I can hear the sounds of the night but they don't scare me

 Janey hasn't been able to figure out what to do with herself lately. It hadn't been a terribly exciting September. Warmer than usual, and she'd taken long walks then after work. October was a good time for reflection, wondering what her next career move might be down at the station. Would she just take another online class or go to those workshops she was told about that lasted all weekend long. After all, she generally did enough weekend reporting. Of course, it was that fluffy feel-good stuff.

That's what Steffan told her. Oh, he was so obnoxious she thought. Was he really trying to help her? There was a time she'd fallen in love with that nose of his. How could that be? Who falls in love with someone's nose?

She did. Yes, like a happy dance jumping from the core of her, she thought it would be sweet to touch a nose like that, especially, if it were their child.

Again, she hated herself for having such nonsense dreams about this guy already on the a.m. news. And to think she almost told her mother all about him. She could hear her mother squealing with delight over the phone. Thank heavens, she'd gotten over Steffan.

She decided to hate him, but she still caught herself looking at him at every turn. How in the world was she to get on with her own goals with a nuisance like him around? 

Janey didn't want to be called Janey anymore. Of course, Steffan had called her this on the first day of her internship and it stuck. Even when she was out in the elements reporting the violent winds on a treacherous morning it would end with, "Janey Morrison reporting."

"Everybody loves Janey."

 He'd smiled about it like it was the best compliment in the world at that daily briefing. She was the only one who didn't get a chuckle out of it. Finally, he came around and gave her a playful punch in the arm that day. "I'm just trying to be that big brother you never had."

Naturally, she gritted a smile and did her best to play her part. Who knew News would be such an acting gig?

So here she was on her daily walk to the park. And it was getting dark so early. The park wasn't as well-lit as she'd thought. But then the carousel cranked up as if she'd never noticed the vibrant pink before. She didn't think it worked. She never saw it in use. 

Surprised, she thought it might be a special occasion. Her luck she'd intruded a marriage proposal of some kind. But instead, she saw something dangerous in progress. Men in leather jackets with guns coming out from behind the carousel. Janey wanted to run and hide, but she stood still. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. It was at that moment she was certain it was the end. She'd be kidnapped or just killed. Either way, didn't look like the end she was hoping for.

All she could feel was the numbness spreading over her like a freezer and her heart pounded in her ears as if it would be the only thing that might keep her warm for a moment or two. She felt like a statue.

"Hey! Hey Janey!" A voice yelled. Someone shook her as if she needed to get with the program. "YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE HERE!" 

Her eyes finally blinked. What had happened to Steffan? His nose wasn't quite as perfect as she remembered. She squinted. He might as well try to be a Charlie Sheen Wanna Be. Ugh, were those real tattoos?

"Who told you! You could be here?" He said out of concern. 

Janey didn't have an answer.

"You know, you are nowhere ready for investigating reporting," Steffan pulled her to his side and headed her toward his motorcycle. 

"Where are you taking me?" She asked as she reached for a helmet for her.

"I know an all-night diner, you need food," Steffan told her.

"I do?"

"You, freak'n scared me." He looked her in the eye.

"Oh."

Steffan got on the big black bike and waited for her. 

"Now hold on," he said. "This was not the way I was planning our first date."

"What were you planning?"

"I don't know, I might have never thought of anything because, you know, I work a lot. I don't think you'd want to go grocery shopping with me," Steffan said as he started up the bike.

Janey couldn't help but smile. She was glad he had the old diner in mind, but grocery shopping sounded good.