Back to Square One (Brandon Bay Babes) (18 page)

“And just what did you learn?” he enquired with a grave face.

Kit made the sign of a cross over her heart and cleared her throat with dramatic flair, “I solemnly promise to never venture behind the Iron Curtain again with any man from my past or stranger of unknown repute”
 

“
Iron Curtain?
What the hell does that mean?” J.J. asked in bewilderment.

Kit explained.
 
“Well my little foray with Jeremy was preceded by an encounter with some Black Russians.”
 
When her comment didn’t seem to make it any clearer to J.J. she continued, “you know;
the drink
?”

The light came on and Jeff smirked.
 
“Oh.
 
I see.
 
Just how many Russians were there?”

Kit swallowed in embarrassment. “Maybe five or six?
 
And they were all doing the Russian squat dance in my head the morning after”

Jeff bit back a laugh.
 
“I guess you
have
paid for your error in judgement then”

“You have no idea” she sighed.

J.J. chuckled and Kit smiled back.
 
What was it about Jeffrey Jones that made it so easy for her to talk to him?
 
Anything that came into her head just seemed to come straight out of her mouth on autopilot.
 
Was it because she knew she didn’t have to play the temptress, as there was no way he’d ever cast her in that role?

“So how is it, being back here after so long in the big city?” he asked with genuine interest.

“Not as bad as I’d originally imagined.
 
And I
usually
imagine the worst.
 
My paintings are coming along nicely, and I’m even finding myself getting along with my mother, which is a miracle of biblical proportions in itself.
 
I guess coming back I’ve managed to put a lot of things into perspective.”

“Such as?”

“Well, I’ve confronted a few ghosts since arriving; Jeremy being the most haunting.
 
It’s strange to discover that the one thing you wanted most in the world, you don’t want any more.
 
Kind of feels like you wasted a lot of time” she said in seriousness.

“They do say youth is wasted on the young” When Kit nodded in agreement, he added, “So …, Jeremy Atwell was
not
the man of your dreams after all?”

 
“No even close.
 
He’s a nice guy, but not for me”

“Still feel like an “insignificant spec”? he asked warmly.

Kit grew thoughtful.
 
“A bit.
 
It’s not a feeling that goes away completely –like getting over a cold.
  
I just want to find the happy medium between embarrassingly conspicuous and invisible nonentity.
 
I certainly don’t want to stand out in a crowd, if I can help it.”
 

“I don’t think it’s possible for you to
not
stand out in a crowd.
 
As far as I’m concerned, you’ll never be
in
conspicuous”

Kit’s eyebrows hit the ceiling.
 
“I’m not sure? Is that a compliment or not?”

“Compliment, definitely a compliment” he stated soberly.

She tapped her chin in thought, “I must say, you’re a lot different than what I imagined you to be Jeffrey Jones”

“You said you always imagine the worst.
 
Did you imagine the worst about me too?”

She bit her lip in embarrassment, “I guess I did, but that was before I knew you”

“And now you know me?
 
Hopefully I’ve changed your opinion” he said quietly.

“You’d be surprised how quickly my opinion changed of you.
 
To tell the truth, it changed the second that elevator stopped.
 
I remember thinking what a nice guy you were, regardless of your scandalous reputation”

J.J. groaned, “
Nice guy
–if that isn’t the kiss of death, I don’t know what is”

She chuckled.
 
“Well you
are
a nice guy; and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
 
I happen to like nice guys”

Licking his lips and leaning across the table towards her, J.J. asked softly “You do?”

Kit broke the moment by holding out her hand to shake, “So, can we be friends J.J.?
 
I’d really like to be”

Taking her small, warm hand in his, Jeff fixed her with a thoughtful gaze.
 
“I’d really like that too Kit Kat.”

“Hey Kit,” a voice cut in from beside them.

Glancing up, Kit smiled nervously. “Oh, hi”

J.J.’s mouth opened in astonished surprise, and Kit wondered if he was thinking the same thing she was; for a girl who claimed to be a bit of an insignificant spec; she was mighty popular this morning.

“Um, Jeffrey Jones, meet Barnaby Calder” Kit introduced with a cautious expression.

Jeff took all six foot two of Barnaby in.
 
“I thought he was a geek?” was all he could say.

“I grew out of it” Barnaby said bitterly.

“So it would seem” J.J. replied, equally bitter, throwing Kit a disgruntled look.

Barnaby frowned at Kit.
 
“Who
is
this guy?”

Kit was nonplussed and said nothing; this was getting weird, even for her.
 

“This
guy
is leaving” J.J. stated with annoyance and got up without another word to Kit, threw a twenty on the table, and left through the front door of the diner. Kit’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Kit, can we talk
now
?” Barnaby asked, completely oblivious to the emotions swirling around them.

Holding up her hand to silence him, she responded with a terse, “Not now Barn.”

Bounding from her chair, she ran down the street after J.J.
 
“Hey Jones” she called from behind, her feet moving as quickly as possible in her cork wedge sandals.

He turned and walked back towards her. “Yeah?” he replied offhandedly.

Kit stood in front of him with a puzzled look on her face.
 
She wasn’t sure what to do.
 
If Jeffrey Jones wanted a full on, knock-down, drag out fight, she’d love to get down and dirty with him.
 
He was acting like a complete jerk for no reason.
 
“Jeffrey Jones, what the hell was that all about?” she asked with a stern face. “Why did you walk out on me like that?”

“Why not?
 
One things for sure, you’re never lonely long Kit” he said in exasperation.

“You know what J.J., I don’t get you.
 
You’re soft on one side and sand paper on the other.
 
I’m not sure what side is going to rub up against me.
 
So tell me –I’m curious.
 
Are we friends or what?
 
Because if we are, cut the crap and be a friend, for god’s sake.
 
You’re acting like some sort of jealous lover” she stated matter-of-factly.

Jeff stared at her for a moment, then shook his head and chuckled resignedly at the ridiculousness of the situation.
 
“You’re right.
 
I don’t know what’s got into me; maybe too much sea air or something.
 
I’m sorry.”

“That’s better” Kit said with a frown.

“So that was Barnaby, huh?”

“Yep”
 

“
Nice guy
” he said mockingly.

“Well you were hardly
Mr. Charm
yourself” she shot back at him.

“Sorry about that.
 
Like I said; I don’t know what’s gotten into me”

“I do.
 
It’s this town.
 
There’s definitely something around here that makes people act crazy.
 
Turns out my mother isn’t the only one who’s “elevator doesn’t go to the top floor”.
 
In fact,” she whispered secretively “I’m finding out I’m a little cracked myself.”

J.J. smiled crookedly at her.
  
“Well, you
are
an odd girl”

“Seems I remember
someone
telling me that once before” she beamed back, remembering the elevator.

They both looked at each for an inordinately long time.
 
Finally, J.J. cleared his throat. “I’ll be heading back to San Francisco after lunch” he said with regret, “But I’ll be back to help Charles look at properties again soon.
 
I don’t think he found anything interesting on this trip.”

“Even if he did, you’d be back to visit him” Kit replied happily.

“Yeah; I’ll be back” J.J. bit his lip.
 
“Would it be okay for
friends
to give each other a goodbye hug?” he asked uneasily.

“Sure” Kit responded.
 
J.J. opened his arms and she entered them willingly.
  
Oh my.
 
J.J. smelled as good as she remembered.
 
She inhaled deeply, and she thought she felt him shudder.
 
Best not to give off the wrong vibe, Kit thought, reluctantly releasing her arms from around his waist.
 
It would be horrible if J.J. got the idea that she would very much enjoy snuggling with him at length; even if it was the honest to God’s truth.
  

At that moment, the heavens decided to open up and they stood in the middle of a spontaneous downpour.
 
Within seconds they were soaked.
 
They both started laughing uncontrollably.

“I think somebody up there’s trying to tell us something” Kit yelled over the noise of the rain.

“You could be right” he replied grinning like an idiot.

“I guess I’ll see you when I see you, J.J.” Kit said with a smile.

“Not if I see you first”

Kit saluted him and ran across the street towards Jasmine’s shop.
 
J.J. turned and walked down the street in the rain towards the Inn, still grinning like an idiot.

Sitting at Gillman’s the following Friday, Kit and Jasmine examined the events of the past week.
 

Kit was still dodging the Barnaby bullet and had managed to avoid him without much effort.
 
If he’d really been so desperate to talk to her, he knew where she lived.
 
She couldn’t put it off forever, but she also felt that Barnaby was dragging his heels a little with regard to whatever he had to say.
 
Perhaps it wasn’t so important after all?
 
She’d met his mother, Mary, at the market and heard that he wasn’t going to stay the entire two weeks as planned, and was returning home to Silicon Valley Saturday morning.
   
Another time, another place
, Kit thought with a smile; and she couldn’t be happier about that.