Back to Square One (Brandon Bay Babes) (15 page)

“You lied to me Kit Kat”

Kit was jolted out of her thoughts. “What?”

“You said you look horrible in pink,” he said with a smile. “Not true; you look incredible.
 
The hair, that dress –all I can say is
wow
”

“Oh, I don’t know” Kit said honestly, looking down at the full skirt and pale pink colour.
 
“I think the dress is a trifle ‘schoolgirl’ in my opinion”

J.J. looked her up and down, then placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around full circle.
 
“Well, it is a little ‘schoolgirl’ from the front, but it’s all woman from behind” he commented sexily.

Kit swallowed.
 
Where was he going with all this?
 
He was behaving like he was …, interested.
 
Nah, couldn’t be, Kit told herself firmly.
 
She was not going to do anything stupid and make a fool of herself over Jeffrey Jones.
 
No way; no how.

“I must say I’m quite surprised to see you here” he said with raised brows.

Kit was a little miffed at that comment.
 
Was he implying that she wasn’t good enough to hobnob with the likes of him socially?
 
“
Charlie
and I are
very
old friends” she lied haughtily.

“
Really?
” he asked with a dubious look.

“Yes.” Kit retorted with her chin in the air.

“Um, Kit.
 
Charles Rydekker is my Uncle”
 
At her shock he clarified, “My mom’s brother.”

“Oh.” she said wide-eyed.
 
Kit then shrugged it off.
 
“Oops.”

Jeff smiled at her.
 
“So why are you
really
here?”

Kit looked at him and beamed.
 
“I cannot tell a lie,” she whispered behind her hand.
 
“I’m an Art Gallery crasher.
 
You know, like a party crasher.
 
But I crash Gallery showings.

“That’s a new one.”

“Yeah” she said with a look of mock sincerity.
 
“I can’t help myself.
 
I just can’t resist looking at ballet shoe wearing cows and eating stinky cheese.”

“Huh?” he said in bewilderment.

“J.J.”
 
A voice boomed as Charles Rydekker made his way across the room.
 
“I see you’ve met Kit.”

“We’re very old friends Uncle.” he replied, winking at her.

“Are you now?” the old man said, looking from one to the other.
 
“Well then you know she’s one
special
young lady.”

“Yes, she is.
 
I’ve never met anyone quite like her” J.J. replied with a quick glance in her direction.

Charles Rydekker reached behind them and took something to eat.
 
“Yes, indeed.
 
The folks in Brandon Bay can certainly be proud.”
 

Kit watched and nervously giggled.
 
She knew exactly the moment when Charles’ palate recognised its disgusting intruder.
 
He excused himself abruptly and she was sure that she heard him cursing “those @#*$# caterers” under his stench-ridden breath as he departed.
 

J.J. gave her a measured look.
 
“So you
do
know my Uncle.
 
Are you going to at least give me a clue as to how?”

“I’ll tell you what J.J.
 
Let’s play twenty questions and see if you can guess” Kit challenged.

“You’re on” he said competitively.
 
“So where did you meet Charles?”

Kit held up her hand. “Wait a second.
 
You do know I can only answer with yes or no?”

“Yeah I know.
 
It was worth a shot.
 
Anyway, I’ll get it in ten” he replied confidently.

“
Will
you now?
 
Okay, ten questions it is Mr. Smarty-pants” she joked.
 
“Go ahead.”

“Did you meet Charles in San Francisco?”

“Yes” Kit said poker faced.
 

“Have you known him long?”

“No”

“Are you having an affair with him?”

“No!” Kit emphatically replied.
 
“How could you think that?”

Jeff shrugged happily.
 
“Do you still giggle when you get nervous?”

“Yes.
 
But that’s hardly relevant.”

Assuming a position of thoughtfulness, J.J. pondered out loud.
 
“
Hmm
.
 
He mentioned Brandon Bay.
 
He goes there a lot on weekends.
 
And you come from Brandon Bay.
 
Hmm
.”

Kit looked at him with complete innocence, as though he was getting nowhere fast.

Jeff fired away again.
 
“Does my uncle
going
there and you
coming
from there have something to do with it?”

“Yes” she replied, popping a grape from the buffet into her mouth with a wicked gleam in her eye.

Jeff watched the action, his focus now on her mouth. “Do you know how sexy it is when you do that?”

“Yes, I mean no.
 
I mean, you’re getting right off track here.” What was he doing, trying to rattle her cage?

“Sorry” He grinned, paused a moment, then continued.
 
“Do you think I’m cute?”

“J.J.!” Kit huffed and rolled her eyes.

“Answer the question? Yes or no?”

“No” she said indignantly.
 
“At this particular moment, I don’t you think you’re cute at all.”
 
Kit turned away from him and faced her cheesy nemesis on the buffet.

“So I am cute
sometimes
?” he joked.

“I don’t want to play this game anymore.” she replied facing him again.

“But I have so many more questions” he said, lowering his voice.
 
“Such as:
 
Have you thought about me since the elevator?
 
Are you seeing any one?
 
Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”

Kit looked at him with suspicion.
 
Was he joking?
 
Well, she certainly wasn’t going to let him have the last laugh.
 
She smiled.
 
“No, no and, er, … no.
 
That makes ten, guess you lose Mr. Jones.”

Jeff’s smile faded somewhat.
 
“Remind me to never enter a battle of wits with you unarmed.”

Kit tried to lighten the mood.
 
J.J. had actually looked hurt by her answers to his final questions.
 
She pushed the thought away.
 
“I guess I should let you know the truth now.”

He bounced back with a crooked smirk, and Kit couldn’t help but think that maybe she was reading too much into his questions.
 
He’d been teasing her, just teasing.

“All right; so what is the truth?” he asked.

“Well, I was in Brandon Bay and started up my old hobby of painting again.
 
To cut a long story short, your Uncle saw a painting of mine, liked it and bought it.
 
He invited me to the show when I told I was back in town to pack up my apartment.
 
Tomorrow I’m moving back to Brandon Bay permanently.”

“Permanently?” he asked with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah; I think I’ve found what I really want to do now.
 
And your Uncle wants to see everything I paint.
 
Who knows? Maybe I can make a career out of something I truly like doing.”
 
Kit was beaming with happiness and it must have been infectious, because J.J. started beaming right back at her.

“I’m happy for you Kit Kat” he replied with sincerity, but with, what seemed to Kit, a trace of disappointment.

“Well, it’s getting late.
  
I better get home.
 
Or rather, my soon-to-be former home” she said cheerfully.
 
“It’s been great seeing you J.J. …, well I guess I’ll see you when I see you”

“Not if I see you first” he said with a meaningful look.

“Ha ha” Kit answered with a playful punch in his arm.
 
“Bye J.J.”

As Kit turned away from him, he ran his finger down her bare back to get her attention again.
 
Kit shivered at his touch, and faced him.
 
What the hell was he doing?

“Do you
have
to go?
 
Can we get a cup of coffee or something, somewhere?” he asked in seriousness.

“Um, I have to drive home tomorrow morning.
 
Early.” she stammered.
 
Kit bowed to GAG in her time of need.
 
She really wanted to go with him, but she resisted the urge.
 
He was just being friendly and she was taking it all the wrong way, once again.
 
When would she ever learn?

“That’s a shame.
 
But I guess there’s one consolation”

“Oh, what’s that?”

J.J. gave her a dazzling smile.
 
“When you walk away from me, the last thing I see will be the view of your spectacular naked back”

Kit swallowed; if that wasn’t a come on, she didn’t know what was.
 
Time to test the waters.
 
She levelled her gaze at him, “You know, if I didn’t know any better Jeffrey Jones, I’d think you were flirting with me.”

“Maybe I am” he smiled sexily.

Maybe?
Kit got miffed.
 
“Well, when you find out, tell someone who cares.”

With that, she strutted towards the door of the Gallery, hoping that he got a good look at her supposed “spectacular naked back”; that would be as naked as he’d ever see her.

The black Russian was swaying easily with the music.
 
He can really dance, Kit thought as she stared at her glass.
 
That or she was really starting to tie one on.