Causing A Commotion

by Lynn, Janice

  “There were thousands of emails to cull through.” Colin shot her a knowing grin. “Fortunately, Jessie went through them and deleted quite a few that she found inappropriate.”

  Harsh light or not, she glared. How did he know that?

  J.P. Had to be. Ohhh, she seethed. Men. None of them could be trusted.

  “Making my job to find the one that deserved to win easier.” Colin stood from behind the desk, careful to keep just out of kicking range she noted, and took her hand. “Jessie and I are going to go sit in the living room, and when we get back from this commercial break, I’ll announce the winner.”

  The moment the on air light went off, Jessie spat, “What are you doing?”

  “Walking you to the living area. Come on.” He tugged upward, lifting her out of her chair.

  “Just for the record, I hate you.” Why she said it, she wasn’t sure. But she’d had to say it. Had to lash out at him for all the hurt just looking at him caused her.

  “I know.” He grinned, and she thought she might really. He was playing with her. Him. Colin. Playing with her. Jessie. Who did he think he was? Didn’t he know it was her job to play with the opposite sex and no matter how she felt about him, she wouldn’t put up with being toyed with?

  “No one even remembers the Fun for Colin Contest. This is a total waste of air time.”

  “I’m sure you’re right.”

  Would he quit being so agreeable? Ugh.

  “I’ll have J.P. cut this from the film.” She cast a look at the audience to see if she could sneak in a shin kick, then pasted a smile on her face. No way, they were glued to her and Colin. Terrific.

  “Go ahead if you think he will.”

  He wouldn’t, would he? This would do too much for lifting rating for J.P. to cut it out. “I’m going to sue you for interrupting my show.”

  “I have your producer’s and your network’s permission to be here. Go ahead. Sue me.”

  He was laughing at her. Mocking her. Making her look like a fool on her own show. Darn him.

  “But not mine,” she reminded, jerking her hand free and placing both on her hips. “I don’t want you here,” she mouthed, hoping her microphone didn’t broadcast their conversation.

  “Yes, you’ve made that clear, but this segment isn’t about what Jessie wants, is it? It’s about Colin having some fun, and you’re the one who put this particular piece in motion. It’s only justice that you have to finish it.”

  “Fine,” she huffed, marching past him to sit down in her chair and turning her shoulder to him. About time someone let him know what it felt like to get the cold treatment since he’d been doing it to her from the day they’d met.

  He laughed.

  Which made her irritation and anger threaten to explode like a volcano and rain hot lava all over his parade. How dare he come on her show and cause such a commotion?

  She turned to him, ready to tell him just what she thought of his behavior. Only he wasn’t in his chair.

  He was down on his knees beside her chair.

  The “on air” light clicked on.

  Jessie bit the inside of her lip to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor.

  Oh. My.

  In Colin’s hand he held a copy of B.K. Smith’s The Blooming Rose.

  Her eyes widened with realization.

  He’d read her Fun for Colin email. Chosen her email.

  She bit down harder, tasting blood, not caring. She needed the pain to keep her focused. To remind her that he’d left. That she didn’t understand his reasons for doing this, but she wasn’t going to melt just because he was on his knees and about to read erotic poetry. To her.

  “Like the softest rose petal,” Colin began, but he didn’t look at the pages in the book. He stared into her eyes. “Her skin lured me with its softness, urging me to stroke my fingertip over the silky smoothness.”

  How was she supposed to not melt when he quoted erotic poetry to her and looked at her as if each word was from the heart?

  She didn’t want to melt. She wanted to hit him and stomp his feet and to…melt.

  No. No. No. She didn’t want this. She wanted to stay mad at him. To not give in just because he smiled at her. Winked at her. Quoted poetry to her. She needed that anger to protect her broken heart. How dare he do this?

  “Urging me to bring her bud to full bloom.” He took her hand in his, stared at her with emotion he didn’t attempt to hide and continued, “But, alas, I am but the stalk upon which her beauty is pedestaled. The bearer of thorns in her succinct beauty. Merely a shaft of light meant to briefly dance upon her dewy petals.”

  Jessie gulped, wondering if she’d bitten through her lip, severing a nerve because she no longer felt pain, no longer felt anything but the warmth emanating from Colin’s eyes. Or perhaps it was the moist heat emanating from her own eyes. With her free hand she swatted at her tears. Elaine was not going to be happy because her make-up was definitely messed up.

  Colin continued to quote the excerpt Jessie had read, one of the few places in the poem that could be read on air without the FCC coming down on Wolf. When he finished, the audience burst into clapping and cheers.

  “Why are you doing this?” Jessie asked.

  “Because it’s what you asked for in your email.”

  “Not exactly,” she reminded.

  “No,” he agreed, “but the remainder of your email isn’t for the viewing public.”

  “Might be good for ratings.”

  “When have I ever cared about ratings?”

  “Never,” she admitted. “So, tell me, Colin, what do you care about?”

  “I’d think it obvious.”

  And amazingly, it was.

  Her heart pounded against her ribcage, bruising her insides. “Tell me.”

  “While I’m on my knees?”

  “It’s a good place for a man to be.”

  His gaze ran down her body, paused at his eye level and he breathed a heavy, “Can’t argue with that.”

  To which she almost giggled. Which was crazy. He’d left her. Hurt her. Driven her half insane with missing him over the past couple of months.

  And here he was on his knees, having just barged onto her show and quoted award-winning erotic poetry to her and she was melting and as much at his feet as ever.

  She stiffened her spine and her resolve, determined not to let him make a fool of her, to not give him the opportunity to turn his back on her again, to leave her alone in a world where she hated being alone even if she no longer feared it. Yet preferred to be alone as opposed to being with anyone other than him.

  “I love you, Jessie.”

  Her resolve went to the outhouse and so did her knees. Fortunately, Colin reacted quickly and stood, steadying her in his arms.

  “What did you say?”

  He laughed and a memory of how she’d loved the feel of laughter in his chest long ago echoed through her heart.

  Instinctively, her hand palmed his chest above his heart and gripped the material of his shirt in her fist. “What did you say?” she demanded.

  “That I missed you.”

  “That is not what you said.”

  “That I need you.”

  “That isn’t what you said.”

  “That I’ll learn all of that poem if it takes me the rest of my life so I can quote it to you if it’ll make you find forgiveness in your heart for a man who loves you more than life itself.”

  “That’s what I thought you said.” Jessie stepped up onto his feet to gain leverage, after all the man came prepared with steel-toed shoes so it wasn’t as if she’d hurt him. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “If you do that, a woman would be a fool not to forgive you.”

  “I’ve met some fool women during my time.”

  “I’m not one of them.”

  “No,” he agreed, searching her eyes. “You’re bright and intelligent and beautiful and,”

  “Sexy, don’t forget sexy.”

  “Sexy, and modest
and,”

  “And forgiving, don’t forget that one.”

  “And talkative. Way too talkative.”

  “Then shut me up.”

  “I intend to.” And he did. By covering her lips with his and kissing her.

  Clapping erupted around them.

  Jessie barely noticed over the thudding of her heart. Colin pulled back, stared down at her, smiling. “You really forgive me?”

  She looked heavenward. “Do I have any choice?”

  “You always have a choice.”

  “Really? Try telling my heart that, because it seems to think there is no choice.”

  “You’ll take me back?”

  “Yes.”

  “In your life? On your show?”

  “The show? You want to come back to Causing A Commotion?”

  “Yes, I’ve discovered I’ve grown quite fond of your Sex Tip of the Day.”

  “And my poetry readings. Don’t forget my poetry readings.”

  “There is that.” Colin laughed. “Marry me, Jessie and put me out of my misery.”

  Jessie jerked her head back. “Marry you? Are you serious?”

  He nodded. “As serious as a man with his heart on the line can be.”

  She leapt into his arms, wrapped her legs around his waist and kissed him until she was breathless. Until he was breathless.

  “You know if I say yes I’ll spend the rest of my days causing one commotion after another in your life?”

  He clasped his fingers with hers, lifted their twined hands to his lips. “I’m counting on it.”