The Long And Winding Road

Note: I thank everyone for continuing to read this story and I give special thanks to spider-man-fan, Dark Spell, YellyBelly, PsYcHoJo, cutiepye06655 and Kristine for the most recent reviews. It's both fun and encouraging reading your various reactions to the story and the characters involved.

Chapter 37 - You Dropped A Bomb On Me

Emma sat at JT's kitchen table, not quite certain that she had heard JT correctly.

"You're buying The Movie Difference?"

"Isn't it great?" JT asked, all smiles.

"I think I need to sit down," Emma said, stunned.

"Emma, you ARE sitting."

"Oh…yeah…so I am. I think I need to stand."

Emma stood up.

"No, I think I was doing better sitting."

She then sat back in her chair, reached out for her water bottle and took a long drink. She closed her eyes and a moment later started to smile.

"Okay, I get it," Emma said, opening her eyes.

"Get what?"

"You had me worried for a moment, but now I understand. You're getting your terminology all mixed up, JT."

"Huh?"

"It's no secret that the movie theater has been struggling for awhile. Breaking even, from what you've told me, but still nothing to write home about. You must have invested some money into the place, insuring that TMD wouldn't face any major financial hardships."

"Emma…"

"Sal must be so pleased that you decided to help out. And this way it's not like a loan, because you'll share in some of the profits. That is, once it starts showing a profit again. Still, investing isn't the same thing as actually buying a business lock, stock and barrel."

"No, Emma," JT said plainly.

"No?"

"I didn't invest."

"Oh…Well…Okay. Wait. I know. You must have given Sal a loan, which I suppose would technically make you an owner of the theater until he repays you. You won't get a share of the profits, but if you're charging him interest you'll at least make a little money on the deal."

"No, Emma," he repeated.

"No?"

"I didn't give him a loan."

"Oh…Well…"

"Before you try to come up with a third idea, let me butt in. I know what I did, Emma. It wasn't an investment deal. It wasn't a loan. I made Sal an offer. He countered it with an asking price that was a little higher. Then we managed to agree on a price that was somewhere in the middle. I'm going to own TMD. Lock, stock and…well, I've never seen any barrels around there. Come to think of it, we don't have any herds of cattle running around inside or out in the parking lot, so there's no stock either. So I guess I just bought the locks. Luckily, they came attached to doors and a building."

Emma stood up and slowly made her way into the living room.

"Emma?"

"I'm just trying to process this," she said. "During the course of a single day, you've become owner of a business. A property owner."

"Great, isn't it?" JT asked as he followed her out of the kitchen.

"I don't know if 'great' is the word I'd…"

"But I don't really own it. At least not yet. There are still contracts to sign. Arrangements to be made. Not to mention writing out the check."

"I see."

"So…What do you think, angel?" JT questioned, taking her hand. "Are you happy? This is like a dream come true."

"It sure sounds…exciting," Emma replied, removing her hand from his, to his disappointment and confusion. "Yes, quite…exciting."

"Yeah, I think so, too. Let's go out and celebrate, Emma."

"Hold on, JT. Not to rain on anyone's parade or anything, but in all the…understandable excitement…of the day, I think there are a few things you've overlooked."

"Like what?" he asked curiously.

"You do realize today was just an in-service day, right? We go back to school tomorrow and have to keep going back until we graduate at the end of May. It's one thing to work as an assistant manager on a part-time basis. And it's true that when you're there you run the place so well it's like you owned it. However, there's no way you can run a place properly as the new owner while attending classes, preparing for finals AND graduating."

"You're absolutely right, Emma."

"Thank goodness," Emma responded, breathing a sigh of relief as she sat down on the couch. "I just knew you hadn't lost all sense of reason."

JT joined her on the couch.

"Of course I can't balance everything right now," he explained. "I took that into account when I gave Sal my terms. We agreed that the transfer of ownership won't happen until the end of April."

"But that still leaves…"

"And during the month of May," JT continued, having predicted this next concern, "Sal will be there in a supervisory position. Handling things when I'm not around and helping to make the transition a smooth one. I'm not crazy. I couldn't do this without his help to get me started.

"Then in June, he's taking off. He said his daughter's been urging him for months to retire and move to Alberta to stay with her, her husband and their kids. He's wanted to retire but hadn't wanted to sell out because he was afraid a developer would be the only one to make him a decent offer. And a developer would just tear the place down or, at best, convert it into something completely different. He knows that by selling to me, I can not only keep the theater running but get it back on its feet. You should have seen how happy he was when I asked him if he wanted to sell."

"What about in the Fall, JT? How are you going to run a business AND attend university?"

"Right," JT said uneasily, knowing this issue would come up. "About that…I'm going to have to take a pass on enrolling."

"But you said… You agreed…"

"I know I said I'd give it a shot. You know I don't like disappointing you. But this…this is an opportunity that doesn't come along everyday. I have to take it."

"Take it? This isn't something that fell into your lap. You went looking for it. You went to Sal, not the other way around. Did you even have any intention of going to school or have you been planning something all along?"

"Emma…"

"If Sal hadn't felt like he was ready for a change, would you have gone out and found some other obstacle to get out of going?"

"Obstacle?"

"Yes, obstacle," she replied. "Anything to keep you from doing what you and I both know is good for you. You're acting like a little boy who knows he should eat all the vegetables on his plate but will look for any excuse to either put off eating them or get out of eating them altogether."

"Gee, thanks," JT responded in a sarcastic tone.

"You have so much potential, JT. Maybe you SHOULD run a theater. Someday. But do you really know for sure that that's what you want to do? Maybe next year you'll want to do something else. Or maybe there's something out there that you'd love to do and you don't even know it yet. Forget about the books and lectures part of it. This is your chance to discover all the possibilities that are out there. And it's not like it's all work. There would still be plenty of time to relax and have fun."

"I understand that, Emma, but…"

"And you're okay with giving all that up? You're so certain that the stressful task of running your own business right now is the thing you want to do for the rest of your life?"

"I'm absolutely certain. But if I ever changed my mind, I'd just find something else to do. Now if you'd just hear me out…"

"Perfect," Emma interrupted. "Any other little surprises for today? Any more unexpected brainstorms? I mean, you didn't also get the bright idea to take up smoking or anything, did you?"

"Emma…"

"What, is this your way of getting me back? I'm nervous and scared about going back to Stouffville. So while half-asleep I rudely rejected your offer to take me there today – for which, by the way, I apologized. And now, since I was rude this morning, you've decided to get me in return by going back on your word?"

"That's not what this is about and you know it. And I didn't go back on my word. I didn't swear on a stack of Bibles or say the words 'I promise'. I just changed my mind. That's all. Now if you'd let me tell you why I think this purchase is a good…"

"I make one stupid comment about not giving you a vote, and this is your way of throwing it back in my face."

"I never even wanted to go to college, Emma," JT said, starting to get annoyed with her attitude.

"What are you talking about?" Emma asked, standing up. "Of course you did. You were just nervous."

"Didn't those little choking noises I'd make anytime you brought up the subject give you a hint that I might not want to do this?"

"That was just you being a little stubborn," Emma rationalized.

"I finally agreed to go because I didn't have anything else planned at the moment AND I knew it would make you happy if I was there. But then I was talking with a friend this morning…"

"Someone on his way to the unemployment line?" Emma asked with great sarcasm.

"And in talking," JT continued, ignoring her remark, "I had a chance to stop and think about what I'd really like to do. So I took a chance and went to see Sal. This wasn't some plot to get you. Believe it or not, Emma, there are some things in this world that aren't about you at all."

"So your mind is made up about this, JT?"

"Yeah," he replied, standing up to face her. "It is."

"Fine," she said sternly.

"Fine," he repeated calmly back at her.

"It's not a problem. I can adjust my way of thinking."

"I knew you could," JT said, starting to feel better about Emma's attitude.

"After all, I love you."

"I love you too, Emma."

"So I'm sure I can get used to life with a guy who's too afraid to take a chance on higher education."

JT sighed.

"Look, Emma, I don't want to fight. We hardly ever argue for real and I hate it when we do."

"This isn't a fight. This is me adjusting to this huge decision that you made today without giving me so much as a second thought."

"You're right, Emma. We're not fighting. Fighting would mean that more than one person gets to speak. And as usual you've decided to speak for yourself, for me, and no doubt for every man, woman and child within a twenty-mile radius."

"If only you were as good at making huge choices about your life as you are at making jokes."

"Let me just make sure I have your position straight, Emma. Since I'm not going to attend university, I'm making a huge mistake with my life?"

"No. Not huge. But it's not the best choice you could make."

"What about your mom, Emma? No college diploma on her wall, but she did okay. She runs her own business and has made a great life for herself. And her husband – a TEACHER – seems to think she turned out great, too."

"That's different. She didn't have a choice about not continuing her education beyond high school. Not with a little kid to raise at the time. It's fortunate that she was able to accomplish as much as she has in spite of being stuck with me."

"Don't talk that way, Emma. I know that your mom doesn't think of you as something bad that kept her from doing other stuff."

"I know she loves me. That doesn't change the fact that she had me at a time when I had to be the last thing in the world she could possibly want in her life. Maybe she would have gone on to school and then still owned a salon or some other business. Who knows? She never had a choice because she had to go to work full-time right out of high school."

"What about my mother, Emma?" JT countered. "She didn't continue with school either. After high school she went from doing the occasional seamstress job to full-time work in her field. And that eventually led to her building her own business, from a tiny operation to a successful company in a relatively short amount of time."

Emma had no response to this. At that point, she decided it was time to end this discussion, at least for the time being.

"I don't want to fight either, JT," she told him.

"Good. I'm glad."

"Let's just put all this aside for tonight."

"Fine by me," he agreed.

"I believe you mentioned something before about going out to eat."

"I'm really not that hungry, Emma. Mind if I pass?"

"Oh…Okay. Not a problem."

While Emma tried to keep from looking disappointed, JT let out a slight laugh.

"What is it?" she asked.

"This is the second time today I said I wasn't hungry and…Never mind. I guess it's more of a private joke. You had to be there this morning to get it."

"What would you like to do, JT?"

"There's no reason why you shouldn't eat just because I'm not hungry. Why don't we just call it a day?"

"All right. I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Definitely."

JT walked Emma to the door.

"JT, you know I wouldn't argue with you about all of this if I didn't love you so much and want what's best for you. Right?"

"As long as you know that I'm not changing my mind. I'm buying the theater and I'm going to do a good job with it."

"I just want you to make sure you know what you're doing."

"Good night, Emma."

JT briefly kissed her then closed the door the moment she was outside. Emma slowly started walking away from the house and down the block.

'Why did I do that?' Emma thought to herself. 'I treated his good news as if it was some sort of personal insult. But I don't want him making some crazy decision that he could regret one day. It's true that neither of our mothers went further in school, but they didn't exactly have the opportunities that he and I do.

'I'm not wrong about this. I'm not. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have continually interrupted him. And the more I think about it, it IS great that he's got something he's so good at and found a way to…What am I saying? This is just another impulsive JT Yorke decision. Tomorrow he'll realize what he should do, and I'll be there to support him.'

Back inside the house, JT was back in the kitchen, standing over the table looking at the various papers he'd been studying prior to Emma's visit. After several moments, he left the kitchen and walked into his bedroom. He looked at the picture of himself and Emma that sat on his desk. Then he grabbed his keys, which sat beside the framed photo. He soon left the house, entered his car and drove off.