~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter Four~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The telephone rang. Since Jen was upstairs taking
a bath, Billy took the liberty of answering it.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello?" the voice asked. "This is Trent Malloy.
Who’s this?"
"This is Billy Bowen," Billy answered. "May I help
you?"
"May I speak with Jen?" Trent asked.
"She’s taking a bath right now," Billy told him.
"Could you have her call me when she’s done?" Trent
asked.
"Absolutely," Billy answered. "Goodbye." He hung
up on Trent, then dialed another number. After a short
conversation, he hung up.
* * *
Jen opened her eyes when she heard a knock on her
bathroom door.
"Dinner’s ready," Billy called through the door.
"Okay, I’ll be right out," Jen yelled back. She
climbed out of the bathwater, toweled off, and slipped
into her bathrobe. Then she stepped out of the bathroom
and started downstairs.
"Did I hear the phone ring a little while ago?"
Jen asked, pulling the clip out of her hair and letting
her hair fall loose about her shoulders.
"Yes," Billy called from the kitchen. "It was a
wrong number."
"Oh," Jen said before stepping into her dining
room. "Oh!"
The dining room had been transformed. When she’d
gone upstairs to take her bath, the room had consisted
only of tables and chairs. Now, there was a pair of
lit candles on the table, vaguely illuminating the pair
of dishes filled with delicious-smelling food. Soft
music and dim lighting completed the mood.
Billy wandered into the dining room carrying two
glasses of cranberry juice.
"You didn’t burn it," Jen told him, referring to
the meal, as he set the drinks on the table.
"No, I didn’t burn it," Billy answered indignantly.
"Smart aleck." Billy seated Jen, then sat across from
her while they ate.
"That was a great meal," Jen admitted after she
finished her dinner. "Are you sure you cooked it?"
"You wouldn’t be asking that if you’d seen your
kitchen," Billy joked back.
Jen smiled at him. "You’re right. I guess some
things have changed."
Billy gazed levelly back at her. "Some things
haven’t."
* * *
The phone rang, and Trent grabbed it expectantly.
"Jen?" he answered.
"Hey, buddy," Carlos said. "Sorry to disappoint
you, but I'm not Jen. I’ve never done drag, and I’m
never going to. Not even for you."
"Hey, Carlos," Trent corrected, rubbing his eyes.
"I got some vague information on that Bowen guy you
asked me to look up," Carlos told him. "It seems he has
connections to the mob, but I can’t tell you which ones
they are -- why did you want me to look him up again?"
"It seems he has connections to Jen, also," Trent
shared.
"What, are they getting too close for your comfort
or something?" Carlos asked. "I didn’t know you were the
jealous type."
"What? I’m not jealous," Trent denied. "He just
seems a bit shady, that’s all."
"Well, if Jen trusts him..." Carlos said.
"That’s what I’m afraid of," Trent muttered.
"What was that?" Carlos asked.
"Nothing," Trent told him. "Did you get anything
else on him?"
"Sorry," Carlos answered. "He seems to cover his
tracks pretty well. I’ll keep checking, though."
"Thanks a lot, buddy," Trent said.
* * *
Jen cleared her throat, breaking the taut silence.
"Well, I have dishes to do," she said, standing up.
Billy grabbed her hand as she started to walk past. The
familiar sounds of Luther Vandross filled the room.
"They’re playing our song," Billy said, standing up.
Jen didn’t resist as he pulled her into his arms. They
began swaying to the music.
"Here and now,
I promise to love faithfully,
You’re all I need,
Here and now,
I vow to be one with thee,
Your love is all I need..."
Jen looked up at Billy as the song came to an end,
and their lips met. She didn’t fight when Billy picked
her up into his arms and headed for the stairs.
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