Speechless

Con is taken completely off guard as Jamie spins him back around, and his eyes widen as she draws him close. Forced to lean down as she puts her lips to his again, his hand automatically goes to the side of her face, unable to help but kiss her back, his eyes closing for just a moment.

As Jamie lets him go, all he can do is stare at her, utterly speechless. Watching her leave, he blinks, his world feeling as though it's totally flipped on its axis. Hardly able to think straight, he turns around to dumbly head to the phone, though it takes him several moments just to get enough sense back to look up the number he needs and dial.

Finishing up, he aims for the door, but finds himself taking his time. He can see through the window that Jamie is waiting for him, and he has no idea what he could even possibly say to her. He can feel Mable's eyes on him as he leaves, but for once, he can't turn around and smile, knowing the redness in his face remains.

The bell on the door rings as he opens it, and his stomach gives a little unfamiliar lurch, the palms of his hands going sweaty. He can't get his mind to stop replaying the feeling of Jamie in his arms...the warmth...the unexpected adrenaline rush...

He takes a deep breath to sidestep these strange emotions. Ever since Jamie had come to TJY, he'd just been friends with her. He knew she'd had a rough past, and he'd always just seen her as a little sister, out to protect her and be a buddy. ...And not ten minutes ago, he'd still felt that way. But now... the feeling that had entered his veins in a single instant was rapidly spreading, and he had no idea what to do with it.

Finally mustering up enough courage, he steps out into the evening air, and glances down to the side to see Jamie. He swallows hard, barely able to crack a smile as the shock lingers. "Um...the tow truck is gonna meet me at my car, so, um, I can either walk, or....I guess if...if you don't mind, you could, um, swing me back out there and...and drop me off."

Feeling like a total idiot who can't talk, he turns his back to Jamie, setting a hand on his hip, and taking the other to rub his forehead, wincing at his own retarded actions.


Jason sets the picture down, smiling. “I figured it was Kyle ‘cause he was the one working on the band’s promo stuff, and he’s got an eye for art.”

He lets a pause into the conversation before straightening to flop back down on the bed, his feet still on the floor as he stares up at the ceiling. “I don’t know what to do, Katie…I want to join that band so bad… But I don’t know how it’s even possible. First thing Reese is gonna ask is if the guys can be trusted because I can’t play with them without explaining about where I work.” Jason shakes his head. “Though I got that one taken care of - Susann's run a background check on them, and I know it's clean. But then Reese is not going to want me to take much time off for the band... and on top of that, he’s still leery about me being out in public, even though it looks like whoever tried to kill me has backed off. And then, even if he says yes, which I doubt, I have to tell the band about all of this. Not only will they have to decide if it’s worth it if sometimes I have to bail on them for a case, but they’ll have to decide if it’s worth putting themselves at risk, because if anyone is after me, the whole band could be in danger.”

He groans and sits up again, looking at Katie. “When I played with them at that park, I had more fun than I had in years…and people actually liked me. But how…? How can I do this? How can I knowingly put these guys in danger? I feel like I'm chasing a foolish dream.”