Redemption (Iris Series) (24 page)

“Listen, just because she’s gorgeous doesn’t mean we want to think about her having sex,” her brother said, his face scrunched up.

“I didn’t realize the idea of me having sex was that disgusting,” Janie said drolly, directing that comment right to Luke.

“Janie, it’s not that.  You’re like the little sister, that’s all.  It’s hard for us to think of you that way,” Luke responded to her look.

Oh, dear. 

“Well, I’m not
your
sister, Luke Daniels, but rest assured that if the thought of me having sex is so disgusting to you, I’ll never again put you in the awkward position of having to
painfully
think of me ‘that way’ again,” she finished, rolling her eyes and sighing.  She placed her napkin on the table and stood up.  “Excuse me for a moment.  I need to use the restroom.”  Then Janie left the table.

“I didn’t say that I
—” Luke started to say as she walked away, but she was already gone.

After an awkward moment of silence, Luke looked at everyone and asked, “What the hell just happened?”

Ayanna sighed and thought,
idiot
, but also wondered what he was about to say as Janie was leaving the room
.

“I don’t know,” Michael grumbled, rubbing his hands through his hair.  “Maybe she’s on the rag or something,” he muttered.

Before the rest of the girls could even react, Emily had already smacked him in the back of the head.

“Ow!” he yelled then looked around at the other patrons looking in their direction.  “What the fuck is
with
you, Counselor?” he said, his voice now lower.  He was rubbing at his head.  “I know you wanna get your hands on me and all, but there are other more enjoyable ways we can do this,” he mumbled.

“Why do you men always think when a woman is angry it automatically means she’s got her period?” Emily began.  “Does it even occur to you that a woman could have a legitimate gripe and express her anger, and
not
be on the rag?  Maybe
Janie
,” she continued in her best lawyer voice, “who happens to be in all of our age brackets,” she said pointing to all of the women, “is tired of the men in her life treating her like some 15 year old who has no experience in the world.  I mean the woman has studied in Europe, for Pete’s sake.  You guys need to start treating her like the accomplished woman she is and show her the respect she’s earned and deserves.”

“Wait a minute now.  Of
course
we respect her.  Don’t even go there.  She knows we
love
her,” said Michael.

“Then you need to start showing her in a different way, Mike,” Ryann interjected quietly.  “There’s no doubt you guys love her.  You just need to start treating her like an adult now.  I mean she
does
have sex, guys.”

Michael groaned.

“Okay already, Ryann,” Luke said pressing at his eyes.

“Well, she
does
Luke,” Ayanna chimed in.

“I
know
.”  He paused.  “How much sex is she
having
exactly?”

Ayanna chuckled.  “Why does it make you so uncomfortable?  She’s not family.  I can maybe understand Mike and Jeremy, but why you?” Ayanna pushed a little further.

“I don’t think of her as a sister, necessarily.  It’s just hard on a guy when all of a sudden little Janie has turned into this gorgeous beautiful woman who’s starting to wear all sexy clothes, and shoes, and whatnot,” he stammered all flustered.  “And having sex. 
Shit.
”

Tiffany looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Yup.  Just as she thought.  Luke had the hots for Janie.  And it appeared he didn’t know what the hell to do about it.

“Well,” Ryann continued from before, “I’m sure it’s not an easy transition for you guys, but it’s time to make it.  Ease up on the Caveman behavior a little.”  She looked at Jeremy, then at Luke.  “Women like to feel protected to a point, but when it starts to make us feel like you guys think we’re babies who can’t take care of ourselves, that’s when it starts to piss us off.”

At that point, Janie was making her way back to the table and Luke stood to pull out her chair for her.  Janie looked up at him warily, then sat at the silent table with a questioning look.

“What’s this all about?” she asked as she sat and thanked Luke.

“The women at the table have been showing us that we’re often times a bunch of idiots when it comes to the women we love,” Jeremy said, stroking Ryann’s hair.

Michael got up to hug Janie when she was seated in her chair and she hugged him back.

“I love you,” he said, his voice muffled in her hair.  “We’re gonna
try
to stop being cavemen.  Be patient with us.”

Janie chuckled.  “You’re forgiven.  I know it’s out of your love for me,” she said, looking at Luke.  Then she looked away.  “I can’t wait to try the next dish,” she gushed.

The men seemed to sigh with relief that the matter was settled.

Jonathan and Michael talked briefly about Michael’s younger brother Robbie, who Jonathan and Ryann, coincidentally, had taught at the Academy a couple of years before.  While they were talking, the girls started asking Tiffany about the new chapter in her life and what her plans were.

“I don’t know,” Tiffany hesitated.  “I finally found a place, so I’ll be getting out of Janie’s hair soon,” she said in Janie’s direction, with an affectionate smile.  “She keeps trying to get me to start a charity or a foundation, or something like that.  Whattaya think?”

Ryann spoke first.  “I think that’s a great idea.  It’s right up your alley.”

Jeremy broke in next.  “It really is, Tiff.  With your business background
and
your money, not to mention your big heart, it would be perfect for you.”

Luke smiled, and said, “We’d all help you if you needed it.  You know that.”

“I know,” she said with her eyes getting teary. 

Luke continued talking to his twin.  “It’s been a hard year for you, sis.  But this is a new chapter and you have new friends.  The sky’s the limit.  I think this move to Manhattan from Boston is gonna make a world of difference for you.”

“It is, you’re right.  I’m excited about it,” she smiled.

“As you should be!” Ayanna exclaimed.  “And Luke is right.  If you need anything, just let us know.  Even if it’s just to be a sounding board or something like that.”

Another tasting came out and after they had eaten a bit, Ryann got the whole table’s attention.

“I think some of you know that the Institute does a big art showing at the end of the summer each year.  At the end of August, there’s going to be a showing of all of the student
s’ art that’s been created over the summer semester.  It will all be for sale with a portion of the proceeds going back to the Institute to help future student artists, but the majority will go to the student artists themselves.  I think you guys would really enjoy it.  And the art is outstanding.  Plus, it’ll give us all an excuse to dress up again,” she winked with a smile.  “Whattaya think?”

“Sounds
great
.  I’m looking for some stuff to dress up the apartment,” Ayanna said.

“Me, too,” Emily said. “My place is still looking a little empty.”

“Awesome!  I’ll send out details to everyone as it gets closer,” Ryann beamed. 

“Jeremy, Ryann, and I were already going to be there, so it’ll be nice to have the whole crew coming,” Luke added. 

“Hey!  Look who’s here!” Ryann exclaimed.

Everyone looked toward the entrance and saw Dr. Drew Huntington, the doctor who had patched Ryann up after the shooting.  He worked out of Beth Israel Medical Center and they’d all gotten to know him a bit over the past couple of weeks. 

He stood a couple of inches over six feet and was built like a linebacker.  In his mid to late thirties, he was a solid wall of muscle without an ounce of fat on him.  Charming, with a brilliant white smile that lit up his handsome face, Ayanna had always thought of Lenny Kravitz when she saw him.  That night, he was dressed in a light gray suit and his only ‘accessory’ was draped on his arm in the form of a curvy brunette.  The woman’s outfit, a feminine off white chiffon sundress, only added to her fresh girl next door look and she appeared very pleased to be clinging to the doctor’s side.

Ayanna turned to look at Tiffany, wondering about her reaction since there was a bit of attraction on Tiff’s part toward the doctor.  At least it had seemed that way at the last gathering a week or so earlier when Ayanna saw the two of them together.  Interestingly, Tiffany immediately excused herself to go to the restroom while Ryann and Jeremy had already gotten up to say hello.

Ayanna was about to say something to Jonathan, but the look on his face stopped her cold.  Emily was talking to him.

“Jon?” Emily asked quietly.

His jaw was clenched.  “Yeah, I see.”

“What’s the matter?” Ayanna asked.

He looked at her and was about to speak when Ryann and Jeremy, along with the doctor and his date, arrived at the table.  Jonathan grabbed her hand under the table.

“Hey guys,” the doctor said good naturedly with a smile.  “Long time, no see.”

Ayanna noticed immediately that the doctor’s arm candy had zeroed in on Jon, and just like that the date got a startled look on her face.

“Jonathan?” she said.

Everyone seemed to play ping pong with their eyes looking back and forth, from the curvy brunette to Jon, then back again.

“Dylan,” Jon nodded.  His face looked as if he was completely uninterested in her and anything she might have to say.

Oh, boy.  This didn’t look good. 

“You two know each other?” Drew asked.

“Yes, actually,” the brown eyed brunette beauty said.  “Very well,” she purred.  Dylan looked at Emily next.

“Emily,” Dylan nodded to her, without a smile to be seen.

Emily pressed her lips into a semblance of one and nodded back.

It was obvious this was an awkward reunion.  And the fact that both Jon and Emily knew this woman led Ayanna to believe one of two things:  that she was either from their neck of the woods up in Boston, or she was an ex-girlfriend of Jonathan’s.

She was guessing the latter.

And she was wondering if this was the ex he had told her about when he was working on Wall Street.  Imagining Jon with his hands all over this woman made the green monster rear its ugly head.

Sensing the unease in the situation, she squeezed his hand under the table and reached through his arm with her other to hug him to her, offering support.  Pointedly making eye contact with the woman letting her know Jonathan was now very happily taken, Ayanna then shifted her gaze to Drew and said, “What brings you here, doc?”

“Well,” he started, “the staff here voluntarily makes and serves meals for the patients at the Jacob Perlow Hospice Center at the hospital, so we try to support the restaurant as much as we can.  They’re a good group of folks here.

“Dylan and I met at a charity function for the hospital a couple of weeks back and she mentioned she’d love to dine here, so we figured we’d grab some dinner.”

Ayanna nodded politely.  “Have you ever eaten here before, Dylan?  If not, you’re in for a treat.”  Ayanna was proud of herself.  She really had turned over a new leaf.  Not a note of snarkiness to be heard anywhere.

“Oh, I’m very familiar with the restaurant,” Dylan purred.  “This used to be one of our favorite haunts, didn’t it Jonathan?”  Then she looked right at Ayanna and with a syrupy sweet smile said, “This is actually where he proposed to me.”

The room seemed to shrink in on itself as the words from this woman sank into Ayanna’s brain. 

Jonathan squeezed Ayanna’s arm and said, “Now, Dylan,” he tsked in his best teacher voice, “there’s no reason to be catty.  As everyone can obviously see that relationship didn’t work out, much to everyone’s happiness.”  He turned to Drew.  “Sorry for any awkwardness, Drew.  You two have a good dinner.”

Drew looked annoyed, but not with Jon.  Rather he gave Dylan a glare, then turned back to the table and said, “No need to apologize at all, Jon.  We’re sorry to have interrupted.  Have a good dinner, guys.”

He nodded and turned to go when Tiffany arrived back at the table from the restroom.  Ayanna could hear talking around her, but couldn’t concentrate on what was happening.  She was still in a state of shock over the fact that Jon had been engaged.

She looked at Jon who was already looking at her with concern. “Obviously that’s not how I had intended for you to find out that nugget of information,” he whispered.  “Come on.  Let’s walk for a second.”

They excused themselves from the table.  As they got up, Ayanna could see Ryann looking angrily at Dylan’s retreating form then she looked sympathetically at Ayanna.

“Everything’s fine, Ry.  We’ll be back in a sec,” Ayanna said.  However, in Ayanna’s book it wasn’t fine.  She needed to talk to Jon.

When she passed Emily, Emily grabbed at her hand and squeezed it, giving her a smile and murmuring, “Ain’t nothin’ but a thang, hon.  She’s nothing to him.”