Chapter 9 Lady Jaye Tells a Secret
Scarlett stood alone in the parking lot. She had looked for Lady Jaye everywhere, in the gym, in the kitchen, even in the garage that housed all the Joe heavy equipment. It seemed Lady Jaye was not handling Flint's disappearance as well as everybody thought, and Scarlett was more than a little concerned.
Lady Jaye and Flint were on as much as they were off. Scarlett and many other members of GI Joe found this strange, for even though they were both somewhat volatile, they were a great team that was more than the sum of its parts. They were passionate about their work, and often they seemed passionate about each other. But something continued to hold them back from commitment. Scarlett suspected that Lady Jaye was largely responsible for this; it was she who seemed to hold back from giving her whole self to Flint. Scarlett decided that tonight she would discover the reason for that. She noted that Lady Jaye's car was missing from its spot, two spaces down from where Duke's Baby sat, a shadow of her former self, broken windows, broken glass, and an absent front bumper. How Tiffani managed to do that with her little purple Geo Metro, Scarlett would never know. Time was short, though, so she headed for her car and decided to pay a visit to Lady Jaye's house.
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Lady Jaye sat huddled on her couch, clutching a soft hand-knit sweater. The idea that Flint was missing and possibly, no, probably, dead was finally beginning to sink in. "Not Flint, please not Flint," she thought to herself, trembling in the dark. For almost three years now, she and Flint had been something of an item. Meaning that they occasionally slept together and that any man looking to hook up with Lady Jaye usually found himself face down in the dirt and any woman with an eye for Flint wound up in the infirmary with suspicious bruises. Just ask Cover Girl. So they weren't exactly seeing each other, but they certainly weren't seeing anybody else, either.
Lady Jaye sighed. Sometimes it took a horrible tragedy for someone to realize how they felt about someone. Still, though, Lady Jaye knew that if Flint came back here tonight, there would still be that one thing hanging over their heads. The one thing that kept them distant from each other. Lady Jaye's reverie was suddenly interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. "Jaye, if you're in there, open up. Now!"
Ahhh, Scarlett. As much as she wanted to be alone, she knew Scarlett would not give up easily. Lady Jaye heaved herself off the couch, slipping the wool sweater over her head as she moved to answer the door.
"Come in, Scarlett."
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"Sooo....do you want to talk about it?"
Lady Jaye walked over to a chair across from where Scarlett was sitting on the couch. She gently caressed an intricately knit shawl that was carelessly draped across its back before picking it up and wrapping it about her shoulders. Finally, she sat down, drawing her delicately knit argyle socks-clad feet up under her. "What's to talk about? Flint's gone. COBRA's involved." She spoke quietly, unable to meet Scarlett's probing stare.
"I mean about your feelings for Flint." Scarlett's sharp gaze took in the subtle stiffening of Lady Jaye's body, knowing she had hit on a nerve. Lady Jaye always talked casually about her relationship (or lack thereof) with Flint. But now something had changed. Too bad the change had been precipitated by Flint's disappearance. She decided to probe deeper, knowing that this could be the last chance to get the story out of Lady Jaye. She grabbed the blanket draped over the couch, admiring how the different colors were knitted together, cursing when a thread of yarn caught on one of her long nails. She wrapped the blanket around her, indicating she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.
They sat in silence for a long while, Lady Jaye shifting uncomfortably in her chair, dropping her feet onto the blue knit rug in front of her chair. Scarlett merely gazed at her friend, surreptitiously checking to make sure her wig was still stable on her head. She intended to get the secrets of Flint and Lady Jaye out into the open, not divulge her own.
Finally Lady Jaye spoke. "There is nothing to say about that either. There is no relationship. There will never be a relationship."
"You mean because Flint is probably dead?" Scarlett was not one to pull punches.
Lady Jaye gasped and jumped up out of the chair, her shawl falling from her shoulders. "How can you say that?!! He can't be dead! He just can't be." Her trembling voice dropped to a whisper.
"You love him, don't you." It was more a statement than a question. Scarlett slowly rose from her perch on the couch, holding back a curse as another nail caught on the blanket around her and tore away from her finger. Damn, that hurt like hell. Scarlett made a mental note to schedule a manicure for tomorrow then turned herself back to the matter at hand. She crossed over to where Lady Jaye stood and grasped her shaking shoulders. "Don't you." She repeated. Long seconds passed. Finally, Lady Jaye nodded. She seemed to wilt then, dropping back onto her chair.
"But it can't work."
"Why?"
Lady Jaye's eyes flashed. "Other than the fact that he's most likely dead?"
"We don't know that. I refuse to believe that. Why can't it work? What's holding you back?"
"There are things..." Lady Jaye's voice trailed off.
"What things?" Scarlett prompted.
"There are things you don't know about. Nobody knows about!" Lady Jaye broke away from Scarlett and began to pace about the room, kicking a red hand-knit stocking cap out of her path. It landed to rest beside the matching mittens and scarf.
"Like what, that you are Scottish nobility and could buy and sell GI Joe several times over? Come on, we all know about that."
"No, it's not that."
"Flint's really a very large woman and you are unsure of the logistics of--- "
Lady Jaye glared at Scarlett's flippancy. "Like hell."
"Then tell me!" Honestly, Lady Jaye could be so stubborn. What could really be so terrible that Jaye balked at telling her closest friend? And if it were that bad, what kept Lady Jaye from completely ending her relationship with Flint?
"I can't!" Lady Jaye wailed in despair, nearly tripping over another elaborately knit rug in front of her fireplace as she continued to frantically pace.
"Why not? Tell me! This is obviously eating you up inside." Scarlett once again caught Lady Jaye in an iron grasp. "Tell me." She repeated softly.
Overcome, all Lady Jaye could do was shake her head, lowering her eyes so she wouldn't have to meet Scarlett's intense stare. Miserable, she broke away from Scarlett and turned away from her.
"Allie...."
The use of her real name caused Lady Jaye to stop and turn around. Suddenly, Lady Jaye couldn't take it anymore. She had to get this horrible secret off her chest. "It's Flint..."
"Yes?" Scarlett prompted.
"Shana," Lady Jaye said, using Scarlett's given name. She made a wide, sweeping gesture that encompassed the entire room. "Look around you. What do you see?"
Scarlett gazed around the living room like it was the first time she had seen it. It was very cozy, with several expertly knit rugs placed strategically on the hardwood floor. The couch and loveseat both had a few small gorgeously hand-knit blankets tossed on them. Jaye must have spent a fortune on them. The quality was among the best Scarlett had ever seen. Lady Jaye wasn't always the tidiest person around, and several sweaters lay about the room. The furniture was mainly in neutral tones, with expertly chosen pictures and wall hangings bringing everything together. All in all, it was a lovely, warm room, and Scarlett admired Jaye's taste. Looking back, she wished she had consulted Lady Jaye instead of Duke when she was decorating her own place. She loved pink and purple, but judging by the shocked stares of her visitors, they may have not been the best choices. Duke insisted that it would be great, and since his own place was very nicely done, she trusted him. But that was neither here nor there. Her friend was obviously in crisis. "I see a very nice, homey, well...home." Scarlett said carefully.
"No, that's not what I mean. Look at this...and this." Lady Jaye moved about the room, pointing to a rug here and a sweater there.
"They're very nice. They must have cost a for---"
"No." Lady Jaye shook her head. "Come with me." Lady Jaye took off toward the stairs. Mystified, Scarlett followed her. Lady Jaye led her into her bedroom, which also had several beautifully knit rugs and blankets scattered about. She threw open the closet and pointed to the objects within.
Lady Jaye's closet held the most gorgeous sweaters Scarlett had ever seen. They were obviously hand-knit, and must have set the wealthy Jaye back a few dollars. "They're very nice, Jaye," Scarlett said, now quite confused.
"I have a lot of sweaters."
"Yesss," Honestly, everyone knew Jaye had a lot of sweaters. Clothes were like candy to her. She went to Europe at least twice a year and always came back with a pile. The sweaters she wore when not in uniform were largely admired, and Jaye always said they came from a boutique in London.
"I mean, a lot of sweaters."
"I know. You get them at---"
"No."
"Well, then where?" Scarlett was starting to get frustrated. How long could this mystery drag on?
"Flint."
"Flint bought them for you?" How could he afford all that?
"No. He, he..." This was the hardest thing Lady Jaye had ever had to tell anyone. "He...made them."
This was not the answer Scarlett expected. From the way Lady Jaye acted, she expected her to tell her that she had her own sweatshop in the basement with Flint as the taskmaster.
"Flint knits."
"Flint knits." Scarlett repeated. Where was this going?
"All these sweaters, all the rugs, blankets, scarves, mittens...he knitted them all."
"And?"
"That's it. Flint knits. He knits, Scarlett! What am I supposed to do with that?"
"That's it? You won't commit to Flint because he knits?" Scarlett felt she had to be missing something.
"You know those leg warmers you love? The purple ones?"
"Yeah? You got them at that one store down---"
"No."
"Flint?"
Lady Jaye nodded, disappointed when Scarlett didn't say anything more.
"Come on, Scarlett." Lady Jaye was growing frustrated with Scarlett. Why didn't she understand? "He's a man, and he knits. He's a soldier, and he knits. He's killed people with his bare hands in the line of duty, and he KNITS!"
"He's very talented." What more could Scarlett say?
"Arghhhhhh," Lady Jaye groaned and threw herself down on the bed. She had kept this secret for years, and all Scarlett could say was that Flint was talented? Well, he was, but he was still a man. Men did not knit.
"Jaye, he can't be the only man who knits."
"The only straight man."
Scarlett sat down beside Lady Jaye. "I doubt that. I bet Duke---"
Lady Jaye stopped her with a look. Of course Duke knit. Probably crocheted as well.
"We don't really know about..."
Lady Jaye merely snorted. "All I know is my family would never understand this. I don't understand this. It goes against everything I know about men."
"Maybe you have to change how you think about men. Obviously he cares about you. I would love to have all these beautiful things, and you have to admit, Flint is a great catch. Surely your family---"
"They wouldn't." Lady Jaye said with finality. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. I'm sure he's, he's he's...." Lady Jaye couldn't go on. The stress of the night overcame her and she burst into sobs. Gone was the premiere story teller and actress. In her place was a blubbering mass of jelly. Scarlett wrapped her arms around her friend, thinking that it was a shame that Lady Jaye had a closet full of sweaters yet such a sad heart. And it was a huge shame that it was only now that she realized the extent of her feelings for Flint, with situation being most dire. He could very well be...No. She wouldn't allow herself to think that. They would get Flint back...alive.
Eventually, Lady Jaye cried herself to sleep, and Scarlett left her there, wrapped up in a sweater of Flint's that he obviously knitted himself. Scarlett covered her up with a knit blanket that she would have killed for and left Lady Jaye to rest. Her mission to discover the truth about Flint and Lady Jaye had been a success, and now it was on to the next mission--- bringing back Flint for Lady Jaye.