“Then you’ll have some cash to give you a leg up in life.”
Derek just shook his head and stared down at his hands. “Christ, they should have put me in the legal care of Aunt Mary. If they had then this wouldn’t be happening right now. She would have paid for our living costs and you would’ve had sufficient funds to pay-off college and complete it in a normal time frame. You would’ve been working in your chosen career for two years already.”
The words sliced through my heart, wounding me in a way nothing else could. Why couldn’t Derek see it for what it was? Our parents had entrusted me with taking care of him. And I was doing everything humanly possible to do exactly what they had wanted.
“You don’t mean that Derek.”
“Just promise me you’ll think about it.” Derek stood up to leave. “You have been sacrificing for five years, JT. I love you, man. Please let me give back a little. Let me feel like I got to take care of you for once.”
I nodded and watched as Derek left before I returned my attention to Jordan. A single tear was trailing a path down her cheek and I gently wiped it away with my finger. Why was I such a jackass sometimes? Derek meant the world to me. I had promised I would think about it and I would keep that promise.
“JT, please,” Jordan said, placing her hand on my arm. “It would mean so much to Derek if you did this.”
“I know,” I said, nodding my head. “I hear where he’s coming from but it just doesn’t sit right with me. The most I can do is think about it. That, I can promise.”
“Yeah, you do that JT.” Jordan gave me a sullen look before standing up to leave. “You’re good at thinking about everything. Just don’t wait too long or the choice might be taken out of your hands before you’ve come to your own conclusion. I’ll see you later.”
Great. Now she was angry with me too. How did that happen? I was supposed to be pissed at her. Why did everything have to be so complicated?
***
Jordan
I reached for my phone as I walked to the parked car. I knew JT was stubborn but this was getting ridiculous. It was going to take a nuclear bomb to tear down the thick wall he’d built around himself and get him to see things from another perspective. He meant well. But he had gained independence at a very young age and was proving difficult to budge. I had been fooling myself to think he was coming around to my way of thinking about our relationship. He was going to have to get there on his own terms. That was clear to me now. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t put things in motion and move it along quickly. I hastily dialed a number and put the phone to my ear.
“Steve.” I bit my lip and took the plunge. “Saturday night sounds great but it’ll have to be after nine o’clock. Is that too late?”
Chapter Ten
Cakes by Tiffany
Jordan
“Geez, Grannie,” I huffed as I used all of my strength to turn my grandmother’s 2000 Saturn SL into the parking space at Cakes by Tiffany located in downtown Royal Oak. “I don’t understand why you insist on keeping this car with its manual steering and roll down windows. It just isn’t necessary.”
Grannie chuckled and pointed a sharp finger. “Don’t let Susie Orman hear you say that! One of the many secrets to building wealth is keeping your car well-maintained so you can drive it until it dies. You’d do well to member that sage advice. This car still has a lot of life left in it. I don’t drive very far, you know.”
“I guess,” I sighed. “Apparently you’re not the only one who thinks that way. JT has been driving that Ford Focus for ages even though I know he’s dying for a Mustang. At least he has the excuse that he can’t afford a new car right now. It’s how you got Derek his Camaro too. Which, by the way, I haven’t completely forgiven you for yet. You know that’s my dream car. Why couldn’t you have gotten that car for my graduation gift?”
Grannie chuckled and patted me on the arm. “You’ll get your dream car one day soon. I’m sure of it. You said you had a good feeling about your interview the other day, right?”
“Yep. But you never know. I’m not sure how many people are vying for the position.”
“How many more interviews do you have?”
My brow creased in deep thought. “One later this week and two more next week, although one of them is for a substitute teacher position. I feel like I need to keep all of my options open.”
“Your mother told me about the opportunity up north,” Grannie said as we walked up to the store entrance. “I think you should go and at least interview for the position.”
“Grannie,” I whined and stole a glance at my grandmother. “I am not leaving the area. We’ve talked about this already.” The words rang in my ears and I couldn’t help but think that I sounded just like JT had the day before at Panera.
“I’m not saying you should leave,” Grannie soothed. “But we don’t know what’s going to happen and either way, going on an interview is good experience. And you could use a nice little vacation before you start your full-time career. You haven’t been to Mackinac Island in years.”
I pursed my lips and considered my grandmother’s words. It was hard to argue against her logic. But I hated the thought of leaving town even for a few days. I had so little time left with Grannie. Why did she always have to be right?
My irritation dissolved as soon as I became aware of my surroundings. The sweet delicious scent of cake and icing permeated the small space, each battling for my attention. A stunning array of pastries filled the counters but the display of cakes was by far the greatest tease.
Tiffany greeted us a few minutes later, ushering us into an office at the back of the shop to walk us through the pricing sheet and explain the time needed to prepare the various types of cakes she offered, depending on the size of the cake and the intricacy of the design. After answering all of our questions, she left us alone to browse through the catalog of her previous work so I could get an idea of what I wanted in a wedding cake.
We flipped through the pages of the catalog and paused to ooohhhh and aaaahhh. It wasn’t until about halfway through the book that I saw it. The cake that took my breath away. My hand flew to my heart in an involuntary gesture. It was a master piece; everything I had ever wanted in a wedding cake without having known I wanted it.
The four layer square cake was pure elegance with black satin ribbon trimming the bottom of each layer and intricate red piping standing out against the white fondant background. It was pure genius the way the decorative red piping began as an intricate pattern of interlaced hearts on the bottom layer and each successive layer became more simplistic and broadly spaced until the top layer consisted of evenly spaced red dots in groups of three. The blood red roses arranged artfully on top added the final burst of color. This cake could easily double as a wedding cake or a life celebration cake.
Grannie peered over at me with a wide smile spreading across her face. “This is the one, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” I agreed and felt a single tear trickle slowly down my cheek as I trained my eyes on the picture of the cake. “This is The One.”
Grannie reached out and turned my face to meet her gaze. “What is going through that head of yours, girl?”
An avalanche of tears crashed over my cheeks. It was like the last few weeks had been a major snowstorm of emotions and the weight of it all was finally too heavy to bear. Grannie wrapped me up in her arms and let my cry it out. After my tears were spent, I leaned back and shyly gazed up through my damp eyelashes.
“I’m sorry, Grannie. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”
“Tell me.”
“I…”
Should I confide my true feelings to Grannie? She had enough to worry about and wasn’t in great health. I didn’t want to burden her with more problems. But the arched brow and firmly set mouth on Grannie’s face told me she wouldn’t give up until I had confessed my true feelings. I may as well get it over with now.
“I’m in love with JT.” It rushed out of my mouth b
efore I had a chance to formulate my thoughts. I buried my face in my hands for a moment. Yes, I had moved past the falling in love stage and had entered full-blown in love. I lifted my head to gauge her reaction.
“I know,” Grannie said, her eyes sparkling with mirth. “Is that all?’
“What?” How could Grannie possibly know my tightly held secret? I had been so careful to mask my true feelings.
“Anyone with eyes can see it, Jordan.” Grannie shook her head with a gentle smile playing on her lips. “Except your brother, of course, because he is clueless about these things. Why does that make you want to cry?”
“It’s complicated,” I sighed. “I want this cake for my wedding so bad. It’s amazing. Wonderful. Beautiful. Delicious too, I bet. Chocolate and vanilla layers.”
“Then you can have it.” Grannie reached over and laid her hand on my shoulder. “We’ve found it together and when the time comes you can have it. Jordan, this whole wedding thing; you know it is about the journey, right? Not the actual wedding itself? I’m sorry if I have been selfish, my beautiful little girl. I just wanted to be part of the journey with you.”
“But that’s the thing,” I whispered as I felt my bottom lip quiver. “I want it now; for this party, with you there to celebrate with us. I don’t want to get married without you there Grannie. I need you to be there.” I choked the words out as a fresh flood of tears descended upon me.
“I know, Sweat Pea,” Grannie said, rubbing her hands softly against my back sympathetically. “I’m your strongest connection to your Daddy.”
I nodded my head in relief. I knew my grandmother would understand. “If you’re there, then it will almost be like he’s there too.”
“Jordan, honey,” Grannie said. “No matter what happens in the coming months, we will both be there with you in your heart when you finally do get married, especially on your wedding day. You must know that.”
“I know.” My voice cracked in pain. “But it isn’t the same. And if JT would stop being so damned pigheaded, I could have you at my wedding.”
“Now Jordan,” Grannie started. But I wasn’t finished yet.
“No,” I interrupted. “He is being pigheaded. I know he loves me but he refuses to admit it. I can feel it, Grannie. But he has it in his stupid head that I have to be sure he’s The One and that I’m not just doing this to appease you. And he thinks he has to get his life in order and be able to provide for me before committing to a relationship. This isn’t the Middle Ages, for Christ’s sake.”
I bristled at the indelicate snort that escaped from Grannie. Why couldn’t she see this too?
“JT is headstrong. You know that,” Grannie soothed. “How could he not be, having been raised by a father who was ex-Marine Corp. JT grew up in a very traditional family, Jordan. His mother was a stay-at-home mother. Can you blame him if he has traditional values?”
“Well I was raised to take care of myself and this is the twenty-first century. He needs to get with the program. Why are you defending him?”
“I’m not saying it is right,” Grannie clarified. “But you need to understand where JT is coming from and how his life experiences have shaped him into the wonderful young man that he is. No different than how your Daddy influenced you to be an independent woman. Help him see that too.”
“But how do I do that?” I asked. I felt utterly defeated.
“Well, you need to address his concerns one by one.” Grannie folded her hands gently on her lap. “Starting with whether or not you’re in love with him just to find a mate to marry in time to appease me. You get that boy, Steve, to ask you out on another date, you hear? I saw the way JT reacted the other night. He thinks Steve is a worthy opponent. But you have to be convincing, Jordan; like you’re putting a real effort in it. ”
I giggled at my grandmother’s tenacity. “I didn’t know you were so conniving, Grannie. That one is easy. I’ve already agreed to go out with Steve on Saturday night. I figured I needed to make JT jealous.”
“Not jealous,” Grannie corrected. “You’re helping JT to see he’s the better man in your eyes. The man worthy of your love.”
“Got it! What else?”
“You go to that interview up north and let it slip to JT. He needs to noodle on what life would be like if you’re not around.”
I nodded my head in agreement. “I kind of prepped him for that already when he got his flat tire. We talked about how I might have to expand my search if a job didn’t come up soon. He didn’t sound very happy about it.”
“Good,” Grannie said. “Now show him you mean it by going on the interview. He knows you love me and I bet he thinks you’d never leave town while I’m still here.”
“Ok,” I said, although I didn’t want to be away, even for a weekend. “Anything else?”
“Yes. Try to get him to go up north with you. You two need time alone together. Let him see what he’s giving up over the next year if he doesn’t commit to you now. He’s not going to want to take the time off work. But you’ll think of something.”
I slumped back into my chair. This was not going to be easy, but JT was worth it. It felt good to have an ally in Grannie. It also felt great knowing that Grannie believed in our love and thought it was meant to last.
“By the way,” Grannie said, interrupting my train of thought. “I canceled the dating service effective immediately. The party is only a little over a month away and your heart is spoken for already.”
“Crap.” I sat straight up. “Did you ever send out the invitations? I totally forgot about the invitations.”
“Of course I did,” Grannie said. “They went out last week with an R.S.V.P. to me and your mother.”
“Do I get to see what it looks like?” I asked with raised brow. “It is my wedding after all!”
Grannie chuckled and squeezed me tightly to her chest. “That’s my girl. Yes, you can see the invitation. Let’s order the cake and go home.”
Chapter Eleven
All the Fixings
Jordan
I pulled the ingredients out of the grocery bags as JT searched for the supplies we needed.
“It should all be here somewhere,” JT said, reaching into the back of a cupboard and pulling out a large pot. “Like this Jordan?”
“Yep,” I said, smiling at him. “That’s perfect. Just fill it up with water and set it to boil. Then find a frying pan for the ground beef. I also need a mixing bowl for the cheese filling. Where would that be?”
“Bottom shelf in the island.”
As I bent over to grab a bowl, I felt his large hands rub seductively across my bottom. I took my time retrieving the bowl to fully enjoy the sensation but jerked upright when his hand slid between my thighs to palm the crotch of my jeans.
“Whoa!” I slid into his waiting arms. “Won’t Derek be home soon?”
“I don’t think so,” he said with a gleam in his eyes. “I told him to beat it and find somewhere else to crash tonight.”
His hands began to explore my body, slowly moving from my shoulders down over my breasts and finally to my bottom, caressing and pinching along the way as his tongue plunged freely in and out of my mouth. The rock hard bulge in his pants rubbed provocatively against my belly, sending waves of heat pulsing into the apex of my thighs. He pulled back and gazed down at me with sultry eyes.
“What reaction did you expect when you dress like this Jordan?”
“Hmmm,” I grinned up at him. “Note to self. JT really likes this outfit.”
I let my hands fall to his hips, ready to pick up where we’d left off the other night before Derek’s untimely arrival, but JT jumped out of the way and wagged his finger at me.
“Not until I get my dinner.” He wiggled his brows. “Once I get you in my bedroom, there’s no way we’re coming back out until morning.”
My mouth went dry at his words. JT naked in a bed and all to myself? All night? What would I tell my mother? I’d worry about that later. O.M.G! I needed to text Lea
h and have her go meet Steve at the pool hall. They would get on great.
“Well get moving then.” I pushed him out of my way to start the ground beef cooking on the stove while I mixed the eggs, cottage cheese, parmesan and seasoning.
JT stood unnervingly close behind me as I went about my work, rubbing up against me so I could feel the hard bulge in his pants against my bottom, and letting his hands roam here and there. When his fingers worked my nipples into tight buds, I almost dragged him into the bedroom, but just as I reached the edge of losing control, he’d stop and pull back for a few moments. It was incredibly distracting and torturous but totally hot. My body was screaming for release by the time I had the lasagna baking in the oven and the garlic bread prepped.
If I had known JT was ready to head to the bedroom I’d have prepped the lasagna before I came. I excused myself to use the restroom and immediately texted Leah, begging her to meet Steve at Fifth Avenue in exchange for ANYTHING she wanted. I would’ve been screwed if Steve didn’t look like that guy on Pacific Rim and there wasn’t a sleepover at stake. As it was, she reluctantly agreed.
With that problem resolved I started washing the lettuce for our salad. I smiled at JT. “I’m so happy you want to move forward in our relationship JT. When are we going to tell Derek and Jared?”
“Can’t we just enjoy our time alone and keep it low key for a while?”
I continued to wash the lettuce with my back turned to him. What the hell did he mean by that? Was he hoping to get to try out the goods and return them with no one the wiser if he wasn’t fully satisfied?
“Are you ashamed of me?” I asked, turning and staring him straight in the eyes. I folded my arms across my chest and wondered how he planned to dig himself out of the hole he was in.
“Don’t be stupid,” he said with a frown and tried to pull me into his arms.
I put my hands up protectively to keep him at a safe distance. We needed to hash this out. If I was going to sleep with him, then we better damn well have a common understanding of where this relationship was going.
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