Back to Square One (Brandon Bay Babes) (32 page)

Jasmine had no business being with him; not when Kit had told her of the sparks that flew the night they got reacquainted.
 
It didn’t matter that he insisted he wasn’t at all interested in her, and she thought him a complete and arrogant jerk.
 
The fact remained that he had no idea that she knew Kit; and Jasmine wasn’t quite sure what would happen if he did?

 
Taking another quick glimpse at him, she shook her head.
 
She frankly couldn’t see him with Kit; no way, no how.
 
It just wasn’t possible.
 
But then again, maybe he had hidden attributes she just didn’t know about.
 
Ten foot pole?
She almost giggled at the thought and had a hard time keeping her eyes above his waist.
 
Perhaps she could do a little detective work on Kit’s behalf; find out if Mr. Barnaby Calder was still
feeling the love
for her friend Kit or not.
 
He’d certainly tried his best earlier in the evening to get friendly with
her
; but maybe it had been just the scotch talking.

“So …
Slick
” she started with a smile, “why so glum at the party?”

He looked her way.
 
“Oh, you still here” he joked, “I thought I lost you on the highway five miles back”

She tried to cover her tracks.
 
“Guess I’m a little tired.
 
Sorry for not talking”

“No problem
Blondie
”.
 
He cast her a glance, “Just give me directions when we’re getting close to your place.
 
Otherwise, I actually prefer you with your mouth shut.”

“O-kay” she said slowly.
 
“You’ve now just encouraged me to know the story of your life”
  
When he was about to protest, she continued, “You may not like the sound
my
voice; but I’m most certain you like your
own
”

He chuckled.
 
“You sure do have a mouth on you.
 
What do you want to know?”

“Why so glum at the party?” she repeated.

He exhaled.
 
“If you must know I was hoping to see someone there”

When he didn’t elaborate, she prodded, “they didn’t show?”

“No, she was there all right” he said flatly. “She left with another man”

“Oh” Jasmine said softly.
 
So Kit
had
been at the party; but she’d evidently left him high and dry.
 
She wondered who it was she’d left with.
 
“The man. Anyone you know?”

“
Jeffrey Jones
” he said with venom.
 
“When he turned up, she threw her arms around him and they ran out of there like they couldn’t get away quick enough”

“Is she your girl?
 
Is that why you were drinking yourself into a scotch induced stupor?”

He turned on her, the anger clear in his voice, “Kit Davidson was
never
my girl.
 
And I’d be out of my cotton-picking mind to even think that she could be, … although,”

“Although, what?”

His grim line of a mouth hinted at a smile.
 
“She
did
try to kiss me recently”

“Tried?”
 
Jasmine asked innocently; but she knew the story.
 
“Did she miss or something?” she kidded, trying to find out his side of the tale.

“If you must know, I pushed her away” he said with shame.
 
“It’s not that I didn’t really want to kiss her; it’s just that …
 
Oh, hell I don’t know”
 
He added regretfully, “Maybe I
should
have shown her what she’s been missing all this time”

Jasmine pondered what he’d told her.
 
She remembered Kit visiting her the day after the
non-kiss
happened.
 
Kit had foolishly tried to act on the spark she’d felt between them.
 
Barnaby had pulled away from her, telling Kit he didn’t want her anymore.
 
As Jasmine suspected, his reaction was pure macho bravado; he’d wanted to hurt Kit for her indifference all these years; and now he was paying for it.
  

He shook his head sadly. “Even if we
had
kissed, she still ran off with another guy tonight”

Yep. Paying for it badly.
 
“Seems you got it bad
Slick
”

He raised his eyebrows at her.
 
“I guess I do”

“Pull over” she said quickly.

“Why?”

“Because, here’s where I get out” she replied, pointing at the row of neat little houses coming up on the right.

He pulled his BMW over and Jasmine’s hand went for the door. “Thanks for the ride” she politely said, hoping for a quick getaway.

“Hey” he said quietly, and she turned to face him.
 
“You know, I could really go for a coffee”

Jasmine looked at the time on the dashboard in front of them.
 
“Unfortunately, everything is closed by now.
 
Guess you’ll have to do without”

“You could invite me in” He gave her a meaningful look.

She leaned in and whispered in his face, “I don’t drink coffee” It was a lie, she was a coffee fiend, but he didn’t have to know that.
 
Why was he coming on to her again?
 
Was he doing this as some sort of unconscious retaliation for Kit’s leaving with another guy?

“Maybe some tea and sympathy then?” he asked with a wink. “I’d be happy to settle for anything you have to offer”.
 

She smirked back, “I don’t settle
Slick
”
 

Barnaby chuckled. “Oh come on
Blondie
, what’s the harm.
 
You gotta admit, there’s something going on here” he added, with a hand gesture going back and forth between them.

Pushing open the door, Jasmine made a move to get out.
 
“You’re out of your mind; and the only thing
going
is me” she said disgustedly, swinging her legs out of the car.
 

“Wait” he said quickly.
 
“I’m sorry … I just thought …”

She stood leaning in through the open car door “Well, you thought
wrong
Buster” He opened his mouth to speak again, but she continued and cut him off, “You’re an arrogant, obnoxious jerk Barnaby Calder.
 
This evening you have not only insulted my intelligence; you’ve manhandled me, implied that I’d go home with any Tom, Dick or Harry; and now you have the gall to come on to me; even though you
 
just told me you’re basically in love with another girl!”

“
Blondie
, listen …” he said with his hands up in surrender.

Jasmine narrowed her eyes at him.
 
“And that’s another thing, stop calling me
Blondie
” she spat angrily.
 
“In fact,” she went on, putting her hand on her head, “You like blondes so much, maybe you
should
take one home this evening” With that, she ripped the wig from her head and threw it at him.

Stomping away from the car, she resisted the urge to turn back and get a load of his face.
 
She bet it was priceless.
 
Jasmine grinned like a fool all the way up to her front door.
 
She heard the beamer drive off behind her as she stuck in her key.
 
Turning around, she saw the taillights fade as it went round the corner.
 
Crap
, that wig cost her two hundred bucks; but then again, it had been worth twice that much to get back at that SOB.
 
Arrogant jerk!

******

Damn!
 
The phone was ringing!
 
Didn’t her head just hit the pillow?

“Yeah?” she said, yawning and looking at the clock. Cripes, two-thirty!

“Jasmine, it’s me”

“Kit, what’s wrong?” she replied in a panic.

“Nothing’s wrong” she giggled.

“Kit?”

“Jasmine, you’ll never guess what happened” she sighed back.

She snorted with annoyance, realising that it wasn’t an emergency.
 
“At two-thirty, I don’t want to guess.
 
Just tell me”

“J.J. and I, well, we’re a couple” Kit said breathlessly.

“You and the incomparable Jeffrey Jones?” she questioned, sitting up in bed in a tizzy.

“Yep”

“Details?” Jasmine queried.

“I don’t know how it happened exactly.
 
One minute we were fighting, the next we were making out in his Lexus” she said giddily.

Smiling at her friend’s happiness, Jasmine weighed in, “I guess I can’t really be angry with you for standing me up then; although I was pretty upset at the time”

“I’m sure you made the best of it” Kit commented.

“Hmm” Jasmine pondered.
 
Should she tell her about meeting Barnaby Calder?

“What’s up Jas?”

Darn
; Kit could read her like a book.
 
“I met Barnaby at the party.
 
He’s certainly not what I imagined” she said slowly.

“Yeah; he’s a great guy.
 
I’m really going to hate hurting him.
 
He and I really need to talk and clear the air”

“
A great guy?”
Jasmine rankled, “why he’s the most stuck-up, obnoxious prig I think I’ve ever met.
 
And believe me, coming from Knob Hill society I’ve met some doozies in my time”

Kit giggled at her.
 
“Seems like he made quite the impression”

“Yeah. A bad one”

“I must admit Barnaby
has
changed since high school.
 
He never used to be so … intense” Kit remarked matter-of-factly.

“
Intense?
” Jasmine guffawed.
 
She could think up a few more choice and colourful words to describe the jerk better.
 
“By the way, I can safely say he was more than a little peeved that you left the party with J.J.”

Kit sighed loudly at the mention of Jeffrey Jones’ name.

“Don’t tell me, I know”

“Know what?” Kit asked.