Ch96 Break the Ice

“’Bout time you got here!” Steve grumbled, Janet, Wes and Jeff came into the kitchen. “We’ve been waiting forever.” 

“Some of us have,” Cindy said, eying the half eaten roll in his hand then turning to smile at her brother. “Hi, Wes!”

She hugged him. “Hi, Cindy,” he said and he kissed her cheek.

“Aww, that’s so sweet,” Jeff said.

“I only have one little sister,” Wes said.

“Everything’s ready. Grab a plate and let’s eat,” Jasmine shouted.

“How was work?” Cindy asked as she watched Stevie and Troy push each other to be first at the food.

“Three computers done, one with a potentially bad problem,” Wes replied. “But I got it in time. And I may get a new client. He’s thinking about  having me make a website for him. We’ll see.”

“Cool! Who is it?” Cindy said, excitedly.

“Um…just a bar down port,” he said, all too conscious that Jeff was listening.

“Down port? Janet, you shouldn’t be down there alone. It’s not safe there, not for a young girl,” Jeff sternly said, glowering at Wes.

“But I wasn’t alone, Daddy. Wes was with me and Uncle Gus would be mad if he he heard you calling Off the Hook a bad place.”

“Gus?” Jeff said, the color draining from his face.

“I would never let anything happen to Janet, Mr. Fummel,” Wes interjected.

Jeff ignored him and stared at Janet, whose cheeks suddenly glowed bright pink. “You saw Gus?”

"Yes."

"And...what did he say?"

“He says hello,” Janet evasively said, reaching for two plates, handing one to Wes and holding the other out to her father.

“Thank you,” he said, continuing to stare at her as if she were a ghost or something dangerous. "Anything else?"

"Um...I tried to tell him he'd get more winter business if he had a website," she said.

“Omigosh, that looks yummy!” Cindy said dishing some meaty-cheesey ziti onto her plate.

“Course it is. My mom made it,” Stevie said.

“What does everybody want to drink?” Janet asked opening the refrigerator. “Would you like a beer, Daddy?”

“You have beer?” he asked frowning.

“Uh, I guess we don’t…anymore. Sorry,” Janet said.

“You kids aren’t drinking beer I hope,” Jeff said particularly looking at the boys.

“Not here,” Troy said, carelessly. “My brother let me try some a couple years back at his birthday party. I liked it. Can’t wait to be of age so I can have some!”

“Um…hate to tell ya this, Troy, but that wasn’t beer,” Janet said. “It was kool-ade mixed with ginger ale or something. Trent just told you it was beer.”

“How do you know?”

“I was there,” Janet replied, bringing a pitcher of lemonade to the table and then going back for glasses. “I saw Trent mixing it up and he bet me he could trick you into thinking it was beer. Guess he was right.”

“I’m gonna kill him!”

“It was three years ago. Let it rest,” Wes said, angrily. "He did you a favor."

“What’s up with you?” Troy said. “You weren’t the one tricked.”

“And I never will be. Unlike you, I’m never gonna drink, not wine, not beer, not any alcohol EVER! Anyone who does is an idiot,” Wes said.

Silence fell around the table as they all gaped at him. 

After a minute Stevie whispered to his father, “Their mother was killed by a drunk driver. That must be why he’s upset.”

Jeff nodded and after a minute he said, “I’m glad to hear you say you’re willing to wait until you’re older, Troy, before you start drinking. Alcohol has been scientifically proven to hinder the growth of brain cells especially in young people and it actually does a good deal of damage  and cause behavioral problems. I quite agree with Wes. Only idiots drink,” he said. “I’ve definitely lost my taste for it and I’m much older than you. I swore off the stuff forever.”

“Really, Daddy?” Jasmine said, stunned.

“Yep,” he replied. “Alcohol ruined my life, Jazzy, and apparently countless others lives as well. I’m sorry about your mother, Wes and Cindy. It shouldn’t happen to such a nice lady.”

Cindy nodded then looked down at her plate, blinking rapidly.

“Thank you, Sir,” Wes mumbled, just as Janet took his hand and squeezed it. He smiled at her, albeit sadly.

They returned to eating in near silence, the mood somber now.

“I come from a long line of heavy drinkers,” Troy said, out of nowhere.

“That explains so much,” Janet muttered to herself.

Wes shaking with suppressed laughter beside her showed he heard her.

“But none of them ever drive drunk,” Troy continued. “They just go to parties and sleep it off there or sit at home drinking and…”

“Slowly killing brain cells and damaging livers,” Janet said.

Troy frowned then shrugged. “Yeah, probably,” he said. “Wait, I thought you hated my brother.”

“Me?” Janet said. “I don’t hate him. I just don’t like him much.”

“Then why would you talk to him at the party?”

“Well…he’s still a hoot. Your whole family is,” Janet said.

“You serious?”

“’Course,” she said. “Your Uncle Darrel and Grandpa Wally and, oh, my favorite is your Aunt Glady. I love ‘em! Never laugh so much as I do at one of your family gatherings.”

Troy gaped at her, actually forgetting he still had food on his plate. “Are you kidding me?”

Janet laughed and shook her head. “I was this close,” she said holding thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “to asking Trent to marry me just to see what a wedding with all those kooks would be like. Wouldn't mind being part of your family.”

Wes choked on his food and Janet had to thump him on his back.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Hope you’re not serious,” Wes said, after he could breathe again.

“’Course not,” she replied, casting a furtive glance at her father. “I’m already engaged.”

“Excuse me?” Wes shouted.

Janet laughed again. “I was only eight or something, so I’m not sure it counts. What do you think, Daddy?”

Jeff gaped at her. “I can’t believe you remember that,” he said, incredulous.

“Remember what?” Jasmine asked looking from one to the other. “Daddy, you didn’t arrange a marriage for Janet, did you?”

Jeff laughed. “Not exactly. It was more like a proposal.”

Completely intrigued, Jasmine stared from Janet to her dad and watched them both laugh, obviously sharing a private joke. “Come on, tell us.”

“It’s just a Freudian thing. You wouldn’t understand,” Janet said.

Jasmine made a funny face. “Is that like…science or something?”

“Or something,” Jeff muttered.

Wes watched this with great interest, until a light lit up in his mind and he thought he knew what it was about. 

He leaned over and whispered in Janet’s ear, “I get it. The only way you’ll marry me is if I’m just like your dad. That’s the Freudian thing, right?”

“Uh…no,” she said, a little too quickly.

“That is it, and you already said I remind you of him a little, so…”

“Shut up, genius, and eat,” she replied, blushing crimson.

Wes grinned. “I’m your Freudian thing. You just won’t admit it…just like you won’t admit you’re in love with me.”

She  didn't much like this turn of events. She most certainly would not admit either of those…even if they were true, which they weren’t! 

But at least she did kind of break the ice with her dad. She glanced at Jeff and caught him grinning at her and then he winked. She smiled and looked away. 

Now if she could only find a way to really talk to him.