Continuing story: Part 4 Jeff felt his stomach twist in knots as he put the telephone receiver down. He stared at it intently for a while--waiting for it to ring, maybe? After a few more seconds of tense silence, he picked it up again and began to talk into the mouthpiece. "Hello, operator-" "Are you still on the phone, Buckeye?" Jeff rolled his eyes. "Uh, excuse me one moment, operator..." He turned to his roommate, who seemed to be enamored of himself as he stared into the mirror while combing his hair. "Do you mind? I'm trying to make a phone call here--a private one." Jay seemed to now be checking out his side profile, and Jeff had to stifle a laugh when he saw him suck in his slightly protruding belly. "You've been trying to make the same phone call for fifteen minutes there," he said, as he checked himself out from different angles. "Why don't you come out with me and the guys and have a drink? I guarantee you'll feel better." "I'll feel better when I talk to my wife," Jeff said. "I've called our house five times and no one is answering. Where would she be at this hour?" "Buckeye, what time did you say again that you're supposed to check in with the warden--I mean, the little lady?" Jeff glared at him. "Eight o'clock." Jay took the wind-up alarm clock from Jeff's nightstand and held it up in front of him. "And what time does it say?" "Seven forty-five... But-" "So why are you so worked up over her not being home?" Jeff grabbed the clock from Jay's hand in disgust. "Because," he said through gritted teeth, wondering why he was even wasting his time explaining this to someone who couldn't possibly understand, when he should be trying to call Ginger again, "she wouldn't be going out at this time of night--especially when it's almost time for our daily phone call." Jeff caught Jay rolling his eyes. "You don't think there's even the slightest chance that she could be out at the drugstore, or at a friend's house, or maybe outside hanging up the laundry?" "No. Not when she knows it's almost time for me to call. God, what if something happened to her? What if it's the baby, what if-" "Well if you're so worried, Slugger, why don't you call someone she knows and ask if they know where she is?" Jeff squeezed the telephone receiver with his hand. "I already did," he said. "I called her parents, but no one was there either. I called my mother's, but it's been busy." "Well I guess she must be stepping out on ya then," Jay said with a chuckle, clearly amused with himself. "Why don't you get out of here before I scramble you?" "Touchy, aren't we?" Jeff considered throwing the clock at him, but Jay had already shut the door behind him before he had the chance to. He picked up the phone again. "Operator? Yeah, I'd like to make another long distance call. River Run, Ohio, please. Blackburn 917... Still busy? Who could be on the phone..." "... It's still busy, I can't believe it!" Ginger put down the receiver and poked her head over the staircase where Linda was busy typing an article for the next day's deadline. "Still busy, huh? Hmm, must be some woman my brother's making time with." "Not funny," Ginger shot back. "It's his roommate, I'm telling you. That Jay could talk the ears off a traveling salesman..." She caught Linda looking at her with a wicked smirk. "What?" "Nothing," muttered her best friend, who went back to her typing with what Ginger distinctly recognized as a grin. "I'm going to try again... Jay's got to run out of air at some point, and then maybe Jeff can finally have a turn at the phone!" She placed her hand on the receiver and was about to pick it up when the phone suddenly rang, startling her. Gathering her wits about her, she breathed out and answered the phone. "Metcalf-Kahn residence." "Ginger?!" "Jeff?!" "Honey, I'm so glad to hear your voice-" They laughed as they both said the same exact words at the same time. "I've been trying to call you for the last twenty minutes, but your phone has been busy," Ginger told him. "Would you please tell Jay that he is not the only person in the world who needs to use the phone once in a while?" She heard Jeff chuckle on the other end of the line. "I've been trying to call you--that's why the phone's been busy. You weren't answering at home, I've been worried sick! What are you doing there?" "Jeff, I've practically lived at this house since I was nine years old, and you're surprised that I'm here?" "I mean what are you doing there right now. Eight o'clock, remember? I'm supposed to call you, and you're supposed to be home?" "That's why I was calling you, honey... I wanted to let you know I'd be here-" "Oh-" "-for a few weeks-" "A few weeks? Ginger, what's wrong? Is it that baby? Oh God, I knew something was wrong-" "Heavens to Betsy, relax! I'm fine, Jeff, and so is the baby..." "Oh. Well then why-" "Your mother knew how lonely I had been since you left for Spring Training and she thought it might be a good idea for me to stay with your family while you were gone." She heard static on the phone from his sigh of relief. "Well in that case, I'm glad. Say, Linda's not giving you a hard time, is she?" Ginger grinned and looked over at her sister-in-law. "No, Linda hasn't been giving me any more grief than usual..." Linda glared at her from the typewriter. "... Actually, Jeff, I'm really happy to be here. I'm so glad your mother suggested it. Of course... that's not to say there weren't any hitches..." "Why, what's wrong?" "Oh... it's just that... my mother-" "Gin, say no more. I can already see what you're getting at." "And what is that supposed to mean?" "I just mean that-" "Is that a snide remark against my mother?" "Hey, why are you sore at me? I'm on your side here!" Ginger sighed. "I'm sorry, honey... I guess I'm just a little touchy right now-" "I'll say-" "Don't push it, buster!" "Sorry..." "Oh Jeff, I think I really hurt her feelings..." "You're mother's always upset--I-I mean, she's always been sensitive..." "I know, you're right, but... Well, I don't know how to make this up to her." "Aww honey, I'm sure you'll think of something. Listen, I better go or we'll be cut off soon... I love you." "I lo-" "I'm sorry, your three minutes are up..." "-ve you too.." The dial tone buzzed in her ear and she reluctantly replaced the receiver on the phone. She saw Linda walk over to the staircase and rest her chin on the banister. "You want to talk about it?" Ginger swallowed hard to keep a handle on her hormone-charged emotions. "Seven and a half more weeks, Linda," she said. "Do you have any advice on how to get through the weeks that are left?" Linda shook her head and gave her friend a sympathetic smile. "I didn't think so," Ginger sighed. |Previous| Next Home| Kyle| Tammy| History| Transcripts| Quotes| Milestones| Episodes| Pictures| Fanfic| Links| Email List