Saying her goodbye to Shawn, Mimi turned to face Jason and summarized,
"That was Shawn. Apparently, there's going to be some party at the pub
tonight and we're both invited, of course so is Ghoul Girl. Anyway, I guess
I should get home so I can hurry up and get ready to head over there." Mimi
paused before hesitantly remarking, "I suppose you and Jan won't be going
since these things aren't really your thing or whatever."
Making a quick decision, Jason blurted, "I'll be there."
Mimi sharply craned her neck to look at Jason. "You'll be there? Really? I thought Jan said she hated going to parties where Chloe or Shawn or any one like that was."
"Since Jan and I broke up, it doesn't really matter what she likes or doesn't like. I want to go, so I'll be there. Besides, I figure if Chloe's there, then Phil will be, too. And, it's been way too long since we've hung out."
Mimi vaguely understood that Jason was still speaking, but anything after Jan and I broke up was lost on her. For some unexplainable reason, Mimi felt an entire army of butterflies fluttering around her stomach when she learned that Jason and Jan were no longer a couple, when she learned that Jason was single.
Hearing her name called, Mimi distractedly asked, "Huh?"
"I asked what time the party started."
"Oh, the party, yeah. Um, Shawn said in about an hour. I guess that means I need to get home."
Before Jason could say anything else, Mimi had grabbed her purse and ran to the door, casually waving goodbye before shutting the door behind her. Jason decided that he might as well change his shirt before the party, so he headed upstairs, never noticing that Mimi's bracelet had fallen from her wrist and landed unnoticed on the plush carpet.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Half an hour after calling Mimi, Shawn surveyed the pub with great pride. Decorations covered the walls and the buffet was already set for the guests that would soon begin arriving. He just hoped that they didn't run out of food, because he knew there was no way that his grandparents would give him anymore freebies. After all, they had already agreed at the last minute to close the pub for the evening so he could throw a party there. They had not even been told the occasion. Then again, he wasn't sure there was one. Sure, the original idea had been to cheer Mimi up and give her some self- confidence after the little mishap with the fountain. However, Shawn's plan was definitely starting to have a shift in priorities. Somewhere along the way, it had become vitally important for him to have Belle there.
When he had called Belle earlier, she had been so happy to be invited - even if she wasn't told the whole truth. After all, Shawn wanted to surprise Belle by helping Mimi. He hoped that it would show Belle just what a sensitive guy he was. For reasons that Shawn refused to admit even to himself, Belle's opinion of him mattered more than anyone else's.
"Earth to Shawn," called Philip as he waved a hand in front of his friend's face. Philip was willing to bet that Shawn had Belle on the brain again. It was becoming an all too familiar sight. Seeing that he had Shawn's attention, Philip continued, "I just finished setting it up. If you want, I can show you how it works."
Walking across the pub, Shawn curiously asked, "Now, where exactly was it that you found a love machine? Let's face it, they don't exactly have them on sale at Wal-Mart."
Chuckling softly, Philip answered, "Actually, it was used in a charity fund raiser for Titan a few years ago." Pointing to a lever behind the odd looking machine, Philip explained, "That's what you pull to make the light on the other side move up. The farther you pull that down, the higher the light shoots on the other side. That means, if the lever is pushed all the way to the floor, the light will shoot all the way to the top. And, that other light over there indicates when two people are in the chairs and ready to have their compatibility read."
Walking out from behind the curtain that surrounded the back of the machine and kept the fact that it was rigged a mystery, Shawn and Philip made their way to the front and observed it. It was actually fairly modest looking. There were two cushioned seats that faced each other. Each had a hand grip on each side that supposedly measured the couple in the seats' compatibility romantically. Centered behind the seats was the all-important scale. Ranging from one to ten, the scale had descriptions for each number, all the way from 'Colder Than A Frozen Alaskan Fish' to 'Steaming, Burning Hot Love.' The machine reminded Shawn a lot of the one that use to be in the center of the mall. Of course, that was for one person and cost two quarters and no one, including Shawn, could control the outcome. Well, he could control this. Or, so he mistakenly thought.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Belle gazed critically at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She would occasionally hear Brady pound on the door and tell her to hurry up so he could get in there before they left for the party. Ah, the party. It was actually the cause for Belle's prolonged stay in front of the mirror. When Chloe had called and invited Brady, who she was suppose to hate, Belle had felt horrible. She couldn't believe that one of her best friends would invite her brother to a party and not her. Then, Belle's entire day had turned around. About ten minutes after Chloe called, Shawn had called to invite her to the same party. He had explained that he had divided the list up and that Chloe was just helping him make the phone calls. Somehow, Brady and Belle had ended up on different lists.
Sighing, Belle decided that she would be nice and let Brady finally have the bathroom. She didn't know why her brother would be so worried about his appearance. After all, he claimed that he didn't care what anyone thought of him. On the other hand, Belle had thought for some time that he did care about what others thought of him. Belle just couldn't figure why Brady was so determined to look great for this particular party.
Stepping out of the bathroom in her short blue skirt and matching top, Belle asked her brother, "Well? What do you think? Do I look cool enough for the great Brady Black to actually be seen with at a party?"
"You know I'm always glad to be seen with you, Tink," Brady said as he tousled Belle's hair on the way to the bathroom.
Playfully slapping her brother's arm, Belle squealed his name. However, before she could say anything else, he had shut the bathroom door with a laugh.
Turning from the shut door, Belle hurried to her bedroom to make sure her brother hadn't completely destroyed her hair. Though she was telling herself that she wasn't trying to look absolutely perfect for Shawn Brady, Belle put the few loosened strands back in their rightful places. She took one last glance at her reflection before dashing back downstairs to keep Jeremy company.
Hopping off the last step, Belle asked, "So, we'll be ready to go as soon as Brady gets downstairs."
Jeremy, more than a little reluctant to attend the party, asked, "Belle, are you sure I should be going? I mean, I wasn't exactly invited."
Absently placing her hands on her hips, Belle said, "Jeremy Horton! You know that the only reason you weren't invited was that Shawn still thinks that you're halfway around the world in Israel. Don't worry, he is going to be so happy to see you when you show up at the party. I can't wait to see the look on his face."
"Yeah, I'm sure I'll have fun seeing Shawn again, but what about all those other people? You, Shawn, and Brady are probably going to be the only people there that I know. Didn't you say that everyone else there would be friends from school?"
Putting an even more cheerful smile on her face, Belle declared, "You are going to have fun, whether you believe it or not. Trust me. There are so many nice people that I want to introduce you to."
"Like Brady's girlfriend?"
"Huh?" Belle questioned, confusion etched on her face.
"Your friend, you know, the one that called to invite him to the party."
Stifling a laugh, Belle said, "Chloe is NOT Brady's girlfriend. She's not even close. I can't say what exactly that phone call was all about, but usually those two are at each other's throats. No joke. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to scream from having to listen to them argue over the silliest stuff."
"Are you serious? They're not dating?"
"No. Although, I can definitely see why you would think so after hearing what Brady was saying on the phone. To be honest, that really surprised me. He's never acted like that before, not with Chloe or any other girl."
"That is strange," replied Jeremy as he tried to give up on ever understanding Brady Black.
Wanting to continue to catch Jeremy up on the lives of Salem's teens, Belle continued, "You remember Philip Kiriakis, don't you?"
Trying to match a face with the familiar name, Jeremy asked, "Is that the one that came with Shawn to Gran's Christmas party the last time I was in Salem?"
"Yeah, that's Philip. Anyway, he's actually Chloe's boyfriend." Getting somewhat of a sly look on her face, Belle added, "Although if Chloe and Philip weren't together, you and she would make a really cute couple."
"Whatever, " snorted Brady with a frown as he carefully made his way down the stairs. Though he had been able to walk without the aid of his cane for almost a month, he was still a little ways from being fully healed. Of course, that small detail didn't stop him from trying to act as if he was back to his old self, which explained how he had so easily overdone things at the mud fight. His left leg was just now recovering from all the running and fun exercise of that day.
Approaching his sister and Jeremy, Brady said, "Chloe would chew him up and spit him out. No question."
Not sure if Brady meant that as a compliment or insult for Chloe, Belle responded, "Brady, what are you talking about? I bet Chloe and Jeremy would get along great."
Positioning his back against the side of the couch for some added support, Brady gruffly replied, "Oh, yeah, Belle, they'd get along real great. She'd have him broken in with his leash even quicker than she did Phil. No offense, Jeremy, but Chloe is way too complicated for a good little boy like yourself."
Belle, giving her brother a clearly displeased look, tried her best to sound cheerful as she said, "Well, I guess it's time for us to be going to the pub." Heading to the front door, she commanded, "All right, let's go."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giving the odd machine in the corner of the Brady Pub an uncertain glance, Jason asked, "Phil, do I even want to know what that's suppose to be?"
"That, my friend, is a love machine. You know, it measures how well two people are suited for each other."
"Yeah, okay. So, why exactly is it here?"
"Gee, I wonder," sarcastically responded Philip with a smile. "Could it be to measure how well people here are suited for each other? Hey, maybe you and Jan can be it's first victims."
"So, Jan hasn't opened her big mouth to the entire town yet?" Jason asked as he carefully watched Philip's reaction. When he only received a slightly confused look, he explained, "Jan and I are through. We broke up."
Since Philip was never that great at dealing with emotional stuff, he joked, "Yeah, well, look at the bright side. At least she won't be trying to make you follow her around like some dog on a worn out leash."
Jason, not exactly happy with Philip's little comparison, remarked with a forced smile, "Doesn't that sounds more like you and Chloe?"
Losing his smile instantly, Philip warned, "Don't you dare insult Chloe. I love her." That said, Philip walked away from Jason who only muttered, "Love her, obsessed with her. No difference, right?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The party was already in full swing when Brady, Belle, and Jeremy arrived. Jeremy took a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath. At that particular moment, he wished he was anywhere but at the party. The entire building was full of people he had never seen and would probably never see again. His logical side was beginning to question why he'd ever agreed to come.
Gently elbowing Jeremy, Belle whispered, "Stop worrying, you're going to have fun. I promise."
Jeremy forced a smile for Belle's benefit and said a silent prayer that she was right.
Brady nudged his sister softly and said, "Hey, I saw someone I need to talk to. I'll catch up with you later." Leaving his sister and Jeremy, Brady headed straight for the stairs he had seen Chloe climbing when they entered the pub.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me, Jeremy."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After having caused Philip to storm off, Jason decided to approach Shawn and give having a normal conversation one last try. "Shawn, hey, man."
"Jason, I'm glad you could come. I've been thinking that some of us guys need to get together some time soon and play some ball. What do you think?" Shawn asked. However, Jason's attention was focused elsewhere. Following Jason's intense gaze, Shawn found himself staring at Belle. She was talking to some blond guy who had his back to Shawn. Instantly, he found himself becoming jealous.
Jason, who got a good look at the guy before he turned around, remarked unhappily, "Man, that guy sure gets around. First, Mimi, now Belle."
Forcing himself to overcome the jealousy plaguing him, Shawn focused his attention on Jason and asked, "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing? Come on, Jason. You wouldn't have said it if it was just nothing. What did you mean about Mimi and Belle?"
"Isn't it obvious? That guy is here with Belle, as her date. Which is kinda low, if you ask me, since he was totally hitting on Meems at Salem Place - twice."
His eyes widening just a little with curiosity, Shawn remarked, "Really? How would you know this?"
Jason rolled his eyes and answered, "I saw it myself. The guy was getting all flirty with Meems. Well, close enough. He was probably just sweetening her up before he decided to go in for the kill."
Allowing his amused smile to reach his face Shawn happily commented, "Yeah, sure, that makes sense. But, there is one thing that doesn't, and I was kind of hoping you could explain to me."
"What?"
"When I called Mimi to invite her, she mentioned that she was with you - at your house. I was just wondering what's up with that. Is there something going on that you want to tell me about?"
Casting Shawn a dirty look, Jason muttered, "There's nothing going on, so just drop it."
Though he wasn't entirely convinced, Shawn decided to just let it go for the moment. After all, he had other things to worry about at the moment. One of them being getting the mystery guy away from Belle.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brady stopped in the living room of the upstairs apartment as Chloe's voice floated to him from the bedroom. From the sound of things, she was on the phone having some type of argument with her mother. Of course, that didn't surprise Brady. It was common knowledge that things had gone from bad to worse with Chloe and her mother.
One night, Belle had even shared her worries about Chloe's family life with Brady. He was surprised to hear that Chloe had once mentioned running away from the prison she called home. Having felt the same way at one time, Brady fully understood what Chloe was going through. And, Brady's clever mind was beginning to come up with a plan crazy enough to actually help him and Chloe. Of course, there were a ton of details that would take some time to iron out, but Brady thought that the plan just might be insane enough to actually work.
"Nancy, I don't want to discuss my relationship with Philip with you. It's none of your business . . . I don't care if you're sick of seeing him upset me . . .Why do you care when I'm coming home . . .Oh, and you think that if you set some silly curfew I'll follow it . . . Don't, Nancy. Don't you dare insinuate that I am the inconsiderate one . . .Oh, yeah? Well, let's not forget that you were the one that once told me I could live with you as long as I didn't tell Craig I was your daughter. How loving was that?"
Brady listened as Chloe fell silent, obviously forced into listening to Nancy lecture her. Just when Chloe started to speak again, Brady felt a pair of strong hands grab his arm and pull him around.
Looking at his surprise attacker, Brady asked, "Philip, what's up with you, man?"
Laughing humorlessly, Philip asked, "What's up with me? I'll show you what's up with me!"
Hearing a crash from her place in the bedroom, Chloe promptly hung up as her mother continued to speak. Deciding to investigate the noise, Chloe came around the corner to find Philip standing over Brady who was on the floor, his lip bleeding just slightly. However, neither of the guys noticed Chloe's arrival and continued what they were both determined to finish.
Rising to his feet, Brady screamed, "What is wrong with you?"
"Don't you even try to act innocent, Brady. Chloe told me all about you seeing her in her slip. You can't tell me that you aren't glad it happened. That you don't want it to happen again. "
Lunging at Philip, Brady knocked him onto the table before they both fell to the floor. Struggling to push Brady off him, Philip yelled, "You're never going to get her! She's mine."
Punching Philip with a newfound sense of purpose, Brady remarked, "You don't own her, Philip. You can't even understand her. In fact, you'll never understand her - just like she'll never really fall in love with you."
Throwing Brady off him, Philip gave him a good kick in the side before Brady unexpectedly grabbed his ankle and brought him back down to the floor. Rising, Brady approached his irate uncle. Seeing Brady hover above him, Philip, too, rose to his feet, remarking, "Come on, I dare you. Give it your best shot."
Just as Brady raised his fist to punch Philip, he was stopped by Chloe's pleaful scream. Without another word, Brady gave Chloe an almost apologetic look and left the room. He knew that eventually Chloe would realize what he was beginning to realize. And, when she did, they would both face a brand new world - with each other.
Making a quick decision, Jason blurted, "I'll be there."
Mimi sharply craned her neck to look at Jason. "You'll be there? Really? I thought Jan said she hated going to parties where Chloe or Shawn or any one like that was."
"Since Jan and I broke up, it doesn't really matter what she likes or doesn't like. I want to go, so I'll be there. Besides, I figure if Chloe's there, then Phil will be, too. And, it's been way too long since we've hung out."
Mimi vaguely understood that Jason was still speaking, but anything after Jan and I broke up was lost on her. For some unexplainable reason, Mimi felt an entire army of butterflies fluttering around her stomach when she learned that Jason and Jan were no longer a couple, when she learned that Jason was single.
Hearing her name called, Mimi distractedly asked, "Huh?"
"I asked what time the party started."
"Oh, the party, yeah. Um, Shawn said in about an hour. I guess that means I need to get home."
Before Jason could say anything else, Mimi had grabbed her purse and ran to the door, casually waving goodbye before shutting the door behind her. Jason decided that he might as well change his shirt before the party, so he headed upstairs, never noticing that Mimi's bracelet had fallen from her wrist and landed unnoticed on the plush carpet.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Half an hour after calling Mimi, Shawn surveyed the pub with great pride. Decorations covered the walls and the buffet was already set for the guests that would soon begin arriving. He just hoped that they didn't run out of food, because he knew there was no way that his grandparents would give him anymore freebies. After all, they had already agreed at the last minute to close the pub for the evening so he could throw a party there. They had not even been told the occasion. Then again, he wasn't sure there was one. Sure, the original idea had been to cheer Mimi up and give her some self- confidence after the little mishap with the fountain. However, Shawn's plan was definitely starting to have a shift in priorities. Somewhere along the way, it had become vitally important for him to have Belle there.
When he had called Belle earlier, she had been so happy to be invited - even if she wasn't told the whole truth. After all, Shawn wanted to surprise Belle by helping Mimi. He hoped that it would show Belle just what a sensitive guy he was. For reasons that Shawn refused to admit even to himself, Belle's opinion of him mattered more than anyone else's.
"Earth to Shawn," called Philip as he waved a hand in front of his friend's face. Philip was willing to bet that Shawn had Belle on the brain again. It was becoming an all too familiar sight. Seeing that he had Shawn's attention, Philip continued, "I just finished setting it up. If you want, I can show you how it works."
Walking across the pub, Shawn curiously asked, "Now, where exactly was it that you found a love machine? Let's face it, they don't exactly have them on sale at Wal-Mart."
Chuckling softly, Philip answered, "Actually, it was used in a charity fund raiser for Titan a few years ago." Pointing to a lever behind the odd looking machine, Philip explained, "That's what you pull to make the light on the other side move up. The farther you pull that down, the higher the light shoots on the other side. That means, if the lever is pushed all the way to the floor, the light will shoot all the way to the top. And, that other light over there indicates when two people are in the chairs and ready to have their compatibility read."
Walking out from behind the curtain that surrounded the back of the machine and kept the fact that it was rigged a mystery, Shawn and Philip made their way to the front and observed it. It was actually fairly modest looking. There were two cushioned seats that faced each other. Each had a hand grip on each side that supposedly measured the couple in the seats' compatibility romantically. Centered behind the seats was the all-important scale. Ranging from one to ten, the scale had descriptions for each number, all the way from 'Colder Than A Frozen Alaskan Fish' to 'Steaming, Burning Hot Love.' The machine reminded Shawn a lot of the one that use to be in the center of the mall. Of course, that was for one person and cost two quarters and no one, including Shawn, could control the outcome. Well, he could control this. Or, so he mistakenly thought.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Belle gazed critically at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She would occasionally hear Brady pound on the door and tell her to hurry up so he could get in there before they left for the party. Ah, the party. It was actually the cause for Belle's prolonged stay in front of the mirror. When Chloe had called and invited Brady, who she was suppose to hate, Belle had felt horrible. She couldn't believe that one of her best friends would invite her brother to a party and not her. Then, Belle's entire day had turned around. About ten minutes after Chloe called, Shawn had called to invite her to the same party. He had explained that he had divided the list up and that Chloe was just helping him make the phone calls. Somehow, Brady and Belle had ended up on different lists.
Sighing, Belle decided that she would be nice and let Brady finally have the bathroom. She didn't know why her brother would be so worried about his appearance. After all, he claimed that he didn't care what anyone thought of him. On the other hand, Belle had thought for some time that he did care about what others thought of him. Belle just couldn't figure why Brady was so determined to look great for this particular party.
Stepping out of the bathroom in her short blue skirt and matching top, Belle asked her brother, "Well? What do you think? Do I look cool enough for the great Brady Black to actually be seen with at a party?"
"You know I'm always glad to be seen with you, Tink," Brady said as he tousled Belle's hair on the way to the bathroom.
Playfully slapping her brother's arm, Belle squealed his name. However, before she could say anything else, he had shut the bathroom door with a laugh.
Turning from the shut door, Belle hurried to her bedroom to make sure her brother hadn't completely destroyed her hair. Though she was telling herself that she wasn't trying to look absolutely perfect for Shawn Brady, Belle put the few loosened strands back in their rightful places. She took one last glance at her reflection before dashing back downstairs to keep Jeremy company.
Hopping off the last step, Belle asked, "So, we'll be ready to go as soon as Brady gets downstairs."
Jeremy, more than a little reluctant to attend the party, asked, "Belle, are you sure I should be going? I mean, I wasn't exactly invited."
Absently placing her hands on her hips, Belle said, "Jeremy Horton! You know that the only reason you weren't invited was that Shawn still thinks that you're halfway around the world in Israel. Don't worry, he is going to be so happy to see you when you show up at the party. I can't wait to see the look on his face."
"Yeah, I'm sure I'll have fun seeing Shawn again, but what about all those other people? You, Shawn, and Brady are probably going to be the only people there that I know. Didn't you say that everyone else there would be friends from school?"
Putting an even more cheerful smile on her face, Belle declared, "You are going to have fun, whether you believe it or not. Trust me. There are so many nice people that I want to introduce you to."
"Like Brady's girlfriend?"
"Huh?" Belle questioned, confusion etched on her face.
"Your friend, you know, the one that called to invite him to the party."
Stifling a laugh, Belle said, "Chloe is NOT Brady's girlfriend. She's not even close. I can't say what exactly that phone call was all about, but usually those two are at each other's throats. No joke. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to scream from having to listen to them argue over the silliest stuff."
"Are you serious? They're not dating?"
"No. Although, I can definitely see why you would think so after hearing what Brady was saying on the phone. To be honest, that really surprised me. He's never acted like that before, not with Chloe or any other girl."
"That is strange," replied Jeremy as he tried to give up on ever understanding Brady Black.
Wanting to continue to catch Jeremy up on the lives of Salem's teens, Belle continued, "You remember Philip Kiriakis, don't you?"
Trying to match a face with the familiar name, Jeremy asked, "Is that the one that came with Shawn to Gran's Christmas party the last time I was in Salem?"
"Yeah, that's Philip. Anyway, he's actually Chloe's boyfriend." Getting somewhat of a sly look on her face, Belle added, "Although if Chloe and Philip weren't together, you and she would make a really cute couple."
"Whatever, " snorted Brady with a frown as he carefully made his way down the stairs. Though he had been able to walk without the aid of his cane for almost a month, he was still a little ways from being fully healed. Of course, that small detail didn't stop him from trying to act as if he was back to his old self, which explained how he had so easily overdone things at the mud fight. His left leg was just now recovering from all the running and fun exercise of that day.
Approaching his sister and Jeremy, Brady said, "Chloe would chew him up and spit him out. No question."
Not sure if Brady meant that as a compliment or insult for Chloe, Belle responded, "Brady, what are you talking about? I bet Chloe and Jeremy would get along great."
Positioning his back against the side of the couch for some added support, Brady gruffly replied, "Oh, yeah, Belle, they'd get along real great. She'd have him broken in with his leash even quicker than she did Phil. No offense, Jeremy, but Chloe is way too complicated for a good little boy like yourself."
Belle, giving her brother a clearly displeased look, tried her best to sound cheerful as she said, "Well, I guess it's time for us to be going to the pub." Heading to the front door, she commanded, "All right, let's go."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giving the odd machine in the corner of the Brady Pub an uncertain glance, Jason asked, "Phil, do I even want to know what that's suppose to be?"
"That, my friend, is a love machine. You know, it measures how well two people are suited for each other."
"Yeah, okay. So, why exactly is it here?"
"Gee, I wonder," sarcastically responded Philip with a smile. "Could it be to measure how well people here are suited for each other? Hey, maybe you and Jan can be it's first victims."
"So, Jan hasn't opened her big mouth to the entire town yet?" Jason asked as he carefully watched Philip's reaction. When he only received a slightly confused look, he explained, "Jan and I are through. We broke up."
Since Philip was never that great at dealing with emotional stuff, he joked, "Yeah, well, look at the bright side. At least she won't be trying to make you follow her around like some dog on a worn out leash."
Jason, not exactly happy with Philip's little comparison, remarked with a forced smile, "Doesn't that sounds more like you and Chloe?"
Losing his smile instantly, Philip warned, "Don't you dare insult Chloe. I love her." That said, Philip walked away from Jason who only muttered, "Love her, obsessed with her. No difference, right?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The party was already in full swing when Brady, Belle, and Jeremy arrived. Jeremy took a moment to close his eyes and take a deep breath. At that particular moment, he wished he was anywhere but at the party. The entire building was full of people he had never seen and would probably never see again. His logical side was beginning to question why he'd ever agreed to come.
Gently elbowing Jeremy, Belle whispered, "Stop worrying, you're going to have fun. I promise."
Jeremy forced a smile for Belle's benefit and said a silent prayer that she was right.
Brady nudged his sister softly and said, "Hey, I saw someone I need to talk to. I'll catch up with you later." Leaving his sister and Jeremy, Brady headed straight for the stairs he had seen Chloe climbing when they entered the pub.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me, Jeremy."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After having caused Philip to storm off, Jason decided to approach Shawn and give having a normal conversation one last try. "Shawn, hey, man."
"Jason, I'm glad you could come. I've been thinking that some of us guys need to get together some time soon and play some ball. What do you think?" Shawn asked. However, Jason's attention was focused elsewhere. Following Jason's intense gaze, Shawn found himself staring at Belle. She was talking to some blond guy who had his back to Shawn. Instantly, he found himself becoming jealous.
Jason, who got a good look at the guy before he turned around, remarked unhappily, "Man, that guy sure gets around. First, Mimi, now Belle."
Forcing himself to overcome the jealousy plaguing him, Shawn focused his attention on Jason and asked, "What's that suppose to mean?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing? Come on, Jason. You wouldn't have said it if it was just nothing. What did you mean about Mimi and Belle?"
"Isn't it obvious? That guy is here with Belle, as her date. Which is kinda low, if you ask me, since he was totally hitting on Meems at Salem Place - twice."
His eyes widening just a little with curiosity, Shawn remarked, "Really? How would you know this?"
Jason rolled his eyes and answered, "I saw it myself. The guy was getting all flirty with Meems. Well, close enough. He was probably just sweetening her up before he decided to go in for the kill."
Allowing his amused smile to reach his face Shawn happily commented, "Yeah, sure, that makes sense. But, there is one thing that doesn't, and I was kind of hoping you could explain to me."
"What?"
"When I called Mimi to invite her, she mentioned that she was with you - at your house. I was just wondering what's up with that. Is there something going on that you want to tell me about?"
Casting Shawn a dirty look, Jason muttered, "There's nothing going on, so just drop it."
Though he wasn't entirely convinced, Shawn decided to just let it go for the moment. After all, he had other things to worry about at the moment. One of them being getting the mystery guy away from Belle.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Brady stopped in the living room of the upstairs apartment as Chloe's voice floated to him from the bedroom. From the sound of things, she was on the phone having some type of argument with her mother. Of course, that didn't surprise Brady. It was common knowledge that things had gone from bad to worse with Chloe and her mother.
One night, Belle had even shared her worries about Chloe's family life with Brady. He was surprised to hear that Chloe had once mentioned running away from the prison she called home. Having felt the same way at one time, Brady fully understood what Chloe was going through. And, Brady's clever mind was beginning to come up with a plan crazy enough to actually help him and Chloe. Of course, there were a ton of details that would take some time to iron out, but Brady thought that the plan just might be insane enough to actually work.
"Nancy, I don't want to discuss my relationship with Philip with you. It's none of your business . . . I don't care if you're sick of seeing him upset me . . .Why do you care when I'm coming home . . .Oh, and you think that if you set some silly curfew I'll follow it . . . Don't, Nancy. Don't you dare insinuate that I am the inconsiderate one . . .Oh, yeah? Well, let's not forget that you were the one that once told me I could live with you as long as I didn't tell Craig I was your daughter. How loving was that?"
Brady listened as Chloe fell silent, obviously forced into listening to Nancy lecture her. Just when Chloe started to speak again, Brady felt a pair of strong hands grab his arm and pull him around.
Looking at his surprise attacker, Brady asked, "Philip, what's up with you, man?"
Laughing humorlessly, Philip asked, "What's up with me? I'll show you what's up with me!"
Hearing a crash from her place in the bedroom, Chloe promptly hung up as her mother continued to speak. Deciding to investigate the noise, Chloe came around the corner to find Philip standing over Brady who was on the floor, his lip bleeding just slightly. However, neither of the guys noticed Chloe's arrival and continued what they were both determined to finish.
Rising to his feet, Brady screamed, "What is wrong with you?"
"Don't you even try to act innocent, Brady. Chloe told me all about you seeing her in her slip. You can't tell me that you aren't glad it happened. That you don't want it to happen again. "
Lunging at Philip, Brady knocked him onto the table before they both fell to the floor. Struggling to push Brady off him, Philip yelled, "You're never going to get her! She's mine."
Punching Philip with a newfound sense of purpose, Brady remarked, "You don't own her, Philip. You can't even understand her. In fact, you'll never understand her - just like she'll never really fall in love with you."
Throwing Brady off him, Philip gave him a good kick in the side before Brady unexpectedly grabbed his ankle and brought him back down to the floor. Rising, Brady approached his irate uncle. Seeing Brady hover above him, Philip, too, rose to his feet, remarking, "Come on, I dare you. Give it your best shot."
Just as Brady raised his fist to punch Philip, he was stopped by Chloe's pleaful scream. Without another word, Brady gave Chloe an almost apologetic look and left the room. He knew that eventually Chloe would realize what he was beginning to realize. And, when she did, they would both face a brand new world - with each other.