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“Yes, I did. And I can confirm unequivocally that man is one humongous pompous ass.” JJ threw her purse across the living room to the far side of the couch.
She looked at the pair, her eyes opening wide, her mouth involuntarily forming a smile. “What?” Blake questioned.
“It’s just awkward for me, that’s all. It’s like a bad horror movie.”
Chapter 13
“You what?” Without waiting for a response, JJ continued. “How could you possibly confirm a dinner date for me without even leaving a note somewhere?”
“I’m sorry, JJ. It just slipped my mind.” It was Saturday afternoon, and the truth was Alex could think of nothing else for the last couple of days. The prospect of JJ seeing this man again filled her thoughts, and very romantic ones they were.
Several different factors motivated her. Well, of course, she wanted for JJ what her creator had given her: a gorgeous man who loved her. She already recognized that JJ used her work as a thinly veiled attempt to hide her loneliness.
But she also wanted to get back to her own world, her own life, the tending to her small flower garden, to her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and the very personal unfolding of her life with Blake. She was eager to see where it all was going to lead.
She prayed that JJ would feel the social pressure to go to her sister’s. So far, the plan was going just as she had envisioned. Anger. She knew JJ would be furious when she learned of the dinner party. She had expected that and accepted it. Now, she crossed her fingers JJ would do exactly what she had expected of her—go anyway. It really was too late to call and back out.
Alex was more than willing to bear both the brunt of the anger and the criticism if it meant getting JJ to her sister’s. This would result in her encountering Professor Cooper again. More importantly, if all went well, it would result in her falling in love with him.
As these thoughts filled her mind, she heard the continuing rant, “Do you have any idea how much I’d love to call right now and tell Nan I’m not coming? But it’s a little late. I’m supposed to be there in three hours.”
JJ, who had been leisurely curled up on the living room couch, remote control in one hand while the other had been digging through the popcorn bowl, brought her feet from the couch to the floor, in an exaggerated, agitated manner. Sighing deeply, she glared at Alex, who in turn, looked down at her shoes, as she attempted to put a remorseful look on her face.
She knew this event meant nothing less than JJ fulfilling her destiny. Destiny. Synchronicity. The magical alignment of the stars. Kismet. Whatever you want to call this moment, she thought romantically, it appeared the Universe was working toward finding a soul mate for the very person who brought her own soul mate into her life.
The one thing she didn’t want was to screw this up. It was best, as far as the “flow of the Universe” was concerned, that JJ be carried along by the tide of events—even if it meant blindfolding her to those events and dragging her along kicking and screaming.
JJ finally paused in her tirade and rose from her place on the couch. Alex quickly and quietly stepped in to speak. “I suppose if you’re going, you should start to get ready.”
JJ glowered fiercely at her. “You have no right meddling in my personal life. How dare you make a…”
JJ began to say something more then stopped. A strange look came over her face. “Let me get this straight,” she said, a little softer and in a more thoughtful manner. “You talked to my sister over the telephone?”
“Yeah, sure.” Alex paused.
“And she heard you and spoke to you?”
“That’s usually how those conversations work.” Alex bit her lip.
Blake, who had been sitting on the wingback chair, put his book down. “What’s your point?”
Ah, Blake would get to the bottom of this for her. Thank you, hon, she said to herself.
“My point is that a phone conversation has to take place between two real people.” JJ paced the small living room as she spoke. “Up until now, I just assumed I was the only person who could interact with you two. That you were figments of my imagination.”
“No,” Alex whimpered. “That’s so mean.” Blake leaped out of the chair and wrapped an arm around Alex.
“This changes everything.” JJ sat on the edge of the couch.
Alex, who was still in the protective hold of Blake, tilted her head. “How so?”
“Don’t you see, love?” Blake’s answer not only startled Alex but JJ as well.
“No, I don’t. Someone please explain it to me. All I did was talk to JJ’s sister.”
“If we were solely a part of your imagination,” Blake said, addressing JJ, “then Alex wouldn’t have been able to talk to your sister, right?”
JJ nodded. “Exactly. If no one else can talk to you, then I can be pretty comfortable that I’m the one going through this, well, whatever it is. But, if everyone can talk to you and see you, then I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here. Up until now, you were my personal, private hallucinations. I’m just not sure what to call you now.”
