Missing Scene: All Good Things
October 16, 2000
Ginger opened the door to Brandstaetters and the bell jingled. She stepped into the warm interior.
"Excuse me Miss Szabo. My name is Isabel Kowalski. I love your show and I wanted to tell you how much it has helped me. I was never much in the kitchen, but since I have been using your tips and recipes, my husband has been bragging about me to all of his friends. I just wanted to tell you that and congratulate you on your wedding and wish you luck."
"Thank you Mrs. Kowalski. I am glad you enjoy the show." Ginger smiled.
Everywhere she went she was recognized now. This was what she had always wanted.
Ginger sat down at the counter and ordered a cup of coffee. She had a little bit of time before Arthur picked her up.
She should be happier than she felt. She had a successful television show, she was recognized everywhere she went, she was finally getting married and she was sure she had convinced coach to give Jeff a shot at a spot on the team.
Oh, she knew Jeff could make the team. He was so talented. She said a quick prayer for him.
She rested her chin on her hand and sighed. Just at the thought of Jeff she felt a kick in her gut. She never imagined her and Jeff would have fell in love. She remembered the day her and Linda were trying to figure out who she could take to Hank and Sarah's wedding. Linda had suggested Jeff.
Ginger laughed as she remembered Jeff's loud belch. At the time it had disgusted her.
She looked around the drugstore. Had it really been over two years since she had worked here? So much had happened since then. She was a different person now.
She looked to her right. There was the counter where Jeff had first asked her out.
~"I'd like to go out with you," he stated.
"On a date?"
"Yes."
"Bad idea," she responded.
"Why?"
"Do I have to spell it our for you? Because what we did last night was not supposed to happen. Don't worry about it. I don't blame you. My mother always says ah,a man cannot pick up a woman's handkerchief unless she drops it and I certainly dropped my handkerchief."
"Well, I don't think it's the federal crime you make it out to be," he replied.
"Of course you don't. You're a man. For the record, I've never done that before."
"Neither have....."~
Oh she should have said no. But it always seemed she could never turn Jeff down. If she could have resisted, so much heartache could have been avoided.
"Are you alright, Miss Szabo? You look awfully pale," the clerk asked.
Ginger cleared her throat. "I'm fine, thank you."
Ginger slid off the stool and headed for the Ladies room.
~"Ginger? Hey, wait a second Ginger."~
Ginger spun around. No one was there. She grabbed both sides of the wash basin.
"Oh Jeff. Why can't I stop loving you?" she said out loud.
~"So what are we gonna do?" he had asked.
"We're not going to do anything. I'm,I'm moving away. No! I am. I've had two whole weeks to think about it and I've decided that the best course of action is to move to another town, change my name and start over. I'll say my husband was killed in the war."
"Ginger."
"I'll work in a drug store till the baby comes. Then I'll work out of my apartment so I can take care of it. It's fine cause I can, I can sew pretty well."
"Don't you think I should have something to say in the matter."
"No."
"Maybe I want to take in sewing. I know how to sew." ~
She started to cry remembering how sweet he had been. He had calmed her fears and made her feel better. Funny. He was always able to do that for her. She splashed water on her face and then patted it dry. She touched up her makeup and left the room.
She walked back into the store. A young girl dropped a coin into the juke box. 'Don't be that way' began to play.
~She saw Jeff sitting at the counter trying to figure out how she had gotten the coins out. He turned to her and smiled, then it faded when he realized she wanted to dance.
"I can't dance."
"Oh come on," she said as she tickled him.
He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to him.
"You're stuck with a guy who can't dance," he whispered in her ear and then shrugged.
"Well, you can kiss." ~
"Are you sure you are alright, Miss Szabo? Now you're flushed."
Ginger smiled. "I'm fine. It's just a little warm in here."
She took her seat again. He may not have been able to dance then, but he had learned. For her.
'Moonlight Serenade' began to play. Heavens to Betsy. Were there no end to the memories today?
"I..f, if we write down our,our three favorite things to do on a date and our three favorite things to do on a weekend, I bet we will end up liking the exact same things."
They wrote on the pieces of paper and then exchanged them.
"We can try five favorite things," Jeff had suggested when nothing matched.
"Or ten! It will end up the same. I know it will. Jeff, we don't have one thing in common. Not one. Not only are we not two peas in a pod. We're not even vegetables."
Jeff smiled. "We both like beer."
"Uh, I'm starting to."
"You didn't like it before?"
"Hated it."
"Why do you drink it?" he asked.
"Well, you drink it."
"Do you think it's hopeless?"
"I do."
"I don't!"
"You don't?"
"No. If we had everything in common, we'd bore each other silly. You don't know diddly about sports. Which means that's something I can teach you. I dance like a bullfrog. Which means you can teach me. If you're willing to risk a broken toe. Cause I know you like to dance. And that's a start. I don't think we should give up," he explained.
"So sort of what we have in common is we have nothing in common," she wondered.
"Sort of," he answered.
"Well, I can think of one rather major, important thing we have in common."
"Shhh," he whispered embarrassed. ~
Ginger smiled happily at the memory.
She slid off the stool. She squared her shoulders and straightened her coat. It was time to meet Arthur.
She had made up her mind what to do. Now she just had to find the right time to do it. She had made a huge mistake letting Jeff get away and she was not going to make an even bigger one by marrying Arthur.
She could do anything she set her mind to. How often had Jeff told her that?
She was finally a success. But the success meant nothing without Jeff in her life. Somehow she would win Jeff back. She could find another job if she had to. But she would never find another Jeff Metcalf. Who cared if they had nothing in common except they loved each other? That was the most important thing, after all.
She walked out of the drug store just as Arthur's car came around the corner.
"Hi honey!" Arthur said.
"Arthur, Hi."
She was shocked as Jeff stepped out of the car. "Hello," he said.
"Hi. I didn't ah, realize, ah. "
"Jeff needed a lift to the stadium," Arthur explained.
She slid into the car seat and as they talked about Jeff's try out and his future, she smiled. This was going to workout just fine.
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