Janet the Yenta

Meet Janet Fummel, the Yenta. She’s the perfect match-maker, because even though she no longer believes in love--not since her parents split up--she can get paid for hooking up others. But when she meets Wes Sebastian she starts to rethink things. Can Wes make her believe in love again?


Don't get any funny ideas!

©2013 Glory Lennon All Rights Reserved

Friday, February 4, 2011

Chapter 10: That's some car

“I must say, my yenta’s looking rather pretty,” Wes said as he held the car door open for her.
“You should thank Jasmine for that. She’s my stylist,” Janet said, stepping into the car. She took one close look inside and her eyes widened dramatically. She let out a low whistle. “She wasn’t kidding. This is some car. I’m surprised your dad would let you drive it.”

“He has no choice since it’s my car,” he replied smirking. He then starting up the engine and smoothly took off.

“You must have been a very good boy to have daddy buy you this,” she said, loving the luxurious interior.

“I was indeed a very good boy, but Daddy didn’t buy it for me. I did. Got the payments to prove it,” he said.

She gaped. “Dear God, Wes! How much money do you make?” she asked. “This must be... I don’t even know how much, but it must cost tons! It’s a frickin’ Jag!”

He laughed at her. “Don’t you know that’s not a topic of proper conversation?” he chided her mildly.

She made a funny face. “Since when do I know anything about that? You have me confused with Jasmine. She’s Miss Proper Decorum.”

He laughed again. “I had no clue that Wendy was your mom, but now I see where you get your sense of humor. You’re just like her.”

 “I’m nothing like her,” she said, her expression suddenly stony.

“You’re wrong , Janet. You may not look like her, but…”

“So, you do work for her cheap boss?” she interrupted quickly. “You really get around, don’t you?” 

Stopping at a red light, Wes frowned, wondering about the abrupt change in her. “I suppose,” he said cautiously, glancing at her. “Did I say something to upset you?”

“Me? I’m fine,” she said, giving him an obviously forced smile. “How do you get so much work? Advertising?”

He waited for the light to turn green before answering. “When you’re good at what you do, people hear about it. Of course, when you’re bad they hear about that too,” he retorted bracingly. “Luckily, I learn from my mistakes and I’ve perfected my craft. I see you doing the same in English class every day.”

Janet frowned at him. “Have you been spying on me? Those are confidential files. My clients would be pissed off if they thought just anybody was looking at their information.”

“I was just curious about your set up, not your client list. They are irrelevant to me,” he said, slowing down to allow a minivan in front of him.

“Well, they’re not to me. You shouldn’t have been looking. I didn’t ask you to,” she said heatedly.

“I’m sorry, Janet. I know you didn’t, but I was very impressed with what little I saw. You seem ambitious and I thought I could show you some ways of improving your system. Just a couple of small changes that might help your business. No harm listening, is there? And I’m not charging you anything if that’s what’s upsetting you.”

“Then why bother? What’s in it for you?” she asked suspiciously.

“You’re helping my dad, aren’t you? That means a lot to me. You’ll never know how much. I want him to live again. He pretty much died with my mother,” he said, his tone serious.

Her frown faded quickly. He loved his dead mother and his live father. That was obvious. She simultaneously felt envious and sorry for him. 

Jasmine’s words whispered in her head just then, “Be a friend and get him laughing again.”  Well, she had done the laughing part already, without trying. Now it was time to be a friend.

 “I was thinking about that, Wes. You said your dad wants you to have a girlfriend, right?”

“Yes,” he replied cautiously, as he looked both ways before crossing an intersection.

“Then do you think he would encourage it by, say, going out to dinner to meet her and perhaps meeting someone for himself?” she asked.

“I don’t think I follow,” he said.


“Okay, you need to get a girlfriend who has a single mom and then you can suggest that you all go out to dinner together. Your dad doesn’t have to know it’s a set up. It’s just a meeting of the parents and if they continue to meet and become friendly then maybe...”

“They might start to really like each other and start dating,” he said, grinning at her, but his smile faded. “But I don’t have a girlfriend, especially one with a single mother. Do you?”

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend, but unlike you I don’t get all insulted when people suggest that I’m gay. I just think it’s really funny,” she told him with a giggle.

“Who’s the wise guy now?” he asked smirking. “I mean, it would be a stretch finding a girlfriend that has a mother who might become interested in my father.”

She frowned in concentration. “Okay, how about this? My mom has a friend that’s looking for a house for her and her kids. She’s been divorced for a while and I can ask your dad if he can show her some houses and maybe...”

“Won’t work. He never mixes business with pleasure. He won’t ever date a client or an employee,” he said.

She made her funny face. “Then how did he and your mom meet?”


He smiled suddenly. He had heard the story so often he knew it by heart. 

“They met shortly after high school when they were both in college, but they actually got to know each other when they worked together at a fast food restaurant. They used to say it was a marriage made over the deep fryer,” he said with a laugh. 

“That’s romantic,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“It was. They married a little over a year after they met which didn’t go over too well with my grandparents, supposedly. Especially after my Uncle Rob did the same thing. He ran off eloping with his college sweetheart, but they had a good reason for their quick marriage. They had to get married, if you know what I mean.”

“Oh, the scandal!” she said giggling.

“It was back then. I’m not supposed to know about it, but I heard them talking one day. My cousin Karen, Billy’s oldest sister is a love child.”  He looked sheepish all of a sudden and added, “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”

“Because you know I love drama! You are so good to me, Wes. It’s like you really are my best friend now. Go figure. I lasted this long without one. I thought I’d never get one,” Janet said happily.

 “I’d be honored to be your best friend, but, really? You don’t already have one? How about Jasmine?”

“We get along fine, but isn’t that rather pathetic? Saying your best friend is your sister?” she said shaking her head in disgust.

He laughed. “You are too funny.”  

They had just pulled into the parking lot. 

“I hope you like Mexican,” he said as he unbuckled his seat belt and turned to undo hers.

“I love Mexican! You’re the best best friend I ever had,” she said, excitedly. “I’ve never been here before. Don’t tell me. Another client of yours?” 

“Actually, yes,” he replied. He moved around to her side and held his hand out to her. 

Once she placed her hand in his he grinned. He really did have a sexy smile, she thought.

He continued to hold her hand as they went inside which she thought rather odd, but at the same time nice. It was relatively dark inside the restaurant. Each table was lit by a colorfully painted luminaria and very faint lighting came from up above. 

Janet grabbed his arm. “Did you bring any bread crumbs, Hansel? We might get lost in the dark.”

He laughed. “You nut. This is what is called setting a mood,” he informed.


“Yeah, I know and I’m in the mood to hide under a table until they turn on the lights,” she countered.

 He laughed so loud several patrons turned around and stared at them. 

“Goodness, I can’t take you anywhere. You are so uncouth,” she said haughtily. 

He stared at her until she too started laughing.

“Wes!” someone called to him and he looked around.

“Oh, no, did I get you in trouble?” Janet asked nervously.

Wes looked up and waved at a very pretty woman with thick auburn hair. “Janet, you gotta do me a huge favor, okay? Whatever I say, just go along with it, please?” He grabbed her hand before she could answer and lead her to the table where the woman sat with a man.

“Uncle Rob, it’s great to see you. Aunt Beth, you look beautiful, as always. It’s so weird I was just telling Janet about you,” Wes exclaimed after hugging the both of them.

“It’s great to see you, Wes,” Rob said smiling broadly.

“Wes, is it possible you’ve grown again? You might reach Billy yet,” Beth stated patting him affectionately on the cheek.

“I don’t know about that. Billy’s huge. Um," he said, a bit nervously turning to Janet. "This is Janet Fummel. Janet, this is my dad’s brother Rob and my favorite Aunt Beth. She taught me how to dance,” he added conspiratorially.

“Janet? That’s funny, you look just like a girl I had in my ballet class a several years back. Gosh, what was her name?” Beth said frowning  in concentration.

Wes and Janet exchanged looks, grinned and simultaneously said, “Jasmine.”

“Yes, how did you know?” Beth asked amazed.

“She’s my twin. She loved your dance classes and bugged me for years to join her, but I’m too lazy and I’m clumsy as an elephant,” Janet said completely unabashed.

“Ah, but I could have helped with that,” Beth replied.

Janet shook her head tragically. “No, I would have just ruined your reputation as the fine dance instructor that you are.”  

They all laughed.

“Wes, you got yourself a very pretty and witty girlfriend,” Rob interjected.


“Uh…” Janet started but Wes squeezed her hand tightly and cut her off. She stared up at him questioningly.

“Yeah, Janet’s the best,” Wes said. 

Then he did something that shocked her to her toes. He kissed her. 

“The very best,” he whispered, staring into her large brown eyes.

Janet didn’t know what to say, but she knew one thing. She wanted Wes to do that again.

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