Chapter 21 Jay and Ellie
Jay and Ellie
This is going to sound bad.
Terrible, actually.
But the better and better Jack and Mike got along, the more I started to resent their relationship.
Or not their relationship exactly. More like the effect it had on everyone else.
Jack loved to joke around and laugh, and all of Mike’s jokes were based on getting on other people’s nerves.
That made a terrible combination. Whenever they were together, Sue was screaming at them to get out, Naya was shrieking about how she needed peace and quiet for her baby, Will was defending Naya, and I was locked up in the bedroom with my headphones on trying to ignore it all.
I was worried about Naya. She was ready to pop, and I couldn’t help but fear Jack or Mike would do something stupid and her water would break right there on the couch.
That worried me especially during the baby shower.
Will had been against having one—he said it was one of those dumb things people on TV did, and they didn’t need their friends to buy them presents—but Naya insisted, and he was too good a guy to put his foot down.
Her timing was terrible, with my midterms around the corner, but I couldn’t just opt out, so I found myself there blowing up balloons with Mike and Sue while Will cooked—wisely warning Naya against helping—and Jack put up posters and a strand of letters that read Congratulations!
The mood was festive, and I was in a good mood, despite everything, until Jack turned to me and asked in a soft voice, “So, what did you get her?”
Shit! I had forgotten to buy a present! Before I could send out an SOS, Naya walked over to me with a beaming expression, almost waddling because her belly was so big. “Jenna, can you go check on Will in the kitchen?” she asked. “He won’t let me set foot in there.”
“Why could that be?” Sue remarked sarcastically.
Mike laughed, and all the air in the balloon he’d been blowing up flew back into his mouth, causing him to cough. Naya rolled her eyes and said, “Thanks, you’re the best!” before I had the chance to wriggle out of it. I grunted, and noticed Jack was looking down at me with a knowing expression.
“Let me guess: you didn’t get her anything.”
“Shhhh! Don’t let her hear you.”
“Jennifer Michelle, you are a real piece of work.”
“I’m busy, Jack! And I never know what to get people on occasions like this.” I tried to justify myself. “It’s a baby, what are you supposed to buy a baby?”
“Did your sister not have a baby shower when she was pregnant with Owen?” he asked.
“You’re kidding, right? She didn’t want anyone to know she was pregnant till the last minute. She basically vanished until she was almost ready to give birth.”
Jack reached out for more decorations. I handed them to him, and he started taping them up. “You can relax,” he said. “Once more, I’ve covered you. I got her a present from both of us.”
Mission accomplished, I thought.
“You are a literal dream come true,” I told him.
“I know. You can pay me back later.”
I pinched him, he yelped, and then he went on with his work.
“You’re not going to tell me what it is?” I asked.
“It’s a surprise.”
“Jack, the surprise is for the person getting the gift, not the one who’s supposed to be giving it.”
“I don’t care, I don’t want to ruin it, Jen, and I hope this won’t offend you, but you’ve got a big mouth. And Naya’s persistent. If she decides she wants to get a secret out of you, you’ll crumble in a matter of seconds.”
I wanted to defend myself but he was probably right, so I nodded, left him to his work, and went to the kitchen to help Will.
Lana soon showed up with her new boyfriend.
I don’t think anyone but Naya bothered to learn his name.
Chris arrived with a big basket of Swiss chocolates, which Naya tore into like a badger, almost clawing Mike when he tried to get a piece.
A few other people from college came, along with friends of Naya and Will from high school, and finally Curtis, who positioned himself strategically across the room from Chris.
It was a small group, but it wasn’t a big apartment, so it felt crowded, especially when the music started playing.
Will and I kept going back to the kitchen to refill the trays of food, Sue reprimanded people for making a mess, Naya flitted from person to person, and Jack, who had business to attend to, spent most of his time on the phone.
It wasn’t boring. I’ll give them that. And the food was amazing. Will had made chocolate truffles—I had no idea he had it in him—and I could only stop stuffing them in my mouth when Naya stole them off my plate.
At one point, Naya grabbed Will’s hands and sat him down next to her. I couldn’t tell what they were discussing, but a few seconds later, she brought her hands up to her mouth, cupping them like a trumpet, and announced, “Present time!”
Will tried to protest, but she told him, “I don’t care! I want my presents!”
Everyone sat wherever they could, and we passed Naya the gifts one by one.
She tore off the paper, which was her favorite part, then passed the boxes to Will to examine each item and thank whoever had given it to them.
They got pacifiers, a huge pile of clothes, stuffed animals, rattles and other toys, a bassinet, a cradle, a carrier backpack, and enough soaps, shampoos, and lotion to keep the kid clean and moisturized until retirement age.
The whole time, Naya kept looking over at Jack and me. She was obviously anxious to know what we’d gotten her, and she was making the others curious, too. Eventually, she unwrapped the last gift in the pile and Will said ominously, “There’s only two people left.”
I glanced over at Jack as he reached into his jacket and removed a red envelope with a gold ribbon.
Naya snatched it out of his hand. “What is this?” she asked suspiciously, taking out several sheets of paper.
I wondered the same myself. Will and Naya scanned the tiny writing. “What is this?” she repeated.
Will leaned in closer, then looked up to find Jack grinning. “Wait a minute…”
“That’s right,” Jack said.
Nervous, frustrated, Naya said, “Can someone please explain to me what’s going on?”
Jack took pity on her, stood, and pointed to a line on the first page. “It’s the deed to this apartment.”
What the…
Naya still didn’t get it, and Will had to explain to her, “Babe, he’s giving us the apartment.”
You could have heard a pin drop as Naya absorbed the news. Everyone was staring at her. I don’t think anyone could believe it. Jack laughed at me and winked.
At last, Naya asked, “Are you seriously giving us your home?” Her voice was an octave higher than usual.
“It’s your home now,” Jack said. “I hope you like it.”
Will handed the papers back to Jack. “We can’t accept it. It’s too much.”
“Will,” Jack said. “You can take it, and you should. It’s three bedrooms, the location is great, and it’s one fewer thing for you to worry about once the baby comes.
I know you guys have been looking around and haven’t been crazy about anything you’ve found.
Well, now you don’t have to worry about it. Enjoy.”
In the ensuing rounds of congratulations and hugs, Jack peered at me slyly. “I was curious to see what look you’d have on your face,” he said.
“Jack, seriously! You gave them your home! I can’t believe it. You better watch out, though. Naya hates anyone else taking the spotlight, and she could already be plotting her revenge. Do you think they’ll give Sue and Mike the boot?”
I saw the two of them hugging Naya and Will. I guess they’d need to ingratiate themselves to their new landlords.
“I think I can convince them not to,” Jack said. “We need to talk about you and me, though. We’re going to need to move out to make room for the baby.”
“Have you found another apartment?”
“I actually had something bigger in mind. I want to buy a house with a big yard. But that’s a choice for both of us, and what you think matters, too.”
Unbelievably, he was serious. I wanted to tell him he was moving too fast, that we should stop and think, but he vanished into the crowd.
The party went on for another hour or two, and then, as the food and drinks were finished off, the apartment emptied out and we started cleaning up.
I was exhausted by the time I finally lay down with Jack in the bedroom.
I pulled the covers up to my nose and rested on my back, my head sinking into the pillow.
Jack turned off the lights and asked me what I was thinking.
“I was wondering when your next trip was. I’ve gotten kind of used to having this big old bed all to myself.”
He grunted and reached over to pinch me, and I tried to shimmy away.
“Good, Michelle,” he responded. “I’ll keep that in mind the next time I get the call for an overseas meeting.”
“What are you going to do? Not come back?”
“It depends on how many sexy photos you send me.”
“I believe you mean tasteful adult photos,” I said.
“Call them what you want. If I don’t get an emergency supply to help me make it through the next dry spell, I might have to resort to drastic measures…”
Our door opened, and Mike stuck his head in. “Hey guys.”
“What do you want?” Jack asked.
“I was just saying hi.”
“Mike, it’s midnight. You weren’t just saying hi,” Jack said.
“Sure. Well, the thing is, Chrissy is snoring really loud, and I—”
“No,” Jack cut him off.
“You don’t even know what I was going to say!” Mike protested.
“I do. You want to know if you can sleep in here. And the answer is no,” Jack said sternly.