Devoted: The Blackwell Lessons Part 26

Jen stalks back through the kitchen.

Poor Leo. He nearly drops the phone in shock. After whispering a hurried 'Gotta go, bye' into the phone, he tears after Jen.

'Baby. Wait!' He catches her in the hallway. 'Please. You've got this all wrong.'

'That's a line I've heard before,' says Jen, putting on her camel-coloured trench coat. 'The words of a guilty man.'

'I'm not guilty. I haven't done anything,' Leo pleads. 'Wait Jen, please. There's something I've got to tell you.'

Jen's face goes white, and Leo glances back at the kitchen.

'Privately okay?' He takes Jen's arm. 'Look, take your coat off a moment. Give me a chance?'

Reluctantly, Jen hands him her coat.

I tiptoe forwards. 'Um ... you can talk upstairs,' I say. 'Help yourself. There's like fifty hundred guest bedrooms. Take your pick. Any open door.'

The closed bedroom has the swing in it, and I sneak an embarra.s.sed glance at Marc.

'Okay fine.' Jen glares at Leo. 'But this had better be good.'

46.

As I watch Jen and Leo head upstairs, I feel Marc's arm around my shoulder.

'Are you okay?'

'Fine. Jen and men ... there's always a bit of drama.'

'If Leo did anything to Jen, he'll have me to deal with.'

'Life isn't always black and white.'

Marc frowns. 'What did Leo do?'

'Nothing,' I say. 'At least ... nothing I know of. He was just acting a bit weird the other day, that's all. In the bar. I think Sigourney got to him a little.'

'From what I've seen, that sounds like Sigourney,' says Marc.

'Did she get to you?' I blurt out.

'No. She didn't get to me. I got to her.'

'You hurt her?'

'I would never hurt a woman on purpose. I see ... saw the world and relations.h.i.+ps in such a f.u.c.ked up way. It tends to mess with women's minds.'

'You definitely messed with my mind,' I say. 'I didn't know up from down when we first got together.'

'And how about now?'

'That's up, right?' I say, pointing to the floor.

Marc laughs. 'Seriously though. If Leo hurts her he'll be in big trouble with me. I care about Jen a lot. She's a good person.'

'Leo is too,' I say. 'I just hope this is all some mistake. Because those two are great together. Do you think ... I mean, you're a man. Is it possible Leo would cheat on Jen?'

Marc shrugs. 'It's possible.'

It feels a little odd being in the kitchen, knowing that Jen and Leo are upstairs arguing.

I think everyone else feels the same way because conversation becomes a little stilted.

Tom and Tanya fill me in on college life and their plans for this year. And Denise and I take Sammy into the garden for a little play. Everyone is full of congratulations, asking about baby names and everything, but I think we all want to know what's happening with Jen and Leo.

After half an hour or so, I decide to go and investigate.

I excuse myself and sneak upstairs.

Two bedroom doors are closed the one with the swing inside and another one.

I hear low murmurs.

Experimentally, I try the second closed bedroom door and peer inside.

Then I take a step back.

Jen and Leo are in there completely naked, having s.e.x against the wall.

Jen's palms are flat on velvet wallpaper. Leo's tanned backside moves back and forth in a s.e.xy one-two rhythm, his hands either side of Jen's curvy hips.

I smile and take a step back, carefully closing the door.

When I get back to the kitchen, Marc takes my hand.

'Well?'

'Let's just say I think whatever issues they had, they've managed to move beyond them.'

'Good.' Marc kisses my head. 'We're about to cut the cake. Should I send Rodney up to tell them?'

'No!' I say, a little too quickly. 'I mean ... I think they still need more time. So ... we can go ahead and cut the cake without them. Jen won't mind. She's always dieting anyway.'

47.

Twenty minutes later, Jen and Leo still haven't appeared. But everyone else is laughing and joking and eating coconut cake.

'So,' says Tom. 'Do you think the young baby Blackwell will share his mother's looks or his fathers?'

'Definitely his fathers,' I say.

'Why do you say that?' asks Tanya.

I shrug. 'Just something about Marc's features. They're stronger than mine.'

'Like heck they are!' says Tanya. 'You've got that Italian thing going on. Olive skin. Brown eyes. Beautiful wavy hair. Brown is always strongest genetically isn't it?'

'Pardon me,' says Tom. 'But does that mean our children won't get that ravis.h.i.+ng red hair of yours?'

'Probably not,' says Tanya. 'Like I say. Brown is stronger.'

'Not always,' says Tom. 'A cousin of mine is pure blonde and both his parents have brown hair. Oh look! The young lovers have returned.'

Leo and Jen come into the kitchen.

'Everything all right?' I ask Jen.

'Better than all right.' Jen holds out her fingers, and I see a gleaming diamond ring. 'We're engaged.'

I nearly drop my cake. 'What?'

Jen grins. 'I'm an idiot. A total, total idiot.'

'Yes you are,' says Leo fondly, kissing her blonde hair which I can't help noticing is looking pretty ruffled.

'Leo's been planning a surprise engagement party,' says Jen. 'Hence all the phone calls. And the emails. He's been phoning his family in the states too at weird times of night. He was going to propose this month. But I went and ruined the surprise with my big, jealous hissy fit.'

'Yep.' Leo tightens his arm around her shoulder. 'My lovely jealous hissy fiancee. I wouldn't have you any other way. Lucky I had the ring with me. I'm not sure you would have believed me otherwise.'

'Let me see that ring!' says Tom, grabbing Jen's hand. 'Oh goodness. That is a bobby dazzler, isn't it?'

'So everything's okay?' I whisper to Leo. 'I'm really sorry. I think I said something to Jen that made her think-'

'It's okay,' says Leo. 'I get it. You're her friend. You're looking out for her. And you were right in a way. Just for the wrong reasons. I was bothered by Sigourney when we were at that bar. But not because I have feelings for her. I was bothered because Baz is a friend and I could see him falling for her. I don't want his head screwed up like every other man Sigourney sinks her claws into.'

'Then tell him.'

'Tell Baz Smith what to do? That's not what guys do. We let each other make our own mistakes. And then we all have a beer together and pick up the pieces.'

'Should I tell Baz? Warn him?'

'He's a grown man.'

'But the newspapers make out like Sigourney is this sad angel who gets messed around by men. I think that's why Jen got so jealous. Because the papers said you dumped her.'

'Look Sigourney has this magic dust she can throw over guys. I should know. She threw it over me and I ignored all the good advice. If she works her magic on Baz, he's not going to care about my story. He's not going to care about anything other than, pardon my French, s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g her.'

'What if I talked to Baz?'

Leo raises an eyebrow. 'Doesn't Sigourney hate you enough already?'

'She hates me?'

'Isn't it obvious?'

'Well ... yes. I suppose. A little. But why?'

'She's jealous. Simple as that.'

'She has no reason to be. She's a supermodel. She has an amazing career. An amazing face. She's famous.'

'All that may be true. But she doesn't have Marc Blackwell.'

48.

The next day on set, I think about what Leo said. How Sigourney might be jealous. It's just not something I can get my head around. Leo can't be right. How could a beautiful supermodel care about someone like me?

The weather is bad, so we spend the morning hanging around in the makeup marquee drinking coffee and waiting for the rain to pa.s.s.

I watch Sigourney flirting with Baz, making big eyes at him and stroking his muscular arms. It looks like she's madly in love. But I also notice her quick glances at Leo who's sitting a few feet away. And the way she effortlessly questions Baz about Marc.

'You still thinking about saying something to Baz?' Leo whispers to me.

'I really want to,' I whisper back. 'But what would I say? I mean, you're right. He's starting to look pretty besotted. And sometimes people who are besotted only hear what they want to hear.'