Rough Drafts by J. A. Armstrong Page A

“Not unless you want to keep it that way,” he said.
    “Out
of curiosity, what made you decide to work at that same clinic?” Jameson asked.
    Scott
sighed deeply. “Craig. Crazy, right? When he first went back to school after we
finished the program, he swore he was going to go into some kind of psychology.
He really liked it there, I think,” Scott laughed.
    “You
didn’t?”
    “Me?
Hell no. You know me, J.D. I hated every minute of that psychobabble.”
    Jameson
laughed. “Correct me if I’m wrong, don’t you do that psychobabble now with other people?”
    “I
know. Crazy, huh?” Scott laughed. “I should be fixing bridges or something, not
brains.” Jameson smiled. “Out of curiosity,” he looked at her. “Why did you
decide to come to the clinic now? After all these years?”
    Jameson
smiled. “Candace.”
    “She
must be quite the lady.”
    “She
is,” Jameson said proudly.
    “I’m
happy for you, J.D.”
    “I’m
happy for me too,” she said.
    Scott
laughed. “I know we can’t just go back…”
    “No.
Can I be honest?” Jameson asked.
    “I
hope you will be.”
      “I’m still…”
    “I
get it…uncomfortable.”
    “I
guess. I was going to say, I’m still not sure how I feel. A lot has changed.
We’ve both changed,” Jameson admitted. “But, I’d like to get to know this
Scott.”
    Scott
nodded. “I’d like that. I feel like I hardly know you. I have to say, I never
saw you married.”
    Jameson
grumbled. “With grandkids,” she muttered. Scott laughed loudly. “Think that’s
funny?” she asked.
    “Yeah,
I do. You are the only person I know who skips right through parenthood to grandparentdom . Got to give you credit, you are
full of surprises, J.D.”
    “Laugh
it up, Scottie. Your day will come.”
    “Don’t
count on it,” he said.
    “Oh,
I won’t just be counting, I’ll be keeping a calendar,” she winked at him and
started laughing.
    Jonah
entered the room and looked at the pair who were seated curiously. “You guys
okay?”
    “Yeah,
why?” Jameson asked.
    “Okay.
Your mom wanted me to let you know that dinner is ready,” Jonah said.
    Jameson
nodded at him and started toward the kitchen. “Well, come on! You coming or
what?” she called back.
    “Hey,
Jonah,” Scott grabbed Jonah’s arm.
    “Yeah?”
Jonah asked.
    “What’s
it like having J.D. as a step-mom? Does she read you bedtime stories?” he asked
loudly enough that Jameson could hear.
    “No,
she’s too busy studying the Bible at night with Mom,” Jonah cracked. Scott gave
Jonah a funny look. “You know,” Jonah continued. “Oh, God—Bible Study.”
    “Jonah!”
Jameson turned and fired Jonah a glare.
    “What?
Shell said it was Bible study,” Jonah said with a smirk.
    “Why
doesn’t she just rent a billboard?” Jameson complained.
    “That
was classic,” Scott snickered.
    “Works
every time,” Jonah laughed.
    ***
    Jonah
was markedly quiet as Jameson drove home. Jameson glanced across at him as he
gazed out the window. “You okay?” she finally asked.
    Jonah
turned his attention to Jameson. “No.”
    Jameson
nodded as she refocused her attention on the road. “Want to talk about it?”
    “You
know how I told you Laura’s parents are kind of conservative?”
    “Yeah?”
    “I
might have understated that.”
    Jameson
took a deep breath. “Actually, if my memory serves me correctly, you told me
conservative was an understatement,” Jameson reminded him.
    “That
might not really be adequate,” Jonah said.
    “Jonah?”
    “Laura’s
dad works for FVI,” he blurted the words out as quickly as he could.
    Jameson’s
grip on the wheel tightened. She kept her eyes squarely on the road, afraid she
might swerve otherwise. “By FVI, you
wouldn’t be referring to Funny Videos on the Internet, would you?”
    “No.”
    “That’s
what I was afraid of,” Jameson replied. “Shit.”
    “I’m
sorry, J.D.”
    Jameson
chuckled. “Funny Videos would have been funnier ,”
she