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Here's the whole thing so far:
Love. That's what it was, and she was sure of it. Nothing had ever been made so clear before. The late night talks, long drives in his car, and many hours spent reapplying make-up. She wasn't sure how it happened, or even when. But now she found herself in quite a mess. She lay on her bed looking up into the ceiling, painted the color of watery root beer.
"Not a very pretty color," she commented aloud, trying to distract her thoughts. It did not help. George's smiling face was still there in her mind. She sighed in frustration and sat up. There was no way she was going to sleep tonight; she might as well do something. She got out of bed and made her way downstairs. She pattered barefoot into the kitchen and made some tea and then flipped on the tv.
She sat idly seeing the colors change and hearing the monotonous drone of the newscasters, but not really listening. "You're beautiful Jane, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise," rang George's voice in her head. He had looked so tender and kind when he had said those words, his broad frame sheltering her from the windy night. She had never considered herself a beauty, but she had never considered herself as really anything. She was typically one of those willy-nilly girls who acted how she felt, and didn't care about appearances. But ever since George..
"Uhh, I really must stop," sputtered Jane as she swept her long brown hair into a pony tail. "Perhaps cleaning the kitchen will do the trick."
Cleaning the kitchen turned into cleaning the whole house and before Jane knew it, the sun had risen. She glanced at the clock as she dusted it off and shrieked. "Five-thirty?!" She had to be at work by seven. And since George was going to be there, she needed all the time she could get to beautify herself. She scampered up the stairs and took a quick shower. Then she sat down on her bed to do her nails and soon after fell asleep.
She awoke abruptly to hard pounding on her door. with the sleep still in her eyes and hair flying all over the place, Jane quickly went down to her front door. On her front porch was none other than her boss, Mr. Wallice. "Well Jane I hope you-" he stopped short seeing her appearance. Dressed only in a bathrobe, Jane was looking the opposite of professional. He shook off his surprise and continued. "Jane, I hate to have to do this to you, but this is the fourth day this week that you've been late. Fiona, bless her heart, has been picking up your slack this morning. And I hate to see her stretched passed her limits." Jane coughed to suppress a giggle that was about to erupt. It was a sort of inside joke with her and George that Mr. Wallice was in love with Fiona, and he wasn't saying much to disprove this. "I'm sorry Jane, but you're fired."
Jane's urge to giggle dissipated. "Fired?!" she sputtered. "But...I..."
"Excuses will be useless, Jane. I've made up my mind," Mr. Wallice replied. "Now, seeing as how I am not a stone-hearted person, I have already contacted an acquaintance of mine who, fortunately, works later in the day and is in need of a receptionist. Because really Jane, you are an excellent worker, you just have trouble with early mornings...am I right?" Jane shrugged and then straightened up.
"Thank you very much Mr. Wallice," she said. It didn't seem suitable enough, but she was tired and shocked at being fired so abruptly.
"Yes, well..." Mr. Wallice looked uncomfortable. "Perhaps you should come into the office later today to sort out the details and meet Mr. Frankfurt, the acquaintance I spoke of."
"Yes, sir," Jane replied. Mr. Wallice nodded goodbye and left.
Jane spent the rest of her day trying to convince herself that this was a positive contribution to her life. She had only worked for Mr. Wallice a mere 7 months, but surely it was high time for a change. She would have believed this whole heartily, if not for George. He was such a busy man, and now that she would not see him at the office, she feared she would lose him completely.
Around 4 pm, Jane decided to go and meet this Mr. Frankfurt. She was greeted at the receptionist desk by Fiona. "Oh hello Jane. I heard about the dreadful news. But perhaps dental work is not your specialty. Mr. Frankfurt owns a barber shop, so that ought to suit a girl like you much better."
"A girl like me...?" Jane began, but was quickly interrupted by the opening of one of the office doors.
George strolled out.
"Oh hello Jane. I heard the news. Gee it really is too bad," he said. "I hear this Frankfurt fellow is a tyrant. Good luck to you!" he said with a wink and a grin. And he left before Jane could respond.
"Oh my, he's certainly in a hurry tonight," Fiona whispered. "I hear he has a date! Isn't that thrilling? Oh I wish I had a date tonight, don't you?" she finished wistfully.
"Oh, well I suppose," Jane replied, distractedly. Who was George going out with? She didn't have long to ponder this question as the door opened again. This time Mr. Wallice and another man, presumably Mr. Frankfurt, walked out.
"Ah Jane!" Mr. Wallice exclaimed. "Meet my good friend Mr. Frankfurt."
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Jane quickly discarded George and his date from her thoughts to meet her new employer. "Hello Mr. Frankfurt," Jane said pleasantly. He was a great deal older than Mr. Wallice, with gray hair and a slight hunch in his shoulders. He stuck out his hand and Jane shook it without circumstance. "Now i'm sure you two would like to sort out the particulars so I'll let you to it," said Mr. Wallice as he escaped through a back door. Jane led Mr. Frankfurt over to the sitting/waiting room and the sat across from each other. "Mr. Frankfurt let me begin by thanking you for kindly offering me this position. I have worked as a receptionist here for the past 7 months, so I feel quite certain I can do a good job." Mr. Frankfurt eyeing her skeptically then spoke "I'm not one to hire outsiders, miss. My own sons worked for me before...well before things changed. But I should be glad of some help and company. As you might have been told, I own a barber shop. Nothing fancy, just a modest little thing. But it is hard to keep running by oneself. If it suits you, I should like to have you come round within the next few days, and I could show you around."
Jane agreed and a short time later left the office with plans to go to Mr. Frankfurt's barber shop the next day. Fiona and Mr. Wallice were also leaving and she gave them a quick goodbye, grinning as Mr. Wallice helped Fiona into her coat with a tender smile on his face. "If only George could've seen that!" she thought as she walked to the bus stop. This thought led to other thoughts of George, such as where he was and with whom. Jane decided that going home and being alone would lead to brooding over this, so she stopped at The Green Leaf Cafe to drink some coffee and browse the internet instead. She opened the door and was greeted by the familiar smell of espresso and baked items. She glanced around the small shop and immediately noticed George sitting at a table across the room with a young woman seated next to him.
Jane reddened against her wishes. She couldn't help glancing back at them from her little booth in the corner. The girl was pretty but looked rather meek. George sat staring at this little creature, while she looked at the table shyly. That's awkward thought Jane. After a little while they got up to go, but not before she saw George hand a note, written on a torn piece of the menu, to his waiter and whisper something into his ear. "That's odd," thought Jane, "maybe he didn't like a particular item, but didn't want to say so in public.." her thoughts trailed off
"Miss, excuse me miss?" Jane snapped out of it. "What would you like miss?" She ordered some coffee and a pastry or two. Hey, she just got fired, she was entitled to a little splurge.
When her waiter brought her order, Jane noticed him sneakily slide a piece of paper under her plate. As soon as he left, she snatched at it like her life depended on it. She immediately recognized George's untidy scrawl. It read: Nice job.
He had signed it with a winking smiley face.
"That's it?" Jane muttered. She crumpled up the paper, only to smooth it back out again a few moments later and search for hidden meanings. What could he mean? Nice job losing her job? Nice job getting a new job? Nice job finding him here? She cringed at the thought. She didn't want him to think she had followed him there. She angrily crumpled up the paper again, finished her coffee and headed home.
The next day started off well enough. Jane, uncertain as to the proper attire for a barber shop, donned a comfortable, yet classy cotton dress and a pair of strapping sandals. She arrived at "Frankfurt's Finest" only a few minutes before she was supposed to. She opened the door to a small rectangular room with one chair and a few mirrors on the walls. "Not even a receptionist desk?" thought Jane to herself. She soon spied a door in the back of the room. As she ventured toward it, it opened and none other than George waltzed out.
"Oh hello Jane, I wondered if we might bump into each other here."
"yeah, it's my first day, not really sure what to expect," replied Jane casually.
"Well, Mr. Frankfurt's nothing to be afraid off, wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone a beautiful girl like yourself," he smiled down at her. Jane couldn't help but smile back. George started heading for the exit, Jane wondered if her might mention the note. But he didn't appear to acknowledge that it existed.
"Um George," Jane sputtered. He turned around. "What exactly did you mean by 'nice job' yesterday?" She tried to tell if any emotion flickered across his face, but saw none.
"Why Jane, can't a man tell a charming woman good job every now and again? Besides, after your rough day I thought you would use a bit of cheering up, if you know what I mean," he said with a wink.
"No, in fact I don't know wh-" she was cut off by a roar of laughter.
"Frankfurt's going to have fun with you..so good at playing the innocent. See ya later Jane," and with that he was off leaving Jane utterly confused as Mr. Frankfurt entered from the back door.
"Ah Jane you're here!" he exclaimed, as loudly as he could with his quiet voice. "Just in time. My first appointment is in 10 minutes. Let me show you around the place." This didn't take long, as the place only consisted of the outer room, where the haircuts took place, and the inner room, which served as a sort of office. Jane shoved all thoughts of George to the back of her mind and tried as hard as she could to concentrate. Mr. Frankfurt showed her how to answer the phone and take appointments and how to ring up the sales.
"Oh and there's one more thing..." he continued and opened a door at the back of the inner room. He held it open and Jane could see that it was a broom closet. "You will also need to sweep the floor after every haircut. It's really starting to hurt my back. Oh and the combs will need disinfecting as well. You'll find everything you need in here. Oh and here comes Mr. Lynch!" he finished as the front door jangled. Mr. Frankfurt hurried to the outer room to greet him. Jane peered around the door, not exactly sure what she should be doing and curious what kind of people Mr. Frankfurt gave haircuts to. This Mr. Lynch appeared to be much younger than Mr. Frankfurt and clearly in need of a haircut.
"You go ahead and take a seat, Jerry," Jane heard Mr. Frankfurt say and then he called, "Jane, why don't you come on out here?" She did as he asked and stole a quick glance at Jerry before turning to Mr. Frankfurt.
"Since you don't have anything to do at the moment, maybe you should sit out here and get a feel for what the days will be like. This is Jerry Lynch, by the way. He comes in often, so you'll be seeing much more of him."
It certainly doesn't look like he comes in here often, Jane thought to herself as she turned to shake hands with him.
"Nice to meet you," he said.
"you too," replied Jane feeling slightly awkward. She had never spoken to a man she could hardly see before. His hair covered most of his face. Jane returned to her stool in the corner and watched Mr. Frankfurt cut away Jerry's luscious locks. Little to no conversation was made, and Jane couldn't help feeling that it was her presence that caused this. Finally after 15 minutes, Jerry's appointment was up. Jane had sat and watched every second of the haircut, and it didn't look like any changes had been made. "no wonder he comes here often," thought Jane as she handed him his change, "Mr. Frankfurt never cuts more than a few slivers of hair."
As the days rolled by Jane began to notice a tend. Mr. Frankfurt had a hand full of loyal customers who were kind enough to come back every week to get their hair trimmed by the loosest definition.
Just as Jane had worried, her time with George was significantly decreased. He came to see Mr. Frankfurt occasionally. They would dissapear into the inner room while Jane busied herself with sweeping the floor or disinfecting the combs. He would always exchange a casual remark or two with Jane, but never more than was necessary to be civil. "So this is what a broken heart feels like," Jane thought to herself after 2 weeks or working for Frankfurt. George had come in earlier that day and told her something that could never be undone.
She had been alone at the shop, cleaning up after Mr. Frankfurt's last appointment. She was just about to lock up, when she saw George pull up outside. He came in and asked for Mr. Frankfurt. Jane told him he had already gone home for the day.
"Well, gee that's too bad," he said. "I was hoping I could get a quick trim in."
"Oh, I'm sorry," Jane replied, "perhaps we can fit you in tomorrow?" Wouldn't that be nice, she thought, to get to see him two days in a row.
"No, that won't do. I have a very important date tonight," he said seriously. Then he grinned. "Say, Jane, you're a girl. What do you think of this?" he pulled out a small box from his pocket and opened it. Inside was a large diamond ring. Jane gasped and looked up at him, speechless.
"Do you think she'll like it?" he asked as he put it back in his pocket. Jane couldn't respond. She felt like she was drowning. George laughed at her expression.
"Wow, I knew girls liked diamonds but gee whiz look at your face! Let's hope she's as speechless as you are! Well, I suppose I'll have to do without a trim. Wish me luck!" And then he winked at her and left.
Jane had gone home that night in a deep depression, and it took all of her willpower to get up and go to work the next day. She arrived at the shop a little late, Mr. Frankfurt had already started his first appointment. He didn't say anything as she came in and she went straight back to the inner room. She went to the closet, intent on deep cleaning the whole shop. Maybe that would distract her from her thoughts. Glancing around the closet, she thought that perhaps this would be a good place to start. The closet was filthy, and cluttered with old cleaning supplies.
Jane began sifting through various assortments of dustpans and mops when she heard the front door to the shop open. Knowing Mr. Frankfurt hated being interrupted, she emerged from the closet to see who had come in.
"It's just me," the mailman Frank said smiling as he set down the day's letters. Jane instinctively started perusing through them. The usual things were found: bills, advertisers, junk mail, and then something which caught her completely by surprise. A little postcard with delicately written letters stood out among the rest. As Jane read the back she felt her heart grow cold.
"We are pleased to cordially invite you to the wedding ceremony of Mr. George C. Lewis to Miss Fiona R. Kirkpatrick."
"Fiona!?" Jane shrieked. Mr. Frankfurt looked up from his scissors.
"Everything all right?" he asked with concern.
"I...wha?...yes-yes, I'm okay," she stuttered and made her way to the back room. It didn't make sense. Fiona! Jane remembered the long conversations with George, speculating about Fiona and Mr. Wallice. And now he, George, was marrying her? And hadn't he just shown her the ring last night? How were the invitations out already? Jane felt as if the earth was tilting beneath her. "What in the world...?" she sputtered and made her way to a chair in a daze. She looked over the invitation again just to make sure she had read it right. She had. She felt hot tears spring into her eyes, but quickly had to wipe them away as the door jangled again. She made her way to the outer room to find Jerry Lynch, hair in his eyes, heading towards her.
"Hey Jane, I'd like to make an appointment if I may?" he said cheerfully.
"Yes, of course," Jane replied distractedly and led him to the inner room. Once inside she turned around to find him closing the door.
"What are you doing..." she asked but was interrupted by his, "why is that closet door wide open? What if someone such as that George fellow were to find the passageway in there?" His angry face quite took Jane by surprise. She sputtered, "The what?!"
"you mean to tell me you don't know about the passageway? how could Mr. Frankfurt not have warned you?!" he seemed to be saying the second part to himself rather than to her. "Look Jane I don't have time to explain everything but I feel you must know a few things. You remember your old boss, Mr. Wallice?" he asked her. She nodded, confused as to where this was heading. "Well he and Mr. Frankfurt go wayyy back, they are more than just old friends Jane. They started it all, this whole organization. And that George fellow has been trying and sneaking around for ages to discover us. Why do you think he has stayed with Mr. wallice all these years? A man like him has his own practice by this point usually. And now he is constantly coming here, isn't he? Once he heard that Mr. Wallice had an "acquaintance" he began seeking him out for information. A man like Geogre is trouble Jane." Jane felt her head spinning. Could this be true? Was there really some secret organization going on here? Was George really a bad guy? She searched through her memories trying to make sense of it all. "nice job," she whispered, remembering. So thats what George had meant. He was telling her nice job for discovering Mr. Frankfurt for him. She suddenly felt very angry. "Go ahead and get marraied," she nearly yelled. "See if I care!" She then remembered that Jerry was still there.
He was watching her with a mixture of confusion and amusement on his face. "I assume you are not talking to me," he said with a little laugh. Jane reddened and heaved a great sigh.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I feel like I'm going crazy. Too much information in too short a time," she replied. They stood there for a second and then,
"Will tomorrow..."
"Do you wanna see..."
They stopped at the same time.
"Do I wanna see what?" Jane asked.
"The passageway," Jerry replied, gesturing towards the closet.
"Oh!" Jane started in surprise, "can I? It's not some big top-secret place?"
"Well I told you about it already so I wouldn't call it 'top-secret' anymore," he replied impatiently. "Follow me." He started towards the closet. "Oh and tomorrow should work for my haircut. I think it's about time."
Jerry continued to shift around the buckets and broom revealing a trap door on the floor. He lifted the latch revealing a staircase descending into the murky darkness. Jerry started for the stairs and Jane followed, though a little hesitantly. "Jane, come one, it will be fine. Take my hand," he reached his hand back and Jane grabbed it to be led through the darkness. The went step after step, and with each one the surrounding got darker. "How can he see where he is going?" Jane thought to herself,"It's so dark and his hair is covering his eyes." Finally they reached the bottom and there was a hallway lit with torches. Jerry led her through the hallway which eventually opened up into a huge circular room, with smaller rooms outlining it. "Do you know what we are under right now Jane?" Jerry asked. "No idea," she said honestly. "this is our main headquarters and it's located under Mr. Wallice's practice. There are more rooms just like this under different spots. This is where we do our work." Jane looked around and noticed other people for the first time. All the smaller rooms represented a sort of office, but the people in there were performing the strangest tasks. One gentleman sat scratching his head for awhile before doing a front flip. He then repeated the process. "What exactly is your work?" Jane asked Jerry. "I know it's all very strange and sudden Jane, but I really can't tell you yet. It's not time."
"Oh hello Jerry!" a rather plump lady was headed towards them. "And who might this be?" she asked pointedly, looking at their still held hands.
Jane reddened and removed her hand. Jerry relinquished it, without seeming to notice.
"This is Jane, Ms. Brosby," he replied.
"Aha, I see. Well then, what is she doing down here? A new recruit?" Ms. Brosby questioned. Jerry hesitated for the briefest of seconds.
"No," he replied. Jane expected him to expound, and she could tell that Ms. Brosby did as well, but Jerry said nothing further.
"Hmm, well you know the rules Jerry. Now, I won't be telling anyone because I'm not that kind of person," she said this pompously, "but I'd be careful if I were you."
"Thank you for the advice Ms. Brosby," Jerry replied and ushered Jane on. Once they were beyond earshot, he muttered, "that interfering busybody." They were now entering one of the smaller rooms and Jane gasped in surprise as she saw Fiona enter the room from the opposite side.
"Fiona!" Jane sputtered shocked. "So, you think you're allowed to bring whoever you damn well want?" Fiona replied clearly ignoring Jane and speaking to Jerry. But her voice didn't sound a thing like the Fiona Jane was used to. Rather than the typical high girly voice, Fiona sounded like a husky smoker who didn't take crap from anybody.
"How did you-" Jerry started but was cut off. "Mrs. Brosby informed me of your little visitor," Fiona said the last part with a flick of her eyes towards Jane, "you know I can't allow this."
"Fiona, what's wrong with your voice?" Jane couldn't help from asking. Once again she went ignored. "Look, I know it's not allowed, but she had to know in order to protect us," Jerry argued. Fiona looked furious but after a deep breath she nearly smiled. "Alright Jerry, but if I find her down here again, you know what will happen," and with that Fiona left. Jane's jaw dropped. Fiona's voice had changed again. One second she sounded like a grade A husker and the next she was back to her girlishness.
"No time for questions," Jerry said "we've got to go back." He dragged her through the hallway and back up the dark stairwell. Jerry read the shocked and dazed look on Jane's face. "I know you're utterly confused right now, and i wish I would tell you, I really do. But you wouldn't understand." "Jane, is that you?" Mr. Wallice's voice could be heard in the outer room. "I'll see you tomorrow about 2pm? Great," And with that Jerry was gone.
Jane's head was spinning and amidst all the jumble of information she had just received one thought came to her mind. "Was that Mr. Wallice that just called me??" She hurriedly shut the trapdoor and closet door and tried to walk calmly to the outer room.
"Ah, Jane!" it was Mr. Wallice. Jane murmured a hello. "I was just stopping by to chat with my old friend," he nodded to Mr. Frankfurt, "and I thought I'd see how this job was going for you. It seems you have settled in?"
"Yes, thank you," Jane replied, unable to think of anything else to say.
"She's fitting in quite nicely and has already made friends with the regulars, isn't that right Jane?" Mr. Frankfurt twinkled at her. "Jerry was here for quite some time."
"Yes," she replied, racking her brain for excuses, "he...that is, I..."
Mr. Frankfurt cut in. "No need to make yourself uncomfortable, miss, we know how it is with you young people. Courting and whatnot. Why I remember a time when I used to go to the flower shop every day just to talk to the gal I liked." He smiled benignly at her. Jane's face reddened.
"Speaking of young love," Mr. Wallice cut in, "I assume you've heard about George and Fiona? I never suspected it, but perhaps you did? You spent more time with them, I'm sure."
Jane winced slightly at the mention of George but managed to say, "no, I never suspected it. It was a complete surprise to me as well. Now, I think I'd better sweep up that floor, your next appointment is in five minutes, Mr. Frankfurt."
okay i'm not sure what to write yet, but just to comment, you're last post had me laughing out loud. haha. You are real good with the dialogue i've noticed. I can picture everything they are saying perfectly. hahaha cracked me up...haha
"Ah, yes, well don't let me keep you Jane," Mr. Wallice said stepping to the side to let Jane through to the broom closet. "And um Frankfurt, tomorrow at 2 still work for our, er..meeting?" he added once he thought Jane was out of earshot.
"Oh yes, 2 o'clock should work swimmingly," Frankfurt stated, "I'll let Jane know to close up the shop."
When Jane returned from the broom closet Mr. Wallice had gone and the rest of the day progressed rather normally. The usual clients showed up their usual 5 minutes late, and by 6pm Jane was off and headed home. She really did have a lot to think about. Once inside the comfort of her home she took a shower, made some tea and sat on the couch to sort out the day's happenings. "Okay, first things first: George. I never imagined him for the malignant type...then again, I don't know the exact operations of this 'secret organization.' For all I know George could really be the good guy," she sighed in frustration.
"Why didn't Jerry tell me more? He really could of slipped me something to go off of..." she let her mind wander. "Well," she said aloud to snap her back to the present situation. "It's plainly obvious now that George thinks I know a lot more than I do. 'Good Job,' why would he say that if he didn't think I had planned it. And Fiona! Really George you want to marry Fiona over me? Do you know that she sounds like a diseased smoker when she gets mad? And I don't know about him, but most people do not send out wedding announcements before they even propose!" she had risen to her feet with indignation and felt the hot tears begin to run down her face. "why, why, why?" she questioned herself. "oh, why did I let myself fall for him?"
She had an unrestful sleep that night and arrived at work the next day very tired. The day progressed normally, and Jane had plenty of time to think about everything that had happened the day before. Every time she had to get the broom, however, she was sorely tempted to lift up the trapdoor and find out what exactly was going on in the secret "headquarters" down there. When it was nearing two o'clock Mr. Frankfurt came into the inner room.
"Jane, I quite forgot to ask you yesterday, but there isn't anything scheduled for the rest of the day, is that correct?"
"Actually, yes there is," Jane replied. She saw Mr. Frankfurt's worried look. "Jerry's supposed to come at two," she finished. She then remembered that Mr. Wallice was planning on coming then too for a "meeting," but she wasn't supposed to know that.
"Oh, well if it's Jerry that should be just fine," Mr. Frankfurt said with evident relief. "I'm quite sure I can manage without you, what do you say to having the rest of the day off?"
Jane felt disappointment, she was hoping she would have been able to learn something at this "meeting." But she agreed and left the shop just as Mr. Wallice and Jerry were arriving. They nodded hello to her, and if Jane was hoping they would invite her to stay, she was disappointed. Jerry did, however, give her a very meaningful glance, which Jane replied with a confused one. He didn't say anything though and Jane made her way to the bus stop. The bus wouldn't arrive for quite some time so she settled down on the bench and began sifting through her thoughts once more. What could possibly be the point of this organization? She couldn't come up with any answers. And how long had Fiona been a part of it? Had she, Jane, been the only one in the office ignorant of it? She sat mulling over these thoughts for some time before she heard someone call her name.
She looked up, startled, to see an elderly woman bustling towards her. Jane racked her mind, trying to recognize this woman, but to no avail. Finally the older woman approached Jane. "Hello, Jane! Ohh how are you? It's been so long since i've seen you, what with you not working at the office anymore." Then it clicked. This was Miss Pentworst, one of Mr. Wallice's dental patients. "Hello Miss Pentwurst," Jane said pleasantly, trying to mask her disappointment that it hadn't been Jerry rushing to let her into their meeting, "how have you been?" she asked.
"Oh, you know me, fit as a fiddle. But last week, what was it...oh tuesday I believe..or maybe wednesday...well, I had the most awkward pain in my right mueller, you know the one way back there and I went in to the office.." Miss Pentwurst continued on, telling every detail of her last dental appointment, and Jane feigned interest. Then she said something that really caught her attention."Oh, but here's some news for you! Fiona and George are getting married! Can you imagine that. It was such a shock to us dental patients. But I guess love is love. I, myself never got married, but-"
"So it's true then?" Jane cut in, "they are officially getting married?"
"Well,I'm afraid so dear," Miss Pentwurst replied reading Jane's upset look. "mmm, I suspected as much. Unrequitied love is never a fair thing, Jane. But for what it's worth, I think you're a better catch than that Fiona. So, well.. just plain ditsy sometimes, that one." Jane almost laughed, remembering the Fiona from underground, who was anything but ditsy.
"Well, Jane, it was sooo nice to talk to you, but I'd better be on my way! I have an appointment to get my hair cut and I don't want to be late." She bustled off, and Jane watched in amazement as she went towards Mr. Frankfurt's shop.
"What the what?!" she whispered to herself. "Mr. Frankfurt shouldn't have any more appointments today...unless...is Miss Pentwurst going to the meeting? Does she know about the organization too??" Jane's head began to ache. "Who else knows? Am I the only one who doesn't?" She began to feel angry and was on the point of just barging into the shop, when the bus pulled up.
"Getting on, missy?" the driver asked congenially.
Jane hesitated. This meeting could be her only chance to figure things out, but barging in there uninvited could cost her her job.
"I haven't got all day, miss. If you're getting on, then please get on."
"Uh...yes, sorry..." Jane stuttered and stepped on. Her job was more important. "Let me find my wallet..." She fumbled around in her purse, the bus driver sighing impatiently. As she finally found her cash and fished it into the machine, someone bounded up the steps behind her. She hardly noticed, and distracted by her thoughts she made her way to an empty seat at the back of the crowded bus and sat down. She glanced up as the person sat next to her and had to make a double take. "Jerry?!" she gasped, "Your hair!"
"Yes, I know it's a bit shorter..."
"Shorter!" she gasped "why I can actually see your face for once! You have green eyes!" She hadn't meant to say the last part, but in her astonishment at seeing a pair of piercing green beauties staring at her, it slipped out.
"ehem, yes..well, I thought it was about time for a decent cut. Are you going home?" he asked her conversationally. Jane finally stole her eyes from his face.
There were so many questions inside her mind that she failed to answer his question.
"Jerry, why did miss Pentwurst go into the shop? Is she in on 'it' too? And I really do need to know what this organization is all about. I mean how can you possibly expect me to--" Jerry shushed her as a new set of passengers entered thus bus. "Look, you can't go talking like that, Jane. I came here to give you some answers, but you can't possibly expect me to dish out our deepest secrets on a city bus," he scolded. Jane's cheeks reddened, "Oh, right, sorry...umm I like your haircut, did Frankfurt do it?" Jane said in an effort to sound casual again.
Ten minutes and a very awkward conversation later, Jane and Jerry exited the bus and made there way to Jane's house. "Alright Jane," Jerry said once they were inside, "I think it's time I gave you some answers." Jane's heart nearly skipped a beat. "I'll start at the beginning. About 20 years ago, Mr. Frankfurt, Mr. Wallice, and Miss Pentwurst formed the Organization. They are it's leaders, which is why they were the only ones allowed at today's meeting. The three of them met 20 years ago and-"
"DING-DONG," the sound of Jane's doorbell echoed through the room.
"Jane, darling, you home?" George yelled from the door.
"Darling?" Jerry said, looking at Jane's red face. Jane didn't respond but went to the front door, her heart pounding against her wishes. What was George doing here? And right when she was about to learn something too. She opened the door and George greeted her with a smile.
"Hey Jane," he walked through the door before she could say anything.
"Uh hi George, wha-what are you doing here?" Jane replied, quickly following him to the living room.
"Oh, just thought I'd see how you were doi...why if it isn't Jerry Lynch! What the devil are you doing here?" he said this good-naturedly, but Jane could tell that he was seething at the sight of Jerry.
"I suppose I could ask you the same thing, George," Jerry replied calmly. "And I don't think Fiona would appreciate you calling other girls 'darling.' You are engaged right?"
George stared at him for a second and then heaved a great laugh. "Ohoho Jerry, always the stickler. It's just a friendly endearment, doesn't mean a thing." Jane's heart plummeted to the floor. "Anyways," George went on, "you haven't answered my question."
"And you haven't answered mine," Jane cut in, a little angrily. Who does he think he is, marching into her house uninvited, messing with her heart? George looked at her in surprise.
"Why Jane, can't one friend stop by at another friend's house for a friendly chat once in awhile?" He smiled charmingly. Jane's anger wavered, and she almost smiled at him when Jerry said, "That is sound logic, George, but if the friend is busy, perhaps the other friend should leave."
"Busy? What could you two possibly be busy with?" he laughed as if at a great joke, but then he looked at the pair of them and suspicion crossed his face.
"Well..." Jane began searching for an excuse but Jerry cut in.
"George, if you must know, we were just about to go grab some food and see a movie." Jane's brow furrowed in confusion. George laughed.
"You mean your about to go on a date?" he asked incredulously.
"That's exactly what I mean," Jerry replied calmly. Jane could feel her face burning up. "Isn't that right, Jane?" he smiled at her, his green eyes dancing.
"Uh ye-yes," she stuttered, and wrenched her red face away from Jerry's smiling one and glanced at George. He still appeared a little suspicious.
"Well. You'll have to excuse me, then. Perhaps I can stop by some other time, eh Jane?" he smiled engagingly at her, shot a suspicious look at Jerry and left.
"you really should get over him, Jane," Jerry said smiling at her embarrassment, "he's not worth your time."
"well, I'm not sure I know what you are referring to," Jane snapped. "and how dare you make up that nonsense about a date! I've never heard something sillier in my life!" Jane sat down on the couch and starred at anything but Jerry. "Are you going to give me some answers now?" she asked angrily.
"Well," Jerry said thoughtfully, "it depends. Are you going to go blabbing everything I tell you to George, if he sends a smile your way...'darling'?" He was clearly mocking Jane, and she was about to explode with anger until she remembered that Jerry was her only source of information.
"Of course not," she said stiffly.
"Alright..well where was I? Oh yes, Frankfurt, Wallice, and Pentwurst met 20 years ago, or rather bumped into eachother. You see, Mr. Wallice used to be quite the rabble rouser, and had joined the throngs of protesters protesting for who knows what. Miss Pentwurst was merely an innocent bystander. She used to own a flower shop down on 5th avenue. She had stepped out of her shop to see what the commotion was, when Mr. Wallice (no doubt drunk with spirited protesting) bullied straight into her. Mr. Frankfurt, who was a policeman at the time, rushed over to disentangle them."
"Mr. Frankfurt was a police officer?!" Jane asked incredulously, "but he's so frail!" Jerry eyed her, indicating that he was not prone on interruptions and continued. "Well, as Mr. Frankfurt rushed to help them back to their feet, something happened. Something that I cannot explain, because it does not make sense. But as soon as Frankfurt touched miss Pentwurst and Mr. Wallice, the three of them knew about the organization. They knew how to get into the underground tunnel, and they knew how to run out, how to bring it back to life. It is a cyclical organization Jane. Years and years ago it was up and running, before it dissipated. And 20 years ago it was brought back to life by those three."
Jerry paused in his speech, and Jane stared at him incredulously.
"You mean to say that they just magically "knew" about the whole thing?" she asked.
"Yes, that's what I mean," he replied, "I have no idea how, so don't ask me."
"What does the organization do?" Jane asked instead.
"Well, it does a lot of things, more things than I even know about," he paused, as if gathering his thoughts and continued, "you see, there are three branches: Do, led by Wallice; Think, led by Frankfurt; and Imagine, led by Pentwurst. I work in Frankfurt's branch, Think. Mostly we do research and analyses. Occasionally we are called on to do some investigating in certain cases...Think is arguably the most important of the branches, although don't tell Wallice or Pentwurst that," Jerry chuckled to himself. Jane had so many questions on the tip of her tongue but Jerry went on before she could open her mouth. "Do, led by Wallice, uses the information Think learns and puts it to use in the real world. Pentwurst and Imagine, well, they deal with mysterious stuff. I don't know much about that branch. Now, of course this is just the very tip of the iceberg. There's no way I could tell you everything."
"So...," Jane thought about which question to ask, "Do only people that are part of the organization know about it?"
"Well, that's hard to say. Supposedly that's the way it is, but look at you, you're not part of it. And George, he's been trying to learn about it for a long time. There are people who know it exists but that's all they know about it. Of course, there are a few books, written in previous eras of the organization, that are available to the general public. But often times people just think it's an old organization that doesn't exist anymore." Jerry stood up. "Well, I do believe it's time for that food I mentioned earlier. I'm starving."
"But..." Jane protested. She had so many more questions.
"No buts, Jane," Jerry said as if scolding a child, "besides we've got to keep with our alibi. We don't want to raise George's suspicions."
Jane submitted reluctantly and they left her house. They began walking through the neighborhoods, and Jane was so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't paid the slightest attention to where they were headed.
"Uh, Jerry?" she asked skeptically "where are we going?"
"You and your questions!" he scolded lightly. She waited for him to give her more information, but soon realized he wasn't intending to. They turned the corner and Jerry led her to "Margareta's" arguably the fanciest restaurant in town. "what..we can't go in there! Jerry I'm not dressed up..and neither are you for that matter! I really don't think-"
"Don't worry, Jane," Jerry said, "I know the owner, it'll be fine." What Jerry didn't realize was that Jane had other reasons for not wanting to enter this restaurant. Jerry led her to a table in the corner, and left Jane to her thoughts as they waited for their food. Only for the first time in the past few days, Jane's thoughts were not about the organization. Her mind was painfully replaying her very first date with George.
"So, Jane, tell me about yourself?" George asked as he eyed her silky blue dress and freshly done nails.
"Oh, well, umm.." Jane blushed against her wishes.
"Come on, no need to be bashful. Tell me about your family for starters," George smiled charmingly. My family, right, Jane thought to herself.
"Well, my parents..umm I'm an only child. No siblings. I grew up in..er well I moved around a lot," she tried.
"haha, Jane darling, this isn't an examination, you can tell me anything, I want to be there for you," George flashed a serious, yet caring look in Jane's general direction. Her heart melted. I've never been called darling before, she thought, completely lost in George's charm.
"I never knew my parents. I was told by my first foster family that my mother died giving birth, and my father of a broken heart," Jane toyed nervously with her dangly, sparkled earrings.
"but?" George asked, reading the disbelief on her face.
"But, that's not the truth. When I was 18, I called the original orphanage that took me in and I demanded answers," she paused, beginning to feel overcome with years of sadness. George reached across the table and took her hand. "It's okay Jane, I'm here," he said thoughtfully.
"Here's your Filet Mignon and your Chicken picata. Anything else I can get you two?" the waitress asked as she delivered their food.
"No, I think we're good for now. Thanks," Jerry responded cordially. Jane began to eat her chicken picatta. Her emotions running rampant inside her.
"So," Jerry said trying to make conversation, "whats your family like?"
Jane's head shot up. Was he reading her thoughts? But his face looked innocent enough.
"Um, well, their dead," Jane replied shortly and quickly shoved a big forkful of food in her mouth.
"Oh...I'm sorry," Jerry replied awkwardly. "Recently?"
Jane finished swallowing her food and shook her head. "No, no. I actually never knew them." Was she really having this conversation again? At the same restaurant?
"Oh," Jerry replied and sensing her awkwardness said, "I've never met my parents either, well my real parents. They're alive somewhere, I know that much, but I guess they couldn't keep me, so they put me up for adoption." He paused, taking a bite of food.
"Did you live in an orphanage?" Jane asked. That would be an interesting mutual topic! she thought wryly.
"No. My 'biological' mom found my parents while she was pregnant, and arranged it all before I was even born."
"Oh. When did you find out?"
"That I was adopted?" he sighed, "I don't even remember. I think I knew very early on in life, but I didn't think about it. I just knew my parents as my parents, you know?"
"I guess. I don't really know what it's like to have parents. I was never adopted, just went from one foster home to another," Jane replied sadly.
"Sounds like a tough life," Jerry said quietly. "Do you know how your parents died?"
Should she tell him what she told George? George had been so kind, and it had been quite easy. Yet she could tell that Jerry would be just as kind, just maybe not so demonstratively so. Still, she didn't know him very well...
Jerry saw her hesitation and quickly said, "you don't have to answer that." He finished off his food, and changed the subject. "So, what movie should we go see?"
Jane, startled out of her reverie, gazed at him speechlessly for a second.
"Oh...you don't have to do that...George won't know if we went to a movie or not..."
"But I will."
hahaha that last line is real cheesy but it popped out and I didn't have the heart to delete it. :)
Jane blushed sweetly and agreed to see whatever movie Jerry suggested. She then sat through an awfully boring movie about something or other, and couldn't help wishing that she had been with George. He used to wrap me in his arms when we went to movies, she thought wistfully.
"well, thank you for the, er..fun night," Jane said awkwardly once they were back at her house.
"haha, don't get bashful Jane. I'll see you around," and with that Jerry left. Once inside, Jane felt painfully alone. Her memories of George were still swimming in her mind, and she really wanted to sort out everything Jerry had told her about the organization. She grabbed a notebook from the closet and decided to make a chart of everything she had learned.
She managed to write 'Do (Wallice) Think (Frankfurt, Jerry) and Imagine (Pentwurst)' before she fell asleep, dreaming of George. The next few days, progressed rather normally, which was painful for Jane. She hadn't seen Jerry since their 'date,' and George since he came knocking that same night. Frankfurt was his usual self, and Jane went about her duties, too scared to mention the organization or open the trap door. The few days turned into few weeks and weeks slowly accumulated into months, Jane began to question whether the whole thing had been a joke. And to make matters worse, the invitation to George and Fiona's wedding had been posted on Mr. Frankfurt's bulletin board, staring at Jane anytime she walked past it.
"Mr. Frankfrut?" Jane asked one lazy afternoon, "what happened to Jer- um Mr. Lynch, he hasn't been in for awhile?"
"Oh, Jerry, he's been out of town I'm afraid. Miss him, do we?" he asked her, his eyes sparkling.
"Oh, Mr. Frankfurt, that's not what I meant... that is, I was only concerned about his hair, he'll probably need a decent cut when he returns. Should I perhaps schedule something?" she asked in what she thought was a nonchalant voice.
"Oh yes, well he'll be back before the wedding, and I daresay he will need a nice trim," Frankfurt played along, "put him down for sometime next week."
Jane did so, and waited impatiently for the next week. She wondered a bit at the eagerness she felt, and decided it was because she still had questions about the organization.
George still had never come back to her house, and Jane wondered about this too. What had been his reason for stopping by? It must not have been important, seeing as how it had been a few months since then. Jane decided unhappily that he was probably too busy with his wedding preparations to come and see her. She tried to forget him, since he was getting married soon, but she found it very hard. Memories of his charm and kindness were always in the back of her mind. She hoped it would be easier to forget him once he was actually married.
A few days later, Jane was busy in the backroom filing a pile of papers when she heard the door jangle and a few seconds later heard Jerry’s voice greet Mr. Frankfurt. Her heart began thumping strangely, and Jane puzzled over this as she finished filing the papers. She had known he was coming today; she had scheduled the appointment herself. She was perhaps just excited to maybe learn more about the organization. A short time later she heard Jerry come into the room. Jane looked up to see his green eyes smiling at her.
“Jane! Sweetheart!” he exclaimed loudly and hugged her, lifting her off the ground and spinning around the room.
Jane nearly choked from her surprise. “Wha…Sweetheart?!” she cried, but Jerry shushed her and motioned towards the outer room. “Just play along,” he whispered then went on in a loud voice, “It’s been so long, I have so much to tell you about my trip! You’re not busy are you?” Jane shot him a confused glare and glanced at the appointment book. She shook her head, no one was coming for awhile.
“Good.” Jerry closed the door and turned to face Jane. “Sorry about that. Frankfurt thinks we’re ‘courting’ and I didn’t want to disappoint him. Besides I do have a lot to tell you, and if he thinks we’re talking lovey-dovey mushy stuff he won’t bother us.”
Jane was so shocked at Jerry's sudden appearance that she didn't have time to worry about the fact that Frankfurt thought they were courting.
"Jerry, I've been living in the dark this whole time! Where have you been? I need some answers, please," Jane pleaded. She knew Jerry didn't owe her anything, but hoped he would stay long enough to answers all her many questions.
Jerry smiled, "I knew you'd be ancy," he said, "but before I can tell you anything, I need to you to tell me everything you know about your parents."
"My wha-Jerry what have my parents have to do with anything. Plus I already told you their dead," Jane responded, shocked that the conversation had taken a turn.
"Jane, listen to me. It will make sense, I promise. Just tell me everything you know." Jane shot Jerry a skeptical look, and was surprised to see an honest, almost caring pair of eyes staring back at her.
"umm..alright," she finally conceded. "I was told by my first foster parents that they both died right after my birth. I spent the majority of my life wholeheartedly believing this. Except," Jane paused, steadying her breath, "except, and I don't know how to explain this, but I always felt something different. I told myself over and over again, that they died right after my birth, but something inside me fought it. so, when I was 18 I called the original orphanage and demanded answers," she stopped. Jane felt the heat rising to her face. George was the only other person she had ever revealed this to. She knew she could trust Jerry, and find comfort, but he wasn't the same as George. He wasn't holding her hand, and whispering reassurances.
"Jane, what did you find out?" Jerry questioned, "I need to know."
Jane took a deep breath, "I found out that my parents didn't actually die until I was 3 years old. I found out that they weren't actually even a married couple. That it had been a fling or something, and they dropped me the second I was born to continue their own lives. And, when I was 3, they 'disappeared.' That's the phrase the orphanage used. I guess in some twisted way it's a euphemism for they died," Jane had spoken this all rather fast. And had focused her eyes on the schedule book, that she hadn't seen Jerry's lit up.
"Jane," Jerry said, "thank you for telling me, I know that must be hard information to tell. Everyone wants to feel wanted. But I need you to listen to me carefully now. 20 years ago when Frankfurt, Wallice, and Pentwurst suddenly knew about the organization, they learned about how it operates. Each one of them learned different rules about their specific departments. Now, do you remember that I told you the organization was cyclical?" he asked. Jane nodded. "Well, the three of them knew that once their time was up, and the organization was going to go dormant again, their memories would be erased, as well as the memories of all of us members," Jerry paused to let Jane grasp it.
"So, on some random day everyone who is part of the organization is going to lose all recollection of it and return to their normal lives?" Jane asked.
"Well, not exactly," Jerry responded, "Frankfurt know far more about it than I do. But form what I understand the entire memory gets erased. Not just the memories of the organization but every single memory one's ever had."
Jane's brow furrowed. "So, you are going to forget your whole life?" Jerry nodded. Jane thought for a second. "So, what does this have to do with my parents?"
"Well, I'm not sure about this, but I think your parents were part of the organization. That's why they couldn't keep you, because they wouldn't remember you when it ended."
Jane gasped. "What makes you think that?" she whispered.
"Well, I saw a picture you had in your living room of a couple standing in front of your house," he paused and saw Jane's surprise. "Your parents?"
Jane nodded.
"How did you get your house?"
Jane took a deep breath. She hadn't told anyone this before. "A few weeks after I had called the orphanage to find out the truth, I received that picture in the mail from them. I guess my parents had left it with me when they dropped me off and the orphanage kept it filed away," Jane paused. "On the back of the picture was the address of the house. I don't know, I thought that maybe if I could see the house, I would feel closer to them...it's silly I know." Jane laughed sheepishly. Jerry remained silent. "Anyways, I found the house and saw that it was vacant. I made some inquiries and found out that the house had been willed to the daughter of the previous owners. Me. A few weeks later I moved in," she finished. Jerry was still silent. "So...you still haven't answered my question. What makes you think my parents were part of the organization?" Jane looked questioningly at Jerry.
"I've been doing some research on the memory loss and I came across a book from the last era of the organization. That same picture you have of your parents is in the book," Jerry replied.
"Really?" Jane breathed.
"Yeah. I'll show it to you,
Jerry replied and glanced at his watch. "But I've go to go now. Is it alright if I come over to your house later? I'm trying to find out if there is some way to prevent the memory loss, and I think you can help me."
"Yes, of course," Jane replied, "I get off work at six."
"Okay, see you then," Jerry said, patted her on the back and left.
Jane spent the rest of her day deflecting Mr. Frankfurt's comments about her and Jerry's supposed courtship. She could hardly contain her excitement at knowing more about her parents. "What if they're still alive?" she thought hopefully. Then she remembered that even if they were, they wouldn't remember her at all.
"Jane, could I ask a favor from you?" Mr. Frankfurt asked as she was cleaning up after the final appointment.
"Of course," she replied.
"well, this wedding is fast approaching, and an old bachelor like myself isn't likely to find a decent date. I was wondering if you would give me the honor of accompanying me. I know Mr. Lynch probably has claims on you, but for just one night, I would greatly appreciate it." Jane laughed at her predicament. She hadn't been planning on attending George's wedding, after all she didn't get an invite. But if she refused Mr. Frankfurt his suspicions about her and Jerry would be confirmed.
"Oh all right, I'll go with you," Jane said finally, "it'll be fun," she lied. She made her way home that night, anxiously thinking of Jerry's arrival at 6. She decided to make something to eat, telling herself he might be hungry when he arrived. But really, she was just trying to pass the time.
She was just pulling some baked potatoes out of the oven when the doorbell rang. She ran to the front door in such a hurry, that she was still holding a potato in her hand. She opened the door and to her amazement saw George standing outside.
“George!” Jane exclaimed and nearly dropped the potato. George smiled, causing her to blush, and took it out of her hand.
“Hot potato! Hot potato! Don’t get caught!” he sang tossing the potato between his hands. Jane tried in vain to take it back, he was going to burn himself.
“What are you doing here?”
“Don’t sound so excited to see me!” George said in mock disappointment and looked over her shoulder into the kitchen. “I say Jane, are you cooking? I never knew…” he trailed off and pushed past her into the house. Jane followed him into the kitchen where she had two places set at the table.
“Jane, darling, how did you know I was coming?” he asked charmingly, gesturing to the table.
“I…that is…” Jane looked around herself in confusion. Why was it that George always showed up when Jerry was coming to her house? And why did he always put her mind in such a muddle?
“I haven’t seen you in months. I had no idea you were coming,” she replied shortly, although she was still blushing.
“Oh, yes, and I am so sorry about that, dear girl, but…” George stopped as the doorbell rang again. Jane’s heart thumped, but whether it was from George calling her “dear girl” or from the doorbell, she couldn’t tell. She went to the door and opened it.
“Helloo…” Jerry started casually and then saw George behind her. He grinned, his green eyes glinting, and pulled Jane into a tight hug. “I’ve missed you all day, darling” he said in a very convincing voice, and then kissed her on the cheek and looked at George as if he had just seen him. “Oh, hello there George! Nice of you to drop in. We haven’t seen you in so long.” He came into the house and led them all back to the kitchen. Jane, her face burning red, glanced at George and saw that he was the one looking confused for once.
“Jerry Lynch!” he finally cried, grinning like his old charming self, “It’s always a pleasure to see you!” What a good liar he is, Jane thought.
“Likewise, likewise,” Jerry said and put an arm around Jane’s shoulders. “Jane, is that dinner ready? You do cook beautifully, dearest.” And he grinned down at her. He’s a good liar too, Jane thought. Must be part of the organization…
“I’m afraid there’s not enough for three, George,” Jerry continued. “You’ll have to stop by later. We are very strict with our meals, aren’t we darling?” Jane mustered her wits and remembered what Jerry was going to tell her. Well if they can lie, so can I, she thought and smiled sweetly up at Jerry.
“That’s right dear,” She turned to George, still smiling. “I’m so sorry George, but it has been so nice to see you.” It was so easy to talk to him when she was acting. She didn’t even blush. For a second George looked thunderous, but he quickly turned charming again.
“Jane, really I thought you had more hospitality in you, but I can see when I’m not wanted,” he smiled good naturedly and turned to the door. “By the way, I take it your date went well? I haven’t seen you since then, and now you’re practically a married couple!”
“Yes, I know. Young love.Tell Fiona hello from us!” Jerry called. George started.
“Fiona…yes, I shall. And I expect to see you both at the wedding!”and he left.
Jane watched him shut the door, and sighed in relief. Then she realized Jerry’s arm was still around her and remembered that he had kissed her. She began to blush and shifted uncomfortably away from him.
“I made some baked pota…” she began, trying to return things to normal and stopped as Jerry started laughing uncontrollably.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, but Jerry was laughing so hard, tears were in his eyes, and Jane couldn’t help laughing herself.
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