| Lainey walked around Jeff�s yard taking pictures of his aluminummies, and Jeff followed her. She was asking him about his animals, and Jeff was volunteering information for her. Lainey was starting to understand more about Jeff. She was becoming more interested in his life and things about him. He talked about Lizzie, how they met, and how their relationship had gotten to the point it had. Jeff told Lainey that it was fine and dandy until the two of them moved in together four months earlier. Jeff actually hadn�t asked her to move in with him, she just sort of ended up there. At the time, he had contemplated asking her to marry him. �So you love her?� Lainey asked as she clicked a picture. �I thought I did. But ever since she moved in, she�s changed. She doesn�t care about my feelings or what I want to do. It�s all about Lizzie. She gets mad at me for not remembering things like birthdays and anniversaries, but that�s not me. I have so much going on that sometimes I amaze myself that I can remember what day of the week it is.� Lainey started laughing. �What�s so funny?� �You are.� �Why?� �I don�t know. You just are. I just think that she would be a little more appreciative of you. How lucky could a girl get? She had a man that was so famous and could have any woman that he wanted, yet he was coming home to her every week. I know that I would be a little more thankful than she was.� �Exactly.� Jeff looked at Lainey as she was shooting another photo. �Why couldn�t I have met you three years ago�?� �Because I lived in Charlotte.� Lainey responded. She snapped the last picture on the roll, and turned to look at Jeff. He had drifted off into his own little world, imagining what life would be like now if it had been Lainey he�s met that night instead of Lizzie. �Jeff!� Jeff bounced back to reality and said, �Huh?� �I�m out of film again, but I�ve shot everything outside. Are you ready to go in?� �Yeah, sure.� Jeff and Lainey went back into the house. Lainey dropped the four rolls she had taken outside into her bag, and loaded her camera with another roll. She put two more into her pocket, and said, �Where do you want to start in here?� �How about the kitchen?� �Fine with me�� Jeff and Lainey went into the kitchen, and she started shooting more pictures. They made their way around Jeff�s home room by room, until they got to the doorway of the final room in the house, Jeff�s bedroom. �I only have four in here.� Jeff said. He walked into the room and Lainey followed. The room was trashed. There were clothes flung everywhere, and dresser drawers were half open. �Looks like Lizzie took her clothes with her.� Jeff said as he shut the drawers. Lainey just went over to the first aluminummy she saw, and started shooting pictures. Even though Jeff acted as if he didn�t care that Lizzie was gone, she could tell he was bothered by it a little. Lainey wanted to get his mind off it, so she changed the subject. �Have you talked to your brother?� �I did last night. We usually call each other everyday to see how things went at the show.� �What do you think about Matt and Cassidy?� �What do you mean?� �I mean they just met each other. And now they are dating and I think sleeping together? Don�t you think they are rushing things?� �I am shocked, but Matt is crazy like that. He doesn�t waste time when he�s interested in things. But I am curious about why he�s dating your sister, and not you.� �Me?� Lainey asked. �After you left the other day, Matt asked me for your number. I gave it to him, because he said he was interested. The next thing I know, you�re telling me he�s with your sister. I hadn�t thought about that until right now.� Lainey stopped taking pictures, and looked at Jeff. �That�s very interesting.� She sat down on the edge of his bed. �Something is going on.� Lainey said matter-of-factly. �What do you mean?� �Something is going on between Matt and Cassidy. I don�t know what, but something is definitely up. And I am going to find out what it is.� �You�ve lost me Lainey.� Jeff said. He walked over and sat next to Lainey. �Think about it. Matt asked you for my number, not knowing I had a sister, or a twin for that matter. Then all of a sudden, boom! My twin sister and your brother are dating. We are missing something.� Lainey was consumed in thought. Matt didn�t know she liked Jeff, and not him. So why all of a sudden was he interested in her sister. �Cassidy told me that she and Matt met at the store, and Matt thought she was me. They started talking and�� Lainey stopped what she was saying. It hit her. Matt and Cassidy were talking. Cassidy was the only person that knew she liked Jeff. That meant that Cassidy must have told Matt that Lainey wasn�t interested in him. But did her sister tell him that she liked Jeff? �Lainey� Lainey�� Jeff kept repeating himself. �What are you thinking?� �Nothing.� Lainey said immediately. She couldn�t tell Jeff what she thought; it would completely blow her out of the water. �You�re thinking something.� �I just don�t get it.� Lainey told him. �And we probably never will. So let�s not worry about it. Are you hungry?� �Kind of�� Lainey said. �Let�s get something to eat.� Jeff said. He stood up, and Lainey followed him to the living room. She put her camera and the film back into the bag and zipped it up. She walked into the kitchen. �What are we having?� �What would you like?� �I don�t know.� �I can cook something, or we could just order a pizza or something.� �We can get pizza, that�s cool. But we�ll have to go get it.� �Why? We can have it delivered.� �All the way out here?� �Yeah, you�d be surprised what people will do for Matt and I around here.� �Okay.� Jeff picked up the phone and ordered pizza. After grabbing a roll of aluminum foil, Jeff and Lainey returned to the living room, and sat on the couch. Jeff decided to make an aluminummy while they waited. Lainey was very interested in watching him create one of these things. Jeff was taking the aluminum foil and twisting it around, and molding pieces of it into different parts of the statue. He was showing Lainey step by step what he was doing, and within forty-five minutes, there was a brand-new aluminummy standing on the coffee table. Jeff looked at it, and said, �This one is named Laineyummy, after you. Now we need a home for him.� Jeff looked around his living room. He carefully picked up the aluminummy and walked down to his room. Lainey followed him. He placed the statue on the night stand next to his bed. He stood back and looked at it, and said, �Perfect.� Lainey was standing right behind him. Jeff stood straight up, turned around, and Lainey was right in front of him. He looked down into her eyes, and could feel the attraction. She was looking up at him, into his eyes. Lainey wanted to turn away, but could not bring herself to do it. Jeff was starting to lean down to kiss her when they heard the doorbell. Lainey jumped back, and said, �Someone is here.� Jeff stood straight up and replied, �It�s probably the pizza.� Jeff and Lainey headed back down the hall to the living room. Jeff answered the door, and Lainey grabbed some money out of her bag. Jeff paid for the pizza, and brought it to the kitchen. Lainey went out there behind him. �Here�� Lainey said as she held a ten dollar bill out to Jeff. �I don�t want your money.� �I want to pay for half of the pizza. I am eating some of it.� �Well I don�t want your money.� �If you don�t take this money, I will not eat any of it.� �You can�t do that.� �Yes Jeff, I can.� Lainey walked up to Jeff and put the money in his pocket. �You are going to take this money, and you are going to like it.� �Yes ma�am.� Jeff said. He had no intention of keeping it. He figured he�d just slip it back into Lainey�s bag when she wasn�t looking. Jeff grabbed a couple of plates out of the cupboard and set them on the counter. �Would you like a drink Lainey?� �Sure, that would be great.� Lainey said. Jeff walked over to the refrigerator and opened the door. �I have Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Michelob Light, and water?� �I�ll have some Pepsi, thanks.� �Okay.� Jeff grabbed Lainey a Pepsi and a Mountain Dew for himself. Jeff and Lainey sat at the table and ate pizza for lunch. While they were eating, Jeff was thinking about Lainey, and what excuse he could come up with to spend more time with her. �So what are you doing for the Fourth of July Tomorrow?� �I think Cassidy and I are going to go see the fireworks in Southern Pines. That�s what we did last year.� �Oh� that sounds cool.� �Are you going to be home for the fourth?� �Yes. I usually leave town Friday morning and come home Tuesday morning. And since this year the fourth is Wednesday, I will be home.� �Cool. Are you going to see the fireworks?� �Probably. Matt and I usually do with a bunch of our friends. Maybe we�ll see you down there.� �Well that would be pretty awesome.� �Yeah, it would.� Jeff replied. The two of them were finished eating, and Jeff didn�t want Lainey to go just yet. �So I�ve been working on some music, do you want to hear it?� �Sure.� Lainey said. �Follow me�� Jeff said. He got up and headed out to the studio. Lainey followed. When they got out there, Jeff sat at the keyboard, and had Lainey sit next to him. He turned everything on, and played the riff to a song he had written, and turned to Lainey. �That sounds really good Jeff. Have you written words for it?� �I have some words I think I am going to put with it.� �Can I hear them?� �Not yet, but I will let you soon.� Jeff didn�t want Lainey to hear the words yet. The words he had written when they had eaten together at Beefeaters. The music and the lyrics were for Lainey, the woman who opened his eyes and helped him realize the possibilities that were right in front of him. Jeff wanted to be able to tell Lainey how he felt about her after she heard the song he had written for her. Now was not the right time. Jeff let Lainey hear some of the other songs he was working on, and read some lyrics that he had written. Before the two of them realized it, it was around eight o�clock in the evening, and Lainey�s cell phone was ringing. �Hello?� �Lainey, it�s your sister. Dinner is going to be ready in about ten minutes. Are you and Jeff coming back over anytime soon?� �Yes Cassidy, we�ll be right over.� �You�d better hurry�� Cassidy said, and hung up the phone. Lainey turned to Jeff and said, �Cassidy says dinner will be ready in ten minutes.� �What time is it?� Lainey looked at her watch, and said, �Oh my god, it�s eight fifteen.� Jeff grabbed Lainey�s arm and looked at her watch. �I always lose track of time when I am in here.� �I can see how. I didn�t think it was that late either.� Jeff and Lainey got up, and walked out of the studio. Jeff locked the door, and then went up to the house and locked that door. The two of them walked over to Jeff�s truck and got in. Jeff drove over to Lainey�s house, and parked the truck. They got out, and went inside. |
| * Chapter Fourteen * |
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