Jesse's Girl (A 1990s SST Fan Fiction)

[cjd874]

Most of you are familiar with my Sesame Street "old school outlines" and original Muppet Show episode scripts. But lately I've been working on something completely different.

Imagine, if you will, a parallel universe in which Gina's love life is examined more closely and her relationship with a young man named Jesse actually blossoms into a full-blown romance. Before you continue, revisit these clips of the short-lived relationship between Gina and Jesse. I'm surprised that it didn't go further...

What if their relationship has continued, and 1990s kids had a marriage story of their own, a la Maria and Luis? Read on for an original story entitled...

"Jesse's Girl"


INTRODUCTION

Gina opened her apartment door and dragged herself to her desk. She slumped in her chair and exhaled. Her mind was a flurry of activity. She had really enjoyed going to the movies with Jesse, but something didn’t feel right.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what Jesse had said. “I really liked the scene when the guy says, ‘Doll, I think I’m falling in love with you’…” The words swirled around inside her head like leaves in a strong wind.

What did he mean by that? Gina wondered. Why did he talk about that part of the movie? Is he trying to tell me something important?

Gina paused and sat up in her chair. Maybe…just maybe…he’s falling for me! No, that can’t be. He didn’t say that he loves me for sure.

But even if Jesse did love her, she wasn’t sure whether she felt the same way or not. She couldn’t figure it out at all. Not while she ate dinner. Not while she took a shower. Not while she put on her pajamas and climbed into bed.

Gina tossed and turned for what seemed like hours, tortured by her thoughts and feelings for Jesse. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep.

Across town, Jesse was wide-awake. He sat up in bed and covered his face in his hands. He couldn’t fall asleep, no matter how hard he tried. There were too many questions swimming around in his mind. He kept replaying those words in his head: “I really liked the scene when the guy says, ‘Doll, I think I’m falling in love with you.’”

Do I love Gina? Did I make a mistake today by saying what I said? Or maybe she already thinks that I love her…but do I really love her?

Jesse lay down, closed his eyes, and sighed shakily. He felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier. I’ll try to figure it out tomorrow, he thought.


CHAPTER 1

“So Telly, I heard that you have a brand-new triangle in your collection,” Big Bird said, as he got off of the swings. The eight-foot bird was hanging out with his friends at the playground after a fun day at play-group.

“Yeah!” Rosita added as she climbed off the seesaw with Telly. “I would love to see it, Telly. You told me it’s the best one yet.”

“Oh, it’s a beauty!” Telly said with a laugh. “You’ve never seen a three-sided shape like this one before! It will change the way you think about triangles!”

Elmo poked his head out of the tunnels. “Oh, boy!” he said eagerly. “Elmo can’t wait! Can we go to your house now and see it?”

“Wait!” Telly said. “Look over there, everyone!” He pointed toward the steps of the Furry Arms Hotel, where Gina and Jesse were talking to each other. Big Bird, Elmo, and Rosita gathered around Telly.

“Who’s Gina talking to?” Big Bird questioned.

“That’s Jesse!” Rosita answered. “And they’re in LOVE!”

“They are? That’s great!” Big Bird exclaimed. “I love it when people fall in love. Then they get married, they have kids, and then they buy a nice beach house in Cape Cod!”

“Hold on, Big Bird,” Telly interrupted. “We don’t know if Gina and Jesse love each other yet. I mean, it seems like they really like each other, but I don’t know for sure if they’re in love.”

“Why is that, Telly?” Elmo asked.

“Well, Rosita and I saw them yesterday,” Telly replied, “and here’s what happened…

“It was late at night. Rosita and I were at the Furry Arms when Gina and Jesse came back from a movie. Gina said she liked the movie, especially the chase scene. Jesse liked the part when they snuck under the castle. Then he and Gina said goodnight and started to leave. Then Jesse called her back and he said to Gina, “I really liked the scene when the guy says, ‘Doll, I think I’m really falling in love with you.’” Then they hugged and said goodnight again. Rosita and I saw it all happen!”

“So…do Gina and Jesse love each other?” Elmo asked Telly.

“Well, uh…gee…I don’t KNOW!” Telly said. “Rosita and I couldn’t figure it out.”

“Well, Elmo wants to know if Gina and Jesse love each other,” Elmo insisted.

“Yeah, me too!” Big Bird added. “I’m a very curious bird, you know.”

“Okay, okay, okay,” Telly said, waving his hands. “We’ve got to find out if Jesse and Gina are really in love.”

“But how will we do that, Telly?” Elmo asked.

Telly paused. “That’s a very good question, Elmo. What are we going to do?” Telly put his hands on his chin. His friends did the same as they thought of a plan.

Suddenly, Telly had an idea. “I know!” he exclaimed. “I know exactly what we’ll do! It’s the perfect idea! It’s brilliant! It’s foolproof!”

“What?” his friends pressed. “What will we do?”

Telly paused. “We’ll just ask them if they like each other.”

Rosita smiled. “Great idea, Telly! Asking questions is a good way to find things out.”

Big Bird chuckled. “Why didn’t I think of that? Let’s go and ask them.”

They walked over to where Jesse and Gina were standing and greeted them.

“Gina…Jesse…we want to ask you something,” Rosita started.

“Sure,” Jesse said. “What’s up?”

“Yesterday night Telly and I saw you talking after seeing a movie,” Rosita said. “We heard what you said about the movie, and what you liked.”

“Yeah, so what we want to know is…” Telly paused. “Are you two in love?”

Gina and Jesse looked at Telly and then at each other, at a loss for words.

“Well Telly,” Gina started, “Jesse and I are very good friends. We like each other a lot. But there’s a difference between liking someone and loving someone.”

“There is?” Elmo said.

“Yes,” Gina continued. “When you like someone, you enjoy being around them. You feel good when you’re with that person. But when you love someone, it’s more than that. You hug, and kiss---”

“Oh, and then you get married, you have kids, and then you buy a nice beach house in Cape Cod!” Big Bird blurted out.

Gina and Jesse gave Big Bird a funny look.

“Sure…something like that,” Gina said. “But to tell you the truth, I don’t know the answer to your question.”

“Neither do I,” Jesse said. “Sorry guys. We’ll see you later, okay?” He and Gina walked down the street toward the subway.

Big Bird sighed. “Well, so much for that. What are we going to do now, Telly?”

Telly furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out if it’s the last thing I do! And you guys are going to help me, aren’t you?”

“We sure are, Telly!” Rosita affirmed. “Let’s keep thinking.” Rosita, Big Bird, Elmo, and Telly sat together, lost in thought. It was clear that Gina and Jesse liked each other, but did they love each other? They had to find out.

 

[cjd874]

CHAPTER 2

The next morning, Gina dragged herself to Hooper’s Store. She had barely gotten any sleep the night before. Once again, she had been obsessing over that question: Does Jesse love me, and do I love him? She tossed and turned all night, but couldn’t fall asleep.

Gina opened the door and slowly entered the store. “Good morning, Mr. Handford,” Gina mumbled.

Mr. Handford started to speak, but no words came out. Gina’s hair was uncombed and there were dark circles under her eyes. The buttons on her shirt were buttoned incorrectly and her sneakers were untied.

“Gina!” Mr. Handford gasped. “What happened? Did you get any sleep last night?”

“I tried,” Gina explained. “But I just couldn’t sleep. At all.”

“You know, I’ll let you take the day off if you want to,” Mr. Handford said. “Go home and get some rest!”

“Oh no, Mr. Handford,” Gina said, rubbing her eyes. “I’m totally fine. I can work today, for sure.”

“Are you sure, Gina?”

“Yes, I’m sure!” Gina said, a little bit harsher than she intended.

Mr. Handford hesitated. “Well, okay. But first, I think you need to go to the bathroom in the back and fix yourself up.”

After a few minutes, Gina returned, ready to start her day at Hooper’s Store. But there was still one thing wrong.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Jesse. No matter how hard she tried.


Across town, Jesse’s feet felt like lead. He was late to work, and he was running as fast as he could to the library. Like Gina, he hadn’t slept much either.

Linda couldn’t believe her eyes when Jesse stumbled through the door. Jesse’s hair was matted, and his clothes were wrinkled. There were heavy bags under his eyes.

“What happened?” Linda signed. “Are you okay?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night,” Jesse signed back to the deaf librarian. “I tossed and turned all night. I woke up late and ran here as fast as I could.”

“You should go home and get some rest,” Linda signed.

Jesse shook his head. “I’m here to work, Linda,” he signed. “I can work today, I promise!”

Linda sighed. “If you say so,” she signed. She led Jesse over to a cart loaded with books. “Help me put these books back on the shelves, please.”

Jesse picked up a stack of books and headed toward the shelves. He noticed that the top book was by Bernard Waber, one of his favorite authors as a child. Jesse smiled. Then he looked at the title and his smile vanished.

It was called Gina.

I just can’t catch a break, Jesse thought.


Gina spent the morning sweeping the floors and wiping down the glassware while Mr. Handford served the customers. Before she knew it, it was lunchtime.

The door opened, and Gordon and Maria entered. They greeted Gina and Mr. Handford warmly.

“What can we get you today?” Mr. Handford asked.

“I’d like a BLT sandwich and a cup of tea, please,” Gordon said.

“And I’ll have a bagel with cream cheese, por favor,” Maria said, slipping into her native Spanish tongue.

“Coming right up!” Mr. Handford said. “I’ll get you your BLT, Gordon. Gina, please get some tea for Gordon and a bagel with cream cheese for Maria.”

“You got it,” Gina said as Mr. Handford went to the kitchen. She poured some tea for Gordon and then walked toward the other side of the counter to get Maria’s bagel.

Gee, Gordon and Maria show up here almost every day, Gina thought as she prepared the bagel. Why doesn’t Jesse ever come here? It would be great to see him here once in a while…and then we could chat over lunch. It would really be nice if he came here.

Eventually, Gina brought the bagel over to Maria. “Here you are, Maria,” she said. “One buttered bagel just for you.”

“Uh, Gina?” Maria said. “I asked for a bagel with cream cheese, and that has butter on it.” She pointed down at the plate and raised an eyebrow.

Gina looked down, embarrassed. She had been so busy thinking about Jesse that she’d accidentally put butter on the bagel instead of cream cheese.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Maria,” Gina stammered. “I’ll get you a bagel with cream cheese right away.” Gina took the plate and turned quickly to get Maria’s food just as Mr. Handford came in with Gordon’s BLT. But Gina didn’t realize how close she was to Mr. Handford, and they collided. The BLT and bagel fell on the floor, and both plates shattered.

“Oh!” Maria gasped. “Gina! Mr. Handford! Are you two alright?”

Gina didn’t know what to do. “I…I…”

“Yes, we’re fine,” Mr. Handford said. “But the food is not.” He paused and looked at the mess on the floor.

Come to think of it, Mr. Handford thought, there’s something else that doesn’t seem to be quite alright. He looked at Gina, whose face had turned redder than Elmo’s fur.

“We’ll get you your food right away,” Mr. Handford said to the adults. “Gina, come with me.” He led her to the back of the store and closed the door behind him.

“Gina, what’s going on?” Mr. Handford asked his assistant. “First, you showed up looking really tired. Then you gave Maria the wrong order. Then you bumped into me and caused a big mess. Is something wrong?”

Gina’s face was still red. “I’m sorry, Mr. Handford. Are you mad at me?”

“No!” Mr. Handford exclaimed. “I’m not mad at you. Everyone makes mistakes every now and then. But I just want to make sure you’re okay. If something’s going on, tell me! You know you can trust me, Gina. I want to help you.”

Gina sighed. “Okay, Mr. Handford,” she said. “I’ll tell you everything.”

Gina explained that she had met Jesse at the library a few weeks ago and then went on a picnic with him, Elmo, and Rosita. At first, she wasn’t sure how she felt about him. But after seeing a movie with him, she realized she might be in love with him, and vice-versa. However, she wasn’t sure.

“That’s why I haven’t been thinking straight today,” Gina finished. “I’ve been thinking about Jesse all day.” Mr. Handford nodded.

“Gina, have you told Jesse how you feel about him?” he asked.

“No, I haven’t,” Gina admitted. “I don’t know how I really feel about him. And he might be in love with me, but I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you two just talk about it?” Mr. Handford suggested. “It helps to just get it out there, you know.”

“But I’m scared!” Gina said, the words coming out before she could stop them. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before.” Her voice cracked with emotion.

“It’s okay, Gina,” Mr. Handford said soothingly. “It’s okay. If you don’t talk about it with him, how will either of you ever really know? He just might feel the same way about you. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” He paused. “And besides, if it doesn’t work out, you’ll still be good friends, right?”

Gina nodded. “You’re right, Mr. Handford. I do need to tell him how I feel.”

“I’m proud of you, Gina,” Mr. Handford said, gently putting a hand on her back. “You can go and tell Jesse what’s going on later. But you still have some work to do. Please make a BLT for Gordon, and a bagel with cream cheese for Maria.”

Gina stayed in the kitchen while Mr. Handford cleaned up the mess on the floor. Gordon and Maria sat together quietly.

“I’m telling you Mr. Handford,” Gordon finally remarked, “that was really strange. I’ve never seen Gina do anything wrong here before. I hope she’s alright.” He sipped his tea and shook his head.

Maria leaned forward. “Mr. Handford, is Gina okay?” she asked. “I’m starting to worry about her. She’s never acted like this before.”

Mr. Handford sighed and nodded. He’d tell them later, after Gina left work.

 

[GonzoMan]

This is a pretty good story so far. I can't wait to see what happens next.

 

[cjd874]

CHAPTER 3

Across town, Jesse continued his shift at the library. Things were going surprisingly well with Linda, even though he just couldn’t seem to think straight.

Bob and Celina entered the library and greeted Jesse and Linda, who were helping a child find a book in the catalog.

“Hi, Bob!” Jesse said, caught off-guard. “Hi, Celina!” Linda signed, “Hello.”

“Do you have any books about dancing?” Bob signed to Linda and Jesse. “Celina was looking for some books about it, and I suggested she go with me to the library.”

Gee, Jesse thought. Gina hasn’t asked me about finding books at all. I wish she’d come with me to the library more often.

Linda smiled. “Yes,” she signed back. “Jesse can help you find one.”

“Oh…sure!” Jesse said blankly. “Yeah! Of course I’ll find a book about dancing for you.” As he turned, his elbow hit a potted plant on the counter. It fell to the floor with a thud, spilling dirt everywhere. Linda, Bob, and Celina cringed.

“Oops,” Jesse said, embarrassed. “I’ll clean that up, and then I’ll help you find a book. Sorry about that.”

Afterward, Jesse led Bob and Celina through the bookshelves. “Okay,” he said. “We’ve got the dance books right here. I’ll help you carry them too, if you want.”

“Sure!” Celina said. “That’s very nice of you, Jesse.”

Celina and Bob selected their books and gave them to Jesse. They counted twelve books in all. The stack of books was so high that Jesse could barely see over the top.

“Gee…I hope this isn’t too much trouble for you, Jesse,” Celina remarked.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to help carry some of those books?” Bob offered.

“No thanks,” Jesse said. “I’ve got it under control.” But Jesse struggled to carry the stack of books. They all headed toward the checkout desk.

Look at all these dance books, Jesse thought. I wonder if Gina knows how to dance. Maybe she could teach me something because I can’t dance at all. It would be nice to spend some time dancing with her.

Suddenly, Jesse noticed that the book on top was starting to fall. He couldn’t reach up to get it, and Celina and Bob were walking ahead of him. He felt himself stumbling, grasping, straining, and then falling forward.

Jesse landed right on his face as the books fell to the floor with a loud clatter. Everyone in the library turned to look at Jesse, who was lying on the floor, surrounded by overturned books. Celina, Bob, and Linda ran over to Jesse and helped him up.

“Are you okay, Jesse?” Celina asked as she helped him up.

Jesse rubbed his head. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just wasn’t…I…”

Linda and Bob looked at each other. Linda signed, “We should talk with Jesse.”

Bob nodded. “Celina…wait right here.”

Bob and Linda took Jesse aside. Linda asked questions in sign language while Bob spoke aloud.

“Jesse…what’s going on?” Linda and Bob said. “First, you got to work late. Then you knocked over a plant, and then dropped Celina’s books on the floor. Is something wrong? You seem to have something on your mind.”

Jesse sighed. He didn’t want to acknowledge it, but he was cornered. He told Bob and Linda about his feelings for Gina.

“Have you told Gina how you feel?” Bob asked.

“Sort of,” Jesse replied. “I was telling her about a movie we saw together, and said, ‘I liked the part when the guy says to the girl, ‘Doll, I think I’m falling in love with you.’ And then we hugged and said goodnight. And that was it.”

“Jesse,” Linda signed as Bob spoke, “you need to really tell her how you feel. It’s the right thing to do. Plus, she might feel the same way about you!”

“You really think so?” Jesse said hesitantly. “I don’t know…”

“Of course!” Bob said while he signed. “Linda and I want things to work out for you and Gina. So just tell her how you feel. It’s that simple.”

Jesse took a deep breath. “Okay…I guess so. I’ll tell Gina later.”

Bob patted Jesse on the shoulder. “That’s the spirit!”

Linda signed, “Now it’s time to get back to work. Tell Gina later.”

Jesse smiled broadly, with renewed energy. “Thank you, Bob…thank you, Linda,” he said as he returned to the checkout desk where Celina was waiting.

“You know, I hope it works out for Jesse,” Bob said to Linda. “Gina really deserves a guy like him.”

Linda could only nod in agreement, but deep down she knew that it would work out for Jesse and Gina.

 

[cjd874]

CHAPTER 4

Telly and Rosita were playing outside in the arbor area when they heard some rumbling. They stopped and looked around.

“Did you hear that noise?” Rosita asked.

Telly looked confused. “What noise?” he said. Then they heard it again.

“Maybe Biff and Sully are doing construction?” Telly suggested.

“Or Snuffy could be tap-dancing,” Rosita said.

“Oh, wait…it’s my stomach,” Telly said. “Wow, I must be getting really hungry!”

Rosita giggled. “Let’s go to Hooper’s Store,” she said.

“Good idea, Rosita,” Telly said. Then his eyes lit up. “Hey! Maybe Gina will be there.”

“Yes!” Rosita said. “And we can ask her if she and Jesse are finally in LO-OVE!”

“What are we waiting for?” Telly cried. “Let’s go!”

Gina was about to take her apron off and leave work for the day when Telly and Rosita dashed into the store. “Gina! Gina!” the monsters shouted.

“Hey, guys! What’s going on?” Gina said.

“Hi Gina,” Telly said. “Can I get a ham and cheese sandwich cut into triangles, please?”

“And can I have some lemonade, please?” Rosita added.

“Of course,” Gina said. “Anything for you two.”

In no time, Telly was munching on his favorite sandwich while Rosita sipped some lemonade.

“Gina,” Rosita began, “Telly and I have a question for you…do you and Jesse LOVE each other yet?” She folded her hands and waited patiently.

Gina’s mind raced. “Uh…well…I don’t know yet, Rosita,” she said. “I haven’t seen Jesse since yesterday, so I haven’t been able to talk with him.”

“Can you promise us that you’ll talk to him as soon as you can?” Telly said. “Please? We want you to fall in love with Jesse and live happily ever after!”

“Si!” Rosita agreed. “Just like in the fairy tales. Will you talk with him, please? Please?” The monsters begged and begged until Gina gave in.

“Okay, okay,” Gina said, holding her hands up. “I promise that I will talk to Jesse as soon as I can.”

Rosita and Telly let out a big cheer and thanked Gina for the snacks. As they left the store, Gina sighed and shook her head.

They are just too curious for their own good, Gina thought. And too curious for my own good.


Across town, Jesse bought some flowers from a florist. As the florist rolled her cart away, Jesse headed toward the subway and passed by Oscar’s newsstand.

Oscar looked up from his newsstand and sniffed a couple of times. He furrowed his brow in disgust.

“Yuck! Do I smell flowers?” Oscar sneered.

Jesse turned and walked toward the newsstand. “Hi, Oscar. Yes, these are my flowers, and they’re for Gina.”

“For Gina? Is that right?”

“Yep,” Jesse said. “I’m getting them as a gift for her. We’re really good friends and I really like her and I just hope---”

“Hold your horses, Romeo,” Oscar interrupted. “Let’s put the brakes on for just a minute. What if Gina doesn’t like your flowers? What if she doesn’t want ‘em, huh? Did you ever think about that?”

Jesse paused. “You know…not really,” he admitted.

“What if you’re going too far with this, Jesse?” Oscar continued. “Maybe Gina doesn’t even like you the way YOU like her. So what’s the point of buying her all this stuff if you’re not sure how she feels about you, anyway? Why bother?”

Jesse was torn. He really had feelings for Gina, but now he was starting to doubt if Gina would share the same feelings for him. Was Oscar actually right for once?

Jesse bit his lip. It was all he could do to hold back his emotions.

“I don’t know, Oscar,” Jesse sighed. “I just don’t know…” He dumped the bouquet of flowers into a wastebasket and entered into the subway feeling melancholy.

Oscar chuckled. “Another day, another satisfied customer,” he snickered. “Gee…too bad he didn’t buy a magazine or newspaper. I would’ve thrown extra mud on it for him. Now THAT would make a better present than those rotten flowers!”


Big Bird and Elmo were heading toward the playground. As they rounded the corner, they happened to see Jesse heading into the subway.

“Hey, it’s Jesse!” Big Bird exclaimed. “You think he and Gina are in love yet?”

“Elmo doesn’t know,” Elmo answered, “but let’s talk to him before he leaves!” He and Big Bird hurried toward the subway and shut the doors behind them.

Inside the subway, Jesse was about to head through the turnstile when he heard his name being called. He turned around just as Big Bird and Elmo ran up to him.

“Jesse! Jesse!” Big Bird said, nearly out of breath. “Boy, are we glad we found you. We have to ask you something.”

Jesse raised an eyebrow. “Sure…what’s your question?”

Elmo looked up at Jesse. “Jesse, do you love Gina? Elmo and Big Bird want to know right now.”

Jesse froze. Several thoughts entered his mind at once. What should I say? Did they see me throw the flowers away? Why do they want to know?

Then they heard the sound of a train approaching the station. It was Jesse’s train.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go now,” Jesse said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He swiped his card, went through the turnstile, and boarded the train just as the doors closed. Big Bird and Elmo could only watch as the train roared away, and with it, any chance of getting answers from Jesse.

“Big Bird, Jesse didn’t answer our question,” Elmo said. “What do we do now?”

“I don’t know,” Big Bird replied, “but we’re gonna find out if it’s the last thing we do! Right?”

“Right!” Elmo answered. “But first, Elmo wants to play tag.” He tapped Big Bird’s wing. “Tag! You’re it, Big Bird!” Elmo laughed and ran up the stairs of the subway.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Big Bird said, chasing after him. “Elmo! I’m gonna get you!” They ran toward the playground, laughing and hollering.


Night had fallen. The street was deserted and quiet. The sound of a subway train cut the silence in half. Jesse stepped out of the subway station and headed toward a wastebasket. He checked to see if the bouquet of flowers was still there…and it was! He removed the flowers, cleaned them off with a cloth, and quickly snuck back into the subway, making sure he wouldn’t be seen.

He would send the flowers to Gina tomorrow.

 

[cjd874]

CHAPTER 5

The next day, Elmo, Rosita, Big Bird, and Telly were at the playground. “Did you see Gina or Jesse yesterday?” Big Bird asked.

“Yes!” Rosita said. “We saw Gina at Hooper’s Store, and we asked her if she loves Jesse!”

“What’d she say? What’d she say?” Elmo asked.

“She said that she didn’t know, and that she’d talk to him later,” Telly said.

“Oh,” Big Bird said disappointedly. “That’s it? Well, that’s more than what we got from Jesse.”

“What did Jesse tell you?” Telly asked eagerly.

“Elmo and I saw Jesse in the subway,” Big Bird started, “but he didn’t give any answers.”

“Jesse’s train got there as soon as we asked him, and he had to go,” Elmo added.

Telly groaned. “Oh, there’s NO hope! How are we EVER going to find out if Gina and Jesse are in LOVE?” He put his head in his hands and moaned.

Rosita put her arm around Telly. “Don’t worry, Telly,” she said reassuringly. “I’m sure we will find out sooner or later!”

Maria and Luis were passing by when they heard Telly moaning. They went over to see what was the matter.

“Hi, guys!” Maria said. “What’s wrong with Telly?”

“Oh, Maria…Luis,” Telly sobbed. “It’s terrible! We’ll never know if Gina and Jesse are in love.”

Luis raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?” He turned to Maria. “Do you know about what’s going on with Gina and Jesse?” Maria shook her head.

Telly, Elmo, and Rosita told Luis and Maria about how Gina had met Jesse at the library, went on a picnic, and then went to the movies together. They all had spent the last few days trying to find out if Gina and Jesse were falling for one another.

“Well, let me tell you something,” Luis said. “Falling in love doesn’t always happen right away.”

Telly looked up in utter shock. “No!” he gasped. “You’re not joking, are you?”

“No!” Maria said. “It takes a while for people to fall in love, Telly. Luis and I didn’t fall in love when we first met. We were very good friends at first, and then we fell in love, got married, and became parents to Gabi.”

“But you didn’t buy a beach house in Cape Cod!” Big Bird interrupted. “Thank goodness.”

Maria continued. “Do you know for sure if Gina and Jesse really like each other?”

“Well, we think so,” Big Bird answered. “They have been going to the movies a lot lately.”

“And Gina and Jesse look at each other with big smiles on their faces,” Rosita added.

“And they hold hands when they’re together!” Elmo piped up. “So we think they really like each other!”

“But we don’t KNOW for sure!” Telly wailed. “And we might not know for a LONG time because Maria and Luis said that people don’t fall in love right away.”

Rosita suddenly had an idea. “Well, let’s get them to fall in love quicker!”

Big Bird’s eyes lit up. “That’s so crazy, it might just work!”

Telly was acting like a new monster. “Rosita!” he howled, giving her a giant hug. “You’re brilliant! What’s your idea?”

Maria and Luis looked at one another. “Uh, guys, I don’t think…” Luis started.

But he and Maria could only shake their heads as the four friends ran to Finder’s Keepers to get supplies for their top-secret plan. Operation: Love.

 

[cjd874]

*NOTE I: After two months I'm finally back with a new chapter. My SS Old School Outlines are going to be put aside for a while, so I will spend more time on this fan story.
*NOTE II: Dave the Deliveryman is a large Lavender Live-Hand Muppet performed by Jerry Nelson, specifically created for this chapter. I envision a Muppet with gray hair, a green nose, a goatee, and a brown cap & uniform.


CHAPTER 6

Jesse was on his lunch break. He walked out of the library carrying the flowers. A small card was hanging by a string from one of the flowers. He had written a very special note for Gina inside.

Jesse planned to walk over to the post office and send the flowers to Hooper’s Store where Gina would hopefully get them. Then he saw a Muppet driving a truck in his direction. The side of the truck read “DAVE’S DELIVERIES.”

Jesse quickly waved at the truck. Dave the Deliveryman pulled his truck up to the corner and squinted at Jesse.

“Hey kiddo,” Dave said. “Can I help ya?”

“Yes, I have some flowers that I’d like delivered to Hooper’s Store,” Jesse explained.

“Hooper’s Store, huh?” Dave repeated. “I know where that is! Are they for Mr. Handford?”

“Not exactly,” Jesse admitted. “They’re for a girl who works there.”

“No kidding!” Dave said. “What’s her name?”

“Gina Jefferson,” Jesse said as he gave the flowers to the deliveryman.

“Well, isn’t that sweet,” Dave mused. “I haven’t seen her there before. But don’t you worry, fella. I’ll get these flowers to Gina in a flash!”

“Thank you so much,” Jesse said. “I hope this isn’t too much trouble for you, sir.”

“Trouble?” Dave said. “Not at all! I was gonna head there for a cup of coffee anyways. Have a good one, pal.” He gave a thumbs-up to Jesse as he drove away in his truck.

Jesse could hardly contain his excitement. This could be the day, Jesse thought. I sure hope she says yes. But what if she doesn’t? What if she doesn’t even meet me?

Jesse’s mind raced as he headed to Charlie’s Restaurant. He decided to just get some take-out today. Their waiter service wasn’t always the best, after all.


Meanwhile on Sesame Street, Elmo, Rosita, Big Bird, and Telly sat at Big Bird’s nest trying to figure out their plan. After some deliberation, they had a plan!

“Elmo wants to know what the plan is again, just to make sure,” Elmo said.

“We’re going to write a letter to Gina asking her to meet Jesse in the park,” Rosita explained. “But we’re going to sign it with ‘LOVE, Jesse.’ Then once she comes to the park to meet Jesse, we’re going to watch them fall in love! Isn’t that great?”

“But how will Jesse know to meet her?” Telly piped up.

“Simple!” Rosita said. “We’ll also write a letter and give it to Jesse when he comes out of the subway, saying that Gina wants to meet him in the park! Then they will both meet each other and declare their endless love for one another!”

“Rosita,” Big Bird declared, “you are so smart that it hurts!”

“Muchas gracias, pájaro,” Rosita said in Spanish. “But while we do that, Telly and Elmo need to get some disguises and walkie-talkies from Finder’s Keepers.”

“Disguises?” Elmo repeated.

“Yes!” Telly said. “That makes total sense! That way, we can watch Gina and Jesse in the park without anybody noticing us! Since Jesse’s coming from the subway, two of us need to be there. The other two need to be near Hooper’s Store when Gina leaves.”

“That’s right!” Rosita said. Telly and Elmo agreed to station themselves by the subway, so Rosita and Big Bird would be at Hooper’s. “Now let’s go and put ‘Operation: Love’ into action!”

“You got it!” Telly confirmed. “Let’s go, Elmo!”

“Hold on!” Rosita said. “Remember that this is a TOP-SECRET plan! So we cannot say ANYTHING about Gina or Jesse. Understand?”

“Yes!” the others said. So Elmo and Telly went to Finder’s Keepers, while Big Bird and Rosita stayed behind to write the letters.


Elmo and Telly entered Finder’s Keepers, the local thrift shop. Ruthie, the store’s energetic owner, greeted them cheerfully.

“Hi guys!” Ruthie said as she came out from the back. “What are you looking for?”

“Hi Ruthie,” Telly said. “We’re looking for some disguises and funny costumes.”

“Disguises?” Ruthie repeated. “Sure, I can help you with that. Come this way.” She led them to a large wardrobe rack with dozens of costumes, and a hat rack with lots of funny hats. There were baskets full of sunglasses, scarves, gloves, and shoes.

“Wow!” Telly cried. “This is exactly what we’re looking for!” He and Elmo proceeded to scavenge through the wardrobe rack and the basket, picking out which costumes would be the right ones.

Elmo stopped and looked up at Ruthie. “Ruthie, do you have walkie-talkies, too?”

“Do I have walkie-talkies?” Ruthie said. “Is your fur red, Elmo? Of COURSE I have them!” She immediately pulled out a bin with four walkie-talkies.

“Perfect!” Elmo said. “We’ll take them.” He continued to scour around as Ruthie giggled.

“I’ve never seen them looking so hard for anything before,” she said to herself. “They must be doing something really GREAT!” She turned to the two monsters. “Telly! Elmo! What are you going to do with these disguises and walkie-talkies?”

Elmo and Telly stopped dead in their tracks and their eyes widened.

“We can’t tell you!” Telly said emphatically. “It’s TOP-SECRET!”

Ruthie furrowed her brow. “Top-secret?”

“Yeah! So we aren’t allowed to tell you!” Telly answered. “Sorry, Ruthie.”

Ruthie shrugged. “That’s okay, as long as it’s safe.”

“It is! Don’t worry, Ruthie!” Elmo reassured her. “All we’re doing is getting Gina and Jesse to---”

Telly clamped his hand over Elmo’s mouth. “ELMO!” Telly chided him. “This is a TOP-SECRET PLAN! We can’t tell ANYONE ANYTHING about it!”

Elmo stopped. “Oh, sorry Telly! Elmo won’t say another word!”

After a few more minutes, Telly and Elmo gathered all the costumes and walkie-talkies that they needed for their plan.

“Thanks for your help, Ruthie!” Telly said. He gave Ruthie ten dollars and left Finder’s Keepers with Elmo right behind him.

Ruthie had a feeling she knew what Elmo and Telly were up to. But she wasn’t quite sure. This must be really important to them, she thought. And probably for Gina and Jesse, too!

She had no idea how important it would be to everyone involved.

 

[cjd874]

CHAPTER 7

Big Bird and Rosita were getting ready to write letters at Big Bird’s nest area. One letter would be addressed to Jesse “from Gina,” while the other one would be addressed to Gina “from Jesse.”

“So what do we need to write these letters?” Big Bird said.

“Well, we need some paper and something to write with,” Rosita replied.

“I have my crayons right here,” Big Bird said, pointing at his crayon box.

“Perfect!” Rosita said. “Now we just need some paper.” She looked around, but didn’t see any paper. “Big Bird, you don’t happen to have any paper, do you?”

Big Bird looked around a few times. A sinking feeling came over him.

“Oh dear,” he blubbered. “I don’t have anything to write on! This is a problem.”

“Can you ask somebody for paper?” Rosita said.

Big Bird thought for a few seconds. Then he turned to the window behind him and yelled, “SUSAN! SUUUU-SAAAANNN!”

Susan came up to the window. “Hi Big Bird,” she said. “Hi Rosita! What’s the matter?”

“Susan, we need some paper,” Big Bird explained. “You see we’ve got a box of crayons, but we don’t have paper.”

“Oh, I’ll get some paper for you two right away,” Susan said with a smile. She left and came back with a big stack of paper.

“That’s perfect, Susan!” Rosita said happily. “Muchas gracias! Thank you!”

“You’re very welcome,” Susan said. “Say, what are you guys going to draw with those crayons and paper?”

“Oh, we’re not drawing anything, Susan,” Big Bird corrected her. “We’re writing letters to---”

Rosita quickly pinched Big Bird, who yelped.

“Big Bird!” Rosita said firmly. “We’re not supposed to tell Susan, remember?”

“Oh, right,” Big Bird said sheepishly. “Uh Susan, we can’t really tell you. It’s a TOP-SECRET plan!”

Susan gave them a confused look. “Top-secret?”

“Yes!” Rosita said. “It is TOP-SECRET! So we cannot tell you what we are doing.”

“Okay, if you say so,” Susan said with a soft chuckle. “I’ll see you two later. I’ve got to help Miles with his homework!”

“Bye, Susan!” Rosita and Big Bird said as Susan left.

Rosita gathered the stack of paper, while Big Bird emptied his crayon box. “Now we’re all ready to start writing the letters to Gina and Jesse!” Big Bird said.

“That’s right!” Rosita said. “Let’s start writing!”

Big Bird suddenly hesitated. “Wait…what exactly are we going to write? We can’t just write any old words down.”

Rosita paused. “You’re right, Big Bird…we must think very carefully about what we are going to write.” They sat for a while and thought.

“How about this?” Rosita said. “Querida Gina, te amo muchisimo…”

“Hold on, Rosita,” Big Bird interrupted. “That sounds like Spanish. I don’t think Gina or Jesse understand Spanish very well.”

Rosita nodded. “Sorry, Big Bird. Let’s keep thinking…”

After a few seconds, Big Bird had an idea. “Dear Gina, shall I compare you to a warm summer’s day?”

They looked at one another. “Naaaahhh…”

“Ooh! How about this?” Big Bird said. “Dear Gina…Please meet me in the park tonight after work at 7:00. I have something very important to tell you. Love, Jesse.”

Rosita looked up at Big Bird in amazement. “Big Bird, that is WONDERFUL! That is absolutely perfect!” She leaned over and gave Big Bird a big hug.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Big Bird beamed. “I tend to wax poetic every now and then.”

Rosita laughed. “Let’s write the same thing for the other letter, okay?”

“Sure!” Big Bird said. “Let’s start writing before it gets late.”


Mr. Handford was polishing some soda glasses when the front door bell rang. Dave the Deliveryman entered the store holding the bouquet of flowers.

“Special delivery for Hooper’s Store,” Dave called out. “I’m looking for Miss Gina Jefferson. Is she here?”

Mr. Handford looked at the flowers and then at the deliveryman. A small smile crept onto his face. He immediately knew who had sent those flowers.

“Yes, she is,” he replied. “I’ll let her know. Thank you, Dave.”

“You got it, Mr. Handford,” Dave said as he placed the flowers on the counter. He paused and looked around the store. “Say, while I’m here…could I get a cup of coffee with extra cream and sugar, please?”

Just then, Gina came in. “Mr. Handford, I just finished sweeping in the back…”

She saw the flowers and her voice trailed off.

“Gina, there’s a special package for you,” Mr. Handford told her.

Gina eagerly picked up the flowers and read Jesse’s card out loud. “Dear Gina, please meet me in the park after work tonight at 7:00. I have something very important to tell you. Love, Jesse.”

Gina let out a squeal of excitement. “Mr. Handford! It’s from JESSE! Maybe he really DOES love me! Oh! Oh! Oh!” Her hands and legs shook with excitement.

“Gina, Gina, Gina,” Mr. Handford repeated, putting his hands out to silence her. “Relax! Take a deep breath.” Gina stopped and took a few deep breaths. She looked like a child on Christmas morning.

“Now listen,” Mr. Handford began. “This is wonderful news! I’m very excited for you, Gina. You can most definitely go see Jesse after work”

“Thank you, Mr. Handford!” Gina burst out, giving him a big hug.

“But right now, there’s a customer waiting for a cup of coffee.” Mr. Handford gestured toward Dave the Deliveryman, who sat patiently with his hands folded.

“With extra cream and sugar, please,” Dave added with a polite smile.

 

[cjd874]

CHAPTER 8

Rosita, Telly, Elmo, and Big Bird couldn’t help but laugh at each other’s disguises.

“Wow Elmo,” Big Bird chuckled. “You and Telly certainly found some really good disguises for us!”

“Yeah, Big Bird!” Elmo said. “Nobody will know it’s us…not even Gina and Jesse!”

“Gee,” Telly murmured. “I’m having trouble recognizing you, Elmo! Ha!”

Big Bird wore a fringed jacket, a cowboy hat, and a fake mustache. Elmo was decked out in a white shirt, polka-dotted bowtie, a blue cap, and a large green wig. Telly wore a black cloak, a derby hat, a monocle, and a fake beard. Rosita was clad in an apron, purple arm-length gloves, a pearl necklace, and a feather boa. All four of them had dark sunglasses.

“Now we need our walkie-talkies!” Rosita said. “Did you get them for us?”

“We sure did!” Elmo said.

Elmo quickly gave two walkies-talkies to Big Bird and Rosita. Then Big Bird gave Telly the letter that would be delivered “from Gina” to Jesse.

“I guess that’s everything!” Big Bird said. “We’re all set, right?” The others said yes.

“Now let’s continue with Operation: Love!” Telly cried. The others cheered as they split up and went on their respective ways.


Gina’s flowers rested in a glass vase that Mr. Handford had in a back closet. The vase sat near the window, full of water.

Usually, Gina didn’t care for flowers, but this was a special case. Plus, there wasn’t just one type of flower. It was a mixed bouquet of roses, tiger lilies, sunflowers, daisies, petunias, and carnations.

Gina smelled the flowers and sighed with pleasure. Mr. Handford walked over and smiled.

“Gina, you did some great work today,” Mr. Handford remarked. “I’m going to close up the store in a few minutes, so you’re free to go meet Jesse.”

Gina untied her apron. “Thank you, Mr. Handford!” She placed her apron on the counter and quickly left. She was visibly excited to see Jesse.

Big Bird and Rosita were outside the store, wearing their disguises. As Gina left the store, Big Bird and Rosita quickly approached her.

“Excuse me,” Big Bird said in a gruff voice. “We’re looking for Gina Jefferson. Are you her?”

Gina stared at Big Bird and Rosita. She had no idea why they were dressed so strangely.

“Uh…what are you guys doing?” Gina asked skeptically. “Big Bird…Rosita…what’s going on here?”

“Who are Big Bird and Rosita?” Big Bird asked. “I am Sheriff Bartholomew Bird, and this is Miss Rosalita!”

“We are friends of Jesse,” Rosita explained. “He asked us to give you a letter on his behalf. It’s a very important letter, too!”

“A letter?” Gina said. “From Jesse?”

“Yes!” Big Bird repeated. “It’s a real page-turner…”

He handed the letter to Gina, who took it cautiously and read it out loud.

“Dear Gina…Please meet me in the park tonight after work at 7:00. I have something very important to tell you. Love, Jesse.”

It was the same exact thing that the real Jesse had written.

Gina knew that Big Bird, Rosita, and their friends were most likely trying to get her to fall in love with Jesse by creating an elaborate plan. So she decided to play along.

“Wow!” Gina said. “This is AMAZING! Maybe Jesse really DOES love me! I can’t believe it! I have to go to the park right now! Thank you so much for your help!” Gina hugged them and took off for their park.

Big Bird and Rosita chuckled. “Well, it looks like our plan worked, Rosita! Soon, Gina and Jesse will meet in the park under the stars and then they’ll declare their love for one another!”

“I know!” Rosita said dreamily. “Operation Love is working, thanks to us!”

Mr. Handford nodded silently from inside his store. He couldn’t spoil it for them, but he couldn’t help but smile.


Meanwhile, Elmo and Telly were hiding behind the park wall, waiting for Jesse to exit the subway. Elmo yawned…it seemed like he had been waiting for hours.

“Telly? How long have we been waiting here?”

Telly looked at his watch. “About three minutes.”

“Three minutes?” Elmo said incredulously. “Elmo feels like he’s been waiting for three hours! When will Jesse show up?”

Just then, they heard a train pulling into the station. Telly and Elmo perked up.

“Hey! Maybe that could be Jesse’s train!” Telly said excitedly.

They looked at all the people, monsters, birds, Grouches, and cows coming out of the subway. But they didn’t see Jesse.

Suddenly, Telly heard his walkie-talkie coming on. Telly picked it up and spoke. “Hello?”

“Gina is heading to the park!” Big Bird said on the other end. “Is Jesse there yet?”

“NO!” Telly wailed. “We haven’t seen him yet! What if this doesn’t work after all? I had such high hopes for them, and---”

Elmo tapped his shoulder. “Telly! Jesse is over there.”

Telly’s eyes widened. He saw Jesse step out of the subway.

“Jesse’s here!” Telly reported excitedly. “We’ll give the letter to him right now! Over and out.” He turned off the walkie-talkie. “Come on, Elmo! We’ve got to meet up with Jesse before he leaves.”

As it turned out, Jesse was heading to the park anyway. He had to meet Gina in a couple of minutes.

“Excuse me,” Telly began. “Are you Jesse?”

Jesse raised his eyebrows. “Uh…yeah. Elmo? Telly? Is that you?”

“No!” Telly said firmly. “We have no idea who they are.”

“Then who are you guys?” Jesse said.

Telly stopped. He began to fidget and his eyes darted back and forth. He hadn’t expected Jesse to ask for their “names.” “I…uh…my name is…”

“He’s Simon Birdsfoot!” Elmo blurted.

“Uh…uh, right!” Telly stammered. “And he’s Harvey von Livingston III! And we have a special letter for you from Gina Jefferson.”

“Gina?” Jesse gasped. “She sent me a letter?”

“Yessiree!” Telly confirmed. “And here it is!” He handed it to Jesse.

As he read, Jesse had a strong feeling that Telly and Elmo were hatching a plan to get him to fall in love with Gina…so he decided to play along.

“Wow…” Jesse exclaimed. “This is fantastic! Gina really seems to like me!”

Then they heard the sound of a clock chiming. They looked up and saw that it was seven o’clock.

“Then what are you waiting for?” Elmo said. “The letter says that Gina will meet you at seven o’clock!”
“Come on!” Telly said. “There’s no time to lose, pal! Go! Go and meet Gina. It’s your destiny!” Jesse thanked them eagerly and made his way into the park.

From around the corner, Gina approached the park. She saw Jesse inside, but she also saw two strange-looking monsters that looked vaguely like Telly and Elmo. Gina shrugged and walked into the park.

“Jesse! Jesse!” she called out.

Jesse turned around and his face lit up. “Gina!” he said happily. They quickly hugged and continued walking away from Elmo and Telly, who remained unseen.

Telly whipped out his walkie-talkie and spoke. “Rosita! Big Bird! Jesse just went into the park!”

“We know, Telly!” Rosita said. “We’re right behind you.”

Telly turned and saw his friends standing right next to him. They had arrived just moments ago, on Gina’s heels.

“AAACK!” Telly shrieked. He quickly covered his mouth with his hands.

“SHHHH!” Elmo hissed. “Telly! Be quiet. Gina and Jesse might hear us.”

“Well, what do we do now?” Big Bird asked. “Jesse and Gina are in the park, and we don’t know where they’re going.”

“Wait!” Rosita interrupted. “They’re standing over by the tall bushes.” She pointed to her left, where there was a high wall. “Let’s go and put our final part of ‘Operation: Love’ into action!”

 

[cjd874]

CHAPTER 9

Gina and Jesse stared into each other’s eyes. Both of them had incredibly passionate feelings for the other, but neither one of them spoke up.

Elmo peered over the wall and then climbed back down.

“Nothing yet,” he said. “Gina and Jesse have been very quiet for a LONG time!”

“Gee, when will they say they love each other?” Big Bird worried. “I’m getting tired of waiting for it to happen.”

“Oh Big Bird,” Rosita said. “It will happen! I’m sure of it.”

“But keep quiet!” Telly instructed. “We don’t want them to see or hear us.” They hid behind the wall and tried to listen in on Jesse and Gina’s conversation.

“You know, I couldn’t sleep last night,” Jesse said. “I was up all night thinking about…” He stopped, his sentence drifting off into space.

“About what?” Gina said. “Jesse, what were you thinking about?”

Jesse took a deep breath. “About you,” he replied.

“Me?” Gina said.

“Yeah,” Jesse admitted. “I was thinking about the movie, and what I said to you afterwards, and…”

“I was thinking about you, too!” Gina burst out. “I tossed and turned for the longest time because I was thinking about you so much.”

Big Bird looked at Rosita. “Did they say it?” he whispered.

“I don’t think so,” Rosita said. “But keep listening!”

Jesse looked down at the ground. “I don’t really know how to say this, Gina,” Jesse began. “I’m so nervous…I don’t know why I didn’t tell you earlier.” His hands shook. So did Telly’s and Rosita’s.

“Nervous?” Gina said. “Jesse, just tell me. What do you want to say?”

“Oh, just say it already!” Telly said under his breath.

Gina and Jesse turned around quickly. But Telly was gone.

“Did you hear something?” Gina said.

Jesse shook his head. “I thought I heard Telly…but that must be my imagination. Anyway, I wanted to tell you that…”

Rosita giggled. “This is it! I can’t wait!”

Jesse looked right into Gina’s eyes. “Gina…I…I…”

The Muppets leaned forward in anticipation, hanging on every word.

“I love you, Gina.” The words came out in a rapid sentence.

“What?” Gina gasped.

“Gina, I love you,” Jesse repeated slowly.

Gina looked at Jesse. “Jesse…I love you, too.”

Then they kissed. Gina put her arms around Jesse’s neck in a passionate embrace, while Jesse wrapped his hands around Gina’s waist.

Telly, Rosita, Big Bird, and Elmo could barely contain their excitement. Actually, they did not contain their excitement.

“YAAAYYYY!!!” they shouted. “THEY’RE IN LOVE! THEY’RE IN LOVE!” They threw off their disguises and hugged each other.

Gina and Jesse whirled around, startled.

“They said it! They said it!” Telly said, giddy with excitement. “Come on! Let’s go tell everybody on Sesame Street! No! We need to tell THE WHOLE WORLD!”

“Hey!” Gina said. “What are you all doing here?”

Telly explained how he and his friends had set up a big plan to see if Gina and Jesse were in love.

“That’s very nice, but right now we need some time alone,” Jesse said. “It’s getting late, you know.”

“Oh,” Big Bird said. “We understand…come on, guys.” He yawned. “Radar needs to get tucked in now. He’s probably wondering where I am.”

“Come on, Elmo,” Telly said. “Rosita and I will take you home.”

“Good night, Gina and Jesse,” the Muppets said as they left the park.

After they were gone, Jesse and Gina burst out laughing.
“Can you believe that?” Jesse said.

“Kids these days,” Gina giggled. “You knew they were trying to set us up?”

“Yep,” Jesse said. “What a coincidence…they wrote letters to both of us!” He paused and smiled. “Come on, let’s go over there.” He led Gina to a nearby bench and they sat down.

“Finally, some quality time for us,” Jesse said. He paused, and the question on his mind hung in the air.

“So are we officially…boyfriend and girlfriend?”

Gina nodded. “Yep. Seems like it.”

Jesse stared deep into her eyes. Gina stared back. He moved closer and they kissed under the moonlight.

Suddenly, they heard a fluttering from a nearby tree. They looked up and saw that Hoots the Owl was waking up from a long nap.

“Gina!” Hoots crowed. “It looks like you’ve got a new squeeze. Who’s that fella?”

“Oh, this is Jesse,” Gina said. “Jesse, this is Hoots the Owl.”

“Nice to meet you, Hoots,” Jesse said.

“Pleased to meet you,” Hoots said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta do some shedding on my sax.” He took a deep breath and started playing a loud, bluesy solo.

“Hoots!” Gina said. “Could you play something a little more romantic…for us?”

Hoots grinned. “Hey, nothing would please me more. Maybe you know this little ditty.” He put the saxophone to his beak and played the theme from “Love Story.” The light, airy notes seemed to float in the air like balloons. He played the most beautiful music Gina and Jesse had ever heard.

Hoots finished playing the song and smiled. “There! What’d you think?”

There was no reply. Gina and Jesse were kissing under the moonlight, completely lost in the moment.

Hoots chuckled. “Now how about that! I know a pair of lovebirds when I see ‘em!”