♪♫••═════CHAPTER 16 ═════••♬ ♭
The house was quiet. Tristan was down for the night, and Bally, as usual, lay sleeping at the foot of his bed. The television in his room, was from Jack, delivered a couple of days ago, shortly after Tristan was discharged from the hospital. As a result, the television, located in the main room, was now off much of the time. Jack called every night while Tristan was in the hospital, always talking to Tristan for several minutes each call. Since coming home, the calls had dwindled to every other night, but we sent at least two dozen texts to each other throughout every day. Wandering the house, I picked up toys, doing general straightening to absolve any guilt I felt for not wanting to do the dishes.
Opening the desk drawer, I replaced Tristan's art box of colored pencils, crayolas and such, and when I pushed it closed, the laptop perched on it came to life. This was not unusual. A lot of times, if Olivia forgot her tablet, she would entertain herself with the laptop, stopping in the middle of what she was doing to tend to Tristan, or take a call, or whatever. Although it startled me, it was simply waking from hibernation, and I closed my palm over the mouse with the intent to power it off.
Before I pointed and clicked, the banner of a popular Hollywood gossip blog blinked, and I smiled at the habits of my friend. Just for the heck of it, I carried the laptop to the couch and dropped down, propping my feet comfortably on the table as I clicked through the images, reading of the latest celebrity exposes.
Noticing a search box, I typed in the name that never left my mind. Once the page links came up, I further narrowed the results by images and began to fondly view the likenesses to the face I missed and hoped to see again soon. In our last phone conversation, Jack mentioned the possibility of flying in for a few days at the end of the week.
Various links to other blogs continuously beckoned, from the edge of the page, and suddenly one caught my eye. 'The Hottest Stories Right Now'
'Jack Stone Caught Creepin with ex Leanna Miranda Gavin at the Sky Bar '
A click brought the story up, and I studied the picture, inquisitive of anything to do with Jack, even ex girlfriends. Why had I not engaged in this entertaining pastime before? No sooner had the thought crossed my mind, than it became the opposite of fun.
While I was drooling over the picture, I was disregarding the date. Apparently, the blog was not exaggerating the claim of 'Right Now.'
The picture of Jack with his arm curved around the beautiful brunette had been snapped earlier in the evening. This evening. Stunned, I stared across at the blank television screen, then back down to the vivid laptop screen to recheck the date.
When the ugly fact was conclusive, I opened another tab and typed in 'Leanna Miranda Gavin.' For several minutes, I scrolled pictures of the woman, who was, of course, a lingerie model. To see her clad as scantily as Jack had obviously seen her only doubled the pain.
Restraining the urge to throw the laptop at the wall, I surged from the sofa, and with one arm swept the basket of remotes from the sofa table where they bounced along the area rug and clattered onto the vinyl wood floor.
Thinking back over some of the flirtatious texts, I reanalyzed them, wondering if I was reading too much into them. I thought of past times of flirting with Clayton, or any of the other guys, with no care of what I was doing. They didn't mean anything to me, so I treated them all the same. Did I not mean anything to Jack? Was he just playing the same word games I often had with the opposite sex? Was he just kissing or accepting a kiss when it felt right in the moment with no want of a future?
My lunatic ravings sent me pacing the floor, and when I stopped before the entertainment shelf system, another rake of my arm sent DVD's flying to the floor. Spying my phone, I threw it too, so I wouldn't give into my lunacy and call him.
Standing under a hot shower, I struggled to find a calm place in my mixed up mind. Yes, it felt like he was anal for kissing me like he had; first a tender fortifying kiss, and next a hot passionate kiss, then going out on the town with his ex so soon after landing in LA. But, that didn't have to change my plan. It only meant it was time to step up my game.
Maybe I wasn't an underwear model, but I had two very strong things going for me. Jack and I were connected by a son, a miniature version of him, no less. Number two, I wanted him and he had wanted me, at one point, if his 'stranger speech' on that first meeting at the hospital could be believed. I just had to convince him that he still wanted me, and that it made sense for us to raise our child together.
Dropping my towel on a hook, I wrapped in my robe, checked on Tristan, and went to retrieve my phone. Carefully, I considered what I was about to do. Retracing the hall to my room, I thought it over and it seemed sound. Dropping to my bed, I began the text.
'Go ahead with setting me and Joel up'
The text itself was as dirty a trick as what it would put into motion. Olivia was currently working her casino shift, and would not be able to call straightway with curious questions. A few days ago, I confided the two kisses to my friend, as well as everything else concerning Jack kept to myself all of this time. Fiercely loyal, she was angered to hear of the 'hang up' phone call, yet as true romantic, and a best friend, she was pulling for a love connection between us.
Pulling back the spread, I sandwiched myself in the bed and was about to dock my phone in the charger when it sounded with a text.
RUSS
u awake?
11:55 PM
Dropping it into the dock, I shut off the light. My eyes wouldn't close; staring into the dark for what seemed like hours.
“Mooooooommmm.....Mom, Mom, Mom...Mooooomma, Mom...
Still heavy with sleep, I strained to wake. Tristan was singing my name in a low growl voice. This was his latest habit, after I managed to find one Jackal song, without curse words or sexual implications, to download on his ipod. The ipod was also Jack's gift to him, arriving in the overnight mail on Tristan's first night home, and pre-filled with some of the songs he and Tristan discussed over the phone, and the day they met; mostly classics such as The Beatles.
Rolling over, I grabbed my phone to check the time, and leaped from the comfort of the covers when I saw how late it was. Tristan's PT would arrive in a half hour, and he had not yet dressed or eaten breakfast.
Animated characters harmoniously sang, and I realized that his shows being on his own television was keeping him in his room later and later each morning. He wasn't quite back to his crutches yet, and I picked him up, carrying him to the kitchen bar, where I plopped a bowl of cereal down. Then, I went back to clean the plastic portable urinal, brought from the hospital, to make use of until he was getting around better by himself.
From my bedroom my phone sounded and from the kitchen Tristan screamed, “It's Jack! Answer it!”
I didn't and endured Tristan's disfavor for a half hour.
The call from Olivia didn't come around noon as I predicted. My friend actually drove over to try and talk me to my senses. Tristan and the PT were in the spare room, and from where I was standing in the kitchen, I could see them moving about. Since he was occupied, I could talk freely, and I did, quoting the entire blog article to Olivia.
“Give him a chance to explain,” Olivia pleaded, “Better yet, don't go all crazy on him. It was two kisses. Men are different. Sometimes they don't drop everything they have going after only two--”
“AMAZING kisses,” I interrupted. And you're right. That's why I want Joel. I have to make him drop his hoes. If it doesn't work, who knows, maybe me and Joel work out...” But, I didn't even want to think about Jack and I not working.
My phone began to rock, and before Tristan could deafen his PT's ears by screaming at me, I answered.
“Hey,” Making sure my voice was carefree, I greeted Jack. “What's up?”
“I was thinking about coming in Friday, if that's cool. Left you a voice mail...”
Finding some humor in the voice mail, whether or not it was a jab, I paused pouring a cup of coffee and reigning in my raging senses at the thought of seeing him. “Sure, that's cool. And sorry about the voice mail. The day's been crazy, haven't had time to check it.”
Olivia gave me a goofy stare at this blatant lie, since we had just been discussing that very voice mail message.
“It's cool. Just wanted to double check before I booked the flight” The sweet sexy rumble of his voice was making my knees weak, and I hitched onto a bar stool next to Olivia as he continued, “How's the little rocker?”
We talked a few more minutes before he rang off with a, “See you soon then, Mariss.” Turning, I found Olivia practically swooning, and comprehended that with the t.v. In the den not making racket, as it normally was, she could likely hear through my phone.
I can't believe you are going to do this Rissa,” She rose to get her own cup of coffee. “What if you screw things up?”
“Trust me. I know how far to take it. I landed Kel didn't I?” The name of my ex fiancee was repugnant, but I brought it up drive in the point. Kel had been a major 'player' in my semester and a half of college, and I had driven him to pop the question within nine months of knowing him.
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