Whatever it was Eddie and Joe talked about, Janet was grateful for the giant's interference earlier. Now Eddie sat across from her with a calm demeanour, which was a welcomed change from his bitter, surly one all day. He even smiled at her a few times. What did he and Roundtree have to talk about?
Janet stole a glance at Joe who was now speaking in his native tongue to the people. She wished she understood what he was saying. Her eyes flitted around to take in the sights. No siree, this was nothing like life back in Portland. It felt like an entirely different world. She couldn't imagine this event having the same feel if it were held in a city like Portland.
Joe must have cracked a joke because Eddie along with everyone else laughed. She smiled. She liked the sound of his laugh. Deep, booming and inhibited. She wished she knew how to bring it out in him.
As if sensing her gaze, Eddie looked at her and his eyes softened. A tiny hint of a smile played on his lips and he looked away.
Has the temperature risen or am I just starting to get warm? She looked back at Joe who was now standing with his daughter by his side and his arm was draped around her. She was a beautiful sight to behold. Smooth, creamy caramel coloured skin, and a figure that could make a man's mouth water. She had a skirt with beautiful tribal prints sweeping around her legs and her dark brown hair was braided to the side and down her left shoulder with beads. Her makeup was just right as the light of the fire bounced off her features. She noticed the girl kept glancing at Eddie every now and then. A gesture that inexplicably made her uncomfortable.
Come on, Janet, what do you care? You'll be gone when the pass clears and the guy will be a fading memory. She willed herself to look away and for the umpteenth time, focus on Roundtree's speech.
She couldn't help herself. She had to know if Eddie noticed the young woman's less than subtle attentions. Slowly, with utmost stealth, she sneaked a glance in Eddie's direction, only to find him leaning back to hear something Ikey was saying. A grin split his face and Ikey slapped him on the back with a chuckle.
Talking about the gorgeous brunette no doubt, Janet thought, her shoulders slumping. She didn't know why the woman's attentions bothered her so much. In any event, she looked more like the kind of girl Eddie should be with. She was tall, slender and drop dead gorgeous. Why did that make her so mad?
It doesn't, Janet insisted, willing away any hostile thoughts on the matter.
"Well I've said my piece, and let's face it; you don't want to hear from an old man all evening so… let the festivities commence!" Roundtree bellowed and everyone cheered. All the men in the area stood up to applaud the chief's inauguration of the event.
"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Hannah whispered into Janet's ear as they clapped, "Eddie wouldn't notice a woman's attention if his life depended on it… that is, unless he is interested in her too." She winked at Janet whose cheeks went aflame. Was she that transparent? She'd see to it that she kept it in check. No point Eddie starting to think she was interested in him.
Nick came up to the ladies and took his baby out of Hannah's hands "The parlour games are about to begin," he explained.
"Nick we cannot play," Hannah hissed, "Whose gonna look after Eric?"
Without answering his wife he looked at Janet and smiled, "Janet have you met Emily yet? She used to be our very own pizza girl until my buddy Phil fell for her," he explained as he put his son in the arms of a girl with outrageous hair.
"Hi, I'm Janet," Janet smiled and waved.
"I know. The guys won't stop talking about you. You have amazing eyes," Emily commented.
Janet smiled her cheeks flushing with pleasure, "Thank you."
"Alright everyone gather around," Owen said in a loud booming voice, "I'll be hosting the parlour games tonight while dinner is getting ready."
Like a moth to a flame, the people drew towards Owen. "Alright since we have a first time guest here in attendance he will go up against one of our veterans for this first game. Can I please have Eddie Latekka up here please? Eddie! Front and centre, now come on!"
Eddie looked at his buddies and flashed them a menacing stare before he joined Owen. Owen eyed his friend comically and a smattering of snickers in the crowd erupted. "Ahem. Yes, well, now can I have a volunteer to go up against our challenger?"
"Owen," Eddie warned, "This better not be humiliating."
"Too bad buddy," Owen grinned, "Just make sure you don't lose. The forfeits are worse."
"I'll go!" Ikey's voice called out from the crowd as he stepped forward into the open circle.
"Excellent. Now can I have my lovely assistant Rayen come up here please?"
The gorgeous Indian girl Janet had been eyeing earlier sauntered into the circle and stood next to Owen. For a second Owen seemed to have forgotten his words, "Hey Emcee, you might want to roll your tongue back in before you continue!" someone's voice called out from the crowd and Owen went red in the face while they all chuckled.
"Alright, Rayen, here are the scarves, tie one around each of their heads and blindfold them. Make sure they cannot see anything." He handed the scarves to the woman to went up to Ikey first.
Like a magnet, his arms reached around her and tried to pull her close but she smacked them away. She reached around his head and tied the knot a little tighter than necessary, "Ow! Take it easy there Rayen."
"Oops. Sorry," she said sounding in no way remorseful. "Can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?" she asked waving three in his face.
"No," he replied with a smirk.
"Good," she replied and turned to make her way to Eddie. Janet's insides twisted as she saw the way Rayen looked at Eddie. Like he was her next meal. Eddie kept his hands tucked behind his back. "Don't you want me to blindfold you, Eddie?" she asked in a sultry tone and a few whistles emitted from the crowd.
Eddie realised he was far too tall for her arms to reach around his head and willingly knelt down. She folded the scarf around his head and took a step towards him that brought his face in line with her tummy. Janet inhaled sharply. It wasn't nuclear fusion. Why was she taking so long to bind a knot? She watched Rayen bind the knot firmly and then let her hands drop to Eddie's shoulders as her fingers grazed his neck.
Someone ought to tell her that she's taking way too long to perform a simple task.
Eddie kept his hands behind his back as Rayen sauntered back to Owen's side, "Okay, now that the players are securely blindfolded, the crowd will be allowed to pass a large rolled up newspaper. The name of the game is 'Brother, Who Bobbed Me?' When you have been hit with the roll of paper you say 'Brother, I've been bobbed.' To which the other will reply, 'Who bobbed you, Brother?' and if you guess the wrong person, you have to do a forfeit. Understood?" Eddie and Ikey both nodded. But Ikey slowly took off his blindfold and Hannah pressed her fingers to her lips to keep the giggle in.
Owen handed Ikey the rolled up newspaper and gave him a nod. Ikey smacked the newspaper hard on his palm and yelled, "Brother I've been bobbed!"
Eddie started and jumped from one side of the circle to the other, "Who bobbed you, Brother?"
Ikey shrugged comically at the crowd which made Janet grin, "Janet Meadows bobbed me."
"Correct!" Owen exclaimed, "Keep going. Well done Ikey," he winked at Ikey.
The next thing Eddie knew a hard smack came down on the back of his head and he jumped back, "Brother I've been bobbed!"
"Who bobbed you brother?" Ikey asked and a few snickers erupted from the crowd.
"Nick Garrett bobbed me," Eddie exclaimed.
"Wrong!" Owen called out and everyone laughed. Eddie scowled. Within seconds, another hard smack came down on his head.
"Brother I've been bobbed!" he yelled. The snickers grew.
"Who bobbed you, Brother?" Ikey asked.
Eddie heard the smile in his voice but said, "Alison Rowan bobbed me."
"Wrong!" Owen laughed.
"What!"
"Keep going Eddie, you'll get it next time."
Eddie scowled again, "Fine."
As soon as the word was out, Ikey came down hard on the back of his head and Eddie saw red. "Brother I've been bobbed!" The crowd was laughing at this point.
"Who bobbed you, Brother?" Ikey asked.
Eddie yanked the blindfold off and pointed at Ikey accusingly, "You did!" before Ikey could react, he charged at him and knocked him to the floor. Janet gasped and worry sprung up within her. The crowd watched in shock as the two men wrestled on the ground and Janet wondered why no one was doing anything to stop it.
Finally, Owen stepped in and pulled them apart only to find them both with mud marks and huge grins on their red faces. "That's enough. A forfeit is in order."
"It better not be me. You cheated!" Eddie accused playfully.
"Fine. Ikey, you're up. You have to pick one person of the opposite sex and for 30 seconds you have to smooth talk her into giving you a kiss. If you fail, you will do another forfeit."
Ikey smiled cockily at Rayen who rolled her eyes and blushed, "Don't even think about it, Ikey." The crowd laughed.
"Fine be that way," he said eyeing her, "I wasn't gonna pick you anyway," he made his way to Janet and smiled at her. She looked back in surprise but then smiled.
The motion caught Eddie's full attention. He watched as Ikey took Janet by the hand and led her to the centre of the circle. Taking a chair and setting it in the circle, he sat down in it and patted his thigh, inviting Janet to take a seat in his lap. Janet crossed her arms and raised her eyebrow. The crowd laughed. Ikey pouted and stood up. In a sweeping gesture invited Janet to sit down and she happily complied. Ikey dropped to his knees in front of her.
He took her hand in his and kissed its knuckles slowly. Eddie frowned. What the hell did Ikey think he was doing? He shot a glance at Owen who seemed as tickled as ever at the display before him.
Ikey looked down and lifted his head with a smouldering look on his face. Janet giggled. "Janet…"
"Hm?" she managed between giggles.
"Sweet, sweet Janet…"
"I'm listening Ikey."
He grinned and raised up on one knee to whisper something in her ear. A grin split her face and she nodded. Leaning forward she hooked his chin and placed a brief kiss on his lips. The gesture made Eddie's stomach turn, but Ikey jumped up and pumped his fists in the air triumphantly, "I did it!"
The crowd cheered but Owen raised his hand to silence them, "Hang on, you can't threaten the volunteer, Ikey. What did you say to her to make her kiss you?"
"That's between me and Janet," Ikey said haughtily.
Like hell it is, Eddie thought scowling. He kicked himself for backing out of the forfeit.
"Alright we'll have some dancing and then get on with the rest of the games," Owen announced. "This next dance will require that the partners be blindfolded. Ladies you will have to trust your partner to be a good leader."
A waltz-y tune began to blare out of the speakers and Janet moved out of the circle to make room for the couples taking the floor. Before she knew it Eddie was standing before her his hand extended with two scarves in it. She looked up at him and his eyes were darker than usual. His face was solemn and his gaze unwavering. His eyes made her heart pound in her chest she wondered if he could hear it. Slowly, hesitantly, she took one and fastened it around her eyes. He immediately slipped an arm around her and pulled her to the centre of the floor.
"Do… do you have your scarf on?" she asked.
"Why?"
"Because… you're supposed to. It's against the rules."
"But I can watch you so much better without it on," he said and she noticed the drop in timbre of his voice.
"Put your scarf on Eddie," she insisted. She didn't even want to think about getting through the dance constantly wondering if he was watching her. He pulled his arms away and Janet felt a cold draft where his hands were. A moment later she asked, "is it on yet?"
"Yes, it's on."
"You sure?"
He took her hands and raised it to his face so she could feel the fabric of the scarf, "I never lie."
She dropped her hands to his arms and clung to him for the rest of the dance. As they moved back and forth, Janet felt herself relax, though the unnerving feeling of how perfectly she fit in his arms was a little too much to take.
"What did Ikey promise you that convinced you to kiss him?" he asked softly and she realised his lips were near her ear.
She smiled then. So he had been watching. She didn't spot him after the game so she thought he made his way out of the crowd. "He promised to wash the dishes after breakfast tomorrow."
"The fiend," Eddie commented.
She smiled and shrugged, "It was worth the kiss."
"Was it?"
"Well for Ikey it was."
"What if it had been me? What would I have to do to earn a kiss?"
Just ask. Her heart hammered in her chest a mile a minute and she didn't know quite how to respond. Suddenly uninvited flashes of their last kiss flitted into her mind, "Depends."
"On what?"
"On whether or not you can even earn a kiss from me."
Their movement stalled for a couple of beats and then Eddie started moving again, "You mean to say there's nothing I can do to get you to kiss me?"
"I mean there's very little you need to do to get me to kiss you." Dangerous ground, Meadows. Wrap it up quickly before he gets the wrong idea. But for once Janet didn't care about the risk she ran in talking like that to Eddie. She wanted his kiss. She wanted to enjoy being in his arms.
Janet felt his breath on her lips and their breath mingled together before she felt the velvety softness of his lips glide across hers. The brush of his lips were so light but she felt its impact right down to her toes. He tucked her into him and held her firmly against him. She felt his heart beat against his ribs and her own heartbeat synced up with his. A tiny groan escaped her throat and he deepened the kiss. Her hand travelled up and down the length of his back while the other splayed against his chest over his heart.
When he pulled back Janet was still seeing stars behind the scarf. She heard the low rumble of his chuckle.
"What's so funny?" she asked.
"You are," he said kissing her nose.
"Well as long as I'm amusing...," she said, hooked her arm around his neck and pulled him back to her lips.
"Hey get a room you two," Nick called next to them and startled them apart, "The song's long since ended."
They pulled their blindfolds off and stared at each other, then at Nick. He winked mischievously at them. Janet turned red but Eddie laughed and took her hand in his as he lead them both back to the table.
