Chapter Twenty-Two

TK narration

I came home from work early. We had arranged the Powers of Attorney earlier that week. I went through my daily routine, including listening to the voicemail.

There was a voice I didn’t recognise, a very warm voice. “Hi there, Bette! This is Jessie, Jessie Cane. I don’t know if you remember me? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t, it’s been a long time. Anyway, I just thought we should meet up, since I’m in L.A. I heard you live there too, you know, if you search enough it’s not that hard to find you. Really great that you have made such a career, by the way! I’m rambling too much again, sorry. Just call me back, okay? You can reach me at 213 236-0802. Bye!”

Jessie Cane… that name rang a bell. I just couldn’t tell. I went through with the things I did getting home, thinking about it all the time.

By the time Bette got home – which was actually rather late – I still didn’t know. I couldn’t let it go, either. I had to know who it was.

“Evening babe,” she smiled. God, I loved her smile. She could make me do anything using just that.

“Evening yourself. Hungry?”

“Starving.”

“What do you want to eat?”

“What do you want to make?”

“Whatever you wanna eat.”

“I wanna eat whatever you wanna make.”

“Vicious circle, Porter. Just name it.”

“Yes, indeed, Kennard. What about… chicken?”

“Sounds perfect.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why does chicken sound perfect? Would it sound as perfect if Alice suggested it or would you say you didn’t feel like it?”

“I don’t know.” I turned to her, fixing her with a piercing look. “What is wrong with you? Have you been on drugs?”

“No, but I tried. That was a long time ago, tough. Why?”

“You’re acting weird. You’re questioning everything I say.”

“Oh, is that so? You think I’m acting weird? Wait until you find me really acting strange. You might think I am quite nuts.”

“I’m thinking it already.”

“Oh, and why? Just because I want to ask you something about my preference for food? You know, T, I’m not weird. You are weird, and that makes me weird, because I’m with you. And that makes this house weird, because we live here. And the world is weird because we live in it.” She sang the last line and she was really scaring the hell out of me.