| When the girls got out of the truck with Liger, Cassidy said, �Gilbert is Matt and Jeff�s father? Why didn�t you tell me?� �I just found out. Jeff told me when I was talking to him on the phone.� �That is crazy! We�ve known Gilbert since we moved here, and we had never met his boys.� �I know�� Lainey said. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed another bowl out of the cupboard. Liger was right at her feet. She poured some of his food into the bowl and set it on the floor next to the water. Liger immediately started eating. �Cass, where do you see yourself and Matt going in this relationship of yours?� �I�m not sure Lain� all I can tell you is that I really like him a lot.� �Well, I hope that whatever happens, you are happy.� �I want you to be happy too Lainey. I will definitely have to get to know Jeff.� �I want to get to know Jeff too. He has all of these different things going on in his life.� �Besides wrestling? Matt said that takes up a lot of his time.� �Yeah, Jeff has a band, his alumi-thingies, his yard, and he says his animals. I have only seen Liger, so I don�t know what else he has for animals. He told me that he dreams about things, or concocts them in his head, and he feels like he has to create them. That�s one of the things I like about him. He just does it, and it doesn�t matter what the world thinks about it. He says that makes him weird.� �Those aluminum things are weird.� �I think their cool.� �You would�� Cassidy said to her sister. �You like to play with aluminum foil too.� �So�� Cassidy went upstairs and got ready for work, and Lainey sat at her computer. She was checking her email, and she had an email from someone she didn�t know. She opened it up and started reading. The girl who wrote it asked if she was really from Cameron, and if she knew Matt and Jeff. This girl also asked if it was true that Jeff and Lizzie lived together, and about Matt and Amy. She decided to reply. She wrote that yes, she was from Cameron, and that she did know Matt and Jeff. Lainey also told this girl that Matt and Jeff�s personal lives were personal, and that she wouldn�t answer any questions about that. She then asked the girl how she got her email address, and then sent the message. Cassidy came back downstairs, said goodbye to her sister, and left for work. Lainey finished checking her email, and turned off the computer. Lainey went for another walk, and Liger went with her. She walked down into town, and then back to her house. It was a very lazy day for Lainey, and she was in bed before ten thirty that night. Cassidy didn�t get home until really late, and she didn�t bother waking Lainey up to talk, she went straight to bed. Lainey came home from work Monday evening around seven o�clock. She fixed some dinner, and fed Liger. She had left him outside when she left that morning, but Liger was still there, sitting on the porch when she got home. After she ate, she sat in the living room and turned on the television. It was eight thirty, and she wanted to make sure she didn�t miss wrestling. Liger finished eating, and he jumped up on the couch next to Lainey. He laid down, and rested his head on her lap. She was petting him, and he fell asleep. Lainey turned to TNN at nine o�clock, and wrestling was just starting. Cassidy came in the front door, and flopped on the couch. �I really hate my job.� She said. She looked at the television. �What are you watching?� �Wrestling, Jeff is supposed to be on tonight.� �Cool. Is Matt?� �No, Matt wrestles on Smackdown. This is Raw.� �Oh�� Cassidy didn�t get up. The two of them watched the show. The two of them were getting into it. The show came back from a commercial, and the lights went out. The music came on, and the screen was showing the start of Jeff�s entrance. Cassidy and Lainey saw his name flash across, and Cassidy slapped he sister in the arm. �Here comes your man�� The camera then showed Jeff coming out onto the stage, crawling on his hands and feet. He got to the center, and he stood up. He was covered in black light paint, and rubbing his hands together, and then rubbed them on his face. Cassidy started laughing hysterically. Lainey was completely tuned into Jeff. The riff in the music changed, and Jeff started dancing. �Boy can he work it.� Lainey thought to herself. Jeff finally started walking down the ramp. He slid into the ring, and jumped up onto the turnbuckle. Lainey couldn�t take her eyes off from him. She hadn�t even noticed that Cassidy was trying to talk to her, until the camera cut off from Jeff and was showing Jeff�s opponent entering. ��don�t you think Lain?� �Think what?� Lainey asked. �You weren�t listening to me, were you?� �I was watching�� �Yeah�� Cassidy said. They watched the match, and Jeff ended up losing, but only after he pulled off all of his signature moves. When he did the Swanton Bomb, both Cassidy and Lainey thought it was really cool. When the match was over, and Jeff was no longer on TV, Lainey slid out from under Liger, and went to the bathroom. She had had to go for almost an hour, but didn�t want to miss Jeff�s match, so she didn�t get up. When she came back out, the phone was ringing. She figured Cassidy would get it, so she went into the kitchen to get a drink. A few moments later, Cassidy came in with the phone. �It�s for you.� Lainey took the phone from her sister and said, �Hello?� �So what did you think?� �Jeff?� Lainey asked. �Yeah, did you watch?� �Yes, I watched. I really like the whole black light thing you�ve got going on when you come out.� �I�m glad.� �So are you okay?� �I am fine, why do you ask?� �It looks like you took a pretty good beating out there.� �I did, but I am fine. I get my ass beat every week.� �And you enjoy it?� �There�s nothing like it. Well, I want to go get cleaned up, I just wanted to see if you liked my match.� �I did. I think I am going to start watching on a regular basis.� �You�ll have to come see it live sometime. I�ll get you tickets to a show in Raleigh or Fayetteville, when we are in that area.� �Okay, it sounds like fun.� �Alright Lainey, I will see you in the morning.� �Okay, later Jeff.� �Later.� Lainey hung up the phone and returned to the living room. Cassidy was still watching wrestling, and Liger was snuggled up against her. Cassidy looked at Lainey as she sat down. �Are you sure that there is nothing going on between you and Jeff?� �Yes, I am sure. Why?� �Well, you have talked to him on the phone everyday since he left.� �So�� �So he calls you everyday. Don�t you think that means something?� �Not really�� Lainey said. She was trying to ignore her sister. �Whatever you say Lainey, but I am telling you, there is something there.� Cassidy and Lainey finished watching wrestling together, and then, they both went upstairs to go to bed. Cassidy had to work in the morning, and Lainey had to go Raleigh and pick Jeff up. Cassidy was up at seven o�clock, and decided to make sure Lainey was up. She opened Lainey door, and saw she was fast asleep. Cassidy ran into the room, and dove onto Lainey�s bed. Lainey rolled over and covered her head. �Come on Lainey, you�ve got to get up!� When Lainey didn�t respond, Cassidy said, �Lainey, its ten thirty, weren�t you supposed to pick Jeff up at nine thirty?� Lainey sat straight up in bed and screamed out, �SHIT!� Cassidy started laughing hysterically. Lainey looked over at the clock, and it said 7:04 am. She turned and slapped her sister. �You are such a bitch Cassidy.� Between laughter, Cassidy replied, �Yeah, I am. But would you have me any other way? Now get up and come downstairs and have some coffee with me.� Cassidy got off the bed, and went downstairs. Lainey followed a couple of minutes later. They sat at the kitchen table, and drank coffee together. Cassidy fixed breakfast for the both of them, and they ate. �Lainey, I was thinking about some things last night while I was lying in bed. I think I might quit working at Beefeater�s.� �Why Cass?� Lainey asked. She took a bite of her toast. �What if I started catering or something?� �Cass, that would take up even more of your time�� �But I would make so much more money.� �Okay, and I will turn the den into a studio and run my own portrait business out of the house.� �That isn�t a bad idea Lainey.� �How do you suppose we can afford it?� �Lainey, we aren�t hurting for money.� �Maybe you aren�t, but I am.� �No you aren�t. Having over twenty thousand dollars in the bank isn�t broke.� �I am not touching that money. It isn�t mine.� �Yes Lainey, it is. And why not? Gramma wouldn�t have left it to you if she didn�t want you to spend it.� �I am saving it.� �For what?� �I don�t know�� �Gramma would want you to do something with it. And I know as well as you do that you would be so much happier if you were working from home. That way you could have your own schedule, and�� Cassidy stopped mid sentence. All of a sudden she had a thought. �What Cass? I know you�re concocting something.� �Picture it Lainey. We turn the barn into a studio. We buy all the lights and everything you need. I can do the books, since I have a degree in accounting, and we can both work from home. I could even help you out. I am sick of cooking for other people. I need something new. It would be so perfect.� Lainey thought to herself for a few moments. Cassidy did have a point. Lainey was tired of working for other people. She knew that she could do so much better if she had the freedom of running her own studio. Cassidy did have a degree in Accounting, and could do the books. They could make their own schedules. Lainey knew that many of her clients from Olan Mills would do business with her. They always requested her when they scheduled. �Okay Cassidy.� �Okay what?� Cassidy asked. �Let�s do this. Let�s open a studio.� �Are you actually agreeing with an idea of mine?� �Yes, I am. So where do we start?� �The first thing we do is take all of our vacation time at work. That way we will still get paid, but we won�t have to work.� �Okay, I�ll call Olan Mills later.� �And I am calling right after you leave. I�ll tell them I have an emergency and have to go to Charlotte.� �You do that. I am going to take a shower and pick up Jeff. Are you going to keep an eye on Liger?� �Sure�� �Alright, you make all the final details; I am going to take a shower.� Lainey ran upstairs and took a quick shower, got ready and headed back downstairs to leave. She was on her way out the door, and heard, �Lainey!� She went back into the kitchen. �What?� �Don�t forget your phone�� Cassidy handed her the cell phone. �This is all going to work out great!� Cassidy said. �Later Cass�� Lainey went back out the door, and got into the truck. She backed out and headed down the road. She had an hour to get to the airport to pick Jeff up. |
| * Chapter Twelve * |
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