Jasmine hadn’t arrived yet; she had to wait till the shop’s closing time before heading home and getting ready. She informed Kit she would make a fashionable and fashionably late appearance around eight; and that all the fun only started around that time, anyway.
Charles’ party was the talk of the town and everyone who was anyone (not that there was anyone who was anyone) in Brandon Bay was in attendance.
The San Francisco contingent had made their way up from the city that morning, and were now loitering around and imbibing enough to forget that they were out of their element and out in the sticks. Kit was disappointed to notice that J.J. was not amongst them.
“Kit”
“Oh hi Charles”
“Enjoying yourself?” her host enquired.
“Indeed I am” she smiled. “The house is fabulous”
“Thank you my dear” Charles replied, seeming genuinely pleased. “Um, Kit? I’ve been meaning to ask you something” he voiced mysteriously.
“What’s up Charles?” she retorted, a little concerned.
Pulling her away from the crowd, Charles continued. “In November, I’m hosting a show of new artists, and one of them has had to pull out suddenly due to a family illness. I was wondering; would you care to take their place?”
Kit let out a long breath. “Really? Me?” she stammered. “Wh...what would I have to do?”
“I understand if its short notice. It’s in six weeks, and I’ll need ten paintings from you. Ten of your best” He looked to her for an answer.
Wow! That was the last thing she’d expected him to ask. This opportunity was huge; the exposure could make her, if it went well. Pushing the possibility of failure to the back of her mind; Kit did some math in her head. She’d already done five paintings that were worth selling and/or exhibiting. If she managed one a week starting right this second, she may have the time; but it would be cutting it fine. All in all, it was something she couldn’t turn down; the chance of a lifetime. Taking a deep breath, she replied, “I’d love to. Thank you, Charles. You won’t regret it. Really, thank you”
“Good, so we’ll talk about it later. Now go and enjoy yourself”
“And celebrate” Kit added with a beam, as she left Charles’ side. If only Jasmine were here; she needed to tell someone her news soon or she’d explode.
As she scanned the room in hopes that a friendly face would catch her eye, Kit spotted Jeremy standing off to one side and smiled when he looked in her direction. Sexily smiling back at her, Kit still couldn’t fathom why he seemed to be so fascinated by her. She was well aware that wanting something you can’t have, was just the catalyst to make you want it more; but no-one had ever wanted her brand of cute so intensely. It was astounding and kind of flattering in a way.
When it became apparent that Jeremy was starting to move in her direction, Kit pretended not to notice and turned in search of someone, anyone, she could latch onto for a quick and meaningless conversation. There was nothing wrong with chatting to Jeremy, except that his eyes had a way of making her regress into her youth –and no good could come of it.
Perhaps a garden stroll was in order, Kit thought quickly, heading for the glass sliding door to the patio. Excusing her way through the throng, Kit saw that Barnaby had just arrived with his parents and was headed straight for her. Oh no. The dreaded ‘conversation’ had yet to take place. Kit only hoped that once again it could be adjourned for another time. He certainly wouldn’t want to have it in the middle of a party; that was hardly the appropriate place.
She then remembered how he’d dragged her out into the moonlight at the Prom and passionately spilled his guts to her; all while the other prom-goers partied in the gym next to them. Gulping, Kit weighed her options. Maybe he won’t even see her; yeah, maybe she could give him the slip and he’d be none the wiser.
Taking a rapid glance his way again, her eyes suddenly met his and she knew she was trapped. Barnaby was advancing towards her with a determined swagger.
Assuming a ‘deer in the headlights’ stance, Kit’s mind went blank. Her past was closing in on her from all sides fast; Jeremy was bearing down on the right and Barnaby on the left. All she needed now was her prom dress and toilet paper on her shoe and the reconstruction would be complete.
“What?” she spat out. Someone was tapping on her shoulder. “Hey” a voice from behind said.
Kit turned. “J.J.” she beamed and threw her arms wildly around his neck. Hugging him tightly, he whispered in her ear, “If I’d known this was the welcome I’d get, I would have come back sooner”
Kit relaxed and let him go. She noticed that he still kept his hands on her waist. Giggling, she looked up into his beautiful chocolaty brown eyes. “I’ve never been so glad to see anyone in my life” she sighed in relief.
Jeff chuckled. “Is the party that bad?”
“No you don’t understand” she answered, glancing as casually as she could from side to side. “Twelve and six o’clock” she added cryptically.
J.J. looked around and knew in an instant her dilemma. “What do you want me to do about it?” he asked with a cocked brow.
Kit gave a worried frown. “I have no idea. All I know is, I feel like they’re two dogs and I’m the bone.”
“Well, you know what happens when two dogs fight for a bone, don’t you?” J.J. asked with a grin.
“No, what?”
“The third runs away with it”
Kit smiled.
“Come on” J.J. pulled her by the arm. “Let’s get out of here”
“I’m with you Fido” she laughed. “Let’s go before Butch and Rover sniff us out!
“Ruff” J.J. barked as they headed for the door.
*****
Kit and J.J. drove along the highway, figuring it was best to ‘get out of town’ if they wanted to truly flee the craziness surrounding Brandon Bay.
On the way, Kit filled him in on Charles’ offer; she was way too excited to keep it to herself. “I’m happy for you Kit Kat” he said with sincerity. “I wish you all the success in the world”
“I still can’t believe that me, Kit Davidson, the girl who can’t seem to catch a break; is getting the break of a lifetime. I have to tell you I pretty much thought I was at a dead end when you fired me-”
“Hey, I didn’t fire you” he protested strongly. “Well, not personally” he added with chagrin.
“Whatever. It doesn’t matter now. As my mother would say it was “a blessing in disguise.”
J.J. gave her a swift, sidelong glance. “I hope so Kit Kat. You deserve to be happy”
They ended up at a cute little inland restaurant overlooking a winery that made a Pinot Noir that J.J. had drunk many times and insisted was one of his favourites.
After enjoying a first course of leek, sausage, and goat cheese crêpes, Kit paused to reflect on their “great escape”. “Jasmine’s going to kill me. I’m going to have to buy her muffins for a month.”
“Are you sorry you ran away with me?” he quietly asked, taking another sip of wine.
Kit peered at him over her wine glass and chuckled. “No. But we must have looked a sight running out of Charles’ house like the hounds of hell were after us.”
“They kind of were. But they were after you, not me. You’re the bone.”
“Don’t I know it” Kit let out a long breath, “How did I get into this mess? What the hell do they want from me anyway?”
J.J.’s eyes shone with a wicked glint. “Well if you don’t know that Kit Kat, I’m afraid your mother neglected a very important part of your education”
Kit smirked at him. “I remember one thing my mother taught me; “it takes two to tango”. Three is most definitely a different kind of dance altogether.”
They both laughed and took another sip of wine. “Then what are you going to do about them?” J.J. asked her seriously.
She shrugged at him wearily.
J.J. seemed a little pissed. “If you’re not interested in ei
ther of these guys, tell them so.”
Kit frowned as their main course made its way to the table. “It’s not that easy.”
Jeff ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “Sure it is. You say Jeremy, Barnaby, I’m not interested.” Watching as Kit bit her lip, he added, “Or are you?”
“Jeremy, no.” she replied slowly. “After my little episode with him, I know he’s most definitely not the guy for me”
“And Barnaby?” he asked with a scowl.
“An unknown quantity at this point” Kit answered. His scowl grew bigger. “Look I know you don’t like him …” she continued, picking up her fork to stab at some buttered French beans.
“Well, it doesn’t really concern me, does it?” he retorted, digging into his steak like he wanted dinner over fast.
Kit covered his hand with hers to stop him wolfing down the food so quickly. “Down Fido” she grinned.
Jeff stopped what he was doing and shook his head in amusement. Raising his gaze to hers, he asked somberly, “Do you love Barnaby?”
Pausing to contemplate his question she said softly, “I’ll always love Barnaby” adding without delay, “but not like you think”
“How then?”
“I grew up with him. He knows me better than anyone.”
“So you’re saying you love him like a brother?” J.J. commented with raised brows.
“I don’t know what I’m saying. The sparks that fly when we’re together have nothing to do with brotherly love.”
Jeff sat back in his chair. “Sparks huh?”
“Yep. Which I know is crazy. But a lot has happened in the last ten years, we’ve both changed. He’s so different and yet the same. It’s all very confusing. I only know that he’s a huge part of my past; I just haven’t worked out where he fits in the future.”
He snorted at her. “How does he feel about you exactly?”
She shrugged at him. “How should I know? I’ve been dodging him for weeks. He wants to talk, but I’m afraid I’ll spoil everything.”
“Spoil everything how?” he asked testily.
“Oh, I don’t want to talk about it anymore” Kit said with a wave of her hand. “It’s spoiling my dinner, and its making you act like …like”
Jeff narrowed his eyes at her. “Like what?”
Kit got angry. “Will you stop asking me questions; enough with the third degree. Who are you, my mother?”
J.J. threw down his napkin. “Maybe I should take you home.”
“Yeah, maybe you should” Kit said moodily, thinking J.J. should perhaps make a career change and interrogate for the FBI. All that was missing was a spotlight shining in her face. His attitude was making her crazy, and mighty mad.
Jeff stared back at her in annoyed silence for a few moments. “Finish your dinner” he said without further comment, picking up his knife and fork and stabbing his steak once again.
By the time the bill came they were both tired of playing the waiting game. Neither one of them wanted to be the first to cave, but someone had to bite the bullet and do it. Kit’s annoyance seemed to be waning faster so she decided she’d take one for the team and make amends.
All it took was for Kit to yawn and say she was “bone tired” for J.J. to crack up and start barking at her once again. The whole skirmish was forgotten, with only a hint of residual tension remaining in the air.
The drive back to Brandon Bay was fun and laughter-filled and Kit couldn’t remember having a better time; except maybe with Jasmine. The two of them really should meet, she thought to herself, they’d get on like a house on fire.
When J.J. finally pulled into Gladys’ drive, it was one a.m. and a slight drizzle had descended over the town. They sat in the Lexus, neither one of them eager for the night to end. “Do you head back to San Francisco tomorrow?” Kit asked sadly.
“Tomorrow afternoon. Hey, how about breakfast in about, oh …” he squinted at his watch in the dim light, “eight hours?”
“Sounds great. Fred’s diner?”
“Nah, too much window tapping goes on there” he joked.
“How about the coffee shop on Miller Road; that oughta be pretty deserted” Kit said with a conspiratorial wink.
“Are you trying to get me alone Miss Davidson?”
Kit leaned over towards him and smiled sexily, “Maybe I am?”
J.J. looked at her with disbelief. “Don’t do that Kit” he warned humorlessly. “I’ll walk you to the door” he added, agilely getting out of the car in a flash.
Kit sat stunned for a moment, feeling thoroughly chastised. Obviously, flirting was not her strong-suit. How come it was okay for him to say things like that, but she couldn’t. He’d put her, well and truly, in her place. She wouldn’t be fool enough to try that again.
As they stopped at the door, Jeff fiddled with the collar of her jacket. “I’m sorry if I was a bit harsh” he uttered, turning her collar up properly against the cool night air.
“That’s okay” she replied softly, biting her lip.
“Kit …” he started.
“Don’t say anything more J.J. I was stupid to say …, I mean, things like that just don’t come out right when I say them, even if I’m joking. When I try for sexy, I end up looking ridiculous, as usual.”
J.J. placed a finger under her chin and tipped her face up towards his. “Yeah, you’re ridiculous” he said in all seriousness. Kit tried to pull away, but he held her face firmly in his hands. “Ridiculously sexy”
“Huh?” was all she could manage to get out.
His brown eyes held hers. “You want sparks Kit Kat, get ready for the fourth of July”
With that he lowered his mouth to hers and it was indeed a pyrotechnic display of epic proportions.
*****
Kit couldn’t stop smiling.
It was ridiculous. Ridiculously sexy; in fact. This feeling was like nothing she’d ever felt before. As her mother would say, her “head was in the clouds”, and for once Kit couldn’t disagree; that was the perfect way of verbalizing it.
After kissing her senseless at the door, she and J.J. had returned to his car to talk further, intermingling their chit-chat with copious amounts of lip-locking and groping. They’d reluctantly dragged themselves away from each other by two a.m., promising to meet up the next morning for breakfast.
Kit had immediately called Jasmine, who gave her an earful about the time and for leaving the party before she’d arrived, but perked up when she told her what had happened that evening with J.J.
Finally getting off the phone at two-thirty, she invited Jasmine to come for breakfast as well, so she could finally meet the infamous J.J. in person. Kit was determined not to be one of those women who dropped everything and everyone when a man entered their life. Jasmine was a big part of her new found happiness and she would never exclude her; even for a guy with beautiful chocolaty brown eyes.
*****
“You`re early”` Kit said as she sat down across from Jasmine in a window booth.
“How else can I get any leftover dirt you didn’t tell me last night before he arrives” she replied innocently.
“You behave” Kit warned with a wagging finger.
Jasmine looked at her wide-eyed, “Who me? I’m an angel”
Kit looked across the parking lot and saw J.J. jump out of his late model Lexus. Her heart did a little flip-flop at the sight of him, and she couldn’t help but fear its excited response. She’d never had much luck in the romance department and the thought of getting seriously involved with such a well-known player as Jeffrey Jones was completely out of character. This was definitely an unexpected development, and Kit wasn’t quite sure if it was a welcome one, yet.
He was out of her league, or so she had convinced herself; but maybe her mother’s saying of “happiness goes where happiness is” was more apt than she realised. Perhaps, all this time, she’d been putting out a vibe that only attracted the big-eared Bobs of the world. Now that she was finally finding her ow
n brand of inner happiness, the Jeremy Atwell’s and Jeffrey Jones’ were not quite so unattainable.
Jeff saluted her through the window before noticing Jasmine sitting beside her. His face fell a little when he realised they weren’t to be alone for breakfast, but when he joined them at the table, he showed no sign of disappointment at the intrusion. “Hi Kit Kat” he said with his eyes firmly on her face.
Back to Square One (Brandon Bay Babes) Page 12
