Schadenfreude

I was distracted today by the huge bit of gossip that set the town on fire with everyone everywhere burning the wires with the scandal that had tongues wagging with malicious glee. I got into work to find Claudia in full swing enjoying her usual bout of schadenfreude where she revealed that Nadia Voss was pregnant, Nadia had either made a miscalculation or a very risky calculation depending upon her goal. I thought that Chantal would be shouting the roof down about now and if Tony had any brains he would run off and join Royce on the circuit because he was just exchanging one demanding woman for another. Then I discovered that Nadia’s pregnancy wasn’t even the crux of the gossip it was that she claimed Braith Vanderhaven to be the father and I sank in my chair at the thought, how on earth could he have done this to Jazz? He was so devoted, they were such a devoted couple and except for that little twinge they had earlier, I was perplexed as to what would make him do such a totally stupid thing.

Another thought struck me but where was Tony on all of this, Jazz would be destroyed but Tony had managed to slink off into some crevice again leaving his family to clean up his mess only this time his mess ruined his daughter’s life. I know Jojo had run off with Lynx which tore me apart and then my deal with Gervais sealed my miserable fate so I knew how despair felt. I wanted to call her up and talk to her but I doubted she was going to come to the phone for anyone at this moment.

I would have called Mother for the truth but she was probably busy planning Braith’s demise with Chantal so instead I sat in my chair staring at Claudia and told her she had to be mistaken. She called Tim over who went over all the gory details as he confirmed the story but I didn’t believe him as his nature was to parrot any nasty information that came his way as gospel so they called over Simon who also confirmed it.

I ignored the two evil goblins and asked Simon directly what he knew of this and he told me it was all true and he had even seen them arguing in the parking lot of Sedero’s yesterday. I felt as if the world I had known had slipped away from me and I was living in some tacky soap opera. I did not want to ring Tiah either because Taryn was probably chortling with glee knowing that this wedding was going to be cancelled so I decided the only safe person to talk to about this was Coco and I waited for everyone to return to their offices before ringing her.

Coco told me it was true, Tiah had rung her this morning to say their entire house was in chaos as Jazz had called up Braith and when she was finished saying whatever she said to him he proceeded to break everything in sight. Tiah in her usual kind way suggested that Jazz brought this upon herself by trying to trap Braith into marriage as she still refused to accept that her brother was in love with Jazz. Taryn attempted a vain “I told you so” but got a look of such hatred from Braith that Tiah ran up to hide in her room. Jago did the unexpected by coming home from the winery, Taryn probably gave him a frantic call and he and Braith had been locked in his study all morning.

This news made my heart curl up into a tight ball of misery as I realised that none of us were going to get the fairytale ending that people keep inflicting upon young girls as their reality. I kept out of the gossip at work and stuck to my usual routines as I was not about to get dragged into the speculation of Braith’s stupidity and left Claudia to her malevolent tirade. After work I sat in my car for about ten minutes before deciding to go see Jazz, she might not want any visitors but she kept coming into my life when I was miserable so I might as well return the favour.

I drove up her house, the biggest, flashiest mansion Southside and saw the driveway full of cars it seemed that everyone was home except for Jojo who probably wouldn’t find out until he decided to answer his phone. I knocked on the door and to my surprise Tony answered, they must have sent all the help home to avoid anymore gossip happening and he ushered me in saying that I knew the way. I half expected them to not let me in and thought they might tell me to go home instead I ran up to her bedroom and knocked gently on her door.

A muffled voice whispered to go away and I knocked again this time with a little more force causing her to call out to be left alone. I put my lips to the door and said “ Let me in Musie,” it was a childhood name I had called her when someone had told me that her name Jazz was a type of music. I had called her Jazzmusic and over the years it had shortened to Musie. The door opened to reveal a destroyed girl who was not the same person I had spoken to a few days ago and I knew her pain for I was living in the same terrible place. I wished I had something clever, healing or comforting to say but I was blank, I looked at her for a minute then said “ I guess it’s just you and me now,” Jazz burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. I thought to myself if Gervais had anything to do with this I would spend the rest of my life planning his downfall in a very unladylike most murderous way.

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