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Why Do Fools
Fall in Love? Part Two
In part one, we learned that Trixie and Honey have their
agency and just finished a big case. Jim’s school will be opening soon, and the Wheelers are having a formal affair in their
ballroom to celebrate. Jim and Trixie are being fools in love, hence the
title, and Jim is currently dating a gorgeous socialite, Amanda Woodward. So
now, let’s see what happens at the party… “I can’t
breathe,” Trixie whispered as she and Honey entered the Wheelers’ ballroom.
“This dress is cutting off my circulation.” “You don’t need
to breathe; just smile.” Trixie attempted
her brightest smile and tried to forget that the silvery gown was, in her
opinion, a size too small. She feared if she exhaled deeply, the seams
holding in her ample bosom, quite possibly, might burst. “Try and look
natural,” Honey hissed. “You look like you’re in pain.” “I am
in pain! These shoes are killing me.” Trixie glanced down at the silver
stiletto heels with their impossibly pointed toes. “These things were surely
invented by a man. No woman in her right mind would inflict such torture on
herself.” “They look
great.” Honey faced her friend and squeezed her shoulders. “You
look great. You’re going to knock him dead!” Trixie
self-consciously patted her hair. Roberto had piled her shoulder-length sandy
curls on top of her head, making her look elegant, yet sexy. “I’m never going
to get all this crap out of my hair. As I left the salon, I think a bug flew
in my curls and has met its demise in my upsweep.” “Quit
complaining,” Honey ordered with a giggle. “You look good, and you know it.”
She watched in exasperation as her best friend walked stiffly across the
floor. “Loosen up!” Honey whispered. “You look like you have a stick up your
butt.” Trixie winced
miserably. “I feel like I have a stick up my butt. I’m afraid my dress is
going to split any minute. I’m just sooo
uncomfortable.” “Fashion has
its price. Now, chin up. Shoulders back. Add a slight sway to your hips. Not
too much, though. That’s it. Work it. Own it. Be the shoes.” Trixie stuck
her tongue out at her honey-haired friend. “This comes easy for you. You’ve
been around this stuff since you were in designer diapers.” “Be at one with
the shoes, grasshopper,” Honey whispered in her best Oriental voice. Trixie nervously
giggled. “When do I get to ‘wax on, wax off?’” However, Honey’s teasing commands soon
eased her nerves. Although she had attended several similar functions with
the Wheelers, she had never felt comfortable at them. At these formal
affairs, she secretly felt like a child playing dress up in her mother’s
clothes. “Much better,”
Honey replied softly. “You look elegant.” Trixie smiled
to herself, wondering if her best friend was psychic. Honey always seemed to
know when she needed encouraging. Trixie admitted (only to herself, of
course) that she had been pleasantly surprised when she looked in the mirror
earlier. She never would have chosen the daring gown if left on her own, but
Honey had insisted that it looked perfectly perfect. It was long and
form-fitting, with a high slit enabling Trixie to walk easily while showing
off her shapely legs to boot. The gown
had faux-diamond encrusted spaghetti straps, and the bodice had several of
these rhinestones on it as well. Trixie spotted
Jim across the room. He was standing with Matthew Wheeler and several of the
board members from his school. She unconsciously sighed at the sight of her
redheaded friend. Her hands suddenly felt clammy, her throat went dry, and
her stomach began reeling. “Let’s go over
and say hello,” Honey suggested, pulling Trixie in that direction. Trixie took as
deep a breath as her tight dress would allow, and planted a brilliant smile
on her face. This is only Jim, she
nervously thought to herself. I’ve
known him for ages. Why am I so nervous? Belden, you’re being silly.
However, she could not relieve herself of the feeling of desperation that
welled up inside her. Her intuition told her that tonight would change the
rest of her life. Jim looked up
and saw Trixie and Honey approaching. After a nod to Honey, he focused on
Trixie. A stunned expression covered his handsome face. He flashed his
lopsided grin in her direction, totally unaware of the fluttering that grin
created in her heart. Matthew Wheeler
saw the approach of the two ladies, winked at them, and pulled the board
members away. Relieved from having to make small talk, Jim made his way to
his sister and her best friend. “Glad to see
you, Sis,” he said, giving Honey a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. “You
look lovely, as usual. I’ll have to keep an eye on you and Brian, when he
gets here.” After pulling
away from Honey, Jim faced Trixie. “Wow, Trix,” he murmured, hugging her, as
well. “You look fantastic.” “Clean up
pretty good, don’t I, Frayne?” Trixie whispered in his ear. Jim pulled away,
startled by the sensation of having her breath tickle his ear. “Thanks for
coming tonight,” he said, his voice slightly squeaky. “I’m so glad all the
Bob-Whites could be here.” “We wouldn’t
miss it,” Honey told him, beaming with pride. “Now, where’s everybody else?” “Brian, as you
know, is on his way from the hospital in Trixie and
Honey looked “there” and saw Dan chatting with his uncle. A willowy blonde
stood by Dan’s side, looking very glamorous in her emerald and black evening
gown. “I assume the
gorgeous blonde is Dan’s date for the evening,” Trixie grinned. “Well, of
course,” Jim laughed. “I must say, he has good taste.” The slender blonde
certainly looked lovely. Trixie bit
her lip, Jim’s comment once again making her feel insecure. For the millionth
time, she wished she was a few inches taller, several pounds thinner, and had
silky tresses instead of her curls. “Where are Mart
and Di?” Trixie asked, scanning the room for any sight of her almost-twin or
his wife. “Where do you
think Mart is?” Jim teased. “The buffet line.” Sure enough,
Trixie spotted her middle brother, piling prime rib and all the trimmings on
his already overflowing plate. “I should’ve known,” she said with a laugh. “Oh, there’s
Brian now!” Honey squealed in delight, spying her boyfriend. “I’ll be right
back!” She daintily hurried to Brian’s side and was rewarded by a huge hug
and kiss from the handsome resident. “So, how’re
you, Trix?” Jim questioned after Honey had left. “Fine. And
you?” Jim nodded.
“I’m good. Are you here alone?” “Yeah. Thought
I’d fly solo tonight.” “I thought
there would be hordes of men battling for the honor of escorting you this
evening,” Jim teased, tugging “his curl” which hung in the middle of Trixie’s
forehead. “Well, you
know, I did have to beat a few of
the more persistent ones off with a stick,” Trixie remarked, her voice
dripping with sarcasm. “But I managed to use my car-chase driving skills and
escaped them on the way here.” “I’m sure you
didn’t do any escaping on foot,” Jim commented, glancing down at Trixie’s
footwear. “Those heels would make running awfully difficult.” Trixie snorted.
“You have no idea. These stupid shoes make even walking difficult.” “And I suppose
running in that dress is totally out of the question,” he said with a
chuckle. Trixie missed the admiration in his eyes as he looked at her. “So, I
suggest you leave chasing criminals to Dan tonight.” Trixie shrugged
her shoulders. “I’ll have to. My pistol wouldn’t fit in my purse.” Jim once again
laughed. It never failed to amaze him how comfortable
Trixie made him feel. After spending so much of his time with suits, it was
enjoyable to be with a person who could be genuine. He looked at the sandy
blonde, her curls rebelling against the hair spray, still managing to look
tousled. He had always thought Trixie was beautiful, both inside and out, but
tonight, she took his breath away. He nervously swallowed. “Trix, do you want
to...” “Oh, there you
are, Jim,” a cultured, perfectly modulated voice chimed. Jim looked up to see
his girlfriend, Amanda, standing there. “I’ve been looking for you for quite
some time. Your mother said you were with Matthew and some of the board
members from the school.” “I was just
saying hello to Honey and Trixie,” Jim replied, chastely kissing her cheek.
Trixie rolled her eyes and prayed silently that Amanda would be beamed up to
Scotty. And there would be a transporter malfunction. And then, they would
lose her bio-pattern when the redundant circuits in the pattern buffer
shorted out due to a surge in the matter/anti-matter reactor… “Well hello,
Trixie,” gushed Amanda, interrupting Trixie’s lovely
fantasy. “I didn’t see you there. Don’t you look cute tonight!”
She plastered a practiced smile on her perfect face. Trixie gritted
her teeth and unconsciously clenched her fists. She automatically jutted her
cheek out, waiting for the ridiculous air kisses for which Amanda was famous.
And she wasn’t disappointed. “Thanks, Amanda. And you look lovely, as usual.”
Amanda most certainly did look lovely. Her long blonde
hair was twisted in an elegant chignon, accenting her long neck. She was
wearing a black dress that Trixie had seen in the latest edition of Vogue at
the salon. That dress could only be worn by someone tall and with a perfect
figure. Unfortunately, it looked as if it had been made for Amanda. “Are you still
busy at the agency?” Amanda asked. “I know that takes up so much of your
time.” Trixie nodded.
“Yes, but things are slowing down now that Honey and I wrapped up a big case.
We were working with a detective from “Sounds very
frightening,” Amanda replied with an exaggerated shiver. “I couldn’t imagine
chasing all those criminals. Private investigating is such a dangerous
profession. It must be difficult to maintain a relationship in that line of
work.” Trixie smiled,
catching the subtle cattiness. “Not really,” she answered carefully. “Honey
and Brian seem to manage it all right. How’s your interior design company
doing?” “Oh, it’s so
busy! I just got a big contract to decorate a senator’s mansion. He’s a close
personal friend of Daddy’s. It’s important to have the right connections. The
senator mentioned giving Jimmy a big, fat check for his school. Isn’t that
wonderful?” She hooked her hand around “Jimmy’s” arm and squeezed it.
“There’s nothing more important to me than Jimmy’s school.” Trixie resisted
the urge to puke at the adoring look Amanda gave Jim. She secretly wondered
how Amanda could bat her eyelashes so quickly; especially with all the
mascara she had globbed on them. “Yes, Jim’s been
dreaming about that school for a long time,” she replied sweetly. “That dream
never would’ve come true, if it hadn’t been for you, Trix,” Jim told her. “If
you hadn’t---” “Enough with
all this serious talk!” Amanda laughed. Trixie closed
her eyes and grimaced. If Amanda Woodward had one fatal flaw, it was her
laugh. It reminded Trixie of a wounded swan on steroids. She would much
rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard than Amanda’s laugh. She wondered how
Jim could endure it. “You promised
you’d dance with me, Jimmy,” Amanda continued, ever-so gently tugging him
toward the dance floor. “I’ll talk to
you later, Trix,” Jim called as he was led across the room. Trixie sighed
and made her way to Dan and his date. Regan was off to the side, talking to a
short, curvaceous beauty with reddish-gold hair. The lady had on a royal blue
strapless gown, which she filled out marvelously. Trixie decided to leave
Regan alone to work his magic on the lovely woman and chose to bug Dan
instead. “Hey, Trix!”
Dan merrily greeted when she approached. He gave her a huge hug. “Having
fun?” “Oh, loads,”
Trixie answered with a roll of her eyes. Dan smiled
knowingly. For years, he had known about the feelings Trixie and Jim had for
each other. He was confused as to why they hadn’t gotten over their childish
issues and become a couple, but he figured it wasn’t his business to intrude.
Both Trixie and Jim were incredibly stubborn, neither of them willing to
budge, even if it meant being apart. Instead of interfering and incurring Jim or Trixie’s
wrath, Dan watched Jim’s endless parade of Miss Of course, Trixie had her own string of “one-hit
wonders”, as Mart had christened them. And, as if Trixie didn’t have enough
protective males already, Dan made sure each date she had met his
approval. He used the interrogation skills he learned as a Dan had a plan prepared on the off chance that one of
Trixie’s dates would get a little too friendly. Dan’s best informant, a hit
guy by the name of Big Louie, was always willing to confidentially handle
matters. Dan figured the frisky date would be safer in the hands of a hit man
than he would be if Brian or Mart got a hold of him. And, woe to the man if
Jim Frayne got his turn! Now, Dan smiled
sympathetically at the girl who was the sister he’d never had but always
wanted. “I’d like to introduce you to my date, Trix,” h said, trying to take
Trixie’s mind off of Amanda. He had his arm around the gorgeous blonde and a
dashing smile on his handsome face. “This is Kaye. Kaye, this is my friend,
Trixie Belden.” Kaye smiled
charmingly and held out her hand in a greeting. “Nice to meet you, Trixie.” “Nice to meet
you, as well,” Trixie replied, shaking hands. “Where are you from?” “ Trixie raised
her sandy eyebrows. “Was that the lecture you were forced to attend against
your will by the higher-ups on the police force, Mangan?” Dan grinned
sheepishly. “Yep. That’s the one.” “Trust Danny to
pick up a date while attending a work-related function.” Trixie laughed
ruefully. “Dan mentioned
that you attended the Criminal Justice department of NU,” Kaye replied. Trixie nodded.
“Yeah, my best friend and I got our degrees from there.” “NU has a great
Criminal Justice program. What do you do now?” Kaye asked. “We have our
own detective agency,” Trixie explained.
“We’re just getting started, but we’re hoping to get some more
interesting cases soon.” “I heard about
the big case you just finished,” Dan mentioned. “I also heard that some fancy-schmancy PI
from Trixie rolled
her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Mangan. If I traipsed off to sunny “I’m not the
one always getting into trouble, Belden,” Dan commented, smiling innocently. Kaye chuckled. “I think now is the perfect time for me
to go to the ladies’ room. Congratulations on that case, Trixie. It was nice
meeting you.” “Nice meeting
you too, Kaye.” Trixie watched in amusement as Dan’s eyes followed his date.
“Has Daniel Mangan finally met his match?” she teased. “Kaye’s great,”
he enthusiastically agreed. “Do you like her, Trix?” Trixie nodded.
“Yeah. She’s very pretty and seems genuinely nice. A definite keeper.” Dan sighed and
shook his head sadly. “Now, if only I can remove her from the clutches of
that politician who’s interested in her. I’m afraid I’ve got some heavy
competition on my hands.” “Serves you
right, Mangan,” Trixie said with a giggle. “I told you that someday you’d
have your heart broken.” “A broken heart
isn’t much fun, is it, Trix?” Dan inquired, his
voice suddenly sympathetic. Trixie sniffed
indignantly. “I don’t know what you mean. My heart has never been
broken.” Dan smiled and
kissed Trixie gently on the forehead. “And if anyone does break your heart, I’ll break his legs.” “I can see the
New York Post headline now. Decorated Police Officer Arrested on Charges of
Brutality.” As they were
laughing, Regan joined them, accompanied by the
lovely lady he had been charming earlier. “Hello,
Trixie,” Regan greeted with a smile. “I was wondering when you’d get here.” “Now, Regan,
don’t fib. I can see where your
mind was,” Trixie teased. “Who’s your lovely friend?” “This is Kathy.
She works at a large, well-known company in “Nice to meet
you, Kathy,” Trixie said. “Nice to meet
you, too!” Kathy answered, a trace of a Southern
accent in her voice. Trixie noticed that Kathy had very unusual eyes. They
were amber-colored, but had a dark blue ring around the iris. Trixie decided
Kathy was just as beautiful as she was nice. And apparently, Regan agreed
with that conclusion. “Have you
talked to Jim?” Regan asked, missing Dan’s discreet shake of his head. Trixie
nervously swallowed and nodded her head. “We were talking, but Amanda yanked
the chain in his nose towards the dance floor.” Kathy,
immediately sensing that Trixie did not like Amanda, questioned, “Is Amanda
the one with the laugh that sounded like a goose hepped
up on something illegal crossed with a rusty chainsaw?” Everyone
laughed till tears ran down their cheeks. “Yep, that’s Amanda,” Dan chuckled.
“But she’s a lot nicer than some of Jim’s past girlfriends.” “Don’t know how
Jim puts up with that laugh, though,” Regan admitted. “I don’t think
Jim’s dating her for her laugh,” Dan said. His words popped out before he
thought. He nervously looked at Trixie to make sure she wasn’t too upset. Trixie rolled
her eyes in disgust and caught the wink that Kathy directed at her. Kaye returned,
looking even lovelier than before, and after more introductions were made,
nephew and uncle led their respective dates onto the dance floor. Feeling
very alone, Trixie wandered off to the buffet line, and after filling a
plate, she sat at a table beside Mart and Di. Trixie’s middle
brother and his wife were giggling and whispering back and forth. Di was
feeding Mart bites of the appetizers from her plate. “Oh, brother!” Trixie exclaimed. “You two are going to
make me lose my appetite if I have to sit here and watch this all evening.
You’re as bad as Moms and Dad. If I wanted to be subjected to this kind of
torture, I’d go home on a Friday night.” “Then sit
somewhere else,” Mart retorted, opening his mouth for the grape that Di was
holding out to him. Trixie smacked
him upside the head with her little purse. “Ouch!” he
exclaimed, rubbing his head. “What’ve you got in there? Your pistol?” Trixie shrugged
her shoulders. “Nope. Wouldn’t fit. But I did squeeze in my stun gun.” “You look
absolutely lovely tonight,” Di told her, squeezing her sister-in-law’s hand.
“Doesn’t she, Mart?” Mart nodded, stealing
a bite of prime rib off of Di’s plate. “Yeah, Trix.
You look great. Why, as good as you look, I’ll even claim you as my
almost-twin.” Mart mercilessly teased his younger sister, but Trixie had no
greater protector. “Did you come with anyone special tonight?” Trixie tried to
look interested in her food. “No, I decided to come by myself.” “What happened
to that rookie cop you went out with last month?” Di asked curiously. “He
seemed nice.” “I guess he was
nice,” Trixie admitted with a sigh. “But he just wasn’t my type. We only went
out once.” “Ah, another
one-hit wonder,” Mart muttered, unsuccessfully dodging his wife’s elbow in
his gut. “What was wrong with this one?” Trixie popped a bite-sized appetizer in her mouth and
shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. He was handsome, I guess, and he was a nice guy. But I didn’t like his
grin. It was kind of boring. I mean, he just smiled, and that was it. It
wasn’t lopsided like…like I like.” “I’m glad, Trix,” Mart said, swiping one of her
appetizers. “I didn’t like him.” “You never like
any of Trixie’s dates,” giggled Di. “I don’t think anybody will ever be good enough for your baby sister.” Mart’s eyes
wandered to their redheaded friend across the room. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m
sure somebody will come along that
will meet my approval.” “Approval for
what?” Brian Belden questioned, as he and Honey sat down at some empty chairs
at the table. “Why, approval
of a suitor for our fair, flaxen-haired sibling, eldest kinsman,” Mart
teased, employing the fancier words for which he was known. Mart’s love for
the English language led him to pursue a career in journalism, and now he was
a reporter for the Sleepyside Sun. He planned to teach some courses on
writing at Jim’s school, as well as help with the after-school agricultural
program. “Nobody will
ever be good enough for Trix,” Brian said, kissing the top of his sister’s
curls. “You sure look beautiful tonight, Sis.” “Thanks, Bri,” Trixie smiled. “How’s the residency at “Busy, but
good,” Brian answered with a grin. “I sure am glad to be home for a weekend,
though.” He leaned over and kissed Honey’s cheek. “Honey told me you just
finished up a big case.” “What kind of
case was it?” Di asked. Diana was the assistant curator of the “A detective
from “We must’ve
been of some assistance,” Honey corrected, “because Detective Keenan offered
us jobs if we ever move to The
conversation was halted, however, as Jim and Amanda sat down at the table.
“Are you all having a good time?” Jim inquired, playing the part of host. “Very nice,”
Brian informed him. “The Wheelers sure know how to throw a celebration bash.” Jim grinned.
“That’s what Mother does best.” He was rewarded with one of Amanda’s goose
laughs. Trixie bit her
lip to keep her groan at bay. “Dan’s enjoying
himself,” Honey commented, pointing to their handsome dark-headed friend who
was dancing closely to his date. Di agreed with
a giggle. “I’m sure his date is, too.” “Let’s join
them, Honey,” Brian urged, pulling his lovely girlfriend to her feet. Mart
noticed how Trixie’s eyes glanced wistfully at Jim. He whispered something to
Di, then stood up. “I must needs work off this fine meal. Lovely Amanda, would you be
inclined to join me on the dance floor?” He gallantly bowed and offered his
hand out to her. Amanda
nervously smiled, then looked at Jim. “Sure, Mart.” She took the blond man’s
hand, and he led her off through the crowd for “just the right” dancing spot,
which happened to be across the room, far, far away from Jim and Trixie. Once they were
gone, Di asked, “Jim, doesn’t Trixie look beautiful tonight?” Trixie frowned
and made a threatening face at her sister-in-law, but Jim smiled and
answered, “Extremely.” “Have you
danced any this evening, Trixie?” Di innocently questioned. Trixie shook her head, wondering what her
violet-eyed friend was up to. “Jim, why don’t
you ask Trixie to dance,” Di suggested, ignoring Trixie’s kick from under the
table. “I’d be
delighted.” Jim stood and held out his hand to the sandy blonde. “Want to
dance, Trix?” Trixie could
only nod, afraid her voice would betray how very much she wanted to be close
to him. Jim led her to
the middle of the floor, and securely held her in his strong arms. Trixie
placed a trembling hand on his broad shoulder. She closed her eyes and
breathed in the woodsy scent that was distinctly “Jim”. She shivered at the
touch of his hand along her bare back. “Cold?” Jim
murmured, pulling her even closer. Trixie nodded
again, still not trusting her voice. “I’m really
glad you came tonight, Trix.” “I wouldn’t
have missed it for the world,” she replied in a soft voice. “I know how
important this is to you, Jim.” The redhead
smiled and held Trixie close, forgetting everything else but the petite
blonde he held in his arms. “I know you and Honey have been busy working on
that new case.” “We wrapped it
up today,” answered Trixie. “We don’t have anything else to work on until a
new case comes along.” “Honey said
that Mr. Keenan was quite impressed with your work. She said he even offered
you a job in Trixie nodded,
not sure how to reply. “Do you think
that’s something you might be interested in?” Jim prodded. He held his
breath, feeling as if the fate of his entire world rested in her answer. “No, I’m not
interested in changing anything in my life right now. I’m happy just being
stuck in my rut, running the agency, and solving cases around here.” Jim’s heart
sank. That wasn’t exactly the answer he had hoped to hear. She pulled away just enough to look Jim in the eyes.
“Why do you ask?” She held her breath, feeling as if the fate of her
entire world rested in his answer. Jim shrugged
nervously. A battle raged between his heart and his head. Do I follow my heart and tell her my
entire world would collapse if she left,
he wondered, or do I follow my head and
say… “I was just worried about what Honey would do if you left the agency,”
he matter-of-factly stated. “Oh,” Trixie
replied quietly. That wasn’t exactly the answer Trixie had hoped to
hear. Jim and Trixie
finished the dance in silence, each of them pondering the other’s words. They
stubbornly drew their own conclusions about how the other felt. As the music
ended, they slowed parted. Neither wanting to let go. Neither knowing when
they would be this close again…
Be sure you check out the Bloopers for part two!
Hope you enjoy these silly scenes! An enormous thank you to my ever so lovely editors, Cathy
W, Kaye, and Kathy W. You ladies are the best! Thank you for all your help! ‘Wax on, wax off’ was in the “Karate Kid” movie which
I watched a bazillion times as a kid. I had a huge crush on Ralph Macchio, and now I can’t even remember how to spell his
name! *RME* Uh gee, did you recognize the lovely ladies who had
the enormous privilege of attending the festivities with Sleepyside’s
two hottest bachelors? Kaye and Kathy, hope you all had fun! You certainly
earned a night out on the town! Hugs to you both! P.S. What did you think of
those Bloopers? *wink* Well, you all finally got to meet Amanda. Don’t you
hate her already? J Another big thank you to Kathy W for helping with the
Star Trek lingo. I’m hanging my head in shame as I admit this, but I have never
watched an episode of Star Trek in my life. And also, it was the lovely Kathy
who gave Amanda her torturous laugh. That was her stroke of genius, and I bow
to her greatness!
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