Blooming (32 page)

Jen’s brain
began to whir into sluggish action; she wasn’t sure whether she was more angry
or afraid, didn’t know if either emotion was going to be helpful anyway.              

“He told me
about you when we met in Chicago, I’ve got to say the reality of you is quite
startling. I expected more of an obstacle, but you...” she looked Jen up and
down with distaste, “even in a great dress I can’t understand where he’s
looking.”

Jen
straightened her spine, glad of the extra shoe height, as she fought to make
her voice sound steady. “He told me about you too Carly, he told me the same
things. That it was over between you and had been for some time, that he went
to Chicago to give you the courtesy of telling you in person. He’s not hidden
anything from me.”

Take that and
chew on it, she thought to herself.

“Did you
steal one of the dresses Carly?”

A brittle
laugh came from the girl’s chest, “I did you a favour honey – take it from a
professional, you just don’t have the body for it.”

It was
probably true, so the barb didn’t sting, not even a pinprick. She felt funny; after
all she’d been through, all the mixed up feelings surging through her, Jen took
a deep breath in, gulped - chuckled, tried to rein it in but then a burst of
pure and honest laughter erupted from her and she didn’t know who was more
surprised Carly or her.

“Aaaah sorry
I didn’t mean to laugh it’s not funny at all really but if you knew me better you’d
understand.” She snorted loudly and it made her laugh again, “Carly whatever
you tell me, however you say it, you’re wasting your breath. There’s not a
single insult you can hurl at me that will be worse than I’ve said to myself.
I’ve survived worse than you – I survived myself! Plus I had much smarter
bullies after me in junior high.”

Her laugh
threatened to turn a little hysterical so she changed tack and snatched onto some
composure. “You really need to leave Carly - I don’t believe you’re welcome
here. You can and should have a talk with Todd at another time, but tonight
isn’t the place for this.”

With
frightening speed Carly leaned forward and ripped the front of Jen’s delicate
dress, low enough to reveal the upper slopes of her breasts, then a look of
utter satisfaction crossed her face as she looked at Jen’s décolletage. “He
told me you were disfigured,” she crowed in delight.

Brutally
shocked, but with her new hard won strength of purpose and a dignity she didn’t
for a minute feel, Jen calmly gathered up the remains of Sean’s beautiful
dress. Stupidly the main thought running through her head was that he would be
so cross she’d wrecked another one. Jen looked up at the taller woman with the
wild eyes and said in a cool out of body voice, “I am disfigured but its one
small thing on my outsides, my soul is intact. I don’t believe you can say the
same. Maybe that’s what Todd sees in me Carly - because in every word and
action he’s demonstrated that he wants more than just a pretty face, and do you
know what? Even though I don’t want children I could never have done what I
think you did. I could never have aborted Todd’s child, never.”

“Who told you
that?”

“The same
person who told you I had a scar, I didn’t hear you deny it - shouldn’t that
have been your first response?” Carly was visibly trying to calculate the
appropriate retort.

“Carly - Todd’s
never quite believed it was a miscarriage, so what’s the truth really? I think
you might feel better if you bring it out into the open. You see it’s obvious
to me that the Todd I know would never want to be with you, despite your
beauty, if this was your whole personality. He’s so much deeper than that. So I
have to assume the person I’m seeing now isn’t the only side to you, whatever
happened Carly, what went wrong?”

As she said
the words, Carly’s face changed into an insanely dazzling smile as she
recognized the person approaching behind Jen.

In a soft
flurry of motion, Jen was drawn backwards into Todd’s reassuringly protective
embrace. His large hands reached around encompassing hers, protecting her
modesty, as his voice dripped with barely concealed anger. “Carly this man is
with hotel security, he’s going to escort you away for your own safety.”

Jen piped up,
“Wait Todd I want her to answer the question.”

“It doesn’t
matter anymore baby, not to me. You’re wrong you know? I was shallow when Carly
and I were dating; I was a good match for her. So much has changed since then.”

A burly guy
stepped around Jen and went to Carly’s side taking her gently by the arm.

“What do you
mean Todd, please don’t do this, you don’t mean it.”

“Carly I don’t
understand the law but I think what you’ve done to Jen tonight could be
considered assault. I really don’t believe you’re well, so I’m asking you please
go with Frank quietly and your parents will meet you - they’re on the way, you
need to accept some help Carly.”

Frank made to
guide her away but Carly stretched away from him and reached out to slash her nails
at Jen’s face. Jen flinched as Todd caught Carly’s wrist and squeezed just hard
enough to make her quit. “You really don’t want to do that Carly, Frank take
her out of here now please.”

Jen leant
back against Todd but kept upright long enough to watch Carly escorted out of
her sight, and then she collapsed completely, shaking from the tension release.

“I’m sorry
baby, I’m so sorry; I was trying to keep her away from you.”

“I think she
would have told me the truth if you’d just given me another minute.”

“I just
wanted her away from you Jen, as quick as possible. That’s all that mattered to
me.”

“How can you
say that, doesn’t it drive you mad not knowing?”

Todd nodded;
he was both sickened and sad. But even as Jen turned to him and felt relief
that the immediate confrontation was over, she felt angry with him, why had he
told that awful monster about her private matters, why had he confided in her?
Telling Sean and Seb was one thing but why tell the bitch queen from hell? She
stepped away from him unsteadily. “I have to get back inside.”

Todd tried to
stop her, “You don’t have to finish the show Jen - not after this.”

“Yes I do, I
made a commitment to Sean and this event’s important.”

He went to
touch her face and she pushed him off. “Don’t touch me Todd please, I just
can’t physically take it right now. Please, it’s just all been a bit too much.”

Jen left him there
- his broad shoulders drooping under the strain. Returning to the backstage
area; a relieved Sean attempted to interrogate her but he quickly realised she
wasn’t capable of more than a monosyllabic answer.

“Get her a
drink, and get the dress, she’s only got five minutes,” he barked at his aide
for the night.

When the
assistant returned at the double, Sean screeched, “Not bloody chardonnay that
won’t work, bring two shots of tequila.” She felt hands dressing her, the fact
she was stood almost nude sipping tequila, none of it was touching her. Sean
tapped her face gently to bring her back to the present.

“Hold it
together for a few more minutes girl that’s all we need; you look stunning, now
go.”

Todd stood
just inside the entrance to the ballroom; he didn’t want to return to his seat
just yet. He wanted to watch her privately, from here, as if she were modelling
just for him.

Jen finally
stepped into the spotlight for the last time; she was wearing an almost
indecently low cut strapless sheath in the palest dove grey. Around her neck
was a heavily encrusted crystal drop necklace which beautifully camouflaged her
sternum. The corset top of the dress moulded to her small bust and gave her a
delicious cleavage, ruching across her tummy led to a rosette of fabric on her
hip and a long diagonal shaped split led from there to her opposite ankle so
both legs were clearly showcased and a shimmer of fabric pooled at the left
heel of her 6 inch silver stiletto, the entire dress was beaded with silver
grey crystals and all in all she looked good enough to have beamed in from
another planet.

Todd smiled
sadly and proudly as she began to move and he noticed the chiffon evening wrap
draping from her elbow and covering her cast. Funny that he’d not thought about
her broken arm all evening, Sean must have utilised a similar idea with the
first dress because he couldn’t remember seeing the cast then either, but then
again he’d only been looking right at her and had been all night. He now
realised he’d been watching Jen’s face, trying to read her mind ever since the
moment they met.

Todd watched
her come towards him, wondering if she could see him. A reasonably composed
smile was pasted on her face, which would be enough to convince the crowd she
was working it and enjoying herself, but he just knew he was losing her and didn’t
know how the hell to stop it.

As Jen turned
and headed back up the catwalk Sean came out to join her and they led the whole
cast of models down the catwalk to rapturous applause and foot stamping, the
show despite all the backstage drama had been a roaring success.

****

“Todd, why
are you just sat watching her dance with him, why don’t you go cut in.”

Lily had been
grilling Todd for the last five minutes while they all watched Jen dance with
Max.

Dance was a
bit of a loose word for what they were doing thought Todd, Jen was only just
about upright and Max was doing his best to swish her round the floor. She
looked like a beautiful but sad marionette. She’d been silent all through the
lavish dinner and simply pushed food around her plate and when Max had asked
her to dance she neither said yes or no just went with him as if she didn’t
have a choice.

“She doesn’t
want me near her just yet Lily.”

“Oh Todd that
is such bullshit, you’ve never been a quitter in your life and she needs you
like she needs air in her lungs and a kick up her ass.”

Sean was
basking in the success of the evening, he’d had a hand in every decision about
the decor, the lights, the music as well as every bit of the fashion show and
he was crowing with delight as he came back to the table.

“Guys the
karaoke is starting in five minutes and I’ve signed you all up, but you have to
pay $50 each for the privilege of singing,” a collective groan went up around
the table - not at the money aspect but the singing. Todd barely registered
what had been said, he was transfixed watching Jen.

To his
surprise it was Seb who hoisted him up out of the seat with an effort, saying,
“Go to her, and put us all out of our misery.”

Jen watched
him approach - her eyes heavy lidded never leaving his; she was drinking him in
like she thought she would never see him again, reeling him in closer against
her will.

Todd tapped
Max on the shoulder and he graciously stepped aside, knowing he’d lost before
he ever had a chance. Todd gently put Jen’s arm in place around his waist and
took hold of her hand, he whispered in her ear, “Come back to me honey, tell me
what you’re thinking.”

She was
silent for at least a couple of minutes, and then she said through tight lips,
“You told her everything about me, why did you do that when you knew it was
deeply private? I sort of understood when you told Sean and Seb, but not her,
you should have known another woman would use something like that against me
given the chance.”

Her voice
strengthened, became harsh and angry, “This is my life you’re messing with. My
body, my privacy Todd, I should have never forced myself to trust you. I can’t
handle the fact you’ve had a past and other women and god knows what that will
jump up at some point and bite me in the ass, that’s why I’ve never looked for
a relationship. I don’t want this, I really don’t want any of it, and I don’t
want you.”

She started
to struggle against him and his grip tightened on her in desperation.

“I don’t believe you Jen,” his
mouth clamped down over hers and he kissed her breathless despite her struggles
against him. His hand held her fast behind her neck as he forced her to take his
tongue inside her mouth.

Camera bulbs
flashed around them and he pulled back, reluctant to give the photographers any
more exclusives.

“I’m sorry -
I just didn’t understand what was going on in Carly’s head. When I told her
about you - every word I said, I was trying to explain what made you different,
made you permanent, how strong I thought you were despite everything. I didn’t
realise she was on the brink of sanity; I thought there was still a salvageable
friendship there despite everything. I’ve never finished any relationship on
bad terms before. I thought I was doing the right thing for god’s sake.”

He took her
face in his steady grip and forced her eyes up trying to drill understanding
into her but he could see she was determined not to accept it.

Jen shook her
head, as far as it was possible within his clasp, “I don’t understand how you
could have remained friends with her, and I don’t want to think about it
anymore. I want to sit down. It’s been a long day Todd – please, I just want to
see the rest of it through and go home.”

Reluctantly
he let her go, and followed her back to the table, she was still wearing the
beautiful finale dress and as he watched her walk in front of him, the low back
displaying the beautiful column of her spine, he felt like he was witnessing
his heart rip open.

****

As the
karaoke kicked off, first up was Sean as the star of the night who crooned his
way through “Unchained Melody” and dedicated it to Seb with a tear in his eye. He
was more than a little tipsy. A couple of local newshounds went next and the
crowd were soon booing and cheering in turns. Todd watched across the table as
Jen bent to Max’s ear and he could almost lip read that she was asking him to
take her home.