But she had already hung up the phone. Tad scanned the address book on his cell and connected with Di’s cell phone. It rang and rang until finally her voicemail picked up. Frustrated, Tad hung up and dialed again. It rang several times again before Diana breathlessly picked up.

“Too late, Tadster. I’m already in the car. You’re not escaping now. I need all the help I can get.”

“Are you sure, Di? I really don’t want to intrude.”

“You don’t want to intrude? Or you don’t want to spend Thanksgiving weekend chaperoning my brothers and sisters?”

Tad laughed, “Both!” The truth was, Tad really wanted to see Diana. And if that meant spending the weekend with four unruly kids, it was a small price to pay.

Tad was planning on graduating the next spring with a Business Administration degree and he had been looking at employment opportunities in the Chicago area, just out of curiosity. Maybe if he lived closer, he could finally make Diana see how crazy he was about her.

Tad had always been a bit of a ladies’ man. But despite dating several beautiful, smart, sexy women over the last couple of years, none of them had been able to hold a candle to Diana Lynch. And every time he broke up with one of these women, the first thing he wanted to do was to call Diana and spill his heart out to her. He noticed that she did the same thing whenever one of her relationships ended. She wanted to talk to him, not Nick, he thought a little smugly. He couldn’t imagine though why any sane man would end a relationship with Di. She was intelligent and rich and cultured and sexy, and by god she was beautiful! Tad felt his heart thumping harder just thinking about her long, blue-black tresses, her dazzling violet eyes, her thick black eyelashes, her full lustrous lips ... 30 minutes couldn’t go by fast enough for him!

He was jostled from his daydreaming when two rowdy young boys ran into him with one of the airport’s rental carts piled high with luggage. They didn’t hit him very hard, but their mother yelled at them in a strained tone of voice and apologized to Tad. He smiled to let her know he was okay then looked down at the two hooligans. They looked to be about nine or ten years old, about the same age as Diana’s twin sisters. And this weekend would be double that, two sets of twins. God help him. He wondered if he’d have any time to be alone with Diana. Did the little monsters sleep at all? He supposed wine was out of the question, but he could give them extra helpings of turkey and wait for the tryptophan to kick in.

Tad was used to being the little brother, not the big brother. And Spider, er...Steve, ten years his senior, had practically raised him after their parents died in a car accident when Tad was only nine years old. Tad was a good student and an all-star athlete. He hadn’t gotten into any real trouble growing up, just typical teenage antics. But he guessed Steve might say he was as much trouble as two sets of twins. Tad made up his mind to try to cut the Lynch kids a break this weekend. Maybe they’d even have fun.

He settled down on a bench near the sliding doors where he would be sure to see Diana as soon as she pulled up in her little red sports car. He watched the crowds flowing in and out of the airport, everybody trying to get somewhere the day before Thanksgiving. Steve and Sarah had been married in September. Her family lived in Vermont and that’s where Steve and Sarah were headed for the holiday. They had invited Tad along, but he’d felt awkward about being the third wheel to newlyweds and had begged off with an excuse about studying for his finals. As soon as they had left Tuesday morning however, Tad started regretting his decision. He didn’t want to spend Thanksgiving alone. On an impulse, he had gone online to check out flights into Chicago, fearing they would be way out of his budget. But he somehow managed to find an overnight flight that he could use his frequent flier miles with and had booked it without a second thought. He had debated the wisdom of his rash behavior all during the flight and had arrived at O’Hare at 4:00 that morning, waiting anxiously at the airport until an appropriate time to call Diana. As a result, he had not gotten much sleep and while he waited for his ride, he leaned his head back against the pillar behind his bench and dozed off.

***

Diana found him there, in a bit more than a doze. His mouth was hanging open and he was snoring a little. Diana tried not to laugh as she leaned over to shake him awake. “Mr. Webster, your car has arrived,” she said in a stiff, formal voice.

Tad jerked awake, trying to remember where he was, and why this beautiful angel was hovering over him. “Have I died and gone to Heaven?” he asked as he smiled up at her.

“Not yet, but after this weekend, you might wish you were dead,” said Diana. “We’ve got to hurry and get back so I can finish cleaning up the loft before my family gets here. Come on! I’m double parked.” She grabbed his bag in one hand and his arm in the other and hustled him back out the door where her car was sitting unattended with the four-ways blinking. An airport security officer had wandered over, but one sweet smile from Diana and all was forgiven. She threw Tad’s bag into the trunk and they quickly hopped into the car and drove off before the security officer could change his mind and give them a lecture.

Diana behind the wheel was an adventure. Tad’s heart was in his throat as she sped along I-90 toward Hyde Park, darting from lane to lane. The top was down on this unseasonably warm November day and Diana’s hair waved behind her like a flag as she talked a mile a minute. Tad couldn’t hear her above the wind, so he simply nodded along, hoping he wasn’t volunteering himself for anything. By the time they got off the freeway and were pulling into the underground parking garage at Diana’s building, Tad’s ears were ringing and his face was red and wind chapped. Diana honked at another car pulling out as they were pulling in. Tad didn’t recognize the driver, but he saw Nick Roberts in the passenger seat waving to them and he waved back. “Was that that Mike Reed guy?”

“Yeah, dreamy, isn’t he?” Diana said with a sly smile on her face.

Tad narrowed his eyes. It was bad enough competing with Nick Roberts. Did he have another guy to compete with as well?

Diana continued, “Maybe you’ll get to meet him when they get back from Vail. How long are you staying, anyway?”

“My flight leaves late Sunday night. I’ve got another red-eye to deal with. I’m going to be sleepwalking through my classes Monday.”

“Well, Nick said they’d be back about noon Saturday. So we can all go out to dinner that night, or lunch Sunday or something.”

Great, Tad thought cynically, It’ll be like The Dating Game. They pulled into Diana’s parking spot, got Tad’s bag out of the trunk and headed for the elevators. “When is your family heading back to Sleepyside?” he asked, half hoping she would say right after Thanksgiving dinner.

“Saturday morning. Why? You thinking of hitching a ride back with them?” Diana grinned impishly.

The thought of a two-day drive back to Sleepyside with every Lynch except the one he most wanted to be with horrified Tad. “Um, no, definitely not. Just curious, that’s all. What’s their plan for the rest of the visit?”

“We’re all going to the parade tomorrow morning downtown. Typical Thanksgiving stuff the rest of the day. Mummy wants to go Christmas shopping with me Friday. Daddy’s going to take the kids to the Science Museum while we do that.”

Each event on the itinerary brought Tad’s hopes of being alone with Diana lower and lower. It’s not that he minded being with Diana’s family; they were great. But he had been thinking and planning for days how to finally tell Diana how he really felt about her and he didn’t want to launch that finely honed speech in front of an audience. He was thinking about just chucking the whole thing, throwing her against the wall right now and kissing her until she passed out from lack of oxygen, when the elevator doors opened. They rode up to Diana and Nick’s loft on the sixth floor, stopping at ground level to pick up two very pretty blond college girls. Tad had completely zoned out by that time and didn’t notice their openly admiring glances or the somewhat possessive look on Diana’s face as she observed them. When they reached her floor, she dragged Tad out of the elevator to her apartment and immediately steered him towards her bedroom. That brought Tad smack back to awareness.

“Why, Miss Lynch!” he exclaimed, hoping he didn’t sound too flippant, “Am I about to become entrapped in your web of seduction?”

“You need some sleep, Tad. You’re brain dead. I’ve already cleaned Nick’s room – the girls are sleeping in there this weekend. You crash on my bed and I’ll wake you up when the troops arrive.”

“You don’t need any help cleaning or anything?” he offered half-heartedly.

Diana shot him a withering glance, “You forget I’ve seen your apartment, Tad. Your idea of clean would not pass a Lynch inspection. And most certainly not in the state you’re in right now. Go take a nap.”

Tad didn’t argue. He stumbled into Diana’s room and she shut the door behind him. He kicked off his shoes and threw himself wearily onto the bed, which was covered with a cream-colored comforter dotted with small purple flowers. He drew a pillow under his head. It had a dark purple satin pillowcase and he could smell Diana’s scent on it. He breathed it in deeply, wondering how he was ever going to get to sleep now, but exhaustion won out over desire and he was soon fast asleep, dreaming about walking hand-in-hand with Diana in a violet-covered meadow.

***

“Are you surviving Turkey Day, Di?” Nick asked.

Diana cradled the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she continued mashing potatoes. “Yes, I am. No thanks to you, traitor. Mummy and Daddy went back to their hotel after the parade to pick up our fully dressed turkey from the hotel kitchen, but I am making everything else myself.”

“Well, my love, I am sorry I’m not there to see that. But I am quite happy here in Colorado. At the moment, I am sitting in front of a roaring fire, sipping cider, and playing poker.”

“Strip poker?”

“No. Not in mixed company and never on holidays. How are the twins squared?”

“They’re behaving beautifully, thank you very much. Tad is playing Sorry! with them right now. I didn’t even know kids still played board games these days.”

“I didn’t know Tad still played board games. So, has he played any games with you yet?”

“Well, we all played Disney Scene It last night, but I’ve been busy cooking since we got back from the parade.”

Nick shook his head wearily. He adored Diana, but for a brunette, she acted so … blond sometimes. “Not those kind of games, Di. I mean has he made the moves on you yet?”

Diana looked up through the breakfast bar out into the living room. Tad was staring at her. Embarrassed, Diana turned around to the stove and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “Tad Webster? You’re crazy. We’re just friends, Nick.”

“Really? He flies out to Chicago two or three times a year to see you, he calls you at least once a week and every time his heart gets broken, and right now he’s playing games with your kid brothers and sisters on Thanksgiving Day. Get a clue, Di.”

“Honey and Trixie came out to see me this summer,” Diana offered weakly.

“Yeah, and that was the first time since we started college. You guys see each other when you go home to Sleepyside for visits. Tad goes out of his way to be with you. I’m telling you, he’s smitten, kitten. And don’t tell me the thought has never crossed your mind either.”

“Well...”

“Come on, Di. Tell Uncle Nicky all about it.”

Lowering her voice even further, so that Nick had to press his ear tight to his cell phone to hear her, Diana confided, “There were these two blond bimbos on the elevator yesterday when I brought Tad home. They stared him up and down like a piece of Grade A beef and ... well ... it made me jealous.”

Nick laughed, “I told you. You need to stop thinking of him as just a friend, Diana.”

She looked out into the living room again. Tad was standing with his back to her, doing some ridiculous dice-rolling dance for luck while the kids rolled with laughter on the floor in front of him. She admired his posterior for a moment, then blushed and turned back to the stove. “Well, he is cute.”

“Cute? He’s an Adonis, Diana!” He thought about the other guys she had dated, who had all broken her heart one by one, leaving her sobbing in Nick’s arms. “And he makes you laugh. He doesn’t make you cry. That’s important.”

The gravy was starting to bubble. Diana turned the heat down and guardedly glanced back over her shoulder. Tad was leaning over the counter and Diana jumped in surprise, nearly dropping the bowl of half-mashed potatoes onto the tile floor. “Tad! You scared me!”

“Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need any help.”

Diana put on her most confident and relaxed smile, though she was feeling neither confident nor relaxed at the moment. Thank goodness she had been in drama club in high school! “No thank you, Tad. Keeping my brothers and sisters occupied is more than enough help.”

Tad shrugged and grabbed a handful of black olives from the relish tray, “Okay. Just holler if you need anything.” He looked a little green-eyed as he reluctantly added, “Tell Nick I said hi.” And he went back to the game, which was starting to get a little rambunctious.

Diana ducked her head into the refrigerator, looking for the milk, but thankful for the cool blast of air on her flushed face. “Are you sure, Nick? I don’t want to make a fool out of myself ... again.”

“Sweetie, trust me. I am the Master Romancer and I can definitely see the two of you holding hands over a candlelit table. True, I didn’t picture four children and your parents there also, but you take what you can get. Kiss the man. Do it soldier! Do it now!” he shouted in his best boot camp voice.

“I am not doing it now!” Diana growled under her breath, crouching down to get the mixer from a lower cabinet so that Tad wouldn’t see or hear her.

“Well, do it soon, Diana dear. Or at least prepare yourself that Tad might.”

“And how am I supposed to prepare myself for that?”

“I don’t know. Keep your lip gloss handy. No man wants to kiss dried-out lips.”

Diana giggled nervously, “You are no help at all. Master Romancer, my foot!”

“All right. All right. How about this? Flirt with him.”

“Flirt with him? That’s your advice? Who gave you this Master Romancer title anyway?”

“I conferred it upon myself. Trust me, this will work. See how he reacts.”

“I know how he’s going to react,” Diana replied scathingly, “He’s a man.”

Nick sighed, “Diana, take a little trip down memory lane with me, will you? I want you to think back to those other men. Those pr—” he stopped himself, cleared his throat, and came up with a better word, “pinheads who just wanted to jump in the sack with you.”

Diana’s face fell. “You mean those two guys I stupidly slept with on the first date?”

“No, I mean all the guys you have dated, Diana. It doesn’t matter if they were patient pr—” Nick again choked back what he really thought about these men, “pigs. They didn’t want to get into your mind or into your heart, Di. All they cared about was getting into your bed. And once they got what they wanted, or when they didn’t get what they wanted, they left you crying on my shoulder.”

Diana bit her lip. She didn’t want to talk about her many failed relationships on Thanksgiving. “What is your point, Nick?”

“My point is, I want you to recall how those jerks looked when you flirted with them. Then, I want you to ply your feminine wiles on the Tadpole and carefully watch his reaction. You will see the difference, Diana.”

Diana thought carefully about that for a moment. “What difference?”

“Just trust me, Diana. Tad Webster wants to get into you. Every bit of you. He’s been carrying this torch for more than two years now. He cares about you. He’s loyal. He’s devoted. And you deserve someone like that in your life.”

“I have someone like that in my life,” Diana said gently, “You.”

“Sweetie, this isn’t an episode of Will and Grace. I can’t make you happy the way Tad can. And I’m sure you can do amazing things to his –”

“All right, Nick! You’ve made your point. Don’t be vulgar.”

“I was going to say ‘ego’.”

Diana sniffed in disbelief, “Yeah. Sure you were, potty mouth.”

Nick chuckled. “I gotta go. The slopes are calling. But think about it, okay? Happy Thanksgiving, Diana. I love you.”

“I love you too, Nicholas. Happy Thanksgiving.” She hung up the phone and looked out into the living room once again. Tad had won the game and was proving to be a very sore winner. He was pointing his fingers at the kids chanting, “Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” in a taunting sing-song voice. Larry and Terry used their combined strength to push him over onto the floor, and Kristy and Kayla poked him in the ribs, where Diana had told them he was the most ticklish. Still singing his victory mantra, Tad burst out into uncontrollable laughter. Diana smiled and moved toward the door to let her parents in as the door buzzer struggled to be heard above the ruckus.

***

Thanks to precautions taken by the Lynches, dinner was a relatively quiet affair. Diana’s parents had each taken a seat at one of the table’s ends and had arranged the remainder of the seating to avoid having any young children sitting directly next to each other. Diana sat between her brothers on one side of the table, while Tad sat between the girls on the other. This avoided many potential issues such as elbowing one another, stealing food from plates, and the always popular, “She’s looking at me, Mom!”

The food was delicious and everybody complimented Diana on her cooking, which pleased her immensely. They politely ignored the lumps found in the gravy and the slightly blackened bottoms of the rolls. For her first attempt at such a large meal, she had done very well.

Partway through the meal, Kristy suddenly glared at Larry, who was sitting across from her. “Get your foot off my leg, nerd-bomber!”

“I’m not touching you, dog breath!”

“Children!” Mrs. Lynch admonished in a firm tone. “There will be no name calling on Thanksgiving.”

“Does that mean I can call her names tomorrow?” Larry asked, his expression deceptively innocent.

Tad hid a smile in his napkin. He knew showing amusement at the kids’ antics would only spur them on. He well remembered that tactic from when he was a boy. Just then, he felt something on his leg. He thought about kicking back and calling Larry a toad face, just for fun, when he suddenly realized that Larry was not the Lynch who was playing footsie with him.

Slowly bringing his eyes up to gaze upon the beauty directly across from him, he raised his eyebrows slightly. A small, coy smile appeared on Diana’s face, and her eyes twinkled seductively as she stared at him. Tad gulped. He glanced first at Mr. Lynch, then at Mrs. Lynch out of the corner of his eye, but they were occupied with the younger children.

Diana had maneuvered her toes under Tad’s pant leg and was now stroking his shin quite provocatively. Tad couldn’t take his eyes off her and he had to forcibly clench his jaw to keep it from dropping open in surprise. She was sipping her water, staring at him pointedly over the rim of the glass. Her eyes looked like liquid amethysts. Nervously, he dropped his fork with a clatter on his plate.

“Company’s coming!” shouted all four children in unison.

“What?” Tad asked, confused.

Mr. Lynch explained, “It’s an old superstition that says when somebody drops silverware, they will soon receive a visitor at their door. What did you drop?”

“My fork.”

“Then it will be a female visitor. Just like the day Diana’s mother arrived at my door while I was doing dishes in my shabby little apartment.” He smiled fondly at his beautiful wife. “Or so the legend goes.”

Kristy and Kayla giggled. Larry and Terry looked irked. Girls did not interest them. Diana blushed and focused on her broccoli casserole. Mr. and Mrs. Lynch smiled lovingly at each other across the table.

Tad looked dumbstruck. He wondered what sort of dinnerware he had to drop to get company to leave. Diana’s foot had returned to his leg and had made its way up to his knee. Damn, she has long legs, he thought. He covertly put one hand under the table and caressed her toes. Unfortunately, this did not have the effect he anticipated. Diana tried vainly to suppress a yelp. As her family stared at her, she covered by feigning a coughing spasm. “Olive pit,” she explained with a mortified look on her face.

Her toes are ticklish. That is very, very interesting, Tad thought, and mentally filed that tidbit away for future use. He stifled a grin and looked at Diana with mock concern in his dark brown eyes, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” she said, throwing in an extra cough for good measure. She silently threatened him with her eyes, so he didn’t say anything else; he merely picked his roll up off his plate and bit into it with delight, his eyes sparkling back at her.

***

After dozens of card games and parlor games and board games and video games, Mr. and Mrs. Lynch finally left for their hotel late that night, confident that their younger children were sufficiently exhausted not to give Diana or Tad any trouble. Diana got the girls tucked into bed shortly thereafter, while Tad unrolled the sleeping bags for the boys in the living room. He had slept on the couch the night before and would do so again, though the events at dinner had him pondering other sleeping arrangements.

Diana came down the hall in her t-shirt and sweatpants to turn off the lights and say goodnight. The look Tad gave her made her heart miss a beat. Nick had been right, as usual. Tad’s expression wasn’t like those other men, who might as well have had their tongues hanging on the floor and their eyes popping from their sockets like cartoon characters they were so horny. Tad’s eyes were deep pools of chocolate and he looked at her like he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms while they slept. She was sure he was interested in more than that, but Nick’s presumptions had been very accurate; Tad was interested in her, not just her body. She remembered how nervous he had been when she had toyed with him at the dinner table. For all his braggadocio he really had a gentlemanly soul. She wondered why any of his former girlfriends would have been stupid enough to throw that away.

She was awake for some time thinking about Tad, when she heard a soft knock at her door. Diana lay motionless on the bed. It could be Tad. If it was, what would she say? What would she do? There were children in the house after all ... It could be one of the children. What if one of them was sick? She should get up and see who it was. But what if it was Tad? What if he really did only want to get her into bed? What if she wanted to let him?

She realized the knock had not been repeated. Whoever it was probably thought she was asleep. She scrambled out of bed and hurried to open the door. Tad was walking back down the hall to the living room. “Tad?” she whispered softly. “Is everything okay?”

Tad turned back to her. Diana could see his Adam’s apple nervously bobbing in his throat as he swallowed hard several times. He moved close to her door and opened and closed his mouth repetitively, as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t get the words out. Diana was completely enthralled. She put her hand around his neck and drew him down to her, kissing him ardently. He put his arms around her waist and returned the kiss and after a moment, ran his hands underneath her shirt and up her bare back.

They lingered there for a moment before Diana pulled away. “You know this is going to have to wait, don’t you?” she whispered, nodding towards the living room and spare bedroom where her younger siblings slept.

Tad smiled regretfully, but nodded. “I’ve waited this long, Diana. Another day or two isn’t going to kill me ... I don’t think.”

Diana giggled and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Thank you for understanding.”

She turned to go back into the bedroom, but Tad caught her wrist and pulled her back to his side, “I don’t want you to think that I only want a roll in the hay with you. It’s more than that, Di.”

“I know.”

Tad looked at her questioningly, “You know? How?”

She smiled playfully, “The Master Romancer told me so.”

Tad was mystified by that cryptic comment, but as Diana kissed him goodnight and closed her bedroom door, he was just glad that she knew how he really felt about her. “I sure wasted a hell of a lot of time composing that speech,” he mumbled as he returned to the living room and went back to sleep.

***

Friday dragged by endlessly in Tad’s eyes. Not only did he not get any time to be alone with Diana, but he didn’t even see her for much of the day. She and her mother went out shopping, while Tad joined Mr. Lynch and the kids on their trip to the Science Museum. It was interesting and educational and Tad admitted that he really enjoyed himself, when he wasn’t thinking about Diana, of course.

They all met for dinner at one of Chicago’s famous pizzerias. It was a loud and boisterous affair with the four younger kids, but they all had a marvelous time. They returned to Diana’s apartment to watch movies and soon Tad was spending another night on the couch. All he could think about was standing by the curb with Diana, waving good-bye to the Lynch clan the next morning.

He soon fell into a fitful sleep and before he knew it, his dream had become reality and he was, at long last, alone with Diana. At least until Nick got back home that afternoon. The thought of Nick, and this new guy, Mike Dreamy Man, made him start wondering about Diana’s intentions and motives. He was going to have to talk to her about that before this went any further. He was a selfish guy, and he was not interested in sharing Diana with anyone else.

They returned to the loft and collapsed on the couch, “Remind me never to have two sets of twins,” Diana sighed wearily.

Tad reached out and seized her hand, bringing it up to his mouth and tenderly kissing each finger in turn. He lingered a moment on the last one, sucking on it longingly. Diana flung one long leg over his lap and knelt above him, dark hair brushing against his face. He gently fingered one ebony lock and waited. As Diana leaned down to kiss him, he drew back a bit. “Diana, I don’t like the idea of being involved in a long-distance competition for your heart.”

She looked at him with a puzzled expression, “What do you mean?”

“I live 800 miles away. Nick lives like ten feet away. And then there’s this skiing stud friend of his to consider.”

“Tad, there’s something I think you should know.” Diana felt like he ought to know the truth about her roommate. She hoped Nick wouldn’t mind, but he was the one who wanted them to get together after all. “Nick is…Nick is gay.”

Tad mulled that over for a minute. He didn’t know whether to be stunned or merely relieved. “Okay. That’s cool.”

“You’re okay with it?”

He shrugged. ”Sure, why not? I mean, it’s weird, I guess. I’m not completely okay with it. But Nick’s a great guy. He’s your friend. He takes care of you.” A slightly guilty look came over his face. “Actually, truth be told, I’m kind of relieved. At least I know he’s not hitting on you now. That’s one less threat to worry about.” Tad grinned.

Diana smiled back. “Then you’ll be doubly pleased to know that he is interested in Mike Reed.”

Tad’s grin got wider still. “Really? Mr. Dreamy Man?”

“Well, he is dreamy,” Diana giggled, “But unavailable ... at least to me.”

“And I am…?”

“You are available ... and much more dreamy.”

Tad thought the smile was going to be permanently plastered to his face, “So, I guess that means I’ve got you all to myself at last.” He kissed her on the neck, pushing down her blouse to gently nibble her shoulder.

“I can’t believe how well you’re taking this. I never knew any gay people in Sleepyside. I never knew any gay people period before Nick came out to me.”

“That is because you are sweet.” Tad kissed her forehead.

“And innocent.” He kissed her nose.

“And pure.” He kissed her left cheek.

“And naïve.” He kissed her right cheek. “Now, can we get your clothes off already?”

“Tad!” Diana shrieked in feigned modesty before she erupted into nervous giggles. Standing up, she grabbed Tad by his belt and pulled him to his feet. They kissed each other passionately as they slowly made their way down the hall where Diana pulled Tad into her bedroom and shut the door behind them.

It was not long after that that Nick returned from his trip. He leaned his skis against the wall near the door, dropped his duffel bag on the floor, and called out Diana’s name. There was no reply, but as he approached her door he heard muffled laughter, moans, and other unmistakable sounds of amorous activity. A smug smile slowly crawled across his face. “About damn time, Webster,” he mumbled with satisfaction. And the Master Romancer went out to the kitchen, where he thought he might be able to scare up a bottle of champagne to leave outside their door.

Author's Notes

CHAPTER 5 (6,395 words)

While this epic started out from Trixie’s point of view, reflecting on the events of her life, these other characters just kept pushing their way in.  And I realized it wouldn’t be the story of Trixie’s life unless it was also the story of those she loved.  So while Trixie may have been helping Moms at the traditional Belden Thanksgiving Open House and was not involved in this part of the story, I guess one of those stars told her all about her good friends.  I hope you enjoyed this story of Tad and Diana and Nick and their somewhat unusual love triangle.

Thanks again to Heather, my faithful editor!  Your comments and feedback and suggestions have been a perfectly perfect inspiration to me!

This chapter is dedicated to Mike, who let me sleep on his couch and took me on my first trip to Keeneland; to Rick, who was my roommate (strictly platonic) for a year and a half; to Taylor, who went to see 100 movies with me and probably can’t name three of them (grin); and to Mike, who not only made one of my lifelong dreams come true, but who always makes me laugh.  I love you guys!

Yes, yes, I have brazenly used copyrighted names again without permission.  But it may make people want to watch these shows and/or play these games, so consider it free advertising.  The Dating Game, Sorry!, Disney Scene It, Will and Grace…none of them are mine.

As always, the majority of the characters are not mine and I’m not making any money off of them.  Please don’t sue.  I’m having too much fun writing this story.

Thanksgiving background courtesy of hellasmultimedia.com.