2 - Fair lady

Why oh why? I sat in my car fuming. How could Jason assume that he owns me. He hasn’t even been around for 4 

years. You can’t forget Craig. He thinks that I am single after meeting me two minutes before.

“Is there something wrong with me?” I whisper to Shelly, my car, but jump when I hear a knock on the window. There stood Jason, looking a bit contrite I notice satisfactorily. Maybe he learned his lesson. I gripped the window wheel and attempted to crank the window down, only gaining an inch. “Yes?” I question.

“Can I talk to you Jess? I haven’t seen you in 4 years except in pictures, and those don’t do you justice.”

I bit my lip, pondering the request, crank the window back up and reach across to the passenger side to unlock the door. Jason gave me his huge grin, something that I had definitely missed while he was gone and almost leaped over the car in his hurry to get to the door. I winced as the door creaked open.

He glanced at me incredulously. “You still haven’t gotten it fixed have you?” he questioned as he stared at my shrinking form.

“Well I haven’t had the time or money. I am constantly watching Nate, and Dave isn’t paying me enough to buy anything extra. I tried to tell my brother that his sister deserved more than seven dollars an hour, but he told me that I haven’t even taken my babysitting course so he doesn’t complete trust me. My own brother!” I talked quickly to hide the frustration. Doesn’t someone deserve more than that from their own family?

Jason sighed and said, “Do you remember when I went with you to get this car? You were so excited that morning that you hadn’t brushed your hair, changed out of your pajamas or even grabbed your purse. I had to drive you back home just so you could get your wallet. You didn’t even ask any questions like if you could take a test drive. When we drove out of that parking lot the entire vehicle seemed to shake.” His vivid explanation brought me back to a place that I didn’t necessarily need to be in right at that moment.

“Thanks Jason, but no thanks. That didn’t help anything.”

“Alright. What was that deal there with that guy about; the cocky know-it-all that acted like he owned the place.”

“He has a name you know. Craig.” I could feel my eyes blurring as I dazed off into the distance. I could just see it. Craig and me; living together in a big old mansion with 4 kids and servants at our beck and call. The flower gardens surrounding the house and the most massive kitchen in the entire world, the best for making cookies and choc---“

A hand was waving in front of my face. “Earth to Jessica Spring, anyone in there?”

Gosh. Why did he have to be so immature? Like it wasn’t like I was being unreasonable. Ok maybe a little, but still, what girl doesn’t dream about their drop-dead-gorgeous future children that didn’t look anything like them except for maybe the golden blond, luscious hair. Never mind. The kids would just have Craig’s thick black hair and tan body. His toned biseps and perfectly symmetrical face. His chiselled jaw and maybe ev—

“Jessica, would you just listen to me?” I could here the exasperation creeping into his voice. I don’t even know what his problem is. Seriously. He leaves for four years and expects us to be best friends and for me to tell him about the hot guy I bump into at Wal-Mart? Get real

“I’ve been trying to say is that I am sorry.” What! Jason never says sorry. At the most he admits that he made a lapse in judgement, like the time we went downhill skiing and took a massive jump and fell on top of me. Let’s just say I went up healthy and left with a broken arm, leg and even a bandaged head. He couldn’t have just said he was sorry.

Jason, what is going on? I mean you see me and you fly at the first guy that shows an interest in me. Do you know how hard it is? People never go out with me, I screamed in my head. Is it any wonder, not only am I ugly, but I don’t have a steady job, a decent car, or a functional family that anyone would like to be related to, let alone to know. My mother is a hoarder, meaning no one wants to see her house. My brother doesn’t know what is appropriate to speak about in public, and my dad. Being the town drunk doesn’t put you on anyone’s best friend list.

I stare at Jason and take 3 deep breathes. In, out. In, out. In, out. “Jason, I am not your girl.”

“That is right,” a look of astonishment crossed his face. “I can’t believe I said that, you aren’t my girl, you are my fair lady and I had to come and save you from the evil dragon.” A grin crossed his face and he said, “I have missed you Jess.”

A small giggle almost emitted from my mouth, so I tried to hide it with a gruff, “Me too.”

I turned in my seat as Jason reached across the console and gave me a hug, a real one rather than one while we were struggling to pick ourselves up off the floor. At that thought I smiled, a full blown smile. I sure did miss this man.

It was a long moment before I gasped, “Jason, my earring is caught on your shirt and it is pulling.” From the look on his face, he was surprised I was wearing any jewellery at all.

“Since when did you start to wear jewellery,” he pondered out loud as he unhooked the earring. I saw the look of astonishment on his face. “You are wearing the earrings I sent you in the mail from Egypt.” He grinned as he said it.

“Well, I... I liked them,” I managed to gasp out as I felt a blush creeping up my neck.

I ducked my head and risked a glance to my right, not even sure about why I was embarrassed. What was going on with me? I never blushed!