Protector - Laurel Dewey [99]
“There’s nothin’ to worry about, Janie,” Mike said offhandedly.
“Well, I figured Sunday morning after Saturday night. You know the rest.”
Mike looked over at Lisa, a little embarrassed by Jane’s comment. “Oh, no . . .”
“What?” Jane said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. She was starting to feeling like the odd man out and not enjoying it.
“We were at the art show,” Mike quickly stated. “They got that Memorial Day Weekend thing in the park. Lisa makes this really cool jewelry out of copper and brass. You’ve got to see it sometime, Janie. It’s just beautiful.”
Lisa put her arm around Mike lovingly. “Mike’s my biggest fan.”
“Yeah,” Jane said, treating Lisa more like a suspect. “I see that.”
“Hey, I’m not the only fan!” Mike said, nudging Lisa. “Lisa’s got these friends from her group who have a booth at the art show in the park. They’re showcasing some of her stuff this weekend and she’s already sold two necklaces and three bracelets. I’m tellin’ you, Janie, she’s gonna be famous one day. You gotta get yourself one of her pieces while you can still afford it.”
“Mike!” Lisa seemed genuinely chagrined.
Jane felt herself boiling inside as she watched the back and forth, flirtatious body language between Lisa and Mike. “Mike!” Jane said quickly. “I need to talk to you—”
“I’ll go in the house and you guys can have some privacy,” Lisa replied, turning to Jane. “If I don’t get a chance to say good-bye, it was a pleasure meeting you,” she said with a sincere smile before heading to Mike’s front door.
Mike watched her walk away, a sappy smile pasted across his face. He was totally in his own world as he turned back to Jane. “Isn’t she great, Janie?”
“Let’s go for a walk,” Jane said.
Mike sidled up alongside Jane. “What’s up?” he asked.
“I gotta go away for a while. It has to do with work.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know yet. And even when I do, I can’t tell you.”
“Wow. Sounds important.” Mike’s attitude clearly demonstrated that he wasn’t that impressed by the news.
“Mike? Did you hear me? I’m going away and I might be gone for a while.”
“Yeah, okay, Janie. I’ll go to your house and pick up your newspapers and water your lawn. Hey, you know what? Lisa has got a green thumb. How about if I bring her over to your house and we plant some pretty flowers around that pathway. I think it would really brighten it up—”
“What in the fuck has gotten into you!” Jane said, stopping in her tracks. “Jesus Christ! You’re like some love struck puppy!”
“Okay, we won’t plant any flowers! We’ll just come over and water and—”
“You keep her the fuck away from my place!”
“Why?”
“Because, I don’t know anything about her!”
“She’s a good woman!”
“How the hell do you know, Mike? You’ve known her how long? She’s like all your other girlfriends—”
“No, she’s not!” Mike said defiantly. “I told you the other day, she’s different!”
“Fuck that!”
“She is! Why can’t you accept that?”
“Because that has never been the way it is!”
“Janie,” Mike struggled a bit before he spoke. “Don’t do this, okay?”
“Don’t do what?”
“I don’t need you to get in my face so much.”
“If I didn’t get in your face, God only knows what would happen to you.”
“What’s gonna happen to me?”
“Anything and everything! You have no idea, Mike!”
“Janie, you gotta pull back.”
“I can’t pull back!”
“What are you talking about?”
Jane looked upward, as if the right words were painted on the sky. “Things happen, Mike. Awful, sick things happen. It is my job to make sure you don’t get hurt. It has always been my job. You’ll never know how seriously I take that job.”
Mike thought for a second and then spoke. “What if you just quit the job.”
Jane let out an exaggerated groan. “Mike, when are you gonna grow up?”
“When are you gonna let me?”
“Excuse me?” she replied, sounding more like a parent than a sister.
Mike