She rose and put on a pair of black slack shorts. Funny, they were tight; tighter than she remembered them. The front button was cutting into her stomach. She frowned and traded them for a pair of khaki shorts; they too were tight. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit her! In shock and horror she ran to the bathroom and pulled out the scale. She stared at it, heart beating. Did she want to know? With a feeling of dread she closed her eyes and stepped onto the scale. She waited, not daring to look. She knew she had been eating more than usual. Ice cream, pie, BREAD! “Please let the number be small, please let the number be small,” she chanted to herself as she slowly opened her eyes. She looked and calculated. Her heart sank in utter despair. Twelve pounds! Twelve pounds!!! She got off the scale and held her chest. She couldn’t breathe. How on God’s green earth had she gained twelve pounds in less than two months? She had to do something; stop eating! Yes! That always worked. No that’s silly; Aunt Gabby would never allow that. Run! That’s it! She just needed to start running! She realized she hadn’t done as much as one Pilates workout since she had arrived in Ohio. But… twelve pounds! “Why me?” she cried out loud to no one in particular.
After finding an outfit that still fit her, Jen made her way downstairs to find Aunt Gabby making breakfast. Waffles, syrup, jams, fruit, whipped cream, eggs and coffee lined the kitchen counter. Jen was torn; she was hungry, but she was also damn angry at herself. Maybe she’d start her diet tomorrow? She mentally slapped herself and sat down on the bar stool.
“Good morning,” she grumbled, eyeing the whipped cream and fruit.
“Good morning dear, you seem a little gloomy this morning.”
“I’ve gained twelve pounds,” Jen stated, not trying to hide her shame.
“Oh that’s wonderful!” Aunt Gabby exclaimed. “I bet you feel so much better and full of energy. You were entirely too thin when you got here ya know. I determined the minute I saw you that I was going to work to fatten you up a bit.”
Jen stared at her, not believing her ears. “You mean you’ve been TRYING to make me gain weight?”
“I have simply been TRYING to make you healthier darling. You looked like you were going to blow away. And now look at you, rosy cheeked and bright eyed. It’s done you good.”
“Aunt Gabby let me explain something. I have an extensive, high priced wardrobe consisting of sizes two and four. My two’s no longer fit me. How am I supposed to deal with that?”
Aunt Gabby was chuckling to herself, “Sounds like we need to go shopping. The Fourth of July fair is Saturday. We’ll go get something cute to wear.” She grinned at Jen like she had just solved the world’s problems, but Jen wasn’t satisfied.
“Aunt Gabby, I have plenty of clothes. I just need to start working out again and eating less.”
Aunt Gabby was busy piling food onto a plate and either didn’t hear her or wasn’t paying attention.
“Aunt Gabby,” she said, louder this time.
She looked up, “Yes dear?”
“You don’t seem to grasp the gravity of my situation,” Jen stated seriously.
“What situation is that?”
Jen let out an exasperated sigh, “The situation of the extra twelve pounds hanging on my ass!” She tried to not sound dramatic but it couldn’t be helped. “What am I going to do about that?”
Aunt Gabby looked up from what she was doing, smiled and placed a large plate in front of Jen. A beautifully made waffle covered with syrup, whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries lay there with two fried eggs and two strips of bacon nestled to the side. Jen stared at the food, her feelings conflicted. She had to admit it looked amazing.
“Embrace it,” Aunt Gabby said holding up a fork; the twinkle in her blue eyes making Jen smile. She looked down at the plate in front of her then back at Aunt Gabby. They both giggled and Jen sighed. Then she accepted the fork.
The following Friday morning Jen, Aunt Gabby and Annie went to the local mall to try and find something to wear for the Fourth of July fair the next day and the dance on Sunday night. Jen was having difficulty finding something that suited her style. As they walked from store to store, Jen suddenly spotted one that caught her eye. A New York boutique! Jen squealed with delight and darted in as Annie and Aunt Gabby followed. Jen quickly found what she was looking for; a black pencil skirt and matching vest, with a white, loosely fitting blouse underneath. Clean, classic, and right up Jen’s alley. She held up the outfit so Annie and Aunt Gabby could marvel at its classic beauty.
“Are you going to a funeral?” Aunt Gabby asked.
“Or a business meeting?” Annie chimed in.
Jen felt a little deflated. “What do you mean?” she asked, looking at the outfit. “It’s adorable and very fashionable!”
“It’s adorable and fashionable for New York City, but not for Ohio. You’ll look like a security agent,” Annie’s tone was soft. “And it’s… black,” she finished.
“Black just happens to be a timeless color,” Jen stated, a little irritated.
“It’s the Fourth of July, Jenny.” Aunt Gabby was ready to put in her two cents. “You need something patriotic!”
Jen’s eyes narrowed, “You mean like, red, white and blue?”
Both Aunt Gabby and Annie nodded in unison.
“Well, I don’t know how to dress for these sorts of events,” Jen complained.
Annie took the outfit from Jen, hung it back on the rack and slipped her arm through Jen’s. “You leave it to me. I’ll find you the perfect outfit.” Giddy with excitement she exclaimed, “You’re going to look amazing!”
Jen looked at Aunt Gabby who nodded her approval. She seemed to think that Annie picking Jen’s outfit for both the fair and the dance was a great idea, so Jen decided to go with it.
“Trust me,” Annie said as they walked to one of her favorite stores. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll look like a born and bred country girl!” Annie giggled and Jen laughed nervously. As Annie pulled Jen into the store, Jen caught sight of the name, Western… something. This was going to be interesting.
Chapter 9
The fair was full of people. A Ferris wheel, cotton candy, kettle popcorn and even a ‘deep fried anything’ booth were among the many attractions that scattered the area. Jen was having a blast! Who knew these things could be so much fun? Aunt Gabby had shown her around and introduced her to quite a few people. The day was beautiful; not too hot. At least, Jen didn’t think so. She actually felt quite cool in the outfit Annie had picked out for her: a pink and blue plaid shirt with sleeves that went to her elbows, tucked into a pair of cut-off jean shorts that sported a belt with a downright legitimate western buckle! The outfit was pulled together by a pair of brown cowboy boots that Jen felt were quite comfortable. Annie was right; she looked like a born and bred country girl.
Jen separated from her aunt and walked into a grassy area away from the main bustle of the fair. There was a slight breeze and Jen lifted her head to let it catch her hair. She closed her eyes and breathed deep.
“Looks like Annie got her way.”
Jen spun around to face Zack, a smirk on his face.
Smiling, Jen folded her arms, “Her way with what?”
Zack walked up to stand beside her. “Annie told me she was going to give you a makeover, so I bet her that you wouldn’t agree to it. Looks like you did, so she won.”
“What did you bet?”
Zack smiled and popped a couple pieces of kettle corn into his mouth as Jen waited for him to explain. “Kettle corn?” he offered, still grinning like a child.
Hmmm, so you’re going to be like that! Jen rolled her eyes and turned to start walking.
“You wanna go on the Ferris wheel?” he asked, clearly changing the subject.
“Are you serious?” Jen laughed. Stopping, she turned to look at him. “Aren’t you a little old for that?”
“Ouch. I’m not that old. Besides you are never too old to have fun at the fair.” He wiggled his eyebrows up and do
wn. “Am I right?”
“That’s a common misconception,” Jen stated as she began walking again. “You can definitely be too old to do certain things.”
Zack followed her. “Why are you always so uptight?” he asked, chewing his popcorn as he walked. “You seem a little young to have forgotten what it’s like to be young.”
Jen stopped, and for a moment seemed far away in thought. “I guess the last few years of my life have been so busy with law school and work that I sometimes forget that I can have fun,” she finally said.
“So, what could we do to fix that?” he asked, his head slightly tilted to one side. Again, Jen thought of a puppy.
“Fix what? How to have fun?” Jen wanted to make sure they were on the same page. Zack asked a lot of questions and she didn’t like trying to fill in the blanks. Why couldn’t he just say what he wanted to say? After all, that’s how miscommunication happens. People assume and don’t communicate clearly what they mean. She saw it a lot working with her cases. Miscommunication leads to a lot of problems in today’s society.
He smiled at her. “I would like to fix…” he paused, “I want to get to know you better. I want to show you how much fun you can have. I thought we had a lot of fun together the other day, going riding. I want to create more experiences like that one. After all, we’re friends, right?”
Jen thought a moment, looking up and tapping her foot, as if it were a very big decision. She finally smiled and nodded but didn’t say anything.
Zack laughed, “See! We’re friends, and friends have fun together.”
“So this friendship,” Jen paused as if she were thinking deeply. “What are the benefits? Do I get your first born if you make fun of my wardrobe?”
Zack laughed out loud and Jen realized again how handsome he was. “Oh, well no, unfortunately, being friends with me does not protect you from the teasing. But I could probably take it down a notch, just until you get a little more used to my style.”
“I counter your proposal with one of my own. If you still get to tease then I get to ask you five questions, and when I do, you have to answer them, truthfully,” Jen proposed.
“Oh wow!” Zack laughed. “I forget you’re a lawyer. Are you using your lawyer tactics on me right now?” He gave her a suspicious look and Jen couldn’t help smiling.
Zack continued, “This is good, I feel like we’re making head way. I’ve learned a lot about you this week.” Holding up his fingers he began to count off. “You’ve grown to like horses…”
“One horse,” Jen corrected, “Stallion.”
“Okay, Stallion…” he continued counting. “You’re nosy, I mean, you want to know everything about me… you don’t own a pair of boots or jeans… and you are against kettle corn?” He lifted the bag and gave her a questioning look.
Jen looked him in the eye for a moment. “Just because you like to analyze everything about me does not mean you know anything. I happen to LOVE kettle corn!” She accepted a handful of the corn offered to her.
“You,” he said shaking his finger at her teasingly, “you’re a tricky one.”
She laughed as she chewed.
“Okay, what would you like to know about me?” Zack offered.
Jen hid her smile. “What did you and Annie bet?”
“Ahhh,” Zack said with mischief in his eyes. “Does this count as one of the five questions?”
Jen shook her head, pretending to be serious, “Oh no, I’ll save those for emergencies only.”
“Good to know. So what happens if you ask me a question and I lie?” Zack raised his eyebrows in question.
Jen thought a moment, “Then you will have lied to me. And you’ll have to live with the guilt.”
Zack nodded and grinned at her, “Fair enough.”
“The bet…?”
“Oh, I just said that she couldn’t get a beautiful, sophisticated girl like you to wear country jeans and a t-shirt. She took the challenge and said I had to buy her lunch if she won. So, looks like I’m taking my sis to lunch.”
There was a moment of silence. Jen shifted her feet; she wasn’t used to not having something to say. She couldn’t quite figure this guy out. He was charming; a little too charming at times. She had mentally promised herself that she wasn’t going to spend any more one on one time with Zack because she couldn’t afford to get involved with him. However, she liked him. In fact, she liked him a little too much, and that could lead to problems.
Despite Jen telling herself this wasn’t a good idea, she couldn’t resist walking and talking with Zack. He was so different from the other men she had been with. He seemed to enjoy life, and was driven only by what each day had to offer, rather than schedules, deadlines and appointments.
The conversation flowed effortlessly as they continued walking together. They talked about summer, the fair, and riding together. Zack opened up and shared some stories from when he was young and Jen found herself listening intently. They talked of places they’d like to see and the difference between Ohio and New York. Laughing, they quoted favorite movie lines, and divulged embarrassing stories about high school. Zack revealed he played the saxophone and loved ballroom dancing. Jen told him how much she loved to paint, and that she secretly wished she could be an artist. The afternoon sped by and Jen couldn’t remember the last time she opened up on this level with a guy.
“So,” Zack started, when they had come to a break in their conversation about favorite foods, “can I buy you a deep fried Twinkie?”
“Seriously?” she asked.
“Oh we don’t joke about deep fried things here.”
Jen giggled, “I thought that was more of a southern thing.”
“It’s a country thing,” Zack stated matter-of-factly. “Deep fried items are a staple, an icon in the society of line-dancing, horse-riding, and cow-wrestling people like us.”
“Ahhh, I see.” Jen feigned serious interest.
“You don’t believe me; I can see it in your eyes. But if you want to fit in, if you want to get that true Ohioan feel, you are going to need to eat a deep fried item.”
“What if I don’t want to get that true Ohioan feel?”
“If you aren’t here to get a feel for the culture, why are you here?”
“I’m here to spend time with Aunt Gabby.”
“Aunt Gabby’s been here for a long time, and I’ve never seen you around here before now.” Zack looked at her curiously. “When was the last time you saw her?”
Jen bit her lip, Zack was getting nosy again. She decided honesty was best. “I haven’t seen her since I was five.” She looked at Zack to gauge his reaction; he seemed interested so she went on. “I’m not close to any of my family. It’s been my dad and I for as long as I can remember.”
“Your mom?” Zack asked.
Jen weighed her emotions; she wasn’t sure how much of her personal life she wanted to share with this man. In all reality, she barely knew him. And yet, she felt comfortable sharing things with him. “My mom split when I was four, and my dad isn’t close to any of his siblings.”
“I’m sorry.” Zack seemed genuine. “Did your dad ever remarry?”
“Oh yes.” Jen’s voice was laced with sarcasm and disdain. “Five times was I blessed with a new stepmother.”
“Oh wow,” Zack said, “lucky you.”
“Yeah,” Jen said sarcastically.
“Grandparents?” Zack continued, breaking the awkwardness.
“All deceased.” She thought a moment. “At least, I think so.”
“You think so?” Zack was incredulous. “You don’t know for sure?”
“I told you, my mom left. I don’t know her parents. My dad’s parents have passed away. Aunt Gabby is the only sibling my dad has ever talked about.”
“You should check up on the grandparent situation,” Zack insisted through a mouthful of popcorn. “Everyone needs grandparents.”
Jen smiled warily, “What you don’t know…” She shrugged.
Z
ack nodded. “Family’s important, even if you don’t want to think so.”
“What about you?” It was time for her to ask the questions.
Zack took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “My dad died in a tractor accident when I was eleven. Annie was only seven so she doesn’t remember him as well. My mom passed away almost five years ago; breast cancer.”
“I’m so sorry,” Jen said honestly. She couldn’t imagine losing both parents.
“Thanks,” Zack smiled at her. “Aunt Gabby has been a great comfort. She was close to my mom. They were really good friends, like sisters, which is why we started calling her Aunt Gabby. After so many years, the name stuck.”
“She’s a special person,” Jen said. “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her. She’s treated me so well.”
“So what made you just up and decide to visit her for the entire summer?”
Jen thought she detected a hint of suspicion in his tone, but more than that, she wondered why he was asking such a question when Aunt Gabby needed people right now. Then the thought struck her – maybe he didn’t know Aunt Gabby was sick! Jen dismissed it the second she thought it. He would have to know. There is no way she could keep that from him. Maybe he didn’t say anything because she didn’t like people talking about it. After all, Aunt Gabby had never even mentioned it to her in the entire time she’d been there. Maybe Zack was testing her; seeing how much she knew. Jen looked at Zack and he returned her gaze, waiting for her answer.
“Like you said, family’s important. And since Aunt Gabby was really the only family member my dad talked about I thought I would take the summer and really get to know her. My job is at a place that I was able to get away.” She shrugged. “It was the right time.”
Zack listened intently, nodding at the appropriate times. He seemed truly interested. “So you just wanted to get to know her? No material reasons or trying to gain something from it?
Jen’s eyebrows furrowed and she turned towards him. “What do you mean by that?” she asked defensively. Her heart began to beat a little faster.
Love Finds You: A Helena's Grove Novella Page 5