Gerri Hill - One Summer Night

Jo nodded. "She's nothing like Nancy, really.” She shrugged. "Maybe I'm being unfair, comparing them. It's just that I was so hurt."

"I know, sweetheart.” He hugged her to him. "You'll know if it's right or not.”

"I guess so."

"So, what's she say about it?"

"She says the things I've heard aren't true. I hurt her today."

Harry nodded. "That's not good," he added softly. "I can tell you're upset about it."

"It's just that I've heard things about her."

"Well, you've got to learn to weed out the truth.

Sometimes people say things about others for a reason and it's not always true. If you like her, you need to give her some benefit of the doubt."

"You think so?"

"Yes."

"I really do love you," she said and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, too, Jo-Jo."

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Chapter Eighteen

Jo let her class before lunch go early and hurried to her office, afraid she might miss a chance to see Kelly. She needed to tell her she was sorry for what she had said. Harry was right. She needed to give her a chance. But Kelly didn't come into her office at twelve-thirty. Jo wasn't really surprised. What had she expected? She had accused her of being a cheat and a liar, not to mention a collector of women! If Kelly never forgave her for that, Jo couldn't blame her.

That night, lying in bed, she closed her eyes and remembered Kelly beside her, touching her. Jo had never enjoyed lovemaking as much as she had the two nights she had been with Kelly. They had a spark between them. When they touched, it was explosive.

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She mentally shook herself. She did not need this drama in her life. Christy would have no reason to lie, even if Deb and Lucy did. She couldn't very well call Lucy up and ask her if they had slept together. It was really none of her business. And Deb, she refused to believe that Deb would lie to her. They were friends. After all this time, why would Deb show a romantic interest in her? But Deb had danced too close that night at the bar. Jo closed her eyes, trying to organize her thoughts as they came tumbling down around her. She was going in circles with her feelings. One minute, she thought she should take a chance with Kelly. The next minute, never.

She did not see Kelly until the following afternoon when she was just returning to her office after her last class. Kelly was heading down the hall with her arms full of books and papers.

"Hey," Kelly said and stopped.

"Hi."

"How are you?" she asked.

Jo noticed there was no smile in her eyes and none on her face. "I'm okay," Jo replied.

"Good. Listen, I'm running late. I'll see you around,"

she said and hurried off.

"Sure," Jo called after her but Kelly was already out the door at the end of the hall.

"Sure," she said again, to herself.

Jo walked to her office, sat down and stared at the papers on her desk. Her assistant had been busy, she noted. She didn't care. She shoved the papers aside and rested her elbows there instead, holding her head. She missed Kelly, but it was her own fault. This was the way she had said she wanted it.

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On Wednesday, Kelly was nowhere to be found, and by the afternoon, Jo went in search of her. Her office was locked and Jo went to find Susan.

"I haven't seen her today," Jo explained.

"Oh, she's here somewhere," Susan said, absently shuf-fling papers on her desk. "I think she has a friend in from out of town, though."

A friend? Who? Jo willed Susan to continue, but she didn't, so Jo left her to her work and slowly made her way back to her office. She had mounds of work to do herself, but she didn't have the heart. Instead, she called Harry and invited herself over to dinner.

"Jo-Jo, I'm sorry. We're having a dinner at the Senior Center tonight."

"Oh."

"I can always cancel," he offered.

"No, don't be silly," she said.

"Why don't you come over for lunch on Saturday? It's supposed to be beautiful weather. Maybe we'll take the boat out.”

She smiled and agreed. "I'll be there in the morning,"

she said as she hung up.

On Thursday, when Kelly again did not come to her office, Jo walked down the hall to her open door. Kelly was typing rapidly on the computer but raised her head when Jo walked in. Their eyes met for a split second then Kelly looked back to the terminal.

"What's up?" she asked as she typed.

"I just haven't seen you all week," Jo said.

Kelly's hands paused over the keyboard. "Did you think you would?" she asked.

Jo was taken aback by her words. "I thought maybe we needed to talk," she said.

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Kelly looked at her briefly, then went on typing. "I’ve been busy and no, I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” she finally said.

"Susan said you had a friend in," Jo said, before she could stop herself.

Kelly looked up again. "Yes, I do."

She didn't offer more, and Jo didn't dare ask.

"Well, I'll leave you to your work, then.”

Jo cursed herself all the way back to her office and slammed her door once she got there. "Damn the woman,"

she said aloud.

Jo had sent Kelly away, yet she was miserable. She sat around daily thinking of Kelly, wondering what she was doing. And with whom.

She did not see Kelly at all on Friday. Her class was surprised when she again let them leave early, but the truth was, she just could not stand another minute there. She had to get away.

That night, she went out to dinner with Betsy and Janis.

They went to Bonita’s, and she was again reminded of the first night she had been with Kelly. She cursed herself for her thoughts. Let it go, she told herself.

"How's Kelly?" Betsy asked.

"I imagine fine," Jo said.

"You imagine?"

"I haven't seen her much this week," Jo said.

"Really?" Janis said, and her tone indicated to Jo that she knew they hadn't been seeing each other.

"Why not?" Betsy asked bluntly.

"Look, just how much do you know?" Jo finally asked.

Betsy put her fork down. "We know about that night in June. We know about last weekend. We know you told her to get lost," she said.

"She told you?" Jo asked, her eyes wide.

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"Well, yes," Janis said. "We've talked."

"Actually, we had dinner with her this week," Betsy said.

"You have? I didn't realize you were such good friends."

"Well, we do go to all the softball games," Janis said.

"We've become friends."

"She's not a bad person, Jo," Betsy added.

"How do you know that?" she asked. "Do you really know her?"

"Jo, you can't compare everyone to Nancy," Betsy said.

"I don't compare everyone to Nancy. But Betsy," she said, leaning forward. "let's face it, Kelly comes with a reputation, just like Nancy did. Almost worse, in fact."

"An offhand remark from Christy doesn't count. And you can't believe what Deb told you. Hell, she's got the hots for you. She'd say anything to get you."

“Deb does not have the hots for me, as you so crudely put it.”

“Of course she does. Why are you the only one who can’t see it?” Betsy shook her finger at Jo playfully. “And don’t think Deb didn’t know something was up with you and Kelly that night. Why else would she call you and fill your head with crap about Lucy?”

"Kelly told you that, too?"

"Yes, she told us everything," Janis said. "She needed to talk. She was hurt and upset.” Janis lowered her voice. "She really cares for you."

"I don't want her to care for me," Johanna said stubbornly. "I can't go through that again."

They were silent for a moment, then Betsy picked up her taco again. "Well, you don't have to worry about that now, do you?” She took a bite of her dinner. "I think things are over between you two, anyway. Right?"

Jo didn't answer, just gazed thoughtfully at her friends.