Chapter 19
A n hour in, and Jane hadn’t said a word. And nobody noticed. Blue’s mother, however, hadn’t stopped talking since they arrived.
“Oh, my goodness, Jane, so nice to meet you. Are you really a doctor? What am I saying, of course you are. Women can be those now; women can be anything. Although I’m not sure what the difference is between an archeologist and an anthropologist. What is the difference? I’d really like to know. Anyway, you can use this room right down the hall. It hasn’t been used in years because everyone we know lives local so we don’t get a lot of company who stay over night. Blue will stay in his old room, of course. We left it as it was, not as some sort of monument, but more out of laziness. My husband works odd hours, I’m sure Blue’s told you, and the last thing he wants to do when he gets home is a house project. Not that I’m complaining because I’m not, and I’m sort of not into house stuff myself, unless I get some random idea while watching HGTV. For a while, I wanted to shiplap everything, and then I realized how much work that was and gave up. Do you have shiplap in your house? Although you probably don’t have a house, living in DC. Philly is more suburban, I think. It seems like everything in DC is citified, and I can’t get used to those tall townhomes. I’m glad Blue doesn’t live in one of those. So many stairs, and why would anyone want a kitchen on a separate level than your seating area? Although I do worry what would happen if the electric ever went out, being on the top floor and all. He’s probably got a plan for that, I try not to interfere…”
She continued talking, almost without breathing. Behind her back, Blue made eye contact and smiled as if to say, “See, I told you.”
When there was a pause in the one-sided conversation, Jane opened her mouth to say thank you or even hello, but his mother resumed talking.
“Have you met Tad yet? What am I saying, of course you haven’t. He’ll be here later for supper. Are you hungry? Have you eaten? Well, it doesn’t matter, I’m serving supper nonetheless. I made Blue’s favorites because I so rarely get him home for supper, not that I’m complaining. Who am I kidding, of course I am. Come home once in a while, kiddo,” she paused to tap Blue’s cheek before continuing. “Anyway, I think you’re really going to like Tad. He’s such a sweet, gentle…” she walked out of the room, still talking. Blue closed the door behind her and leaned on it.
“Isn’t she going to notice we’re no longer there?” Jane asked.
“Once when I was seven, she left me at a gas station and it took her two hours to notice. And another time my brother and I had a wager going about how long we could go without saying a word before she noticed. We both gave up after three days of not talking.”
“Wow,” Jane said.
“In her defense, she’s on a break from work. On school days, she’s gets all the chattiness out in the classroom. And she teaches first grade, so it’s sort of imperative she talk all day.”
“You don’t need to defend her to me. I think she seems lovely,” Jane said. The talking was a bit incessant, but otherwise she seemed like a warm, genuine person. Her eyes traveled around the room, his room. “So, the inner sanctum.”
“It’s about time I had a girl in here, although I think some people I went to high school with probably would have had bets on it being after I turned thirty,” he said.
“I can’t be the first girl who has ever been in your room,” Jane said.
He nodded. “Sadly, yes.”
“That reminds me. You still owe me a viewing of your middle school picture,” she said.
He closed his eyes and groaned. “Please no.”
“Don’t be a welcher, Bishop. Let me see the goods.”
“I’m already regretting this,” he said, reaching for a shelf that contained his old yearbooks. He flipped a few pages and turned the book to face her.
“Oh, no,” Jane said. She reached for the book and drew it closer, squinting. “I had no idea people actually wore headgear.”
“What?” he asked, coming alongside her for a better view. “That’s not me. That kid is Asian. That’s me.” He pointed a few spaces away.
“Oh,” she drawled. “Aw, you were so cute.”
“You can say it—I was fat.”
“You were fluffy,” she amended. “Besides, you seem to have…” she trailed off, her eyes traveling the expanse of him.
“Oh, geez,” Blue said. He took the book, tossed it away, and kissed her. Eventually a sound from the kitchen startled them apart.
“How do you do that?” he asked.
“What, kiss? You press your lips softly together. I’m surprised you’re asking because you kind of seem to know what you’re doing. In fact, you’re rather amazing at it,” she said.
“No, I mean I don’t even know who you are, really. I only half trust you, I’m more than halfway mad at you, still not sure you didn’t have me kidnapped, know for certain you left me at the airport with my hands tied, but I get within five feet of you and lose all control.”
“You think you’ve got problems? The guy I like thinks I’m a criminal,” she said.
“Are you?” he asked, only half joking.
In answer, she stood on her toes and kissed him. He responded, his hands reaching for her, pulling her closer.
“Blue, Mom wanted me to…oh, hello.” The door to the bedroom opened and a man poked his head inside. He looked similar to Blue, but his hair was sandy blond and he was shorter and more muscular. They were kind of like a before and after of someone who was put on a rack and stretched. “I’m Tad.”
Startled and flustered, Jane said the first thing that popped to mind. “I’m not a criminal.”
“No, I know,” Tad agreed. “Pennsylvania decriminalized kissing last year, so you’ve caught a lucky break. Still doesn’t explain who you are or why you’re kissing my brother.”
“This is Jane, a…colleague,” Blue said.
“Okay. I’m going to pretend that long pause in front of the word colleague was in no way suspicious. Hi, Jane, I’m Tad.” He stepped forward and offered up his hand to shake.
“Hi, I’m Jane,” Jane replied.
“Jane was it?” Tad said, touching his finger to his ear as if to hear her better.
“It’s short for ‘Incredibly Awkward When Meeting New People.’ I’d like to say it gets better, but it takes about a decade,” Jane said. “In ten years, I’m going to come across as really smooth and polished.”
“Something to look forward to,” Tad said. “In the meantime, Mom wanted me to tell you supper is ready.”
“Thanks, we’ll be there in a minute,” Blue said.
Tad nodded and eased out of the room.
“He seemed remarkably incurious about the fact that he walked in on you kissing someone. Has that happened a lot?”
“Literally all the time,” Blue said. “I mean, you’ve seen my middle school pictures. The ladies were lining up to get a piece of me. I have three on standby in the closet for after you leave.” He took her hand and drew it to his chest. “Does that make you jealous, Jane?”
“Do you want me to be jealous, Blue?”
“Kind of. Not like snatch someone’s hair off her head crazy person level jealous, but maybe secretly Facebook stalk my exes level jealous.”
“I don’t have a Facebook account,” she reminded him.
“And why is that again? I can’t remember,” he said, kissing her palm as he feigned ignorance.
“Aren’t we going to be late for supper?” she asked, easing her arms around his waist.
“Yes, but something tells me it’s going to be worth it.” She tipped her face to his as he bent to kiss her.
“Blue!” his mother yelled.
Blue broke away. “That’s the ‘I’m running out of patience’ yell. We have to respond to that one.” He opened the door for her and allowed her to precede him through. Everyone was already seated at the loaded table when they arrived.
“Sorry,” Blue murmured, as they took their seats at the table.
“I don’t think I’ve been introduced,” Blue’s father said. He was a combination of his two sons—as tall as Blue but as solidly built as Tad, a hulking barrel of a man—but his voice was quiet and soft, his manner gentle. Jane wondered if he was as quiet and soft spoken as his wife was not.
“This is Jane, my, er, coworker,” Blue stumbled again. “Jane, my dad, Will Bishop.”
“Hi, Mr. Bishop, thank you for having me, it’s nice to meet you,” Jane said, trying hard not to mumble or stutter or say anything outlandishly odd. She could usually get through the preliminary greetings okay. It was everything after that scrambled somewhere between her brain and lips. In her mind, she was a witty and gifted conversationalist. In reality, she was often…not.
Under the table, Blue’s hand rested on her leg, soothing her with soft, gentle passes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jane. You’re very welcome to be here,” Will said. “And thank you for complying with our odd eating schedule.”
Jane had no idea what he was talking about until she glanced at the clock and saw it was only three in the afternoon.
“Dad and Tad are firefighters,” Blue explained. “They’re always coming and going on odd and different schedules. We eat when we can.”
“I hadn’t actually noticed the time,” Jane admitted.
“You must have been wonderfully preoccupied,” Tad said, and Jane felt her cheeks flush pink. Blue squeezed her leg and let it go as the food began to pass.
When his mother was certain everyone had received each dish of food, she began to talk again, the incessant chatter of someone who has no idea they’re monopolizing the conversation. The men at the table seemed so used to it they hardly paid attention. Jane was thankful for it because it meant the pressure was off her to speak. She was safe to sit back, relax, and make her observations about the family.
She found it interesting Blue chose a profession so very far from that of his father and brother. Not much was as opposite from firefighting as hacking. On the other hand, they were all public servants. Blue had sacrificed what could potentially be a high six-figure annual salary to work for the government. And they seemed to think no less of him for it. There was no teasing, no one-upmanship. Of course there also wasn’t much chance to get any of that in with their mother’s unending stream of one-sided conversation.
“Blue, how’s Maggie?” she asked about a half hour in and actually seemed to want an answer. She paused, regarding him with a thoughtful stare.
“She’s fine, Mom,” Blue said, shifting uncomfortably. “Still happily married.”
Jane studied Blue’s profile, wondering over his sudden discomfort. He steadily avoided her gaze, focusing instead on his nearly empty plate.
His mother clucked her tongue with what sounded like disapproval. “I still say you should have told her how you felt before she got married.”
“Mom, I really don’t want to talk about it,” Blue said.
“All I’m saying is that when you’re in love with someone you tell them. At the very least, you’ll have a definitive answer,” his mother said.
“I think the fact that she married another man was a definitive answer,” Tad said.
“But that’s only because she didn’t know Blue’s in love with her. Personally I think they would have been a good match. They have more in common than she and Ridge do. I’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“Mom, I’d really like to move on from this conversation,” Blue said.
“Why?” His mother asked. “You never want to talk about personal things. We have no idea what’s going on with you unless we check social media. What’s so wrong with talking about your problems with your family?”
Blue gave Jane a significant look, one his mother couldn’t help but notice.
“What? You said you two are friends. Does your friend not know you’re in love with Maggie?” his mother questioned.
“Oh, boy, Mom, you’re really digging a pit here,” Tad chimed in.
“Change the conversation, Dorothy,” Will piped up, giving his wife a look.
“Why does everyone keep saying…?” Her eyes fell on Blue and Jane again, speculatively this time. “Oh. Dear me. So.” Her lips sealed then. It was as if when she needed mindless chatter the most, the power failed her.
To try and cover the awkwardness, Will and Tad launched into a conversation about some issue at their respective fire stations, but it was clear they were unaccustomed to being the ones who talked. Eventually all talk came to an end, but, mercifully, so did the meal.
“Maybe you’d like to show Jane the patio,” his mother suggested.
Wordlessly, Blue stood, led the way to the porch, and held the door for Jane.