Tit for Tat Baby (5 page)

Jenna was so irritated she decided to
go into town and visit the Titanic Museum.  Her brother told her about it
and suggested she visit whilst she was there.  She thought it prudent to
stay out of Callum’s way for the balance of the day.

She took the freeway and found the
Museum easily by just following boards indicating the way. It was just over the
Lagan Bridge in the heart of the former shipyard. She stood staring at the
stunning piece of architecture.  The building was a mirror of RMS
Titanic’s build. The shape of the ultra-modern building resembled the hulls of
four ships. The height and position of the building was also a nod to slipway
number two where Titanic was constructed and the towering presence it exerted
over Queen’s Island.  The building was clad in metal shards and the
sunlight playing on them resembled the movement of water.  From above, the
building apparently resembled a white star, the symbol of Titanic’s operators.

Jenna was entranced by the massive
displays, never realizing how interesting a tour of the facility would
be.   

It consisted of an iconic, six floor
building, that told the story of the Titanic’s conception which was told
followed by its early construction, launch, fit out and tragic maiden voyage.
The story was brought up to the present with the discovery of the wreck and
into the future with live links to contemporary undersea exploration. Across
ten galleries, with an equal number of interactive exhibits, they conveyed the
sights, sounds, smells and stories of the shipyard and its most famous
creation. 
 

The adventure began the moment she
walked through the door and into the building's giant atrium surrounded by the
four high impact ‘hull’ shaped sections which housed the experience. The
stories of passengers, crew and the heroes of the day was told in an exciting
and modern way.  At the conclusion of the tour, she visited the wreck at her
resting place on the floor of the North Atlantic.

It was mid-afternoon by the time she
walked out of the museum.

“Excuse me, Miss.”

Jenna turned around and looked up at a
tall well-built red headed man. He was quite attractive, but she was sure more
than a few years younger than her.  She looked at him questioningly.

“Yes?”

“I am sorry to bother you, but you owe
me a drink.”

“I do?”

“Yes, because when I looked at you, I
dropped mine.”

Jenna burst out laughing and shook her
head.  He smiled widely at her.

“Okay buster.  Only because that
was so earnestly delivered even though one of the cheesiest pick-up lines, I’ll
entertain you.  Who bet you what?”

He chuckled and nodded his head
towards the one side.  She noticed a bunch of young guys sitting around one
of the tables in front of the restaurant, watching them.

“I see and what was the bet for?”

“That you would not even talk to
me.  Imagine how much I could hitch up that bet if you were to agree to go
on a date with me!”

“Hmm … so, do you usually ask older
women out for dates?”

“What do you mean older women?”

She chuckled.  “How old are you,
buster?”

“Twenty three.”

“And you think I am …”

“Twenty … twenty one at a push.”

Jenna gaped at him. 
Twenty!  She knew she looked younger than her age but nearly ten years!

“Well, I suppose that is quite a
compliment and I thank you for that.  I am afraid I am slightly older than
you and a date would be inappropriate.  My Dad would have a fit!”

“How old are you?”

“Add ten to what you thought.”

His eyes widened and he whistled, then
looked her up and down.  His smile was naughty.

“Well, I won’t tell anyone.  I
would still really like to take you on a date.”

“Sorry, but I am quite busy at this
point.  Tell you what … how about I give you a peck on the mouth … just in
the spirit of the bet.  Might get you an extra fifty or so.”

She chuckled at the expression on his
face.  She grabbed his shirt and pulled his face down and gave him a soft
peck on his lips and stepped back immediately.  He stood immobile with his
eyes closed for a long moment.

“Wow … are you sure you won’t
reconsider?”

“I really have to go and again, thanks
for the compliment.” 

Jenna smiled, turned away and started
walking to her rental car in the parking area and heard her name being shouted
excitedly.  She turned around and saw Megan McGill waving at her and she
smiled until her eyes got caught by the devil’s green ones.  He glared at
her, his jaw rigid and his body stiff.

Jenna could hardly walk away and dutifully
walked closer.

“Jenna, what a lovely surprise! 
You should have told Callum you wanted to come here.  You could have
joined us in the tour.  Have you finished already?”

“Yes, I just visited the wreck. It
really is quite amazing.”

“We are going to go for an early
dinner at a little restaurant a little way down the beach.  Why don’t you
join us?”

“I am sure Miss Burkes and her friend
over there has some other plans.”

Jenna cringed, realizing they must
have witnessed the kiss. His eyes willed hers to look at him and she glanced at
him. Now he had even more ammunition to slay her with.

“Mommy!  Daddy says we can go to
the zoo next week!  Uncle Call, are you gonna go with?”

Callum caught the little boy that
hurled him into his arms from a meter away and swung him in the air.  He
peeled with laughter.

“We’ll see, squirt.”

He put him down and the little boy
stared at Jenna.

“Who are you?”

“Connor don’t be rude!”

“But, Mommm!”

A blond giant with a little girl on
his arm the same age as the little boy, joined them.

“Are they twins?”

“Yes.  Five years old.  Hon,
this is Jenna Burkes I told you about.  Jenna, this is my husband, Liam
and these are Connor and Caitlin.”

Jenna shook Liam’s hand and then
Connor’s who held it out to her.  She smiled widely at him and he grinned
at her.

“You’re small for a big person.”

Jenna chuckled and Megan shook her
head.  Jenna was quite a bit shorter than any of them at five feet five.

“I guess I never ate all my vegetables
when I was little.”

“Really?  Mom, I think I better
eat all my veggies from now on.  I wanna be big like Uncle Call and Dad!”

Everyone laughed and Megan looked at
Jenna.

“I will be forever thankful to
you!  I can never get him to eat his veggies!”

Jenna smiled at the little girl who
stole a peek at her now and again from behind her Dad’s shoulder.  She
caught her eye and smiled at her again.  She smiled back shyly, but hid
behind her Dad again.

“She’s very reserved and does not make
friends easily.  We have tried everything, even therapy, without any
success. Even at the playgroup she keeps to herself.  She has only ever
opened up to Callum.”

“My Dad says I was the same.”

“You have to join us for dinner, Jenna
… unless you have other plans.”

“No, I don’t, but I have a few things
I still want to finish in the studio.”

“Nonsense.  It is Saturday night
and you are not going to slave away tonight.  Besides, we won’t be
late.  These two rascals needs to bath and be in bed by nine.  I
promised them we could stay over at the Castle tonight”

“Awh Mom!   We wanna play
with Uncle Call.”

“There will be more than enough time
to play before nine.”

“Yes, you don’t want to tire your old
uncle out.”  Jenna said tongue in cheek.

His eyes sharpened and said through
clenched lips.

“Those fingers are itching to burn, it
seems.  You better heed my warning, little painter girl.”

In
the end Jenna joined them for dinner. Little Connor was a real chatter box and
extremely inquisitive.  They were already back at the castle before six,
the twins bathed and everyone gathered on the porch for drinks.  Megan
again bullied Jenna into joining them.

Jenna sat sipping a glass of dry white
wine and sat smiling at the two grown men wrestling with the little boy on the
lawn.

“Are you a fairy?”

Jenna was startled by the soft voice
by her side.  She kept her eyes on the boys and leaned a little to the
side to whisper back.

“No, but I always wished I was.”

“I think you are.  You are little
and real pretty like a fairy.”

Jenna held her breath when she felt
Caitlin’s little hands lift her hair and let it fall through her fingers.

“You have fairy hair and fairy
eyes.   You tingle like a fairy when you laugh.”

Jenna could not keep a little laugh
back and damned if it didn’t sound like a tingle.  However that
sounded.  She turned sideways and leaned her cheek against
Caitlin’s. 

“You are such a sweet little girl.”

“May I sit on your lap?”

Jenna put the glass of wine on the
table and pushed the chair back a little.  Caitlin climbed on her lap and
sat playing with her hair.  Jenna stroked her long black hair in
return.  Her throat clogged up with emotion.  Her inner clock was
ticking and she wondered if she would ever meet someone who would want to have
children with her.  She leaned forward and kissed Caitlin’s hair. 
She wrapped her arms around her neck and hugged Jenna in return.

Megan’s gasp caught her attention.
 She just returned from the kitchen and could not believe her eyes.

“How … did you manage that, Jenna?”

“I am afraid it was not anything I
did.  She asked if she could sit on my lap.”

“Liam!  Look!”

They stopped wrestling and Liam rose
slowly when he noticed his little girl sitting on Jenna’s lap, playing with her
hair.  When she started talking to her, all of them gaped at her. 
She spoke very rarely when there were strangers and never to them
directly.  Megan’s hands covered her mouth and she had tears in her eyes.

“Do you sing, Jen?”

“A little, but I play the piano.”

“Really!  Me too!”

“Do you want to play something with
me?”

“Can I?  Really?”

“Yes of course.” 

She glanced around secretively and
whispered in her ear.

“Shall we tiptoe to the drawing room
and go and play something?”

Caitlin put her finger on her lips and
took Jenna’s hand and they tiptoed to the large door.  Once through it
Caitlin giggled when Jenna whispered.

“Now we run … run like fairies!”

Megan walked to the door and watched
them run, holding hands and giggling like naughty little girls, down the corridor. 
She looked up as Liam and Callum with Connor on his hip, joined her.  Liam
hugged her and her eyes shone.  They followed them down the passage. 
They heard the piano keys before they entered the room and Megan felt tears run
down her cheeks.

“It seems your little painter girl
managed to release our little Caitlin from her distrust in people.”

They sat down and watched Jenna and
Caitlin playing the piano.  Jenna showed her a few cords to play and then
she started playing a tune that blended with what Caitlin was playing. 
The little girl was over the moon and she giggled happily.  When they
finished everyone applauded and she turned in their direction. She jumped up
and stormed to her mother.

“Did you see, Mommy?  Did you
see?  I played a fairy song with Aunty Jen!”

“I saw, my darling and you played
beautifully!  I am so proud of you!”

She smiled and walked to Callum and
climbed on his lap, sitting on the opposite leg from Connor.  She leaned
forward and whispered loudly.

“Uncle Call … I think she is a
fairy!  What do you think?”

Callum looked at the sweet little girl
and his heart contracted.  How he would love to have his own.  He
smiled at her and glanced at Jenna that still sat at the piano, watching
Caitlin with a small smile.

“Why do you think so, Angel?”

“Look at her and see.  Her hair
shines like a fairy, her eyes sparkles like a fairy and she is little like a
fairy!”

“I guess then you are right, the
little painter girl is a little fairy.”

Jenna glared at him.  Trust him
to turn everything into his view of her!  She jumped up and smiled at
Megan.

“And on that note, I think it is time
for me to retire.  Thank you for and dinner and it was really a pleasure
to meet your family. Night, fairy child.”