Ch 58: Almost there

   

Janet and Dawn stared at the woman who just bounded into the restroom.

“Hey, is there a Janet in here?” she said. 

“Uh, yes? I’m Janet,” she said, a confused expression on her face.

“There’s a boy out there looking for you. He looks ready to call in the Marines. He must think you fell into the toilet and drowned,” she said, laughing and she walked off into a stall.

“Oh, that must be Wes!” Janet said, placing her hands to her cheeks.

“Who’s Wes?” Dawn asked.

“Um…my boyfriend,” she replied.

“Aww, Honey! I didn’t know you had a boyfriend. How lovely,” Dawn said, giving her a quick hug. “He must be worried. You’ve been gone too long and boys don’t like to wait.”

 “Can I ask one more thing?”

“Sure.”

“How do you know for sure my dad can’t remember? Couldn’t he be lying?”

Dawn laughed and shook her head. “If there’s one thing Jeff can’t do, it is lie, especially to me. I see right through him.”

“So, you really think he doesn’t remember anything after the bar?”

“Until he woke up in Karen’s house.”

“And…what did he do then? After he woke up?”

“Came to me. Woke me right out of a great dream, too. Johnny Depp dumped his gorgeous wife for me and everything.”

Janet would have laughed, but this was too important. “What did he say?”

“In that drunk pirate speak he said…”

“Not Jack Sparrow! Dad!”

“Oh… well, after I yelled at him for about an hour, he asked how he should tell Wendy about Karen and I told him he shouldn’t,” she retorted.

“You told him to lie to Mom?” Janet shrieked.

“No, just omit who it was. She wouldn’t have been nearly as upset if it had been any other person. I think I had him convince, but Karen beat him to it,” Dawn said bitterly.

“What do you mean?”

“Karen couldn’t help gloating. She was probably on the phone with Wendy before Jeff stumbled through my door. She finally got what she had so wanted for so long, to stick it to Wendy. She certainly wanted your mom to know it was she Jeff spent the night with. Did I mention Karen’s a total bitch and that I hate her?”

“You don’t really think Mom would have been okay with it if…” Janet said.

“Not okay, but I’ll bet anything they would be back together by now,” Dawn said sadly. 

“You really think so?” Janet asked, utterly incredulous.

“I do. Jeff being with any woman might have been forgiven, especially because he was too drunk to remember, but it was Karen. There is too much animosity there for much forgiveness. Wendy saw Karen as the ultimate betrayal and your mom can hold a grudge like no one I know.”

“Sounds like me,” Janet muttered, uncomfortably.

“Honey, why don’t you ask him yourself if you want to know everything? He’ll tell you the whole story…what there is for him to tell, what he recalls,” Dawn said. “Jeff misses you so much, Janet.” 

Janet shook her head. “I…I can’t.”

“Know what he regrets most…besides hurting Wendy?” Dawn asked standing up and hitching her purse strap onto her shoulder. “Losing his Janet baby’s love, respect and trust.”

Janet nodded as tears sprung to her eyes again. “Thank you, Dawn.” 

“He messed up royally and he knows it, but he’s only human and worse, he’s male. It’s up to us females to forgive him for that. I’ll see you around, Sweetie,” Dawn said, giving her a peck on the cheek before she left.

Janet took a moment to look into the mirror again. She still looked pale and her eyes over-bright, but it would have to do. She stepped out of the restroom and ran right into Wes. She bounced off him, but he grabbed her before she fell to the floor.

“Janet, are you all right?” he asked anxiously.

“Yes, I’m sorry I took so long. I was talking to someone I know,” she said.

“You sure you’re okay?” he said.

She smiled and kissed him. “Did you save me any dessert?” she asked taking his hand.

“Yeah,” he said, grinning. “But Troy still looked hungry when I came to get you, so…”

She laughed and they went back to the table where she saw her father, looking as anxious as Wes had been. 

Jeff stood up from her seat as they approached.  “Janet baby, are you feeling all right?” Jeff asked.

She laughed. “You sound like Wes,” she said, taking her seat. 

“Excuse me?” Jeff said, baffled.

“Freudian thing,” Janet replied and she smiled at him.

Jeff gaped, stunned. Had Janet actually smiled at him and not spoken in a snide tone? He then slowly looked to Jasmine who beamed and nodded and then to Wes who seemed just as surprised, but also happy. Apparently, they noticed it too.

“I…uh…ordered this for you,” Jeff said, pushing the dessert in front of her. “You used to love rice pudding.”

“Still do. Thank you…Daddy,” Janet replied, picking up her spoon.

Jeff thought he might die. “You’re welcome, baby,” he whispered, his voice constricted all of a sudden.

Just then a waiter came to the table and handed Wes his credit card. “Sorry, Mr. Sebastian, your card has been rejected,” he said with a grin.

“That’s impossible!” Wes shouted.

“No, I mean Mr. Frank won’t allow you to pay for dinner. He says you’re the reason we’re all working again. You brought us Ms. Wendy, and let me tell you, we’re so happy about that,” he said, then lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone he added, “She’s so much better than Viktor, you have no idea! There’s a party in the kitchen!”  He then bounded off humming to himself.

“Party in the kitchen, huh?” Cindy said grinning at Janet and Jeff. “Guess you two were right.”

“Two peas in a pod, just like Mom always says,” Steve said, in a slightly resentful tone.

Janet glanced at her father. “Great minds think alike,” she said, then she looked down and ate the last of her pudding.

“When did you give them your credit card, Wes?” Donny asked.

“When you weren’t looking,” Wes replied, smirking as he pulled his wallet out and inserted his card. “We ready to go?”

“I want more cake,” Steve whined as they all got up, heading out.

“You had all of yours and half of mine,” Cindy chided.

“Troy had his and all of Jasmine’s plus some of your dad’s,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, but he’s a pig. No more cake for you!” she said, giggling.

“Well, it was really nice seeing you all,” Jeff said, mostly looking at Janet who was being helped on with her coat by Wes.

“Don’t forget, Dad, Tuesday, four o’clock, at Skylerton, at the middle school. Be there,” Steve told him after he hugged him.

“Sure will, Stevie,” Jeff said. “Good night, Janet.”

“Good night.... Daddy,” she said and grabbing Wes by the arm she swiftly went out into the night.

“Good night, Mr. Fummel!” Wes shouted as he was pulled away.

Jasmine went up to him with a huge hug and a kiss. “She’s coming around, Daddy. I’ll bet anything Wes has something to do with it. He’s really good for her,” she whispered. “You’ll see. You’ll have your Janet baby soon enough.”

“I love you, Jazzy,” Jeff said, hugging her extra long. “So much.”

It was almost like hugging Janet.