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Why Do Fools Fall in Love?
Part Two
In part one, we learned that Trixie
and Honey have opened their agency and just finished a big case. Jim’s school
will be opening soon, and the Wheelers are having a formal affair in their ballroom
to celebrate. Jim and Trixie are being fools in love, hence the title, and
Jim is currently dating a gorgeous socialite, Amanda Woodward. So now, let’s
see what happens at the party… “I can’t
breathe,” Trixie whispered as she and Honey entered the Wheelers’ ballroom.
“This dress is too tight. It’s cutting off my circulation!” “You don’t need
to breathe; just smile.” Trixie
attempted her brightest smile and tried to forget that the silvery gown was,
in her opinion, a size too small. She feared if she exhaled deeply, the seams
holding in her ample bosom, quite possibly, might burst. “Try and look
natural,” Honey hissed. “You look like you’re in pain.” “But I am in pain! These shoes are killing me.”
Trixie glanced down at the silver stiletto heels with their impossibly
pointed toes. “These things were surely invented by a man. No woman in her
right mind would inflict such torture on herself.” “They look
great.” Honey faced her friend and squeezed her shoulders. “You look great. You’re going to knock him dead!” “I can’t
believe I have to go through this torture to look good,” Trixie muttered. “It
just goes to show you that I need lots of assistance to be beautiful.” Honey smirked
over at her. “You were already beautiful; all these frills are supposed to
give you confidence.” “Right now, the
only thing these shoes are giving me is blisters.” “Shut up and
smile, Belden,” Honey growled. It always
frightened Trixie when Honey used that tone, so she obliged. Unaccustomed her
looking so formal, she self-consciously patted her hair. Roberto had piled
her shoulder-length sandy curls on top of her head, making her look elegant,
yet sexy. “I’m never
going to get all this crap out of my hair,” she mumbled. “As I left the
salon, I think a bug flew in my curls and has met its untimely demise in my
upsweep.” “Quit
complaining,” Honey ordered with a giggle. “You look good, and you know it.”
She watched in exasperation as her best friend walked stiffly across the
floor. “Loosen up! You look like you have a stick up your butt.” Trixie winced
miserably. “I feel like I have a
stick up my butt. I’m afraid my dress is going to split any minute. I’m just sooo uncomfortable.” “Fashion has
its price. Now, chin up. Shoulders back. Add a slight sway to your hips. Not
too much, though. You don’t want to look like your selling sex. That’s it,
girl. Work it. Own it. Be the shoes.” Trixie stuck
her tongue out at her tawny-haired friend. “Hey, this comes easy for you,”
she protested. “You’ve been around this stuff since you were in designer
diapers.” “Be at one with
the shoes, grasshopper,” Honey whispered in her best Oriental voice. Trixie
nervously giggled. “When do I get to ‘wax on, wax off?’” However, Honey’s
teasing commands soon eased her nerves. Although she had attended several
similar functions with the Wheelers, she’d never felt comfortable at them.
Crime scenes and interrogation rooms were her comfort zone; she was out of
her element in ballrooms and at cocktail parties. At these formal affairs,
she secretly felt like a child playing dress up in her mother’s clothes. But,
in an attempt to please Honey (as well as avoid looking like a fool), she did
her best to follow the instructions and pretend she had some class. “Much better,”
Honey murmured in approval. “You look very elegant, Miss Belden.” Trixie smiled
to herself, wondering if her best friend was psychic. Honey always seemed to
know when she needed encouraging. Trixie admitted (only to herself, of
course) that she’d been pleasantly surprised when she looked in the mirror
earlier. She never would’ve chosen the daring gown if left on her own, but
Honey had insisted that it looked perfectly perfect. The shimmery silver
dress was long and form-fitting, with a high slit enabling Trixie to walk
easily while showing off her shapely legs to boot. The gown had faux-diamond encrusted
spaghetti straps, and the bodice had several of these rhinestones on it as
well. As torturous as this beautification
process was, it’ll all be worth it if I can get Jim’s attention, she
thought with a blush. Trixie spotted
her favorite redhead across the room. He was standing with Matthew Wheeler
and several of the board members from his school. She unconsciously sighed at
the sight of her husky friend. Her hands suddenly felt clammy, her throat
went dry, and her stomach began reeling. Although Jim
had always been attractive to Trixie, at 27 he would’ve been considered classically
handsome to the rest of the world. The thick, russet-colored hair was still
the same, although it had a modern style. His eyes, so brilliantly green,
continued to sparkle with a wisdom that had always belied hid young age. The
cleft in his chin was there, and it still made Trixie feel weak in the knees.
However, his freckles had faded over the years, and unlike redheaded men like
Ron Hank, Jim had gotten better with age. He’d grown into his strong
features, and he was a vision that took Trixie’s breath away. “Let’s go over
and say hello,” Honey suggested, pulling Trixie in that direction. Trixie took as
deep a breath as her tight dress would allow, and planted a brilliant smile
on her face. This is only Jim, she
nervously thought to herself. I’ve
known him for ages. Why am I so nervous? Belden, you’re being silly. However, no
matter how fervently she protested, she couldn’t relieve herself of the
feeling of desperation that welled up within her. Her intuition told her that
tonight would change the rest of her life, and she prayed it would be for the
better. Jim looked up
and saw Trixie and Honey approaching. After a nod to Honey, he focused on
Trixie. A stunned expression covered his handsome face. He flashed his
lopsided grin in her direction, totally unaware of the fluttering that grin
created in her heart. Matthew Wheeler
saw the approach of the two ladies, winked at them, and ushered the board
members away. Relieved from having to continue making small talk, Jim walked
over to his sister and her best friend. “Glad to see
you, Sis,” he said, giving Honey a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “You
look lovely, as usual. I’ll have to keep an eye on you and Brian, when he
gets here.” After pulling away from Honey, Jim shifted his attention to
Trixie. Although Jim and
Trixie had once been close, they had drifted apart in recent years. He’d
inadvertently driven a wedge between him and his “special” girl by dating.
While they spent time with each other in a group setting, the pair had
avoided spending time alone together. The years passed, and the closeness
they once shared was replaced by a canyon separating them. Because of that,
Trixie had no idea what to expect from Jim. “Wow, Trix,” he
murmured, hugging her, as well. “You look fantastic.” “Clean up
pretty good, don’t I, Frayne?” she whispered in his ear. Jim pulled
away, startled by the sensation of having her breath tickle his ear. “Thanks for coming
tonight,” he said, his voice slightly squeaky. “I’m glad all the Bob-Whites
could be here.” Honey was
beaming with pride. “We wouldn’t miss it. Now, where’s everybody else?” “As you
probably already know, Brian’s on his way from the hospital in White Plains.
He should be here shortly. Dan’s with Regan over there,” Jim explained,
nodding his head in the men’s direction. Trixie and
Honey looked “there” and saw Dan chatting with his uncle. A willowy blonde
stood by Dan’s side, looking very glamorous in her emerald green and black
evening gown. “I assume the
gorgeous blonde is Dan’s date for the evening,” Trixie grinned. “Well, of
course,” Jim laughed. “I must say, he has good taste.” The slender blonde
certainly looked lovely. Trixie bit
her lip, as Jim’s comment once again made her feel insecure. For the
millionth time, she wished she was a few inches taller, several pounds
thinner, and had long, silky tresses instead of her curls. “Where are Mart
and Di?” Trixie asked. She stood on her tiptoes to scan the room for any
sight of her almost-twin or his wife. “Where do you
think Mart is?” Jim teased. “The buffet line.” Sure enough,
Trixie spotted her middle brother, piling prime rib and all the trimmings
onto his already overflowing plate. “I should’ve known,” she said with a
laugh. “Ooh, there’s
Brian now!” Honey squealed in delight as her boyfriend walked through the
door. “I’ll be right back!” She daintily hurried to Brian’s side and was
rewarded by a huge hug and kiss from the handsome resident. “So, how’re
you, Trix?” Jim questioned after Honey had left. “Fine. And
you?” Jim nodded.
“I’m good. Are you here alone?” “Yeah. Thought
I’d fly solo tonight.” “I thought
there would be hordes of men battling for the honor of escorting you this evening,”
Jim teased. Unable to resist, he reached out and tugged “his curl”, which
hung in the middle of Trixie’s forehead. “Well, you
know, I did have to beat a few of
the more persistent ones off with a stick,” Trixie remarked, her voice
dripping with sarcasm. “But I managed to use my car-chase driving skills and
escaped them on the way here.” Jim glanced
down at Trixie’s footwear. “I’m sure you didn’t do any escaping on foot,” he
commented. “Those heels would make running awfully difficult.” Trixie snorted.
“You have no idea. These stupid shoes even make walking difficult.” “And I suppose
running in that dress is totally out of the question,” he said with a
chuckle. Trixie missed the admiration in his eyes as he looked at her. “So, I
suggest you leave chasing criminals to Dan tonight.” Trixie shrugged
her shoulders. “I’ll have to. My Glock wouldn’t fit in my purse.” Jim laughed
again. It never failed to amaze him how comfortable
Trixie made him feel. After spending so much of his time with suits, it was
enjoyable to be with a person who could be genuine. He looked at the sandy
blonde, her curls rebelling against the hair spray, still managing to look
tousled. He’d always thought Trixie was beautiful, both inside and out, but
tonight, she took his breath away. He nervously swallowed. “Trix, do you want
to da—” “Oh, there you
are, Jim,” a cultured, perfectly modulated voice chimed. Jim looked up to see
his girlfriend, Amanda, standing beside him. “I’ve been looking for you for
quite some time. Your mother said you were with Matthew and some of the board
members from the school.” “I was just
saying hello to Honey and Trixie,” Jim replied, chastely kissing her cheek. Trixie rolled
her eyes and prayed silently that Amanda would be beamed up to Scotty. And
afterwards there would be a transporter malfunction. And then, they would
lose her bio-pattern when the redundant circuits in the pattern buffer
shorted out due to a surge in the matter/anti-matter reactor… “Well hello,
Trixie,” Amanda greeted, interrupting Trixie’s lovely fantasy. “I didn’t see
you there. Don’t you look cute tonight!” She plastered a practiced smile on
her perfect face. Trixie gritted
her teeth and unconsciously clenched her fists. She automatically jutted her
cheek out, waiting for the ridiculous air kisses for which Amanda was famous.
And she wasn’t disappointed. “Thanks,
Amanda. And you look lovely, as usual,” Trixie managed. Amanda most certainly did look lovely. Her long
blonde hair was twisted in an elegant chignon, accenting her long neck. She
was wearing a little black dress that Trixie had seen in the latest edition
of Vogue at the salon. That dress could only be worn by someone tall and who
had a perfect figure. Unfortunately, it looked as if it had been made for
Amanda. “Are you still
busy at the agency?” Amanda asked. “I know that takes up so much of your
time.” Trixie nodded.
“Yes, but things are slowing down now that Honey and I wrapped up a big case.
We were working on a case with a detective from California.” “Sounds very
frightening,” Amanda replied with an exaggerated shiver. “I couldn’t imagine
chasing all those criminals. Private investigating is such a dangerous
profession.” “We were just
tracking down a deadbeat dad, not going undercover in the Mafia,” Trixie
said, smirking. “Well, it’s
still dangerous,” Amanda insisted. “It must be difficult to maintain a
relationship in that line of work.” Trixie smiled,
catching the subtle cattiness. “Not really,” she answered carefully. “Honey
and Brian seem to manage it all right. How’s your interior design company
doing?” “Oh, it’s so
busy! I just got a big contract to decorate a senator’s mansion. He’s a close
personal friend of Daddy’s. It’s important to have the right connections.
Senator Irving mentioned giving Jimmy a big, fat check for his school. Isn’t
that wonderful?” She hooked her hand through “Jimmy’s” arm and looked up at
him with genuine admiration. “There’s nothing more important to me than
Jimmy’s school.” Trixie resisted
the urge to puke at the adoring look Amanda gave Jim. She secretly wondered
how Amanda could bat her eyelashes so quickly; especially with all the
mascara she had globbed on them. It’s a wonder that that weren’t permanently
connected. “Yes, Jim’s been dreaming about that school for a long time,” she
replied sweetly. “That dream
never would’ve come true, if it hadn’t been for you, Trixie,” Jim told her
earnestly. “If you hadn’t—” “Enough with
all this serious talk!” Amanda interrupted, lightening her words with a
laugh. Trixie closed
her eyes and grimaced. If Amanda Woodward had one fatal flaw, it was her
laugh. It reminded Trixie of a wounded swan on steroids. She would much
rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard than Amanda’s laugh. She wondered how
Jim could endure it. “You promised
you’d dance with me, Jimmy,” Amanda continued, ever-so gently tugging him
toward the dance floor. “I’ll talk to
you later, Trix,” Jim called as he was led across the room. Trixie sighed
and made her way to Dan and his date. Regan was off to the side, talking to a
short, curvaceous beauty with reddish-gold hair. The gorgeous woman had on a
royal blue strapless gown, which she filled out marvelously. Trixie decided
to leave Regan alone to work his magic on the lovely woman and chose to bug
Dan instead. “Hey,
Freckles!” Dan merrily greeted when she approached. He gave her a huge hug.
“Having fun?” “Oh, loads,”
Trixie answered with a roll of her eyes. Dan smiled
knowingly. For years, he’d known about the feelings Trixie and Jim had for
each other, and he’d even done his best to get them together. He was confused
as to why they hadn’t gotten over their childish issues and become a couple,
but he decided long ago it wasn’t his business to intrude. Both Trixie and
Jim were incredibly stubborn, neither of them willing to budge, even if it
meant being apart. Instead of interfering and incurring Jim or
Trixie’s wrath, Dan watched Jim’s endless parade of Miss Of course, Trixie had her own string of
“one-hit wonders”, as Mart had christened them. And, as if Trixie didn’t have
enough protective males already, Dan made sure each date she had met his approval. He used the
interrogation skills he learned as a New York City police officer to learn
the name and address of each man, and subjected each to a thorough background
check— unbeknownst to Trixie, of course. He was just as protective as her
brothers and Jim; he just learned to be sneakier about it. Dan had a plan prepared on the off chance
that one of Trixie’s dates would get a little too friendly. Dan’s best
informant, a former hit man by the name of Big Louie, was always willing to
confidentially handle matters for the right price. Dan figured the frisky
date would be safer in the hands of a would-be hit man than he would be if Brian
or Mart got a hold of him. And, woe to the man if Jim Frayne got his turn! Now, Dan smiled
sympathetically at the girl who was the sister he’d never had but always
wanted. “I’d like to introduce you to my date, Trix,” he said, trying to take
Trixie’s mind off of Amanda. He had his arm around the gorgeous blonde and a
dashing smile on his handsome face. “This is Kaye. Kaye, this is my friend,
Trixie Belden.” Kaye smiled
charmingly and held out her hand in a greeting. “Nice to meet you, Trixie.
I’ve heard a lot about you. From what Dan’s told me, we have a lot in
common.” “Nice to meet
you, as well,” Trixie replied, shaking hands. “Where are you from?” “ Trixie raised
her sandy eyebrows. “Was that the lecture you were forced to attend against
your will by the higher-ups on the police force, Mangan?” Dan grinned
sheepishly. “Yep. That’s the one.” “Trust Danny to
pick up a date while attending a work-related function.” Trixie laughed
ruefully. “Dan mentioned
that you attended the Criminal Justice department of NU,” Kaye replied. Trixie nodded.
“Yeah, my best friend and I got our degrees from there.” “NU has a great
Criminal Justice program. What do you do now?” Kaye asked. “My friend and
I have our own detective agency,” Trixie explained. “We’re just getting started, but we’re
hoping to get some more interesting cases soon.” “I heard about
the big case you just finished,” Dan mentioned. “I also heard that some fancy-schmancy PI from Trixie rolled
her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Mangan. If I traipsed off to sunny “I’m
not the one always getting into trouble, Belden,” Dan commented, smiling
innocently. Kaye chuckled. “I think now is the perfect
time for me to go to the ladies’ room. Congratulations on that case, Trixie.
It was nice meeting you.” “Nice meeting
you too, Kaye.” Trixie watched in amusement as Dan’s eyes followed his date.
“Has Daniel Mangan finally met his match?” she teased. “Kaye’s great,”
he enthusiastically agreed. “Do you like her, Trix?” Trixie nodded.
“Yeah. She’s very pretty and seems genuinely nice. A definite keeper.” Dan sighed and
shook his head sadly. “Now, if only I can remove her from the clutches of
that politician who’s interested in her. I’m afraid I’ve got some heavy
competition on my hands.” “Serves you right,
Mangan,” Trixie said with a giggle. “I told you that someday you’d have your
heart broken.” “A broken heart
isn’t much fun, is it, Trix?” Dan inquired, his voice suddenly sympathetic. Trixie sniffed
indignantly. “I don’t know what you mean. My
heart has never been broken.” Dan smiled and
kissed Trixie gently on the forehead. “And if anyone does break your heart, I’ll break his legs. All three of them.” “I can see the New York Post headline now: Decorated
Police Officer Arrested on Charges of Brutality.” As they were
laughing, Regan joined them, accompanied by the lovely strawberry-blonde he’d
been charming earlier. “Hello, Miss
Fidget,” Regan greeted with a smile. “I was wondering when you’d get here.” “Now, Regan,
don’t fib. I can see where your
mind was,” Trixie teased. “Who’s your lovely friend?” “This is Kathy.
She works at a large, well-known company in “Nice to meet
you, Kathy,” Trixie said. “Nice to meet
you, too!” Kathy answered, a trace of a Southern accent in her voice. “I’ve
had such a good time here in Sleepyside. Ya’ll have been just wonderful.” Trixie noticed that Kathy had very
unusual eyes. They were amber-colored, but had a dark blue ring around the
iris. She had a natural friendliness that drew people to her. Trixie decided
Kathy was just as nice as she was attractive. And apparently, Regan agreed
with that conclusion. “Have you
talked to Jim?” Regan asked, missing Dan’s discreet shake of his head. Trixie
nervously swallowed and nodded her head. “We were talking, but Amanda yanked
the chain in his nose towards the dance floor.” Kathy, immediately
sensing that Trixie didn’t like Amanda, questioned, “Is Amanda the one with
the laugh that sounded like a goose hepped up on something illegal crossed
with a rusty chainsaw?” Everyone
laughed till tears ran down their cheeks. The description was crude yet
uncannily accurate. “Yep, that’s
Amanda,” Dan chuckled. “But she’s a lot nicer than some of Jim’s past
girlfriends.” “Don’t know how
Jim puts up with that laugh, though,” Regan admitted. “I don’t think
Jim’s dating her for her laugh,” Dan remarked. His words popped out before he
thought. He nervously looked over at Trixie to make sure she wasn’t too
upset. Trixie merely
rolled her eyes in disgust and caught the wink that Kathy directed at her. Kaye returned,
looking even lovelier than before, and after more introductions were made,
nephew and uncle led their respective dates onto the dance floor. Feeling
very alone, Trixie wandered off to the buffet line, and after filling a
plate, she joined Mart and Diana at their table. Trixie’s middle
brother and his wife were giggling and whispering back and forth. Even after
four years of marriage, the two were still sickeningly devoted to one
another. Diana tittered flirtatiously as she fed Mart bites of the appetizers
from her plate. “Oh, brother!” Trixie exclaimed. “You’re as
bad as Moms and Dad. If I wanted to be subjected to this kind of torture, I’d
go home on a Friday night. If I have to sit here and watch this all evening,
I’m going to lose my appetite.” “Then sit
somewhere else,” Mart retorted, opening his mouth to accept the grape that Di
was holding out to him. Trixie smacked
him upside the head with her little purse. “Ouch!” he
exclaimed, rubbing his head. “What’ve you got in there? Your pistol?” Trixie shrugged
her shoulders. “Nope. Wouldn’t fit. But I did squeeze in my stun gun.” “Why doesn’t
that surprise me?” Mart snorted. “Only Beatrix would feel the need to bring a
weapon to a formal affair.” “Behave,
Mart!” Diana scolded. “As you wish,
kitten,” Mart obliged in a solicitous voice that he knew would turn his
sister’s stomach. He wasn’t disappointed by Trixie’s reaction. “Oh, brother!”
she moaned, clutching her stomach like she was sick. Diana decided
it was time to change the subject. “You look absolutely lovely tonight,” she
told Trixie, squeezing her sister-in-law’s hand. “Doesn’t she, Mart?” Mart nodded,
stealing a bite of prime rib off of Diana’s plate. “Yeah, Trix. You do look
great. Why, as good as you look, I’ll even claim you as my almost-twin.” Mart
mercilessly teased his younger sister, but Trixie had no greater protector.
“Did you come with anyone special tonight?” Trixie tried to
look interested in her food. “No, I decided to come by myself and see if I
could pick up one of the waiters.” “What happened
to that rookie cop you went out with last month?” Diana asked. “He seemed
nice.” “Yeah, I guess
he was nice,” Trixie admitted with
a sigh. It wasn’t lost
on Mart and Diana that she had referred to him in the past tense. “So, I take it
that you broke up,” Diana prompted. Trixie nodded
in affirmation. “He just wasn’t my type. We only went out once or twice.” “Ah, another one-hit
wonder,” Mart muttered, unsuccessfully dodging his wife’s elbow in his gut.
“What was wrong with this one?” Trixie popped a bite-sized appetizer in her
mouth and shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. He was handsome, I guess,
and he was a nice guy. But I didn’t
like his grin. It was kind of boring. I mean, he just smiled, and that was
it. It didn’t set my heart to racing. It wasn’t lopsided like…like I like.” “I’m glad, Trix,” Mart said, swiping one of
her appetizers. “I didn’t like him.” “You never like
any of Trixie’s dates,” Diana protested. “I don’t think anybody will ever be good enough for your baby sister.” Mart’s eyes
wandered to their redheaded friend across the room. “Oh, I don’t know, Di.
I’m sure somebody will come along
that will meet my approval.” “Approval for
what?” Brian Belden questioned, as he and Honey claimed two empty chairs at
the table. “Why, approval
of a suitor for our fair, flaxen-haired sibling, eldest kinsman,” Mart
teased, employing the fancier words for which he was known. Mart’s love for
the English language had inspired him to pursue a career in journalism, and
now he was a reporter for the Sleepyside
Sun. He planned to teach some courses on writing at Jim’s school, as well
as help with the after-school agricultural program. “Nobody will
ever be good enough for our Trixie,” Brian said, kissing the top of his
sister’s curls. “You sure look beautiful tonight, Sis.” “Thanks, Bri,”
Trixie smiled. “How’s the residency at “Busy, but
good,” he answered with a grin. “I sure am glad to be home for the weekend,
though.” He leaned over and kissed his girlfriend’s cheek. “Honey told me you
just finished up a big case.” “What kind of
case was it?” Diana asked. Di was the assistant curator of the Sleepyside
Museum, but she was always curious about what was going on at the
Belden-Wheeler Detective Agency. “A detective
from “We must’ve
been of some assistance,” Honey corrected, “because Ralph offered us jobs if
we ever move to California.” She studied her best friend’s face to gauge her
reaction. The
conversation was halted, however, as Jim and Amanda sat down at the table.
Trixie noticeably stiffened at the couple’s presence, and it appeared that
the rest of their friends were no comfortable than she. “Are you all having a good time?” Jim
inquired, playing the part of host. If he was aware of the tension, he did a
good job of hiding it. “Very nice,”
Brian informed him. “The Wheelers sure know how to throw a celebration bash.” Jim grinned.
“That’s what Mother does best.” He was rewarded with one of Amanda’s goose
laughs. Trixie bit her
lip to keep her groan at bay. “Dan’s
certainly enjoying himself,” Honey commented, pointing to their handsome
dark-headed friend who was dancing as closely to his date as propriety would
allow. “I’m sure his
date is, too,” Diana agreed with a laugh. “Let’s join
them, Honey,” Brian urged, pulling his lovely girlfriend to her feet. Mart
noticed how Trixie’s eyes glanced wistfully at Jim. He whispered something to
Di, and then stood up. “I must needs
work off this fine meal. Lovely Amanda, would you be so inclined as to join
me on the dance floor?” He gallantly bowed and proffered his hand to Jim’s
date. Amanda
nervously smiled, then looked at Jim. Jim didn’t seem to mind that his friend
was trying to whisk her away. “Sure, Mart.” She accepted the blond man’s
hand, and he led her through the crowd for “just the right” dancing spot,
which happened to be across the room, far, far away from Jim and Trixie. Once they were
gone, Diana spoke up, assuming a casual tone. “Mart and I were just
discussing how lovely Trixie looks tonight. Jim, isn’t she beautiful?” Trixie frowned
and made a threatening face at her sister-in-law, but Diana didn’t appear
intimidated. Thankfully,
Jim was oblivious to their exchange. He smiled and answered, “Yes, she does
look beautiful.” “Have you
danced any this evening, Trixie?” Diana innocently questioned. Trixie held her breath, wondering what her
violet-eyed friend was up to. “Um, not yet,” she mumbled. “Jim, why don’t
you ask Trixie to dance,” Diana suggested, ignoring Trixie’s kick from under
the table. “I’d be
delighted.” Jim stood and held out his hand to the sandy blonde. “Want to
dance, Trix?” Trixie’s breath
caught in her throat as she heard the words she’d been hoping he’d say. She
could only nod in response, afraid her voice would betray how very much she
wanted to be close to him. She placed her sturdy hand in his freckled one,
praying he wouldn’t feel her tremble. Placing a
gentle hand on the small of her back, Jim led her to the middle of the floor.
Once he’d selected a spot, he took one of her hands in his and wrapped the
other one around her waist. He pulled her close, securing in his strong arms.
Trixie placed a shaking hand on his broad shoulder. She closed her eyes and
breathed in the tangy pine scent that was distinctly “Jim”. She shivered at
the touch of his hand along her bare back. She wondered briefly if she’d died
and gone to heaven, because surely she’d been transported to Cloud Nine. “Are you cold?”
Jim murmured huskily, pulling her even closer in an attempt to warm her. Trixie nodded
again, still not trusting her voice. “I’m really
glad you came tonight, Trix.” “I wouldn’t
have missed it for the world,” she replied in a soft voice. “I know how
important this is to you, Jim.” The redhead
smiled and held Trixie close, forgetting everything else but the petite
blonde he held in his arms. “I know you and Honey have been busy working on
that new case.” “We wrapped it
up today. We don’t have anything else to work on until a new one comes
along.” “I’m sure
something will come along soon. I know I was impressed with the background
checks you did for the school.” “Thanks,” Trixie
murmured. “It’s always good to hear from satisfied customers.” “Honey said
that Mr. Keenan was quite impressed with your work as well. She said he even
offered you a job in Trixie nodded,
unsure how to reply. “Do you think
that’s something you might be interested in?” Jim prodded. He held his
breath, feeling as if the fate of his entire world rested in her answer. “No, I’m not
interested in changing anything in my life right now. I’m happy just being
stuck in my rut, running the agency, and solving cases around here.” Jim’s heart
sank. That wasn’t exactly the answer he’d hoped to hear. He’d wanted to hear
her say that she wanted him to
change her life forever. She pulled away just enough to look Jim in
the eyes. “Why do you ask?” She held her breath, feeling as if the fate of her entire world rested in his answer. Jim shrugged
nervously. A battle raged between his heart and his head. Do I follow my heart and tell her my
entire world would collapse if she left,
he wondered, or do I follow my head and
say… “I was just worried about what Honey would do if you left the
agency,” he matter-of-factly stated. “Oh,” Trixie
replied quietly. That wasn’t
exactly the answer Trixie had hoped
to hear. Jim and Trixie
finished the dance in silence, each of them pondering the other’s words. They
stubbornly drew their own conclusions about how the other felt. As the music
ended, they slowed parted. Neither wanting to let go. Neither knowing when
they would be this close again…
Be sure you check out the Bloopers for part two! Hope you enjoy these silly scenes! An enormous thank you to my ever
so lovely editors, Cathy W, Kaye, and Kathy W. You ladies are the best! Thank
you for all your help! ‘Wax on, wax off’ was in the
“Karate Kid” movie which I watched a bazillion times as a kid. I had a huge
crush on Ralph Macchio, and now I can’t even remember how to spell his name!
*RME* Uh gee, did you recognize the
lovely ladies who had the enormous privilege of attending the festivities
with Sleepyside’s two hottest bachelors? Kaye and Kathy, hope you all had
fun! You certainly earned a night out on the town! Hugs to you both! P.S.
What did you think of those Bloopers? *wink* Well, you all finally got to
meet Amanda. Don’t you hate her already? J Another big thank you to Kathy W
for helping with the Star Trek lingo. I’m hanging my head in shame as I admit
this, but I have never watched an episode of Star Trek in my life. And also,
it was the lovely Kathy who gave Amanda her torturous laugh. That was her
stroke of genius, and I bow to her greatness!
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