Private Lives: Chapter Seven Cold as yesterday's mashed potatoes.

Ichabod smiled as Abbie closed the door.

"Who were you talking to, Daniel?" Katrina asked.

"I was talking to Daniel's little sister, Abigail. You remember her," Ichabod said.

"The baby?" Katrina Van Tassel asked.

"No, the older sister, Abigail Mills. She was a teenager when we met her that Christmas we visited Daniel at Sleepy Hollow," Ichabod answered.

"Oh yes right. She wore the bottle cap glasses,"Katrina answered.

Ichabod blew out a breath. The one with the bottle capped glasses. He groaned. An image of the beautiful young woman that is now Grace Abigail Mills straddled on his lap; softly kissing him burned into his brain. He wished Abbie was still the kid who lived in Sleepy Hollow village. She wouldn't be such a tempting distraction.

He wiped away the beads of sweat that now formed on his forehead with his hand. He placed the frozen pack on his high upper thigh. He sighed at the heavenly cold relief. For now anyway. He straightened his shoulders.

"Yes. That's her. She's going to teach with her sister and brother come Fall," Ichabod said. His voice small and strained from the cold of the ice pack.

"Oh. Good for her," Katrina answered."Anyway, I'm at the airport come get me."

A silence fell.

"What?" Ichabod frowned.

"I'm at the airport, come get me!" Katrina shouted.

"When did you arrive?" Ichabod's hand tightened around the frozen food package in his hand. It dripped down his trouser leg onto the rug.

"An hour ago. Come get me!" Katrina repeated. Her voice rose.

"You just flew in from England?" Ichabod asked. He took the ice pack quickly off his leg and let it drip on the rug.

"Yes. Is there a problem?" Katrina asked.

"No. No I'll be right there," Ichabod answered. "But why are you here, Katrina?"

A long silence fell. Ichabod frowned. He took the phone away from his ear and stared at it. He thought the call dropped and lost connection. Ichabod flipped his hair and placed it back on his ear.

"Hello, Katrina?" He said. Ichabod threw the frozen food pack on his sofa and wiped his wet hand on his trouser leg.

"I've signed the divorce papers, Ichabod," Katrina whispered. Her voice gentle and strained.

Ichabod's breath caught and he let it out slowly. He closed his eyes.

"Is that why you're here? To hand me the signed divorce papers in person?" Ichabod's brow furrowed.

"Yes and to talk to you about something which concerns Dad," Katrina said. Her voice low and serious through the crackle and pop of the phone.

Ichabod's back straightened.

"James? What about him?" Ichabod asked. "Is he alright?"

A worried frown came to Ichabod's brow. Ichabod's friendship with Katrina's father James Van Tassel was close and loving. They were like father and son not just father and son in law. Going to all the games together, football, baseball, basketball etc. They went to all of them. Ichabod thought of James Van tassel as a caring and loving father he never had. He would confide in James. Asking his advise in buisness, in life or otherwise. Ichabod loved him. Katrina knew he would do anything for him.

"Yes and no. Dad is alright but he's in some trouble. I'll tell you everything when I see you," Katrina sighed.

He nodded.

I'll be there in an hour," Ichabod answered.

Jennifer Mill's mouth hung opened. Her eyes wide and stared at her sister for 10 minutes now.

"Close your mouth already, Jenny. You're drawing flies." Abbie leaned in and reached her hand out to manually close Jenny's mouth.

"I just still cant believe it!" Jenny said. She swatted Abbie's hand away and shut her own mouth with a loud click.

Abbie leaned back and shrugged. She smiled.

"You told Ichabod Crane; the man you've been in love with since you were thirteen you were attracted to him. And you kissed him in front of Daniel. And gave him a black eye?"Jenny shouted.

"Not in that order. But yes," Abbie answered."And the black eye was an accident."

"Kinky. So tell me what was icky's reaction when you told him you were attracted to him? And why didn't you tell him you loved him instead?"Jenny smiled.

Abbie lifted her eyes to meet Jenny's and stared back at her. The University cafeteria's loud hum of voices sounded louder to her.

"I couldn't tell him I loved him Jenny. Especially when he admitted he was attracted to me," Abbie answered.

"Only attracted? He said nothing about love?" Jenny's eyes grew wide. Her mouth opened for a second and then shut. Jenny leaned forward.

"Yes." Abbie nodded. Abbie pursed her plump lips.

"And then what happened?" Jenny whispered.

"Nothing! We agreed to not give in to the attraction," Abbie shrugged. She picked up a French fry and bit into it. She chewed it thoughtfully.

"What? Why?" Jenny shouted. "And stop eating!"

Jenny slapped the French fry from Abbie's mouth.

"Ow! You know why Jenny. He's married," Abbie answered." And there's Luke." .

"Katrina still hasn't signed the divorce papers?" Jenny sighed. A curl escaped her loose ponytail falling over Jenny's eye.

"Nope," Abbie answered. She shook her head.

"Katrina has postponed signing those papers for three years now," Jenny whispered. Abbie nodded.

"Right. And with Luke," she replied."I still love Luke. But I don't think I am in love with him anymore. And I don't want to hurt him."

"But what happens when Katrina does sign those papers and Ichy is finally free?" Jenny's face brightened with a huge smile.

"I honestly don't know.We'll see if and when that happens. And anyway, he may not want me anymore when Katrina does sign them,"Abbie chuckled.

"He told you he wanted you?" Jenny whispered. Her eyes huge once again.

"Yes. He's told me his thoughts of what he's wanted to do to me since this Morning," Abbie replied.

"To you? Not with you?" Jenny asked."Wow! Icky has game. Its always the skinny ones. What were they? Tell me!"

Jenny grabbed two French fries from Abbie's tray and stuffed it in her mouth. She chewed slowly as Abbie nodded.

"He told me that he wanted to kiss me among other things. I'm not getting into details here in the school Cafeteria , Jenny." Abbie shook her head.

Jenny stopped chewing. Her hand froze and fell beside Abbie's tray. Abbie's French fries forgotten.

"Details? There are details? Tell me!" Jenny shouted. She pulled Abbie's hand and stood up in her seat. Both their trays of food now cold and forgotten.

"Stop it Jenny! Your'e hurting my arm. What Dean Crane told me doesn't matter, because in reality, it's never going to happen. At least not before Katrina signs the divorce papers and if Luke vanishes from this world." Abbie shook her head and raked her teeth across her bottom lip.

"Maybe Katrina will vanish from this world too. Never to be found again and then you and Icky can finally be together," Jenny giggled.

"Yes. But then there's Danny. He was so angry when I kissed Ichabod."

"Oh, don't worry about him," Jenny answered. "He's just being protective of you because Ichy is still married to Katrina. He doesn't want you to get hurt. Or taken advantage of."

"I'm the one who kissed Ichabod, Jenny," Abbie replied.

"Still, Daniel's playing big brother protecting you from the big bad wolf, Ichabod. that's all," Jenny said. Jenny wiggled her eyebrows provocatively.

Silence.

"You are out of your mind, Jenny. Dean Ichabod Crane is hardly a big bad wolf." Abbie laughed and shook a her head. The very thought of the scholarly, intellectual Ichabod Crane turning into a snarling, ravenously lustful wolf made her laugh out loud. .

"Oh, yeah? He's told you about his thoughts of wanting you, Red Riding Hood. Ickys a wolf in sheep's clothing. You better watch out for him," Jenny's voice was low and sugar sweet. Her brown eyes shone under the huge white Cafeteria lights.

"You're crazy. He's not the type to pinch my bum and pin me up against the far wall like other men have, Jenny," Abbie scoffed. "He's a proper English gentleman."

She tucked a soft long curl behind her ear.

"Yeah, only because you two agreed to not give into your attraction, Red. Icky is controlling himself, only allowing his inner "hungry" wolf come out in his thoughts and what he says instead of acting on it," Jenny answered. She raised one eyebrow. A small smirk on her full lips.

"Controlling his Inner "hungry" wolf, Jenny?" Abbie frowned. "That's nonsense."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. So you and icky made your true love vows and agreed to not give in to your attraction for one another until you both are free. Now what?"

"We go on working as associates at this University. I don't know. And grow up, Jenny. This isn't GREASE. We didn't make true love vows." Abbie wiped her mouth with her napkin and threw it on her tray.

"Not yet but soon," Jenny laughed.

Jenny and Abbie lifted themselves up from the seat and grabbed their trays. They walked side by side down the aisle of the Cafeteria to the trash bin in front.

"He's never said he loved me," Abbie murmured.

"No. But he did tell you he's attracted to you," Jenny answered. "That's close enough. Anyway, He's probably already hopelessly devoted to you and doesn't know it yet."

Jenny sighed.

Silence.

Jenny smiled turned her head to Abbie. A twinkle in her big brown eyes.

"GREASE again, Jenny," Abbie chuckled. "And that's ridiculous. He's not secretly hopelessly devoted to me."

Jenny shrugged and continued to chew.

"Ichabod didn't say anything about love or hopeless devotion. Oh Jeesh, I sound like a stupid lovesick teenage," Abbie answered.

"He will. Just give Icky time to realize it first, himself," Jenny answered. The corner of Jenny's mouth curled into a smirk. She winked at Abbie.

"It's official! You are crazy!" Abbie shouted.

"Oh, e' of little faith," Jenny laughed. They dropped their trash into the trash bin and placed their trays next to the bin. Abbie and Jenny turned away.

"Well, forget about Icky for now," Jenny said." Come on. I want you to see my chemistry lab and meet my new student Professor."

To be Continued....