Chapter 37: The best laid plans

Janet tiptoed down the stairs freshly dressed and ready for church. She went into the kitchen assuming she’d be the only one up so early. She was very mistaken.

“What happened to needing your beauty sleep?” she said to her twin, who didn’t look nearly as wide eyed and awake as Janet did.

“We didn’t finish our discussion last night,” Jasmine said, fighting a yawn.

“Think we did. Go back to bed,” Janet replied as she went about making herself some breakfast.

“Janet, Daddy isn’t…”

“Don’t start,” Janet growled. “I’m in a good mood and I intend to stay that way.”

Jasmine sighed and watched her sister taking out milk, farina and a sauce pan. “You didn’t tell me what you did all day with Wes,” she said propping her head on her arm, her eyes half closed.

“I did…oh, except for the wild orgy we had in his room until his sister interrupted us,” Janet said casually.

“The brat,” Jasmine mumbled.

“I was kidding about the orgy, Jazz, and she’s not a brat! She’s very sweet…looks just like their mother,” Janet said frowning slightly. “I forgot to ask Stevie if he would tutor her in math. She’s having trouble and Wes just confuses her.”

“What were you doing before Cindy came in?” Jasmine asked.

“Already told you that.”

“Okay, so, what did you do after Cindy left you alone again? Make out some more perhaps on his bed?”

“Get your mind out of the gutter. I’m not that easy and Wes isn’t a degenerate,” Janet said angrily.

"You don't have to be a degenerate to want to kiss," Jasmine said, getting grumpy.

“It's no big deal. I just kissed him to thank him for the website he did. He did it all on his own, you know. I didn’t ask him to. It was very nice of him.”

“I’m sure. Then what happened?”

“I made dinner for them.”

“You did what?” Jasmine said, snapping to attention.

“You heard me. It's so pathetic, Jazzy. They pretty much live on cornflakes and grilled cheese sandwiches,” Janet said, stirring the pot.

“Not much different than most kids with working moms. We’re spoiled, Janet. Mom almost always makes dinner, even when she does work,” Jasmine replied.

“I guess we are,” Janet said sprinkling in cinnamon. “Then I got Mr. Sebastian to take us to the movies.”

 “Wow, that man does nothing but work anymore. How did you manage it?” Jasmine asked.

“I can be very charming when I want to be,” Janet said. 

“And manipulative as I well know,” Jasmine said, smirking.

“The movie was horrible. Closed my eyes for most of it.”

“Perfect time for more kissing,” Jasmine said stifling another yawn.

“Do you think of nothing else?” Janet said, annoyed. “I do whatever is needed and they needed to get out as a family and have fun. This time it took tears. He caved like an abandoned coal mine. Men are so easy.”

“So, after the movie...?” Jasmine asked.

“I told you already. We went for ice cream.”

“And then?”

“Wes brought me home. What exactly were you expecting? A romp in the backseat of his car? You should know right now that’s never happening,” Janet said. And even if it did, she thought to herself, she wasn’t about to tell her sister.

“And you wouldn’t tell me if you did anyway,” Jasmine said, reading her mind. “You know what they say about the best laid plans, don’t you?”

“I never much liked Robert Burns,” Janet said, pouring the hot cereal into a bowl.

“They often go awry. One day you will want a romp and Wes will be most willing and eager to give you one. I’ll be right here waiting for you to tell me all about it,” Jasmine said, standing up and stretching her arms over her head. “I thought I would be the first one with a good romp under her belt, but I wonder about that now.” 

“Jasmine…” Janet said, then she sighed. “Forget it. You just don’t get it.”

“Well, very soon one of us will get it and you better tell me cuz I’m gonna tell you,” she said. “See ya after church.”

“No, I’m going with them to a party, so I don’t know when I’ll be back. Can you tell Mom for me? I don’t think she’ll mind,” Janet said.

Jasmine stared at her and blinked. “Oh, really! Another day full of Wes type activities? You will tell me all about it or suffer the consequences.” She turned and slumped up the steps leaving her sister in an irritated snit that not even her sweet farina could fix.

Janet had only just rinsed out her bowl when a soft knock came at the door. She smiled in spite of herself and rushed to it. She had barely opened the door when she was enveloped in strong arms and kissed thoroughly.

“Good morning to you too,” she said breathlessly.

Wes grinned. “Good morning. How is my yenta today?”

“Fine,” she said, laughing.

“You look great. Ready?”

She nodded and closed the door behind them.

“Janet really is pretty, isn’t she, Daddy?” Cindy said.

“Yes, which explains why your brother is crazy about her,” Donny replied, as he too watched them kissing like they hadn’t seen each other in weeks. 

“She’s so nice. If Wes marries her she would be kinda like a sister. A sister-in-law is almost as good as a real sister,” Cindy said excitedly.

“Bit premature for such talk, Cindy. They only just started dating, for goodness sake,” Donny said sternly.

“Good morning!” Janet said, getting into the backseat and scooting over to give Wes some room. She smiled at the two in the front. “Have a good night sleep?”

“We did,” Donny said. “Apparently so did you. You’re a morning person, just like Wes,” he said, bemused.

“Sleeping in is highly overrated,” she said.

“Do you always get this pretty for church?” Cindy asked.

“Kind of have to or I’ll get yelled at. Jasmine picks out my clothes. It’s just not worth fighting her. She hardly ever lets me wear jeans,” Janet said as Wes put his arm around her and tugged her closer to him. 

“I’m gonna have to thank her next time I see her,” he whispered so only she could hear.

“Why?” she said, surprised. “I don’t look good in jeans?”

“You look great in them, but you’re really hot in dresses,” he said.

“I am?” she said, shocked. He nodded and then kissed her.

“Janet, did you ask Steve about helping me with math?” Cindy asked.

“Oh, uh...” Janet said pushing Wes away. “Um…I didn’t see him last night. He was already asleep by the time I came in.”

“Oh, okay,” Cindy said, thoroughly disappointed.

“But I’ll ask him as soon as we get back from the party,” Janet rushed to say.

“You’re going to a party?” Donny said.

“No, we are going to a party, all of us,” Janet said. “You too, Mr. Sebastian.”

“Sorry, I have a few appointments in the afternoon,” he said.

“That’s very naughty of you, Mr. Sebastian, not keeping the Sabbath day holy. You’ll get hell from Father Brimstone,” Janet said. “Getting hell from Father Brimstone is worse than actually going to hell, you know.” 

Cindy giggled and Wes shook with laughter.

“You better not let him hear you calling him that, Janet,” Donny said, grinning at her in the rearview mirror. “He caught my brother and me one time and he made us polish all the pews at the church. We smelled of lemon oil for a month.”

 The girls burst out laughing just as they entered the church parking lot.

“You never told us that, Dad. I thought Uncle Rob was the troublemaker, not you,” Wes said.

“I never did get in trouble unless Rob was around, but we had fun too,” Donny said, unbuckling his seat belt.

As they went up the steps to the austere edifice, Wes took Janet’s hand.

“We’ll get in trouble for holding hands during mass, you know,” Janet whispered as they entered the quiet darkness of the building.

“If Father Santiago sees us,” he replied. “Let’s just not let him see us.” He then leaned down and kissed her cheek.

“You shouldn’t do that either,” she chastised, her eyes wide.

“It’ll have to do until later,” he whispered. 

“Okay,” she said, smiling as she thought about "later".

As she sat down between Wes and Cindy, her sister’s prediction came back to her. 

“…one of us will get it and you better tell me…” Jasmine had said.

Janet glanced at Wes who smiled at her and squeezed her hand. A funny fluttery feeling started up in her chest and she looked away biting her lip. She just wouldn’t let certain things happen and then she wouldn’t have to tell Jasmine anything.

The best laid plans…