Ch 111 Going Back home

                            

“Wendy? Helloooo, earth to Wendy!”

“Huh?”

“Did you hear anything I’ve been saying?” Alec whined.

“Uh…”

“What is up with you, girl?” he said, exasperated. “Past two days you’ve been an absolute zombie!”

“Oh, sorry, Alec,” she said, as she stared out of the window to the fluffy clouds finally giving way to reveal a lovely sunset and city lights popping on one by one. “We’re landing already?”

“Well, it seems I’ve been talking to myself for the past hour,” he said in a snippy voice. “Although I love me a soliloquy every once in a while I do prefer to be heard.”

“I’m truly sorry, Alec. I’ve just been…”

“Stressing out? Well, don’t! You’ll do great now with your own restaurant…not that you weren’t wonderful before, but…woo-wee! Port Orianco won’t know what hit them when le chic gourmet Wendy’s come to town from the big NYC.”

Ch 110 Back to normal

Back to normal

                   

“Hello, Jasmine,” Jeff said, as he came into the house, removed his jacket and hung it up. 

He hoped things were back to normal with his daughter, but she merely glared at him and walked right past without responding. 

So much for hope. 

“Where’s Troy? You two are usually glued together,” he said, casually.

“What do I care where he is?” she replied.

He ran frustrated fingers through his hair. “Have you started dinner yet?” Jeff asked.

“Why should I?” she said.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, just as Janet came into the foyer and smiled at him. “Oh, I dunno, cuz maybe we’d like to eat. I could call for pizza I suppose.”

Ch 109 Listen to me

“Wendy, listen to me. I screwed up big time.”

She sighed and held the phone away from her ear. Here we go again, Jeffery and his endless I’m sorry, take me back, never do such a fool thing again, forgive me crap. She leaned her head back on the cushion and let the warm water seep through her achy bones, only half listening. 

Who knew cooking could be such a physically exhausting activity? She had always been exhilarated by it when she cooked at home or for parties. She had even had a grand old time in the Picadillo’s kitchen. All the folks there were such fun to work with and so helpful and eager to please. Of course, that was once they realized Wendy was nothing whatsoever like Viktor the dragon.

Ch 108 Queen of Mean

Queen of mean

“So, how’s the big super star?” said the Queen of Mean.

Janet had just pulled the night gown on and popped her head out of the neckline in time to see Jasmine’s snide expression as she-- with arms crossed rigidly in front of her-- leaned on the door frame leading to their shared bathroom.

How the heck was she to answer that? She sighed and ignored her sister, then jumped into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and snuggling in.

“Oh, I see; too much of a hot shot to talk to commoners,” Jasmine goaded.

“What do you want, Jazzy?” Janet said in exasperation.

“Not an autograph, that’s for damn sure,” she snapped.

Ch 107: Just call her

Jeff wandered out onto the porch. He wore no jacket even though it was a bit chilly. It was late enough he should be thinking about getting to bed. Janet, however, wasn’t home yet and he was starting to worry. She had never been out this late before, and it didn’t help knowing that it might be because she also never had a boyfriend until now. 

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Wes…okay, let’s face it, that is exactly what it was. Wes was a teenage boy, after all, and Janet was…well, just as beautiful and as naïve as her mother had been.

Jeff sighed, hating that Janet was now the age Wendy had been when he and she… He forced his thoughts away from such. He would give her ten more minutes and then he’d give her a call…or call out the Marines.

Ch 106: What to do about the kid

“Damn her!” Jeffery snarled, tossing his cell phone onto the counter.

He had tried more than a dozen times and Karen would never take his call. Well, he did avail himself of her voice mail--several times, in fact--and let her know exactly what he thought of her.

“Damn me,” he muttered, hiding his face in his hands, willing himself not to scream in frustration.

He knew full well he ought not to have done that. He shouldn’t have lost his temper and said half of what he did, but he was too angry. He couldn’t keep it in anymore, not if what Janet discovered was true, and it was sounding more and more like it was. Surely now he lost any shot he had of getting Karen to tell Wendy the truth about what she did, and more importantly, what he didn’t do. 

“Oh, Wendy,” he mumbled, his shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m never gonna get you back now and it’s all my stupid-ass fault.”

Ch105 Best Buds

“Hello, Tristan,” Donny said, lowering the poster board he had made with the boy’s picture and name. “Remember talking to me?”

Still clinging to the flight attendant’s hand, the small, blond headed boy stared up with honestly appraising eyes. He pushed his too-long hair out of his eyes and then smiled. 

“Are you gonna be my new daddy?”

Taken completely aback, Donny gaped at him in stunned silence for half a minute then stammered for the other half. He was rescued by the motherly woman who tried her best not to laugh.

Ch 104: Popular Guy

Popular guy

Janet stood in shock as everyone at the party knew her dad—or at least knew of him-- even before she got the chance to introduce him. Who knew he was such a popular guy?

What was even more strange, however, was that no one cared that he was there at Wes' house—except for Jasmine it seemed. Janet couldn’t believe it. Jeff was, after all, an intruding adult at a kids’ party so nobody should have wanted him there. He should have been…well, not exactly persona grata.

“You probably don’t remember me,” Peter said to Jeff.

He stared at him in concentration. “You do look familiar. Are you related to Mike Chandler?”

“Uh…dunno him, so I’m guessing not,” Peter replied with his easy, crooked grin.

Ch 103: What Tangled Webs We Weave

“Let’s try this one,” Luke said, sitting down at the piano and only then letting go of Janet’s hand. 

He had forced her to sit beside him on the bench much to her dismay. Were they really going to sing here at the party in front of everyone, before they were even ready? Janet looked up at Alana who grinned at her and gave her the thumbs up. She must know exactly what was going through Janet’s head.

Peter leaned on the piano staring at Luke’s fingers as they played around the keys and nodded when he recognized the song. “One of my mom’s favorites. Clapton. Sounds better on the guitar, of course, but this will do for now.”

“Do you know this, Janet?” Luke said and he started singing the slow ballad. 

 ♪ ♫…It’s late in the evening; she’s wondering what clothes to wear. She puts on her makeup and brushes her long, long hair…♩ ♬ 

“Blonde…it’s long blonde hair,” Alana interjected.

Luke grinned and shook his head. “Not when I sing it for you, babe,” he said and returned to singing while Alana blushed scarlet.

Ch102 Whether she wants to or not

“Bye, Daddy,” Janet said, holding her father in a semi-death grip. Whether she wants to or not, she had to go now.

Jeff chuckled. “Honey, you’re just going to the movies, right? Not a trip to the moon.”

“Um…yeah, just…” Janet said, biting her lip.

“She’s going to miss you, Mr. Fummel, that’s all,” Wes said, taking her hand and tugging her outside before she changed her mind about going at all. “We’ll see you later.”

“She’s getting so weird,” Stevie said, shaking his head in exasperation as the door closed.

“So, what do you two want to do? Bowling okay?” Jeff asked.

“Oh, please! I haven’t been bowling in so long,” Cindy said. “Wes gave me money and everything, so I can pay for all of us.”