Mimi had been sulking around Salem Place for what seemed like an eternity.
She was still upset about the way Shawn and Philip had treated her at the
Brady Pub. You didn't see them treating Chloe that way, now did you? No,
because she was Chloe. Plopping down on a bench, Mimi pondered just what is
was that Chloe Lane had that she didn't. Well, other than the long,
beautiful hair and the wonderful singing voice and those eyes that the guys
just went gaga over and a step-father who was Chief of Staff at University
Hospital and a super expensive wardrobe and a hot boyfriend who just
happened to not only be the most popular guy in school but captain of the
football team. Okay, Mimi was beginning to see what Chloe had that she
didn't, but it only made her more angry.
Her temper flaring, Mimi grabbed her purse and her grape soda off the bench and began to stomp around the corner when something stopped her in her tracks. Or, more precisely, someone. That would also be the same someone that Mimi's grape soda splattered when she was so suddenly halted..
Mimi was almost afraid to look up. She knew that whoever she stupidly ran into was covered in purple soda. It was just her luck to attack two people at Salem Place within two days. Taking a deep breath, Mimi raised her gaze from her feet to the person's face. As soon as she saw those green eyes, she not only wished that she hadn't looked up, but that she had never even gotten out of bed that morning.
Giving Mimi a crooked smile, the person said, "So, we meet again."
Wanting to be swallowed up by the ground beneath her, Mimi once again began her apologies, "I'm sorry. So, so, so sorry. You don't even know how sorry I am. I really did NOT mean to run into you - again. Oh, I can't believe what a klutz I am. You probably think I'm following you or something - but I'm not. Really, I'm not. I totally ruined your shirt."
Keeping the smile on his face, Jeremy said, "Don't worry. I like this shirt even less than the one I was wearing yesterday. So, don't give it a second thought. After all, it's only a shirt."
Feeling guilty from the stranger's unconditional nice attitude, Mimi replied, "You're just saying that to make me feel better. This is all my fault. I really am sorry."
"Sorry? Why should you be sorry? It's not like it's your fault that we were both coming around the same corner at the same time."
"You are being way too sweet about this."
"And, you are feeling way too guilty about this."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After Belle had left his house, Jason had tried a million things to keep himself busy, but none of them worked. Finally, he decided that he just needed to get out of the house. Though he had started out with no destination in mind, Jason had found himself at Salem Place.
He still had not decided if he was going to tell anyone about what had happened to Mimi. He really didn't see where it was such a big deal. Still, Belle had made it seem as if Mimi's entire life depended on him not embarrassing her with the fountain incident. He supposed it wouldn't kill him to keep his mouth shut, but it surely wouldn't be as fun as telling a dozen or so of his friends.
Jason was just happy to have something to distract his attention away from his father's phone call. He didn't even know why his father bothered to call anymore. Jason's dad knew exactly how his son felt about him. Jason just wished he would disappear from his life permanently. He hated the idea of always wondering if he would be burdened by a phone call or letter from his father. He just wanted to forget that his dad existed.
While pondering ways to forget his father and how to handle the Mimi situation, Jason had the oddest sense of deja vu. Standing not twenty feet away was Mimi and her mystery guy from the previous day. Only this time they were both dry, except for the purple that covered the front of the guy's shirt. Jason watched as the guy moved closer to Mimi and said something that must have been fairly humorous. Whatever it was that he said not only had Mimi smiling, but laughing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"See, I told you that you would feel better if you laughed it off," remarked Jeremy as he once again gave Mimi a crooked smile. "I would really like to stay and hang out, but I should probably go home and change since I have a ton family friends to catch up with. I've already been in town way too long without visiting anyone."
"Oh, sure, I understand," Mimi said as she watched the guy walk away.
Jeremy was barely out of sight when Mimi heard a voice behind her tease, "Gee, Mimi, are you stalking the poor guy? You do know that's illegal don't you?"
"Yeah, well, you would be the one to know about breaking the law, now wouldn't you?"
"Mimi, I've been taken to the police station once. And, that was because of some stupid fight Philip started over Vampira."
Forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at Jason for some obscure reason, Mimi replied, "I don't even know why he is dating her. Philip could do way better than Ghoul Girl."
"That's what I told him." Taking a quick glance at Mimi, Jason quickly asked, "Hey, do you want to grab something at the Java Cafe?"
Smiling self-consciously, Mimi replied, "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Great, it's my treat - as long as you don't throw it on me."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You do know how incredibly stupid this is, don't you?" questioned Chloe as she tried her best to be annoyed. Of course, it was really hard to be annoyed at Shawn when he was trying so very hard to do the right thing - even if it was for Mimi.
Throwing an arm over Chloe's shoulder, Shawn said, "Chloe, you are missing the beauty of my plan. It doesn't matter if it's 'incredibly stupid' as you put it. It just has to make Mimi happy. And, trust me, this will make Mimi SO happy."
Looking at Shawn as though he were a three-year-old, Chloe curtly said, "Shawn, it's a love machine."
"No, no. Not a love machine, the love machine. Major difference."
"Oh, really?" Chloe asked skeptically.
"Yes, really. A love machine is just, well, a love machine. But, this is THE love machine. As in, the love machine that will make Mimi forget all about that embarrassing little incident at Salem Place. I'm telling you, Chloe, this plan is going to work perfectly."
"Before I say this, I want you to know that I'm saying it because I'm your friend. You, Shawn Brady, are a complete idiot sometimes," Chloe declared as she playfully pushed Shawn's arm off her shoulder.
"I'll agree with that," stated Philip as he joined Shawn and Chloe in front of the Brady Pub, but carefully avoided eye contact with his girlfriend "But, we'll have to discuss just how much of an idiot Shawn is later, because right now we have to get everything ready for the love machine's debut tonight,"
Gathering Philip and Chloe a little closer, Shawn said, "All right, let's go over the plan one more time. Chloe, you and I will be upstairs getting ready for our little part in the plan."
"Which is, as I've already said, incredibly stupid."
"Anyway, while we're upstairs using those phones, Philip, you are going to call everyone you can think of from the football team and maybe even some guys from nearby football teams. We need every teenager in Salem here - especially the cutest guys we know."
With a playful smirk, Philip interjected, "Why, Shawn, I never knew your door swung that way. Of course, that explains why you haven't asked Belle out yet."
"Whatever, Kiriakis, the guys are for Mimi. Well, one of them is. Okay, so once everyone gets here, you know what to do?"
"Yes," said Philip and Chloe in unison. Both were ready for the night, and Shawn's worrisome guidance, to be over and done with for good.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brady and Belle were sitting in front of the television, just as they had been for the past three hours, when the doorbell rang. After their father had gone upstairs, Brady had been flipping through the channels when he had, to Belle's extreme dislike, found a "Planet of the Apes" marathon. For reasons that Belle would never understand, Brady actually LIKED it. Everyone had always said that Brady marched to the beat of a different drum. Belle had just never thought that it was a monkey beating on the drum.
More than happy to have a break from the apes, Belle jumped up before Brady to answer the door. When she opened it, she got the shock of her life. Standing right there in front of her was Jeremy Horton, in a clean, grape- free shirt.
"Oh, my, gosh! Jeremy!" Belle squealed as she nearly choked the life out of Jeremy with a hug.
Trying to subtly loosen Belle's grip on his neck, Jeremy said, "It's nice to see you, too. I've missed you guys here in Salem like crazy."
Grabbing Jeremy's hand, Belle pulled him inside and shut the door behind them. However, Brady was far too involved in the television to bother acknowledging Jeremy other than by waving a hand up in the air.
"Just ignore him," Belle said as she motioned to her brother. "You know how Brady can be."
Not wanting to insult Brady with his opinion of him, Jeremy merely nodded and gave Belle a weak smile. After all, he didn't really know Brady that well. It had been years since Jeremy had come to Salem for a visit during Christmas vacation, and when he did, Brady was hardly around. Truth be known, Jeremy had always thought that Brady was one of those people that would eventually just go over the edge, and he had no desire to be around when that happened. Still, there had been one or two isolated incidents when he thought he might actually have seen Brady's human side.
Brady tried his hardest to try and appear interested in the movie if for no other reason to keep Belle from yelling at him to be nicer to Jeremy. Brady had no intention of being any nicer to Jeremy. Heck, Jeremy was nice enough for everyone in the room. Brady had been avoiding Jeremy as long as he had known him. Jeremy was just too perfect. It came as no shock to Brady when he and Jeremy lost contact while Belle and Jeremy had remained very close pen pals. Brady didn't care what Mike Horton's son did as long as he didn't do it around him.
"So, Jeremy, how long are going to be visiting? I know that's summer is almost over, but I hope you can stay for a while."
Unable to suppress a genuine smile, Jeremy said, "You could say that."
Giving him a quizzical look, Belle asked, "What exactly does that mean?"
"It means that I will be starting college at Salem University this fall."
Squealing happily, Belle pulled Jeremy into another hug and started to ramble, "This is so great, Brady's going to be going to Salem University this fall, too! I can't believe you're staying in Salem! I can't wait to introduce you to all my friends! I mean, I know that Mike and Carrie and your mom must miss you, but I'm so glad that you are here! Oh, Carrie! How is she?"
Brady got up and walked out to the balcony as the conversation turned to Mike and Carrie. Brady had absolutely no desire to here about Roman Brady's perfect little girl and her perfect life with the good doctor. Brady was amazed by the fact that Carrie had cheated on her husband - with his best man nonetheless - and Marlena had still considered her a saint, but when Brady had said a few truthful, unkind things to Marlena, he had instantly been considered a demon of sorts.
Belle and Jeremy were disrupted from their catch-up session by the ringing of the phone. Belle gave an apologetic smile before getting up to go answer it. Lifting the phone and bringing it to her ear, Belle cheerfully greeted, "Hello."
On the other end of the phone, Chloe sighed and wondered just what Shawn was thinking when he started making the plans for the night. Clearing her throat, Chloe hesitantly said, "Belle, hi. I hope I didn't bother you by calling."
Cupping a hand over the phone, Belle whispered to Jeremy, "It's my friend Chloe." Removing her hand, Belle replied, "Chloe, you're not bothering me. You know you can call anytime you want to talk to me."
At that moment, Chloe was just about ready to choke her good pal Shawn. She just hoped he knew what he was doing, because if he didn't, half of Salem's teenage population was going to be hunting him down - including her. Gritting her teeth, Chloe responded even more hesitantly, "Actually, I'm, um, calling to talk to Brady."
Chloe and Jeremy both listened as Belle gave a disappointed 'oh'. While Chloe felt guilty for hurting her friend even a little, Jeremy felt worried, and he wondered just what Belle's friend had said to take her smile away. Then again, there was something added to Belle's expression as she took the phone away from her ear. And, if Jeremy didn't know better, he would feel certain that it was mischief.
Holding the phone at her side, Belle surprised Jeremy by taking a few steps toward the balcony where Brady was standing. With a new and different smile on her face, she lightly yelled, "Brady, you've got a phone call!" As Brady stepped inside, Belle answered the curious look on his face with a smirk that Jeremy far from missed, "It's Chloe."
When Belle returned to her seat, Brady became the center of attention as Belle watched her from the chair she was sitting in, Jeremy tried from the couch to not to eavesdrop, but failed miserably, and John secretly watched and listened from the top of the stairs.
Trying his best to sound as cheerful as Belle, Brady casually greeted, "Hey."
Though a little thrown off by Brady's uncharacteristic cheerfulness, Chloe attempted to use her most polite tone as she said, "Brady, hi. I'm not interrupting anything at your house am I?"
"Nothing important."
"So, what were you doing?"
"Nothing important," Brady answered. He knew Chloe would quickly grow tired of his cryptic nature.
Trying to remain polite, Chloe continued, "Okay, well, are you planning to do anything later today, say like tonight?"
Keeping his back to his audience, Brady replied with smirk, "Nothing important."
"That's it! I call you and try to be polite, and what do you do? You act like a total jerk, although that shouldn't surprise me. Would it kill you to find a new phrase? Sometimes I just want to strangle you."
"Yeah, baby, I feel the same way about you," roguishly answered Brady. He couldn't resist turning around to see the look on Belle's face. It was truly priceless. Even Jeremy the saint looked a little surprised by what Brady was saying.
"Baby?" Chloe indignantly replied. "Did you just call me BABY?"
Using his most seductive voice, Brady growled, "Oh, yeah." By now, Belle's eyes were about to pop out of her head. She was just glad Philip wasn't around to hear the conversation. If he was, Belle had a feeling her next family gathering would be Brady's funeral. Of course, Belle wasn't the only curious relative of Brady's listening to one end of the conversation. From above the teens, John was finding himself quite amused and more than a little intrigued. The last time he had spoken to Brady, he had sworn that he was not interested in anyone, and if he was, it would be anyone but Chloe Lane. Of course, John hadn't bought Brady's protests.
From the doorway of the apartment above the pub, Shawn was listening to Chloe's side of the conversation. If his ears didn't deceive him, Shawn was overhearing something he knew Philip should never hear. And, though he hated eavesdroppers, Shawn found himself trapped in the moment. He just had to hear where the conversation was going.
"Okay, Brady, be honest. Have you been drinking?"
Even Brady had to give a genuine laugh at that one. How typical of Chloe to think someone was drunk to be flirting with her. Brady wondered if she was always going to be so defensive. Keeping his back to everyone else, Brady continued the conversation, "Without you? Never."
"Brady! Whatever you're doing - Stop!"
A smile formed on Brady's lips as he listened to Chloe become even more defensive. He had a feeling she was loving this battle as much as him. Not to mention that Brady enjoyed the looks on Belle and Jeremy's faces.
Continuing her rant, Chloe said, "You are really starting to make me regret calling. Do you know that? I must have been insane to make this phone call. I should have known that . . ."
Interrupting Chloe, Brady slyly asked, "What are you wearing?" Brady turned just in time to see his sister nearly choke on her soft drink while Jeremy tried even harder to find something to do other than listen to Brady's obviously private phone call.
With a tone that bordered on snide, Chloe responded using Brady's frustrating phrase from earlier in the conversation, "What am I wearing? Nothing important."
Keeping a serious tone though he was hardly able to not smile, Brady teasingly questioned, "Nothing, eh? Is that why you were calling?"
Belle's face was beginning to turn a pale shade of pink as her brother continued his conversation with Chloe. She and Chloe were definitely going to have to catch up in the girl talk from the sound of things. Shawn, though halfway across town, was listening to the same conversation just as intently. If he didn't know better, he would think that Brady was really hitting on Chloe. Man, was Shawn glad that Philip was using the phone downstairs at the pub to call all the people on his list. Shawn wondered just how big of a mistake it had been to put Brady on Chloe's list of people to call. He and Philip could barely get along with Brady, so he had been hoping that Chloe would have some luck getting him to show up at the party. From the sound of things, she was having just a little bit too much luck.
"I said nothing IMPORTANT, you jerk. Just stop twisting everything I say. What would you do if I asked you what you were wearing?"
"What would you do if I said just a smile?"
Though no one at the Black penthouse knew what exactly it was Chloe was saying on the other end of the phone, they felt they were getting more than enough information just from Brady's side of the conversation.
"Brady, I'm not going to play this game with you anymore. Would you just let me tell you why I called in the first place?"
"Sure, baby."
Though she wanted more than anything to tell Brady to cut it out with the baby remarks, Chloe set that particular urge aside so she could do this one little thing for Shawn. After all, he had proven to be a wonderful friend. Even when nearly everyone at Salem High, including her now-boyfriend, had called her names and ridiculed everything about her, Shawn and Belle had treated her with respect. Keeping that thought in mind, Chloe quickly said, "I was just calling to see if you would come to a party at the pub tonight." There, she had invited him. Now, maybe, this phone call would be over. Not quite.
"Tonight? Gee, Chloe, I don't know. What would dear Philly say about us showing up at a party together? It's awfully risky, baby."
Finally losing control of her temper, Chloe loudly answered, "First of all, do not call me baby. Second, I was not asking to you to be my date and you know it, so don't you even worry about what Philip would think. In fact, I would never want you to be my date to anything."
Losing all the humor that had tinged his voice earlier, Brady seriously asked, "Are you sure about that?"
Chloe had no response to his question. She was well aware of the shift in his voice and knew that the games were over. He was being dead serious, and Chloe had no idea how to react. Was she sure? She tried to tell herself that she was, but even she didn't know the answer for certain. In fact, she was having an increasingly hard time denying that she was drawn to Brady in both a intellectual and physical sense.
Attempting to avoid the question all together, Chloe uneasily asked, "So, are you coming or not?"
"Oh, I'll be there," Brady said before hanging up the cordless phone and turning to see three sets of eyes focused directly on him. "What?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hey, Jason?" Mimi hesitantly began as she walked with him through Salem Place.
"Yeah?"
Mimi nervously bit her lip. She really wanted to ask him, but wasn't sure how. After all, Jason had always been more than willing to be blunt with his bad opinions of her. Right now, that was exactly what she needed. Mimi was so tired of not being good enough and not knowing what to do to make guys like her. If there was anyone alive willing to tell her all the things that were wrong with her, she felt sure it was Jason.
"Can I talk to you?"
Giving her a raise of his eyebrow, Jason questioned, "What do you think you're doing right now?"
"I mean really talk to you. You know, in private."
Jason was completely lost. Of course, Mimi was a confusing person. Jason had never been able to understand what exactly it was that Mimi wanted. She just seemed to float around in her own separate world. He supposed in that way, she was something like him. He wondered if she, too, felt like an outsider always looking in through a window. Some may refer to Chloe as mysterious, but Jason felt Mimi was much more of a puzzle. He also wondered if talking to Mimi about whatever was bothering her would help him unravel the mystery surrounding her.
After a pause, Mimi was relieved to hear Jason respond, "Yeah, sure, my house isn't far from here, we can just go there."
Following a step behind Jason, Mimi was having a near panic attack knowing that she was going to his house. Though she had been over his house on several occasions when she was younger, Mimi somehow felt that this was different. She kept telling herself that it was his suggestion and meant absolutely nothing. In fact, he was probably just going to start insulting her the minute they arrived. Yet, he was still taking her to his house. No guy ever invited Mimi over to his house - at least not Mimi by herself. Actually, no one other than Belle invited Mimi over to their home without it being a group thing.
After a short walk in complete silence, Jason and Mimi finally arrived at his house. Mimi was hesitant as she entered and carefully looked around her, making sure there was no one else around.
As though he were reading her mind, Jason casually remarked, "Don't worry, we're alone. My mom's at work, and my sister doesn't get back from my grandmother's until next week. No one's going to hear anything you say."
Jason crossed the living room and sat down on the couch and looked at Mimi expectantly. She had remained standing on the far side of the room and was continuing to bite her lip nervously. Jason was half afraid that if she kept it up, she'd start bleeding. He wondered how he'd never noticed just what a nervous person Mimi was. He was beginning to see why Belle had been so worried about her.
"Uh, Mimi, I won't bite you if you sit down."
Flashing Jason a dirty look, Mimi neared the couch and retorted, "I know that. I was just . . . thinking about . . .stuff. You know, that doesn't concern you."
Returning Mimi's expression with one that appeared even less happy, Jason snidely commented, "Yeah, well, if it doesn't concern me, why don't you just leave?"
Her anger rising at Jason's egotistical remark, Mimi remarked before turning to leave, "I will!"
Mimi had barely taken a single step when she felt a warm, masculine hand grab her wrist. She was instantly reminded of the mud fight and how good Jason's arms had felt around her when he had been pulling her off Shawn, and how wonderful it had been to be tossed over his shoulder and spun around in the rain.
"Listen, Meems, why don't you just tell me what's wrong?"
Mimi turned to face Jason. She was slightly surprised by the way he was looking at her. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that she saw just a twinge of compassion in his eyes. Giving in to Jason, Mimi sat down on the couch and waited for him to do the same. Once Jason was back to his place on the couch, Mimi nervously said, "I sorta need your advice."
Laughing, Jason asked, "You want my advice? That's a first."
"Yeah, well, don't flatter yourself. The only reason I came to you is that first, you're a guy, and second, you'd never hesitate to insult me."
"Oh, so, you came over so I could insult you?"
"No! I mean yes. I . . . Would you just let me finish?"
Smirking Jason remarked, "Who's stopping you?"
Shifting her gaze away from Jason and to the floor, Mimi meekly said, "I know that I'm not like Belle or Chloe. Okay? So, you don't have to treat me like I'm stupid. I just want to know what exactly is wrong with me."
"Wrong with you?" Jason asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"Yeah. What's so wrong with me that no guy could ever want me?"
Jason was stunned. He had always known that Mimi wasn't the most confident person in the world, but he'd never known just how low her self-esteem was. Jason felt a pang of guilt for all the times that he'd ridiculed Mimi. It was painfully clear that he'd only worsened her problems.
Before Jason could respond to Mimi's question, her cell phone rang, bringing an effective end to the conversation. Slighting aggravated at having been interrupted just when she thought she might learn how to stop repelling guys, Mimi unhappily answered her phone.
"Hey, Meems, it's Shawn."
"Oh, hey, Shawn."
With Mimi turned away from him, Jason freely rolled his eyes. He couldn't stand how Mimi was willing to grovel at Shawn's feet when she could do better. Jason thought Shawn was a nice enough person, but definitely not right for Meems. And, while he mentally pondered the subject, Jason came to the conclusion that the guy Mimi had ran into at Salem Place was another candidate that could be ruled out. One question remained. Who did Mimi belong with?
Her temper flaring, Mimi grabbed her purse and her grape soda off the bench and began to stomp around the corner when something stopped her in her tracks. Or, more precisely, someone. That would also be the same someone that Mimi's grape soda splattered when she was so suddenly halted..
Mimi was almost afraid to look up. She knew that whoever she stupidly ran into was covered in purple soda. It was just her luck to attack two people at Salem Place within two days. Taking a deep breath, Mimi raised her gaze from her feet to the person's face. As soon as she saw those green eyes, she not only wished that she hadn't looked up, but that she had never even gotten out of bed that morning.
Giving Mimi a crooked smile, the person said, "So, we meet again."
Wanting to be swallowed up by the ground beneath her, Mimi once again began her apologies, "I'm sorry. So, so, so sorry. You don't even know how sorry I am. I really did NOT mean to run into you - again. Oh, I can't believe what a klutz I am. You probably think I'm following you or something - but I'm not. Really, I'm not. I totally ruined your shirt."
Keeping the smile on his face, Jeremy said, "Don't worry. I like this shirt even less than the one I was wearing yesterday. So, don't give it a second thought. After all, it's only a shirt."
Feeling guilty from the stranger's unconditional nice attitude, Mimi replied, "You're just saying that to make me feel better. This is all my fault. I really am sorry."
"Sorry? Why should you be sorry? It's not like it's your fault that we were both coming around the same corner at the same time."
"You are being way too sweet about this."
"And, you are feeling way too guilty about this."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After Belle had left his house, Jason had tried a million things to keep himself busy, but none of them worked. Finally, he decided that he just needed to get out of the house. Though he had started out with no destination in mind, Jason had found himself at Salem Place.
He still had not decided if he was going to tell anyone about what had happened to Mimi. He really didn't see where it was such a big deal. Still, Belle had made it seem as if Mimi's entire life depended on him not embarrassing her with the fountain incident. He supposed it wouldn't kill him to keep his mouth shut, but it surely wouldn't be as fun as telling a dozen or so of his friends.
Jason was just happy to have something to distract his attention away from his father's phone call. He didn't even know why his father bothered to call anymore. Jason's dad knew exactly how his son felt about him. Jason just wished he would disappear from his life permanently. He hated the idea of always wondering if he would be burdened by a phone call or letter from his father. He just wanted to forget that his dad existed.
While pondering ways to forget his father and how to handle the Mimi situation, Jason had the oddest sense of deja vu. Standing not twenty feet away was Mimi and her mystery guy from the previous day. Only this time they were both dry, except for the purple that covered the front of the guy's shirt. Jason watched as the guy moved closer to Mimi and said something that must have been fairly humorous. Whatever it was that he said not only had Mimi smiling, but laughing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"See, I told you that you would feel better if you laughed it off," remarked Jeremy as he once again gave Mimi a crooked smile. "I would really like to stay and hang out, but I should probably go home and change since I have a ton family friends to catch up with. I've already been in town way too long without visiting anyone."
"Oh, sure, I understand," Mimi said as she watched the guy walk away.
Jeremy was barely out of sight when Mimi heard a voice behind her tease, "Gee, Mimi, are you stalking the poor guy? You do know that's illegal don't you?"
"Yeah, well, you would be the one to know about breaking the law, now wouldn't you?"
"Mimi, I've been taken to the police station once. And, that was because of some stupid fight Philip started over Vampira."
Forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at Jason for some obscure reason, Mimi replied, "I don't even know why he is dating her. Philip could do way better than Ghoul Girl."
"That's what I told him." Taking a quick glance at Mimi, Jason quickly asked, "Hey, do you want to grab something at the Java Cafe?"
Smiling self-consciously, Mimi replied, "Yeah, I'd like that."
"Great, it's my treat - as long as you don't throw it on me."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You do know how incredibly stupid this is, don't you?" questioned Chloe as she tried her best to be annoyed. Of course, it was really hard to be annoyed at Shawn when he was trying so very hard to do the right thing - even if it was for Mimi.
Throwing an arm over Chloe's shoulder, Shawn said, "Chloe, you are missing the beauty of my plan. It doesn't matter if it's 'incredibly stupid' as you put it. It just has to make Mimi happy. And, trust me, this will make Mimi SO happy."
Looking at Shawn as though he were a three-year-old, Chloe curtly said, "Shawn, it's a love machine."
"No, no. Not a love machine, the love machine. Major difference."
"Oh, really?" Chloe asked skeptically.
"Yes, really. A love machine is just, well, a love machine. But, this is THE love machine. As in, the love machine that will make Mimi forget all about that embarrassing little incident at Salem Place. I'm telling you, Chloe, this plan is going to work perfectly."
"Before I say this, I want you to know that I'm saying it because I'm your friend. You, Shawn Brady, are a complete idiot sometimes," Chloe declared as she playfully pushed Shawn's arm off her shoulder.
"I'll agree with that," stated Philip as he joined Shawn and Chloe in front of the Brady Pub, but carefully avoided eye contact with his girlfriend "But, we'll have to discuss just how much of an idiot Shawn is later, because right now we have to get everything ready for the love machine's debut tonight,"
Gathering Philip and Chloe a little closer, Shawn said, "All right, let's go over the plan one more time. Chloe, you and I will be upstairs getting ready for our little part in the plan."
"Which is, as I've already said, incredibly stupid."
"Anyway, while we're upstairs using those phones, Philip, you are going to call everyone you can think of from the football team and maybe even some guys from nearby football teams. We need every teenager in Salem here - especially the cutest guys we know."
With a playful smirk, Philip interjected, "Why, Shawn, I never knew your door swung that way. Of course, that explains why you haven't asked Belle out yet."
"Whatever, Kiriakis, the guys are for Mimi. Well, one of them is. Okay, so once everyone gets here, you know what to do?"
"Yes," said Philip and Chloe in unison. Both were ready for the night, and Shawn's worrisome guidance, to be over and done with for good.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brady and Belle were sitting in front of the television, just as they had been for the past three hours, when the doorbell rang. After their father had gone upstairs, Brady had been flipping through the channels when he had, to Belle's extreme dislike, found a "Planet of the Apes" marathon. For reasons that Belle would never understand, Brady actually LIKED it. Everyone had always said that Brady marched to the beat of a different drum. Belle had just never thought that it was a monkey beating on the drum.
More than happy to have a break from the apes, Belle jumped up before Brady to answer the door. When she opened it, she got the shock of her life. Standing right there in front of her was Jeremy Horton, in a clean, grape- free shirt.
"Oh, my, gosh! Jeremy!" Belle squealed as she nearly choked the life out of Jeremy with a hug.
Trying to subtly loosen Belle's grip on his neck, Jeremy said, "It's nice to see you, too. I've missed you guys here in Salem like crazy."
Grabbing Jeremy's hand, Belle pulled him inside and shut the door behind them. However, Brady was far too involved in the television to bother acknowledging Jeremy other than by waving a hand up in the air.
"Just ignore him," Belle said as she motioned to her brother. "You know how Brady can be."
Not wanting to insult Brady with his opinion of him, Jeremy merely nodded and gave Belle a weak smile. After all, he didn't really know Brady that well. It had been years since Jeremy had come to Salem for a visit during Christmas vacation, and when he did, Brady was hardly around. Truth be known, Jeremy had always thought that Brady was one of those people that would eventually just go over the edge, and he had no desire to be around when that happened. Still, there had been one or two isolated incidents when he thought he might actually have seen Brady's human side.
Brady tried his hardest to try and appear interested in the movie if for no other reason to keep Belle from yelling at him to be nicer to Jeremy. Brady had no intention of being any nicer to Jeremy. Heck, Jeremy was nice enough for everyone in the room. Brady had been avoiding Jeremy as long as he had known him. Jeremy was just too perfect. It came as no shock to Brady when he and Jeremy lost contact while Belle and Jeremy had remained very close pen pals. Brady didn't care what Mike Horton's son did as long as he didn't do it around him.
"So, Jeremy, how long are going to be visiting? I know that's summer is almost over, but I hope you can stay for a while."
Unable to suppress a genuine smile, Jeremy said, "You could say that."
Giving him a quizzical look, Belle asked, "What exactly does that mean?"
"It means that I will be starting college at Salem University this fall."
Squealing happily, Belle pulled Jeremy into another hug and started to ramble, "This is so great, Brady's going to be going to Salem University this fall, too! I can't believe you're staying in Salem! I can't wait to introduce you to all my friends! I mean, I know that Mike and Carrie and your mom must miss you, but I'm so glad that you are here! Oh, Carrie! How is she?"
Brady got up and walked out to the balcony as the conversation turned to Mike and Carrie. Brady had absolutely no desire to here about Roman Brady's perfect little girl and her perfect life with the good doctor. Brady was amazed by the fact that Carrie had cheated on her husband - with his best man nonetheless - and Marlena had still considered her a saint, but when Brady had said a few truthful, unkind things to Marlena, he had instantly been considered a demon of sorts.
Belle and Jeremy were disrupted from their catch-up session by the ringing of the phone. Belle gave an apologetic smile before getting up to go answer it. Lifting the phone and bringing it to her ear, Belle cheerfully greeted, "Hello."
On the other end of the phone, Chloe sighed and wondered just what Shawn was thinking when he started making the plans for the night. Clearing her throat, Chloe hesitantly said, "Belle, hi. I hope I didn't bother you by calling."
Cupping a hand over the phone, Belle whispered to Jeremy, "It's my friend Chloe." Removing her hand, Belle replied, "Chloe, you're not bothering me. You know you can call anytime you want to talk to me."
At that moment, Chloe was just about ready to choke her good pal Shawn. She just hoped he knew what he was doing, because if he didn't, half of Salem's teenage population was going to be hunting him down - including her. Gritting her teeth, Chloe responded even more hesitantly, "Actually, I'm, um, calling to talk to Brady."
Chloe and Jeremy both listened as Belle gave a disappointed 'oh'. While Chloe felt guilty for hurting her friend even a little, Jeremy felt worried, and he wondered just what Belle's friend had said to take her smile away. Then again, there was something added to Belle's expression as she took the phone away from her ear. And, if Jeremy didn't know better, he would feel certain that it was mischief.
Holding the phone at her side, Belle surprised Jeremy by taking a few steps toward the balcony where Brady was standing. With a new and different smile on her face, she lightly yelled, "Brady, you've got a phone call!" As Brady stepped inside, Belle answered the curious look on his face with a smirk that Jeremy far from missed, "It's Chloe."
When Belle returned to her seat, Brady became the center of attention as Belle watched her from the chair she was sitting in, Jeremy tried from the couch to not to eavesdrop, but failed miserably, and John secretly watched and listened from the top of the stairs.
Trying his best to sound as cheerful as Belle, Brady casually greeted, "Hey."
Though a little thrown off by Brady's uncharacteristic cheerfulness, Chloe attempted to use her most polite tone as she said, "Brady, hi. I'm not interrupting anything at your house am I?"
"Nothing important."
"So, what were you doing?"
"Nothing important," Brady answered. He knew Chloe would quickly grow tired of his cryptic nature.
Trying to remain polite, Chloe continued, "Okay, well, are you planning to do anything later today, say like tonight?"
Keeping his back to his audience, Brady replied with smirk, "Nothing important."
"That's it! I call you and try to be polite, and what do you do? You act like a total jerk, although that shouldn't surprise me. Would it kill you to find a new phrase? Sometimes I just want to strangle you."
"Yeah, baby, I feel the same way about you," roguishly answered Brady. He couldn't resist turning around to see the look on Belle's face. It was truly priceless. Even Jeremy the saint looked a little surprised by what Brady was saying.
"Baby?" Chloe indignantly replied. "Did you just call me BABY?"
Using his most seductive voice, Brady growled, "Oh, yeah." By now, Belle's eyes were about to pop out of her head. She was just glad Philip wasn't around to hear the conversation. If he was, Belle had a feeling her next family gathering would be Brady's funeral. Of course, Belle wasn't the only curious relative of Brady's listening to one end of the conversation. From above the teens, John was finding himself quite amused and more than a little intrigued. The last time he had spoken to Brady, he had sworn that he was not interested in anyone, and if he was, it would be anyone but Chloe Lane. Of course, John hadn't bought Brady's protests.
From the doorway of the apartment above the pub, Shawn was listening to Chloe's side of the conversation. If his ears didn't deceive him, Shawn was overhearing something he knew Philip should never hear. And, though he hated eavesdroppers, Shawn found himself trapped in the moment. He just had to hear where the conversation was going.
"Okay, Brady, be honest. Have you been drinking?"
Even Brady had to give a genuine laugh at that one. How typical of Chloe to think someone was drunk to be flirting with her. Brady wondered if she was always going to be so defensive. Keeping his back to everyone else, Brady continued the conversation, "Without you? Never."
"Brady! Whatever you're doing - Stop!"
A smile formed on Brady's lips as he listened to Chloe become even more defensive. He had a feeling she was loving this battle as much as him. Not to mention that Brady enjoyed the looks on Belle and Jeremy's faces.
Continuing her rant, Chloe said, "You are really starting to make me regret calling. Do you know that? I must have been insane to make this phone call. I should have known that . . ."
Interrupting Chloe, Brady slyly asked, "What are you wearing?" Brady turned just in time to see his sister nearly choke on her soft drink while Jeremy tried even harder to find something to do other than listen to Brady's obviously private phone call.
With a tone that bordered on snide, Chloe responded using Brady's frustrating phrase from earlier in the conversation, "What am I wearing? Nothing important."
Keeping a serious tone though he was hardly able to not smile, Brady teasingly questioned, "Nothing, eh? Is that why you were calling?"
Belle's face was beginning to turn a pale shade of pink as her brother continued his conversation with Chloe. She and Chloe were definitely going to have to catch up in the girl talk from the sound of things. Shawn, though halfway across town, was listening to the same conversation just as intently. If he didn't know better, he would think that Brady was really hitting on Chloe. Man, was Shawn glad that Philip was using the phone downstairs at the pub to call all the people on his list. Shawn wondered just how big of a mistake it had been to put Brady on Chloe's list of people to call. He and Philip could barely get along with Brady, so he had been hoping that Chloe would have some luck getting him to show up at the party. From the sound of things, she was having just a little bit too much luck.
"I said nothing IMPORTANT, you jerk. Just stop twisting everything I say. What would you do if I asked you what you were wearing?"
"What would you do if I said just a smile?"
Though no one at the Black penthouse knew what exactly it was Chloe was saying on the other end of the phone, they felt they were getting more than enough information just from Brady's side of the conversation.
"Brady, I'm not going to play this game with you anymore. Would you just let me tell you why I called in the first place?"
"Sure, baby."
Though she wanted more than anything to tell Brady to cut it out with the baby remarks, Chloe set that particular urge aside so she could do this one little thing for Shawn. After all, he had proven to be a wonderful friend. Even when nearly everyone at Salem High, including her now-boyfriend, had called her names and ridiculed everything about her, Shawn and Belle had treated her with respect. Keeping that thought in mind, Chloe quickly said, "I was just calling to see if you would come to a party at the pub tonight." There, she had invited him. Now, maybe, this phone call would be over. Not quite.
"Tonight? Gee, Chloe, I don't know. What would dear Philly say about us showing up at a party together? It's awfully risky, baby."
Finally losing control of her temper, Chloe loudly answered, "First of all, do not call me baby. Second, I was not asking to you to be my date and you know it, so don't you even worry about what Philip would think. In fact, I would never want you to be my date to anything."
Losing all the humor that had tinged his voice earlier, Brady seriously asked, "Are you sure about that?"
Chloe had no response to his question. She was well aware of the shift in his voice and knew that the games were over. He was being dead serious, and Chloe had no idea how to react. Was she sure? She tried to tell herself that she was, but even she didn't know the answer for certain. In fact, she was having an increasingly hard time denying that she was drawn to Brady in both a intellectual and physical sense.
Attempting to avoid the question all together, Chloe uneasily asked, "So, are you coming or not?"
"Oh, I'll be there," Brady said before hanging up the cordless phone and turning to see three sets of eyes focused directly on him. "What?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Hey, Jason?" Mimi hesitantly began as she walked with him through Salem Place.
"Yeah?"
Mimi nervously bit her lip. She really wanted to ask him, but wasn't sure how. After all, Jason had always been more than willing to be blunt with his bad opinions of her. Right now, that was exactly what she needed. Mimi was so tired of not being good enough and not knowing what to do to make guys like her. If there was anyone alive willing to tell her all the things that were wrong with her, she felt sure it was Jason.
"Can I talk to you?"
Giving her a raise of his eyebrow, Jason questioned, "What do you think you're doing right now?"
"I mean really talk to you. You know, in private."
Jason was completely lost. Of course, Mimi was a confusing person. Jason had never been able to understand what exactly it was that Mimi wanted. She just seemed to float around in her own separate world. He supposed in that way, she was something like him. He wondered if she, too, felt like an outsider always looking in through a window. Some may refer to Chloe as mysterious, but Jason felt Mimi was much more of a puzzle. He also wondered if talking to Mimi about whatever was bothering her would help him unravel the mystery surrounding her.
After a pause, Mimi was relieved to hear Jason respond, "Yeah, sure, my house isn't far from here, we can just go there."
Following a step behind Jason, Mimi was having a near panic attack knowing that she was going to his house. Though she had been over his house on several occasions when she was younger, Mimi somehow felt that this was different. She kept telling herself that it was his suggestion and meant absolutely nothing. In fact, he was probably just going to start insulting her the minute they arrived. Yet, he was still taking her to his house. No guy ever invited Mimi over to his house - at least not Mimi by herself. Actually, no one other than Belle invited Mimi over to their home without it being a group thing.
After a short walk in complete silence, Jason and Mimi finally arrived at his house. Mimi was hesitant as she entered and carefully looked around her, making sure there was no one else around.
As though he were reading her mind, Jason casually remarked, "Don't worry, we're alone. My mom's at work, and my sister doesn't get back from my grandmother's until next week. No one's going to hear anything you say."
Jason crossed the living room and sat down on the couch and looked at Mimi expectantly. She had remained standing on the far side of the room and was continuing to bite her lip nervously. Jason was half afraid that if she kept it up, she'd start bleeding. He wondered how he'd never noticed just what a nervous person Mimi was. He was beginning to see why Belle had been so worried about her.
"Uh, Mimi, I won't bite you if you sit down."
Flashing Jason a dirty look, Mimi neared the couch and retorted, "I know that. I was just . . . thinking about . . .stuff. You know, that doesn't concern you."
Returning Mimi's expression with one that appeared even less happy, Jason snidely commented, "Yeah, well, if it doesn't concern me, why don't you just leave?"
Her anger rising at Jason's egotistical remark, Mimi remarked before turning to leave, "I will!"
Mimi had barely taken a single step when she felt a warm, masculine hand grab her wrist. She was instantly reminded of the mud fight and how good Jason's arms had felt around her when he had been pulling her off Shawn, and how wonderful it had been to be tossed over his shoulder and spun around in the rain.
"Listen, Meems, why don't you just tell me what's wrong?"
Mimi turned to face Jason. She was slightly surprised by the way he was looking at her. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that she saw just a twinge of compassion in his eyes. Giving in to Jason, Mimi sat down on the couch and waited for him to do the same. Once Jason was back to his place on the couch, Mimi nervously said, "I sorta need your advice."
Laughing, Jason asked, "You want my advice? That's a first."
"Yeah, well, don't flatter yourself. The only reason I came to you is that first, you're a guy, and second, you'd never hesitate to insult me."
"Oh, so, you came over so I could insult you?"
"No! I mean yes. I . . . Would you just let me finish?"
Smirking Jason remarked, "Who's stopping you?"
Shifting her gaze away from Jason and to the floor, Mimi meekly said, "I know that I'm not like Belle or Chloe. Okay? So, you don't have to treat me like I'm stupid. I just want to know what exactly is wrong with me."
"Wrong with you?" Jason asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"Yeah. What's so wrong with me that no guy could ever want me?"
Jason was stunned. He had always known that Mimi wasn't the most confident person in the world, but he'd never known just how low her self-esteem was. Jason felt a pang of guilt for all the times that he'd ridiculed Mimi. It was painfully clear that he'd only worsened her problems.
Before Jason could respond to Mimi's question, her cell phone rang, bringing an effective end to the conversation. Slighting aggravated at having been interrupted just when she thought she might learn how to stop repelling guys, Mimi unhappily answered her phone.
"Hey, Meems, it's Shawn."
"Oh, hey, Shawn."
With Mimi turned away from him, Jason freely rolled his eyes. He couldn't stand how Mimi was willing to grovel at Shawn's feet when she could do better. Jason thought Shawn was a nice enough person, but definitely not right for Meems. And, while he mentally pondered the subject, Jason came to the conclusion that the guy Mimi had ran into at Salem Place was another candidate that could be ruled out. One question remained. Who did Mimi belong with?