Chapter One: The Bet Of All Bets
The audience clapped loudly as the ballerinas bowed. Jen Cats looked out at the crowd searching for her older brother. Ah, she found him, David, in the center balcony. He was clutching twelve white roses, his usual opening night gift. Jen walked to the changing room with the other dancers.
"Jen you were great tonight," said costar Elizabeth Adams.
"And you too," replied Jen.
Jen changed in to a blue spaghetti strapped dress. She looked in the mirror to see a fair-skinned brunette with bright blue eyes. Jen was in her early twenties. When she got to the outside of the theater, she found her brother talking with her dance partner Jacob Fox. David handed her the flowers and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Why do you give her those all the time?" asked Jacob.
"Tradition!" sang David, like Tevia from "Fiddler on the Roof."
"And I like them," put in Jen, "So are you coming with us." It is also tradition for Jen and David to go out to dinner after a performance or race.
"Yeah, I'm always hungry," answered Jacob.
"I'm driving so give me the keys," said Jen putting her hand out towards David.
"Only because you know where I sleep," said David giving up the keys to his mustang convertible. They headed for the Big Bowl. The hostess seated them to a booth right away.
"Your waiter will be with you in a minuet."
"I 'm going to go to the bathroom. I want the lemon chicken," said David as he walked towards the bathroom.
"Kay," said Jen.
As David walked to the bathroom a muscular man named Dean grabbed his arm and said," Jonathan wants a word with you."
"I'm kind of busy," replied David jerking out of Dean's grip.
"And you think he cares."
"Okay, where is he?" asked David. Dean led the way to a corner table where a tall black haired man was sitting.
"Please sit down," said Jonathan indicating the chair across from him. David sat down stiffly.
"Why are you fallowing me?" inquired David.
"You owe me money," replied Jonathan," I expect to be paid back."
"I told you I'd get it."
"Well I want it now."
"What do you mean now? I still have four months!"
"I want my money now, and I don't care how I get it."
"I only have half of it."
"That's too bad. You have a sister, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well I don't think you would want something bad happen to her."
"You wouldn't."
"I would," assured Jonathan. David glared at Jonathan with clenched fist and a new hatred.
"I like your determination, so I'll give you one more chance. If you win a bet with me you don't have to pay me, but if you don't your sister has to come live with me."
"What!"
"What other choice do you have?"
"I hate it, but your right. I bet I win my next race."
They shook on it.
"So what dose your sister look like?" asked Jonathan.
"Like this," said David handing Jonathan a photo of Jen. Jen was in full racing gear and next to a motor cross bike.
"She races?"
"Use to, she quit."
"Why?"
"None of your business."
"So what dose she do for a living?"
"She's a dancer and my mechanic."
"Really, that's interesting. You can go," said Jonathan handing back the photo.
David walked back to the booth with a grim expression.
"David what's wrong?" asked Jen when he sat down.
"Oh nothing, I guess I'm just worried about my next race," and that was the truth. Jen and Jacob talked about the upcoming performances. David ate unvoiced wondering if he should tell Jen about the bet since after all it was about her. He didn't.
"You ready to go?" asked Jacob after they finished dessert.
"What, oh yeah," said David.
They piled into the mustang. "Let's go to the bookshop," said Jen as she turned into the parking lot of Barns and Noble.
"What is it that you want now?" asked David.
"The new Robert Reed book," replied Jen as they walked to the science fiction section, "Here it is."
"So can we go?" wondered Jacob.
"As soon as I pay for it," said Jen walking to the cash register. She paid then they left. They dropped Jacob at the Sky Line apartments.
"You know what?" asked Jen on their way home.
"What?"
"You'll do fine on your race next to week."
"You really think that?" questioned David
"Yes, because you're a good driver and you got one of the best mechanics."
They pulled into their apartment complex. They walked up stairs to the third floor. David opened the door. "Good night, Jen."
"Night," said Jen as she walked into her bedroom and changed into her boxers and tank top. As she brushed her long hair, she wondered why David was so worried. He was acting as if it was his first race. Jen walked into the bathroom took her night medicine and brushed her teeth. She yawned as she crawled into bed, and fell asleep.
The audience clapped loudly as the ballerinas bowed. Jen Cats looked out at the crowd searching for her older brother. Ah, she found him, David, in the center balcony. He was clutching twelve white roses, his usual opening night gift. Jen walked to the changing room with the other dancers.
"Jen you were great tonight," said costar Elizabeth Adams.
"And you too," replied Jen.
Jen changed in to a blue spaghetti strapped dress. She looked in the mirror to see a fair-skinned brunette with bright blue eyes. Jen was in her early twenties. When she got to the outside of the theater, she found her brother talking with her dance partner Jacob Fox. David handed her the flowers and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Why do you give her those all the time?" asked Jacob.
"Tradition!" sang David, like Tevia from "Fiddler on the Roof."
"And I like them," put in Jen, "So are you coming with us." It is also tradition for Jen and David to go out to dinner after a performance or race.
"Yeah, I'm always hungry," answered Jacob.
"I'm driving so give me the keys," said Jen putting her hand out towards David.
"Only because you know where I sleep," said David giving up the keys to his mustang convertible. They headed for the Big Bowl. The hostess seated them to a booth right away.
"Your waiter will be with you in a minuet."
"I 'm going to go to the bathroom. I want the lemon chicken," said David as he walked towards the bathroom.
"Kay," said Jen.
As David walked to the bathroom a muscular man named Dean grabbed his arm and said," Jonathan wants a word with you."
"I'm kind of busy," replied David jerking out of Dean's grip.
"And you think he cares."
"Okay, where is he?" asked David. Dean led the way to a corner table where a tall black haired man was sitting.
"Please sit down," said Jonathan indicating the chair across from him. David sat down stiffly.
"Why are you fallowing me?" inquired David.
"You owe me money," replied Jonathan," I expect to be paid back."
"I told you I'd get it."
"Well I want it now."
"What do you mean now? I still have four months!"
"I want my money now, and I don't care how I get it."
"I only have half of it."
"That's too bad. You have a sister, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"Well I don't think you would want something bad happen to her."
"You wouldn't."
"I would," assured Jonathan. David glared at Jonathan with clenched fist and a new hatred.
"I like your determination, so I'll give you one more chance. If you win a bet with me you don't have to pay me, but if you don't your sister has to come live with me."
"What!"
"What other choice do you have?"
"I hate it, but your right. I bet I win my next race."
They shook on it.
"So what dose your sister look like?" asked Jonathan.
"Like this," said David handing Jonathan a photo of Jen. Jen was in full racing gear and next to a motor cross bike.
"She races?"
"Use to, she quit."
"Why?"
"None of your business."
"So what dose she do for a living?"
"She's a dancer and my mechanic."
"Really, that's interesting. You can go," said Jonathan handing back the photo.
David walked back to the booth with a grim expression.
"David what's wrong?" asked Jen when he sat down.
"Oh nothing, I guess I'm just worried about my next race," and that was the truth. Jen and Jacob talked about the upcoming performances. David ate unvoiced wondering if he should tell Jen about the bet since after all it was about her. He didn't.
"You ready to go?" asked Jacob after they finished dessert.
"What, oh yeah," said David.
They piled into the mustang. "Let's go to the bookshop," said Jen as she turned into the parking lot of Barns and Noble.
"What is it that you want now?" asked David.
"The new Robert Reed book," replied Jen as they walked to the science fiction section, "Here it is."
"So can we go?" wondered Jacob.
"As soon as I pay for it," said Jen walking to the cash register. She paid then they left. They dropped Jacob at the Sky Line apartments.
"You know what?" asked Jen on their way home.
"What?"
"You'll do fine on your race next to week."
"You really think that?" questioned David
"Yes, because you're a good driver and you got one of the best mechanics."
They pulled into their apartment complex. They walked up stairs to the third floor. David opened the door. "Good night, Jen."
"Night," said Jen as she walked into her bedroom and changed into her boxers and tank top. As she brushed her long hair, she wondered why David was so worried. He was acting as if it was his first race. Jen walked into the bathroom took her night medicine and brushed her teeth. She yawned as she crawled into bed, and fell asleep.