“Because you started it.” Jerry said unwilling to give in.
“I started it? How do you figure that?” Jax asked perplexed by Jerry’s reasoning. “You become friends with my assistant, behind my back, ask her out on a date, stay out with her all night, and then barge into my home and ask me what my intentions are. You do all that and you still think I started it, that’s rich.”
Jerry gave an annoyed smirk. “No what is rich is that you don’t know that you started it. You totally ignored V, for over a year.” Jerry shook his head. “Your FORMER assistant has always been… what did you say…Smart, funny, beautiful, tenacious, quick, and stubborn.” Jerry quoted his brothers earlier statement. “She has always been all that, and more. You just failed to notice. All of this is your fault.”
“All of what?” What did Jerry mean? Their fight? His feelings for her? What? Jax asked himself as he waited impatiently for his brother’s answer.
The unfriendly tone in Jerry’s laughter did nothing to calm Jax’ mood. “You failed to pay attention to the incredible woman that was right in front of you. Jesus little brother, she was crazy about you. You didn’t even acknowledge that. Would it have killed you? Instead you treat her like the little sister you never had, and pass her off on the first wimp who shows interest in her…” Jerry trailed off as he contemplated that move. “Simon? Why him?”
“He likes her. She deserves to be happy. I was trying to help.” Jax weakly tried to defend himself.
“If you want her to be happy why do you want her to go out with him? Why can’t she go out with me?” Jerry asked with a genuine smile. How could Jax answer that question?
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Simon stopped as they reached the dressing room. “What do you have planned Chloe?” He doubted she would tell him the whole truth, but he needed to know at least a little something about the plan.
“Watch and learn.” Chloe said with a smile as she opened the door to the dressing room and began searching through the costumes.
Simon watched as she moved from the hanging dresses to the box of accessories on the floor. “What are you looking for?”
Chloe ignored his question as she continued digging. She wondered how she was expected to get anything done with him always interrupting her. Finally, after moving to anther box, she found what she needed. “Give me your foot.” She demanded as she turned to face Simon.
Simon saw the exacto-knife in her right hand and the bandage in her left. “I don’t think so. You are not, I repeat, not going to cut me.” He backed away from her as he spoke.
“Oh Simon, don’t be so overdramatic. I am not going to draw blood.” She shook her head in annoyance. “I am just going to wrap your ankle.”
Simon remembered that part of the plan. “What is the knife for?” He asked curiously. He never worried that Chloe was violent before, but he couldn’t be too careful.
---
V didn’t really know where to begin. She wasn’t really sure what she was feeling and she certainly didn’t know how to express it. “I… I…” She started.
Alexis tried to keep her annoyance from showing through. How hard could it be to say what was on her mind? “Talk to me, V. How hard can it be?”
“Harder than you think.” V countered.
“I wont tell anybody anything you don’t want them to hear. I wont judge you. I simply want to help you.” Alexis tried to sooth her friend.
“It isn’t that simple. I don’t know how I feel.” V said softly. Admitting that she wasn’t truly in control of her emotions wasn’t easy for her.
“Well tell me what has you confused then.” Alexis tried. She knew from experience that just saying the problem aloud sometimes helped.
V thought for a minute before she began. She wasn’t sure she was comfortable discussing this with somebody else. She preferred to handle her problems on her own, but Alexis was a friend, and she could certainly use a fresh perspective. “It isn’t totally about Jax.” She started.
“What is it about, then?” Alexis asked truly curious about the answer.
“Well, I was upset when Jax set me up with Simon. Jax practically forced me to go out with a man I don’t particularly like.”
“What about him bothers you?” Alexis asked. She had her own opinion about Simon but she was not going to try to influence V’s thoughts. She didn’t think she had any more right forcing her opinion of Simon on her friend than Jax did forcing Simon on V.
V sighed. “There is nothing wrong with him, really. He is just a little overanxious. He gets excited about things. He is hard to stop when he gets going. He is kind of cute and charming in an annoying way, I just don’t like him romantically. I wouldn’t mind debating the finer points of the English language with him; however, I don’t want to do it all the time.”
Alexis nodded. “So you are mad at Jax for not taking your feelings into account? What else?”
“Well, there is Jerry….” V trailed off almost as soon as she started.
“Jerry!” Alexis exclaimed eager to hear more.
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