Jordan stood dumbfounded in the hallway, floored by JC's statement. Confusion and anger blazed in her hazel eyes and tears began making salty trails down her bronzed cheeks. Unable to say anything in response, she turned quickly on her heel and began walking back to the elevator. Biting her nails out of nervous habit, she urgently pushed the button several times before glancing back down at JC's door. He stood in the hallway, a confused look on his handsome face before shaking his head and wandering aimlessly back into his room, shutting the door behind him. Jordan was startled by the ding of the elevator door opening, which she disappeared into as she pressed the number for her floor.
****
April looked up from the papers she was rustling through at the kitchen table within the suite as Jordan walked in, slamming the door behind her.
"What did he say?"
Fuming, Jordan turned to her friend, her anger pushing aside her fear and confusion about what had happened. "Come back for more?" she stated in a mocking tone, lowering her voice. "I thought last night would have been plenty for someone like you." Sitting down hard on one of the chairs next to her speechless friend, she carefully wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "Why would he say something like that unless..." she trailed off, shaking the thought out of her head, not wanting to think about the worst case scenario any longer.
April stared at her friend in disbelief. "He actually said that?" Talking more to herself than Jordan, she didn't even wait for a verbal reply before getting to her feet and walking toward the door. Before Jordan could protest, April was gone, stepping into the elevator and heading up to JC's floor.
****
A persistant knock pounded on the door once more, and JC sighed before getting to his feet. Looking through the peephole expecting to see Jordan again, he was surprised to see a very angry looking April in the hallway. Pulling the door open widely, JC didn't bother with a greeting, he just gestured for her to come in as he turned and walked back to the couch. Plopping down, he leaned back as April stood in front of the sofa, her hand on her hip as she stared down at him.
"Aren't you going to sit?" he asked curiously, a twinge of playfulness in his voice.
April frowned as she looked at the loveseat, and not making a motion toward it, gazed piercingly back at JC. "What's your problem?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
Holding up his hands, JC raised an eyebrow. "Whoa. What gives you the right to barge in here and start bitching at me?"
"First of all I didn't barge in, you invited me in. Secondly, Jordan is my friend and my responsibility. Johnny pays ME to make sure she's happy. Right now...she ain't happy. And that's what gives me the right to question you." April said, spitting the words at him with force. Anger flashed in her eyes as she continued. "Whatever you did to her last night has her upset...and you're gonna tell me everything that happened. So start talking."
JC's face turned from condescending amusement to confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" He questioned as he ran his hand through his short, dark hair.
"From the time you left the club until she woke up this morning, Jordan remembers nothing. I'm assuming you do. Spill it." April ordered.
JC sighed and got up off the couch as he began pacing back and forth across the room. Suddenly he stopped and reached into his pocket, removing an object that shimmered brilliantly in the light.
"What is that?" April said curiously.
JC walked over and laid it on the table in front of the couches where April still stood. "Jordan's."
Picking up the delicate necklace, April furrowed her brow as she examined it. Frowning, she noticed the broken portion of the thin chain and her mind raced back to the broken strap on Jordan's tank top. "How did you get this? How did it break?" she asked, her voice tainted with disbelief as she looked into JC's chiseled face.
JC sat back down on the couch and rubbed his hands over his face before looking up at April. "Will you please sit down?" he asked, gesturing toward the other sofa. She nodded and rested on the edge of the loveseat, turning her full attention to JC as he began telling her what happened.
"Well, as I'm sure you could tell...both of us were a little tipsy last night. Jordan more so than myself..." he began, his thoughts flashing back to the previous night as the events unfolded quickly in his mind.
****
JC stared at Jordan as she lay motionless on the side seat of the limosine. Thoughts raced crazily through his drunken mind as the alcohol began clouding his judgement more so than it already had. Sighing heavily, he rubbed the back of his neck with the palm of his hand as he recalled the heated embrace just moments before. The chemistry that had been between the two from the day they first met was still there, and he smiled slyly as he thought of what else could possibly be in store for them once reaching the hotel. She was drunk, he was feeling pretty good himself, and getting what he really wanted wouldn't be too hard to get from someone in her condition, he reasoned silently.
As the long luxury car neared the hotel, Jordan stirred slightly. Mumbling, she interrupted JC's thoughts as she lifted her head carefully.
"Where's Justin?" she said, her voice laced with confusion.
JC's thoughts flew out of his mind almost as quickly as they had entered, as the limo pulled to a stop outside of the ritzy hotel and Jordan attempted to sit upright. Noticing the faraway look in her eyes, he knew that because he cared about her, that he could never hurt her in any way. Helping her out of the limo carefully, he thanked their driver and slipping his arm around Jordan's waist, walked her into the hotel.
After making their way through the empty lobby and into the elevator, they stepped out on Jordan's floor. Walking toward their room, Jordan fumbled with the card for a few minutes before finally dropping it on the ground. Laughing as JC bent down to retrieve it, she leaned her slender body against the wall. He keyed their entry into the lavish suite as she slumped tiredly onto the floor, her legs sprawled out in front of her as she sat.
"Jordan?" JC asked, kneeling down beside her.
She turned her head toward him, flashing him a bright smile. "Yeah?" she said goofily.
"You need to stand up and get inside."
"Pssh. I don't wanna." she pouted.
After going back and forth for a few moments, JC finally convinced Jordan to stand up and enter the suite with him. Walking in tipsily, she headed straight for the mini bar and began rummaging through the small fridge that held alcohol and sodas.
"Can I interest you in a Heini?" she asked clumsily, holding up a bottle, a proud grin on her face.
JC moved toward her and whisked the bottle out of her hand, placing it back in the mini bar. Shutting the cabinet door to the small fridge, he grabbed the key off of the counter and locked it tight. "No more alcohol for you OR me." he stated firmly, moving her away from the cabinet.
Jordan laughed, tossing her head back slightly as she pulled her arm away from JC. Walking crookedly over to the doorway of the room she shared with April, she leaned up against the door frame for support. "You're such a party pooper Jayce." she slurred. "I'm not having any fun with you, I wanna go back to the club. I bet it's still open...let's go back." she urged.
Walking toward her, his own drunkeness still impairing his thought process slightly, he placed himself in front of her as she leaned against the doorway. Sliding a hand down her bare arm, he felt the spark between them ignite once more as she shivered at his touch. As he started leaning in toward her crimson lips, he stopped himself when she spoke.
"I miss Justin." she breathed, barely above a whisper. JC pulled back quickly, his thoughts jumbled before taking a deep breath and smiling down at the dark haired beauty before him.
"He misses you too." he said, knowing in his heart he was doing the best thing, although he so badly wanted to make Jordan his.
Her dark eyes implored the depths of his luminous blue ones as she gazed at him. "Yeah?" she said happily. "I really love him." Jordan finished, her voice taking on a childish, giddy tone.
"But you can talk to him tomorrow okay...you need to get in bed." JC instructed, nudging Jordan toward the bed.
Making her way over to the large king sized bed, she plopped down tiredly. "You're still a party pooper. I wanna go dance."
"Maybe later Jordan, right now the best thing is to just lay down." he stated, looking over his shoulder and walking back into the main room to get her a cup of water from the kitchenette area.
"Ugh! I HATE these pants. They're too tight and I'm all sweaty and ew." Jordan protested loudly, wiggling out of her black leather pants as she sat under the large comforter. She tossed them at toward the door as he made his way back into the room, ducking as the pants narrowly missed him. Shaking his head, Jordan giggled maniacally as the pants hit the doorframe and fell into a tired heap.
"What are you doing?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.
"These clothes are so uncomfortable." she said, struggling with the straps of her tank top. "And I can't get out of this shirt." she sighed in frustration, pouting as she tried to show JC what the problem was. Looking down over her shoulder at the back of the strappy tank, she continued wrestling with the shirt. "I just hate all these STRAPS!" she said loudly, looping her finger around a thin strap and moving her arm quickly outward. The force of her pull tore the spaghetti strap free from it's stitching, and a surprised look graced her pretty face before she laughed drunkenly. Attempting to free herself from one of the other several straps, she looped her forefinger around another one and yanked. Unable to break the strap on the first tug, she tried again, this time catching her finger on the delicate gold chain that rested on her neck instead. The force of her quick movement broke the chain as the necklace flew off and fell on the carpet near JC's feet.
Finally a few moments later, Jordan lay down and her eyes began to close as JC sat down next to her on the edge of the bed. Sweeping a stray hair away from her face, he smiled down at her. She looked so childlike, so serene as she lay there, and he leaned over her to place a gentle kiss on her forehead before whispering a goodnight. Bending down to slip the broken necklace into his pocket so that it wouldn't get lost or left behind, he slipped quietly out of the room before heading to his own suite.
****
April sat silent as JC finished telling her what had happened in the early morning hours that he had spent with her friend. Breathing in deeply, she mumbled. "Whoa."
JC leaned back on the couch as she continued. "I need you to tell Jordan that. You have no idea the thoughts that have been racing through her mind. The signs all pointed to..."
"Rape?" JC asked, his eyes dull and tired. "I figured as much when she came up here this morning and looked terrified of me."
April nodded thoughtfully, "Well, what you said to her this morning...it very well can't be taken in a friendly sort of way. What exactly DID you mean by that?"
JC leaned forward, "I was talking about the alcohol." he said, shrugging his shoulders. "It's common knowledge that Jordan doesn't drink much. I thought last night would have been plenty for someone like her...size wise and all. She's tiny, and it shocked me that she could drink that much and still be on her feet. In other words I was giving her a hard time." he finished.
April smiled at him, relieved. "You and Jordie need to talk...if that's okay with you." JC nodded his reply and April reached for the phone, quickly dialing Jordan's room number.
"Hey. Yep, I'm still up here. Can you come up? No, it's okay. Alright. See you in a few minutes." April said over the phone to Jordan before placing the phone back in it's cradle. Then, turning to JC, "She's on her way."