Julie led him to a small courtyard just outside the main hall. She shivered a little when the cool night air hit her bare skin.
Portman immediately moved closer to her and wrapped an arm around her for warmth.
"So Kitty Cat what did you want to talk about?" Portman asked. The nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach was soothed slightly when she didn't pull away from him.
"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting" Julie said looking at him square in the eye.
"Its okay, I'm sorry for causing all the trouble" Portman grinned giving her his best 'I'm sorry' grin.
"You're forgiven as long as I am" Julie said giving him a hug.
"You're always forgiven in my book Jules" Portman kissed the top of her head.
"Except" Portman began.
"Except what?" Julie asked feeling a little confused.
"Except who's the big blond muscle man?" Portman had to know who that guy was. He didn't want to come second best to anyone, even if the girl was Julie.
"Big blond muscle man? Oh the one you thought was Amy! That's just Bruce" Julie said.
"And who's 'just Bruce'? You guys did look pretty chummy in your building" Portman couldn't believe how casual Julie was being about the whole thing.
"Believe me Dean you're more his type than I am" Julie laughed.
"Huh?" Dean couldn't grasp what she meant by that.
"He's gay Dean. Always has been and always will be. He's one of my best friends" Julie couldn't help but laugh at Dean's face. It went from horrified to relieved in a matter of seconds.
"So he's not your boyfriend?" Dean had to be sure.
"No he's not my boyfriend. I was sort of under the impression that you are" Julie replied looking down at her shoes.
"You want me to be?" Dean asked not quite believing his ears. All of his fantasies were becoming reality. All he ever wanted was to be able to call Julie Gaffney his girlfriend.
"You idiot of course I do" Julie smiled looking up at him.
"Well then I guess you're my girlfriend then" Dean felt a little juvenile saying it but it was nice to hear the words out in the open.
"You guess?" Julie had that evil glint in her eye.
"Okay you are" Dean smiled squeezing her a little tighter.
"And don't you forget it!" Julie grinned feeling a lot happier than she ever could remember.
…………………...…………………………….
"Charlie we need to talk" Connie had decided that now would be the best time to broach the subject of their distance.
"Shoot!" Charlie grinned.
"This is serious" Connie scolded and Charlie's grin faded.
"You're not dumping me are you?" Charlie asked.
"I'm not sure, can we do the whole long distance thing?" Connie asked seriously.
"We don't have to" Charlie's frown was replaced by the grin.
"What do you mean? I can't move to LA" Connie had to be real.
"I'm not asking you to" Charlie's grin was starting to infuriate Connie.
"Then what?" Connie was almost yelling.
"I put in for a transfer and it got approved" Charlie grinned.
"So where are you going?" Connie asked fearful that it would be even further away.
"Nowhere, I'm staying right here"
"Here? As in Minnesota?" Connie was getting a little excited.
"Yep, baby I'm coming home!"
………………………...………………………….
"Do you think if we slip out anyone would notice?" Dean asked slyly.
"Oh gee Dean let me think, ah yeah!" Julie slapped his arm playfully but it only made Dean grin harder.
"We could just stay right here and…" Dean never got to finish his sentence.
"Guys hurry up! Tammy's throwing the bouquet" Averman interrupted.
"Can't miss that now can we?" Dean replied sarcastically and Julie tugged on his hand.
"Come on!" she dragged him back to the main hall where the single girls, including Connie and Amy, were bunched together in a group.
"Julie come on!" Connie yelled holding her hand out for Julie to join her.
Julie left Dean's side to join the girls.
"I bet the boys $50 that you, Amy or me gets it" Connie whispered to Julie and Julie nodded. She knew what they had to do.
Connie let Amy in on the bet and Amy also nodded eyeing up the competition. Tammy's sister Kirsten looked extremely competitive.
"Okay girls on the count of three" Tammy called as she turned to face her back to them.
"ONE"
"TWO"
"THREE"
Tammy let the bouquet fly in the air and the girls all screamed and scratched at each other to try and get the bunch of flowers.
"Connie has a bet on her, Julie and Amy" Adam explained to Charlie who looked horrified.
"Oh those poor girls" he said knowing Julie and Connie would fight dirty to get what they want and from looking at Amy scramble, so would she.
Eventually the scuffle came to an end and Fulton and Portman's howling laughter died down and Julie emerged as the winner.
"Ah ha Portman looks like you and the Catlady are getting married next" Fulton slapped his Bash Brother on the back.
"You never know dude, you just never know" Portman grinned knowing that he would never be with another woman again and that suited him just fine.
"Cough up Averman!" Connie held her hand out to collect the money.
"Damn Cons that was an easy $300" Julie eyed the bundle of notes in Connie's hand.
"Yeah and those six idiots bet wrong!" Connie laughed handing Julie a third and Amy a third. She was referring to Averman, Goldberg, Luis, Russ, Kenny and Dwayne.
"We should go out sometime and put this to good use" Connie said.
"Hell yeah!" Julie replied and Amy grinned.
"OH my god I completely forgot to tell you, Charlie's transferred back to Minnesota!" Connie gasped.
"That's great! Dean and I live in the same state anyway and apparently within a few blocks" Julie tried not to cringe as she remembered her behaviour in the liquor store the previous week.
"What about you and Adam?" Connie asked Amy who shrugged.
"He has a girlfriend anyways and he lives in California. I only see us just being friends anyway" Amy replied. She'd decided that whilst Adam was great looking and a very nice guy, she didn't really want to start a relationship with him.
"Girls are you ready to say goodbye to the happy couple?" Charlie cut in taking Connie's hand.
"Yeah" the girls replied.
Julie smiled as Portman came over to her and grabbed her in a big hug and Adam held his arm out to Amy.
They said their goodbyes to the happy couple who were on their way to their honeymoon.
"I hear we're next Jules" Portman whispered to Julie as they walked back to his car.
"Oh yeah?" Julie asked slyly.
"Yeah, you caught the bouquet" Dean told her.
"Maybe we should just take our time first" Julie grinned.
"Agreed"
"I love you though" Julie said turning to face him.
Dean looked at her as if he were the happiest man on the planet.
He captured her lips in a tender kiss.
"I love you too catlady" he grinned.
thats the end, thank you to everyone who reviewed, your feedback was greatly appreciated!