Just as Jennifer was about to take her first measurement, she noticed the blinking light on Catherine’s answering machine! It was driving her crazy with curiosity, wondering who the messages were from.
As Jennifer inspected the counter, she saw Catherine had 8 messages. She thought, “Hmm! Maybe I should check them out! Just to be sure there is no emergency or anything.”
As she listened, she found they were mostly solicitations, a message from Willie, and one very sweet yet telling message from Joe! Jennifer’s eyes widened as he heard Joe say,
“Cath…I have been thinking about you a lot…since you told me you were moving in with this guy. Maybe I should have been more, ah I don’t know…maybe I should have been more specific."
Joe then cleared his throat, and continued, "You, and I could be good together. If you give me a chance, I wouldn’t ask you to change your whole life around for me, not like he has. All I ask is you think about it…er…me…I mean think about us. Call me the minute you get home. I er…well you know...”
Jennifer thought, “Oh my God! That’s a proposal if I ever heard one! Not that I ever have!”
Then Jennifer surmised, “Hmmm this is quite interesting wait until I tell Cath…but oh no I can’t! Then she will know I listened in on her machine! Oh Darn it! Now I have to keep this to myself and wait for her to tell me. And then, I’ll have to act surprised!"
To which she then admitted to herself, she has had to act surprised many times in the past!
Then suspiciously Jennifer wondered, “What if she doesn’t tell me, and keeps all this to herself! OH having all of this knowledge is gonna kill me!”
Jennifer then pondered, “Joe, is such a cutie, I did always wonder why Cathy and he didn’t ever get together. Of course, now that I have met Vinny…well, now I understand! What an intriguing unique hunk of a man!”
With her finger tapping her chin, she wondered, “Hmmm I wonder if I could manage to get Joe to look my way?”
Jennifer took a deep breath and conceded, “Well “Operation Joe” will have to wait. I better get my measuring done!”
As Jennifer stood on a chair reaching above to get the drapery measurement of the Balcony doors, she heard a soft knocking on the window. Instantly she thought, “Oh that must be Vinny! Who else would be arriving on the Balcony!”
As Jennifer looked out of the curtain, she smiled and waved at a slightly bashful Vincent! Quickly she opened the door, and greeted him. “Hi Vinny, long time no see!"
Vincent looked downward, and said, “Yes Jennifer. I hope I did not frighten you.”
Jennifer smiled, and said, “Heck no Vinny. What’s up?”
To which Vincent said, “I wanted to leave this book for Catherine.”
Curiously, Jennifer said, “A book? Let me see hmmm, a Biography of John Keats! No offence Vinny, but it sounds boringggg! It should be right up Cath’s alley though! I am sure she will love it.”
Vincent looked up at the moon, and seeing the ring around its circumference he continued to tell Jennifer, “Rain is immanent Jennifer, I didn’t want to leave Catherine’s gift here outside.”
Shyly, he continued, “When I saw you were here, I hoped you wouldn’t mind placing this book inside for me.”
Jennifer gleefully said, “Of course Vinny, be glad too. Do you wanna come in?”
Vincent humbly said, “No Jennifer, I won’t keep you. I really must go. I have much to complete in Catherine’s chamber before her return.”
Jennifer pouted dramatically, trying to convey her disappointment she couldn’t talk him into staying! However, always the pushy optimist, she asked once more, “Oh come on stay Vinny. I would love to pick your brain some more, and get to know all about you and your life way down there deep in those dark spooky tunnels! I brought a bag full of Tacos along with me. Won’t you share them with me? Here we can sit outside at Cathy’s little table again if you like.”
Vincent hesitantly slipped his cloak off, and raised his eyes to meet Jennifer’s as he graciously accepted. Saying, “Perhaps I better stay, so I may better inform you about the Tunnels. I do not think you will find them, to use your terminology, Spooky. Although Saturday upon your visit there, you may assess that for yourself.”
Jennifer squealed, and said, “I am so glad you will stay!”
She looked at him in wonderment, and said, “I have to tell you, I just love the way you talk! All the guys I know, or most of them anyway, talk like they are from the Pleistocene era! Tell me something, do you ever use slang..."
Jennifer started to chide as she added, “...or even cuss?”
Vincent lowered his head, and sighed in amusement as he confessed, “Well if truth be known, I have cursed once or twice!”
Jennifer teasingly informed Vincent, “Once or twice? Maybe it's a good thing you finally met me! I am going to teach you a thing or two about loosening up!”
Vincent demurely smiled, and said, “Yes I can see you are free spirited. You seem to get an immense enjoyment out of life. I do admire that quality when I observe it in others.”
Jennifer told him, “You are right about that! I do enjoy life! It isn’t so hard to free your inner self! Wanna know the secret?”
Vincent curiously tipped his head to the side, and nodded yes to Jennifer’s question.
She then went on to reveal, “Well what you have to do is quite simple! It is this, don’t worry about what anyone else thinks about you! Listen to your inner heart, and do what makes yourself happy.”
Vincent listened and then sincerely shared, “That may be easy for you. You are not different as I am. I must always be concerned about others reactions to me, or how they may view me. I must always measure my words and actions when I am around others.”
Jennifer nodded in agreement and conceded to part of what Vincent had said. “I will agree about one thing, you are different on the outside, but on the inside, you have hopes and dreams like everyone else! You must follow them, at all costs!”
Vincent continued by explaining, “I suppose part of my reserve is also due to my upbringing. My Father is a very strait-laced eloquent man.”
Jennifer smiled, and said, “Well then, wait until I meet him! I’ll loosen him up too!”
They both shared a smile, and then Jennifer said, “Don't worry Vinny! I’ll behave when I meet him. I cannot wait until Saturday!”
Vincent wondered if he should delve into the subject of his differences with Jennifer, because he was curious why she accepted him so readily. It seemed to be without any reserve at all!
Jennifer noticed Vincent was deep in thought and asked, “What’s up Vinny? Missing Cath?”
Vincent raised his eyes, and with an agreeing nod, said, “Yes Jennifer…more than I can say. However, just now I was wondering about you.”
Jennifer surprisingly asked, “Me? What about me Vinny?”
Vincent shook his head in wonderment, and explained, “I have wondered why you are not hesitant about my being in Catherine’s life! Does my appearance not alarm or concern you on any level?”
Jennifer huffed as she released a long thoughtful breath, and bit her lip as she thought of how she wanted to explain her feelings. As she looked back at Vincent she said, “Vinny, I have known Cath practically all my life, I have seen her happy, and I have seen her so very sad. I have seen her in every range of emotion you can come up with! But I have never seen her in love before, glowing and joyful, like she's been since she met you.”
Jennifer felt her emotions erupt, and cried as she loudly bellowed, “I love her like a sissster, and my one desire for her is that she have a happpppy and a fulfilling liiiiiiiife.”
She then grabbed a tissue, and honked as she blew her nose so she could continue. Crying still, she said, “And Vinny, I can see she found that in youuuuuuuu…”
Vincent was taken aback by Jennifer’s show of emotion, and clumsily he held out his arms and patted her on the back, as he calmed her, he warmly replied, “I am so pleased we have your blessing.”
Jennifer then looked up at Vincent, with mascara running down her face, and smiled as she once again loudly blew her nose, and said, “You really love her uh?”
Vincent gazed down, and assured Jennifer, “With all that I am.”
His answer, caused Jennifer to wail, “Oh that is sooooooooo sweet!”
As he once again attempted to calm her, he said, “There, there now Jennifer.”
Jennifer took a deep breath, and with a post-nasal snort, she said, “Well I don’t know about you, but I am starving! A good cry always works up my appetite! Come on and sit down. Make yourself comfortable and I will get the food.”
Vincent looked down in amazement, at how quickly Jennifer’s mood had changed! With an astonished shake of his head, and a smile in his eyes, he complied with Jennifer’s wishes, and sat at Catherine’s patio table.
Jennifer never stopped talking as she reached for the bag of Tacos off the table inside of Catherine’s apartment. As she set the bag down, she lit the candle on the little patio table, all the while telling Vincent how happy she was Catherine was finally going to quit the D.A.! “It has to be more dangerous than she let’s on. I know her Dad, may he rest in peace, was always worried about her.”
Vincent took a deep breath, and agreed, “Once she returns home from this last assignment, I too will be relieved.”
Vincent tipped his head as he revealed, “I have found Catherine to be quite determined to make a difference in this world, and nothing, not even I can change her mind when she is dedicated to seeing a cause to the finish.”
Jennifer nodded in total agreement, “Tell me about it! She has always had a stubborn streak, but since her attack Vinny, she seems even more stubborn and determined than ever.”
Jennifer laughed as she changed the subject and confessed, “I can tell you that I have been pretty angry with her quite a few times! I knew she had a secret man in her life, and she would not tell me anything! Can you believe it? She wouldn’t tell, not even me!”
To be continued
Chapter Six
| Dreams of Gold! By Sharon Holtz Chapter Five |
