Kit scowled at him. “Charles told me you did. He said you convinced him to give me a shot”
“Exactly” J.J. corrected. “A shot. The fact that Charles decided your work was good enough to show, has nothing to do with me.”
“Doesn’t it?” she squeaked.
J.J. was on the defensive. “You’re forgetting that Charles bought your painting long before I even knew you painted.”
“So you admit it. You did speak to Charles?”
J.J. hesitated a moment. “What if I did? Why are you making me out to be the bad guy just because I suggested you for the show? In fact, it’s quite the opposite –I did you a favour”
“And who asked you to?” Kit exclaimed, close to tears. “Did it even occur to you that I wouldn’t want it that way? How am I supposed to know if I’m good, or if it’s just a favour?”
“Look Kit. Don’t go blaming your insecurities on me. If you’re suddenly getting an inferiority complex about your work, then that’s your problem. It has nothing to do with me suggesting you as a fill in to my Uncle; and it has nothing to do with us either”
“Us?” Kit shook her head in confusion.
“Yes, us.” he said quickly, coming around the desk and placing his hands on her shoulders. “You’re not going to let this little art show come between us, are you?”
“Little art show?” Kit frowned and shrugged off his hands. “This little art show means everything to me. It’s all I can think about it.”
“All you can think about?” he asked sexily with a lifted brow.
“You don’t get it, do you?” Kit fixed her gaze and narrowed her eyes at him. “Here I thought I was really getting somewhere, on my own, without help from anyone. I was so proud of myself. For me, that’s a big thing. And now I find out …,”
“Aren’t you exaggerating just a little bit Kit?” he said in exasperation.
Kit winced. “If you knew me at all, you wouldn’t say that. You’d know how important this was to me”
“And if you knew me, you’d know I did what I did, because I care”
“Well, I guess I really don’t know you at all, now do I Mr. Jones?”
“Cut the Mr. Jones crap Kit, I’m not your boss anymore”
“Aren’t you? Seems to me you’ve been pulling strings and managing everything like you’re in charge.” Kit looked at the ground, “Well, not anymore” she mumbled to herself.
J.J. raked his hand through his hair. “Just what do you mean by that?”
Paul popped his head in at that exact moment to ask, “Shall I come back or are you done?”
Raising her eyes, Kit was resolute. “Yeah. I think we’re done here”
When Jeff didn’t respond, but just continued staring at her in disbelief, Kit turned on her heel and left his office.
All the way back to Brandon Bay, Kit alternated between mentally kicking herself in the behind, and tearing up. She knew she was playing with fire getting involved with someone like Jeffrey Jones. He was out of her league, and now more significantly and miserably, out of her life.
She would call Charles tomorrow and pull out of the art show. She couldn’t do it now. Even if he tried to talk her into participating, she couldn’t go through with it. Her heart wasn’t in it. Her heart was in an office, on the twentieth floor of McIntyre and Jones, laying in pieces at the feet of one, Mr. Jeffrey Jones.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
CHAPTER 22 - Keep your chin up
The enormity of giving up the Art Show hit Kit as she drove into her mother’s front driveway. She had wanted it so bad, she could taste it. Now all she could taste was J.J.’s betrayal and unfortunately no amount of parsley could undo its stench.
When Gladys found her crying in her car, she immediately called Jasmine and an emergency meeting was called to order at the kitchen table. The three of them: Kit, Jasmine, and Gladys soon appointed Ben and Jerry as honorary board members and got to work on settling the latest deal gone awry.
Gladys was the first to offer her opinion. “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus”
“More like men are pond scum” Kit said with good deal of venom.
“Has it occurred to you that maybe J.J. thought he was helping, and it didn’t occur to him that it would upset you” Jasmine chimed in.
Kit snapped angrily at Jasmine, “Don’t defend him; he knew what he was doing.” She then put her hand on Jasmines’ arm apologetically; there was no need to snap at her best friend. “Look, I know he may have just wanted to help me; but the fact that he didn’t say a word about speaking to Charles tells me that he was just being plain sneaky”
Gladys scooped another bowl of Chunky Monkey and passed it around. “Is it unforgivable?”
“Yes” Kit spat quickly. “No” she amended just as quickly. “I don’t know. But I do need to know I can trust the guy I’m with to not go behind my back like this”
“Trust is important” Jasmine weighed in.
“Trust is everything” Kit put her face in her hands. “Oh why did he have to ruin it by doing this” she added with a sob.
Putting her arm around her daughters shoulder, Gladys tried her best to comfort her. “Seems to me you really care about this guy”
Kit lifted her head. “I do Mom, I really do.”
“Did you hear yourself? You said you do care for him, not you did”
Kit shrugged. Her mom could analyze the semantics of her slip of the tongue all she wanted; it didn’t change the fact that J.J. had hurt her feelings in a big way.
“Kit, I’m not saying you should, but maybe you really want to forgive him in your heart. And if you want to be with him; it may be wise to give him another chance.”
“Maybe” Kit admitted. “But I’m not through being angry with him, just yet”
“Don’t leave it too long baby. Remember, he’s a man. And man does not live on bread alone”
Kit rolled her eyes, but also thought about what her mother said. J.J. had been a dumbass, but would she really be happier in the long term if she forgave him? All signs pointed to yes; but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still angry at him, and if anyone needed to make the first move at a reconciliation; it should be him. If he was truly sorry, and she meant anything at all to him, he would seek her out and beg her forgiveness.
What Jasmine said all those weeks ago was true for Jeffrey Jones, the same as it had been for Barnaby. If it was meant to be, it would happen. If not, then it was J.J.’s misfortune. She’d live. But life would just be a little poorer without him in it.
******
By late in the evening, Jasmine and Gladys had convinced her to keep her promise to Charles and not pull out of the show. If what she painted wasn’t good enough, then let the public decide. With that resolved; the conversation then turned to good old male bashing in the best sense. Nothing like denigrating the male species for pleasure!
“I’ve got a good one” Jasmine said giggling, “Men are like chocolate, they come in bars, head straight for the hips and never last long enough to satisfy”
“Heard it!” Kit shot back. “What about this one. Men are like parking spots, the good ones are always taken, and the rest are too small”
They all laughed. Finally, Gladys spoke up, “Men are like snow storms; you never know when they’re coming, how many inches you’ll get, or how long it will last”
There was a stunned moment of silence, “Mom!” Kit said in disbelief.
Jasmine snorted loudly, “Good one Gladys” and they all fell about laughing.
CHAPTER 23 - Elvis has left the building
“Thank you, thank you very much” Jasmine yelled out to the audience, bowing as she left the stage.
Taking her seat, she looked to Kit for approval. “How was I?”
“I can safely say I’ve never heard Madonna sing “Like a Virgin” quite like that before.” Kit smiled.
It felt good to have some fun again, she thought happily. The last week and a half had dragged like a kid wai
ting for Christmas; except Christmas didn’t come. No sign of J.J. at all. Not a phone call, not a text, not an email. Niente; Nada; and all the other zero words. Nothing to do but get on with life; and that meant Friday night at Gillman’s listening to Jasmine strut her stuff.
“The place is pretty full tonight” Jasmine said nonchalantly. Kit nodded, and Jasmine continued, “It’s amazing what you can see from the stage, even with the lights in your eyes”
“Oh, did you see something interesting? “Trucker Joe” isn’t practicing his crotch thrusting at the waitresses again, is he?”
“No, that’s not it” Jasmine said cryptically.
Nervously she asked, “Jas, what is it?”
“Well, I don’t know how to tell you this, but bachelor number one is over by the bar, bachelor two is near the men’s room; and I just saw bachelor number three walk in as I came off stage”
Kit went pale. “You’re kidding?”
Jasmine looked at her with a crooked smile. “I’m Jim Lange and welcome to the Dating Game”
“Very funny” Kit said in a controlled panic.
“So what’s the plan, Stan?” Jasmine joked.
Kit thought quickly, then let out a long, determined breath. “I’m not going anywhere” she replied calmly. “My gut is saying run like hell, but I’m going to GAG and stay right where I’m at. Those guys are not going to make me squirm; they have no right to make me squirm.”
“This may not be the best time to remind you; but you’re gut has been really wrong lately”
Frowning Kit replied, “Not helping Jas”
“You want me to run interference?”
Kit shook her head. “No”
“You want me to run get some Black Russians?”
“Tempting; but no, I need to handle this without the help of the Soviet forces.”
“Then, what?”
Kit turned to her and let out a huge grin. “I think I feel the urge –the urge to sing!”
Jasmine clapped her hands like a crazy person, “Yay! At last!”
“Wish me luck!” she said getting up and moving towards the stage. The closer she got the more Kit giggled and thought, what the hell am I doing? This could be really embarrassing. But then again, what better way to show the world that she was in control of her own destiny -humiliating or otherwise. She could do this!
“What are you going to sing?” Jasmine yelled out to her, but Kit just shrugged in reply.
Kit spoke to the guy running the karaoke, and within minutes he gave her the go ahead to take the mic. Clearing her throat, she waited for the music to begin and then commenced a slow and bluesy version of “You don’t own me”. A little hesitant at first, the words began to resonate with her and she sang out, loud and clear:
“You don't own me; Don't try to change me in any way;
You don't own me; Don't tie me down 'cause I'd never stay
I don't tell you what to say; I don't tell you what to do;
So just let me be myself; That's all I ask of you”
Looking over the audience, Kit tried not to make eye contact with any of the so-called bachelors who were supposedly vying for her attention. Contrary to her original belief, she felt pretty good up on stage. Perhaps a career as a lounge singer was in her future?
Although losing herself in the song, she discovered she still had the observatory power to notice J.J. taking her seat next to Jasmine and the two of them whispering up a storm. Were they talking about her? Of course they had to be; what other subject would cause such animated verbosity between the unlikely pair.
When Kit finished her song, she got down off the stage, oblivious to the deafening applause; all she could think about was getting back to the table.
Jeff aimed his chocolaty eyes at her with undisguised longing. “Hi Kit Kat” he said carefully.
“J.J.” she replied just as cautiously. Santa Claus was here, but it was February as far as she was concerned. As happy as she was to see him, she wasn’t quite ready to forgive and forget so quickly. Santa’s package was tempting, but it could possibly be booby-trapped. Having it blow-up in her face again wasn’t a situation she wished to revisit.
Jasmine tried to break up the friction in the air. “Hey, you were good. Wasn’t she J.J.?”
“Amazing” he replied sincerely with a small smile.
“Oh, did you like my song choice?” Kit asked him with a raised brow.
“Very … enlightening” he admitted. Waving his hand around the room he smiled again. “I see the gang’s all here. Any chance I can convince the bone to run away with me again?”
“I’m through running J.J. This bone has been chased and chewed on long enough” she said stiffly, pulling up another chair and plonking herself in it to make her point.
“How about some Black Russians?” Jasmine offered. “You must be thirsty after singing”
Kit grinned at Jasmine. “I’d love a drink, but make mine a “Tennessee Cowboy”. The Russians didn’t treat me very well last time.”
“Tennessee Cowboy? What’s in that?” she asked in confusion.
“I believe it’s Jack Daniels, red bull and Lemonade” Kit informed her.
Jasmine clapped. “Oh, that sounds interesting, and much more patriotic, don’t ya think?”
“Definitely” Kit said happily, then turned to face J.J., her smile dropping.
Jeff shifted uncomfortably. “Why don’t I get the drinks?” he said, obviously needing a moment to regroup.
“Thanks” Kit said softly.
“Yeah thanks J.J.” Jasmine added, as he left for the bar.
Kit moved to the seat he’d vacated and threw Jasmine a dirty look. “And just what were you two talking about while I was singing?”
“He wanted to know if you’d forgiven him yet.”
Folding her arms across her chest, Kit bit her lip. “And what did you tell him?”
“I said I didn’t know. I told him that even if he had a 50/50 chance, you were worth fighting for” she answered in all seriousness. When Kit said nothing, Jasmine added, “You do want him to fight for you, don’t you?”
While Kit pondered the $64,000 question, she felt the chair beside her fill and spun around to see that Barnaby had taken the spot.
“Hi Kit” he smiled, “Hi Jasmine”
“Hi number two” Jasmine kidded, and Kit shot daggers in her direction.
“Huh?” Barnaby looked confused, but soldiered on, “You looked great up there” he said indicating the stage in front of them with a tilt of his head.
“Thanks Barn” Kit smiled wanly. This game of musical chairs was giving her a headache.
“Um, I’ve called you at home a number of times, but it seems we keep missing each other. I was really hoping we could catch up on old times at some point” he said eagerly.
Kit winced at the thought. She hated avoiding Barnaby, but she still wasn’t sure how to handle him if he started blurting out feelings she didn’t return. “Yeah, we definitely need to do that” she replied noncommittally.
Jasmine elbowed her roughly and nodded at J.J. walking back towards them from the bar carrying three tall glasses. He did not look happy seeing Barnaby at the table.
As much as Kit desired a “Tennessee Cowboy” to help her escape the situation, she knew she was on her own. Making a decision, she grabbed Barnaby by the arm, “There playing a slow song. Why don’t we talk and dance at the same time Barn”
Getting out on the dance floor, Kit could feel J.J.’s eyes follow her every move. It was more nerve-wracking than singing in front of a room full of people. Barnaby held her in his arms, but she had trouble focusing on what he was saying. Finally looking up into the face she’d known since childhood, she saw the very thing she dreaded.
The desire in his eyes was unmistakable. She may have made huge romantic assumptions and blunders in the past, but she knew that look. He wanted her. Oh no. What to do? What to do? The epiphany that Barnaby could ultimately never be more than a childhood fr
iend hit her right between the eyes; if only there was a way to make him see that without hurting him.
“You know Kit, I must say I was surprised to see you up there singing; knowing how embarrassed you can get when things don’t go the way you want them to. But you were fantastic!”
Keep it light, Kit thought, don’t get all serious and deep. Keep the conversation on an even keel and there would be no way the word “love” and “forever” could come up. “Well, I’m not the same girl anymore Barnaby. Things change, like you said.”
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