Chapter 43: Ticked off Yenta

“Where have you been? Church has been over for hours. No one’s that religious,” Troy said as he opened the door for Janet, Wes and Cindy who dripped water on the tiled floor. The torrential downpour had soaked them before they could reach the sanctuary of the porch.  

“When did it start raining?” Troy asked, looking out past them to the puddling rain on the front lawn. 

“Just a minute ago and we were at a party, if you must know,” Wes answered.

“A rain party? Troy asked.

“No, you idiot,” Janet snapped.

“Just perfect,” Wes growled as he removed his blazer and looked around for a place to hang it to dry.

 “Oh, my goodness,” Jasmine said, coming into the foyer and gaping at them. “You better change. You’re soaked.”

“Thank you, Ms. Obvious,” Janet said, peeling her shrug off.

“I don’t have any other clothes with me,” Cindy whined, starting to shiver.

“I’m sure we can find something you can wear, at least until your clothes dry. Come on,” Janet told her leading her up the stairs.

“You should take your shirt off, Wes. Even that’s wet,” Jasmine said.

“Better not. Janet might attack me. She’s got a thing for pecs.” Wes said, hoping to get a smile from Janet.

He watched her go up the stairs completely ignoring him and panic overtook him. “Janet? Can I come up and finish your Yenta website?” 

“We have to change,” she said coldly.

“Call me when you’re done, please?” he said, desperately.

“Don’t hold your breath,” she muttered.

Jasmine frowned. “What did you do?” she whispered.

“Nothing,” Wes lied, still holding his wet jacket.

 “Give it here,” Jasmine said grabbing the jacket out of his hands. “I’ll toss it into the dryer. Give me the shirt too. I’ll see if I can get you one of my dad’s shirts. So, what did you do to piss her off?”

“Seems I wasn’t enthusiastic enough,” he said, reluctantly.

“Huh?” she said.

“Just… just get me a shirt, please,” Wes said. handing over the wet shirt.

“Okay, I’ll find out myself,” she said. She went to the laundry room, tossed the jacket and the shirt in and set the timer before running up the stairs. She found Janet in her room pulling a fancy bright red chiffon dress out of the closet and handing it to Cindy.

“Omigosh, that’s beautiful!” Cindy gushed.

“Yeah, I like it too, but it doesn’t fit me anymore. It looks perfect for you though. You can have it if you like it,” Janet said.

“Like to keep?” Cindy shrieked, incredulous.

“Of course not,” Jasmine interjected.

Janet glared at her sister. “Why the heck not? It doesn’t fit you either and you wore it exactly once before you stuffed it into my closet. That means it’s mine to do with it what I like and I want to give it to Cindy,” she said fiercely. She took a stunned looking Cindy by the shoulders and led her to the adjoining bathroom between the sisters’ rooms. “You’ll find clean towels on the shelf. Dry your hair and put that on. You’ll look extra pretty for when we go out to eat tonight.”

“Thank you, Janet,” Cindy said. “You’re the best. I’m so glad you’re Wes’ girlfriend. Please don’t break up with him. He’ll say he’s sorry for whatever he did.”

“We’ll see,” Janet said and closed the door. She turned back to the closet ignoring her sister.

“You gonna tell me?” Jasmine said.

“What?”

“Why you’re pissed at Wes,” Jasmine said, pulling a purple dress out of the closet and showing it to Janet who shook her head in disapproval.

“Oh, yeah, I have something awesome to tell you!” Janet said, suddenly bright.

“About Wes?”

“Oh, forget him! You will not believe this. Take a wild guess, I mean as wild as you can guess,” Janet said slipping out of her wet dress.

“Uh, Prince William is leaving his lovely Duchess Catherine and marrying you instead,” she said taking out another dress and showing it to her sister. Again Janet shook her head.

“What would you say if I told you I sang a song today in front of Luke Tramaine and he loved it?” Janet said.

Jasmine’s mouth dropped open. “You’re not serious. Did he sing too?”

“No, they wouldn’t let him. They said it wouldn’t be fair since he’s profession. But that’s not all, Jassy. Luke asked me to sing backup for him.”

“Shut up! He did not!” Jasmine shouted, dropping the dress onto the floor. 

“He did and when I told him I would, I suggested a certain sister of mine audition for him, too. I told him she sings almost as good as me,” Janet said, pushing her sister out of the way and replacing the dropped dress back in the closet. She then pulled out another dress much like the one she just removed only this one was blue with a matching shrug.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Really?” Jasmine shrieked. “I swear I will kill you if you’re lying!”

“Why the heck would I make up a story like that?” Janet replied as she stepped into the dress, pulled it into place and turned around indicting she needed the zipper pulled up. Jasmine did and then turned her to look her square in the eyes.  Janet shook her head. “I’m not lying.”

Jasmine squealed and hugged her sister just as a knock came at the door. “Yes?” Janet said.

“I thought Jasmine was going to get Wes a shirt. He’s like…half naked down there,” Troy said through the door.

“Oh, okay, be right there,” Jasmine said, still beaming at her sister. “We’re gonna sing with Luke Tramaine. This is better than American Idol!”

“Hey, I’m singing with him. You still need to audition. You better practice. He’s very particular and you have to please his manager, Alana.”

“His manager? You met her and everything? Whoa, this is like… the big time,” Jasmine said, now looking a bit frightened.

Janet laughed. “Relax, Alana is his girlfriend, but he does whatever she says so…”

“His girlfriend?” Jasmine repeated, making a face. “Give me a break. She can go…”

“Don’t underestimate Alana, Jassy. She’s a smart girl and Luke adores her.  I mean he worships the ground she walks on, like for real. If she don’t like you…” Janet just shook her head.

“She’ll like me. I’ll make sure of it. So when…”

Cindy stepped out of the bathroom then with that same astonished look on her pretty face. “This is the prettiest dress I’ve ever worn. I love it!” she said, holding the dress out as if she were planning to curtsy.

Janet laughed. “You look beautiful, Cindy. You should run down and show Wes his little sister is growing up.”  

“Are you sure I can have it? It’s just so...”

“Yes, I’m sure, now go,” Janet said grinning.

Cindy looked from one girl to the other her eyes suddenly over-bright. “I don’t like being the only girl in the house,” Cindy mumbled. “You’re so lucky to have a sister…and a mom.”

Janet glanced at her sister who apparently was too bored to listen as she was checking her manicure. Janet forced a smile and turned back to Cindy. “You can always talk to me like I was your sister and I’m sure my mom would love to talk with you anytime you like. You should go meet her. Where is Mom?” Janet said turning to Jasmine.

“Where else? She’s in the kitchen acting like a whirlwind,” Jasmine replied, rolling her eyes. “She's so nervous, it ain’t even funny!”

“Go on, Cindy. You can get her mind off stuff. We’ll be down in a bit,” Janet said shooing her out the door.

“So?” Jasmine said.

“So what?” Janet said, grabbing a brush to untangle the mess that was her wet hair.

“Why are you mad at Wes?”

“Oh, that,” she said making a face. “I don’t get it, Jassy. I told him that Luke wanted me to sing with him and that we’d have to practice loads before the Gala and…”

“The Gala?” Jasmine repeated. “You don’t mean The Gala? The Adams Winter Charity Gala?”

“Is there another in Port Orianco?” Janet retorted. “Yes, of course that one. Luke wants me to sing with him there, before we start practicing for a few concerts Billy is setting up and a wedding or two, but anyway. Wes didn’t say anything at all when I told him. He was all…like it was nothing. He saw how excited I was and he just didn’t give a hoot. What the heck’s up with that?”

Jasmine frowned. “That is weird, especially from him. He must have said something.”

“Congratulations,” Janet mimicked his deep voice. “Just like that. Zero enthusiasm.”

“That’s why he said…”

“What?”

Jasmine shrugged. “I asked what he did to piss you off and he said he wasn’t enthusiastic enough.”

“Well, shouldn’t he be? Any real boyfriend would be happy for his girlfriend when something this good happens, wouldn’t he?”

“Hmm, not necessarily,” Jasmine said, shaking her head. “Guys like to know their girl is there for them, like full time. Troy’s always ticked when I’ve got other things to do or I want to hang out with my friends. Gees, he’s not gonna like this at all! Me singing with Luke Tramaine’s gonna send him off the deep end!”

“I keep telling you. I’m the one singing with him. You still have to audition,” Janet reminded her.

Jasmine waved a dismissive hand. “Done deal! I’m just as good as you.”

“Well, if Wes can’t handle me singing, he’s outta here,” Janet snapped, putting the brush down so hard she shook the few framed photos of her mother and siblings she displayed on the dresser. “What will Troy say then, if Luke okays you?”

“When he okays me you mean. He’ll get all pissy like he always does. He’s very jealous and…oh…I betcha that’s it. Wes is jealous! That’s why he wasn’t thrilled about you singing with Luke.”

Janet made a weird face. “Seriously? He wants to sing with Luke? I don’t think so!”

“No, he doesn’t like it that you’ll be spending all that time with the most gorgeous guy in the tri-county area. I’ll bet anything,” Jasmine said.

“But that’s ridiculous. Wes knows Luke has a girlfriend,” Janet said. “He’s crazy about her. I saw it myself.”

“That doesn’t mean he won’t feel jealous. It’s natural. You should know that. Dad was always so jealous of Mom whenever she talked to some guy. It’s what caused the break up.”

“That can’t be it. Wes is just being a typical jerk like every other guy. Shoulda known it was too good to last,” Janet grumbled. “Will you break up with Troy if he doesn’t like you singing with Luke?”

“Are you serious?” Jasmine shrieked. “If I break up with Troy every time he gets jealous, we’d have broken up a hundred times already. You’re not thinking of breaking up with Wes, are you?”

“Well, I gotta. He’s being a jerk,” Janet said.

“No, he’s not. He’ll get over his jealousy after you tell him he has nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, right!” Janet said. “Just like it worked with Mom.”

“Janet, he’s already sorry. He just doesn’t know how to tell you yet. In that respect he’s just like Dad.”

“What are you talking about?” Janet said.

“Dad always used to do something nice for Mom whenever he screwed up. His way of saying he was sorry for being an idiot. Wes is doing the same thing. Wes wants to fix your Yenta website. That’s how he’s saying he’s sorry. It’s cuz he likes you so much.”

“How...how do you know he likes me?” Janet said, albeit casually.

“The look on his face when you told him not to hold his breath.”

“What do you mean? What did he look like?” Janet asked.

“He had that sad puppy face Dad always gets when he knows when Mom's mad at him. It's so obvious Wes is very sorry he got you mad. You should forgive him and forget it.”

 “He’s a jerk to me and I have to forgive him? I don’t think so,” Janet said.

“Oh, get over it, Janet!” Jasmine snapped. “Guy’s are human, just like you and me. None of us are perfect. You expect every person to be infallible. You did the same thing with Dad. You worshiped him until he fell off that pedestal you put him on. And now you treat him like dirt when he doesn’t deserve it. You keep doing that and you’ll be alone and miserable for the rest of your life. I don’t want my sister being alone and definitely not miserable forever. So, just get over it!”

Janet watched in surprise as her sister left her room and slammed the door.

“All-righty then,” Janet mumbled to herself.