Uncomplicated 3.16: Ruffled feathers

Edward Jones

     My hand tightly grips my knee as I look at the society page of the newspaper. Before me, I see the one thing I have always dreaded. My upper lip curls into a snarl as I mentally growl, They're getting married. 

     I quickly stand up, and my hand knocks my coffee cup over. Coffee spills onto my desk while my fist balls up the corner of the paper. Dam* you to hell, Luke! Picking up my mug, I then throw it hard, sending it crashing against the far wall, breaking into several pieces.

     "Mr. Jones?" my secretary asks as she peeks her head into my office, obviously having heard the mug shatter.

     I don't answer her. Instead I stand here holding the paper in both fists, ready to rip it apart, just as soon as I can finish torturing myself with the details of the article.

     Miss Brown reaches down to pick up the remains of my mug. My eyes wild, I look over at her. "Be careful. Don't cut yourself."

     "I'm fine, sir," she replies as I walk around my desk.

     "Here. Use this to soak up the spill." I throw the paper on the floor in a temper and rapidly stomp out of my office.

     I get in my car. I want to leave. I want to leave everything, everyone behind. I want to exist in a world where there is no Ana, no little Wren, and definitely no Luke Brasswell. I can't stay here anymore! I start the engine and speed away, crossing bridges and passing houses until the houses thin and I'm surrounded only by trees. Putting my car into the next gear, I drive faster to... somewhere. Anywhere.

     My thoughts try to catch up to me, to force me to accept reality, but I shove them away, hopefully leaving them stranded on the side of the highway. They can rot there for all I care. I don't want to think them.

     This forest really is lovely. It's so tranquil out here, no journalists to pester you, nothing to sign, nothing to dictate, no meetings to attend. Just. Trees. 

     'Welcome to Moonlight Falls' the sign says, and I slow my speed. I've never been here before. Has this town always been here?

     I slowly drive along the main road until I come across a hotel. I'm guessing it used to be a house but that the owners changed it. I don't imagine the town has many visitors, so I can understand the need for only a small hotel. At any rate, I pull into the parking lot.

     Operating on a spur-of-the-moment decision, I exit my car, walk inside, and rent a room. I notice a nicely-sized dining room to my right, and a singer works on warming up her rich voice. I decide I'll eat here tonight as well.

    When I get to my room, I ring Miss Brown and tell her that I've decided to take a few days off for personal leave. I instruct her to have my deputy handle anything that requires immediate attention. I tell her where I am in case of an emergency, and I hang up. Taking a deep breath, I relax and sit back into the plush armchair in my room.

     I wake up with a crick in my neck from how I'd gone to sleep in the armchair. Lifting my head, I rub the back of my neck.

     Where am I? I look around the room, and then, I remember.

     My heart tears. Luke asked Ana to marry him, and she said yes.

     I have to escape this pain!

     Still somewhat rubbing the back of my neck, I walk down the stairs to the small dining room. The room may be small, but it has class. The singer I'd heard earlier starts up another ditty, singing next to the piano since there isn't a stage.

     It's Baby Love! I mentally exclaim with a quiet gasp. In the flesh, standing in the same room, singing for a handful of lucky souls! She must feel me staring at her because she looks over at me before the corners of her mouth lift in a small smirk.

     I'm so starstruck that I don't notice the waiter trying to take my order until he waves his hand between the singer and me.

     "I'll just have the special," I say distractedly, and as the man walks away, I worry the special has shellfish in it. Hopefully, I won't die tonight from my allergy.

     But in light of today's revelation, would that really be all that awful? My stomach pangs again as I remember the happily-written article. The town has been gossiping for years that the two of them needed to get together in a more permanent way, and the journalist obviously felt the same.

     The incomperable Baby Love finishes up her song, swigs down the rest of a martini, and waltzes over to take the seat opposite me. I'm...pretty sure my mouth hangs open like a barn door someone forgot to close.

     "How do, stranger," she says in a voice as smooth as velvet.

     I remind myself to breathe as I reply, "Hello."

     "You weren't here last night. What brings ya to Moonlight Falls?" she asks conversationally.

     My eyes fall to the table. "This is where I stopped driving," I reply evasively.

     "Hm," she says in a contemplative way. "You know what? I got a feelin' 'bout'ch'you."

     "Oh yeah?" I ask, entertained at the very least.

     "Mmhm." She nods slowly. "You're runnin' from sump'n. Is the big, bad wolf chasin' ya?"

     "Try the green-eyed snake," I reply.

     "Ha! I was right!" She grins widely, and I work at reminding myself I'm sitting across the table from and talking to a star.

     "My name's Edward Jones. I'm a huge fan of yours, Miss Love," I say and hold out my hand. I might look a bit ridiculous, but I don't care. I simply must tell her how much I love her albums. I even have a picture of her in my office from her first one.

     She gingerly shakes mine before letting go. "Aw, you ain't gotta call me 'Miss Love.' Just Baby'd be nice." She smiles again.

     "I can't fathom doing such a thing," I tell her sincerely.

     "Nuts, I ain't nothin' but a lil' girl from Bridgeport." Her golden amber eyes blink innocently at me.

     My food arrives.

     "I'll let'ch'ya eat, but don't'ch'you go nowheres." She playfully points to me before sauntering back to the piano.

     As requested, I sit and watch the rest of her set. Often, she looks over at me and smiles, and I can't help but smile back. I also remind myself to be careful. Baby Love has quite the reputation with men, and I don't need to be her next victim, even if she is silken woohoo in a red dress.

     She pulls the chair across from me around the table so that she can sit next to me. "So, tell me why you ran from the green-eyed snake o jealousy all the way ta this lil' hole-in-the-wall town."

     Someone brings her a martini, and he asks, "Would you like anything else, Mr. Jones?" I order another glass of wine.

     I answer Miss Love's question. "Well, what do you think? The woman I love is with another man." I tell her my whole sob story before the waiter finally arrives with my wine. "I guess that makes me the biggest sap in history," I finish.

     She runs her finger along the edge of the table in thought. "No," she disagrees. "It makes you honorable. Not every man can let go of the woman he loves 'cause he know it's the best thing for her. That takes guts not everybody got." She gets a faraway look now, looking out the window.

     I carefully pull her out of her reverie. "So, you think I did the right thing?"

     She starts and looks at me strangely. Then, for some reason, anger appears in her expression. "Do you think you did the right thing? How're you feelin' right about now? Do it hurt like you feel like you got a hole in you the size of a bowling ball? Why did you do that? Why did you stop fightin'?" Tears swim in her eyes as she begs me to explain.

     A bit lost, I still make an attempt to reply, "I... I...thought I explained that. She needs to be with the father of her child. If he didn't love her, well, that would be different, but..."

     "Oh, I'm sorry, Edward. I think I lost myself there for a sec. Maybe I didn'n need this last one." She points to her glass. "Yes, sugar, you probably did the right thing, even if it hurt to do it." She stands up and adjusts the straps to her dress. Out of habit, I stand with her. Then, she turns those eyes on me and questions, "I got the nicest fireplace in my room upstairs. Would you like to come on up and see it?" Her look tells me what she really means.

     I fight back the threatening blush somehow and say, "Thank you for the offer, but I think I'll just turn in." I shake her hand again, and on impulse, I bring it to my lips and kiss her fingers. I think that smoothed any ruffled feathers from my refusal, and she smirks again before telling me goodnight.

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A/N: This cameo of Gloria Love from Cutest Lil' Jazz Singer pictures her in the future (from where CLJS is now). I would try to sync the two chapters, but with the rate I get those CLJS chapters out, it'd be ages until this one showed up. Plus, there's a reason she's just a tad different in how she talks.

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