Back to Square One (Brandon Bay Babes) (3 page)

“Or…,” he enquired touching her on the arm. “Go on.
 
I really want to know.”
 
Kit looked down to where his fingers lay on her sleeve and he immediately removed them.

“Case and point” she began again, soldiering on with determination.
 
“High School.
 
Huge
crush on Jeremy Atwell, and of course he didn’t know I existed.
 
But did that deter me and my adolescent fantasy?
 
Hell no.”

Kit got up and started pacing the cabin.
 
“Do you mind sitting down, I’m starting to get dizzy again watching you.”
 
J.J. asked with a crooked grin.

“Sure.”
 
She dropped to his side and calmed down a little.
 

“You were saying …?” he prodded.

“Well, when prom came around I knew exactly the type of dress I wanted; very mature and revealing.”
 
she imparted, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at the memory.
 
“My mother said I was “lamb dressing like mutton” instead of the usual “mutton like lamb”; but did I listen?”

“I take it –no.”

“You got that right.
 
Well, the big night came.
 
I went with Barnaby Calder.
  
He was a science geek with big glasses, high IQ and a cowlick that needed industrial strength super-glue to keep it from sticking up”
 
Smiling somewhat sadly at the recollection, Kit uttered, “When he asked me to the dance, I guess I thought it was better than going alone. Poor Barnaby.
 
For some odd reason, he really liked me.
 
I guess in retrospect I wasn’t very nice to him.
 
I ignored him most of the evening.
 
But I was so sure that Jeremy would take one look at me and fate would play its hand.”

Jeff held her gaze.
 
Evidently, her tale of teenage angst was fascinating to him.

“So you want to know what happened?”

He nodded mutely.

“So, first of all, I see old Mrs. Blake wearing the very same dress as me.”

“That’s not good.”

“You’re telling me.
 
It was pretty rough to learn I had the same fashion sense as a sixty year old Librarian.”

Jeff chuckled softly and she had to admit, it was rather funny.
 
“What else happened?” he asked.

She looked at him with a frown.
 
“Barnaby pulled me outside and decided it was the perfect time to declare his undying love for me.
 
I was stunned and gave him the “I don’t think of you that way” and “we’ll always be friends” speech.
 
I really hurt him, and ..., I lost the one true friend I had in high school.
 
I’ve felt bad about that for a real long time.”

“I’m sure he’s forgotten all about it.”

“
Yeah?
” Kit replied with attitude.
 
Why did it bother her so much that Jeffrey Jones thought her so forgettable and easy to get over?
 
Why should she care what he thinks?

Kit stood up and leaned against the back wall.
 
“Now for the real kicker; the
piece de resistance
” Clearing her throat she continued her story.
 
“So…, I’m walking down the school corridor, having just passed Jeremy and his footballer friends, and I hear “Hey, wait a minute” and footsteps chasing after me.
 
I turn around and there he is; looking incredible in a white tux and baby blue tie. And just when I’m positive he’s going to open his mouth and say “Where have you been all my life?” or some such mundane but oh so wonderful endearment, you know what he says?”

“What?”
 
J.J. said in anticipation, eager to hear the outcome.

“He says …, he says …, you have toilet paper stuck to your shoe.”

“No.”

“Just what every girl wants to hear, right” she smirked sarcastically.
 
“So, I look down at my shoe, I look back at him, smile, and very politely say “thanks”.
 
Meanwhile, his friends are laughing their asses off at me.
 
I never looked his way again.
 
I was known as “Toilet paper girl” for the rest of my high school days.
  
Some kids even inscribed my yearbook “To TPG”.”

Kit swallowed the huge lump that had formed in her throat at the memory.
 
It still hurt after all these years.
 
Yeah, she made jokes about it and laughed it off, but it was an incident that marked her.
 
Taking her place on the floor beside him again, her head dipped forlornly.

“Hey.
 
It could happen to anyone” he responded, bumping her shoulder with his own.

“Yeah, but it
happened
to me.
 
And that one single moment has defined almost my entire life.
 
That, and having the wackiest mother in Brandon Bay.” Kit widened her eyes at him.
 
“
Of course
, there have been many more instances of complete humiliation in my twenty-seven years, but I won’t bore you with them.
 
So, to make a long story short Mr. Jeffrey Jones, the next time you think you’ve done something really embarrassing, think again, and think of yours truly.”

“I will, if you tell me your name”
 
he grinned.
 
“I don’t particularly want to have to call you
TPG
.”

Kit punched him in the arm playfully. “It’s Kit” she said relaxing and smiling back at him.
 

“Is that short for something?”

“
Ha
! Once again,
embarrassment
reigns!” she replied with a giggle. “I was named after a chocolate bar, as in “Kit Kat”.”

Jeff looked at her in disbelief.
 
“You’re kidding?”

“Nope.
 
I told you my mother was a little whacked.
 
Apparently she had a penchant for them while she was pregnant.”

Kit noticed the incredulous look on his face and went for the funny bone.
 
“Hey, I’m only glad she wasn’t addicted to
Twinkies
or
Tootsie rolls
” she laughed.

“Or
Goobers
?” Jeff laughed back.

“Heaven forbid.” Kit sighed.
 

Was this really happening?
 
Was she and Mr. Jones, or rather J.J., actually having a moment?
 
All Kit knew was, she was enjoying her time trapped in the company of this gorgeous, kind and claustrophobic man. He’d listened intently to every stupid thing she’d said, and he actually seemed to be interested.
 

Could his interest extend to further than that of forcibly imprisoned companion? Her gut told her yes, and to go with her instincts, but her head told her that she’d been wrong about men before.
 
This was no rom-com, and she was not Sandra Bullock, not even close.
 
And although J.J. was perfectly cast as the rich guy with the heart of gold, she was woefully
mis
cast.

As Kit wondered how much longer they would be stuck together in confined quarters and if there was some way to prolong the inevitable, the elevator made an enormous clanging sound and the emergency lights flickered, changing back to their normal hue.
 
The elevator began descending immediately and Kit almost let out an audible “Damn”.

Her brush with romance, adventure and the movie-star-like Jeffrey Jones was over.
 
Nothing left but to thank the
Academy
, make a short speech and hope she didn’t get the dreaded music swell; a sure sign she’d overstayed her welcome.

Jeff stretched and got up off the floor, reaching for Kits hand to help her to her feet.
 
“Guess we’re on our way again” he stated matter-of-factly.

“Yeah.” was all she could say.
  

They descended the remainder of the floors in companionable silence.

When the doors at last opened, Jeff jumped out with a sigh of relief.
 
“
Wow.
 
Am I glad
that’s
over”

Kit looked at him in horror and he immediately picked up on his social faux pas.
 

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” he tried to placate, cringing in discomfort.
 
“I mean, it was great talking to you.
  
You got my mind off throwing up completely”

Narrowing her eyes at him, Kit said nothing.

Squirming uncomfortably under her glare, J.J. tried again, “I mean, I would have been sick for sure if I was alone.
 
You were great, just great.”

“Well that’s me I guess.” she retorted caustically, her eyebrows hitting the ceiling.
 
“When you’re looking for an alternative to vomiting, I’m your girl; the human Pepto-Bismol.
 
Just don’t ask me to wear pink.
 
I look
horrible
in pink.”

Jeff frowned at her.

“Well, Mr. Jones, it’s been real …,” Kit grinned, nodding her head at him.
 
“Well …, bye”
 

Before he could say another word, she turned on her heel and quickly headed off towards the glass revolving door.
 
At least she’d made a dignified exit.
 
No stammering goodbyes or pratfalls.
 
Whew!
TPG had almost reappeared with a vengeance; in all her embarrassing glory.
 
Thank goodness she’d high-tailed it out of there, before it was too late.

All the way home on the cable car Kit replayed the afternoon in her head.
 
She’d been so sure they’d had a real moment in the elevator.
 
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
 
Had she actually thought that Jeffrey Jones could be interested in her as more than a distraction from vomiting?
   
Once again, trusting and believing her gut had been a huge mistake, and had made her momentarily hope for things that just couldn’t be.
 
Just like high school and Jeremy Atwell!

By the time Kit had crossed the threshold of her apartment she’d calmed down considerably and convinced herself that no harm had really been done.
 
She hadn’t made a fool of herself in front of him and she’d never see Jeffrey Jones again.
 
So what if they’d exchanged a few confidences, it really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
 
She was just grateful she hadn’t done anything remotely bordering on the foolish, and had managed to walk away unscathed and with what little poise she possessed intact.

           
By ten o’clock, Kit was happily ensconced on her couch wearing a tank top and shorts with her two favourite fellows –Ben and Jerry.
 
Those two guys really knew how to make a girl happy.
 
Satisfaction didn’t come in any better form than a tub of Chunky Monkey and an overly large spoon.