Chapter 25: Saturday

Saturday morning I woke up to the Fed Ex man banging on the door. “Have a great day,” he said, handing me Jimmy’s envelope. Ripping open the envelope, I did a quick dance and thanked God and Jimmy. If Jimmy weren’t already a saint, I would personally see to it the Church canonized him.

It was around lunch when Laura came in, after spending the night at Frieda’s. Matt came over too, greeting Laura with a wide smile, a bear hug and a stern lecture about her safety.

“I talked to the new adjuster this morning. We are meeting on Monday at the Hacienda.” She said as she poured herself a cup of tea.

The doorbell rang and I jumped up, letting Laura fill in Matt about her adventure.

“Hey.” Jet said as a greeting. My eyes widened as I checked him out. Collared shirt, dress slacks, loafers and a tie. I raised an eyebrow questioning.

Reading my thoughts, he said all business, “I am here to see Laura Jamison.”

Jet, right behind me, came in stopping in his tracks when Laura stood. “Ms. Jamison, nice to meet you.” He said after introductions.

I giggled. Matt, Laura and Jet stared at me.

“Sorry.” I said to them, snickering again. Matt and Laura just had no appreciation for Jet’s weirdness.

Matt grabbed my arm, “Let’s get some lunch.

Saturday night, Laura, Jet, Matt and myself sauntered into Hayseed’s, a country nightclub in central Phoenix. Dee glided over and introducing herself to my crew.

“You made it! I am so glad you came,” she said squeezing my arm and leading us to our table, near where Roy, Nancy, Sebastian his date and a few other of Dee’s closest friends sat.

As Matt and I had been walking out for lunch, Dee had called. “What are you and everyone you know doing tonight?” she squealed in one long breath.

Tonight was Michael’s band’s debut at Hayseed’s and they needed a good turnout. Getting Jet to agree and drop his date with Beatrice (“rice” being the nature name, he confided later), had been easy. He practically salivated when I told him his idol was playing. Laura took more coaxing and only agreed once Matt called Frieda, who readily offered to watch the boys if Laura would just go out and do something fun.

Not used to anything social, Laura swore she didn’t have the wardrobe for Hayseeds. It turned out there wasn’t much of a dress code anyway. It was mostly cowboy types and those who just wanted to go somewhere and drink beer to escape the heat. So, short-shorts, bikini tops and mumus would have been appropriate.

In this case, Laura was the most properly dressed of all of us. She had dredged up a denim skirt. It was a little loose on her tall frame. She looked like she had dropped twenty pounds in the past two weeks. It was twenty pounds she couldn’t afford to loose. Her hair, usually in a braid or two, was down past her shoulders and she was wearing a little make make-up. I was in a sun dress. Jet and Matt were dressed in jeans, with Jet in a Hawaiian shirt and Matt smartly dressed button down shirt.

I introduced Dee to everyone. Though, when I came to Jet, he stepped forward extended his hand and before I could say anything, introduced himself. “I’m Jayson.” He said resolutely. After the fog cleared, I did a mental head-slap. Of course! He was Jet incognito.

“Michael’s band is starting in a few minutes,” she chirped. With that, she excused herself and flounced off.

“Interesting place.” Jet said. He was looking around as if he were expecting a mosh pit in front of the stage instead of a hay strewn dance floor. Jet had been eyeing the place skeptically, as if a worn out country and western bar was not good enough for his idol.

But, as it turns out, Jet was pleasantly surprised. Michael’s band, The Muddy Outlaws, were well received, playing a mix of rhythm and blues and country. Michael was exceptionally talented, showing he could play everything from the drums to keyboard and even had a guitar solo at one point. At the end of their set, Dee, on Michael’s arm, led him around introducing him to all of us.

“Hello Miss Tina,” he shyly said as he extended a hand to me. He greeted Laura in a similar manner, flashing his dimples her direction. Michael was equally gracious with Matt and Jet. I could tell Jet was self-conscious and stammered an appropriate greeting, making sure to mention his appreciation for Michael’s years in the Tangerine Electric Monkeys. Matt, apparently once in a garage band, talked to Michael for a moment or two about his music, a conversation Dee and I couldn’t follow.

As the evening wore on, I found myself more and more exhausted. The stress of the week, everything from the tires being slashed to last Wednesday’s attack finally took its toll. The adrenaline I’d been living on was depleted. I was spent. The exhaustion hit about three seconds after Jet asked me to dance, something I had been dreading all evening.

I can waltz with the best of them. In Shades Crest, if there was ever a need for a last-minute date at Castlemoor, I was one of several young women on call to fill in. More than once, Bitsy Wellington or Eveyln Jenkins called mother asking if I would be willing to be escorted by their darling sons, as their dates had suddenly become ill or dead or something. (In the case of Rick Wellington, he wasn’t able to get a date without his mom’s help.) Mother would of course tell whomever I would be delighted. That is how I ended up having sex with Brock Jenkins ninth green one night, smashed out of our minds. Sadly, he was no better at sex than he was on the dance floor.

“Hey, um… Tina?” Jet asked breaking into my thoughts of Shades Crest. He led me around the dance floor with an ease I didn’t expect. I looked up, trying like crazy not to yawn in his face. “I was wondering, do you think Laura would mind if I took her home?”

My second wind caught up with me. “What!” I practically yelped. With a strong defensive stance, I glared at him. “She’s a mother! She is not one of your bimbos!”

A look of understanding washed over Jet’s face, as he came to grips with I understood him to say. He looked like I had rightfully slapped him. Quickly, he backpedaled.

“No, no! That isn’t what I meant. I mean, do you think it would be ok to offer her a ride home? You know, maybe I could drive her instead of her getting a ride back with you and Matt” He smiled timidly. “That’s all. She’s kind of cool, you know?”

I held back my first response to remind Jet Laura wasn’t a nature name. However, the look on his face was serious. “I don’t suppose it would hurt,” I said, hoping Laura would feel the same way. After all she had been through these last two weeks, Jet’s overture didn’t strike me as something Laura would be open to, but then again, Jet was more complex than his reputation. He was a loyal friend and a pretty nice guy. Laura might enjoy the company and the attention.

I was rewarded with a bright smile I had never seen from Jet before. He squeezed my hand. “Thanks.” And, looking over to where Matt and Laura were doing some sort of box step, said, “Let’s go cut in.”

At 2:30 a.m., Matt and I were sitting on Laura’s front porch, drinking a bottle of water, waiting for Laura. “I can’t believe this.” Matt muttered for the umpteenth time.

I gave him a side-long glance, wondering if there was any way I could get him to wait for Laura by himself. My not-subtle yawning wasn’t working. And, neither Laura nor Jet were answering their cell phones. We had left Hayseeds at the same time, but Matt and I arrived 30 minutes ago. Now, in the August night, we were sitting waiting up for them as if they were teenagers who broke their curfew.

“Should we call Frieda?” I asked, yawning. I was resisting the urge to use Matt’s broad shoulder as a pillow.

“There’s no reason to worry her.” He took a drink. “Yet.”

“I am sure they are fine.” I answered, also for the umpteenth time.

Matt grunted, disgusted with the situation. By the streetlight, I could see his jaw set in and I was pretty sure he was about to start part twenty-seven of his tirade about all Laura had gone through and the danger she was in. When thankfully, the headlights of Jet’s Jeep blinded us as it pulled into the driveway.

As they tumbled out, I could hear Laura laughing. “I think they are fine.” I said to Matt.

Matt smiled.

It turns out they had taken a side trip through West Phoenix where Laura showed Jet the Hacienda, ashes and all. “I brought snacks!” Laura said happily, lifting two bags from Taco Loco Express and jumping out of the car with a spry step.

“Thanks,” I said, “But, my bedtime was hours ago. We were just waiting up to make sure you got home safe.”

Matt gave me a scowl and I stuck my tongue out at him.

“Come in anyway Matt and eat a Taco.” Laura said, pulling his arm into the house. Apparently the party was moving to Laura’s kitchen. Matt obliged and I said good night to the gang and headed to my room, half-sorry I was missing out.