"Never Say Die" Ginger had expected Jeff to start ranting and raving the minute they were away from the snickers of his amused teammates. At the Roadhouse he had been downright livid--one of the rare occasions she had seen him so upset--and it seemed even wiseguy Jay was surprised that Jeff hadn't blown up at him right then and there for being the bearer of what turned out to be bad news. But it had been a good twenty minutes since they left Coach's party, and he had not said a word in all that time. She glanced over at him--he didn't look mad anymore, which surprised her, though she knew he must have been seething inside. How could he not be, when she herself felt as if her head might well burst any minute now from the onslaught of blood that throbbed relentlessly in her skull. The wave of nausea that washed over her just now certainly wasn't helping any, either. She took a deep breath and groaned involuntarily. Jeff looked at her with concern when she did, and she met his gaze for a second before she briefly turned away. She didn't particularly want to make eye contact with him right now; she was far too guilty and humiliated at the moment. She had always prided herself on being a sharp judge of character--wasn't she the first one to see through Caroline's act, when everyone had dismissed her oh-so-keen observations as nothing but the ramblings of a jilted ex-fiancee? But to be so off the mark with Arthur... she could just kick herself! If she weren't so hopping mad right now, she would probably curl up into a ball and die right on the spot from being so mortified. "What's wrong, honey?" Jeff asked, trying to keep his eye on the road but checking on her periodically between glances ahead. "Are you feeling all right? Do you need me to pull over?" "No, I'm... I'm fine..." "You sure?" Her husband was so thoughtful--it made her feel all the more guilty. "I'm sure, Jeff, I just... I just need a little air, that's all. I'll open a window." He looked at her as if wanting to make sure she wouldn't change her mind. "I'm fine now, see?" she said, forcing a smile to reassure him. She was sure he wasn't fooled, but he said nothing anyway, perhaps not wanting to pry until she was ready to talk to him. She turned away from him, resting her chin on her hand and staring outside at the cars passing by. She could still feel his eyes on her, though. He must have been dying to say something but was holding back for her sake. Finally, without looking at him, she said softly, "I'm sorry, Jeff..." "Sorry?" he said, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. "What in the world is there to be sorry for?" She shrugged and looked at him with down turned eyes. "I'm sorry for... for ever trusting him-" "Ginger, don't you apologize for that! It's not your fault for not knowing he was a louse!" He reached over to take her hand, and for a moment, she felt a little better. "Jeff?" "Yeah?" "Do you really think... I mean, this can't be just a coincidence, can it? Would he really do something so awful?" She saw him bite his lip--he was hesitating in answering her. Deep down, she knew why. He had probably known for a long time what Arthur's true colors were, but spared her so she wouldn't be hurt. "Well, I..." He glanced over at her, his heavy-lidded eyes almost apologetic. "Ginger, I have to admit, I thought this whole thing was fishy from the beginning." "Me too," she muttered, fingering her hat in her lap. A tide of anger overtook her again, and she raised her voice. "I should have known it right away! I mean why would they all of the sudden change their minds about me after over a year and a half on the air?" "Sales have been through the roof from the beginning-" "And the fan letters--Jeff, I get letters and cards all the time! I mean, people were sending us wedding gifts after I got back from our honeymoon! It just didn't make sense that they would decide after all this time that I wasn't right for the show!" She heard Jeff say something under his breath. She couldn't quite make it out, but she could have sworn it wasn't exactly something he'd say in front of his mother or Father Dreher. Whatever it was, right at the moment, she felt like saying it herself. "I tell you this much, Ginger," he said. "You can bet I won't let that slimeball get away with doing this to you!" "Jeff, tell me you won't-" He looked at her innocently, a look so phoney she couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You're not going to do anything impulsive, are you?" "Now when have I ever done anything impulsive, honey?" His mischievous grin made her melt, and she had to admit, the thought of Jeff giving Arthur hell for what he had done made her feel better already. She looked at her husband and smiled. You don't know what you're in for, Arthur... |Previous |Next| Home| Kyle| Tammy| History| Transcripts| Quotes| Milestones| Episodes| Pictures| Fanfic| Links| Email List