Double Trouble: Thirty Three; 12 hours before midnight
by Cariad
 
 

Double Trouble
~Thirty Three~
Holly fumed the entire ride in Jonathan’s Ferrari. “Do you know that in one fell swoop, you have reduced me and all women to a point in the Middle Ages?” she demanded.

Jonathan concentrated on the road. “Actually, women were still being treated as chattel at the turn of last century,” he observed.

Holly clamped her lips into a fine line. “I’ve always wondered how those romance heroines felt being sold into marriage to some impudent rogue. I’m learning now.”

Jonathan gave a wolfish grin. “Ah, but it that same rogue who teaches her all about passion and she falls in love with him.”

“Don’t even think that, Mr. Hotchkiss,” Holly snarled. “My knight will come. You are the villain who kidnaps the heroine and her True Love will come to rescue her—if she doesn’t rescue herself.”

Jonathan laughed, his eyes twinkling. “You’re too young to be reading that sort of trash anyway.”

Holly crossed her arms over her chest. “As if one has a choice in my family about learning about sex. Father has been having mistresses since we were born. And there’s nothing in those books that isn’t on television! And you have no right to tell me what to do!”

Jonathan pulled the car to a stop. “Have you ever read Taming of the Shrew?”

“I’m not a shrew.”

Jonathan chuckled.

“Shrews don’t exist in this day and age.” She looked up, noticing that they had not stopped at a restaurant. The setting almost seemed as if was the park. “Why are we here?”

“Get out of the car,” he said, “I have some things that I want to discuss with you.”

“So why this kidnapping? Because that’s what it is.”

“Just get out, please.”

Holly rolled her eyes and climbed out of the car. Like an obedient slave, she followed him past the ice skating rink—complete with blissful skaters, past the skate rental and the hot beverage stand, into an uninhabited area.

“Sit,” he told her, motioning to a stone ledge.

Holly sat. “What is so important that you have to drag me out of my house into the freezing cold?”

“Are you cold?” he asked, suddenly solicitous of her feelings.

“The temperature is below freezing. What do you think?” she snapped.

“Holly, please stop this for a second. This is very important.” Jonathan moved before her, crouching down so he looked up at her, his face open and serious.

“No.” Holly said immediately.

“What?”

“No,” Holly replied. “It’s pretty obvious where this is leading, and I will save you the stupid question. My answer is: no.”

Jonathan smiled a very small smile. “That’s not where this is heading. Not here and now. Will you hear me out?”

Holly made no reply.

“Holly, I wish that we could have met under better circumstances, but I can’t say that I’m upset at the end result.” Holly snorted under her breath. “Please, Holly, hear me out. I know you don’t want this. And I would pull out if I could, but I’ve just found out that I’m in too deep—and if I pull out I might as well be killing my own father.”

“You’re father is a crotchety old man and will live forever,” Holly countered.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Holly. He’s dying. That’s why he wants this business and family merger. I have to admit that this started when I was told I was going to be the Hotchkiss part of the merger.”

“Great,” Holly snapped, “I AM chattel.”

“HOLLY KATHERINE!” Jonathan snapped, his face contorting with anger, “Stop these snappy comebacks and hear me out!”

Holly drew her knees up to her chin and hugged them, suddenly frightened that she had pushed him too far.

Jonathan began pacing before her. “My father and I discussed it, and since the roles had been reversed, meaning a Crane bride and a Hotchkiss groom, that the two companies’ relative importance should also be reversed. As my father is in the hospital from his latest stroke, I spoke with your grandfather. Holly, he’s got stuff on my father, my mother, my sister, and myself. If I pull out, all of it is going public. He’s got me under his thumb, Holly. Please, I can’t even negotiate better terms to the deal.”

Holly shifted, turning away from Jonathan’s pacing form. “Don’t tell me this,” she said softly. “Please don’t tell me this.”

“We’re all puppets, Holly, and he’s the puppet master. I thought you’d understand being under his control.”

Holly wiped her eyes with the back of a mittened hand. “Can’t you just say ‘no’ and let the chips fall where they may?”

Jonathan sighed and grabbed her hands. “If it was just me, I would. I’d tell him, ‘no deal. Holly doesn’t want me, and Julia and I wouldn’t work out. Do what you must, I don’t care.’ But it’s not that way. Gwen’s life has been ruined enough. And I have to think about my father, too. And the way I see it, if there’s any way to get out from Alistair’s thumb, we have to be working together.” He moved a gloved finger to wipe a tear from her eye. “I’ve arranged some help for Julia. She’ll never be alone with those creeps your grandfather is parading her around to.”

“Please stop, Jonathan,” Holly begged. He wasn’t human. He couldn’t be human! He was a spoiled rich money-grubbing bastard like the rest of them!

“Tonight at the ball, Holly, you have to go along with me. Promise me you’ll go along with me. If I could get both of you out of that family, I would. Just promise that you’ll follow my lead tonight.”

Holly’s head flew up. “If you can only take one, take Julia. I can handle the old men.”

Jonathan drew a finger down the length of the stubborn set to her jaw. “I could no sooner take Julia than I could marry my own sister. But I do know some people who would be willing to help her out.”

“Name one,” Holly demanded.

“That chap, Noah Bennett,” Jonathan answered immediately. “He’s very taken with your sister.”

Holly lifted her chin again. She knew Noah wanted Julia—he told her so himself. “Well, Jonathan, I don’t need your rescuing either,” she insisted.

Jonathan moved to sit next to her. “I know who you’re thinking of.”

“Why do I have to be thinking of someone?” she countered.

“You don’t,” he replied smoothly, “but I know you’re thinking of that boy you kissed at the Seascape. I’m assuming since all the locals are invited that he’ll be there tonight as well, and I wanted to give you a chance to warn him that you may have to do some things out of character.”

Holly sighed heavily. “I can’t promise you anything, Jonathan. I have my principles too.”

Jonathan was intelligent enough to know that her reply was the best he would get out of her. “Come on now, we can stop at some burger joint. You’re not dressed for the Country Club.”

“You mean you’re not going to embarrass me for staying dressed like this?”

“Of course not. I would never be caught dead with you in society, not dressed like that!” He gave her a smile and a wink to let her know he was not serious.

“You are a self-centered chauvinist pig,” she huffed back, but some of the usual venom was gone from her voice.
 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Julia had no time to ponder the mysterious note from Johnny, for the phone rang. An exasperated Noah Bennett was on the other end.
“Julie come down here immediately please,” he asked.

“What’s wrong?” she answered.

“Little Sister Kay’s date has a tux problem, and I want another female’s opinion to let him know he needs to change ASAP.”

“Oh dear!” Julia replied. Julia hung up the phone and remembered Theresa. No one could know about how they were helping her. Then again, Noah already knew, but the rest of his family did not, and his family might not approve since it was Ethan’s heart that Theresa stomped on. “Stay here, I’ll be right back. Or Holly will.” Julia glanced at her watch. “I’ll pick up some lunch too. You realize that we need to eat well before the ball because we can’t be like pigs in public. If anyone comes in—hide. Got it?”

Theresa gave the thumbs-up sign.

“If nothing else, you might want to take a nap, if you’re under the covers, people will assume you’re me.”

“I am a bit tired,” Theresa confessed.

“Good, I’ll be right back.”

Julia tore out of the house and into her car. Finding no police officers on the road, she made it into town in record time. Noah met her at the door and escorted her to a closed bedroom door.

Reese sat on the bed, a powder blue tux resting next to him. Julia prayed for deliverance. Just like her sister to fall for a completely fashion-oblivious geek! (A hard-bodied fashion-oblivious geek, but one all the same).

“Hi Holly,” he said. “I brought out my old tuxedo for the occasion.”

“I’m Julie,” Julia replied kindly. She eyed the polyester thing. “That can’t be comfortable to wear,” she said.

“On the contrary,” Reese replied. “It’s wonderful. It even recovered well from the Prom Boat disaster.”

Julia shot a glance at Noah, both trying to keep a straight face. “Well, let’s see it,” she ventured, holding the coat up. “Oh dear!” she said, giving a tug, trying to tear the damn thing—it wouldn’t. “Er. I think I see a stain!”

“Really, Mom washed it and she didn’t find any.”

“Well, it smells a little like brine,” Julia lied.

“That’s what Noah said too, but I don’t smell a thing.”

Julia glanced desperately at Noah. Noah shrugged back. Julia sighed. “Reese, lets face it,” she said, sitting down next to him, putting a hand on his well-muscled arm. So what if she was after Johnny Hotchkiss, she could appreciate a good body when one crossed her path! “I was trying to be nice, but I’ll tell it to you straight.”

“What?” he asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

Julia moved her hand to his leg—he was hard there too. “It’s my party and Holly’s party—well the closest thing we’ll get to a birthday party. And well, you like Holly, right?”

“Yea, she’s one of my best friends.”

Holly couldn’t have picked a denser creature, Julia thought. “Well, frankly… How do I put this nicely? That tuxedo would embarrass anyone caught dead in that!”

“Not my Kay!” Reese defended. “She went to the prom with me like this! It was her jester’s crown that saved me from drowning. I floated on it to safety!”

“That’s nice, Reese,” Julia said, patting his leg. “But this isn’t the prom. And that shade of blue just isn’t a winter color.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” he asked.

“Well, that shade of blue seems very summery,” Julia said. “You should wear something darker.”

Insight dawned in Reese’s eyes. “Thanks! I’ll go get Dad’s old maroon tux out of the closet!”

Julia groaned, looking at Noah, pleading for him to do something.

“No!” Noah shouted. “No. You can’t do maroon.”

“Whyever not?” Reese asked. “Julie said darker.”

“Because…” Julia started.

“I didn’t want to tell you this, Reese,” Noah said. “Pretend to be surprised. Kay’s dress is a dark purple color. And if you wear maroon, it will clash. I’ve known enough girls to know nothing is worse than clashing with your date.”

Reese sat down on the bed. “Oh, he said. I wish someone told me earlier. Now there’s no time to rent a tux.”

Julia looked at his downcast expression, then moved her eyes to the width of his shoulders. “Stand up Reese,” she said.

Reese stood.

Julia moved around him, eyeing his size, when in doubt, using her hands to measure. “Hmm…” she hummed to herself. “You’re probably closer to Aidan’s size than Ethan’s, just guessing. And I’m sure I could borrow you one of his old ones. Aidan is a clothes horse,” she explained. “He buys a new tux nearly every year. I could fix you up with one of his old ones. Aidan would never know it was missing.”

“That’s wonderful!” Noah said. “I was sure you’d think of something!”

“Don’t worry, Reese,” Julia said. “You’ll look wonderful. The ladies won’t be able to keep their hands off you!”

Reese blushed.

Noah walked Julia back out to her car. “Save a dance for me,” he said, bowing over her hand and kissing it.

“If I can tear myself away from Johnny,” Julia replied.

“I thought he was going with your sister?” Noah asked.

“You’ll see.”