Chapter 14- Colleen's Wedding Fiasco –Part 2
At the end of day on Friday, Jim stepped into Johanna's office and met Sharon's amused gaze as she looked up from her desk. "It's about time you got here," she told him while she neatly stacked her files.
"Why?" he asked.
Sharon gave a nod towards the door of the inner office. "She's in there with her head down on the desk. I don't know if it's court related or Colleen related...or both."
"I see. Did she tell you about the dinner last night?"
"Yeah; I gagged for an hour just thinking about it. You know I was a little offended that Colleen didn't invite me to her wedding. I've known the brat since she was fifteen; but after hearing about what you have to put up with; I'm glad I didn't get an invitation."
"Seems like Colleen's offending a lot of people lately," Jim replied.
Sharon beckoned him to lean closer and she whispered; "I think that's one of the reasons why Johanna won't ask you to go with her to the wedding. I think she's afraid they'll run you off."
"What makes you think she's want me to go anyway?"
"Because I suggested it and she said that she thought about it but she didn't want to put you through it."
"Why are you telling me this, Sharon?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I was just hoping that maybe you could find a way to go with her."
"If she had asked me; I would go with her, but she hasn't and I figure she has her reasons. I can't invite myself to her family functions. My hands are tied."
"I know. I was just hoping, that's all."
He smiled. "Don't worry; I'll offer her a rescue plan."
"Good. I offered to put up half her bail. I figured you could chip in with the rest."
"I will," Jim laughed as he moved to Johanna's door and allowed himself in without bothering to knock.
He closed the door and approached her desk; where she was sitting with her head down, just as Sharon had described. "Is this your contemplation about why you became a lawyer or is it the one about why you had to get saddled with a sister like Colleen? Or are you just taking a nap?"
"It's the why do I have to go to this wedding contemplation," Johanna muttered without bothering to raise her head.
He reached out and soothingly ran his hand over her hair. "You know the answer to that."
"I know...I was just hoping to come up with a way to get out of it...but all of them involved hospitalization; and I don't feel up to that."
"Does your head still hurt?"
"Not as bad," she answered. "I'm just not in the best of moods and now I have to go spend the whole night with them."
"Just do what you did last night; strike back if they attack. At this point in the game, you're more than justified."
She raised her head and scrubbed her hands over her face. "It's been a long week, Jim."
"I know, sweetheart."
"I just want to go home and eat a carton of ice cream and lay on my couch in front of the television and have a glass or two of wine."
"Then do it."
"I can't and you know it."
He offered her a sympathetic smile. "I'll drive you to your parents house...I'll go slowly so you won't get there any sooner than necessary."
She smiled. "I'd appreciate that."
"Do you need to stop at your apartment first?"
"No," Johanna answered as she got up from her chair and walked to the small closet that was in her office. "I have my overnight bag here. I figured if I went home, I'd just stay there."
"I wouldn't blame you," he replied as he watched her gather up her belongings.
Sharon was just picking up her purse and keys as they stepped back into the outer office. "Good luck, Jo," her best friend told her with a smile.
"Thanks; I'll probably need it. Did you water George?"
"Yes; he should be fine for the weekend."
"I can't believe you two named that plant George," Jim said with a shake of his head.
"He had to have a name," Johanna remarked. "George suits him."
"Why?"
"Because he's noble looking," Sharon answered.
He laughed. "A noble looking plant named George. If any psychiatrists come around; you probably shouldn't mention any of this."
"Oh you men just don't understand," the secretary retorted as they filed out into the hallway.
"He's probably just upset that we didn't name it after him," Johanna teased.
"Oh yes, that's it," Jim remarked. "It's always been my dream to have a noble plant named after me."
Sharon laughed as she pulled her friend into a hug. "We'll name the next one after him."
"That's what we'll do," Johanna agreed as she returned her friend's embrace. "If I don't call you tomorrow night; I'll call you Sunday."
Sharon nodded. "Goodnight. Jim, you get her home safely."
"I will," he promised.
"Jim...I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but don't drop me off right in front of the house," Johanna said as they neared her parents neighborhood.
He couldn't ignore the urge to tease her as he laughed. "Are you ashamed of me, Johanna? Are you making our relationship cheap by hiding me away?"
She smirked as she shot him a look. "Are you done now?"
"Yeah," he chuckled. "Why don't you want me to drop you off in front of the house?"
"Because...I don't want my mother or sister to see us. I know it sounds stupid. I'm a grown woman and I shouldn't have to play these games but..."
"You have enough problems this week," Jim finished for her.
"Yeah," she answered; giving him an apologetic look.
"It's okay, Jo; I understand. With the way your week has been going; I don't blame you a bit. Just tell me where to stop, just don't make it too far away."
"I won't."
When they were two houses away from her mother's, she told him to pull over. She took a breath, trying to steel herself for the evening ahead as she remained in the car.
"You know, you don't have to go," Jim stated; drawing her gaze toward him.
"But if I don't, I'll hear about it for the next year. It's going to be my last visit for awhile anyway."
"I'm glad you're sticking to your guns about that."
"Is it terrible to feel relieved at the thought that I won't be coming back for awhile?"
"No," he answered. "How could you not be relieved?"
She smiled. "I wish I had the guts to skip the wedding."
He dropped a hand to her knee and squeezed it lightly. "At this point, it's more trouble than it's worth, sweetheart."
"I know; but a girl can dream, can't she?"
"All she wants," he laughed; "But I have a feeling that most of your dreams tend to turn violent."
Johanna giggled. "I do fantasize about hitting people sometimes...usually my sister."
"Well you could give her a little punch as a wedding gift."
"Don't tempt me. After the week I've had, it wouldn't take much for me to lose control."
"It'll be okay. By this time tomorrow, it should all be over."
"By this time tomorrow, I hope to be cracking the seal on a bottle of tequila."
"Planning ahead?" Jim asked.
She nodded. "I did a little shopping the other day. I'm ready for my own after wedding celebration. You can join me if you like."
"I wouldn't want you to celebrate alone."
Johanna smiled and then sighed. "I guess I better go."
"Wait," he said; capturing her wrist. "If you need me, call; I'll come rescue you."
"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for driving me over," she said as leaned towards him and kissed his cheek.
He gently caught hold of her chin and drew her back to him, capturing her lips in a long slow, sweet kiss.
"What was that for?" she asked.
Jim grinned. "You ought to have one bright spot in your day."
She laughed as she gathered up her purse and overnight bag. "I'm glad you think so highly of your abilities."
"I haven't heard any complaints," he replied.
"See you later," she told him as she pushed the door open and got out.
"See you later."
He watched her until she was halfway up the sidewalk of her parents home and then he pulled away. Johanna jumped, as she approached the porch and saw her brother standing there smirking at her.
"What?" she asked.
"Who was that?" Frankie asked.
"Who was who?"
He laughed. "The man that dropped you off...two houses away."
"A friend," Johanna answered.
"Does this friend have a name?"
She eyed him. "Yes; most of my friends do."
"So what is it?"
"Since when do you care who my friends are?"
"I've been reevaluating myself as a brother," Frankie stated. "I didn't screen the men Colleen was dating the way I should have and now we're being infiltrated by Westons and they've somehow taken possession of Mom's brain. I can't afford to let that happen again, so I'm going to be watching you, little sister."
"Just what I need," she said; a touch of sarcasm in her tone.
"Now come on, Mouthy; tell big brother about your man friend."
Johanna rolled her eyes. "His name is Jim; okay?"
He nodded. "It's a good sounding name. Where did you find him?"
"I work with him."
"Good; he has a job, and it's not on the stock market. Is that his car?"
"No, he stole it to drive me over here."
Frankie smirked. "Would you rather do this with Mom? Because I can arrange that."
"She's already met him."
"And she didn't arrange your marriage right then and there?"
"I got him away from her in the nick of time," she replied.
"You still haven't answered about the car."
"Yes it's his!" she exclaimed quietly.
"This isn't sounding too bad; he has a good job and a nice car. How long have you been with him?"
"Were not together," Johanna told him. "We're just friends."
Frankie's brow rose. "Really? Does he know that?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He shrugged. "Well I assumed since he was kissing you like you were going off to battle..."
"It wasn't like that!"
"It looked like it from here," Frankie laughed. "I'm surprised you have any lip gloss left on your lips."
"Shut up," she said; swatting his arm.
"Do you kiss all your friends like that?"
"No."
"I see; just that one?"
"We're not talking about this, Frankie."
"Oh I think we are," he teased; "And I think that was an admission to my question. Do I need to ask him his intentions?"
Her jaw dropped momentarily. "Oh my God; I'll have to kill you."
"Wow; it's that serious, huh? Come on you can tell me the truth; how long have you've been going out with him?"
"I'm not," she said in exasperation. "I swear we aren't dating."
"Hmm; just fooling around with him then? That'll kill Mom."
Johanna's eyes widened. "I can't believe you just said that!"
"What?" he laughed; "I'm not judging you. Mom and Colleen are the ones who think you're sitting home being a little nun...and if you're out being a little trampy instead; hey, good for you, Sis. I'm not going to disown you or anything. Just don't get carried away; you bring home a baby before you get him to marry you and Mom will have a stroke...Dad probably will too...after he kills you...and your 'friend'."
"I assure you I'm not being a tramp, and there's no need to worry about an illegitimate baby. Good God; why are we even discussing this? Why don't you go eat some more caviar?"
Frankie gagged. "Never say that word again. As for why we're discussing this; I told you; I'm being a better brother and keeping tabs on you now...and my first day on the job has been very informative. I'm going to have to meet your Jim...you know; look him over, make sure he's nowhere near being like Paul and Henry."
Johanna shook her head. "No you're not. He's nothing like them; you can take my word for it."
"Can't do that; that's where I went wrong with Colleen and I'm now being saddled with a wimp for a brother-in-law for the rest of my life. Don't worry, I won't embarrass you, unlike Mom probably did."
"I hate my life," Johanna muttered.
Frankie dropped an arm around her. "It won't be so bad; and just think; I'm going to do you the very kind favor of not telling Mom that you were out here, joined at the lips with an eligible man...he is eligible, right? He's not married is he?"
"No he's not married!"
"Good; then he gets another check mark."
"Are we done now?" she asked.
Her brother thought for a moment and then nodded. "Okay; that's all for today, but we may have to reopen this discussion at a later date."
"I'm counting the minutes."
"Wait, there is one more question."
"What?"
"Why didn't you ask him to go to the wedding with you? You would've got them off your back."
Johanna looked at him "Would you want to expose someone you liked to this family right now? Would you want to add insult to injury by exposing them to the Westons as well?"
"Good point," Frankie replied. "I don't even want to expose myself. A newcomer would run in a matter of minutes. You were smart to shield him."
His sister smirked. "I'm glad I have your approval."
"I guess we better go in. Maybe we better check on Dad's liver allergy."
She laughed. "And you're not going to say anything?"
"Word of honor," he promised.
As they entered the house; their mother stepped into the living room from the kitchen.
Naomi looked at Johanna with a slightly pained expression as she caught her eye. "What?" Johanna asked, in no mood for a guilt trip.
She gave a small shrug. "Nothing...I'm just surprised that you're here."
"I said I would be."
"Well after what you said last night, what was I supposed to think?" Naomi asked.
"I believe I made it clear that my remarks referred to after the wedding."
"What's going on after the wedding?" her brother asked.
"Mom and I are taking a vacation from each other once this is over."
"Wow," Frankie replied; "How does it feel to finally have a spine, mouthy?"
She smirked. "It feels just fine."
"Well I'm glad to know that you two consider disrespect as a badge of honor," Naomi huffed. "Now I want all of you to sit down on the couch before Colleen gets here."
"Why?" her son asked.
"Because we're going to have a talk."
"Great," they all muttered half heartedly.
"I can hear you from here," Frank as he remained in his favorite chair.
"I said the couch," Naomi demanded; giving her husband a sharp glare. Frank grumbled as he laid aside his newspaper and sat down at one end of the sofa; Valerie taking the opposite, leaving Johanna to be sandwiched between her father and brother.
"What's this all about, Naomi?" Frank asked gruffly.
"It's about last night and how you all disgraced me!"
Johanna rolled her eyes and raised her hand. "I had this lecture last night, may I be excused?"
"No you can't," her mother snapped.
"Nice try, Sis."
"It was worth a shot. I mean you'd think that the fact that she slapped me last night would excuse me from something."
Frankie's eyes widened. "Mom hit you and I missed it!"
Johanna nodded. "That'll teach you to leave before me."
Frank's gaze darted away from his children and to his wife. "Did you hit her, Naomi?"
"Yes I did," she answered. "She pushed me too far with her attitude and don't sit there and act like you've never done it. Now if you don't mind; I'd like to get on with what I have to say."
They fell silent and waited for the normally docile Naomi McKenzie to have her tantrum. "I have never been so ashamed of this family in all my life," she began. "Your behavior last night was terrible!"
"What are you talking about?" her son asked. "We were just being ourselves."
"When you're in public, you're supposed to be better than that. I might let you get away with that behavior at home but it is unacceptable outside of this house."
"What behavior!" her husband bellowed. "We didn't do anything."
"Didn't do anything?" Naomi scoffed. "You're sitting there yelling about steaks and beers; your daughter is off on some feminist rant about her career choice and your son is making sarcastic remarks about the food."
Frank shrugged. "The jokes about the food were the only thing that made it bearable and Johanna had a right to defend herself. How dare they insinuate that she can't handle her job because she's a woman? You should've been offended on her behalf."
"Colleen's dinner was not the place for it!"
"I didn't start it," Johanna said tartly.
"I don't care who started it!" Naomi yelled. "You're not a five year old. Take the high road for God's sake. This is the most important occasion of your sister's life."
"Oh my God, really?" Frankie asked. "I'm so glad you told us that because we might have forgotten. I mean you've only told us about it fifty billion times in the last year! I swear if hear that phrase one more time, I'm going to vomit."
"You hush," his mother said sharply. "To make matters worse; your Grandmother is sitting there with her bag of tricks..."
"Shouldn't you be yelling at her about that?" Valerie spoke up. "It's not like we can control your mother."
Naomi silenced her daughter in law with a glare. "The Westons will think we have no class!"
"I didn't know we claimed to have any," Frankie replied; drawing stifled laughs from his father and sister.
Naomi eyed him. "You just think you're funny, don't you, Franklin?"
Her son grinned. "Don't you?"
"No I don't."
He shrugged and wrapped an arm around his wife. "That's okay; Valerie thinks I'm funny, don't you, honey?"
"Yeah," she giggled; leaning into his side.
"That's what I thought. How about you, Sis? Do you think I'm funny?"
Johanna nodded. "You've had a few good lines lately."
"Well there you have it," he stated; "It's official; Frank McKenzie Jr. is a funny, funny man."
"No you're not," their mother stated. "You just came off as uncouth."
"Uncouth?" Johanna said incredulously. "Mother have you been bonding with Millicent? If so, you really need to stop."
Naomi narrowed her eyes at her eldest daughter. "Do you think you're the only one in this family with a brain? Who do you think you got your intelligence from?"
"She got it from me," Frank said evenly; "And at least she wasn't sitting around last night acting like something she wasn't."
"There was nothing wrong with the way I was acting," Naomi exclaimed. "I was presenting myself as a dignified lady but I should've known that would prove impossible when surrounded by my ill mannered family! I don't know where I went wrong."
"If you ask me, it was around the time you had Johanna," Frankie commented.
His sister shook her head. "No; I'm pretty sure it was all over for her long before I came along."
"Maybe it was when she met Dad."
"Enough!" Naomi yelled. "I always wanted the two of you to get along but now I'm not so sure I like it."
"Well they do say that you should be careful what you wish for," Johanna quipped.
"I'm getting tired of your attitude, Johanna," her mother replied.
"And I'm getting tired of yours," she shot back.
The older woman's eyes widened. "Do not be insolent with me, young lady."
"Insolent?" Johanna scoffed. "Dad, did you shove a dictionary down her throat today?"
Frank grunted. "Don't tempt me."
Naomi placed her hands on her hips. "I'd just like to see you try, Frank McKenzie!"
"If you don't get off your high horse, you might see something you don't like, Naomi Calabrese!" he yelled back.
"Uh oh," Frankie laughed; "He's demoted you to your maiden name."
"At the moment, I don't mind. The McKenzie name is nothing to be proud of this week!"
Frank was on his feet in an instant. "If you think you can do better, Naomi; there's the door!"
Johanna's jaw dropped and Frankie shot her a surprised look before adding, "Don't forget to take Colleen with you if you go."
Naomi was boiling. "At least she acts like she has some sense."
"That's a matter of opinion," Johanna remarked.
"You're all on my last nerve," Naomi stated as she paced the floor.
"That's funny," her husband replied; "We're all down to our last nerve too and it's a race to see whose going to pluck it first; you or Colleen?"
"Let me make one thing clear right now," she stated; her tone low and menacing as she glared at them. "You will not behave the way you did last night at that wedding tomorrow; do you understand me?"
"How do want us to act?" her son inquired; "Like a Weston?"
"That would be an improvement."
"There's nothing wrong with the McKenzies," Frank stated. "We don't take anybody's crap and we don't pretend to be something we're not! We have no need; the McKenzie's are as good as they come!"
"You'll do what I say," his wife retorted.
Frankie nodded. "Fine, when I go home tonight, I'll go out in the yard and find a nice stick and set on it and see if I can get it shoved up my ass far enough to make me act like a Weston."
Johanna couldn't stop the laughter that erupted from her throat as her mother's blue eyes blazed, first at Frankie and then at her. "You think it's funny, Johanna?"
She couldn't stop laughing so she nodded; her father shaking with laughter at her side. Naomi bit into her lip; trying to control the anger that ran through her veins. Frankie was feeling emboldened by his sister's laughter and his own sense of anger at their mother's lecturing and he decided to give Naomi his two cents.
"Look, Mother; we get that this is Colleen's 'big day' but that doesn't mean we have to change who we are because of it. If you want to lick Millicent Weston's boots, then go for it but we're not. We're fine with who we are...just like you used to be before you lost your mind; and don't worry I put an ad in the paper asking for anyone who finds your mind to please return it to you as quickly as possible, because we miss the real Naomi McKenzie."
A small laugh escaped Johanna's lips; drawing a glare from Naomi. Frank shifted; dropping an arm around his daughter and laying a hand over her mouth; "This is for your safety, Josie," he quipped; a small spark of amusement in his eyes as he looked down at her questioning gaze. Johanna took the rare opportunity to settle back against her father's side; knowing he'd remove his hand from her mouth once she got her giggles under control.
"I assure you that my mind is quite well," Naomi remarked; "It's my family that's the problem. You've all been so selfish and disrespectful and none of you think about how that reflects on me!"
"Isn't that being a bit selfish?" her husband asked; dropping his hand from his daughter's mouth. "You're worried about what everyone thinks of you and so you want to change us so you can impress some high flaunting nobodies! Colleen's the one who needs to impress them; not us. They're the ones who looked like fools with their pheasant dinner and plate of snails. They're the ones who were looking down their noses at us from the moment we arrived, like they had already deemed us as unworthy to breathe their air."
"That's not true," she interrupted.
"It is," Frank remarked, "And I'm sick of this. We'll act accordingly tomorrow at the wedding; but we're still going to be us. Now if that's a problem and you're so ashamed to be seen with us, then we'll sit at our own table and you can go be with the Westons since you think they're so fantastic."
Naomi rubbed her fingers across her forehead. "I may as well be talking to brick walls."
"I have one more thing to say," Frankie spoke up.
"What?" she snapped.
"Quit throwing Paul's brother at Johanna. She's not interested and I'm not letting another one of my sisters marry into that family," he stated.
"Is that right?" Naomi responded.
He nodded. "I'll lock her in my trunk first. She's my last hope for a decent brother-in-law."
Johanna smiled at him; once in awhile he surprised her. "Thank you."
He gave her a small nod. "You can do better than a Weston."
"I know."
"That's it," Naomi stated; throwing her hands up in the air. "I've had it with all of you."
"Does that mean the lecture is over?" Johanna asked; "Because I still have a bit of a headache and this isn't helping."
"It's over," Naomi retorted; "But mark my words, if any of you shame me tomorrow, you will be sorry!"
There was a round of eye rolls and nods as they rose from the sofa. "One more thing," Naomi said as she crossed the room and picked up to small flat boxes from the stand and brought them back to her husband and son.
Frankie opened his first and shuddered as he saw the lemon yellow tie lying inside.
"Look, Dad; we have something to hang ourselves with now."
"I'll probably be looking for a beam before the night is over," his father replied. "I hate yellow!"
"Well you're going to wear it," Naomi said; "Even if I have to wrap it around your neck myself!"
"Yes, dear," Frank replied sarcastically.
Johanna sighed and rubbed her lower back as she stretched; it was going to be a long night…again.
The slam of a car door drew Naomi to the window. She clapped her hands. "Here comes the bride."
"And here we are without confetti and a red carpet," Frankie remarked.
"Don't give her any ideas," Johanna murmured as their mother hurried to the door and ushered Colleen inside.
"Everyone's here, dear. Dinner will be ready soon," Naomi was telling her.
Valerie rolled her eyes as she got up from the couch. "Frank, can I use the phone in the bedroom? I want to call and check on Greg."
"Go ahead. Hide as long as you can."
Naomi shuffled back to the kitchen as Colleen entered the living room. "Can't you all look more excited?" she asked as she surveyed them.
"Not without the benefit of a lot of alcohol," their brother replied. "It is an open bar tomorrow, isn't it?"
"Yes," she hissed. "I just hope you don't embarrass me."
Frankie eyed her. "But Colleen, the only reason I'm going is so I can embarrass you in front of your new family. I mean what else am I supposed to do there?"
"I can't stand you," she retorted.
"The feeling's mutual."
Frank reopened his paper; muttering something under his breath that Johanna couldn't quite distinguish as she got up from the sofa and attempted to move past Colleen to go to the kitchen.
"Why are you wearing that!" Colleen exclaimed.
"Wearing what?" Johanna asked in confusion.
"That red nail polish! I told you that you couldn't wear it!"
She rolled her eyes. "Relax, Colleen. I'm going to do my nails after I get a shower."
"I just bet," her sister huffed.
Johanna glared at her. "Don't start with me; I'm not in the mood."
"I don't really care what mood you're in. You're going to do what I say. Now go take it off," she stated; shoving Johanna's shoulder.
"I'm warning you, Colleen. Back off and don't touch me again."
"And just what are you going to do about it?" Colleen asked; giving her another shove.
Frankie was on the edge of his seat as he watched his sisters face off; while Frank watched subtly from behind his newspaper.
Johanna gave an unamused laugh. "You know what I'm going to do?"
"What?"
"This," she stated; slamming both hands against Colleen's shoulders in a forceful shove that sent her sprawling onto her backside.
Frankie applauded. "That was beautiful."
"You're going to pay for that," Colleen seethed as she got to her feet and tried to rush her sister. Johanna sidestepped, and Colleen's momentum sent her face first onto the floor which only infuriated her more.
"Did you have a nice trip?" Johanna laughed.
Colleen glared at her and got to her feet once again; seizing a new opportunity as her sister turned away. She lunged for Johanna and grabbed her by the back of her hair and jerked her backwards; eliciting a yelp from her in the process.
"Who's laughing now?" Colleen asked.
"Still me," she answered; giving her a sharp elbow in the ribs which made Colleen let go of her hair. "Now don't touch me again or you're really going to get it."
Colleen scoffed and lazily smacked a hand against her sister's cheek. "Now what?"
Frankie took in the fury in his sister's green eyes and knew that Colleen had just pushed her luck too far. "She's gonna blow," he said quietly to their father.
Johanna gracefully swung her hand forward and connected with Colleen's face. "That," she stated simply. "Now do you really want to play games with me tonight? If you do; I'll be more than happy to make sure that you're black and blue for your wedding."
Colleen's cheek stung but she was still full of bravado. "You just think you're so bad ass."
She smiled. "Well come on, prissy pants. If you think you can take me down, let's see you do it."
They were rolling around on the floor, pulling hair and scratching at each other before Frankie could even blink. It was the most hellacious cat fight he had ever seen them have. "Get her, Jo!" he yelled. "Get in a hit for me!"
Frank smiled as he peeked around his newspaper. Colleen needed her ass kicked, and it looked like her big sister was finally stepping up to plate to do it. Johanna managed to get Colleen turned over on her stomach and she jerked her arm back with one hand while grabbing the roots of her hair with the other.
"Now you listen to me, you big prissy baby; I'm done playing these games with you. I've put up with your bullying and your snide remarks. I've put up with your whining and vomit worthy gushing over this tacky wedding, and for the most part, I've kept my mouth shut. Well I'm done being quiet. You are not now, nor have you ever been, the boss of me little sister. I will do what I want, when I want, and how I want and I don't give a damn if it suits you or not. I am fed up with you and the way you've been walking around here acting like you're some royal Princess and we're all your peasants and have to do your bidding."
"It's my wedding!" Colleen said through clenched teeth.
Johanna jerked her hair a little harder; making her yelp. "I know it's your wedding!" she yelled. "How could we forget! And if I hear you utter the words 'most important day of my life' one more time; I'm going to knock your teeth out."
"Let me go!"
"No; I'm ready to let go yet," Johanna replied. "This has been a long time coming."
"Mom!" Colleen called out.
"Go ahead and yell for mommy, little baby," Johanna mocked.
Frankie laughed. "Hurry up and hit her again before Mom gets in here."
Her brother distracted her just enough that Colleen was able to jerk her head free; leaving a few light brown strands of hair in Johanna's hand as she launched herself into a new attack. Johanna had just managed to get Colleen's face pressed back against the floor when Naomi yelled "Girls! Stop that! Frank, why are you just sitting there, letting them beat the hell out of each other."
"They're not beating the hell out of each other," her husband replied. "Colleen doesn't have what it takes to beat the hell out of Johanna...Johanna on the other hand is more than capable of kicking Colleen's ass; and she needs it, Naomi. I wish I could still take my belt to her...hell, lately I want to take it to you!"
"Nobody is getting their ass kicked tonight!" Naomi yelled.
"That's what you think," Johanna muttered.
"Get off of her, Johanna."
"I don't know if I'm ready yet," she replied. "This is an important moment in my life and I want to enjoy it. I just wish Colleen was dressed better for it, and maybe did her makeup differently and brought a date. I mean what will people think?"
Frankie laughed gleefully. "You should've done this last night, Johanna; it would've been great dinner entertainment."
"Let me go," Colleen yelled.
"Frank; do something!" Naomi demanded.
He sighed and rose from his seat; moving towards the heap on the floor and snagging Johanna around the waist and lifting her off of her sister. "If your mother wasn't here; I'd let you finish it on your terms," he told her as he set her on her feet.
"That's okay, Dad. I understand."
Colleen, however was furious and decided to lunge for her once again but Frankie shot off the sofa and grabbed her; lifting her off her feet. "For the record," Frankie said as he began to carry away his youngest sister; "Colleen started this; she hit Johanna first."
"Colleen!" their mother exclaimed; "Why?"
"Because I felt like it," she retorted. "Put me down, Frankie."
"Nope; not yet."
"Frankie; what are you doing?" their mother asked as he carried her off towards their parents bedroom.
"I'm cooling her off," he replied.
Frankie carried her into the bathroom and dumped her into the shower and hit the cold water. Colleen screamed and he laughed. "Cool off, Bug; or we'll get the bug spray and take care of you that way."
Dinner was on the table by the time Colleen reappeared, dressed in dry clothes and her bravado dampened. "You scratched my face," she said to Johanna as she sat down across from her.
"That'll teach you not to provoke people, won't it?" Frank asked.
"I don't want people seeing a scratch on my face on my wedding day! I have to have pictures taken."
"Your father's right; you shouldn't have provoked your sister. You know she has a temper," Naomi remarked. "As for the scratch, it's small and I'm sure the makeup will hide it."
"You ought to be thankful that isn't something more substantial like a black eye," Johanna commented.
"Do you want me to give you a medal for showing restraint?" Colleen asked.
"No, Colleen; I'd be happy if you'd just go back to acting like my sister and showing me a little respect."
"Times are changing, Johanna. I'm going to be a wife. I'm not going to be the same person anymore."
"I didn't know that changing your last name meant that you had to change your personality and treat your family like garbage."
"I wouldn't expect you to understand. You don't know what it's like to take this step in life."
Johanna eyed her. "Would you like to step back over there to the middle of the floor? Maybe you didn't learn your lesson the first time."
"There will be no more fighting!" Naomi proclaimed. "I swear, Johanna; I just don't know what's gotten into you this week. The slightest little thing and you're ready to hit people."
"You want to know what it is, Mother?" she said tartly. "I'm fed up. I'm tired of being treated like a second class citizen and lectured and critiqued. I'm sick of this whole damn thing. I've had a long week at work and even longer week putting up with this wedding fiasco and it's the wrong week of the month to be pushing my buttons. I'm not getting walked on anymore and the next person who wants to slap me is getting it and I don't give a damn who they are. I'm not holding back any longer."
"There was slightly too much information in that speech," Frankie stated; "But overall, I'd say it's long overdue."
"Oh I know it is," she agreed.
Colleen gave her an annoyed look. "If you ever get married; don't ask me to be your maid of honor."
Johanna smiled. "Don't worry, Colleen; when I get married, Sharon will be my maid of honor; and if for some reason she couldn't do it, I'd ask Valerie. I have no intentions of asking you."
"Good! I'd say no if you did."
"That's enough!" Naomi exclaimed. "Can we please just have a decent meal? You girls need to act like sisters tonight instead of a couple of wild animals waiting to rip into each other."
Johanna took a sip of wine and nodded as she fell silent and Colleen did the same. Tension thrummed through the atmosphere. She'd do her best to behave for the rest of the evening…but if Colleen wanted to push her buttons again; she couldn't be held accountable for what happened.
There were times when settling into her old bed was comforting, Johanna thought as she pulled the sheets and quilt up over her later that night. Apparently tonight wasn't one of those times, as she wished that she hadn't gotten roped into spending the night. She'd much rather be at her apartment. She turned towards the window; her gaze searching for the moon through the thin white curtains that adorned the window. She sighed as she caught sight of it just before a cloud moved across it and blotted out the shaft of light it was giving off. The bedroom door creaked as it opened and Colleen slipped inside.
"Why do you have the lights off already?" she demanded to know.
"Because I thought we were going to sleep. We have to get up early."
"That doesn't mean we have to go to sleep at 11:00."
"We don't need the light on to be awake," Johanna responded; rolling back to her opposite side so she could face her sister's bed.
"Do you suddenly have something against lights? I mean maybe I wanted to read or something, did you ever think of that?"
"Colleen, you have a lamp on your nightstand, if you want it on, turn it on. I don't care."
The light on Colleen's nightstand clicked on, illuminating her side of the room as Johanna's remained somewhat shadowed. "Are you nervous?" Johanna asked.
Colleen's head snapped towards her. "No! Why would I be nervous?"
"It's a big step. I just figured you might have a few jitters."
"Well I don't. I know I'm doing the right thing. What are you trying to do, talk me out of it?"
"No!" Johanna exclaimed. "Why would I do that?"
"Because you seem to be determined to ruin everything."
Her brow rose. "Excuse me?"
"Don't act innocent," her sister retorted. "You've been nothing short of terrible all week! Like tonight when you came in here wearing that God awful red nail polish when I told you that you couldn't..."
"And I told you that I'd take it off after I got a shower, which I did," Johanna interrupted; holding up a hand to show that her nails were now painted with the pink polish that Colleen had specified.
"You waited because you thought you'd be slick and wear the red polish to the wedding and it would've looked horrible with your dress."
"The dress is ugly to begin with," Johanna retorted; "And I waited because I wasn't going to work without my nails being polished."
"You and your damn job," Colleen huffed. "I'm so sick and tired of hearing about your job and you using it as your excuse for everything. It's no wonder that you don't have a life or a man."
Her defenses rose as her jaw tightened. "You're sick of hearing about my job and I'm sick of hearing about your wedding so I guess that makes us even; and another thing, I have a life. I do plenty of things that don't have anything to do with work and I know plenty of men."
"Knowing them and having one are two different things," her sister said flippantly.
Johanna smirked. "What makes you so sure that I don't have one, Colleen? Maybe I just don't tell you my business."
"Because you don't have any to tell."
Johanna scoffed. "I was in bed with a man last night. How about you? Or did Paul have to go home with his prissy mommy and pretend like the two of you don't sleep together?"
The younger woman narrowed her eyes. "He was with me, not that it's any of your business, and if you think I believe that you were with someone last night, you're crazy."
"Do you want me to call him up and have him tell you himself?" she asked; hating herself for making Jim's innocent visit seem like something it wasn't.
"No. I don't care. All I care about is the fact that you've been horrible all week. I wish I hadn't asked you to be my maid of honor. I should've asked Bethany instead."
"It's not too late if that's what you want," Johanna replied. "You may as well; I mean you did have her throw your bridal shower after all and when you introduced your attendants at the rehearsal dinner, you had plenty of glowing things to say about her and I was just your sister."
"Wow, you're just jealous about everything, aren't you?"
"Colleen, if you say that word one more time, I'm going to come over there and punch you and this time I'll make sure you have a bruise. I'm not jealous of anything you have."
"Right," she scoffed; "And I had Bethany throw my party because I figured it would be boring if you did it."
Johanna smirked. "You mean like your rehearsal dinner?"
"Paul's parents paid a lot of money for that dinner!"
"Yeah and they're the only ones who liked it. They didn't take into consideration that not everyone is a bunch of pretentious snobs who eat pheasant and snails like they do."
"I was never so ashamed to call any of you my family as I was last night," Colleen stated.
"Oh get off it, Colleen; you can act as high and mighty as you want but if that had been served to you somewhere else, you would've been gagging too. Frankie's right, you are acting like something you're not. You can eat all the snails you want baby sister; but it isn't going to make you high class so get off your high horse and get back down where you belong. You'll trip if you keep sticking your nose up in the air like Millicent."
Her sister glared at her. "You're the one who thinks she's something and you're not. You're nothing but a workaholic spinster. I was hoping we could have a nice time together tonight but I should've known that was impossible. You're too much of an ice princess to have fun anymore."
The blows hurt but Johanna forced herself not to flinch. "I may be icy and a workaholic spinster...but that's better than being a high flaunting bitch like you. You fit right in with Paul's family...in fact; I think that's where you learned it."
"You know what, Johanna; sometimes I really hate you," Colleen stated as she held her gaze.
"That's fine, Colleen. Sometimes I'm not too fond of you either...and yet somehow I always still love you anyway," she said before turning her back to her sister and facing the window once again.
Tension lingered in the room and after a few minutes, the lamp clicked off and she could hear the rustle of the blankets as Colleen made herself comfortable. Johanna pulled her legs up and curled into a ball as tears pricked her eyes. She knew that Colleen didn't really hate her, just as she didn't actually hate her even though it sometimes felt like she did. It hurt though, especially since she was feeling so sensitive anyway.
She squeezed her eyes shut but a few rebellious tears broke free and slid down her cheeks. She forced herself to cry quietly as she longed to rewind time to the night before and have the comfort of Jim's arms once more. She felt so lonely there in that room, despite the sound of her sister's breathing and the fact that their parents were downstairs in their own bedroom. The feeling persisted; choking her as her eyes flicked open and gazed at the darkness outside her window. Somehow it made her feel even more alone. She sighed softly and wiped her cheeks before throwing back the covers and getting out of bed.
"Where are you going?" Colleen asked as she crossed the room to the door.
"To get a drink; is that okay with you or will it be added to the list of offenses that I've committed in an attempt to somehow ruin your week?"
"I'm sorry," Colleen murmured.
"Spare me," Johanna said; her throat tight with emotion. "I don't need your apology or your pity or whatever else you have in regard to me."
"Jo..."
"Go to sleep, Colleen," she told her as she opened the door. "You'll have dark circles under your eyes tomorrow if you don't."
She then stepped into hallway and closed the door, shutting her sister away. She moved cautiously down the stairs; taking care not to make the fourth step creak. Once downstairs, Johanna moved into the kitchen and opened one of the cabinet doors, taking out the bottle of whiskey that Frank kept there. She poured a small amount into a glass and drank it down; forcing herself not cough as it burned her throat. She usually wasn't one for whiskey, but tonight she welcomed the burn and the taste that lingered on her tongue. Johanna recapped the bottle and put it back where it belonged before making her way into the living room.
She went to the closet and pulled out the pillow and blanket that her mother kept there and settled down on the couch with them. She reached for the remote and clicked on the television; hurrying to turn down the volume so that she wouldn't wake her parents. She flipped the channels until she found an old black and white movie. She didn't feel as suffocated now that she was away from Colleen. Loneliness lingered in her chest, but she chased the feeling away with thoughts of Jim. She was tempted for a moment to snatch the keys to one of her parents vehicles and go see him but she squashed the urge. She had enough problems with her mother without stealing her car...and she was certain that her father wouldn't appreciate her taking his either...because the way her luck ran, he'd catch her. Another sigh passed through her lips and she focused on the movie, her eyes growing heavy as exhaustion washed over her. She was asleep before the movie ended.
"What are you doing?" Johanna heard her mother's voice exclaim the next morning.
Her eyes flicked open and she found herself looking up at a high strung Naomi McKenzie.
"What?" she mumbled sleepily.
"What are you doing sleeping on the couch!"
Johanna sat up and rubbed her eyes. "I wanted to watch TV last night and I fell asleep."
"For God's sake, Naomi; leave the girl alone," Frank stated as he tied his robe while making his trek to the door to fetch the morning paper. "It's too early in the morning to be starting on people."
"I wasn't starting on her. I just wanted her to be properly rested."
"I was resting just fine until you started yelling," Johanna commented.
"I see you're still surly," Naomi responded as she snatched Johanna's blanket and began to fold it.
"How can anyone not be surly in this house?" Frank asked. "What's for breakfast?"
She looked at him incredulously. "I don't have time for breakfast, Frank. I have a million things to do. I have to get Colleen up and help her get the curlers in her hair..."
"Wait just a damn minute," Johanna interrupted. "Colleen's doing her own hair but I have to have mine done by whatever nut she hired?"
"She's putting the curlers in at home and then the stylist will take over once we get to the church."
"What am I supposed to do for breakfast?" Frank asked. "Starve to death?"
"I turned the coffee pot on," his wife replied. "Eat cereal or wait until the reception."
"Wait until the reception! That's hours away and I'm afraid to even know what's being served."
"It's chicken, Frank! Colleen and I chose the menu."
"I'll believe it's a decent meal when I see it," he said to his wife's retreating back.
"Dad; give me a few minutes and I'll make breakfast," Johanna told him.
"I'd appreciate that. You're not going to stand a chance getting into the bathroom upstairs so you better go get what you need and use ours."
She nodded as she got up and headed for the stairs. "Maybe they'll stay up there until it's time to leave."
"We're not that lucky."
Awhile later, Johanna and Frank were settled at the table; plates containing pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon in front of them along with juice and coffee. They each had a section of the paper and it was relatively peaceful until Naomi reappeared.
"What are you two doing!"
Frank and Johanna shared a look; his fork paused in mid air as she held on to the piece of bacon that she had been about to eat. "Eating?" she said; wondering if the name of the act had changed overnight and she was unaware of it.
"We don't have time for this feast!" Naomi stated; waving at their plates.
"We don't have to leave until ten," Frank retorted. "And if you won't feed me, at least my daughter will."
"Well I'm glad to see you found something to bond with her over," his wife replied.
"You're just jealous because her pancakes are better than yours have been lately."
Naomi glanced at her daughter. "I guess the student has surpassed the teacher."
Johanna smiled. "Do you want me to teach you how to make my pancakes?"
"No I don't," she replied. "I've been cooking for longer than you've been alive. Look at both of you; you aren't even dressed yet!"
"I'm not putting that monkey suit on until I have to," Frank stated.
"It'll only take me a minute to put on a pair of pants and a blouse," Johanna added. "I don't have to put on that horror show dress until we get to the church."
Naomi sighed in exasperation. "Can you at least call your grandmother and tell her we'll be by to get her? I need to go do my hair."
"Fine," she said; taking another bite of eggs before pushing away from the table and going to the phone. She dialed Sophia's number and waited for her to answer.
"Hello."
"Hey, Grandma," Johanna stated. "Mom wanted me to call and tell you that we'll be by to pick you up."
"Tell her not to bother," Sophia replied. "I'm not going anywhere with her after she acted like she was ashamed of me and allowed those snotty bitches to malign our heritage and my grandchildren! I'd like to put her over my knee and give her a good whack."
"Oh God; if you do; I want to watch."
"I'll make sure you're front and center, darling."
"How are you going to get to the wedding?"
"Your aunt Rita is taking me."
Johanna talked for a few more minutes and then ended the call; calling out for her mother as she returned to the table.
"What?" Naomi asked; her hair half rolled up.
"Grandma said she isn't going anywhere with you after the way you acted Thursday night."
"Is that right?"
"That's right; she also said she'd like to put you over her knee."
"I'd like to see that," Frank muttered as he turned the page of his paper.
Naomi grabbed the paper from his hands despite his protests. "Finish stuffing your face and then go get your shower," she told him before turning her attention back to Johanna. "Who's taking her to the wedding?"
"Aunt Rita."
Her mother rolled her eyes. "Of course, she called her baby. Well that's fine; I don't have time to coddle her today anyway."
"Mom; that's not jealousy I detect, is it?"
Naomi put a hand on her hip. "The advice I gave your father, applies to you as well. Now get a move on."
Frank glanced at Johanna. "I'm going to have to leave your mother if she doesn't get back to normal soon. I know it would be too awkward for you to handle the divorce but can you recommend someone?"
"I'll ask around," she told him.
"Neither one of you are as amusing as you seem to think," Naomi remarked; "Now I'm coming back in here in ten minutes and you both better be done and started on getting yourselves ready, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes," Johanna sighed. "You're crystal clear."
Her mother turned and walked back off towards her bedroom as Frank shook his head. "Is this day over with yet?" he mumbled.
"Not by a long shot."
As Frankie lingered in the corridor of the church later that morning, he spotted the seven year old flower girl, who was loudly proclaiming her dislike of the dress she was wearing. As he watched her being quietly admonished, an idea struck him and he smiled. He waited until the girl was being ignored and then he approached her.
"Are you the flower girl?" he asked nicely as he squatted down to be at eye level with her.
"Yes," she answered. "Who are you?"
"I'm Colleen's brother. What's your name?"
"Julie Marie Weston," she stated proudly; lifting her head and putting her small nose in the air; making Frankie certain that he was looking at a future snob in training.
"That's a pretty name," he told her.
"I hate this dress."
"I can see why you would," he said with a nod as looked over the yellow and white poufy dress that the girl was wearing. "Would you like to make some money, Julie?"
The girl smiled. "I love money."
Frankie grinned. "I had a feeling you would. Do you know how to throw a real good tantrum?"
"Grandmother says I throw the worst tantrums she's ever seen."
"Excellent," he replied as he pulled some money from his pocket. "I'll give you five dollars if you cry and throw a tantrum while walking down the aisle."
"I don't know," Julie said as she eyed the money. "I'll probably get in trouble."
"I'll make it ten."
"Fifteen," she stated.
"Fifteen!" he exclaimed in a hushed voice.
"Uh huh; unless you want me to tell my mommy that you're the one who paid me to cry."
Frankie thought about it for a moment and then relented. "Alright, you little blackmailer; I'll give you fifteen, but you only get ten now. You can have the other five after the job is done."
"Deal," she said; snatching the ten dollar bill from his hand and shoving it into her basket.
"One more thing, kid;" Frankie stated. "If you think you're going to keep my money and not uphold the deal; I'm going to tell your mommy I saw you take that money out of my grandmother's purse."
Julie's eyes widened. "I'll do it. I promise."
"Good girl," he said with a smile as he rose and patted her head. "Make me proud."
"How come you want me to have a tantrum?"
"Because I think it'll be funny. No one likes a boring wedding," he replied; while silently thinking to himself that this would be Colleen's payback for barring his son from the event.
In the bride's room of the church; Colleen was shuffling around the room in her off the shoulder wedding gown; a concoction of what seemed to Johanna to be miles of tulle and hundreds of yards of lace. It was ostentatious to be sure, but the bride thought it was the best thing ever…just like the yellow get ups her bridal party was wearing, Johanna thought as she looked down at herself and shuddered. It was an ongoing nightmare; one that didn't seem to be ending anytime soon, based on the makeup that was being applied…and the way the stylist fixed their hair.
She got a glimpse of herself in the full length mirror and grimaced at the amount of flowers that had been stuck into her hair, which had been curled to within an inch of its life. Of course, she wasn't the only one…but Colleen's friends didn't seem to mind, which only went to show how much taste they had. Valerie on the other hand, seemed to be in her club; as was Cindy, but she was making the best of it. To add insult to injury, the makeup artist Colleen had hired; apparently did most of her work with Ringling Brothers, because she was painting them up like a bunch of clowns, Johanna thought; cringing as she realized that her face was next.
"I don't like my makeup like this!" Valerie exclaimed as she looked in the mirror. "I look like a damn clown."
Johanna smiled upon hearing her sister-in-law echo the same thought she had been thinking.
"You look beautiful," Colleen insisted.
"Colleen, your definition of beautiful needs some work. I don't wear my makeup caked on like this."
"Wearing a little more makeup isn't going to kill you," Colleen said hotly; "Now get up; it's Johanna's turn."
"I'd really rather do my own makeup," Johanna replied.
"Too bad," her sister retorted. "I paid to have it done and it's getting done so it'll be right."
Johanna reluctantly sat down in the chair. "Please don't do my makeup the way you did every one else's," she pleaded as she caught the woman's eye.
"Oh don't be silly," Wanda the makeup artist replied. "You'll be beautiful."
She figured she'd probably stand a better chance of being beautiful if she was wearing a trash bag and let Greg slap the makeup on her face. When Wanda was finished with her and she looked in the mirror, she cringed. Her eyelids were coated with a thick layer of eye shadow and rimmed with eyeliner. Her lashes felt heavy from the extra coating of mascara; and her cheeks were caked with more rouge than she had ever worn in her life; and her lips were painted with what to be at least a half tube of pink lipstick.
"You look beautiful!" Colleen exclaimed.
"I look like I should be standing on a street corner and getting hourly rates at the local motel!" Johanna retorted.
"You do not!" her sister yelled. "I think it's a great improvement."
"And I think you need mental help," she told her.
"Stop it," Naomi said sharply as she wrapped a hand around Johanna's wrist and leaned down to speak to her.
"You can't think this looks good," her daughter hissed.
"It's a bit more than you usually wear," Naomi agreed; "But this is your sister's day; she paid for it and this is what she wants. Now this is the last time I'm going to tell you to behave yourself."
"Well that's a relief," Johanna muttered.
"I mean it, Johanna," she said; squeezing her wrist before letting go and walking off to rejoin Colleen.
"Boy she's in a mood," Valerie commented quietly.
"Oh yeah, you should've seen her at the house. She rolled out of bed in that mood."
"It's her daughter's wedding day," Wanda chastened; "She's frazzled."
About that time a loud clap of thunder sounded; making Colleen's eyes grow wide as she hurried to the window. "Oh my God! Look at it, it's pouring! What are we going to do, Mom?" she cried.
"Don't panic," Naomi said; although panic was shining in her blue eyes. "I'll find a phone and call the country club. They told us they could move the reception indoors if this happened. I'll just make sure they're doing that. Don't cry; you'll ruin your makeup."
"Hurry!" Colleen implored; as her best friend hurried towards her to console her. "There wasn't any rain in the forecast!"
Johanna smiled as she lifted her gaze upwards and whispered; "Thank you, God, for answering my prayer for rain. I owe you one. I'll be in church next Sunday. I'd come tomorrow but I'm going to be hungover...I'm sure you understand."
Valerie muffled a laugh as Wanda looked at Johanna in horror. "That's not very nice, Miss."
Johanna shrugged. "My sister hasn't been very nice. Now we're even."
"That's horrible," the woman stated. "She's your sister; this is her big day, you should..."
"Don't," Johanna said; holding up a hand. "You don't know what the past year has been like, so until you walk a mile in these hideous shoes; don't judge me, lady."
"Amen," Valerie remarked. Wanda pursed her lips and fell silent as she put away her supplies.
"We're going to get wet if it doesn't stop by the time the ceremony is done," Colleen was lamenting.
"Don't worry, sweetie; you won't melt."
"Shut up, Johanna!"
"Everything's going to be okay, Colleen," Naomi said as she hurried back into the room.
"They're moving everything indoors. It'll be ready when we get there."
Johanna rose from the chair and moved towards the door. "Where are you going?" Naomi demanded to know.
"I thought I'd go out in the hallway and scare the guests with my face. Is that okay or do I need a hall pass?"
"Go," her mother said with a glare; "And adjust your attitude while you're at it."
She rolled her eyes and stepped outside the door, making sure it shut behind her.
"Good God, what did they do to you?" she heard her father's voice asking.
She found him standing across the hall from her and she moved to join him. "Let's just say it was painful."
"It looks painful."
"Does my wife look like that?" Frankie asked as he joined them.
"She sure does. She isn't happy."
"Who could be happy be looking like that?" Frank commented. "What's with the all flowers in your hair?"
"That's what her royal highness requested, Dad. I'm sure there isn't a flower left in this city."
"This is worse than I imagined," Frankie said as he shook his head. "I can't believe my beautiful wife is going to be reduced to this," he stated; waving a hand at Johanna's wardrobe and makeup. "It just isn't right to do something like this to Val. Hell it isn't even right to do it to you, Jo. I mean, you're pretty enough...for a sister that is."
She laughed. "Thanks, big brother; that's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me."
He nodded. "It's the shock of the situation."
"When is this thing going to start so we can get it over with?" Frank asked as he pulled at his yellow tie.
"I don't know, Dad. She's ready so it shouldn't be much longer."
About that time, the door opened and Naomi stuck her head out. "Johanna, get in here and get your bouquet; Frankie get to your seat and make sure your grandmother is behaving. We're about ready to start; and Frank; you remember what I told you last night."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he muttered; as his eldest children drifted away to follow orders.
Naomi shuffled about, making sure everyone was lined up properly before she gave Colleen one last hug and kiss. She then paused next to Johanna. "Smile, dear."
Johanna conjured up a smile as she glanced at her mother.
"Your real smile," Naomi whispered. "It's much prettier than your fake one. Did you hug you sister and tell her that you love her?"
"Why? She's just getting married; not going off to war. Besides, she won't believe it."
"Do it anyway."
Johanna sighed and turned to look over her shoulder. "I love you, Colleen."
"Yeah right."
"Colleen," Naomi chastened.
"I love you too," the younger McKenzie sister amended.
Naomi figured that was as good as it was going to get and she hurried away to take her seat. The music began to play and little Julie Weston began to have a fit.
"I don't want to do this anymore!" she wailed. "My dress is too itchy, I hate it!"
"Oh my God," Colleen murmured. "Tell me this isn't happening."
"Oh it's happening," Johanna whispered back as Julie sobbed loudly; lamenting the ugly flowers in her basket.
"I wanted pretty flowers!" the girl cried.
In a pew at the front of the church, Frankie tried to keep his smile under wraps as he looked back and saw the horrified look on Colleen's face as she peeked around Johanna. Millicent Weston caught her wayward granddaughter by the arm and dragged her to the front of the church, whispering sternly to her; making Julie cry all the more.
"Paul said he paid that kid five bucks to behave," Colleen hissed.
"I guess he should've offered ten," Johanna commented.
"Everything was supposed to be perfect and now it's raining and the flower girl is crying…"
Frank sighed. "Everything's fine, Colleen. Just walk down the aisle, say I do and be done with it."
"You're so comforting, Dad," she shot back.
A genuine smile touched Johanna's lips as she began her trek down the aisle. Her father was in a hurry to give Colleen away…she didn't blame him.
With the wedding and picture taking over; the guests headed to the country club for the reception; only to find out that the meal was being delayed due to a problem in the kitchen.
"See, Naomi," Frank said; "This is why we made time for breakfast."
"Oh hush, Frank," she replied; hurrying off to comfort the bride who was on the verge of a meltdown.
Johanna stood quietly by with her father and brother; her back aching slightly from being on her feet so long. Julie Weston approached them; tugging on Frankie's pant leg as she looked up at him. "Can I have the rest of my money, Mister?" she asked.
"You sure can," he smiled; pulling the five dollar bill from his pocket and handing it to her. "You did a great job."
Johanna's eyes widened as Julie scampered away with her money. "You didn't," she said to Frankie.
He grinned. "It cost me fifteen bucks but it was worth it to see that look on Colleen's face."
"Your mother will kill you," Frank stated. "You better start praying now that she doesn't find out."
"Why do you think I had to pay that kid fifteen bucks? Five of it was hush money."
Johanna knew she shouldn't laugh but she couldn't help herself. The day of perfection was taking a beating; first with the rain that sent the reception in doors; along with the picture taking, and then Julie's tantrum. Paul had flubbed Colleen's name during the vows; calling her Alexandra Colleen instead of Colleen Alexandra; and the bride herself had nearly tripped on her way back up the aisle. Now the meal was delayed and everyone was milling about in the ballroom; discussing what they had heard and seen.
Sophia sidled up next to Johanna and laid a hand on her arm as she leaned close. "Have you noticed that Beatrice has to keep pulling up her stockings?"
She nodded. "Yeah; I have noticed that."
"That's the eye," Sophia said proudly. "It's setting in."
Her granddaughter laughed. "Good job, Grandma. Aim for Millicent next."
"That's a promise, darling."
"Johanna," her aunt Rita said as she squeezed around Sophia and pulled her niece into a hug. "It's so good to see you."
"You too, Aunt Rita."
"And don't worry, honey; you'll find someone eventually and have all of this too."
Johanna forced a smile to her lips and nodded. She could see how this affair was going to go. It was time to hit the bar and find a hiding spot.
When it was finally time for the meal to be served; Johanna and Valerie retreated to the table where the family was sitting, instead of joining Colleen's table.
"Girls, you really should be sitting with Colleen and the rest of the bridal party," Naomi commented as their plates were put before them.
"I prefer sitting with my family," Johanna replied. "They're my class of people."
"What will the Westons think?" her mother asked.
Johanna dropped the fork she had just picked up; exasperation flooding her veins. "Who cares what they think, Mom? Colleen is the one married into their family; not us. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing you worry about what that pack of pretentious snobs think about everything and I'm tired of watching you try to act like one of them. You don't have what it takes to be a snobby bitch, so why don't you stop trying and just be yourself. You're not impressing them and you don't need to. Naomi McKenzie is a good, respectable lady without putting on airs and acting like something you're not."
"I'll drink to that," Frank said; picking up this glass and downing half the contents.
"Are you done?" Naomi asked.
"Are you?" Johanna retorted.
"Don't you think it would be nice if you danced with Henry? Especially since you're the maid of honor and he's the best man."
"No, Mother; I don't."
"Didn't we have this conversation last night?" Frankie asked. "Didn't we tell you to quit throwing him at her?"
"It's none of your business," Naomi remarked.
"It's none of yours either, Naomi," her husband stated.
"That's right," Johanna agreed. "So quit trying to arrange a second Weston match because it's not going to happen. I'd rather throw myself off a bridge."
"What is so wrong with Henry? He likes you; he has..."
"I already told you what was wrong with him!" Johanna retorted. "Have you listened to a damn thing I've said this week? Do you listen at all, Mother? Or have I been speaking in a language that I need to get translated for you?"
Naomi's eyes flickered with anger as she looked at her eldest daughter. "You get more like your daddy every day, little girl. You think you know so much and that you have all the answers because you have a law degree hanging on your wall, but you don't. Most of your relationships fail after a few months, and you won't consider anyone as a possible suitor who doesn't fit that fairytale ideal you have in your head about the perfect man. Well here's a newsflash for you, sweetie; there is no perfect man so you better just pick one you can settle for and do it while you're still young enough to have options."
Johanna scoffed softly as she pushed her food around on her plate. "You're the one who taught me to believe in fairytales, Mama. You're the one who took me to see Cinderella and Snow White...and you told me that one day my prince would come; just like theirs did...and I'm not going to give up that notion. Not to please you or anyone else. I never said that my prince would be perfect; I said I wanted him to make me feel alive. Perfect is boring. I don't want to be bored...and I sure as hell will not settle. You don't know what the future holds for me; you don't know that the man I'm looking for isn't out there somewhere."
"Yeah, Mom;" Frankie spoke up. "For all you know; she may have already met him."
"Yes, he may be and she might not be giving him a chance. It's not a crime for me to try and introduce her to men."
"I don't need you to arrange my life," Johanna stated. "This isn't the 14th century where offering dowries and arranging marriages was the norm. I meet plenty of men; I work with them, I eat with them, I drink with them. I go to social events, I go to clubs, I go to bars..."
"Don't pick up someone in a bar," her mother interrupted.
She eyed her. "That's exactly what I'm going to do, Mom. I'm going to go to the nearest bar and snatch up a man to be your next son-in-law."
"I don't like this attitude you've had lately, Johanna."
"I don't like yours either, that's why we're going to spend time apart."
"You just love saying that, don't you?" Naomi asked; her jaw tense.
"You say that like I enjoy hurting you, Mom, and I assure you that I don't. I hate it; but I have asked, I have pleaded and begged for you to stop; but you just keep pushing and pushing until I can't take it anymore. If I'm not living my life up to your standards; and my attitude doesn't suit you; maybe you need to think about the roll you play in it."
Naomi nodded. "Fine, Johanna. If you want me to stay out of your business; I will. Do what you want."
"I intend to."
"I'll also give you your space you're so anxious to have from your family. Perhaps some time away will adjust your attitude."
"I'm hoping the same for your attitude," Johanna replied. "Needing space doesn't mean that I don't love you; I do."
"I love you too," her mother said before falling silent.
Frank had been silently chewing on a statement Naomi had made and he decided to voice it aloud. "So are you saying you settled for me, Naomi? That you were sure there was someone better out there but you settled for me because I was convenient?"
"No!" she exclaimed. "I didn't say that at all."
"Sounded like it to me. I've given you everything I could...isn't it good enough for you?"
Naomi closed her eyes. "Why do you always have to hear things I didn't say?"
"Boy we McKenzies sure know how to party," Frankie stated; sensing a fight brewing between his parents.
"We're a one of a kind family; that's for sure," Johanna agreed.
"I don't think we'd have all these problems if they hadn't had Colleen. She's been nothing but trouble since the day she was born."
"Don't you say that," Naomi told him. "Your sister was a blessing."
"That's funny," Frank stated; "I remember her being an accident."
Johanna almost spit out her drink as her brother laughed. "Who gets to tell her that?" Frankie asked.
"No one," their mother replied. "There were no accidents. You were all supposed to be here."
"We're here all right," Johanna remarked; "But I really don't think I was supposed to be wearing this dress."
Her mother shot her an exasperated look which she smiled at before falling silent along with the rest of the table.
Awhile later, Johanna circulated around the room, avoiding her mother and dodging Henry Weston as much as possible. Why the man couldn't take the hint that she wasn't interested was beyond her. She spotted her cousin Cindy at the bar and she headed towards her.
"Hey," she said as stepped into place next to her.
Cindy smiled. "I thought you were hiding in a corner somewhere."
"I was but then my mother spotted me so I had to relocate. I'm looking for a new hiding place now."
"Aunt Naomi sure is determined," her cousin replied. "I heard her telling someone that she just knows you and Henry would make a nice couple."
"Oh sure we would," Johanna replied. "He'd bore me to death the first night and probably not even realize it until the next day."
Cindy laughed. "I think he's getting his hopes up about you. He's been watching you all day."
"I know; that's why I've been hiding," she remarked as she turned towards the bartender. "Can I get a margarita?"
"Moving up to the hard stuff?" Cindy asked as Johanna handed over her empty champagne glass.
She scoffed. "I had a shot of whiskey at midnight."
Her cousin's brow rose. "Is it as bad as all that?"
"It seems that way. It's been the week from hell. I've been branded a spinster, criticized for my career choice, fought with my mother and my sister told me she hates me. To top it off, I'm wearing an ugly dress and being perused by a nerd who looks like he's afraid of his own shadow."
"That does sound pretty bad," Cindy agreed; "And I'm sure Colleen didn't mean what she said. You know how she is; she's…"
"A nut," Johanna filled in.
"I was going to say a little high strung."
"Don't sugar coat it," Johanna laughed. "She's on the nutty side."
"True, but hey, I'm wearing the same dress as you," she reminded her. "It's only for a few hours."
Johanna took a long sip of her margarita. "I know. I'm a terrible person. I've already heard all about it."
The other woman laid a hand against her arm. "I didn't say that. You're far from terrible. You do seem a little down though. What's wrong, Jo?"
"I'm just not myself this week."
Her cousin's gaze flicked to the margarita that was steadily disappearing. "Is getting drunk going to make it better?"
Johanna nodded. "It's what I've been looking forward to, Cindy. How is it going with your groomsmen?"
Cindy smiled. "It's going very well. I think I have him hooked."
She laughed. "Good for you; he does look smitten."
"I hope so. I'd hate to think I've been doing all this work to keep him interested for nothing."
Johanna grinned. "Well just let me say right now that I'm not wearing yellow to your wedding."
"You don't have to worry. I'll get you something in lavender."
"Lavender works," Johanna replied. "Go easy on the lace."
"Deal," Cindy said; her eyes fixing on some point over Johanna's shoulder. "Uh oh."
"What?" she asked; starting to turn to see what her cousin was looking at but she grabbed her arm and kept her looking.
"Henry's coming this way," she informed her.
"Oh hell," Johanna said as she downed the rest of her drink.
"Make a run for it," Cindy replied. "I'll head him off."
She smiled. "That's just another reason why you're my favorite cousin."
"I better be," Cindy replied; "Now go, he's walking faster."
Johanna hurried away from the bar; her gaze scanning the room for a safe haven. She spotted her grandmother sitting at a table with her grandfather, Patrick McKenzie.
"How are you two doing?" Johanna asked as she approached their table.
Patrick looked up at the sound of her voice and turned his head towards her. "Sarah?"
She smiled sadly; it wasn't unusual for her grandfather to call her 'Sarah' at first glance but it was happening more and more frequently lately; making her wonder if his memory was fading. She pressed a small kiss against the old man's head, "No, Grandpa; it's Johanna."
He studied her for a moment more; the haze clearing in his eyes as he took her hand for a moment. "Johanna," he repeated; sadness in his gaze that he had been fooled once again. The young woman before him was his granddaughter, not his late wife.
She gave him another smile as she sat down beside him; her gaze darting towards Sophia and reading the same thoughts in her eyes in regards to Patrick's memory. "Are you having a good time?" she asked them.
"As well as we can," Sophia answered. "I'm going to have to sit my daughter down and have a word with her later."
"Why?"
"Because she's trying to be uppity and I don't go for that," her grandmother replied. "She wasn't raised that way. She told me about the little to-do the two of you had after the rehearsal dinner…and about how you told her you won't be around for awhile."
Johanna nodded. "That's right."
"I hope that only applies to your mother and sister," Sophia stated. "I hope you aren't cutting yourself off from me, mi cara."
"Of course not, Grandma. Where do you think I'll be having some of my Sunday meals?"
Sophia laughed. "You come have dinner with me any time you like, darling."
"I will," she said before turning her attention to Patrick. "How about you, Grandpa; are you having a nice time?"
"No. I feel like I'm drowning in an egg yolk with all of this damn yellow," he stated; fisting a piece of the yellow table cloth for emphasis.
"I know what you mean," Johanna laughed. "I have to wear it."
"That's the ugliest dress I've ever seen in my life," the old man remarked.
"Oh there was one uglier than this," his granddaughter informed him. "Colleen wouldn't look at anything tasteful."
"Of course not," he muttered; "That one's always been a little off in the brain box."
Johanna grinned and patted his hand. "Can I get you anything?"
"No; I'm fine…but yellow really isn't your color, dear," Patrick told her.
"I know, Grandpa; I hate it too."
His brown eyes met her gaze and he was thrown back into the past once more.
"Are you sure you don't want a piece of cake or something?" she asked him; noting that he was a bit thinner than he had been at that time last year.
"I'm fine, Sarah," he murmured; a soft smile touching his lips as he stared into her green eyes.
The green eyed woman who haunted his dreams shook her head slightly, her brow furrowing as she studied him. "Grandpa; I'm not Sarah," she said gently.
He shook his head; of course she wasn't. His Sarah had been gone for more years than he cared to remember...and yet she was everywhere...especially in the face of their granddaughter. He sucked in a breath; hoping to quell an ancient hurt that lingered in his heart. Sarah Riley was always looking at him through the eyes of Johanna McKenzie. His daughter, Bridget, had green eyes but they weren't shaped the same as Sarah's had been and the image lacked any effect. Their granddaughter's eyes however were a perfect replica of his Sarah's. The love of his life was painted freely across the young girl's cheekbones, the curve of her face and her long dark hair. It never failed to catch him off guard and he had kept a certain distance between himself and Johanna because of it. It just hurt so much to look into that pretty face and see the woman he'd give anything to have back.
Patrick lowered his head for a moment; struggling to reconcile reality from memory. The girl couldn't help it that she looked like his wife; and he couldn't help it that he sometimes couldn't differentiate between them...especially lately. Sarah was on his mind more and more, and the slightest glance at Johanna always sent a flutter of hope through his heart that she had somehow returned to him. They would've been married for over 60 years he mused...and she'd been gone for more than half of them. A lump grew in his throat and he swallowed it back. It didn't matter...he was an old man and his health was deteriorating...he had no doubt that soon he'd be reunited with his Sarah.
Maybe that was why he could look at Johanna these days and be comforted by the similarities he saw. He returned his gaze to her face, seeing the concern in her eyes as she worried her bottom lip. "Why are you looking at me like that, lass?" he asked. "Can't an old man day dream once in awhile?"
A small smile curved her lips upwards. "Of course."
"Well then, what's the problem?"
"Nothing," she replied; hesitating as the question formed on her lips. "Grandpa..."
"Yes?"
"Why do you always call me Sarah?"
He held her gaze; swallowing back the phrase, "Go look in the mirror." She didn't know what her grandmother looked like; she didn't know anything about her at all really; which was partly his fault, he figured. He knew how his son felt about the topic, and he too liked to keep Sarah locked away in his memories where only he could visit her. He hadn't wanted the questions that his son was sure his daughter would ask if she was told and so they had remained silent; holding the girl at arms length all because she had dipped her toes into a certain segment of the gene pool.
"Because you remind me of her," he replied; his tone a bit gruffer than he meant.
He could see more questions in her eyes, just as Frank had always claimed there would be. She was hesitating though, thinking it over in relation to his tone but finally she bolstered her courage. "In what way?"
"Every way," he thought to himself but he refrained from saying so. Instead he chose his words carefully, hoping she wouldn't ask for more. "Your hair," he relented. "You have her hair color."
Johanna had a feeling that it was something more than that but she felt it was wise not to push her luck. She nodded and gave him a smile. "I wish I could've known her."
Sadness touched his features. "Me too...she would've loved you."
"I'm sure I would've loved her too."
"Johanna," Sophia broke in; "Is your mother still trying to foist that Henry on you?"
She grimaced. "Yes; why do you ask."
"Because it looks like he's heading this way...and he looks determined."
Damn, she thought; Cindy must not have been able to divert his attention elsewhere. Oh well, at least she had tried.
"Naomi wants to fix her up with that little twerp?" Patrick asked as he followed Sophia's gaze.
"Yes," both women answered.
He laughed. "What would he do with her? I think our Josie is too much woman for him to handle."
Johanna laughed. "I'm glad someone thinks so."
He grinned at her. "How do you feel about dancing with an old man?"
She smiled; her eyes gleaming with amusement; "Is there an old man here?"
Patrick chuckled and once again saw Sarah in his mind's eye. "Is that a yes, Lass?"
She nodded. "I would love to dance with you, Grandpa," she said as she rose from her seat and offered him her hand.
"I hope you don't mind that I'm a little slower than I used to be."
"Not at all. Grandma, see if you can do something about Henry, would you?"
"Don't worry, darling; I'll have a word with him."
She laughed and settled her hand in the crook of Patrick's arm as he led her to the dance floor. "Did she like to dance?" Johanna asked as the next song began to play.
He smiled; his memory carrying him back in time to see a young dark haired girl laughing merrily as he spun her around the dance floor. "She loved to dance," he said quietly. "My Sarah loved everything."
Sadness tinged her smile once again and she fell silent as she searched for a new topic. Asking more questions would only cause him pain and she didn't want that.
After her dance with Patrick, she went back to moving around the room; trying not to stay in one place for too long. "Johanna," she heard a voice behind her saying and she cringed; knowing who that voice belonged to. So much for dodging him. She took a breath and turned around; figuring she might as well get it over with. "Henry," she said as her gaze met his.
"You're a hard person to get a hold of," he said lightly.
Apparently not hard enough, she mused. "Well I like to move around and socialize. I've never been good at holding still."
"I've noticed."
Her brow rose and a slight smirk touched her lips at his snobbish tone. "Was there something you wanted?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact there is. I was thinking that we could have dinner together this week."
"I don't think so."
"You have other plans?"
"Yes," she answered; while silently adding that she had plans every day for the rest of her life and he wasn't included in any of them.
"Well then we can go out next weekend."
She laughed. "Don't you think you should ask instead of telling?"
"I am asking," he remarked; looking at her oddly.
"Sounds more like telling to me."
Henry smiled. "Alright; Johanna, will you go out with me next weekend."
"No."
"No?"
"No," she stated firmly. "I won't go out with you."
He looked shocked; as if he couldn't believe the audacity of someone actually turning him down. "Why not?"
Johanna sighed; she hated to do this but there wasn't any other choice. "Henry...you're a nice person but it's just not going to work. I don't know what Colleen's been telling you but whatever it is, it's wrong. You're not my type."
Shock colored his features once more. "You're not even giving me a chance."
"That's because there's nothing there to give a chance to," she said gently. "We don't have anything in common."
"You're just being shy. Colleen told me you were shy."
"Colleen lies. I'm not shy. I just don't want to go out with you."
He puffed up with indignation. "I don't know why not. You ought to be glad that I'm still willing to go out with you after the way you acted at the rehearsal dinner. Your behavior was deplorable but I'm willing to overlook it."
"Overlook it?" Johanna laughed. "I don't want you overlooking anything for me and I sure as hell am not going to get down on my hands and knees and thank you for still offering for me despite my 'behavior', which by the way, is just a part of my character as my brother tried to tell you. You see I don't like people who want to act like they're better than everyone and I don't like people who want to malign me without even knowing me. I will always defend myself and I don't care who likes it and who doesn't. I'm not going out with you; you're not my type."
"Maybe you're the one who thinks she's better," Henry said snottily. "That's why you won't give me a chance. You think you're too good for me."
"Look, I tried to be nice about this; even my brother tried to dissuade you but you don't seem to be able to take a hint so I'm just going to have to make it real clear. I don't like you, Henry. I don't like your mother either. I'd rather have my eyelids scrapped across the concrete than go out with you and end up having to put up with your family. I'm not attracted to you. I have nothing in common with you and while I don't think that I'm better than you; I do think I deserve better. Now this discussion is closed. Stop following me around like we're in junior high, because it's not going to happen. I don't want you."
He sniffed; anger tightening features. "You have so many suitors that you can afford to be so choosy?"
She smirked. "I only need one to put you out of the running, Henry."
"Are you trying to imply that there's someone else."
An image of Jim popped into her head and she nodded without much thought. "Yeah; there's someone else...and he's worth a thousand of you Westons."
"Then where is he?"
"Waiting for me to call and tell him I'm ready to get the hell out of here," Johanna answered. "Now I think you've gotten all the answers you need and we're done now. If you keep bothering me, I'll be forced to ask my father and brother to deal with you, and I assure you that won't be a pleasant experience for you and your blue blood."
He smirked as he nodded. "You're not good enough for me anyway. You're nothing but a bitch."
"That's right, and I'm proud of it," Johanna stated. "Goodbye."
Henry glared at her and then stormed away. She exhaled a heavy breath; hopefully that would be the end of it.
Twenty-five minutes later, Johanna swallowed back a curse as she saw Millicent Weston heading towards her with a determined look in her eye. It might be over with Henry but apparently his mother still had a few digs to get in.
"Johanna," the woman said haughtily as she came to a stop in front of her. "May I ask you a question?"
She suppressed a sigh and nodded. "If you must."
Millicent leveled her with a cool stare. "Just what is your problem?"
Johanna's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry? I don't think I know what you mean."
"Let's start with your attitude..."
"Here we go again," she mumbled under her breath as she rolled her eyes.
"All you've done all day is sulk..."
She laughed. "Sulk? I assure you that I've done no such thing. It's my sister's day and I've stayed in the background out of respect for that."
"And do you have to wear that look on your face while you do it?" Mrs. Weston asked.
Johanna sighed. "Look, I don't feel well. I haven't felt well all week and I'm doing the best I can, and even if I did feel 100 percent, I don't think that means I'm required to walk around with a smile plastered on my face all day."
"Yes, it's very convenient that you don't feel well yet again. I think the real reason for your sour demeanor is jealousy as your sister claims and it's most likely because you're looking around and seeing what you don't have and most likely won't have because of your attitude and priorities."
Her eyes narrowed as she scoffed. "I didn't know you had the ability to see into the future, Millicent."
"I've never seen a girl with a smart mouth like yours!"
Johanna laughed. "Oh don't worry; you'll be seeing one just like me before long. Now that Colleen is married to Paul, she won't have to work so hard to impress you anymore and her true colors will shine through the first time you tick her off. Trust me, I know. When she was four, she bit me for eating the cookie she wanted...chances are, she'll bite you in the verbal sense if you push her far enough."
"Your sister is a lovely mild mannered girl!" Millicent declared.
"Oh wow, she did a real good snow job on you. I'll have to congratulate her on that. I love my sister, Millicent; but that sweet little rose has her thorns. Her temper is just as bad as mine. You'll see."
"I highly doubt that your sister could ever act as horribly as you do. She apparently takes after your mother; where you on the other hand clearly take after your father."
Her brow rose. "Do you have something to say about my father, Millicent? If so, let's go get him so you can say it to his face and then he can tell you what he thinks of you."
The woman glared at her. "We're talking about you! Who do you think you are; treating my son the way you did!"
"Oh; so this is about Henry. I guess he ran crying to mommy."
Millicent's dark eyes were practically black with anger. "Do you think you're too good for my son?"
"I try to make it a policy to never think that I'm better than anyone, Millicent. I'm simply not interested."
"And just why not? It's not like you could do any better."
The laugh burst from her lips before she could stop it. "Now there's where you're wrong. You see, I want a man; not some whipped mama's boy like Henry."
"How dare you," she seethed.
"How dare I what?" Johanna retorted. "How dare I have the guts to tell you what I think of you and your uppity family? Are you so used to people bowing down to you that you can't take it when someone calls you out with the truth? Well let me tell you something, Millicent; I bow to no one, especially the likes of you. I don't want your son. You should be rejoicing over that fact."
"And just why is that?"
"Because you don't like me," Johanna remarked; "And I don't like you. So tell me what it is that makes you so offended about this rejection. What is it that I have that makes all of you want to force this relationship? My money? My father's money? His company? What?"
"Don't be ridiculous," the older woman retorted with disgust. "We have more money than you could ever hope to have."
"That may be; but people like you...you never have enough. There's some agenda somewhere. I'm sure that when Paul started seeing Colleen that you had our family looked into. You probably know all about our finances; the value of Dad's company. The trust funds left to us by our grandfather and great grandmother. You probably know that mine is still untouched and collecting a nice interest. Well let me tell you something, lady, my money isn't up for grabs and if you think for one minute that Colleen and I are going to inherit any portion of our father's company; you're crazy. That business and everything that goes with it; goes to my brother. My father's business partner has no children and his share goes to my brother as well. He'll have it all. So whatever little empire building scheme you had in mind, you can forget it. The Westons will never get their hands on anything that the McKenzies worked for."
Millicent's features were flushed with fury. Her eyes glittering with anger, both at the accusation and the fact that someone had so clearly read her motives. "I'd like to slap that smirk right off of your prissy little know it all face; you ill mannered, classless spinster."
Johanna's green eyes glittered with a challenge. "Like I told you the other night, Millicent; if you feel froggy, take a leap. Come on, I dare you to touch me, because when you do, you're going to get it back twice as hard. You see I don't care who you are or who you think you are; you take a swing at me, bitch, and you're going down. I've had it with you people. I've had it with this whole damn charade and I don't care anymore about who gets offended and who thinks what about me. Now if you want to try your luck, do it. If not; you better turn your snotty ass around and get the hell out of my face."
Millicent held her glare for a beat longer and then turned sharply on her heel and walked away.
Johanna exhaled a breath; her hand's trembling with anger at her sides. She had to get out of there. She had to go now. She made her way to the table where her father was sitting with her grandparents and she snatched up her purse.
"Where you going, Josie?" her father asked; the alcohol making him jovial.
She shoved her anger down for a moment as she leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I'm leaving, Dad. I have to get out of here before I hurt someone."
Frank laughed; wrapping an arm around her waist. "You're every inch a McKenzie, Josie. You have the fire."
"Remember that the next time you question my gene pool."
"Now, darling, you know I don't mean it," he said as he tugged her down on his knee. "You know you're my little girl."
Johanna looked at him incredulously; she probably hadn't set on his knee since she was seven; and she was positive that she had never been named as his little girl.
"You're very drunk, aren't you?" she asked.
He nodded; a happy smile on his lips. "How else would I survive this tacky affair for more than an hour?"
"Good point," she laughed.
"You should have a few more drinks, Josie. It'll make you feel better."
"I intend to, but I'm going to do my drinking at home, then I won't have to worry about where I pass out."
"You're a smart girl," Frank stated; kissing her cheek.
She nodded; pressing another kiss to his cheek before she got up from his knee. "I'll see you around, Dad."
"Bye, Josie."
She moved to Patrick's side; kissing him as well. "Goodbye, Grandpa. Thanks for the dance."
"Anytime, lass," he replied; squeezing her hand. "You come see me, okay?"
"I will," she promised before moving to Sophia. "I'm not telling Mom I'm leaving...can you relay the message when you see fit?"
"I'll tell her," Sophia replied.
"You might want to also tell her that it's time to cut someone off from the bar," she said with a subtle nod in Frank's direction. "If he gets too happy, he'll hate himself tomorrow."
"Don't worry, mi cara; I'll take care of things. How are you going to get home?"
"I have a friend that said he'd pick me up if I wanted to leave early."
Sophia hugged and kissed her. "Okay then; go while your mother and sister are occupied. I expect to see you soon."
"You will," Johanna told her.
She managed to catch Frankie and Valerie and quietly told them goodbye, before slipping out a side door of the ballroom.
As Johanna walked through the country club in search of a pay phone, she tried to ignore the stares she was getting. "Yes; I look like a freak," she thought to herself as she shot one chuckling person a glare. "Join the party in the ballroom and you'll see several more." She finally spotted the pay phone and she hurried towards it; sighing in relief as she enclosed herself in the small wooden booth. She rummaged through her purse and found the required coin and dropped it into the slot as she lifted the receiver. She dialed Jim's number and prayed he'd be home.
"Hello," he answered on the third ring.
"Are you still interested in saving damsels in distress?" she asked; "Because I'm ready to be rescued."
"Since it's you; I'm definitely interested," Jim replied. "Have you had enough?"
"More than enough."
"Alright, tell me where you are and I'll come get you."
"First, I have to say something."
"What?"
"I'm wearing one of the most hideous dresses ever created and an equally horrifying pair of shoes. My hair looks like it was done by a hippie at Woodstock and I'm sure you could scrape my makeup off with a butter knife. I'll give you exactly two minutes to laugh and get it out of your system when you see me."
"If it's as bad as all that; I might need longer."
"I wouldn't advise it. I'm not in the best of moods."
"I'm sure you're not," he said with a laugh. "Now tell me where you are so I can ride to your rescue before you hurt someone...unless it's too late and you already have."
"I'd like to; but I refrained," Johanna stated before giving him her location.
"Alright, sweetheart; find a hiding place, I'm on my way."
"Thank you," she said with relief before hanging up the phone. Now she just had to make sure she wasn't found by any of the wedding party.
Johanna was standing outside the building when Jim pulled up and he was already laughing as she hurried into the car. "Two minutes, Jim. You have two minutes."
"I don't know; this might be more like a five minute kind of laugh, Jo," he said as he studied her.
She narrowed her eyes. "I thought you were going stay on my good side until the danger had passed?" she said; reminding him of a conversation they had earlier in the week.
"I'm trying," he replied as he put the car into drive; "But damn."
"I know, you don't have to tell me; I saw it in mirror."
"You should press charges," Jim remarked. "It has to be against the law to put a woman as beautiful as you in a get up like that... and then top it off with that make up job and hairdo."
"I know. It makes me sorry that I didn't punch her in the face when I had her down on the floor last night."
"You should've punched her today."
"I thought about it."
"Did they stick enough flowers in your hair? It looks like you woke up in a flower bed."
"Thanks a lot, Jim!"
"I'm sorry," he laughed. "I've just never seen you look like this before."
"And you never will again."
"Am I going to have to help you sandblast that makeup off your face? It is pretty heavy."
"Oh I know," she replied. "I look like Bozo's whore."
He stifled a laugh. "Am I allowed to laugh at that or will you hurt me?"
She grinned. "Go ahead; we may as well laugh about it or I'll cry."
"Don't cry, sweetheart," he told her; laying a hand on her knee. "We'll put you back to the way you're supposed to be."
"I can't wait."
Once they were inside her apartment, Johanna pulled her hair to the side and turned her back to Jim. "Unzip this monstrosity."
He chuckled as he reached for the zipped and slid it down half way so it would be within her reach. "You're not wasting any time, are you?"
"Would you?" she asked.
Jim shook his head. "No; I'd hurry too if I was you."
"Make yourself at home," she told him. "I'll be back as soon as I look normal again...that could take awhile."
"I'll be here," he assured.
He was watching television by the time she finally re-appeared; her face scrubbed clean and her hair free from flowers. She was dressed in a pair of black shorts and an old t-shirt. She was carrying the ugly dress and shoes with her as she walked through the living room, giving him a wave as she said "Come on."
He followed her into the kitchen, his curiosity piqued as she set the items on the table. "First things first," she said as she opened one of her cabinets and took down a few bottles of alcohol and two glasses. "Take your pick."
"Did you buy out the liquor store?" he asked as he opened a bottle of scotch.
"I wanted to be prepared," Johanna stated; cracking the seal on the bottle of tequila. "I've been waiting for this moment for a year."
"Are we making a toast to the fact that it's over?"
"Better," she stated.
He watched in amusement as she picked up the ugly shoes by their straps; allowing them to dangle from the tips of her fingers. "I thought about hacking these up and putting them in a box and giving them to Colleen for Christmas, but I don't ever want to see them again."
Jim laughed. "You should. That would be a good story."
"I don't want these things in my home that long. Say goodbye to the ugly shoes," she stated as she crossed the room and held them above the trash can for a moment before letting them go.
"Did that feel good?"
"Oh yeah," she replied; "I'm going to feel even better once I'm done with the dress."
Jim's brow furrowed in confusion as he watched her fill a large pot with water. "Are you going to cook it?" he laughed.
"No; I have something better in mind," Johanna smiled as she sat the pot aside and grabbed the dress from the table. She dropped it into the sink and then opened her junk drawer and took out a book of matches.
She wasn't really going to do what he thought she was going to do...was she? Johanna struck the match, watching the flame for a second before she dropped it onto the dress; igniting it as it laid in the sink.
Jo!"
"Shhh; this is a symbolic moment," she said as she grabbed her glass of tequila and took a long sip.
"You're going to have the smell of burned material in here now," he told her.
"That's just the sweet smell of the ultimate kiss off."
"But Colleen doesn't know."
"I'll know," she replied; "And if she ever pushes my buttons too much again, I can think about this burning rag in my sink...and maybe even tell her about it to piss her off. All that matters is that I know and you know. You're my witness."
Jim laughed. "I bet she'd have a fit, if she could see this."
"I should've taken pictures."
"Keep a piece of the charred material as evidence in case you ever have to prove it to her."
Johanna grinned at him. "I love your mind."
He laughed. "It comes up with a good idea every now in then."
"It sure does," she stated; reaching for the pot of water to douse the flames.
"Let me do it so you don't get burned," he told her as he took the pot from her hands. She stepped back and allowed him to put out the fire, laughing when she saw the blackened heap in the sink.
"That's much better," she said. "I see a definite improvement; how about you?"
"Absolutely," he agreed.
She grabbed the bottles of scotch and tequila from the counter and beckoned him to follow her into the living room, leaving the blackened dress to lie in state in the sink.
"So do you want to tell me about it?" Jim asked once they were settled on the sofa.
"Do you want me to start with last night when Colleen and I slapped each other around or do you want me to skip ahead to this morning and my mother's ban on everything that wasn't wedding related…like breakfast? Or would you just like me to go straight to the wedding and Frankie's pay off to the flower girl to throw a tantrum, an answered prayer for rain, the rejection of a nerd and the telling off of the mother of the groom?"
Jim took a sip of scotch as he chuckled. "I think you better start from last night and work forward. I don't want to miss anything; but I have one question first."
"What?"
"Was this wedding of the century captured on film?"
"Oh yes; it's been video taped and photographed for posterity. Despite our best attempts, we'll never be able to forget it," she answered.
"Are you sure that you should be drinking so much?" Jim asked later on as Johanna reached for the half empty bottle on the coffee table and refilled her glass.
She glanced at him as she retook her position on the sofa, stretching her legs out to lay across his lap as she faced him. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's not polite to lecture your hostess?"
"I wasn't lecturing you," he chuckled. "I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing."
"Of course I know what I'm doing. It's a happy occasion, honey; you're supposed to celebrate it."
"And you're just brimming with happiness, aren't you?" he asked; holding her gaze and seeing the effects of the alcohol reflected in her eyes.
"If I was any happier, it would be against the law," she quipped.
He didn't miss the sarcasm in her tone, or the flicker of sadness in her eyes. His hand fell to her ankle and then drifted a bit higher as he caressed her soft skin. "Anything I can do to make it better?"
Johanna took a long sip of her drink before answering. "Yeah."
"What?"
"Marry me," she replied.
A laugh bubbled up in his throat and caused him to choke on the sip of scotch he had just taken. "Are you proposing, Johanna?"
She nodded. "Well since no one will propose to me, I figure I have to be the one to do it or I'm not going to get anywhere."
"Why me?"
She shrugged. "Why not? You're available...unless you decided to marry that girl your mama picked out for you."
Jim shook his head. "I'm not marrying Helen."
"Good; then you can marry me."
"I don't know if I like being picked just because I'm available."
"But out of all the men I know, I like you best," Johanna told him.
"So I'm your first choice?"
"Of course, silly," she giggled. "You should know that. You're always my first choice. I'll be a good wife to you."
"I'm sure you would be."
"I'll cook for you every day," Johanna stated. "You like my cooking, don't you?"
"I love it. You're a wonderful cook."
"I'll do your laundry and iron your clothes. I'll pick up the dry cleaning too," she went on. "And I'll keep the house clean."
"Those are very nice qualities for a wife to have," he stated. "Would you get mad if I stayed out late with my friends?"
She pondered the question as she took another sip of her drink. "Are you going to call and tell me you're going to be late?"
"If I think about it, I will."
She frowned. "I suppose I could overlook it once in awhile."
"That's good of you."
Johanna nodded. "I told you I'd be a good wife. I can even sew small things like hems and tears and buttons. I'm a good listener too; I'll listen to all of your problems and make you feel better...I'll take care of you and make you feel better when you're sick too."
Jim smiled. "I don't doubt that, sweetheart."
"I'll buy you nice gifts for the holidays," she continued; "And I'll try not to spend any of your money since I have my own."
"Who's going to pay the bills?" he asked.
"You are, that's your job. I'll use my money for everything else."
He laughed. "That sounds like a pretty good deal."
She smiled. "And I'll take care of the baby."
"Baby!" Jim exclaimed. "We're having a baby too?"
"Well of course!" she retorted; giving him a look that suggested that she thought he was somewhat dense. "What did you think we were going to do?"
"You didn't say anything about a baby."
"But I have to have a baby, Jim," Johanna exclaimed after finishing off the contents of her glass. "That's part of marriage...but we don't have to have one right away. We can wait a little while if you want."
He shook with laughter; did she know what she was saying? As he glanced at her face and replayed the words in his head, he figured that she didn't. She was drunk and saying whatever came to mind. "You didn't mention anything about...affection, when you were telling me about what kind of wife you would be."
Her lips curved upwards in a seductive smile and she sat her glass down on the floor before she moved down the sofa and onto his lap. "I'll give you lots of affection," she replied; her tone soft and flirtatious as she pressed kisses to his cheek and then his lips.
He shouldn't ask the question that came to mind, but he did so anyway. "Is kissing all your affection entails?"
She shook her head. "If you marry me; I'll let you move your hand higher," she said with a nod towards his hand which rested just below her knee.
Jim grinned. "Is that right?"
"I wouldn't lie to you," she replied; her words slurring slightly.
"Just how high could I move it?"
"You can put it wherever you want."
He shouldn't have asked, Jim thought to himself as he ducked his head for a moment. Now he had all sorts of images in his head...and yet he couldn't stop himself. "Don't you want to try it first and see if you like it?"
Johanna giggled. "I like it now."
He laughed. "Does that mean I don't get a free trial period?"
She pressed another kiss to his lips and then stared into his eyes as contemplated his question. "I guess if you really wanted to try it...we could...but just once."
He cupped her face and kissed her, unable to resist the urge. "You're very accommodating, Jo."
"I know," she smiled; "So how about it?"
"How about what?"
"Will you marry me?" she asked.
Jim smiled as he tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ear. "I'm flattered that you considered me for the job, sweetheart; but I don't think I'm ready to get married."
She stared at him for a moment. "We don't have to get married tonight; we can wait until tomorrow."
He chuckled as he rubbed her leg. "I don't think I'll be ready tomorrow either."
"Monday?"
He was starting to think that he might've let this get out of hand. "No...I don't know when I'll be ready to get married."
Johanna frowned as she held his gaze; understanding finally dawning in her eyes. "You don't want me."
Jim shook his head. "I didn't say that at all."
Tears filled her eyes. "I promise I'll be a good wife."
"I know you would be," he replied gently. "I just don't want to get married right now and neither do you."
"Yes I do," she cried. "You just don't want me. No one wants me."
"That's not true, Jo," he responded; trying desperately to think of a way to turn this around. He couldn't take her tears.
"Why don't you want me?" she asked. "Is it because I'm a woman?"
Laughter burst forth before he could stop it. "No; that's not it. Being a woman is the main requirement for the job, sweetheart. Why would you think otherwise?"
"Maybe you want a lady. I'm not much of a lady...but if that's what you want, I can learn to be one."
"Johanna, you're the most lady like lady I know, who told you that you're not?"
"People," she muttered.
"Do these people have a name?"
"Yes."
He smothered another laugh; the question apparently didn't compute right in her alcohol drenched brain.
"I'm like Bette Davis," she told him; "Cold and bitchy with a smart mouth. Men don't like that."
Jim shook his head. "That's not true. You're not like Bette Davis. You're more like Olivia DeHavilland."
Johanna's nose wrinkled. "I don't want to be her. She was a wimp in Gone with the Wind. I'd rather be Katharine Hepburn."
"You're just like Katharine Hepburn," he told her. "Classy and sassy."
"You think so?" she sniffed.
"Of course I do."
"Would you marry Katharine Hepburn?"
Oh lord, he thought; this marriage thing wasn't going to go away easily. "She's a little too old for me."
Johanna narrowed her eyes. "I'm not getting any younger myself, Jim!"
"You'll always be younger than me," Jim replied.
"Are you going to marry me or not?" she demanded to know.
He sighed. "No...I don't think we should."
She frowned; her eyes still glimmering with tears as she pushed herself off of his lap.
"Where are you going?" he asked as she moved back to her original spot; pulling her legs up against her.
"If you're not going to marry me then I'm not going to sit with you."
"I see," he stated.
She sniffed; a fresh batch of tears reaching the surface. "I guess Henry's going to be my only option. I'm going to have to call him and tell him I changed my mind...I'll just be bored for the rest of my life...bored and stuck with a nerd."
"You don't want to do that. Henry's not your type."
"Apparently neither are you," she remarked. "You don't want me. Is it because I'm a lawyer?"
"No!" he exclaimed.
"Millicent said that men don't like career women...but I can quit if that will make things better."
"Johanna, you're not quitting your job and you're not marrying Henry."
"You changed your mind?"
"No," he stated; snatching her glass as she moved to reach for it. "And you're finished drinking for the day. You've had enough."
"Maybe I'll just get a cat," she stated. "I always wanted a kitten anyway."
"Sweetheart, everything will work out just fine for you. You have to stop listening to stupid people."
"What if they're right?"
"They're not."
"They could be."
"They're not, Jo," he said firmly. "When the time is right; things will happen."
She angrily swiped at her cheeks. "You don't know that."
"Neither do you. Why don't you go lay down for awhile and sleep it off."
"I don't need you to mother me," she said sharply.
Jim fell silent; he had allowed her to drink far too much and he had let their conversation get too out of hand. She hadn't known what she was saying and he had taken it all as a joke, but now as he looked at her tearstained face, and the hurt feelings reflected there, he realized that she had taken his rejection to heart. He was such a fool. "Come here," he said quietly; holding out a hand towards her.
Johanna shook her head. "Give me back my glass."
"No; I'm not going to do that. Come here and let me hold you."
"Why?"
"Because I want to and you need it," he remarked; moving towards her since she wouldn't come to him. He reached for her and pulled her into his arms; breathing a sigh of relief as she melted into his embrace.
After a few moments, he maneuvered her back onto his lap. He wiped away her tears and kissed her tenderly. "We can't get married right now," he said quietly. "I want you to have a big wedding that will make Colleen green with envy because it's so much better than hers...and she's away on her honeymoon right now so you see, we can't get married. She'd miss it and you don't want that. You want her to be jealous, don't you?"
Johanna thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "I want her to be so jealous that it makes her sick…and I want her to wear an ugly dress."
"Then we have to wait," Jim said with a smile.
Her eyelids looked heavy as she held his gaze. "So you do like me?"
Jim caressed her face; his hand tangling in her hair. "You know I like you, sweetheart. I like you more than anyone."
"Really?"
"Really," he replied. "You're just tired and worn out from everything you've had to do this week and you haven't been feeling well. That's a lot to have weighing you down and it's making you feel a little sad right now but once you get some rest, you'll feel better."
She nodded as she burrowed into his chest. "I am a little sleepy."
"You should lay down," he told her as he stood with her in his arms.
"Where are we going?" she asked sleepily as she looped her arms around his neck.
"I'm going to put you in your bed."
"Are you going to stay with me?"
He wasn't going to risk hurting her feelings again with another refusal. "I'm going to be right here beside you while you fall asleep," he told her as he reached her bedroom and laid her down on her bed. He helped her maneuver herself under the covers and then he kicked off his shoes and joined her; allowing her to nestle against his side. "You sleep now," he whispered; pressing a kiss against her hair. "Everything will be better tomorrow."
When he was sure that she was asleep for the night; he carefully extracted himself from her and made sure the covers were tucked around her to keep her warm and then he left; making sure that her door locked behind him.
The next morning, Johanna was burrowed under her covers, her damp hair cold against her neck and shoulders. Her stomach ached from emptying its contents and her head pounded. The pain reliever hadn't kicked in yet and the shower hadn't helped...of course crying wasn't helping either, she thought to herself as she sniffed and wiped her cheeks. The memory of her evening had come back to her as she had laid on the bathroom floor, willing her stomach to settle.
Her cheeks burned with shame. She'd never be able to face Jim again. What on earth had possessed her to beg him to marry her? She could just imagine what he thought of her now. She was sure the word desperate had entered his mind...and probably crazy. A sob broke free, making her head pound a little more. She was such a damn fool. She should've just stayed at the reception and got drunk there...then she wouldn't have proposed marriage to a friend...and then made it all worse by adding babies into the equation. The memory rolled through her mind again and she cringed. She had practically thrown herself at him. He was one of her best friends; she cared about him deeply and cherished their friendship. If he made the offer to explore their relationship further, she would say yes but she was content as they were. Now, however, thanks to her big mouth and that bottle of tequila; she was sure everything was ruined; which was probably just as well.
She figured that he wouldn't want to see her again...and she wasn't sure she would ever be able to look him in the eye again anyway. Even if they did brush past this incident; he'd probably look at her differently. He'd probably be suspicious of her actions now; pegging every friendly gesture as a tactic to lure him into marriage. Yeah, he would be running for the hills now. "You're so stupid," Johanna mumbled to herself.
She wasn't sure what was worse, her hangover or her humiliation...and then there was that little sting that came from his blatant rejection of her. He had turned her down without even blinking an eye. She knew it was silly to feel stung by it; after all, what else could he do in that situation? Of course, he could have at least had the decency to act like turning her down was more of a hardship. Maybe if he hadn't done it so easily, she wouldn't feel...hurt, for lack of better words. Johanna sighed and reached for a tissue to wipe her cheeks. "Such a fool," she murmured.
She'd just have to avoid him as much as possible...and maybe gather up the courage to apologize to him for her behavior. That would make her humiliation complete, she thought; while briefly wondering if she could do it in a letter instead of face to face. Johanna turned onto her side, searching for a comfortable spot so she could go back to sleep. A knock at her door sounded through her apartment and startled her. She groaned as she threw back the covers and pushed the thin strap of her nightgown back up onto her shoulder as she reached for her robe. She hoped it wasn't her mother. She had enough problems without a surprise visit from Naomi McKenzie.
"Who is it?" she asked once she was standing in front of her door.
"It's me," Jim's voice answered.
She felt her face flush in response and her aching head fell against the door as she closed her eyes. She would've rather it had been her mother.
"Jo?" he called out.
She couldn't face him; she just couldn't. "Go away."
Jim's eyes widened as he stared at her door; he hadn't expected that. "Why?"
"You know why."
"No I don't. What's wrong, sweetheart?"
"You know what's wrong. I've had enough humiliation this week; I don't need any more."
"Humiliation?" he repeated; and then it dawned on him that she must've remembered their conversation from the night before. He hadn't thought for a moment that she would with the amount she had drank; but with the way her luck had been running all week; it figured that she would remember something that she would find humiliating. "It's okay, Jo. Open the door and we'll talk about it."
"I don't want to talk about it," she cried. "I want to forget it ever happened."
"Okay, then open the door and we'll forget it ever happened."
"You're not funny," Johanna retorted; and he could hear the tears in her voice. "Just go away and let me have whatever dignity I have left."
Jim shifted on his feet; wondering how he was going to make this better. "Honey, last night isn't anything for you to be upset about."
"Yes it is!"
He laughed quietly. "Come on, Johanna; open the door. I'd rather talk to you in person instead of letting your neighbors hear our business."
She grimaced; great, now her neighbors would know what an idiot she was and she'd have to move. "Can't you just go away and forget that you know me?"
"Now why would I want to do that? I'm not leaving, so you may as well open the door."
"What if I don't?" she asked; a bit of an edge in her voice.
"Then I'll go find Sharon, because I know she has a key to your apartment, and I'll tell her she has to come over here and unlock the door for me because you're sick and I'm concerned for your welfare...and then you'll have to tell her why you wouldn't let me in."
"You'd shame me in front of my best friend?" she asked incredulously.
"If I have to, I will."
"Haven't I suffered enough?"
"You'd think so," Jim stated; "Which is why you should stop this and open the damn door."
"I hate you," she muttered as she released the locks.
"Then it's a good thing we didn't get married last night," he replied as she swung the open the door. Her face crumbled at the remark; a fresh batch of tears welling in her eyes and he hated himself for making the comment. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that," he told her as he reached for her.
She shied away from him; hiding her face in her hands. "Leave me alone."
"I can't do that, sweetheart."
"Why not?"
"Because I like you too much," he replied as he gently took hold of her wrists and pried her hands away from her face. She refused to meet his gaze and he sighed as he pulled her into an embrace. Her arms didn't go around him as they usually did and he knew that this wasn't going to be easy. She was embarrassed and stubborn about the feeling.
"You're usually better at giving hugs than this," he quipped lightly; tightening his hold on her; feeling the dampness of her cheek as it rested against his chest.
Slowly, her arms went around him loosely but she remained quiet. "Well that's a little better," he replied.
"Why are you here?"
"I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"I've never been better," she replied. "I feel like someone is inside my head with a hammer; my stomach and ribs hurt from throwing up and I hate myself."
"Sarcasm," Jim remarked; "That's a good sign."
Johanna pulled out of his embrace and put some distance between them. She may as well get the apology part over with; perhaps it would be easier to swallow her pride on an empty stomach. "I'm sorry about last night," she said quietly; self reproach in her tone. "I don't know what got into me...I…"
"Jo, stop," he interrupted; walking towards her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Everyone says stuff when they're drunk. It's not a big deal. You don't need to apologize."
"It's a big deal to me."
"It shouldn't be," Jim told her. "Jeff proposes to people all the time when he's drunk and we don't think any less of him."
"That's different," she protested.
"Why?"
"Because it's Jeff!" she exclaimed.
He shoved a hand through his hair. "Okay; what if it had been me? What if I had been the one who was drunk and proposed to you?"
"You probably would've woke up married," Johanna replied. "My mother would kill me if I didn't take a proposal when it presented itself."
Jim gave her a knowing look. "You know that isn't true, Jo. You would've just overlooked it...just like I overlooked what you said last night. You've been upset all week and you were drowning your sorrows...it really isn't surprising that marriage is the topic your brain settled on."
"That doesn't make it any less embarrassing," she replied; still refusing to meet his eye.
"Look at me," he said; capturing her chin and tilting it up in effort to make her look at him. "It's not like I'm some stranger, Jo. There was no harm done. It could've been worse; I could've taken you up on your offer and you would've woke up as my wife...then you'd be sorry."
"How do you figure?"
"Because instead of being sympathetic of your hangover; I would've made you get up and start doing all those things you said you'd do as my wife."
She glared at him as she smirked. "Even the baby?"
"Oh we would've started working on that as soon as we got home," he grinned. She blushed and dropped her gaze.
"Jo," he said as she began to fidget.
"I guess if you're sticking around, I better go change," she stated; cutting of whatever he was going to say.
"Why? I've seen you in your nightgown and robe before."
Somehow, rendering a drunken marriage proposal that was rejected made everything different and she felt more exposed than she was. She pulled her robe tighter around her as if she were trying to hide herself. "Because it's the right thing to do," Johanna answered as she drifted off towards her bedroom.
Jim frowned as he watched her go. Why did she have to remember what she had said last night? He didn't like that she was uncomfortable with him now...that she was so upset about something that they should've been able to laugh off. When she returned to the living room, she was dressed in a pair of old faded jeans so worn that there were holes in both knees and in various other places along her knees. Her pink t-shirt was thin; it's butterfly design somewhat faded as well. She looked beautiful, Jim thought as he smiled.
"Your college wardrobe?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said with a nod. "They're just so comfortable now that I can't bring myself to get rid of them."
"No reason why you should."
She sat down in the chair instead of on the couch with him and he frowned once again. That wasn't a good sign at all, he thought. "Johanna, are you ever going to look me in the eye again?" he asked; breaking the silence that had descended between them.
"Probably not," she answered.
"Why is this such a big deal? It's not like anybody knows about it."
Her gaze briefly flicked towards him. "You're not going to tell Jeff?"
"Of course not. It's just between us. I know you didn't mean any of it...well, I might hope that you meant that one thing."
"What thing?" Johanna asked suspiciously.
He smiled. "That out of all the men you know, I'm the one you like best."
"I'd answer that but it would probably just stroke your ego. Do you want some coffee?" she asked as she got up from the chair and moved towards the kitchen.
Jim followed her and leaned against the counter as she pulled two mugs down from the cupboard. "I think you don't want to answer my question because you know that your proposal has already gone to my head."
"I doubt that," she replied as she picked up the coffee pot and filled one of the mugs.
He chuckled softly as he slipped into place behind her, his hands slipping around her waist. "How could it not? A beautiful woman like you, picking me to make an offer like that to...it's nothing short of flattering. It was difficult to turn you down."
"Seems like you did it easy enough," she replied without thinking; and then realizing the words had slipped from her lips, her shame intensifying.
He was quiet for a moment as he processed her response. "Is that what you think?"
Johanna shook her head. "I didn't mean that the way it seems," she hurried to say. "I...I'm...oh God, can we just forget this? Can we just forget everything?"
He turned her to face him. Her gaze briefly strayed to his against her will and then dropped as shame colored her cheeks once again.
"Johanna," he breathed; the softness of his tone making her close her eyes momentarily before returning to his face. "I don't want it to be like this between us. I don't want you avoiding me."
"How can I avoid you when you're in my kitchen?"
"You know what I mean."
"Maybe I don't."
"You do," he insisted. "If I walk out of here without fixing this I'll probably never see you again because you'll go out of your way to avoid me at work or anywhere else in public...and it's ridiculous."
"Yeah, that's easy for you to say. You're not the one who's humiliated."
"You don't need to be humiliated. It's me."
"Exactly!"
Jim looked at her oddly. "Would it be different if it wasn't me? Would you be able to laugh about it if it was Jeff?"
Johanna shrugged. "Maybe."
"Why?"
"Because...just because."
"That doesn't make any sense, Johanna."
"Can we just drop it? I have a headache."
"Normally I would, but I feel like if I drop this, things won't ever be the same again and I'm not willing to lose our friendship over a few drunken comments that weren't heard by anyone but us. Do you really want things to change because of it? Isn't that kind of a dumb reason to throw away a perfectly good relationship?"
She sighed. "Fine. I won't avoid you at work tomorrow. Can you leave me alone now?"
He chuckled softly. "No; I don't think I can."
"Why?" she practically whined; giving her yet another reason to hate herself.
"Because you're lying."
"Jim..."
"Shhh," he said as he pulled her closer; figuring that maybe he could change things with a gesture instead of words. She saw his gaze drop to her lips and then he dipped his head toward her, but she turned her face at the last moment; causing his lips to land against her cheek instead. "You just have to be stubborn, don't you?" he sighed.
"Seems that way."
Jim pressed a kiss against her temple. "Let's go see a movie."
She looked at him as if he was crazy. "With this headache? I don't think so."
He nodded. "Okay, that's understandable. How about I go get us some lunch and we'll just watch TV all day."
"You're just not going to go away are you?"
Jim smiled. "You're catching on."
Johanna rolled her eyes. "Fine, Jim. Do what you want."
"You might want to be careful giving me that kind of freedom."
"This is so not an innuendo type of day."
"Right, forget I said that. If I go get the food, are you going to let me in when I come back?"
She didn't want to, but she would. "Yeah."
He gave her a smile and kissed her cheek. "I'll be back soon."
"I'll be here...picking up the pieces of my pride."
"Let them on the floor," Jim stated; "I'll pick them up when I get back."
She managed a soft smile. "Are you going to glue the pieces back together for me?"
He gave her a nod. "I always got high marks for my pasting skills in elementary school."
"In that case, hurry back."
Jim smiled. "That's more like it."
By early evening, Johanna was feeling some better. The ache in her head had lessened and the meal Jim had provided seemed to help settle her stomach. Her embarrassment, however, was still being felt, although to a lesser extent as she followed Jim to the door.
He smiled as he stood in front of her. "Are we okay now?"
"Sure," she replied; her gaze straying to his for only a moment before darting away.
He gave a quiet laugh as he shook his head. "I think you're going to have to prove it, Jo."
"How?" she smirked. "Are you fishing for another proposal? If so, you're going to be disappointed."
"No," he laughed. "It wouldn't be fair to make you propose twice. Next time we drink together, it's my turn to propose."
She laughed despite herself. "That should be good...but I don't think I want to drink again for a long time."
"I'm sure you don't. You still owe me some proof though...so how about you trying looking me in the eye for longer than a nanosecond."
Her gaze darted to his; and she forced herself to keep it there. "Happy now?"
"Somewhat."
"Somewhat? What more do you want?" Johanna replied.
A grin touched his lips. "Well you could make up for that lousy hug you gave me earlier."
She rolled her eyes as a smile curved her lips upwards. "Why do I have a feeling I know where this is going?"
"Don't worry," he said as he pulled her into his arms. "It's nowhere you haven't been before."
She gave a soft laugh as she settled into his embrace; closing her eyes as she snuggled against him.
"Isn't this better than earlier?"
"Yeah," she murmured. "Does that prove it now...or do you have something else up your sleeve?"
Jim laughed. "Well you did wound me earlier by turning your face when I was trying to make you feel better."
Johanna nodded. "Yeah; I definitely saw where this was going."
"Then it's not a surprise," he told her. "So how about it? You make up for that and we'll wipe the slate clean and I'll drive you to work tomorrow."
She looked up at him. "You have to drive me home too."
"Deal," he smiled.
She gave him a hint of a sassy smirk and then casually brushed her lips against his in a chaste kiss.
He frowned. "That wasn't what I had in mind."
"You should've specified when you made the terms of the deal."
He grinned. "Fair enough. I'll hope for something better next time. I'll see you in the morning...and I expect you to still be looking me in the eye. No back sliding."
Johanna nodded. "I promise."
Jim kissed her cheek and then left her alone. She sighed as leaned against the closed door. Hopefully life could go back to normal now...or at least the version of normal she was accustomed to.