So Close, So Far
By Dimples
Disclaimers:
The characters in this story
are all mine and the story is all mine. The characters may look like two of our favorite
actresses that are not mine, but that's where the similarity ends. The song in this part
is all mine, as well.
Love/Sex/Language:
Yes to all of the above. This
story depicts an explicit loving relationship between adult women. If you're under-aged or
live in a place that this isn't allowed or this isn't your cup of tea, I suggest you move
along and look for something else to occupy your free time.
Violence:
There are some scenes that
contain pretty graphic violence but I don't consider them to be much. But if you're of the
fainter heart, I'd suggest you don't read 'em. They're really not bad though...Not worse
than any regular Xena episode.. There is a scene that deals with an almost-rape but
nothing serious and nothing graphic.
Thanks:
To my beta-reader, Erin
Jennifer, for everything. For reading and correcting my stories and doing a great job of
it!
To all the readers that took
the time to write to me and tell me what they think. You encouraged me to keep on writing.
And to all the great bards
around and their amazing stories that I loved reading and gave me the inspiration to start
writing my own.
Author's
comments and Feedback: This is my second novel length
story. I hope you'll like it. Unfortunately, the story is yet to be finished because I'm
quite busy in my day to day life at the moment so I apologize ahead for the delays in my
posting of the parts. I promise to try and write as fast as I possibly can. I hope you
decide on reading it anyhow...
I decided to put on hold the
writing of the sequel to my story "Time and Time Again". Now about this story,
everything in this story is meant purely for fun and I hope you find it funny (in places
it was meant to be funny), dramatic (the same) and so on. I would really appreciate
knowing what you think of my stories. Tell me if I'm doin' all right or if I royally suck.
Some plot ideas would be very much appreciated also. Actually, come to think of it, any
comment would be very much appreciated :) mailto:Dimples_2000_fr@yahoo.com
Dedication: This story is for a special friend I met on-line. Stormy, I thank you for all your encouragement and sweet words and hope that this friendship will continue to grow.
Copyright © Dimples 2002.
All rights reserved.
Ch. 15
Jay blinked a few times and just kept staring, still as a statue. Suddenly, a small burst of air escaped her mouth, creating somewhat of a snorting noise. A small, shadow of a smile formed on her lips, but never actually reached her eyes as she watched Jennifer intently. “What do you mean, you don’t know me?” Jay thought for a second that Jennifer was playing a joke on her but when she noticed the serious look on her face, her heartbeat picked up and her palms started to sweat. Jennifer could never play a joke on her without breaking down and laughing and so Jay knew that Jennifer was telling the truth and that this was no joke.
“I’m sorry…my mind is kind of foggy right now, I’m not really sure of anything.” Said Jennifer. She noticed the panicked look cross the woman’s face and even without realizing why or that she was even doing it, she felt the need to make that look disappear.
Jay watched Jennifer carefully, looking her in the eyes. All she could see was a blank look staring back at her in the form of her best friend. She tried; God knows she tried to find something, a semblance of recognition. And when she found none, she ran from the room like there was no tomorrow.
She ran straight to the nurses’ station. Looking frantically around, trying to find anyone who could help, she failed miserably. There was no one there or around. Several seconds later, a door opened and one of the on shift nurses stumbled out. “I need you to call a doctor.” Jay said, barely holding her emotions in check.
“Maybe I could help you.” Offered the nurse.
“No. I need a doctor now, please…” Jay’s voice was turning desperate with each word she uttered.
“I can’t bother the doctor just to meet every patients whim and want. Now, if you’ll just tell me what the problem is, maybe I could help you.” The nurse’s voice was condescending and only made Jay angrier.
Jay had had enough and she wanted answers now. Her voice was rising steadily and the vein in her neck was pulsing so fast and hard, it looked like it might explode. She towered over the nurse and slowly walked into her personal space, backing her into the counter. “I said no. Now, pick up that phone and call the damn doctor!” Jay was just about to lose her last bit of patience when Jonney appeared from around the corner.
Jonney went home to arrange a few things for the girls and get some rest and now he was returning to the hospital, to see how Jennifer was doing. When he reached the corner, he heard yelling and picked up his step. What he saw made him break into a run. Jay was just about ready to hit the nurse. “Hey! Jay, what’s wrong?”
He took in deep breaths as he tried to find out what had happened.
Jay looked pale, even paler than before, her face withdrawn and tired but her eyes were bright. Bright with anger. She looked like she might collapse. Grabbing her waist, Jonney tried again, “Jay? Jay, talk to me.”
Her slow, shallow breaths turned into hiccups and her face contorted in pain. She grabbed hold of Jonney’s shoulder as she leaned into him. Slow, hot tears started running down her cheeks as she tried to explain to the now panicked manager what was wrong. “I wanted…I asked for a … and she didn’t…” She couldn’t make out a clear enough sentence for Jonney to understand and he had never seen Jay act this way. “Is it Jennifer? Jay, what’s wrong with her?”
“She…she – she doesn’t remember me.” And that was all it took. Jay broke down and started crying hysterically. Jonney pulled her into his arms and moved to a rather more secluded area. He tried to calm he down enough to find out what she meant. Jay tried her best to calm herself down but found that she couldn’t. Everything had just become too much. Between sobs, she muttered a few unintelligible words mingled with some intelligible ones. She kept saying “It’s my fault, all my fault…” then kept on crying.
Jonney might still have not understood what this was all about but he wasn’t going to stand there doing nothing while his friend was on the verge of a breakdown. He waited until Jay had calmed a bit down and settled her on a chair nearby. “Sit here, I’m going to go get a doctor.” Jay nodded and he left to speak with the openly staring nurse.
Jay curled herself on the chair as best she could. She took a few deep breaths and felt her anger and frustration die down. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and shook her head. I can’t believe I broke down like that and in front of everybody. Couldn’t you even wait to be alone? She asked herself, beating herself up for letting her raw emotions show like that. Stupid! It’s not only your fault, you’re now crying like a blubbering idiot because a nurse made you mad? You’re pathetic. There was nothing worse than a self-given lecture. Especially when one was so hard on herself. She got up to her feet and composed herself before going back into Jennifer’s room.
Jennifer had her eyes closed and she appeared to be asleep. Jay moved in slowly and quietly so as not to wake her. She took up a chair and sat next to the bed. Right then, Jennifer opened her eyes and looked at Jay. “Hey.” She said slowly. “I’m sorry if I upset you, it’s just…”
Jay stopped her before she could continue, “No, no. You didn’t upset me. Don’t worry about me it’s ok. The doctor should be here soon for your headache.”
Jennifer smiled softly, “Thank you.” She then bit her lip as she looked into the bluest eyes she could remember ever seeing. “You’ve been crying…” the tear tracks were still evident on Jay’s pronounced cheekbones. Jennifer brought her hand up and with the back of her fingers, she brushed at the tracks softly. Jay captured her hand in hers and just as softly, kissed the palm. She knew there was no point in hiding the fact when it was plain to see. “Was it because of me?”
Jay brought Jennifer’s hand to her chest and held it close to her heart. “Nah, it was this hospital’s awful food that brought me to tears…I was hungry.” She quirked a half grin and her eyes changed to a dark blue, giving them a very soft, warm light. Jennifer smiled and then the smile turned into a grin, which slowly transformed into a full-fledged laugh. She knew that Jay was holding back because she was the reason for her crying. Not wanting to upset her further, she let the subject drop.
But even though Jay had made her smile and she enjoyed being in her company, she still couldn’t get her mind to work. She couldn’t make it remember her or why she found her so endearing and this, this closeness, so new yet so familiar.
As they held each other’s gazes, Jonney came in leading the doctor into the room. “What is the problem, Jennifer?” The young doctor asked, smiling softly.
“My head hurts…” Before Jennifer could finish her sentence, Jay stood up and pulled the doctor with her to the side. “She doesn’t remember!” She whispered harshly.
“What doesn’t she remember?”
“Me!” Jay almost screamed.
“Alright, calm down. Are you sure?”
“What do you mean, am I sure?” She asked incredulously.
“I mean, maybe she’s confused and still in shock. Look, why don’t you let me look at her and talk to her and we’ll see.” He turned to Jonney and requested for them to step outside during the short examination. Jay looked at Jennifer sorrowfully and reluctantly left the room.
A few minutes of pacing and then a few more minutes of cursing under her breath seemed like hours until the doctor came out of the room.
“What’s wrong with her, doctor?” Rushed Jay.
“Well…I checked her over again and then spoke with her. I asked her a few questions, you know, of general knowledge and she seemed to know things quite well. It seems to me that the facts she’s having trouble remembering are mostly about the people in her life and her life in general.” The doctor let the things he said sink in and then continued, “I believe that this is only temporary. You should talk to her and tell her about herself, maybe one of those memories would trigger everything back. I can’t say how long this could take because frankly, I don’t know. It can take a few hours and in the worst-case scenario, it can take up to years. I’m sorry but that’s all I can say and there’s nothing else to do to help her. She’s feeling better and her body’s healing well so I see no other reason to hold her here. I’ll make sure her discharge papers are ready as soon as possible.” He nodded and left them alone.
“Oh God, It’s all my fault. I did this to her.” Cried Jay. Jonney stepped closer and offered a comforting shoulder. He was surprised when it was refused. Jay seemed to compose herself and start to look similar to the person she used to be.
Jay shook herself from the melancholy mood that crept upon her again. She didn’t want to give in to it, this time. The little break down she experienced earlier was enough for a lifetime. Instead of blaming myself, I’ll just make sure this never happens again. I’ll never let Jennifer get hurt because of me again. She thought to herself. “Okay. Let’s get her out of here. You have some business to do, I believe.”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure a car is waiting by the back entrance after I give a statement to the vultures out there.” He pointed toward the main entrance. The press was known for acting quickly. The minute someone leaked the identity of the assault victim from the club to the right person, the whole world knew about it. They were waiting outside the door since 5:00am, trying to capture the picture of the year.
“Umm…Jonney?”
“Yeah?”
“I’d like for you to make another announcement to the press…” When Jonney nodded, she conveyed her wishes.
Jonney was shocked mute. He never expected to hear those words come out of Jay’s mouth. He was at a loss. He didn’t know what to tell her because of many conflicting reasons. Finally, when he looked at the sincere and pleading look in Jay’s eyes, her gave in and accepted. Deep down, he knew that it may be the best course of action and even though it may hurt the duo for a while, it was the best thing to do in the long run.
Jonney left to deal with the press while Jay walked back into Jennifer’s room. “Hey.” Said Jay.
“Hey.”
“I talked to the doctor and he says you’re ready to go. How do you feel?”
“I feel okay, I guess. My head still hurts a bit and I have some sort of a weird feeling. I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like there’s something I’m missing, a kind of emptiness that makes me nervous.”
Jay walked to the bed and sat down on the edge. She put her hand gently onto the sheet-covered thigh and said, “I think I understand. First, you can relax; you’re in good hands. We’re best friends, family. And second, I’ll do everything I can to help you remember.” Jennifer smiled and covered Jay’s hand on her thigh with hers. “Thank you, Jay. I’m glad I had a friend like you.” Jay couldn’t help but cringe at the use of the past tense. She vowed to make everything within her possibility to change those words.
“Come on. Want me to help you get dressed?” Asked Jay.
Jennifer blushed and shook her head. “I can handle it.” She didn’t understand what was going on with her. She found herself extremely attracted to the sweet brunette. She didn’t remember ever being attracted to women but then again she didn’t remember much of anything right now. I hope I’ll get my memory back soon. I hate feeling so nervous and out of place. I wish I could remember Jay. She seems to get so hurt when I don’t.
“Well, okay. I’ll see you in a few minutes then.” Jay patted her thigh once again and then left the room.
Ch. 16
As soon as Jonney stepped out of the hospital, cameras flashed, all sorts of yells were heard and microphones were thrust in front of him. Questions floated in the air, clouded by the loud sounds. Jonney could barely understand any of it, so he decided to ignore them all and just make his statement. He raised his hands above his head and moved toward one of the patches of grass that were in front of the hospital. He made a silencing motion and tried to speak. Everybody quieted down immediately. “Ladies and gentlemen of the press…” He began, “I know you’ve all heard stories about what happened and you’ve all got different versions. That is one of the reasons I would like to make this statement. I’d like to explain what truly happened. Everything basically comes to this. The duo went out to celebrate Jennifer’s 21st birthday and a mentally unstable man attacked her outside the club. The man was captured and arrested and Jennifer is doing just fine. She’s got a few bruises that are healing nicely and she should be out of the hospital very soon. She’s kept for observation. Now…” He took a deep breath and continued, “There’s another thing I wanted to say. As you all know, my staff, Jay and myself love Jennifer dearly as I’m sure all her fans out there feel the same. ‘Double J’ will be taking a break from the tour. They don’t feel they’re up to it after the attack and need a bit of time to recuperate. They wanted me to express they’re sincerest apologies and to let their fans know how much they love them. They promise to be back as soon as possible. Thank you.” He stopped talking and waited to see the reaction. No reaction was forthcoming for the first few seconds and then he was swarmed all at once by questions. He tried to answer as many as possible while getting back inside the hospital, which was no easy task since most reporters were blocking his way.
When he finally was able to get inside, he breathed a sigh of relief and started toward Jennifer’s room. The door was open and he saw Jay helping Jennifer down from the bed. She picked up the few things she had there and then left the room. Jennifer held the stuffed teddy bear that Jay bought her in her arms, bringing a soft, adoring smile to Jay’s lips. Jonney couldn’t remember ever seeing her smile that certain way towards anybody but Jennifer. The doctor was waiting for them at the nurses’ station with all the papers ready. “Here you go, Jennifer. If you feel any kind of pain, take two of these pills,” he said and handed her a small bottle of painkillers. “If you don’t feel well, go see a doctor or go to the hospital. You’ll be fine, you’re in good hands.” He winked at her and then turned back to his duty. Jay put her arm around Jennifer’s shoulders and led her to the back exit, where the ambulances take off.
Their limo was waiting for them and gladly, they noticed, there was no paparazzi in site. Jay held the door open for Jennifer and waited for her to settle in before she asked Jonney about what went on outside. “I told them everything and they asked a million questions. I didn’t give a time period or anything. I kept it vague. Anyhow, where are you going?”
“I want to take her to our house in Arizona. We bought a house there when we first started out because it was where our families were. It’s where we grew up. I thought maybe if she saw some familiar places and faces, she’d start to remember.”
“Good thinking. We’ll drive back to the hotel, where we parked your tour bus. Just promise me you’ll keep me up to date. I want to know how you two are doing and if you need anything…and I mean anything, please call me.”
“Thanks buddy. We’ll call you when we get
there.”
“Hey, aren’t you coming?” asked Jennifer.
“Yeah, we’re here.”
The driver started the car and they left for the hotel. On the way over, Jennifer asked what their destination was. “It’s a surprise.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before…” She mumbled to herself but Jay picked it up. “What did you say?” asked Jay, excitedly.
“I said…” And when she was about to repeat it, she understood the meaning behind what she said. Even though it came out instinctively, she hadn’t noticed the implication of what it meant. “I remember something very much like this. We were in this car and I asked you something and that was your answer. I don’t remember anything else though, just faces…” she said regrettably.
“No, no that’s wonderful! It means that things are coming back to you. You’ll remember, just try to relax, don’t force yourself.” She said in a rush and moved to hug Jennifer. They smiled and then separated. The rest of the drive was spent in relative silence.
At the hotel, they were dropped off in the large parking lot. “Thanks, Jonney. We’ll see you, okay?”
“Yeah, okay. Remember to call me when you get there. Take care of her.” He said to Jay when he went to hug her. Then he turned to Jennifer, “Take care of yourself, darling.” He hugged her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t let the big lug mess with you, she’s just a big softie. And you take care of her as well, huh?” Jennifer giggled and stepped back, "You bet." Jay looked from one to the other and then just shook her head. “Come on, we have a long way to go.” She put her arm around Jennifer’s shoulders and led her to the bus. Jennifer waved at Jonney and boarded the bus. “Where is it exactly that we’re going?”
“I’m taking you to our home town, Tucson. Where we grew up. I thought maybe that would help.”
“Thank you, Jay. Umm…I’ve been meaning to ask you…who is Jonney? I mean, he’s a nice guy but I didn’t get who he is.”
Ch.17
Jay sighed and sat down, motioning for Jennifer to take a seat on the sofa beside her. “We have a lot to talk about. Wait a second, okay?” She got up and went to talk to their driver. “Shawn, we’re going back home, to Arizona.”
“Alright, Ma’am.”
“Thanks.” She winked and moved back to the sofa. Leaning back and putting her feet up on the small table that was in front of them, she looked at Jennifer. “Well, I guess since you already asked, Jonney is our manager. We’re singers.”
“Well...wow. That's nice.”
“Yeah. Anyhow, that’s about our careers and Jonney.” Suddenly her slight frown turned into a soft smile.
“What are you smiling about?”
“I just remembered the first time I met you.” When she received an answering smile from Jennifer she continued, “It was the first day of kindergarten. I just came in with my mom and I told her she could leave and then I saw this beautiful little girl. You were talking with your mom; she was trying to disentangle herself from you while you were holding onto her dress with your little fists. It was the cutest picture I’d ever seen in my really, really young life.” Jennifer giggled at the image. “I remember wishing I could be your friend but then I thought, ‘why would someone like her want to be friends with someone like me.’ I was a troublemaker even back then.”
“I bet you were a cute troublemaker.” Jennifer said, blushing all the way to the roots of her hair.
Jay smiled and pulled her closer.
"So...How did we end up being friends?" asked Jennifer.
"Well...Since my mom brought me over only the first day, I used to arrive to class almost always late. My mom let me go by myself because we lived only a couple of blocks from the kindergarten. Our teacher didn't like that fact one bit and she called my mom and told her I'm late all the time. Mom got mad and decided to drive me herself. So...one day when I finally arrived earlier than necessary, I started walking around, looking for trouble I guess..." she said, bringing a soft snort from Jennifer, who was listening intently. "And boy, did I find it! The playground had a few good hiding places, where I would usually hide from the teacher," she laughed, "but those were also the places where some of the bullies would usually pick on smaller kids. Basically, I walked into one of those tiny hideouts and saw this big bully cornering you. He was teasing you and making fun of you. I remember suddenly feeling such anger and a sense of protectiveness toward you that without thinking, I jumped on him from behind. He lost his balance and fell backwards. When he got up he was so mad but not nearly as me. I punched him so hard that they had to take him to the hospital. Of course, I got in a lot of trouble for it but I also gained this cute, little blonde fan. It was very much worth it. From then on, we were inseparable."
"That's a really sweet story." said Jennifer, smiling. "So, you're my hero, huh?"
Jay puffed up her chest and beat on it with her fist, trying her best to imitate Tarzan, "Tarzan help Jane."
Jennifer laughed and playfully slapped 'Tarzan' in the stomach. Jay blew out her breath in an exaggerated fashion and fell back on the couch. "Tarzan hurt. Jane help." she croaked pathetically.
Jennifer only laughed harder. Jay got up suddenly and looked at Jennifer with a raised eyebrow. "You find this funny, missy?" Jennifer could only nod cheekily. "I'll show you funny..." Jay said and jumped on Jennifer. She caught only air since Jennifer was quicker and had gotten up from the couch before Jay had had the chance to catch her. Jay was sprawled half on the couch and half on the floor. She looked up at Jennifer who was giggling and hiding behind a table. Jay growled and jumped to her feet. Jennifer bit her smirking lip and moved a step backwards. Jay started moving toward her prey. "Come here, Jennifer. I won't bite...Hard!" And with a devilish laugh, she launched herself after Jennifer's retreating body.
Jennifer entered the bedroom and searched for a place to hide. Not finding anything useful, she backed into the wall, behind the door. She could barely keep her laughter from bubbling up and giving away her location. "Jennifer?" Jay said in a sing-a-song voice. Abruptly she threw the door closed and pulled Jennifer into her arms, reminding herself to be gentle since she was still recovering. Backing toward the bed, she threw both of them onto the silk sheets that covered the bed.
Jennifer shrieked and tried to squirm her way out of the strong hold. Jay pushed her hands above her head and started tickling Jennifer for all her worth. Jennifer was laughing so hard that tears started streaming down her face, "Please! Stop. Jay! Please, I'm begging you..." she said between fits of laughter. Jay stopped for a second, giving Jennifer a chance to regulate her breathing. She seemed to consider the request and then shrugged nonchalantly and kept going. "Please! Jay...I'm begging..."
"Oh alright..." Jay relented eventually but hadn't relinquished her hold on Jennifer's wrists. She was lying half on top of Jennifer's heaving body and half on the bed. They were both breathing hard. Jay used her free hand to brush the tears away and gazed adoringly down at Jennifer. They smiled at each other briefly and then little by little the smiles faded. Neither knew what was happening and neither wanted to find out. They wanted to let themselves feel. Jay lowered her head slowly and Jennifer raised hers until the soft connection of lips upon lips was made. The kiss was soft and slow. There was no demand and there was no rush. Neither tried to push the kiss further. Both were enjoying the pureness of the moment. Several seconds later, which seemed like a sweet eternity to them both, they parted.
Each looked in the other's eyes to try and understand what had happened. There was no answer just pure...love. Jay swallowed and smiled slightly. Jennifer returned that smile. Jay released Jennifer's hands and let her full weight fall entirely on the bed. They laid there, looking at the ceiling without uttering a single word. Jay was the first to break the silence, "Want to hear more stories?" She asked as if nothing had happened.
For a reason that was unknown to her, Jennifer's heart sank. She put on a fake smile for Jay's sake and said, "Yeah, that'd be nice." Jay, however, wasn't fooled. She knew Jennifer for far too long to not recognize her moods or her feelings. She knew she had hurt her and now, she had no idea how to fix it. She herself didn't understand what had happened, then how would she explain it to Jennifer? I promised myself I'll stop hurting her and what do I do? Kiss her and then go on like nothing happened. I just don't know what to say to her, I'm confused myself. She probably thinks I'm such a jerk, why would she want to be with someone like me? Besides, this is definitely the wrong time for something like this. What was I thinking? She doesn't even remember me...maybe that's for the better...
How could she kiss me and then just act like nothing happened? Ugh! She is driving me insane. I just know that that's the way she always was, even though I can't remember. Maybe I'll ask her about us...hmm...Nah, if she clamped up after kissing me then I guess there's nothing going on between us...I hate not remembering! thought Jennifer.
They remained in the same position on the bed while Jay talked. "What else can I tell you...hmm...well, you were always a straight A student, which was exactly the opposite of me. You always made friends easily but you still hung on to me..." Before Jennifer could interrupt, Jay continued, "we started singing when we were really young, around the age of eight, I think. But we never did anything with it until high school. It was then that we became an actual band. I played the guitar and you the keyboard and we played wherever it was possible. One day when we played in a rather larger club, Jonney was in the audience and according to what he says, he fell in love with us. That was the beginning of our road to fame."
"Wow...so we're actually famous?"
Jay smiled and said, "Yep."
"It's kind of hard to believe. I'm having trouble getting accustomed to that."
"Yeah well, you had trouble with it when we first started out also. You're not the kind of person that enjoys being served hand and foot and being in the center of attention. You're too shy for that and too kind. When we got our record deal, all hell broke loose. We were moving from place to place, recording, writing, scheduled for performances and interviews...it was hectic to say the least. We were put in the best hotels and got only the best of everything. And then we had fans. At first it was fun and all but then it became too much. So much so that we couldn't walk on the street without being mobbed so we stopped. We had to ask permission to do anything. And everything was taken care of before we even imagined to ask for it to be done." Taking a deep breath, she let a satisfied grin cross her lips, "But we're doing something we love and not many people can say that."
"I wish I could remember all that."
Jay turned on her side, propped her elbow on the bed and her head on her palm, "You will. I promise I'll do everything I can to help you remember."
Jennifer raised her hand and caressed Jay's arm, from shoulder to palm. "Thank you. I don't know what I did to have a friend like you, but I'm glad I did it."
Tears suddenly pooled in Jay's eyes and she shook her head sadly, "No. I should thank you for being my friend because all I ever did was hurt you. You deserve so much more." Jay had let her emotions overrule her brain and she let these thoughts escape her mouth. She waited to see rejection and pain in Jennifer's eyes but all she saw was love and friendship.
"You always did have a way of underestimating yourself and beating yourself up like this, didn't you?"
Jay chuckled a bit sarcastically, "Why is it that when you finally seem to remember something, it's always when I do or say something stupid?"
Jennifer shrugged, "I don't know...maybe you do that a lot and that's why I remember it..." She said coyly.
Jay laughed and pulled Jennifer in for a quick hug. "Okay, smart ass...where were we?"
"Hmm...You were telling me about our lives, our fame..."
"Oh yeah...hmm...I'll tell you a bit about our house, where we're heading now..."
"Okay."
Ch. 18
They settled back on the bed, this time a bit closer together. "We bought this place when we made our first record. It went straight to the top of almost all the charts and then it made platinum. We wanted to buy something close to home, thought it would be nice to live where we grew up. My parents' old house is down the hill from where our house is located and your old house is further down." Jay didn't want to elaborate on their parents because she didn't want to upset Jennifer. "It's very beautiful, it's set on a hill in the mountains. You decorated it yourself and I lugged the furniture we bought, inside. It's got a pool and a beautiful view to a lake with greenery all around. It's really peaceful, that was another reason to why we bought it."
"Jay, can I ask you a question?"
"Of course, you can ask me anything."
"What about our parents? Do they still live there?"
Damn! "Umm...well...my parents weren't so happy with the choices I made in life and when we started playing in clubs and stuff, I left home. They didn't seem to mind all that much and so I left it at that. I haven't spoken to them in almost ten years, I think."
"I'm so sorry, Jay."
"Don't be, I made these choices and decided to live with them and I'm glad I did."
"What about my parents?" she asked tentatively.
"As far as I know, they're still living there. We didn't leave on the best of terms with them. They never really liked me and they tried many times to separate us but somehow we always found a way to see each other. They had good reasons not to let me see you, I was a troublemaker. They knew it, I knew it and even though you knew it, for some reason, you kept insisting on ignoring it. So you can imagine what happened when you came to tell them that we were going to pursue our dream. They freaked and threatened to lock you up in your room for eternity. But in their hearts they knew there was nothing they could do to stop you. You were determined to become a famous musician, and if that meant leaving that small town and playing in all kinds of clubs, then so be it. When we started hitting it off with the crowds, you talked to them on the phone a few times but nothing more. We'll have the chance to go visit them if you want..."
"Do you think they'd even want to see me?"
"Yes, very much so. But only if you want that. I don't want to do anything that might..." She left the sentence unfinished.
"Make me turn for the worse?" Jennifer completed the sentence.
"Umm...yeah..."
"I think it might do the contrary. Maybe seeing them would bring back old memories...And I would like a chance to make amends..."
"Okay...as you wish."
"How much time till we get there?"
"It should take around two to three days. But hey, we have all the comforts in the world right here in this little bus of ours."
"Oh okay. It's really nice. I didn't get the chance to see it yet."
"Well then, let me show you around." Jay pulled her to her feet and led her to the bathroom. "This here is the bathroom, as you can see there's a large Jacuzzi in the middle with front row seats to this grand entertainment center." She said in a TV host like voice. Stepping back into the bedroom, Jennifer looked around. The large king sized bed, which stood in the middle of the room, filled most of its space. In front of the large bed, stood another large TV set. A mahogany closet with a sliding glass door in the middle, was to the right of it. The whole interior of the bus was painted mahogany. The room led into the kitchen\living room area. To the left was a fully equipped kitchen and on the right was a table that could seat six on both sides. Further into the 'room', the large leather sofa they sat on earlier, was pressed against the wall. The sofa was a perfect fit against the wall and curved at the corners. It started in the kitchen and ended all the way across the room, on the opposite wall. A coffee table sat in the middle of it and another large TV set was in front. The row of windows adorned the walls from both sides, shedding light into the interior of the bus.
"It's beautiful."
"Yep. We have playstation and I know I have a laptop somewhere around here...Oh, and of course my guitar..."
Jennifer smiled gently and chuckled, she's just a big kid.
Jay frowned and asked, "What are you laughing about?"
"You. I didn't mean all the games and fun stuff this thing has, I meant it was beautiful. The color, the quality..."
"Oh."
Jennifer chuckled again and petted Jay's arm. "But, I like those things you mentioned too."
A smile brightened up Jay's face, "Goodie! Wanna play a game?"
The corners of Jennifer's eyes and nose crinkled when she smiled, "Sure." Jay quickly pulled the playstation out from under the TV, grabbed Jennifer's sleeve and threw both of them onto the sofa.