Story Title: Mystery Box
Chapter: 12: The Exhibit, Part 1
Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight. I just use my imagination.
Many thanks to Project Team Beta.
Happy Birthday to me! (yes, it's my birthday and this is what I'm doing…)
***
Molly Martin was a wreck.
Her life was a whirling dervish. She had no happy place. There was no sanctuary. Everything was spinning en masse at once.
Her to do list needed a to-do list:
1) The exhibit was opening the next day
2) She and Anna Highchurch were in charge of the exhibit
3) Her family was flying in from San Francisco to attend
4) Quileutes were chartering a bus and coming to the exhibit
5) Spencer still wanted to get back together
6) Her period came a week early. With cramps
7) And, she was behind on her school assignments.
She really, really wanted to sit at home and eat lots of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, but she didn't have time. She was just trying to maintain a façade of normalcy.
Her roommate, Karen, saw through the façade. She saw the bags under the eyes, the pale coloring, the nervous habits of lip chewing and finger tapping taking over. She knew her roommate and her current situation to know what needed to be done, and she would be the woman to do it.
"Molly! Earth to Molly!" Karen called out. Molly sat at the kitchen table, her face blank. She had lost track of what she was supposed to remember. Karen waved a hand in front of her face. Molly collapsed, dropping her face down into her arms on the table. Karen put an arm around her.
"Molly, chill. I'll help out. What can I do?" Karen asked in a soothing voice.
"Can my parents adopt you and then your job would be to show them around?" Molly frowned, thinking of the added responsibilities that awaited her. She loved her family, but it was all getting to be a bit much.
"Done. It doesn't have to be official. Temporary works, too," Karen smiled.
Molly decided to press her luck. "Can you be an honorary Quileute, too?"
Karen thought of the handsome men she'd seen in Molly's photos and thought of a solution that would help everyone involved. "Double done. I want to meet those hot guys! I'll get the Cosmo Club involved too."
For the first time in a long time, Molly was beginning to feel some relief from her stress. "Omigosh, Karen, if you can handle all the social stuff, I'll handle everything and anything requiring a degree in Native American studies, and I will owe you forever."
"Girl, you hook me up with a Quileute boy and I'll owe you! Which ones are single?"
Karen put on her organizing hat and arranged dinner for the Martins and the Quileutes at a pizza parlor/ bowling alley downtown, hoping the activity would help break the ice between the two, or three groups who otherwise may not have a lot in common at first. Karen decided to have mixed bowling teams, mixing the Martins, the Quileutes and the Cosmo Club.
As Molly watched Karen pull out a sheet of paper and start creating the mixed bowling teams, a thought came to her suddenly. "We cannot call ourselves the Cosmo Club in front of my parents."
"How about the Sunday Morning Knitting Club?" Karen smirked.
"The Tuesday Hangover Relief Clinic?" Molly contributed.
"Candystripers R Us?" laughed Karen. Molly held her sides, she was laughing hard as well. It helped. Laughter helped ease the stress of the next few days.
***
On Thursday they would be bowling. On Friday, Karen would take anyone interested sightseeing around Seattle, while those involved in the opening night gala stayed and prepped at the museum. Friday night was the exhibit opening with Native dancing, drumming, craft making, and storytelling featuring Billy, of course. Saturday was a special exhibit opening for school kids, where they could participate in craft making, create their own stories, and have guided tours at their age-appropriate level. Molly and the Elders were so glad that Anna suggested the kids' program. Jacob would be doing tours while Billy read stories. Saturday night the Quileutes could either stay in Seattle or drive back to La Push; the chartered bus was going back but some people, including Jacob, wanted to stay until Sunday.
And during all this madness, Spencer kept calling her. She had seven voice messages from him, all increasingly pleading.
Just seeing the messages on her voicemail made Molly tense. "Why is it the perfect storm?" Molly asked her roommate.
"Earth to Molly, where's Jacob staying?" Karen tried to get her roommate to focus on something more positive than ex-boyfriends. Jacob was definitely more to the positive than Spencer.
That question stopped Molly in her tracks. "Um, I didn't ask."
"Did you offer to let him stay here?" Karen hinted broadly.
Pause.
"Would you mind?" Molly asked.
"No. You know the rules, keep it in your room. Keep the music going so I don't hear any wall banging, please."
"Yes, ma'am. And you keep that in mind too, in case you and Embry and/or Seth get some action," Molly half-joked.
Karen smiled at the thought. "Show me their photos again?" Molly pulled out her iPhone and showed Karen the photos of the handsome young men. "Yummy! They're both over six feet tall?"
"At least! They're like a freakin' basketball team. You have to wonder what they put in the water, and why they're not the division champs or something."
"Oh, just more of them to love!" Karen kept that happy thought then shifted gears. "So, what's going on with you and Jacob, anyway?"
Molly sighed. She told Karen everything, but could not explain imprinting She just said that Jacob fell in love with her. Karen's eyes grew wide with that bit of knowledge. "No way!" Molly then explained all the complications.
"I think we're on hold until all this," Molly waved her arms around, "is over. I can't think until then. So … I don't know how to introduce him to my folks. Is he my boyfriend? Is he my friend? I don't know."
"Have you discussed this with Jacob?" Karen raised an eyebrow.
"No, not really. He knows I'm stressed and he's giving me space and room to breathe He's Not-My-Boyfriend." The more Molly said that three-word phrase, the more ridiculous it sounded.
"You should really decide how to introduce him when your folks get here. Bad time for surprises; could really screw up the weekend, much less the relationship. Not-My-Boyfriend may work for Dr. Wilson, but your parents will see through that shit. Here, give me your phone." Before Molly could say anything, Karen grabbed it and dialed Jacob's number, which she knew Molly saved under her "favorites." Molly's response to Karen's actions was to start chasing her around the room.
Jacob picked up immediately. "Molly!" he exclaimed, his happiness evident in the tone of his voice.
"No, Jacob, sorry, it's Karen, Molly's roommate? Listen, I'm out of breath because Molly wants her phone back and I need to run around the apartment so she can't catch me. So I'll make this brief. Molly is trying to figure out how to describe your relationship to her parents."
"Karen, you're a dead woman!" Molly screamed.
Jacob laughed. "What does Molly say other than you're a dead woman? Any suggestions?"
"Molly's not sure. Boyfriend? Lover? Friend? Best buddy? Any of those suit you?" Karen queried.
"Whatever Molly wants. Not her boyfriend (yet)," he responded.
"Karen! Give that to me right now! You're not helping!" Molly yelled as she tried to snatch the phone from her friend's hands.
"Okay, let me decide for you. Her parents know Spencer is gone. Pit-ooey. Buh-bye. Kicked to the curb. And you're kind enough to let Molly have some space and not rush her into anything while she's a madwoman with this exhibit. You're a wise man, Jacob Black."
"You're dead, Karen!" Molly interjected.
By now, Molly and Karen were standing on opposite sides of the kitchen table, each trying to guess the other's next move.
"Karen, I'm awaiting your decision," Jacob laughed.
"Damn it, you're wise. Everyone should act like you and let me decide! Okay, you're dating," Karen decided triumphantly.
"Dating?" Jacob questioned.
"Dating?! We've never even been on a date!" Molly nearly screeched. The term "dating" just didn't fit their relationship.
"Molly's right, we've never been on a real date," Jacob added.
"Give me the fucking phone, Karen!" This time, Karen acquiesced. Molly stuck out her tongue at her departing roommate. "Hi, Honey," she breathed into the receiver. Her tone to Jacob was much sweeter than the voice she had just used on her roommate.
"Hi, Love. I'm sorry I've never taken you on a date." His voice was as smooth as honey and full of apologies.
"I think we've done better than dates. We've spent entire weekends together getting to know each other and getting work done. How much better is that than some artificially created situation?"
Jacob smiled as he thought of the wise woman he loved. "You're so smart. I know you're busy. I'll see you tomorrow night," Jacob said.
"Yes! Karen is my social secretary. She's arranging all the social events since I'm beyond overwhelmed," Molly quickly explained to Jacob.
"She's a treasure," he echoed her thoughts.
"Yeah, try not to tell her until after we see how this weekend goes." They laughed. "Hey, Honey, I forgot to ask, do you need a place to stay when you're in Seattle?" Molly tried to sound casual, but her stomach was in knots.
Jacob took a breath. "Are you offering?" His stomach was in knots, too.
"Yes," Molly dragged out the single syllable as long as she could. "If you're interested," she added quickly.
"I'm interested." Jacob's voice was very definite. Molly was jumping up and down, and Jacob was grinning.
"Is Billy staying with Dr. Wilson?" asked Molly.
"Yes, but I said I may have other plans." More jumping and grinning.
"Where are the guys staying?" Molly asked again.
"They want a hotel room, in case they get lucky," Jacob informed her as she chuckled in response.
"Well, I have a lot of single friends. You never know …" Molly hinted.
"So, who do you see with Karen?"
"Seth."
"Wow, no hesitation. You thought about this?" Jacob asked.
"And Embry gets Nancy. But, we'll see. I could be very wrong. And I have more single friends. Shannon's beautiful, and Megan's sweet, she's in the program with me, and Georgia is a cutie. A little young though, not legal drinking age yet."
"I'm really looking forward to meeting your friends, Molly Martin," Jacob said softly. He realized the importance of having her two sets of friends finally meet.
"I'm really hoping you all get along. You realize that I'm keeping the bar set low: no fist fights, bar fights or cat fights."
"You really have great opinion of how our families will get along," joked Jacob.
"Oh God! Just put more pressure on this! My family is here for the exhibit! They're meeting my friends! We're dating even though we've never had a date! Tell me this isn't a big momentous event. Give me a reason not to freak out!" Molly was beginning to freak out.
Jacob tried to calm her down. "Don't think of this as a big momentous event then."
"Yeah right, pretend, it was no big deal. God, if I smoked, I'd have a cigarette now, I'm so stressed," Molly wailed.
"Love, I wish I was there to give you a massage. Wait until tomorrow," Jacob said sexily. They both smiled, imaging their skin touching again.
"You're a dear! Bye, sweetie. See you tomorrow," Molly whispered back.
"Love you," he said, knowing with a touch of sadness that she would not respond with the same words.
Molly felt a pang in her heart, a reminder that she wished she could feel the same way he did. "Uh-huh. Bye, Jacob Black," she spoke softly and sweetly as she ended the call.
Jacob knew she could not say those three words, and he didn't mind. He knew they were destined for each other. He knew the imprint was not wrong.
Molly hung up the phone and did a little twirl around the room. She still had whirling dervishes, but now she had something to look forward to: Jacob Black in her apartment for an entire weekend. No sneaking in and out of Sue and Billy's homes. Wow! She doubted that she would be able to walk by Sunday.
***
"Mom! Dad! Patrick!" Molly raced up to her family, who were waiting in the lobby of their hotel.
Molly's mother, a petite, middle-aged Asian woman with strong features gave her a smile and a hug. Her father, tall, with curly reddish hair and an easy grin enveloped Molly in a bear hug. Molly's little brother, Patrick, who was already six feet tall, gave her a half hug, saying, "Hey, Sis." He wasn't one for public displays of affection, especially with his sister.
"You remember my roomie, Karen? She's going to be our social secretary this weekend since I'm a bit stressed about everything."
"Of course, dear. Don't worry about us, we don't want to get in your way, Mei-Mei" Molly's mother said. "Hi Karen, I'm Christine. And this is my husband, Barry, and Mei-Mei's brother, Patrick."
"I'm so happy to meet you all again! I hope you like bowling!" Karen was doing her best Julie-the-Cruise-Director imitation.
Molly's father laughed. "Of course!"
"We'll be eating with Molly's friends from the reservation, so I thought it'd be a fun group thing to do. You can bowl or not, it's up to you," Karen added.
Barry patted Karen on the shoulder. "Hey, I used to take the kids bowling all the time when they were young. Remember, sport?" He addressed his son who grimaced.
"God, I hate those shoes," the teenager responded.
Karen put an arm around Patrick. She'd found the weak link and she knew his weaknesses. She was taking control of the situation. "You be good for your sister and I'll let you into some college parties," she whispered to the teenager.
"Including college girls?" Patrick raised an eyebrow.
"Absolutely. We're co-ed here at . College girls come with college parties. You just uphold your end of the deal. Cannot promise underage drinking, however."
Patrick appeared to weigh his options. "Deal."
***
They arrived in separate cars at the pizza-slash-bowling alley and the Quileute were already there. Molly invited some other members of the department as well. It seemed to be a good icebreaker before the stress of the exhibit opening in the next two days. Georgia and Michael were there as well as Megan, Blaine, and Dr. Fletcher. Dr. Wilson stopped by on his way to another engagement just to say hello, meet Molly's family, and he promised to come back in a couple hours to take Billy and Sue back to his home where they were staying. Old Quil decided to stay at La Push, but Quil was present until Saturday.
The evening went better than Molly expected. Everyone chatted about sports teams (Mariners vs Giants vs A's vs Red Sox). They followed college sports with the U. Dub Huskies and football with the Seahawks, of course.
"What happened to the 'Niners, huh? Gone gone gone!"
Trash talking sports talk reigned. Christine and Sue bonded over raising children who were now young adults, and Molly just made sure that no one seemed left out. She sat on the other side of the long table from Jacob, and glanced in his direction every now and again to make sure he was fine. He would glance at her every now and then as well. It was nice to know they didn't just have a few precious moments together, that they would have hours of privacy later. Molly felt herself get warm at the thought of it, and waved her napkin towards her face to calm down.
Nancy noticed and looked at what Molly was looking at, and chuckled silently. "He is sex on a stick, girl."
"Hush! I can't prove it, but I'm sure the guys have excellent hearing," Molly whispered.
"No way," Nancy glanced at the men.
"Watch, if I whisper something about them, it's like they can hear me. Kinda weird."
"Let's try it." Nancy moved in close to Molly's ear and whispered in a quiet, breathy voice, "You think Jacob is pure sex, don't you?"
Molly and Nancy watched as a small smile grew on Jacob's face and he kept his eyes trained on Barry and Patrick.
"Fuck! You're right, Girl!"
"I know!"
They convulsed with laughter.
"Let's do another one." Nancy moved her mouth close to Molly's ear again. "I want Embry right here, right now. On this table."
They watched Embry's shoulders tense and Jacob's mouth curl as he tried not to laugh.
"Too bad Embry's back is to us. Do you think he's blushing?" Nancy giggled as she sipped her beer to hide her own blush.
"Nancy, you might have to back up those words later," Molly warned.
"Oh, I'm more than willing, my dear. I need someone to clear the cobwebs out."
More laughter, more shoulder tensing from Embry as Jacob looked at Molly with an intense gaze, then looked away from her just as suddenly.
"Well, fuck me."
"He will."
More laughter.
By the time Dr. Wilson came by to get the older Quileutes, the younger ones were deciding which club to go to. Barry and Christine decided to head back to the hotel and Karen promised to take care of Patrick.
"Okay, that leaves underage clubs. Unless we go to some college party." Karen was organizing the next event for the group.
"Are we gonna look too old?" Molly wondered aloud.
"Molly, you're a student! You can say Patrick is a prospective student. Which he is, isn't he?" Karen pulled Patrick into a noogie hold and rubbed the top of his head. "Don't you wanna go to ? Huh? Who needs Harvard or Yale if you go to with your big sister?" Patrick frowned and struggled to get out of her grasp. Shannon saved him from more noogie attacks.
"Karen, for Chrissakes!" Shannon reprimanded her friend as she hugged the boy.
"Would you want your older sister's friends to totally embarrass you? C'mon Patrick. You can hang out with me."
Patrick looked like he won the lottery. Molly stared at her little brother. Karen had said that he had a crush on Shannon from his last visit to Seattle, but Molly had not noticed until now.
"Okay, we have a plan. Let's split up into different cars so there's a Seattle resident in each one in case anyone gets lost," Karen said in her efficient Cruise Director voice.
Nancy and Embry partnered, as did Seth and Karen, Shannon and Patrick. Jacob and Molly took Leah and Luke as well. Molly knew Leah wanted to look at the U. Dub campus.
In Molly's car, Jacob took out a CD and put it in her stereo. A fast paced rockabilly type Irish jig played.
"What the hell is this crap?" asked the ever-candid Leah. Luke threw her a dirty look.
"Omigod! Drunken Lullabies by Flogging Molly. I love this band!" Molly answered before Jacob could open his mouth. "Chill, Leah! This is the music of my people!" She then turned to Jacob, "So what came first? You chose the CD for the band's name or you like the music?"
Jacob smirked and kept looking forward. Molly narrowed her eyes.
"You prick! Fine! Let me find a band called 'Torturing Jacob' or something like that!"
Jacob laughed, "If you don't like Molly, why don't you just use your birth name then, Mary Margaret?"
"Mary? Boring. Do I look like a Mary? Take that back, I know I sure as heck don't look like a Molly, but I like the surprise people get when they see me. I like that."
Jacob smiled and pushed Molly's hair away from her face. "You like surprise people."
"Because I'm actually so geeky and boring!" Molly laughed.
Leah nearly snorted in the back seat where she was snuggled with Luke.
"There is nothing geeky about you, Molly," Leah stated.
"Yeah, I'd have to agree with my wife," Luke added.
"Ah, it's just because she's got you whipped," Jacob joked.
"And I'm a better man for it," Luke replied.
"You should try it sometime, Jacob. You need someone to walk over you," Leah interjected.
"Let me look for my dominatrix outfit," Molly smirked, and Jacob choked and nearly ran the car off the road in surprise. "Jesus, just kidding Jacob, gross! I am so not into that! Deal breaker!"
Jacob tried to clear his throat while both Leah and Luke pounded on his back. "No problem there," he gasped.
Shannon knew of a college party they could attend. It was full of kegs, plastic cups, and no one checking i.d. at the door, so underage Patrick was clear. Karen had an arm around Patrick when they arrived. "See anyone you want to be introduced to, just let me know."
Patrick said nothing but his eyes searched Shannon. She noticed and gave him a quick tug on the arm. "No worries, I'm right here. I can hold your hand."
After a few beers, some dancing to an iPod play list, the group started to disband. Nancy wanted to show Embry the view from the Seattle Space, Karen decided to take Seth to an all night BBQ restaurant she was raving about, Shannon drove Patrick back to his hotel, and Luke and Leah decided to go back to their hotel room as well.
"Is my brother safe with your friend, Molly?" Leah asked in a serious tone.
"Only if he wants to be." Molly smirked.
Leah patted Seth's shoulder. "Make good choices," she stage whispered into his ear.
"Argh! Quoting Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis!" Seth grimaced and tried to punch his sister as Leah laughed and ducked out of the way.
"Good night, kiddies. See you at the exhibit tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to seeing it, Molly." Leah's tone went from playful to serious in seconds. This trip wasn't only about partying.
Molly responded with equal seriousness. "I hope we do you proud, Leah. Good night, Luke."
They said their good nights and suddenly, after all the rush of the day, the two lovers were alone. They held hands and looked at each other with big grins.
"What should we do?" Jacob asked. His voice was low and deep, his hand was grazing her hairline, sending tremors throughout her body.
"Hmmm … you mentioned a massage," Molly raised an eyebrow in response.
Jacob gave her a deep kiss, the kiss he had been holding back while her family was present, the kiss that said, "I miss you, I want you, I love you." Molly responded with the words that were in her heart, but not yet in her head.
Jacob insisted on driving Molly's car since she drove so many miles to La Push each weekend. He took the hills of Seattle effortlessly and parked in their underground parking with ease.
They were kissing in the elevator and still kissing when Molly tried to find the keys to her apartment.
They were kissing when Molly bumped into the side table and ignored the voicemail messages, probably from Spencer.
They were kissing when they stumbled into Molly's bedroom and took off each other's clothes.
They were kissing when they fell onto her bed and wrapped their arms and legs around each other. Their passion was so strong that when Jacob's fingers met her wetness, and Molly stroked his hardness, he grabbed a condom, entered her and they climaxed.
"Thinking you're gonna get lucky, huh mister?" joked Molly, referring to his easy access to the condom. Jake laughed and silenced her with more kisses.
After that, they could take their time. They explored each other's bodies. Molly wanted to map his strong chest, his lean, angular abs, his huge biceps, and his long, lean thighs, his angled chin and nose. She loved his body; she was still amazed that she was having the best sex of her life with this model-looking man. She was amazed that she any inhibitions she may have had with her few past lovers were just … gone. Was this what an imprint meant? When not only bodies connected when they made love, but it felt as if their souls connected as well?
"My god, you're gorgeous, Jacob."
He kissed her nose. "I was thinking the same thing about you."
His hands and lips found her breasts, the nape of her neck, her inner thigh. Molly was squirming in ecstasy. "Have you been practicing?"
"I just want to make you happy."
"You do. In so many ways."
They smiled and kissed. They spent hours mapping their bodies, using their hands, their tongues, and then fell asleep, totally spent, in each other's arms.
It was the first time they'd had sex since the one other time, the imprint. Molly half wondered if it would negate the imprint. She still had the flawed conclusion that the sex caused the imprint, so maybe the sex would undo it as well? It was all too weird, but when Jake woke up the next morning and looked at her with such desire and love, she knew it was not the case.
They kissed, ignoring the morning breath. They smiled, laughed, hugged. The bed was an oasis in the storm around them.
"I'm so lucky," Molly said finally.
"It's not luck. It's just you being you and me being me."
They shared a long, lingering, soft kiss.
"You've spoiled me for all other men."
"Good, there should be no other men."
"That's fine with me," Molly said, and Jacob's smile was as bright as the sun.
The couple showered, and Jacob found the source of the lavender scent in Molly's hair: shampoo.
Molly had started making toast and scrambled eggs when she heard a noise from Karen's room. A bed-headed Seth looked out, a bit humbled and surprised, but not nearly as surprised as Molly and Jacob.
"Mornin' Molly. Morning, Jake," Seth said as he stumbled into the kitchen.
Molly tried to not stare. "Hiya Seth. Want some eggs?"
He sat down and drowsily poured some juice. Jacob saw that his pack brother was hurting, so he moved to help him.
"Let me help you with that. Hard night?" Jacob asked.
"I am so hung over," Seth moaned.
"Jacob, can you get the Tylenol from the medicine cabinet in the bathroom?" Molly asked.
As soon as Jacob left the room, Seth jumped up as quickly as he could with a killer hangover and whispered in Molly's ear, "We didn't have sex. We just cuddled, but don't tell Jake." Then, in a flash, he was back to his usual spot in killer hangover mode, trying to remember how to pour juice from a container into a cup. Molly was beginning to think she imagined Seth's prior speed.
"Karen up yet?" she asked.
"Uh, no," Seth mumbled a response.
Silence.
"How do you like your eggs?"
"Scrambled."
"Right."
Molly fixed breakfast, Jacob set the table, and everyone ignored the elephant in the room.
"Do we need to let anyone know where you are, Seth? Will anyone be worried? Anyone expecting you at the hotel?" The ever-responsible Jacob asked.
"No, well, maybe tell Embry, I'm sharing a room with him and Quil. Or maybe he knows."
Jacob took out his cell phone and dialed a few numbers. He had some short conversations, and then turned to Molly. "What's happening this morning, Love?"
"Well, our social secretary seems to be nursing a hangover, but I was planning to spend the day doing the final touches on the exhibit. Do you want to see it, then you all can sightsee or whatever for the rest of the day? You could always take a ferry to Bainbridge Island, that's a nice ride and there's an excellent view of the city. There's a cute diner on the island where you could get a snack, or just take the ferry back. Or, you can do Pike Place market, the Jimi Hendrix museum, duck tours, there's a ton to do here. I kept the weekend section of the paper if you need ideas." Molly handed Jacob the newspaper.
Jacob handed the paper to Seth while he finished his conversation on the phone. "We're going to check out the exhibit, then hang out in the city. Want to meet us there? Cool. We'll be there in an hour or so." He hung up the phone. "That was Leah. I'll see what Billy and Sue are up to as well."
"They may already be at the exhibit. Dr. Wilson was going to take them their first thing. I'm not sure of their plans for the rest of the day. I could see what my parents are up to. Oh! I should make sure Patrick got back okay."
Jacob laughed and placed a hand on Molly's arm as she was reaching for her phone. "I'm sure he's fine. It looked like Shannon was taking care of him."
Seth grimaced and Molly smiled. She felt like she was in one of those Shakespearean comedies when everyone starts pairing up. Not sure how the results would be in the long term, but, oh well. She couldn't control that and she knew everyone involved was mature enough to know what they were doing. But she was looking forward to finding out …
After breakfast, Molly gently knocked on Karen's door and let herself in. The bed was a mess, with bedclothes strung all over the bed and the floor as if there had been a wrestling match -- and Karen was bundled in the middle of it.
Molly softly lowered herself on the edge of the bed and whispered to the dozing body of her roommate, "Karen, sweetie. We're heading to the museum. I'll leave you a note in case you wake up and think this conversation is just a dream."
The body on the bed suddenly threw a pillow at Molly, who ducked, and moaned into her mattress. "My head!"
"I've gotta run, you can tell me all about it later. But it sounds like it went well?"
Karen, who was in mid-moan, suddenly had a huge smile on her face. "Oh Molly, he's such a sweetie! We had a heavy make-out session, and then he just held me! How perfect is that?" Karen clutched a pillow to her chest and her eyes glowed.
"That's lovely, sweetie. I'll make sure he cleans up so no one can tell you corrupted him," she said in a stage whisper.
Karen was running out of pillows to throw at her roommate.
***
The exhibit was completed, and everyone was running around madly doing quality control and ensuring everything was just right for the opening night.
Molly felt like an artist seeing her final creation. After the long hours and frantic weeks working on it, the exhibit was exactly as she had pictured it. The exhibit started with a wall describing the history of the Quileute people, and had the little sculpture of the wolf man on display. Then the history of the Quileute broke into separate sections: the baskets, the blankets, the pottery, and the masks. With each section, there was space for interactive displays. There would be opportunities to actually make baskets. The masks were by a station that the kids could make their own masks out of recycled items. There was also room in the middle for traditional dancing, in which the dancers often wore masks.
The exhibit was set up with the pottery was in the back, the more traditional pottery first, and then the Muybridge series. The department and museum hired extra security for the pots, which were potentially priceless. On the wall, there was an explanation of why the Muybridge pottery was so unique, and how it compared to stop motion photography.
Near the pottery was a space for Billy to do storytelling. Molly knew there were different stories for different seasons, for different occasions and different audiences. She was looking forward to Billy's stories, but wondered what stories worked in a museum in Seattle.
Molly looked closely at the display. The pots were each in their own case on a rotating stand, with mirrors so all sides could be seen from all angles. Molly stared at the pots for a while. "Perfect" she said. She felt Jacob come up behind her. He stood so close that he pressed her lightly against the glass, and she could feel his body against her.
"Yes, you are," he whispered his answer into her ear.
She smiled a secret smile and motioned him to back away from her. She didn't want their relationship -- was there one? -- made public.
Leah and Luke came rushing in. Leah had an unusual expression: elation. She gave Molly a quick hug. "This is amazing! Luke's going to film it so that we can play it at our next town hall meeting."
Luke pulled out his video camera as proof.
Dr. Wilson came in next, wheeling Billy. Sue walked beside them.
"Billy, I must say I have to apologize for not organizing an exhibit like this earlier," the professor admitted, nodding in approval at what he saw.
"No worries, Bob. It came at the right time. Everything happens for a reason." Billy seemed enigmatic, Yoda-like again, as if he was talking about more than just the exhibit.
Billy wheeled himself over to Molly and took her hand. "Molly, I'm so glad we were able to meet your family last night."
Molly smiled. "Well, you all are like my family here, you should at least meet my biological family."
Billy and Jacob seemed very pleased by that. Molly felt a bit flushed and started discussing some logistics with Dr. Wilson, hoping the department head did not consider that comment crossing the boundaries of work and personal life.
Jacob took Billy's chair. "That's our cue to leave. We'll come back about five tonight? Will that work? We'll make sure everyone is ready and in costume, with the supplies."
"Excellent. And thank you all so much for doing this at such short notice."
The rest of the day was a blur. Molly nearly forgot that she had a blissful night with Jacob ahead of her and another one coming up. She was in project manager mode and laser-focused on what needed to be done that day. She and Anna reviewed each and every exhibit, examined each and every part of the agenda. They ate take-out food, scribbled notes, made quick phone calls, pulled their hair out.. The day went quickly, before Molly realized it, she had to rush back to her apartment to shower and get ready for the opening night.
Thankfully, the apartment was empty when Molly rushed home to change. She changed into a simple black dress and some Native American jewelry, and some sensible ballet flats because she knew she was going to be standing for at least six hours and chose comfort over style. Then she rushed back just before the Quileutes were arriving.
Everyone went to their assigned places throughout the exhibit. Anna and Dr. Wilson gave little pep talks before the doors were opened for the invited guests. Molly saw Jacob and the pack, and gave them a quick wave, but it was obvious that Molly was very busy and stressed. Jacob looked at Molly as she kept a tight smile on her face, while displaying a nervous habit of tapping her finger on her folders. She looked beautiful, but in need of some calming. Jacob grabbed a glass of wine from a waiter and headed towards Molly.
Jacob walked quietly up to Molly, who jumped when his fingers grazed her forearm.
"Jacob, omigosh you scared me! Is this for me?" Molly took the glass from Jacob's hand.
Jacob gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "You looked like you needed this."
Molly glanced to make sure no one saw the kiss, then took a sip. "I am so sorry, I'm being a terrible hostess. I'm in the red zone of stress right now." She looked up at Jacob with tense eyes.
Jacob took her arm and led her to a quiet part of the room. "Molly, look at me. You're going to be fine. You've been preparing for this for months. You've done everything you can to make this successful. Now take a deep breath." He paused so they could both take deep breaths together. After four deep breaths, Jacob gave her a big hug and kissed her on the forehead. Molly gave him a hug back, careful not to spill her drink, then looked around again to make sure no one like Dr. Wilson or her mother saw.
"I am so proud of you, and so is your family. Knock 'em dead, Slugger," he whispered in her ear. She gave him a smile, and then went back into battle mode.
The exhibit went well. Molly hopped from section to section, ensuring that everything was going smoothly. The attendees were engaged and the various activities went well. Jacob was doing some tours and Molly tried not to notice the women ogling him. Is this how my life would be like, watching chicks eyeball my man all day? She wasn't sure how she felt about it, part of her was boastful—yes, ladies, that's my man! And part of her was jealous—eyes off my man!
The Cosmo Club was there, her family and her department. Molly was busy. Busy but happy. She was just about to mentally pat herself on the back when she turned a corner and the floor dropped out from under her feet.
Spencer was standing in a partially deserted corner of the exhibit. He was holding a glass of clear liquid, Molly guessed it was vodka, and he was looking right at her intensely. She could not hide anymore.
Molly put her glass down, she didn't want any possible projectiles, and she was glad his drink wouldn't stain her dress—if it came to that, took a deep breath and walked over to Spencer. She didn't notice Karen whispering to Jacob, who stopped what he was doing to watch the interaction carefully. Nor did she see Jacob swiftly look to Embry and Seth, who in turn also stopped what they were doing to watch the scene unfold.
"Spencer." Her voice was cold.
"Molly." His voice was broken.
"I apologize for not calling you back, but I've been really busy and I don't think we have anything else to say." Molly couldn't lie, but she didn't want to say anything rude. She had this innate need to be nice.
Spencer looked wounded. He was wearing a jacket, but he did not look his usual metrosexual perfection. His eyes were rimmed with red, and his jaw was scruffy. He didn't speak further. He looked at Molly, then kept his eyes downcast. Molly felt guilty. She walked over to Spencer, and made sure not to make physical contact with him. She did not want to encourage him.
"Spencer, do you need me to call a cab?" she asked softly.
Molly felt sad, but her feelings for Spencer were unchanged. She turned to find someone to call a cab for him, when she felt a hand on her arm. Immediately, three very tall Quileutes stood by her.
"Do you need anything, Molly?" Embry asked in a very even tone. All eyes were on Spencer and his hand on her arm.
Spencer was angry. "Are these your bodyguards, Molly?"
Molly breathed and tried to keep her tone even. "These are my friends. Embry, Seth and Jacob, meet Spencer."
No one extended handshakes.
"I was going to call a cab for Spencer —"
"I don't need one, Molly. I just wanted to talk to you. You never returned my calls."
"Now is a bad time —"
"I knew you'd be here."
"There is nothing to say --- "
"You never heard me out."
"Spencer, we're over. We can be friends, but I've moved on. Nothing will bring us back together. I really hope you'll find someone worthy of you, but I'm not her. We weren't perfect together, we fought, a lot."
"Molly, we had great times together."
"Yes, sometimes. But we weren't always nice to each other. We're not meant to be. Spencer, I'll walk you to your car." She took Spencer's arm and quickly motioned to Seth to follow her; wanting Jacob to stay away. She knew Jacob was a teddy bear to his friends, but he could be very scary if he wanted to be, and she did not want to escalate the situation any further than it already had.
Spencer leaned into her and she patted his head. "Spencer, are you okay to drive home? How much did you drink?"
He nuzzled her neck. "Just one vodka. I only arrived five minutes before you saw me."
"And how much did you drink before you came?'
"One beer. No, two."
Molly was trying to remember the weight and alcohol consumption charts. She knew that for her weight, she'd be legally drunk. She had no idea if Spencer would fall into that category.
"Hey, do you want your very own chauffeur? I bet Seth would drive you."
"Molly, I just wanted to talk to you. I don't want it to end the way it has."
Molly patted his head again. She knew that most people just wanted to be heard. If she listened to him, maybe he'd go quietly.
So she stood by his car and listened when he went through his memories of their good times together. Seth stood about five car lengths away and Molly knew Jacob was waiting by the door, watching as well. Molly would gently remind Spencer of less favorable incidents, but she felt his earlier tension releasing. He just wanted to be heard. He wanted to end it his way. After about ten minutes, Spencer suddenly paused, looked up at her and said, "Goodbye, Molly" and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, got into the cab which had just arrived, and drove off.
Molly stood there and released tension by exhaling deeply Jacob was by her side in seconds. He gave her a big hug and breathed into her hair.
"Thanks, Jacob," Molly said into his chest.
"I'm always here for you, Molly. That must have been hard," Jacob responded, as Molly took a deep breath into his shirt.
"I think I'm the first girl to break up with him. That's why he's upset. Oh Jacob," Molly buried her face into his chest. "I'm so glad you're here. And so glad you're you!"
Jacob laughed and kissed the top of her lavender-scented head. "I'm glad you're you, too, . Let's get inside before it rains on us."
They walked in, arm and arm. Molly gave Seth's hand a quick squeeze and mouthed "thank you" to Embry. Before Molly left Jacob's arms, she noticed her mother staring at her across the room. She hadn't mentioned anything about Jacob to her parents, but she did mention that her relationship with Spencer was over. Molly knew that her mother never missed anything, and warning lights started going off in her brain. There was nothing she could do, so she refocused on the exhibit.
Everyone went back to their duties and the evening progressed swiftly. Molly suddenly spotted an elderly man staring at the little wolf-man figure. He was staring as if he recognized it from somewhere.
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Molly said as she stood next to him. He looked about eighty years old.
"Yes, it is." The little old man had a smile and twinkle in his eye.
Molly waited to see if he would say anything else, then she spoke again.
"Do you know the legend of the Quileute? How they were formed from wolves?"
"No, I always thought of this as a super hero. Like Superman or Batman, this would be Wolfman!" He chuckled at a distant memory. Molly wasn't sure if she had heard correctly.
"Have you seen this before?'
He laughed. "Oh yes, I played with it as a boy -- until my mother took it away and gave it to the museum."
***
A/N: sorry for the cliff hanger, but the chapter was getting long and there is more that happens at the museum. If you can't wait a week, feel free to send me a review and/or PM with any questions and I'll answer (I don't mind spoiling anything that happens in the next chapter)
1) Please review! Reviewers get a teaser of the next chapter.
2) And to be totally off-topic, it's my birthday! But I'm feeling a bit old and blue, so I was trying to listen to music to do an attitude adjustment, but realized that my iPod is full of emo music (Death Cab for Cutie much?). Any suggestions for peppy tunes? All I can think of at the moment is "Hey Ya" by Outkast. Thanks!