Ch 115 Promises you don’t intend to keep

     “Wes, will you promise me something?” Janet asked as they walked hand-in-hand to the house.

          “Not unless it’s a promise I don’t intend to keep,” he replied.

          “Like what?” she asked, turning at the top step so they were now at the same eye level.

          He grinned, putting his hands around her waist and pulling her closer. “For instance, I can’t promise to keep my hands to myself.”

          “Oh, really?” she said, pretending to scowl. “You better or I’ll smack you or something.”

          He laughed. “Yes, ma’am, but I can’t promise not to kiss you,” he said, leaning in and kissing her. 

          She smiled and tossed her arms around his neck. “So, this is what it’s like, huh?” she said.

           “What is?”

          “Being your height,” she said, bumping her nose with his and giggling. “I’m your size now.”

          He grinned. “Guess so,” he replied, “Do you like it?”

          “Better than getting a crick in the neck from looking up so much,” she said.

          “You’re not that little,” he protested.

          “Not in heels, but I don’t wear them often,” she said. “You must not like it… always having to bend down just for a kiss.”

          “I’d do somersaults and back flips if I had to just for a kiss from you. Besides, I like the size you are. You make me feel like a big, strong guy.”

          “You are a big, strong guy,” she said.

          “See? I’ve even convinced you.”

          They both laughed, then kissed for a long moment.

          “So, what do you want me to promise?” Wes asked. 

         “You have to finish this project before Saturday. I want you to spend every waking moment on it so you can make it to the gala. I know I said I wouldn’t mind if you missed it, but I wish you would come anyway. Promise me?”

       His heart might have turned to ice. Just great, it couldn’t be an easier promise to keep, such as to invent a renewable, clean fuel to power everything in the USA for a dime? 

  

      “Janet, this is a huge project. If I stayed home from school all week, I still wouldn’t be able to do it,” he said.

      “So, if it’s impossible for you to meet the deadline, there’s no need for you to miss the gala,” she said, smiling at him.

      She might as well have stabbed him in the chest with a switchblade. Why did she have to be this smart? He hated lying. He swore to her he never would again, and here he was doing it. “Well, no, it’s not impossible…if I use the whole weekend to finish it,” he said.

      Janet pouted. “But you can still try to do it before the weekend. Promise me you’ll try, please, Wes. It wouldn’t be the same without you there. You’re the reason this is happening.”

      “How do you figure that? I didn’t tell Luke you could sing. You were the one who turned karaoke into an audition. It’s all you, babe.”

      “Yes, but you’re the one who took me to your cousin’s engagement party in the first place, so I could meet him and Alana. And I’m pretty sure they just liked just me more than the way I sang mostly cuz I wasn’t fawning all over Luke.”

      He stared into her beautiful, innocent looking eyes and felt his insides melt a little. “Will you hate me if I can’t do it?” he said, suddenly very serious, perhaps even frightened.

      She gave him a coy, little smile. “Would it be good motivation if I said yes?”

      He forced a smile. “If I truly believed you. Okay, I promise I’ll try if you promise not to be mad when I fail.”

      “If you fail, which I know you won’t, because I know you’re the best computer genius and you’re gonna try as hard as you can. Promise me then?”

      He hesitated a moment then nodded. “Okay, I promise not to ruin your big night,” he said, and that was no lie.

      She hugged him again and kissed him for a good, long time. “You’re a pretty good boyfriend,” she said.

       “And you’re the best girlfriend ever,” he whispered, holding her tight. That was pure truth.

*****

          Wendy drew in a deep breath when Jasmine left the kitchen. She then turned and placed Troy’s plate in the dishwasher. “Please, stop, Jeffery,” she whispered.

       “What?” he said, after eating the last bit of cake and handing over the empty plate. “I’m doing nothing.”

      “Stop looking at me like that,” she said.

      “Can’t help it,” he said, resentful and angry and wishing they were once more alone in the house. Things had been so good then. It was only when everyone came home that they started fighting again. 

      “It’s how I always look at you. Wanna know why? Cuz I want you, Wendy, and nothing’s gonna stop me from wanting you, not ever.”

      “We can’t do this now. Everybody’s here and…there’s nothing to be gained by it. You should go home. We’ll see you at church in the morning.”

      “No, I don’t think so. I’ll be too hung over,” he snarled.

      “You’re going to a bar? Now?” she asked, getting angry herself.

       “No, I’ve learned that lesson. I’m heading straight home to drown my sorrows in a bottle of Jack or Jose Cuervo or whatever the hell my uncle stashed away in the bungalow before he died and left it to me, and if I’m lucky I’ll die just like he did of alcohol poisoning or maybe I’ll take a midnight swim and just plain drown, then maybe you can live happily ever after with…without me.”

      He knew he went too far when he saw her turn away, but not before he caught sight of her bottom lip trembling and her eyes welling with tears.

      “Wendy, I’m sorry,” he said wrapping his arms around her. He felt her stiffen against him. “You know I didn’t mean it.”

      “That’s just it, Jeffery,” Wendy said, fighting back the tears, pushing out of his arms. “You never think before you speak and words mean something and they can hurt.”

      “Do you think it’s easy for me to be away from you?” he said. “It’s killing me, Wendy! I’ve been patient and I’ve tried to give you space, but I’m at the end of my rope, especially now that I know I didn’t even do what I thought I did. I need you. I need to be back home with you and with the kids or I’ll just…I’ll go mad.” He pulled her into his arms then and kissed her crushing her against him. 

      Slam, went the front door. 

      “Mom, Dad? We’re home,” Janet shouted. “Hello? Anybody here?”

      “Somebody just shoot me,” Jeff muttered under his breath, still holding on to Wendy, who was now struggling to be set free.

      “Jeffery, please, just go,” she whispered, pushing out of his arms. “I don’t want to fight anymore, and we will if you stay. So just go, Jeffery. Please.”

      “Wendy…”

      “Oh, there you are,” Janet said. “Hi, Daddy!”

      “Hey, Baby,” Jeff said, trying to smile.

       Janet hugged him, then frowned as she looked at him closely. “You okay?”

He nodded. 

“How did you get frosting on your shirt?” she asked.

“Just…one of those things,” he said. 

“You got between Ms. Meadows and the cake, huh?” Wes said, grinning.

“One of the hazards of trying to sneak a taste before the cake’s done,” Jeff replied.

Janet giggled. “I’m sure Mom will let you have some now.”

“Already did,” he said, kissing her cheek. “Getting late, though, so I’ll be going. Just wanted to make sure you got home all right.”

“Oh, no, don’t go yet,” Janet said, clinging to his arm. “I have so much to tell you.”

“Oh?” Jeff said, frowning slightly. “Something happen?”

“No, not really, just…” Janet paused and glanced at Wes. “Um… will you be able to take me to Luke’s for rehearsal this week?”

“Babe, I can still take you,” Wes interjected.

“No, you won’t. I don’t want you wasting your valuable time being my chauffer. You know what you promised,” she said.

“What’s going on?” Jeff said, frowning as he looked from one to the other.

“Wes got three new clients today and one of them wants a website done ASAP and will pay him tons of money to do it on time…and he will do it. He promised so he can come to the gala,” Janet said. “Right, Wes?”

Wes suddenly felt like a deer in the headlights of a mack truck. “I said I would try, but…”

“You’re not going to the gala because of a stupid website? You’d miss Janet’s big night for money?” Jeff shouted.

Stung by those harsh words, Wes seemed to shrink. “I…I don’t want to, but…”

“Some boyfriend you are!”

“Jeffery, that’s not fair,” Wendy interjected. “I’m sure this is a huge business opportunity for him.”

“It’s okay, Daddy. He’ll do it. I know he will and he’ll come to the gala. He promised and he always keeps his promises to me,” Janet said, smiling at Wes as if he were her Prince Charming.

Wes, however, didn’t much feel like a prince. In fact, he felt like crap, and going by the way her father was staring daggers at him, Jeff thought the same thing, that he was nothing more than a big pile of manure.

“Wes, would you like a piece of cake? I thought the others would have come down by now, but…” Wendy said, as casually as she could muster under the stressful circumstance. “I have no idea what has become of your father and Tristan. Would you mind looking for them, Sweetie. Everyone I have sent so far has come up empty or fallen into an abyss or something.”

“I…uh…okay,” he said, and he quickly left, before Jeff got the notion to punch him.

He went into the living room and then onto the family room.

“Hey!” he shouted, making the two kids on the couch jump about a foot into the air and spring apart. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Just…just watching TV,” Cindy said, releasing Stevie’s hand.

“That’s not what I just saw. You keep your hands off my sister, Stevie, if you know what’s good for you,” Wes snarled. 

“You’re not the boss of me. You can’t tell me what to do,” Stevie snapped.

“Maybe not, but my dad can.”

“Please, Wes, don’t tell Dad!” Cindy said, jumping up from the couch, grabbing her brother’s arm. “It was just one kiss and it won’t happen again. I won’t let it!”

“Cindy…” Stevie said, stunned and hurt.

“We’re just friends, Stevie,” she said, turning her back on Wes and staring at Stevie with eyes extra wide. “I’ll help you with Spanish and you help me with math, but that’s it. Okay? I…I’m too young for a boyfriend.”

He stared at her in disbelief. He thought she liked him, so what was all this just friends thing about? But then he watched her lips move with no sound. He wasn’t much of a lip reader but she seemed to be saying, “Play along.”

“Uh…okay. Just friends then,” he said, staring at her lips and the tiny smile appearing there.

“You’d do better if you asked before you go kissing just any girl. You can easily get in trouble doing that,” Wes said, calming down considerably. “You know where Dad is?”

“Upstairs reading to Tristan,” Stevie said, glaring resentfully at him.

Wes glared right back. “Can I trust you alone with my sister?”

“It’s okay, Wes. Stevie knows now,” Cindy said, soothingly before Stevie said something they’d both regret.

Wes looked from one to the other, then left. 

Stevie frowned at her. “So, are we just friends?”

Cindy looked over her shoulder and seeing no one she swiftly kissed him. “It’s our secret, okay?”

He smiled in relief and grabbed her hand. “You had me worried there for a minute. Thought maybe you didn’t like me.”

“I do, but we have to be careful or we won’t even be allowed to stay friends, okay?”

He nodded. He could handle a secret. “Let’s get some cake.”

*****

Wes went up the stairs and assumed the only bedroom he had not been in was the guest room, there he opened the door and found his father fast asleep with his arm around little Tristan and the book he had been reading fallen to the floor.

A lump formed in his throat. He remembered so well, when his father would do the same with him and his mother would come in to wake him up. He didn’t realize it until now, but he missed those times and he missed his mother. 

Wes sort of felt bad waking him, but they should already be home. He got the feeling Janet’s parent had things to talk about without all these people around. Beside that, he didn’t care what Cindy said, he still didn’t trust Stevie to keep his hands to himself.

He went to the bed and shook his father saying in a low voice, “Dad, wake up. We should get home now.”

Donny drew in a deep breath before his eyes opened and blinked several times. He then looked around him and frowned in confusion.

“You fell asleep reading to Tristan. Green eggs and ham ring a bell?” Wes asked, smirking.

“Oh,” Donny said, as he carefully slid his arm out from under the little boy and stood up. He stared at Tristan for a while then stretched. “I remember doing the same with you,” he said, smiling at Wes.

“I know. Good times,” Wes replied, stepping to the door, his father following. They turned off the light, closed the door behind them and headed down the stairs. “Makes me miss Mom, though. She was the one who woke you up.”

"Yeah, I miss that, too," Donny said, sadly.

*****

“Is there cake?” Stevie asked, rushing into the kitchen, pulling Cindy by the hand.

“Yes, some for you too, Cindy?” Wendy asked as she cut a big slice for Stevie.

“Tiny piece, please,” she replied. “Hi, Janet.”

“Hi, Cindy,” Janet said, then turned to her father. “So, you can take me, Dad, to rehearsal? After dinner we can go and Luke can bring me back home. He offered today, but then Wes showed up and… are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, baby,” Jeff said. “If it’s okay with your Mom.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk with you about, Jeffery,” Wendy said. “I have to spend a lot of time at the restaurant this week to make changes before we reopen. I was hoping you could stay with the kids after you close up shop. I’ll have dinner ready. You’ll just need to warm it up.”

"That's awesome, Dad!" Stevie said. "Just like this week while Mom was gone."

That was it? That was all she wanted to talk about? Jeff stared at her in disbelief. She could have asked him over the phone, yet she made him come over and then completely forgot to mention it until now. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.

“Dad?” Janet said.

Jeff cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes, fine. I’ll be here, but, Janet, you might consider getting a better boyfriend; one who will be there for you, always.” He stared at Wendy, as if he meant the words for her too.

“Wes loves Janet and he’s a great guy,” Cindy said, looking stricken.

“He’s not that great,” Stevie mumbled, then stuffed his mouth full of cake.

“That’s not fair, Dad. Wes has been there for me more than he should have. He’s been neglecting his business because of me. I just didn’t know it until tonight. So, I’m the one that’s been selfish, expecting him to drop everything for me. He’s a very good boyfriend. Really,” Janet adamantly said.

“Sure, baby,” Jeff said, kissing her cheek. “I better get home.”

“Can’t you stay a bit? I have so much to tell you,” Janet said smiling brightly. “I had the best rehearsal ever today. Luke and Alana were practically doing back flips. She’s finally got it by jove! They kept saying,” she giggled. “You will be at the gala like you promised?”

“Absolutely, nothing could keep me away. And if you had a better boyfriend…”

“Daddy!”

“Okay, good night,” Jeff said, giving her a final bone-crushing hug. “Love my girl.”

“Love you too, Daddy,” she whispered, suddenly feeling so sad that he was leaving.

He cast one final glance at Wendy, who stood with her back to him, waved at Stevie and Cindy, then left the kitchen. In the foyer he looked up and saw Wes and his father coming down the stairs. “So, that’s where you were,” Jeff said.

“Fell asleep reading to Tristan,” Donny said, sheepishly. "It's weird. I used to finish Green eggs and ham before that happens."

“Not always, Dad,” Wes said.

“Wendy’s got cake, but you better hurry before it’s all gone,” Jeff said, opening the door and leaving without a backward glance.

“He didn't seem happy, did he?"

"That might be my fault," Wes muttered.

"I doubt that. He and Wendy...you know. You coming?” Donny asked, turning toward the kitchen.

“I gotta talk to Mr. Fummel first,” Wes said, swiftly stepping outside.

Jeff looked up just as he reached his truck. “Something wrong?” he asked, watching Wes sprint toward him.

“Yes, I wanted to explain why I can’t go to the gala,” Wes said taking his cell phone out of his pocket. “Can I see your phone for a minute?”

Jeff gave him a funny look. “What the hell for?”

“Please?”

Jeff glared at him as he fished his phone out of the car. He handed it to Wes and watched him putting them face to face and heard a tiny blip sound and then another. When he took the phone back he asked, “What was that for?”

“I just shared two videos. One Alana shared with me. It’s Janet singing while I wasn’t there today and there’s a second one which I took of her singing the exact same song about a week ago. Look at them, compare them and you’ll see why I can’t go to the gala. It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s that I shouldn’t, cuz if I do, I’ll ruin everything for Janet. I won’t do that. I care too much for her to risk that. I’m not the dirt bag you think I am… even if I feel like I am for disappointing her.”

Jeff stared at him frowning. “So, you’re not even going to try to finish this project? You told her you would. You promised, but you lied to her?”

“It’s just an excuse. The only one I could come up with that she would understand,” Wes frantically explained. “I have more time than what I said to finish it, but please don’t tell her that and don’t tell her about the singing thing. Luke thinks it’ll mess up her performance if she's aware of it. Please, Mr. Fummel, this could really be a big deal for her. She could become a real singing star. I don’t want it messed up...even if it means losing her.”

Jeff stared at him, his expression softening ever so slowly as he recalled Janet's words. "She's finally got it, by jove," he whispered.

Wes frowned in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

Jeff ignored him because his mind was elsewhere, all the way back to high school, when he couldn't risk losing Wendy even if it meant ruining her dream of becoming a world-class chef. Had Jeff done as Wes was doing now, sacrificed and allowed Wendy to chase her dream, Jeff might not feel like such a dirt bag right now, especially compared to this kid. 

“You’re a better man than I am,” Jeff mumbled and he jumped into his truck and backed out of the driveway, leaving Wes to wonder if he would keep his secret.

“I sure hope so,” Wes muttered.