Conversation With Jack & Diane

                            Coming Clean


	Jack pushed the old style metal cart down the wide, cool
aisle.  From speakers somewhere high above, Muzak showered a
soft soothing rendition of, Stranger’s In the Night, down upon the
vast supermarket floor.
	“Shooooobedooooobedoooo,” Jack sang softly, his
attentions fixed upon the myriad of rum choices all neatly
displayed before his wide-eyed gaze.
	As usual, after much contemplation, he hoisted a 750L
bottle of Hanna Bay Gold from the shelf and placed it gingerly,
deep within the clanking metal push cart.
	From up above, a new song began to play, You Were
Meant for Me, by Jewel.
	As his gaze rose he saw her. No, not Jewel, Diane. 
Resplendit in a pair of navy blue Jaz Remy slacks, royal blue Lee
Rahlston blouse, light blue HT Beverly pumps, and a string of
natural pearls which hung from her long graceful neck with
elegant ease.  The smile she wore rivalled the lustrious gems.
	“Good morning Jack,” she greeted.  “Their playing our
song...”  Her indigo eyes danced as her golden hair glowed about
her flawless face.
	“Indeed,” Jack smiled, his easy presence setting the mood
for a ‘friendly’ chat.  “You look lovely,” he offered gently.
	Diane bowed her head slightly, her smile and expression
thanking him without words.
	“As do you,” she echoed.
	“Well,” Jack chuckled.  “I wouldn’t exactly call myself
lovely, but thanks anyway.”
	“I meant handsome silly.”  She shook her head and pouted
playfully.  “Stop putting words in my mouth...” she winked.
	“It’s not words...” Jack tried.
	“Don’t you dare say it mister,” she pointed vigorously, her
blue eyes wide and bright with warning.
	Jack laughed heartily.  “Okay sweetheart,” he agreed.  “I’ll
not get provocative on you so early in the morning.”
	She smiled.  “I appreciate that love.”  She pushed her new
fangled plastic cart up next to Jack’s old beat-up metal job. 
“Come here often big boy?” she whispered, arching her brows
amorously, her lips stretching into a most appealing smile.
	“Only when I’m hungry,” Jack replied.  “And,” he queried. 
“Who’s being provacative now, huh?”  He smiled slowly, Diane
chuckled and apologized coyly.  Jack twisted open a small
container of bottled water and handed it to her.  “Have one,” he
offered.
	“Jack!” she whispered conspiratorially.  “You haven’t paid
for thet yet.”  Her gaze swept about the store as she searched for
the dreaded ‘storewalker’ person, who was surely going to swoop
down upon them for such a violation of supermarket ettiquette.
	“Relax,” Jack instructed.  “Geez Diane, you gotta learn to
be more calm.”
	Her gaze shifted back to Jack.  She eyed him for a moment. 
“Shut up,” she smiled, taking a sip of the fresh, sweet water.
	She sucked gently on the plastic bottle.  Jack admired the
symmetry of  dimples that cut sexily into her smooth cheeks.
	“Hey,” he posed without elaboration.
	“Yes Jack?” Diane pressed.
	“I’ve got a little problem brewing...” he announced.
	“Oh really,’ Diane grinned.  “How unusual,” she cooed
sarcastically.
	“You wanna hear or not,” he snapped, his mood swinging
toward the gloomy in half an instant.
	“Geez Jack,” Diane frowned.  “Relax...”
	He smiled slowly.   “Touche.”
	Diane returned the grin.  “Got those french lessons I see,”
she chuckled.
	“Yeah right,” Jack smiled weakly.
	“Tell me what’s wrong,” Diane probed.
	“It’s Lori,” he offered.
	“Your daughter?” Diane squinted.  “Wasn’t that her
name?”
	“Yes,” Jack nodded.  “Lori is my daughter.  And I’ve got a
bit of a snag in the offing.”
	“Such as?” Diane pressed.
	“She’s getting married,” he announced.
	“Really?” Diane gushed.  “That’s great!”
	“Not so great,” Jack shook his head.  “She wants to get
married here, in Hawaii.  And she wants me to give her away.”
	“Like I said,” Diane echoed.  “Great!”
	Jack locked his gaze on her’s and it took less then the blink
of an eye for Diane to catch his drift.
	“Oh my,” she murmurred.  “Jan...”
	“Indeed,” Jack groaned.
	“You see,” she nodded.  “I told you that you’d be making a
mistake in not telling her.  Now it’ll be even harder.  Not only will
you have to come clean, but you’ll have to invite her to the
wedding as well...” She sipped more water, her indigo eyes still
searching for the floor walker.
	“You really do enjoy rubbing salt in my wounds, don’t
you?”  He shook his head heavily.
	“Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and start thinking of a way
to tell Jan what you now have to tell her.”  She kept her gaze on
his sad face.
	Jack took a deep breath.  “She’s gonna kill me,” he
murmurred.
	“I don’t think so,” Diane frowned.  “She’s a woman.  She’ll
understand.”
	“And what is that suppose to mean?” Jack snapped,
instantly sorry for the outburst.  “I’m sorry,” he offered.  “I’m just
a little on-edge this morning.”
	Diane offered a sympathetic smile.  “What I meat by that
Jack.  Is that women have a deeper sense of understanding about
certain things.”  She thought for a moment.  “Well actually,” she
added.  “Women have a deeper sense of understanding about
everything.’  She smiled, winking playfully.
	Jack chuckled without much feeling.  “I don’t know what
I’m gonna do Di.  I don’t want to hurt Jan.”  He shook his head. 
“And this is gonna hurt her real bad.”
	Diane nodded slowly.  “Yes it is Jack.  But you can’t keep
it from her any longer.  Besides,” she offered emphatically.  “She
has a right to know...”
	“Yeah, I know she does,” he grudgingly agreed.  “But how
do I tell her?”
	“Do you want to practice on me?” Diane asked, her face
washed with sincerity.
	Jack looked around.  “Here?” he frowned.
	“Why not,” Diane smiled.  “It’s as good a place as any.” 
The fingers of her left hand gently brushed the string of pearls
around her silky neck, enjoying their cool smoothness.  “Go
ahead,” she urged.  “Just be yourself Jack.  Just tell her/me what
you feel.”  She smiled warmly, nodding her head with slow
encouragement.
	Jack swallowed hard, the knot in his stomach gnawing at
his thoughts.  “Ok,” he finally whispered, his pained expression
slowly softening as he searched for the right words.
	“Jan...” he began, his voice soft and caring.  “I, I need to
explain about something to you.”
	“Yes Jack, what is it?” asked Jan/Diane.
	“Well,” he whispered.
	“Speak up Jack,”  Di/Jan ordered.
	“Yes dear,” Jack replied, obviously uncomfortable with the
process.  “I need to explain something to you.”
	“You’re repeating yourself Jack.  Just tell me what’s on
your mind.  I need to get dressed for a ladies auxillary meeting
tonight, and don’t have much time to give you.”  She smiled.  “The
community just can’t do without my help.”
	“Right,” Jack chuckled softly.  “We wouldn’t want to
disappoint the community, now would we.”
	“I detect a touch of resentment in your tone,” she scowled. 
“I’ve told you time and time again how important my service to
the community is Jack.  Please don’t start on me again.”
	“I wasn’t going to start on you dear.  I just feel like I need
your complete and full attention for what I’m about to tell you.”
	“So tell me already,” Diane/Jan persisted.  “Just tell me
Jack.”
	“I love you Jan,” he whispered.
	“Is that it?” she squinted.
	“No...” Jack offered.  “I just want you to know I love you.”
	“You know that I know that Jack.  But it is nice to hear you
say it.”  She smiled, and Jack was lost in the lure of divulgence. 
Diane had become Jan, and he gave himself to the admission
completely, the cool supermarket fading into the grasp of his own
familiar bedroom.
	“I, ahhh...” he struggled.  “I made a mistake when I was
young.”  He frowned again.  “No...” he corrected.  “It wasn’t a
mistake.  It was just not the right time is all.  But it happened
anyway.  And what came of it is a sweetness that I love very
much.”
	“What are you talking about?” D/J inquired.  “I don’t
understand Jack.  What is this sweetness you speak of?”
	“Her name is Lori...” Jack offered cautiously.
	D/J stood silent for a moment, her eyes glaring at Jack. 
“You bastard!,” she spat.  “You’ve gone and taken a mistress,
haven’t you?”
	“Don’t be silly Jan,” he shook his head.
	“Don’t lie to me,” D/J flared.  “Isn’t Diane enough for you. 
You already spend so much time with her that sometimes I think
that perhaps you love her more than you love me.”
	“Diane is not the issue,” Jack announced.  “I’m trying to
tell you about Lori.”
	“Then tell me about her Jack!  Tell me about your newest
tramp!”
	“She’s my daughter,” he offered plainly, keeping her gaze.
	“W...What,” D/J murmurred, the voice catching in her
heaving chest.
	“Lori is my daughter,” he repeated.  “She’s twenty-two
years old.  And she’s getting married,” he explained, wanting to
lay it all out at once.  “And she wants me to give her away.”  He
fell silent as he watched D/J absorb all his words.
	“You have a daughter Jack?” D/J glared, her expression
visiably tightening.  “How long have you known?” she asked, her
face fired red with emotion.
	“Since the very start,” Jack admitted.  “She was already ten
years old when I met you.”
	“Oh god Jack.  Why didn’t you tell me?  How could you
deceive me like this?”
	“I didn’t want to hurt you Jan.  I loved you so much I
couldn’t stand the thought of hurting you.”
	“Bullshit!” she snapped.  “You didn’t tell me because
you’re a fucking coward!”  Her eyes flared with anger and hurt. 
“And now you saunter in here and try to sound as if you’re doing
me such a big favor by telling me.”
	“So you’d rather not know?” he asked with some
confusion.
	“I’d rather you tell me you are a lousy, stinking, lying
bastard,” she snapped.  “That’s what I’d rather you told me.”  Her
expression slowly levelled off as she tried her best to be Jan for
Jack,  suddenly realizing that Jack was right to be nervous about
telling Jan.  It wasn’t going to be easy.  Her own response so far
was testament to that.  Jack was still into the roll playing.
	“So what does that all mean?” he probed.  “Talk to me Jan. 
I need to know how you feel about all of this.”
	“I feel like you’ve cheated on me Jack,” Diane continued,
falling into the Jan persona again.  “I know it happened before you
ever met me.  But something like this you just don’t keep from the
woman you profess to love.”  She held his gaze, her words were
true to her own heart now.  What Jack did had been wrong.  And
any woman, so deceived, would feel the same way.
	“I, I...” Jack struggled, the words failing him, his face
wrinkled by guilt.  “What can I do to fix it?” he asked, aware of the
inadequacy of his response, but unable to find any other words.
	“Something like this cannot be fixed Jack.  It has to be
accepted and lived with...”
	“Does that mean that you’ll never be able to forgive me?”
he probed.
	“I don’t know Jack,” D/J replied.  “I just know that I love
you.  And what you’ve told me today doesn’t diminish that love. 
But it does diminish the trust that I held for you.”
	Jack turned away from Diane.  “That’s exactly what I was
most afraid of,” he whispered.  “To lose her trust would mean
losing her love.  Because without trust love cannot survive.”
	Jack,” Diane whispered, demanding his eyes.  He turned
back toward her.  “You’ll have to tell her Jack.  No matter the
consequences.”  She moved up next to him, casting her arm around
his waist.  “You’ll have to be the keeper of the trust Jack.  You’ll
have to hold the love you have for Jan deep within that silken trust
that you have for her.  Keep it warm.  Keep it faithful.  Take the
trust that she sets adrift and hold it within yourself as well.  And in
time she will take it back and make it hers again.”  She turned his
face to hers.  “You’ll have to trust her Jack.  Trust the love that
you know she has for you.”
	“I know,” he finally relented, rubbing his open palm down
the length of his heavy face.  “But what if she doesn’t ever want it
back again?”
	“She will,” Diane assured him.  “Trust me...” she
whispered, her voice echoing down the wide, cool aisle.


                         The End

	

Unpublished Works © 1997 GJB














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