Stubborn and Clueless
Chapter Twenty
by Fidomom
Jason nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice suddenly beside him,
"Jason! What are YOU doing here?"
He managed to choke down the mouthful of food he was eating,
"Free food. Tuscany style. Plus I was bored. Whole town was invited. I figured why not?"
Mimi raised her eyebrows suspiciously,
"How about because you hate the bride?"
Jason shrugged,
"I wouldn't say hate. I'd have to think about her ever to hate her which I don't. She just gives me the heebie jeebies still."
Mimi pursed her lips,
"Again I ask you, if she creeps you out so much why did you come here? It better not be to cause trouble, Masters! This is Brady and Chloe's wedding day! I'll be watching you so don't even think about doing anything to ruin it for them!"
Jason grimaced and held his hands up in surrender,
"I'm not and I won't! Geez would you chill, Meems! What are you anyway, the wedding reception police?"
Mimi gave him a perturbed look,
"Just behave yourself and stay away from the newlyweds!"
Jason frowned at her and mock saluted,
"Ma'am yes ma'am! Later loser!"
As Jason turned away from her in annoyance and headed for the restrooms, Mimi allowed a small smile to tug at her lips~Why haven't I noticed before how cute he is? He's still kind of a jerk, but damn he looks fine in a tux!~
As her gaze followed his retreating backside until he was out of sight, she noticed Belle standing by the hallway leading to the restrooms. She was talking to a seemingly agitated, Philip. Belle seemed to be trying to calm him rather unsuccessfully from what Mimi could see. She wondered if she should go over and help. Just when she had decided she should, she realised Belle was handling it just fine afterall. She seemed to be getting through to Philip. She gazed around the room and noticed the newlyweds dancing. She got a little teary-eyed as she saw how happy they were. They kissed and she watched as a beaming Chloe left Brady's embrace and headed toward the restrooms. Just as she was about to follow Chloe to offer more best wishes she saw her being confronted by Philip. Mimi's eyes searched out Brady and saw that he was already engaged in conversation with his father. She looked back toward Philip and Chloe anxiously, wondering what was going on. Chloe's voice rose loud enough for everyone to hear,
"Would you please just leave me alone, Philip?!"
Mimi frowned in confusion as the scene before her seemed to play out in slow motion. She saw Belle's look of horror and she saw Chloe's knees buckle. She saw Philip's look of surprise and before Chloe could hit the floor, a pair of strong arms caught her. Mimi heard Brady shout Chloe's name and watched as he raced to her side. He quickly took Chloe into his own arms. Mimi finally registered who had broken Chloe's fall. Not Philip who had been standing two feet in front of her but Jason who had been at least eight feet further away behind Philip. She saw Jason's eyes roll in distaste and his face colored. He looked vaguely ill as he tried to slink away. Mimi didn't dwell on Jason for longer than a few seconds. She ran over to where the action was,
"Oh my God! What happened?"
Brady spoke in sync with Mimi's query,
"Tell me exactly what happened Tink!"
Belle grabbed Mimi's arm for comfort,
"I don't know! One minute she was talking with Philip and the next thing we know she fainted! It's a good thing Jason got to her so quickly. Just like last time."
Mimi startled at that as she distractedly took in all the hubbub of an ambulance being called and Brady trying to bring Chloe out of her faint. Mimi turned to Belle,
"Last time? What do you mean last time?"
Philip was whining and moaning his apologies to Chloe. Belle was trying to restrain him from getting anywhere near the fallen bride. Philip suddenly turned an accusing glare on Brady,
"You see? This is all your fault Brady! You knew she wasn't feeling well lately and you just had to make her marry you! You selfish jerk!"
Jason stepped forward and grabbed Philip around the shoulders,
"Come on K-man let's go outside and direct the paramedics when they get here."
Brady gave Jason a look of gratitude as he focussed all his attention back on his unconscious bride. Philip shrugged Jason's hands off in irritation but willingly went outside with him.
Belle squeezed Mimi's hand,
"She just has to be okay!"
Mimi squeezed back,
"I'm sure she will be! Maybe it's just the excitement of the wedding and all."
Craig got Brady's attention,
"I've called ahead to the hospital so they're expecting her. The paramedics should be here any minute. Nancy and I will meet you at the hospital."
Brady nodded and turned his worried eyes on Chloe's pale countenance,
"Come on Diva! Please wake up! You have to be okay. You just have to be! I love you so much Chloe, please wake up for me!"
Just then the paramedics arrived to take over. They packed Chloe onto a stretcher and brought her out to the ambulance. Brady went with them. All around people were making plans to meet at the hospital.
Belle turned to Mimi,
"I have to go to the hospital Meems! Are you coming?"
Mimi shook her head,
"No. I'd just get in the way. Please call me though and let me know when you know something, okay?"
Belle nodded and turned to go. Mimi halted her briefly,
"Belle? One thing before you go. What did you mean about Jason being there just like last time?"
Belle waved a hand in the air in a brush off motion as Shawn helped her on with her coat,
"Oh that. A few weeks ago, the same thing happened at dot.com. Jason was there that time too. I'm sorry Mimi I'll give you the full story later but we've really gotta go now! Bye!"
Mimi nodded and watched in wonder as the majority of the reception guests cleared out of Tuscany. Jason was nowhere to be seen. Mimi felt a pang of regret which she quickly attributed to wanting the scoop on 'last time' directly from the source. She sighed wearily and collected her coat and handbag. She groaned as she suddenly realised she didn't have a ride home. She nearly jumped out of her skin at his voice suddenly beside her,
"You need a ride someplace?"
She looked up into green eyes that gave nothing away. She gave him a wary look but nodded,
"Yeah. Thanks Jase."
He didn't wait for her or escort her out of the restaurant,
"Okay then. Let's go!"
He was already pulling out of the parking lot as she tried to fasten her seatbelt,
"Could you hang on Jason? My safety belt is stuck."
Jason sighed in exasperation and stopped the car,
"Here. Let me do it. There. Now where to?"
Mimi answered calmly,
"Home please."
Jason grunted an acknowledgement. He chewed his bottom lip and finally asked,
"So Ghoul Girl, what's wrong with her anyway?"
Mimi shrugged curious about his concern,
"I've no idea but how about you telling me something Jason? How is it that you caught Chloe when you weren't as close to her as Philip was?"
He frowned as he navigated a turn and shrugged,
"I knew she was gonna faint. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She did the same thing a few weeks ago at dot.com. If Phil had seen her then I'm sure he would have known what was going on and he could have been the one to catch her. Damn that sure could have saved me the humiliation of having to do it again."
Mimi smirked knowingly,
"You could have let her hit the floor. I mean I'm really impressed that you didn't but nodody could have blamed you. You were further away from her than either Philip or Belle."
Jason was suddenly quiet. He let Mimi out at her house without saying
another word and he drove away. Mimi watched his car until it disappeared and wondered what other ways she didn't know Jason Masters as well as she thought she did. She went inside to fill in her parents on the night's excitement and to wait for word on Chloe's condition.
To be continued ...
Chapter Twenty
by Fidomom
Jason nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice suddenly beside him,
"Jason! What are YOU doing here?"
He managed to choke down the mouthful of food he was eating,
"Free food. Tuscany style. Plus I was bored. Whole town was invited. I figured why not?"
Mimi raised her eyebrows suspiciously,
"How about because you hate the bride?"
Jason shrugged,
"I wouldn't say hate. I'd have to think about her ever to hate her which I don't. She just gives me the heebie jeebies still."
Mimi pursed her lips,
"Again I ask you, if she creeps you out so much why did you come here? It better not be to cause trouble, Masters! This is Brady and Chloe's wedding day! I'll be watching you so don't even think about doing anything to ruin it for them!"
Jason grimaced and held his hands up in surrender,
"I'm not and I won't! Geez would you chill, Meems! What are you anyway, the wedding reception police?"
Mimi gave him a perturbed look,
"Just behave yourself and stay away from the newlyweds!"
Jason frowned at her and mock saluted,
"Ma'am yes ma'am! Later loser!"
As Jason turned away from her in annoyance and headed for the restrooms, Mimi allowed a small smile to tug at her lips~Why haven't I noticed before how cute he is? He's still kind of a jerk, but damn he looks fine in a tux!~
As her gaze followed his retreating backside until he was out of sight, she noticed Belle standing by the hallway leading to the restrooms. She was talking to a seemingly agitated, Philip. Belle seemed to be trying to calm him rather unsuccessfully from what Mimi could see. She wondered if she should go over and help. Just when she had decided she should, she realised Belle was handling it just fine afterall. She seemed to be getting through to Philip. She gazed around the room and noticed the newlyweds dancing. She got a little teary-eyed as she saw how happy they were. They kissed and she watched as a beaming Chloe left Brady's embrace and headed toward the restrooms. Just as she was about to follow Chloe to offer more best wishes she saw her being confronted by Philip. Mimi's eyes searched out Brady and saw that he was already engaged in conversation with his father. She looked back toward Philip and Chloe anxiously, wondering what was going on. Chloe's voice rose loud enough for everyone to hear,
"Would you please just leave me alone, Philip?!"
Mimi frowned in confusion as the scene before her seemed to play out in slow motion. She saw Belle's look of horror and she saw Chloe's knees buckle. She saw Philip's look of surprise and before Chloe could hit the floor, a pair of strong arms caught her. Mimi heard Brady shout Chloe's name and watched as he raced to her side. He quickly took Chloe into his own arms. Mimi finally registered who had broken Chloe's fall. Not Philip who had been standing two feet in front of her but Jason who had been at least eight feet further away behind Philip. She saw Jason's eyes roll in distaste and his face colored. He looked vaguely ill as he tried to slink away. Mimi didn't dwell on Jason for longer than a few seconds. She ran over to where the action was,
"Oh my God! What happened?"
Brady spoke in sync with Mimi's query,
"Tell me exactly what happened Tink!"
Belle grabbed Mimi's arm for comfort,
"I don't know! One minute she was talking with Philip and the next thing we know she fainted! It's a good thing Jason got to her so quickly. Just like last time."
Mimi startled at that as she distractedly took in all the hubbub of an ambulance being called and Brady trying to bring Chloe out of her faint. Mimi turned to Belle,
"Last time? What do you mean last time?"
Philip was whining and moaning his apologies to Chloe. Belle was trying to restrain him from getting anywhere near the fallen bride. Philip suddenly turned an accusing glare on Brady,
"You see? This is all your fault Brady! You knew she wasn't feeling well lately and you just had to make her marry you! You selfish jerk!"
Jason stepped forward and grabbed Philip around the shoulders,
"Come on K-man let's go outside and direct the paramedics when they get here."
Brady gave Jason a look of gratitude as he focussed all his attention back on his unconscious bride. Philip shrugged Jason's hands off in irritation but willingly went outside with him.
Belle squeezed Mimi's hand,
"She just has to be okay!"
Mimi squeezed back,
"I'm sure she will be! Maybe it's just the excitement of the wedding and all."
Craig got Brady's attention,
"I've called ahead to the hospital so they're expecting her. The paramedics should be here any minute. Nancy and I will meet you at the hospital."
Brady nodded and turned his worried eyes on Chloe's pale countenance,
"Come on Diva! Please wake up! You have to be okay. You just have to be! I love you so much Chloe, please wake up for me!"
Just then the paramedics arrived to take over. They packed Chloe onto a stretcher and brought her out to the ambulance. Brady went with them. All around people were making plans to meet at the hospital.
Belle turned to Mimi,
"I have to go to the hospital Meems! Are you coming?"
Mimi shook her head,
"No. I'd just get in the way. Please call me though and let me know when you know something, okay?"
Belle nodded and turned to go. Mimi halted her briefly,
"Belle? One thing before you go. What did you mean about Jason being there just like last time?"
Belle waved a hand in the air in a brush off motion as Shawn helped her on with her coat,
"Oh that. A few weeks ago, the same thing happened at dot.com. Jason was there that time too. I'm sorry Mimi I'll give you the full story later but we've really gotta go now! Bye!"
Mimi nodded and watched in wonder as the majority of the reception guests cleared out of Tuscany. Jason was nowhere to be seen. Mimi felt a pang of regret which she quickly attributed to wanting the scoop on 'last time' directly from the source. She sighed wearily and collected her coat and handbag. She groaned as she suddenly realised she didn't have a ride home. She nearly jumped out of her skin at his voice suddenly beside her,
"You need a ride someplace?"
She looked up into green eyes that gave nothing away. She gave him a wary look but nodded,
"Yeah. Thanks Jase."
He didn't wait for her or escort her out of the restaurant,
"Okay then. Let's go!"
He was already pulling out of the parking lot as she tried to fasten her seatbelt,
"Could you hang on Jason? My safety belt is stuck."
Jason sighed in exasperation and stopped the car,
"Here. Let me do it. There. Now where to?"
Mimi answered calmly,
"Home please."
Jason grunted an acknowledgement. He chewed his bottom lip and finally asked,
"So Ghoul Girl, what's wrong with her anyway?"
Mimi shrugged curious about his concern,
"I've no idea but how about you telling me something Jason? How is it that you caught Chloe when you weren't as close to her as Philip was?"
He frowned as he navigated a turn and shrugged,
"I knew she was gonna faint. Her eyes rolled back in her head. She did the same thing a few weeks ago at dot.com. If Phil had seen her then I'm sure he would have known what was going on and he could have been the one to catch her. Damn that sure could have saved me the humiliation of having to do it again."
Mimi smirked knowingly,
"You could have let her hit the floor. I mean I'm really impressed that you didn't but nodody could have blamed you. You were further away from her than either Philip or Belle."
Jason was suddenly quiet. He let Mimi out at her house without saying
another word and he drove away. Mimi watched his car until it disappeared and wondered what other ways she didn't know Jason Masters as well as she thought she did. She went inside to fill in her parents on the night's excitement and to wait for word on Chloe's condition.
To be continued ...