Jess was a Bitch Ch. 15

Closure.

Thanks for going along on the ride and a special thanks to LarryInSeattle.

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Jess is so lost in her thoughts it barely registers that they've landed. The seat where Jon should be sitting is occupied by an older gentleman who, having nodded in her general direction when he boarded, had been content after that to occupy his time perusing a journal whose pages were cluttered with arcane math symbols. She'd made her decision as soon as the van carrying Jon had disappeared around the bend of the resort's driveway. Yes, she'd made up her mind but now she's trying to decide if the new concern occupying her thoughts has any bearing on that decision. As the plane makes its maddeningly slow way to the gate, her mother reaches across the aisle and touches her arm.

"Are you okay, honey? You look pale. Are you getting sick?" Gloria doesn't wait for an answer. "Honey, I know, believe me, that this sounds like the sort of pablum old people tell young people, but it's true. Everything is going to be alright; whatever happens, it will be alright. You need to believe that, trust in that."

Not trusting herself to speak, Jess simply nods. The seatbelt sign dings and goes dark and there's the usual insensible dash to be the first to jump up. Before she can pop open the overhead bin, Gloria grabs her in a ferocious hug. James, hunched over and trapped in the window seat, settles for squeezing her forearm. Halfway up the jetway, Jess panics. She appears to be about to bolt back onto the plane but surrenders herself to her mother's embrace. Gloria holds her until she quits trembling.

Is this the right thing? What if I'm wrong? How can he be sure? Is this the right thing? Fuck! - Her thoughts are a pack of mad dogs tumbling and snarling inside her skull. She puts both palms against her temples and squeezes as hard as she can, squeezes until she starts to see stars. Her parents regard her with growing concern but Jess' breathing slows. She's still pale but no longer ghostly. She takes a deep breath and as she lets it out she opens her eyes and nods. Gloria nods back. She can't help herself; it kills her to see her daughter so pale. She resorts to a trick that she learned from her own mother. She pinches Jess' cheeks a few times. "There you got a bit of color now, better than rouge," she tells her daughter before she puts an arm around her waist and walks with her up the ramp.

***

For his part, Jon is calm. No one looking at him would be able to tell that his heart is pounding. He's forgotten that David is standing slightly behind him. For his part, David is cursing himself for thinking this was a good idea and is considering dashing into one of the bars and texting Jon his apologies. As the crowd exiting the security area begins to thin, a hint of nervousness starts to show around Jon's eyes. There's more than one flight arriving. The board reports Jess' plane is at the gate but he has no real idea when to expect her. The crowd slows to a trickle before he spots her. His mom has an arm around her.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, is she okay, this is my fault, what am I doing to her? Asshole. Selfish jerk dick asshole. Jon's control begins to slip away as he berates himself.

David, despite barely knowing him, senses Jon's body tightening. He puts a hand on his arm, afraid he'll bolt through the security barrier and get himself arrested. The arm under his fingers trembles. "Jon, relax, buddy. It's okay. You can't go to her yet."

Jon nods and his body relaxes. He moves closer to the security exit but stays back far enough not to draw a warning from the bored TSA agent sitting at his high desk. It's Jess that runs. She darts between irritated passengers, sprinting for the exit.

Even though he's prepared, the force of Jess jumping into his arms causes him to stumble backward into the wall. He can't speak. Her lips are all over him. He doesn't care. As she ran, he could see she wore the necklace.

"Uh, Mr. and Mrs. Vandermach?" Gloria and James tear their eyes away from their children. David sees the play of emotion in their eyes. "I really shouldn't be here but Jon insisted and I really wanted to meet the two of you, the three of you," he corrects himself. "I'm David, David Berman, the gallery dealer, Caitlin's friend." He offers his hand. James shakes it. Gloria gives it a quick squeeze before turning back to her children, cheeks wet. "As I said, I feel an utter fool thinking this was a good idea. I just wanted to tell you that in the couple days Jon has let me watch him work I'm even more impressed by his art than I was when Caitlin sent me that first photo. Amazing. Truly. But I'm even more impressed by his caliber as a person. He's a great soul, your son. Lovely soul. I'm sure you know that. I will do my best to help and take care of your son and his work. You have my word on that. Here's my card. Call me if you have any concerns. I think I'll just slip away now."

"Please don't go, Mr. Berman." It's Gloria that speaks as she wipes her eyes. "I know Jess won't feel right until she meets you. She has convinced herself that since she, 'doesn't know anything about art', that she'll be uninvolved in Jon's art. She's not a foolish person but that idea is, of course, absurd. I don't know how much you know but she's going to be very much involved in Jon's art, his life."

"Jon has spoken of it. It's unconventional, to state the obvious, but looking at the two of them and to an even greater extent, looking at Jon's art, I don't see how something that powerful can be ignored or set aside. That is likely not what you'd like to hear but, from my vantage point, it seems, nonetheless, to be true."

"If you're going to be doing business with our son, I expect you to speak your mind. I'm James, by the way, and this is my wife, Gloria. Forgive my manners; it's a bit stressful." The two men shake again. "I suggest we get an Uber and let Jon and Jess make their own way home," he offers. The two of them have separated and stand holding hands, foreheads touching, talking.

"Jon hasn't let me pay for a damn thing all week. How can I claim an airline ticket as an expense with nothing else? Please, for my accountant's sake, let me pay for the Uber? Dinner even?"

"Far be it from me to give your accountant an ulcer," Gloria says, smiling through her wet eyes. "I'm busy working on my own. Let me go see if I can make either of those two understand that we're leaving and we'll see them at home. I'd not be surprised if they simply forget where they are and we get a call at two in the morning that they're still standing there holding hands."

She and James make their way over to the couple. Jon gives them both bear hugs. He's crying. That sets Gloria off and even James is sniffling by the time they re-join David. "What the hell are you crying about?" Gloria asks David, noticing his red, wet eyes and putting her arm through his.

"I've always been a big cry baby," David admits, wiping his own eyes. "Come on. Anyone want to stop for a drink before we blow this popsicle stand?"

"If it's a double, yes," James assures him.

They leave Jess and Jon talking and begin the long walk toward the terminal.

***

"There are a couple of hotels right here at the airport. What do you think?"

Another tremble runs through Jess' body. "That would probably be easiest on mom and dad but what about after that? Jon, this just seems so impossible. I know I want to stay with you." She touches the necklace as she speaks. "But that's just the start of it. You think mom and dad are going to let us share a room?"

"We could get our own place."

"With what? All my money goes toward school and you just got fired!"

For the first time since reuniting, Jon gives Jess one of the giant smiles that melts her heart. "Yeah, I got fired but I also just got paid, seven thousand bucks."

"You got paid what? Seven grand! For the chalk drawings?!"

Jon nods. "Yup. That's my half. Of course, there's taxes and shit. David says that's the most a new artist in his gallery has got off a first sale. And the guy that bought them wants to see more. Wait until you see the big canvas. I know it's my own work but it's fuckin' awesome."

"You need a space to work before you need a space where we can fuck."

"Who says it can't be both?"

She doesn't respond. She's no longer shaking, and her tears have dried up, but Jon sees more worry in her eyes than joy. "Hey, baby, it's okay. Let's call mom. We can meet them for dinner. I want you to meet David. We don't have to go to a hotel or anything." He's utterly sincere, though the deep lizard part of his brain is appalled at the prospect of delaying the already long delayed rutting.

"No. We need to talk. The hotel is a good idea." Her lip trembles. "I want you to know that if you change your mind, I understand."

"Change my mind? Are you nuts? What are you talking about?"

She takes his hand. "Not now. Not here. Let's go get my bag. Then we can talk. Okay?"

He nods.

Her phone chirps. She looks at it. "Mom and dad want to meet us for dinner at 8, with David. You cool with that?"

"See if they can find some place close, so we don't have to be gone too long."

She nods, stops long enough to text Jon's request. Jon asks her to check for a room while he gets her bag. They don't even need a shuttle to get to the Hyatt. As they walk along the concourse, neither of them speaks. Jon has no idea what's wrong. The relief he felt at the sight of the necklace around her neck gives way to worry. When he feels for her hand, Jess squeezes his and some of his fear is eased.

The hotel clerk clearly thinks they hooked up on the plane. Neither of them cares.

"I feel gross. Take a shower with me?"

"I'd love to, Jess, but the sight of you naked is liable to make me jizz on the spot."

She smiles. "I'll chance it." She takes his hand and leads him to the large bathroom. "Just like old times, huh?"

He smiles at her quip but the knot of unease in his stomach continues to wiggle and squirm.

He's rock hard before they can even brush their teeth. Somehow, they wash each other, though their lips are barely apart. The don't bother with towels, leaving a damp trail across the carpet and fall into the bed. Jon is on top of her, pressing against her hip, maneuvering his leg between hers.

"Stop, Jon. We need to use a condom."

He stares at her baffled. "What? Why?"

She opens her mouth; a word tries to escape but is engulf by a swallow sob. Jon rolls to lie beside her, resting on one elbow, cupping her face. "What's wrong, baby? You're scaring me.

"That's because I'm scared out of my mind. I fucked up my pills. I missed nearly a week. I could be pregnant! I'm a couple days late for my period."

To her surprise, he grins. "So? Fuck yeah. I'd love to put a baby in you."

"Jon don't be a dope. I talked to Caitlin. It's not her area but we did some research."

"You told Caitlin you were pregnant?"

"No! Fuck no! I asked her what the real risk of sibling pregnancy was. I was praying the taboo was all societal. It's not. There's not a lot of data but around forty percent of the children of sibling or father-daughter incest have a genetic or other health problem. And just like the old joke about inbred royalty, children of sibling incest tend to have intellectual problems."

"Come on, Jess. Do you think most children of incest come from families like us? How many of them were the children of two people who were in love and wanted to have kids and were good parents versus how many were the offspring of rape? Nature versus nurture, Jess."

"Maybe but it's still an issue. Inbreeding has been bad for dogs and people are a little more complex than dogs." She takes a deep breath and looks at her fingers. "If I'm pregnant, I think I should get an abortion."

"Huh? What? No way, Jess."

"Why not? That makes the most sense."

"Most sense? Are you nuts? If you're pregnant, it's our baby, Jess. Our baby!" He takes her hand. "There's testing and stuff, we can see if there's a problem. Even if there is, I have to tell you, I'd have a hard time if you got an abortion."

"What do you mean? You'd try to stop me? Leave me?"

"Christ, don't be a simp. No, I wouldn't leave you. How many times do I have to tell you that I love you. I don't think perfection should be a criterion for being allowed to be born. We've never had a reason to discuss this. I'm not some Christian right-wing nutjob. I don't think abortion should be against the law. In the end, it has to be the woman's decision. But, I also think it's bullshit to pretend it's no more a big deal than getting your hair dyed."

She shakes her head and then lets her head fall back onto the bed. "That's pretty much exactly what I've always said, right up until the moment I realized that I might be pregnant and that my brother would be the father."

"Hey, if you are, it'll be fine. If you aren't, that'll be fine, too. You really want me to use a condom?"

"Don't you think you should? What if I'm not? Shouldn't we be careful until I'm sure it's safe to go back on the pill?"

"Aren't you back on?"

"No, and even if I were, you have to be on it like a couple of weeks, or a month, or something."

"Why didn't you start taking 'em again?"

"I wasn't sure if they'd hurt the baby. If I was pregnant, I mean."

He pulls his sister to his chest and runs his fingers through her hair, kissing her forehead. "That doesn't sound like something a chick planning on an abortion would do." She doesn't answer. "Uh, how long do you need to wait until you can check? You know with one of those pee stick thingies?"

"I'm two days late. There's one that is supposed to be 99% accurate already."

"Really? Why don't we get one?" He scoots from under her, sits up and grabs his phone. His thumbs dance across the screen. He snorts. "If I could walk across the runways there's a CVS about a mile away. According to the map, it's a twelve-minute drive since you have to drive around the airport. You wait here and relax babe."

"You're going? To get a pregnancy test? Now?"

He smiles down at her as he pulls on his jeans, not bothering with underwear. Despite the seriousness of the conversation, his young cock is still half-hard. "Yeah. I'll get condoms too. If you're not pregnant, decide if you want to use them. I hear all the doom and gloom bullshit but, I'm not kidding, the idea of filling your pussy with my sperm and making a baby is fucking exciting."

"Jesus, Jon! Forget the rest, what about the fact your nineteen and I'm twenty and in college? How the fuck do you think we can manage a baby, too?"

Jon shrugs. "Call me a dope but that part doesn't scare me. I think it would be fucking baller to have a kid running around. I think..." he stops and looks off into space for a minute. "I think this art thing is gonna work out. For the first time, just this fucking second, I can imagine a life where I don't have to be behind a desk by eight or nine, where I can work around my life instead of working my life around a job." His grin is so full of joy, Jess can't help but feel better. "I'm going to get an Uber. That'll be cheaper than getting the car out of the garage." He leans over and kisses her tenderly, one hand on the back of her neck. "See you in a few minutes." He straightens and grabs his tee shirt. He has it over his head with one arm halfway in when he stops and stares at Jess. "God, I fuckin' love you. Jesus." When she tears up, he pulls the shirt on and kneels on the bed. He kisses her eyes, savoring the salty taste, even if it is from her tears. "Don't cry, little one. I'll be right back." He hops off the bed. At the door, he turns and gives her an utterly unconvincing stern glare. "No beatin' the bishop while I'm gone."

Jess rolls her eyes. "Oh my God, where'd you hear that one?"

"Hear it? I knew it. I'm a virtuoso when it comes to masturbation slang, chicks and dudes."

"Great," she scowls at him. Her scowl is as patently false as his glare. "Hurry back, Jon."

"You got it."

***

Gloria is surprised to discover she can forget, for a moment or two, about her children. She, David, and James settle into an easy conversation. They've all chosen to go with the never-can-go-wrong martini, assuming the bartender knows how to make a proper one. She'd had her doubts, given the location of the bar in one of the busiest airports in the world but, in this too, she has been pleasantly surprised.

Before the first martini is finished, her doubts about Jon's business dealings with David have been erased. She sighs. That's one thing off her plate.

"How did you meet Caitlin?"

"Charity auction. I talked one of my clients into donating a piece. She was coordinating the auction part of the event."

"I wonder if it was the same event where she met Travis?" Gloria asks, looking from her husband to David.

"You know, I'm not sure. I think they were already together, if not married, at that point but I won't wager a large sum of money on it."

"This is the first time you've done business with her?" James interjects before sipping his martini. He pauses to enjoy the abstract patterns the condensation makes as it coalesces and begins to run down the side of the glass.

David looks at his own glass. "Fascinating, isn't it? The reflections and distortions." James nods, somehow pleased that he and David had been on the same track. "To answer your question, yes and no."

"Oh, my god, don't tell me you're a lawyer, too?" Gloria moans. "Yes and no? Please."

David smiles. "No, I'm not a lawyer. Yes, I've sold Caitlin and Travis art work. So, we have done business. No, in that I've never been involved as a business partner with either of them."

"May I ask why not?"

"You may and there's no reason in particular that I can think of, honestly." David shrugs. "The right reason, or the right artist, simply never came along - before now. A second factor is that, until recently, I've not felt comfortable enough to consider opening a second gallery. I'm doing quite well and the thought of the time, effort, and expense, not only of the physical plant but of also finding someone I trust and respect, artistically speaking, enough to partner with struck me as more trouble than it was worth. I've plenty of respect and trust for Caitlin. And, insofar as it's a concern, she's contributing her own capital. It seems to me, especially in light of Jon's work, that it's a win-win, and win, situation."

"So, it's not that you were afraid of mixing business with, ah, pleasure?"

David looks at James, one corner of his mouth, twitching upward into a half-smile. "You mean am I one of Travis and Caitlin's lovers? No. They are exclusively interested in couples and I have never been part of the right couple at the right time."

"Sorry, I don't mean to seem rude," James offers.

"Not at all. Nor do I. Jon is going to be a client. Are you and Gloria involved with Travis and Caitlin? Although she is the heart of discretion, Caitlin felt it only fair to tell me that they had been involved with Jon and Jess. If you two are as well, that's a complication that could affect Jon isn't it? Let me add, lest you think I'm a total spying ass, Jon volunteered he and Jess had been intimate with Caitlin and her husband. Sex is quite a complicating factor, even at the best of times."

"Yes, that it is." It's Gloria who answers. "We have had a...have been involved with Travis and Caitlin. I almost said 'fling' but that's the wrong word entirely. They're lovely people. Yes, it's extremely complicated, knowing they'd been involved with Jon and Jess but Jess has made it quite clear that she not only knows that something happened but is rather charmed at the idea. Having said that, you surely know that when it comes to love and sex and family and business, we are in no position to guarantee the whole damn shebang won't blow up in our faces. I quite understand, from the standpoint of doing business with our son, your concern. The only issue I'd consider you an ass over is if you are also questioning our commitment to our son's, and daughter's, well-being. Surely, that was not the gist of your question?"