Girl Gets Her Man Ch. 13

Jo felt something touch her knee and jumped. The movement dislodged her fork from her grasp. It clanged off of the edge of the plate on its way over the edge. Daniel reached over the table and caught her fork before it bounced to the floor. She moved her hand with his, and he grabbed her fingers out of the others' site. He searched her face and led her fingers slide out of his grasp. He straightened up. 'What are you doing,' she tried to think at him. Daniel just nodded at her as he set the fork in its proper place next to her plate.

"You chose science over the piano?" James pointed for Jo to pass the mushrooms. She carefully moved the plate closer to her father.

"I figured, three years at Stone Prep was more than enough music theory," Daniel smiled as he showed a stillness above the table that belied the shaking leg under it

"Stone Prep... Wasn't that where Jerry went?" Karen asked after finishing a small mouthful of peas.

"Yeah, bay. Jerry finished out there. You remember, don't you Jo?"

Jo felt them looking at her. "Yeah."

"Yeah," her father nodded as he took a bite. "I heard he was in town a few weeks ago."

"Yeah," she responded. Jo knew where this was heading. James Croix was in love with the idea of Jerry, even though Joanne had made a point of never being in the same room with him for the past four years. She waited for it.

Right on cue, her father asked, "Did you go see him when he was here, bay?"

"Yes, I did...with Gary."

"Did you tell Gary that you used to know him? You would still know him, if you came home more often."

"No. I didn't tell Gary." She looked up at Dan. His face was in the processes of forming that mask he had when he wasn't too happy with something but would go on as if nothing was wrong. He knew just how to relax his face so that he wouldn't grind his teeth, but he found it hard with the tone of voice her father was using.

"Well, you should be proud of him. He's done well for himself," James sat up straight and set down his fork and knife. He formed a peak with his fingers in front of his mouth. Joanne knew this to be his way of trying to hide his displeasure. "Did you at least go back and say hi to him?"

"No, Dad."

"Why not? He called and said he was looking forward to seeing you. He said he wanted to reconnect."

Jo felt herself babbling, "Why would he say that? I saw him a few days before that, and he didn't recognize me, so I didn't feel like bothering him, but then Gary got the tickets, and Candy came in and tore my..." Jo felt a squeeze to her fingers and she stopped. Daniel had reached above the table and taken her hand.

"She was too busy to go see him because she was dealing with me," Daniel said quickly.

"Huh?" David looked at Karen.

James raised a hand in Dan's direction and said, "This isn't about you right now."

"It is. There are some things she doesn't tell you about. Like me, for one," Dan smiled reassuringly at Jo. Jo tried to figure out where he was going. This would probably blow up in their faces, but she kept quiet anyway. "I was at the concert. She was there with Gary, but she wasn't actually with him. She was there to see me."

It was Karen's turn to look to David with confusion, but Daniel's father was too busy watching the expression on James' face. He'd dropped his lips below his hands for a moment. The man's brows creased.

"So, that's what this is. You have a thing for my daughter. So, Dad comes to the rescue and sets this thing up. Well, I've got a surprise coming for you, boy..."

"I'm not a boy. I haven't been a boy for quite some time," Dan countered. He hadn't been ready to argue his case, but it just spilled out. "She wouldn't have held my hand on the way to the ballroom, if she didn't want to," Dan massaged her fingers in his hand. "She's not the type of woman that would dance with a strange man, either. She knows me, Mr. Croix. We have a history. We know a lot about each other, because of the time we've spent in the lab. When we're there, we work well together, because we think along the same lines. You can't mention the concert without including me. I was there. I'm the main reason she was there. I've been with her more than you have. There have been a few misunderstandings, but I plan to work them out. You and Pop might have gotten us here tonight, but nobody made her sleep over with me. It was her choice." 'No, that didn't sound the way it should have.'

Jo watched the steam rise in James chest and eventually settle in his shoulders. "Daddy... It wasn't like that..."

Her father growled, "No. You didn't."

"No, she didn't. You should know your daughter better than that," David bowed his head to avoid contact with Joanne's eyes, ashamed of how he'd treated her that morning over a two months ago.

"Yeah, Mr. C. She'd never do anything to make you ashamed of her, or anything," a voice behind her made her cringe. Jeremy Carter placed a hand on Jo's shoulder to keep her firmly in her seat. "Sorry, I'm late."

James Croix stood up, grabbed Jeremy's hand, and put an arm around his back. "Glad you could make it, son." Jerry smiled broadly as he eyed Dan and Jo out of the corner of his eye.

This was some sort of a calculated plot. 'Jerry was supposed to be in Danny's seat. This whole night was supposed to get us together, I bet. Dad must have called him when he realized Mr. Langier hadn't called.'

Daniel nearly got up, but he remembered Jo's fingers in his. Jo gripped him firmly then let go. By the look on her face, she really needed to get away. He released her immediately. She got up and said, "Excuse me," as she stumbled out of her chair. Dan followed her up. David automatically rose with a nod to Karen.

"Jo, where you going? Don't tell me, you've got another appointment or something," Jerry was smooth in his maneuver.

Joanne spun around. "No, I don't. I just need to get to the bathroom."

"Then, what's he up for?" Jerry nodded in Dan's direction. "He gonna help? You got him whipped already?"

Jo's face burned. She looked Jerry square in the eye and said, "Fuck you, Jeremy Carter! It's none of your damn business what he does." 'Damn it! Why do I feel like I need to do that when he's around?'

Her parents recoiled. 'They've never heard me swear.'

"What? Joanne, why do you have to act like this every time I want to talk to you?" Jerry's controlled grin made Joanne even more angry.

"Because, you..." She couldn't say it. 'Why the hell can't I just call him out?' She felt an arm wrap around her waist. She looked up into Dan's eyes and gathered herself.

Jeremy moved close to James and softly said, "Yeah, I figured. Look, I didn't want to say anything, but..." He glanced over at Jo to make sure she was listening. "your daughter's mad at me for not calling. She's using him as a way to get back at me. What better way than to hook up with a guys friend, right? I mean, he's been messed up since his girl, right? He was easy pickings, really. I thought he'd be stronger, but..."

Dan felt his face turn red. He managed to keep Jo firmly planted next to him. He felt her muscles flex as she struggled to move toward Jerry.

"Jerry, you need to leave," she grunted.

"I was invited, Jo." Jerry faced her fully with an arm around her father. He taunted her with his control over her family.

Dan didn't want to let go of her, but she put a hand on his chest and pushed him back gently. Joanne stood on her own. She pleaded with James, "Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"No, I think you and Jerry need to sit down and talk," James frowned at her as he pulled out his chair for Jeremy to sit.

"I don't want..."

Daniel tried as well, "I think..."

"What will it hurt," James commanded more than suggested. "You've known each other for too long to act like this. There's nothing you can't work out."

'Fine. My own father won't back me up. I'll give you your win, Jer. But, you just wait. Once we get out of this fancy place, I'm gonna take you out.' "Fine, I'll give you five minutes in the ballroom," came from her firm lips as she turned and walked away.

Once they got into the deserted room, Jerry said, "What? You didn't have a heavy enough bag this time?"

She turned on him and said, "You now have four minutes."

"Damn, Jo. Why you doing this? You and me, we were the best. We went everywhere together. I bought you stuff. I made you breakfast..."

"That doesn't change anything." She crossed her arms and tried not to think of all of the times she'd been alone with him and thought nothing of it. Now, all she could think of was his hands. She concentrated on them as he waved them back and forth.

"I told you I loved you. You have to remember that," he purred. "You were my girlfriend."

"How can you say that with a straight face?"

"I can say it, because I mean it," he said as he leaned toward her and took her arm.

She tried to pull away, but he held her in a vice grip. "You're hurting me, Jerry," she made sure that her voice was controlled.

"No, I'm not. I've never hurt you, ever." He pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers. She responded with an open handed slap to his left cheek. He looked at her with a strange smile on his face.

"You hurt me that night," she incredulously breathed.

"No, I didn't. You twisted it. We made love. Remember? I held you in my arms..."

She braced herself against his forward momentum, but tripped back anyway. "No, I remember. You hurt me, Jerry. L...let go."

"Say it."

"Say what?"

He shoved her off-balance and caught her up completely in his embrace. "Say we made love."

"You fucked me," she flatly said. "I may have only done it the once, but I know the difference between making love and being fucked."

Jerry stood there with her in his arms for a moment then let her regain her feet. "You sure got a dirty mouth, didn't you." He put his thumb to his lips and wiped them. He looked at the red smudge on his finger and then straightened his shirt.

She stiffened her back and returned his open stare. "We're done?"

"No, we're not."

Jo sucked her teeth and shook her head at him. 'You really are pitiful. Couldn't say it even then, could you?' She turned her back to him and headed back to the restaurant. She raised a hand and said over her shoulder, "Have fun with Jesse, would you?"

"Hey, hey. Don't blame her for that thing at the shop. She figured you needed to talk to me. Get a little something worth keeping. I mean, how was I supposed to tell her that we were together..."

She turned on him with a pointed finger. "We were never together. I saved myself. It was supposed to be something special. Instead, I got it on some floor. That's all we have in common. That floor. Huh, I guess we have two, now that I had to listen to you and Jesse..."

"But, bay..."

"You don't call me that. Only people that love me call me that. Like my Dad."

*

The four people sat at the table in awkward silence. Daniel looked from Mrs. Croix, who seemed somewhat pleasant though worried, to his father, who vacillated between worry and feigned interest in the food. James, however, seemed overly happy with himself. Large chunks of meat went down his throat as he made idle chit chat to himself, since no one else was in a talkative mood.

"You'll see," he preened as he took a sip of wine. "They'll be together when they come back in here."

Dan slowly made the challenge, "You're so sure about that. Did you ever think that she might not follow your script?"

*

"Why do you think I'm here after what you did at Langier's?"

"You want to make me suffer?"

"I need it to be okay with us..."

"What?" She couldn't believe the pile of shit he was trying to make her accept.

"You're the only girl I've known this long. We were supposed to be together. I'm ready to make that happen."

"Are you deaf?" She growled at him.

"Fine," he moved away from her. "I'm supposed to get a second chance."

Jo thought for a moment, 'I used to worship the ground he walked on. Now, I can't stand to hear him talking.'

"No," she said, "I'm done with this."

"We've been avoiding each other since that night," he groaned as he turned partway toward her again. Joanne felt her face tighten as he closed the space between them. She couldn't believe he was sticking with this tactic. A month ago, he was nothing but arrogant charm. She knew how to deal with that. "It's been 4 years, Jo. We were both kids. Can you please get over it, so we can try something real? I won't say sorry again. I don't know why you can't accept that from me."

'Get over it? Like you spilled something on me, and offered to pay for my clothes?' "You raped me," she hissed as she moved to keep from his reach, "then you told me you loved me. I can't accept..."

"Listen to me," his words rolled in her brain. "You're not listening to what I'm saying."

Joanne froze. Something sat like lead in her stomach, she held whatever the heaviness meant in with her arms.

"Look at me!"

Joanne looked into his sharp brown eyes for the first time in all of those years. A wave of an old familiar emotion washed over her as he pulled her in.

*

Daniel couldn't stand it anymore. He got up in the middle of James' story and walked toward the ballroom. The man was sitting there talking about how Joanne's life had been planned out since she was two years old. Joanne was meant to marry Jerry and give birth to the next generation of prodigies. Karen didn't say anything to the contrary.

He stood in the doorway as he watched Joanne folding her arms around her waist as Jerry spoke. Her eyes were on the hardwood floor and he barely heard her speaking. She'd obviously withdrawn from the situation as far as she dared to. Dan let out a slow breath and walked out toward them. Before he got a step, Jerry yelled and lunged at her. Daniel ran over and stopped Jeremy from giving her another hard shake by putting his hands around her waist and shoulder from behind.

"Get off of her," Jerry growled.

"I shoulda shut your mouth for good," Dan growled right back at him. "I thought you'd get it that you don't get to rough people up around me."

"Let her go, Danny. We need to get a few things straight."

"I think things are just as straight as they'll ever be," Dan felt Joanne lean into his hands. "What was the point, tonight? She didn't want her parents to know what happened. You shoulda respected that."

"What the fuck do you know about respect," Jerry shoved Jo at Dan as if she were a chair. "I was the one that carried you when you dropped out. Me! I gave you that writing credit. What have you given me? You shoulda stepped aside after I told you I wanted her."

Dan moved Jo to stand behind him. He kept her from leaving his side by holding her hand.

"I gave you the entire song, Jer, not just the words. You may be heavy handed, but every sigh you made on that stage was mine. I've been giving in to you for years. You've taken way too much from us as it is."

"Us?"

"Jo and me. I'm not stupid. If what you told me was the truth, you wouldn't have come here to shut her up, would you?"

"Whoa, whao, whao. You and Jo? I'm her future. Not you. Me. Her parents think I'm gonna take her off of their hands. Who do you think called me? She was my girlfriend..." Jerry made a move toward Joanne. Without hesitation, Dan moved in front of her.

"Was. She isn't now. Are you, honey," he said as he gave Jo's hand a squeeze.

'Honey?' "Uh, no."

"Hold it. Did you just call her, honey?"

"Yeah. I did."

Jerry scoffed, "You got your first taste of the berry, didn't you, chief? You think there's nothing better, so you lost your goddamn mind."

"Shut it, Jer, or I'll shut it for you."

Jerry laughed, "Like you tried to do before? I beat that ass then. What makes you think I won't do it again?"

"What makes you think I wasn't feeling guilty just then and let you hit me?" 'Too macho. Tone it down. Be calm. Composed. You probably look as much like a moron as you feel.'

"Bitch, please. I own you," Jerry proclaimed as he pointed to himself. "Now, get outta here. We have some things to say. Jo, lets go outside for a few minutes."

"She's not leaving my sight. Not with you," Dan frowned at himself. 'You might as well have said over my dead body.' "You've hurt her, enough."

"What the hell is this? She's not your girl. I told you!" Jerry stepped in toward Dan again.

"She's nobody's girl!"