Ch134 That Girl could Sing

 

         

          “That girl could really sing!” the man said.

          “And the boy, too,” the woman beside him replied. “And is there a better looking guy around for miles? I don’t think so!”

          Jasmine rolled her eyes, muttered a nasty sting of curses and left the table in a huff.

          Cindy stared after her, aghast. “What the heck’s wrong with your sister?” she asked.

          Stevie smirked. “Jealousy,” he said. “She can’t stand it that for once Janet is getting all the attention and Jazz is getting none.”

          “Really?” Cindy said. “That’s it? I would be so happy for my sister if…”

          “If you had one?” he said, laughing at her.

          She giggled. “And if she sang as good as Janet.”

          “You know, I always thought she sang nice, but now she’s like really good!” Stevie said.

          “Of course she is,” Cindy said eagerly, her pretty, dark eyes dancing with excitement. “Luke probably taught her. He’s so awesome!”

          Stevie glowered as he listened to her go on and on in near worship of the fricken rock star Luke. When at last she paused long enough to tentatively bite into a crab-puff, he stared at her and smiled.

          It was only after she nibbled her way into the center that she noticed he was staring at her. Her eyes widened and she grabbed a cloth napkin pressing it to her lips. “What?” she said. “Do I have something on my face?”

          He grinned and nodded.

          “What, where?” she said, frantically wiping both sides of her mouth.

          He laughed, leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Kidding," he said.

          She gasped. “Stevie, what are you thinking? If my dad sees us…”

          “He won’t. He’s all the way across the room introducing my aunt to loads of people.” Stevie then leaned over again and this time he kissed her sweet lips.

          “Stevie,” she whispered. “You really shouldn’t do that, not with so many people around. They’ll see us and… You’ve gone mad or something.”

          “Then it’s your fault,” he said.

          “As if!” she shouted, indignant.

          He laughed. “It’s true. You’re the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen and you drive me crazy.”

          She blushed scarlet. “No, I’m not.”

          He grinned and stood up. “Yeah, you are. You should believe me.”

          “Where you going?”

          “Get more food, still hungry,” he said. “Want me get you something?”

          She shook her head, her curls bouncing about her cute upturned face as she looked up to him. He smiled and tugged on a strand of her hair, then he let it spring back. “I love your hair,” he muttered and he walked away.

          She stared after him and shook her head. “Definitely gonna get me in trouble,” she mumbled.

          “What is?”

          Cindy jumped at the sound of Wendy’s voice. “Uh, what?”

          “Uh, nothing,” Wendy said, laughing. She sat down across the table with a plate contained a tiny piece of seemingly every dessert on the buffet table.

“Having a sweet tooth attack?” Cindy asked.

Wendy laughed. “No, just checking out the competition,” she said, taking a spoonful of chocolate cake and critically savoring it before she added, “Not bad, but I think mine is better.”

“I know yours is better and I didn't even taste that yet!” Cindy said.

“My loyal fan!” Wendy said, before looking around. “Where’s Stevie? Oh, wait, don’t tell me. He’s getting more food, isn’t he?”

Cindy nodded.

“Where does that boy put it all?” she muttered, now tasting a caramel crunch topped pound cake. “Now this one can give me trouble. Wonder if I can duplicate it.”

“My mom used to make something like that. I can let you borrow her recipe book,” Cindy said.

“That’s awfully nice, Honey. I’d like to look through it sometime. Thank you,” Wendy said, just as a boy came to their table and Wendy said, “Hello.”

“Uh…hello,” he said, looking at Cindy. “Hi, Cindy, you look real nice.”

“Uh…thank you,” she said, frowning slightly.

“It’s me…Jimmy…from school?” he said.

She blinked stupidly at him. “Uh…hi,” she said, warily.

“You don’t remember me, or maybe you just don’t recognize me with my hair so short. My mom made me get it cut for the gala,” he said, running his hand over his buzz cut. “If I had my football jersey on you’d know who I am, I bet.”

Cindy’s eyes suddenly widened. “Oh! Jimmy Benson, right?”

“Yeah!” he said, laughing. He cast a quick glance at Wendy then said, “Wanna dance?”

“Uh…”Cindy said, looking to Wendy for some guidance.

“It’s all right, Sweetie,” Wendy said, “I’ll tell your dad where you went.”

Cindy wasn’t exactly worried about her father, but before she knew what was happening Jimmy took her hand and was tugging her out of her chair and pulling her toward the dance floor. He went into the middle where there were people all around them bumping into them. He pulled her close and had both hands on her waist, which she didn’t much care for.

“This is the right way to dance,” she said, lifting one of his hands off her waist and holding it in hers with her other hand on his shoulder. She tried to keep as much distance between them as she could, but with the jostling people all around, she wasn’t having much luck.

Jimmy, however, didn’t seem the least bit bothered by it. He grinned and stared at her. “Great that you’re here. Haven’t seen you much on the bus anymore. You been sick or something?” he asked.

“No, my brother drives us to school every day,” she replied, looking around, searching for Stevie or even her father, but she couldn’t see either one.

“That sucks,” Jimmy said.

“No, it doesn’t,” she said, defensively. “My brother drives really good.”

He laughed. “No, I mean for me. I liked seeing you every morning,” he said.

“Oh,” she said, blushing bright pink.

“Your mom seems nice, but you don’t look anything like her,” he said, just as dancers on either side bumped them closer together, much to Jimmy’s delight and Cindy’s distress.

“Ms. Meadow’s not my mom,” she said. “My mom died.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said.

“It was a long time ago,” she said.

“Still…not good,” he said, frowning as he thought of something else to talk about. “So, um…we should hang out.”

“Hang out? Like right now?”

He laughed. “No, like…we should go to the movies and stuff,” he said.

She gaped at him then quickly looked over his shoulder. “Like a date?” she squeaked.

“Yeah,” he said. “Like boyfriend-girlfriend stuff.”

“Oh…uh…” she said her mind abuzz with activity. She wanted to tell him she already had a boyfriend, but she couldn’t really do that without getting in trouble with her dad, who was set against her ever having a boyfriend…or at least until she was a bit older. Well, that was her excuse! “I’m sorry, Jimmy, but my dad won’t let me date yet. He says I’m too young so…sorry.”

“Too young?” he said, loudly. “What the hell, are you supposed to be like twenty?”

“No, just sixteen,” she said.

“That’s stupid!” he said, angrily squeezing her hand.

“Hey, you’re hurting me!” she shrieked.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Listen, we can still hang out. You don’t gotta listen to your dad, don’t even gotta tell him.”

She bristled. “Yeah, I do,” she said, just as the music changed to a fast tempo. She gratefully let go of his hand, stepped back and stiffly said, “Thank you, Jimmy, for the dance.”

“Wait, we can still dance,” he said, going to grab her hand again, but she backed away.

“No, I don’t think so,” she said, suddenly getting brave, “Actually, I already have a boyfriend, and he’s loads better than you. He doesn’t call my father stupid.”

“I didn’t do that!” Jimmy shouted, but she didn’t stick around to argue.

Cindy weaved in and out of the dancing couples and made a breathless beeline back to the table where she found Stevie and his mother fighting.

“…and make her a flirt like you?” he shouted.

“Stevie,” Cindy said, “What’s wrong?”

He spun around and glared at her. “So, this is how it’s gonna be?”

“What do you mean?” Cindy said, frightened by his tone.

“Soon as I leave you go off with some…some jerk off dork!” he shouted.

“Jimmy’s not a dork,” she innocently said, which was the very worst thing to say just then.

Stevie narrowed his eyes, furious beyond anything and snarled, “Jimmy can go fu…”

“Steven!” Wendy shouted. “Cindy did nothing except dance with the boy.”

“So, then it’s okay if I go dance with Becca Philips, and Gina Washburn and then I’ll go make out with Pam Foster with the huge knockers,” he said.

Cindy’s bottom lip trembled. “I guess I was wrong,” she mumbled. “You’re not better than Jimmy. You’re exactly the same, you conceited jerk!” She spun on her heel and fled across the room.

“Dammit, Stevie, look what you did!” Wendy said. “It was just one stupid dance. I told her to go, so…”

“So, she can be a slut like you?” Stevie said, just as a large and powerful hand came down on his shoulder.

“Apologize to your mother right now,” Jeff snarled in his son’s ear.

“But, Dad…”

“Now!”

Stevie clenched his fists at his sides and muttered, “I’m sorry.”

“Now, let’s go,” Jeff said, pushing him.

“What? Why?” Stevie asked.

“We need to talk before you go looking for Cindy and you beg her forgiveness,” he said, giving him another shove.

“But I didn’t do anything!” Stevie yelled.

“Yeah, you did,” Jeff replied. “You just turned into your father, and I’ll be damned if I don’t put a stop to it before it’s too late.” He then turned to Wendy who looked on in amazement. “If Cindy should come back before we do, tell her Stevie will be back soon with a full and sincere apology.”

Wendy nodded.

“And Wendy?” Jeff said.

“Yes?” she squeaked.

“Perhaps…if you don’t mind…when I get back we might talk?” he asked.

Her heart jumped into her throat making speech impossibly. She nodded mutely.

“And maybe…you might dance with me?”

Again she nodded and when he half smiled her heart skipped a beat.

“Thank you, Wendy. We should be back soon, before Janet’s next show,” Jeff said, grabbing Stevie by the scruff of the neck, and half dragging, half shoving him across the ballroom.

“What the heck, Dad!” Stevie angrily said, once they reached a secluded area blocked from view of everyone by a frothy potted palm. He shrugged off his father’s hand and glared at him. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You hurt a very sweet girl. You accused her of…”

“She was dancing with some moron!”

“Yes, but she only did it to keep from hurting his feelings, to be polite. She didn’t want to go with him. She didn’t even enjoy it,” Jeff said.

“How do you know?” Stevie said, taken aback.

“I saw her face. She kept looking for you, and every time the kid pulled her closer, she pushed back, or tried to. There were a lot of people dancing at the same time.”

“So…so, it’s okay for her not to hurt some idiot’s feelings, but it’s okay for her to hurt mine?”

“You’re not hurt,” Jeff said. “You’re pissed and you’re being possessive and jealous.”

“But she’s mine! She’s my girlfriend and she…”

“No, she’s not yours so get that out of your head right now,” Jeff said, shaking his head wearily. “She’s not like a video game or a smart phone or soccer ball you got for Christmas.”

“What?” Stevie said. “I know that. She’s my girlfriend and she shouldn’t be hanging out with other guys.”

“God, Stevie, you don’t get it. You’re doing exactly what I did to your mother. Why do you think we’ve been apart all these months?”

“Cuz you got drunk and had an affair,” Stevie replied readily.

“No, what started it was my jealousy and you’re treating Cindy just like I treated your mom, just like a criminal. Cindy has done nothing wrong...except like you.”

“If she liked me so much…”

“She does, you idiot! Anybody can see that she is crazy about you…anybody except her father I suppose, but that’s another story.”

Jeff sighed and placed both hands on Stevie’s shoulders. “Listen to me and please try to understand. The reason your mother and I are in this stupid mess is cuz I didn’t learn this lesson until I saw you doing the same thing to Cindy. Do you want to end up like me? With a girl you like more than anything in the world mad at you forever because you were a jerk accusing her of something she didn’t do? Do you want to lose Cindy like I lost Wendy?”

Stricken by those words, Stevie stared at his father until his eyes blurred. “Are you and Mom…are you getting a divorce?”

“God I hope not,” Jeff said, sighing again.

They stared at each other for a long time. “Just like Wendy, Cindy is a very pretty girl and pretty girls always get hit on and it doesn’t matter if they have a boyfriend or a husband. Guys will still try, so you just gotta live with that, and if you can’t…well, then you will lose the girl, maybe permanently. You have to trust her, just like I have to learn to trust Wendy,” Jeff said. “I just don’t want you to be like me, Stevie. Don’t be a jealous guy. You’ll be miserable for a very long time if you are.”

Stevie nodded and looked down at his feet. “You think you and Mom can work stuff out?”

“I don’t know if it’s too late for us,” Jeff said, sadly. “But I’m going to give it one more try, as soon as you and me are done talking. This may be the last shot we’ve got.”

“Okay,” Stevie said, brightening a little. “Go talk to Mom.”

“Not until I know you understand what I’m saying. Cindy probably could get any boy she wants. She’s that cute, but you have to remember she’s with you. I always forgot that about your mother. Doesn’t matter who she talks to, who flirts with her, who she’s nice to. She always comes back to me and only me. I get the feeling Cindy’s like that too. Bit soon to tell, cuz she’s so young, but then so are you.”

“I’m the same age you were when you found Mom. You told me!” Stevie said.

Jeff nodded. “Yeah, chip off the old, same, stupid block. Unless you learn the lesson now.”

“Okay,” Stevie said, frowning slightly. “What should I do?”

“Find Cindy and apologize.”

“But what should I say?”

“The truth,” Jeff said, “Tell her you were being stupid jealous, because you like her so much that you were scared of losing her, but that you’re going to try from now on to trust her and not get all crazy on her.”

Stevie slumped against the wall. “Do I gotta tell her all that?”

“Oh, yeah, and you gotta mean it.” Jeff paused here to look through his smart phone looking for a video on youtube. “Here ya go. Play this song for Cindy. She might understand without you having to say anything but I’m sorry.”

“I don’t have my phone with me,” he said, looking at the guy playing the piano. “He kinda looks like a grown up Harry Potter.”

“Hmm,” Jeff said, looking at it too. “It’s the glasses. But that’s John Lennon. Here, take mine, just don’t lose it.”

“Okay, Dad,” Stevie said, putting it in his pocket and looking around he added, “Um…where do you think she is?”

“Girls like to run to the lady’s room to cry.”

Stevie grimaced. “I made her cry?”

“You betcha,” Jeff said. “Words hurt, Stevie, and you decided to add insult to injury by mentioning the girls you were going to dance and make out with, especially the one with the big knockers. So, yeah, safe to say you hurt Cindy’s feelings big time and I’ll bet anything she’s still crying.”

“Guess you made Mom cry, too?” Stevie asked, flushing.

Jeff nodded. “We’re both kinda stupid, but I hope it’s not too late for you.”

“Or you, too,” Stevie said.

“Let’s go get our girls, then,” Jeff said.

Stevie gave his father a quick hug and said, “Good luck, Dad.”

“You too,” Jeff whispered as he watched Stevie sprinting toward the restrooms. “We’re both gonna need it.”

©2013 Glory Lennon All Rights Reserved