Author's note: one of my favorite writers is stangstar06. He's written many stories where the husband dumps the cheater and ends up with a more beautiful woman to fix his pain. I really like those stories, more so than BTB and RAAC. If you haven't read his story "Leave Me Breathless," you're missing out. Sometimes the bitch doesn't have to get burned in order to feel the greater pain of loss.
There are some tropes and cliches used in this one, so fair warning. I had this one popping around in my head and wrote it to get it out. Not really trying to break new ground. Just playing on the old field with my ball.
**********
The carnival was in town and Dan Klein was going solo. His best friend Mike Nelson, had a date with Candy Delaney. Candy had intended on her sister Shannon being Dan's date, but Shannon declined at the last minut and found her own for that night.
Dan was disappointed in that. He had a crush on Shannon, knowing her for most of his life. They all went to the same schools, but Shannon was always two grades ahead.
She was very cute and had a fantastic personality. She was her grade's "it girl" or "alpha girl." She was a stereotype walking. A blonde, curvy cheerleader who didn't act like she was as popular or as beautiful as she was.
Dan, Mike and Candy had just graduated from high school and were in the final stages of getting ready for college. Candy was going to Northern Illinois in Dekalb and Dan and Mike we're going to University of Illinois at Chicago.
They lived in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and UIC was commuting distance. NIU was a bit farther and Candy was staying on campus.
Shannon was already in college at NIU. She was two years older than Candy.
At the carnival, Dan was keeping an eye out for an opportunity to break away from Mike and Candy. He didn't want to be a fifth wheel and felt uncomfortable. He couldn't foresee that he was about to get his chance.
They were in line for ride tickets when Dan saw Shannon running with Steve Rouse chasing her. Dan yelled "C'mon," to Mike as he chased after them. They ended up behind a tent and were out of the public view.
By the time he caught up to them Shannon was on the ground holding her ankle in tears. Steve was hunched over yelling at her, when Dan grabbed him and pulled him back, causing her attacker to fall.
Steve got up and threw a punch at Dan that connected square on his nose. With his nose bleeding, Dan looked around and saw he was on his own. Mike didn't follow along when he gave chase.
Steve and Dan were about the same size, but Steve was more muscular and a few years older.
Dan threw a punch that missed his opponents face, and threw himself off balance. Steve pushed the falling Dan into the muddy ground and followed that with a kick to his kidney.
At that moment, luckily for Dan, a cop on a golf cart passed by causing Steve to run off. Shannon crawled over to him and checked to see how badly he was hurt. She saw that he had a bloody lip and nose, but it didn't look broken.
"Did I win?" Dan asked with a smile sitting up in the mud.
"No, I'd call it a draw," Shannon said.
"How's your ankle?"
"I think it's broken. I can't put any weight on it."
Dan got up and looked around. He saw they were near the medical tent and he said, " C'mon, I'll help you to the med tent."
"Okay"
He pulled her up and as she tried to lean on him, she almost fell.
He said, "We'll do it the easy way," and picked her up.
He walked the hundred or so yards to the medical tent carrying her easily. There was a cop in there dealing with a drunk and an EMT waiting for something to do.
"What happened to you two?" The officer asked. Dan recognized him, it was a friend of his parents, Frank Brady.
The EMT helped her on the table and checked out her ankle as Dan and the policeman talked.
"Mr. Brady, she was attacked by her date and hurt her ankle running from him. I tried to be Mr. White Knight and help her, but was lucky that he ran off."
"What started it," the officer asked Shannon.
"He got mad that I wouldn't..." she paused not wanting to say the words.
"It's okay. I need to know." He told her.
"I wouldn't give him a blow job on the Ferris wheel. He'd been drinking and he's mean drunk. When we got off of the ride, he dragged me away and told me that I was going to do it willingly or forcefully. There was no way I was going to, so I smacked him and ran off. I fell behind the tents and that's when Dan showed up out of nowhere as Steve was screaming at me. I thought he was going to hit me."
"So did I. I pulled him back and he attacked me. He punched me then pushed me down and kicked me when my return punch missed." Dan added.
"Who's the guy?"
"Steve Rouse," she said.
"Okay. Because you're hurt I have to file a report. You'll both need to give a statement.
How bad is it Johnny?"
"I don't think it's broken, but she'll still need an X-Ray. There's a lot of swelling so we need to ice it first."
"Okay, check out Lancelot and make sure his nose ain't busted."
Shannon was taken to the hospital by ambulance as Dan was getting checked out. He texted Candy to come to the med tent so he could tell her what happened, and so she could call her parents.
He was walking out of the tent when Mike and Candy approached from the parking lot.
"What happened?" Candy asked.
"Your sister was trying to get away from her date and I got involved. Long story short, she's on her way to the hospital with a hurt ankle and her asshole date took off running."
"Jesus," Mike said.
"Yeah, asshole. I told you to come when I ran after her. What the hell happened?"
"I didn't hear you. I'm sorry."
"Yeah well, I'm no worse for the wear. I got lucky though. He was about to stomp the shit out of me."
"I have to go to the hospital. My folks are gonna meet me there. Can you drive me?" Candy asked after ending her call.
"Yeah, of course." Mike answered and held her hand as they walked to his car.
"I'll see you guys later," Dan said as he walked away.
***********
A couple of weeks later Dan and Mike were hanging out by Dan's pool, when Dan asked, "How are things with Candy?"
"Oh, there's nothing there. We went out a few times but we didn't really click as a couple."
"Gotcha. Well she's going to be leaving for school soon anyway."
"Yeah, her dad rented an apartment out there for her and Shannon to live in. They may even have gone already."
"Ah," Dan said regretfully. He never had a chance to see how Shannon was doing.
Since Steve didn't hit her, he got off with a slap on the wrist for the fight with Dan. Steve was going to Alabama for school and went back early. Dan was glad, he didn't want a rematch.
**********
The school year moved along uneventfully and at Christmas break, Dan bumped into Candy at the mall.
"Hey, Candy. How are you?"
"Good. Just getting some last minute gifts. How about you?"
"The same. How's school?"
"Challenging but good. Shannon helps a lot. We are both Accounting majors, so she can help if I need it with my classes, since she's already taken them."
"That's good. How's she doing? How's the ankle?"
"Oh fine. It's healed up."
"Is she in town?" He asked hopefully.
"No. She hooked back up with a guy she dated at school and went home with him for break."
"Oh," Dan said sadly and Candy noticed.
"Dan, so you want to grab some lunch?"
"Yeah, sure. How about Maggiano's?"
"Sounds good. I'll drive."
***********
"You like my sister huh?" Candy said as they were waiting for a table.
"I guess," he answered sheepishly.
"She's older than us. You don't have a chance with her, you know."
"I never really considered that a possibility. Anyway, I'm here with you not her." She smiled when he said that.
Dan continued, "When do you go back?"
"The 7th. Classes don't start for a bit, but I'd like to be settled back in."
"Sure, makes sense."
"You know it's only a bit over an hour's drive from here."
Dan was curious at that unsolicited comment from her. Was she interested in him and saying it wasn't too far to date during the school year?
"Yeah, do you come home on weekends at all?"
"I would if I had a reason to," she said with a smile as their buzzer went off telling them their table was ready.
***********
They had a great time throughout the meal, having easy conversations with no awkwardness. Dan was getting smitten with her and he could tell she was being very flirty with him.
Dan insisted on paying for lunch and as he was settling up asked her, "Would you like to see a movie tomorrow night?"
She considered for a moment and said, "I've got a date with Mike, I'm sorry. It's more for just something to do. We didn't really click when we dated over the summer. I'll cancel and we can go."
"No, don't do that. We can do it another time," he said. He didn't want to get into a love triangle with his friend and Candy. He figured that he needed to talk to Mike because there has to be some kind of interest if he's going out with her again.
As she dropped him at his car, he said goodbye and got a kiss on the cheek. She said, "Please call me, Dan. I'd like to see you again."
"Sure, see you around."
**********
"Dude, you're going out with Candy again?" Dan said to his friend.
"Yeah, she's gorgeous."
"Duh, but you said you guys didn't click."
"We don't have to click if I can get between her legs. I almost did last time, but my parents came home and interrupted us. After that she went to school. How'd you find that out anyway?"
"I ran into her at the mall. We had lunch and I asked her out for tomorrow. She said she was seeing you."
"I didn't know you were interested. It's just the one date. You can have your shot at her after. I'm not falling in love or anything."
"Yeah whatever. Just a pump and dump huh?
"Hey man, if she's ready and willing, I'm able."
**********
Dan went to a movie with his younger sister Angie, and a couple of her friends.
While waiting for the show to start he saw that Mike and Candy were two rows in front of them.
Angie said, "What's the matter bro, you like that girl?"
"What?"
"You look sad and you're looking at Mike's date."
"I kind of do. I had asked her out for tonight but she already had the date with him. She said she wasn't really into him and would break it but I told her not to."
